Page 10 | Anyone still suffering lockdown fallout?

EmmaEmerald · 2024-02-08T19:56:10+00:00

I don’t want to tag any of the original people who helped me out a lot as I know this thread will attract a lot of nasty folk but every so often I feel absolutely in shock still at how the fallout goes on. suppose I’m seeking reassurance it won’t be like this forever but it might be, I guess.

Heatherbell1978 · 09/02/2024 17:35

I feel like if we didn't have the kids we'd have been ok. Both DH and I are sociable but also happy in our own company. I think we'd have just got on with our jobs, watched Netflix and been grateful for the money we saved while watching the world go insane around us. As it happens we had a 3 and 5 year old and trying to manage them, homeschool the eldest and hold down 2 busy full time jobs while wfh was horrendous. The eldest's education still hasn't recovered as he missed out on some foundational knowledge. He's going to private school after the summer. Not something we ever thought we'd do so I guess life has changed course for us.

SomeCatFromJapan · 09/02/2024 17:47

It definitely feels like a very different world to 2019. Spiralling cost of living and runaway inflation. The social contract feels broken. It was the last straw for an already struggling retail sector and many town centres are grim, post-apocalyptic looking places now. People seem more polarised and more extreme in their views. There's a sense of hopelessness now. Remember how the world felt in for instance 2012 when we hosted the Olympics? If you compare then to now, it really is a different era.

OrangeMarmaladeOnToast · 09/02/2024 18:01

The social contract is definitely fraying in some places. The change in attitudes to school is maybe the most obvious.

EvelynPlummer · 09/02/2024 18:20

scalt · 09/02/2024 16:24

For those arguing the difference between lockdowns and the pandemic: it is vital to make that distinction. The government and the media are constantly gaslighting us with "because of covid" "because of the pandemic". Many of the terrible things described on this thread are squarely because of LOCKDOWNS, not covid. The OP's original question was about lockdown fallout, not pandemic fallout.

As for how terrible it might have been without lockdown: it's only because of the internet that lockdown on this scale was possible at all. A mere ten or twenty years previously, there might not even have been so much panic. The internet meant that blind fear and panic spread round the world in minutes.

I saw first hand the effects of lockdowns on children. It is unforgiveable that it went on as long as it did. Children were robbed of a large part of their formative years. "Only a year" to us is a quarter of a four-year-old's life. The fallout of this will be felt for decades.

Lockdowns went on for much longer than necessary. The government made promises they knew full well they could not keep, such as "just three more weeks" again and again, and "we can eliminate covid". Nope. If the government had admitted early on that lockdowns only delayed infection, not eliminated it, and that lockdowns were causing immense damage for extremely obvious reasons, I would now be respecting the government, and maybe even a short lockdown that it might have been. But because they dragged lockdowns on and on and on, until they could manipulate the figures enough to be "seen to have beaten the virus" (and yes, I very much believe the government manipulated figures A LOT, and is probably still doing so). The government was so desperate to save face, and could not bring themselves to say "actually, we can see that lockdowns are causing terrible damage, and the virus isn't nearly as dangerous as we said it was", they dragged out the misery for much longer than was needed. (If it was needed at all.) As far as I am concerned, Partygate is the proof that the government knew that things were nowhere near as bad as they were telling us: they had access to much more information than we did. If it really was a deadly threat, they would not have partied like that. Because they infantilised the population, and cried wolf on such a massive scale, I may never believe in any "government emergency" again. That is my lockdown fallout.

I have always doubted the integrity of government since I was a teenager; although I hadn't yet learned to distrust the media. My approval of government was very low indeed when Tony Blair declared his illegal war just because he wanted to. The last four years have been the final nail in any trust I ever had in government, and the media. I used to be an avid Radio 4 listener, but I haven't even switched it on since August 2020, with the constant talk of how bad "corrrrrrronavirus" allegedly was, and Boris Johnson casually saying "we have to squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze the brakes on reopening". Now I don't believe anything the government says at all, or what the papers say; and if there's a sensational story, my immediate thought is always "what is the government trying to hide?".

I couldn't disagree more.

I actually saw the figures rise and then gradually fall in ICU admissions.
I saw the figures for deaths daily.
I saw the number of staff off temporarily and long term and what that did to our service provision.
As I said earlier we just managed to keep our services running.
I'm sure from your armchair it looked a bit of an inconvenience but I can assure it would have been catastrophic without lockdowns .
EDs would just have closed their doors.
Zero diagnostics
No ICU beds
No cancer treatment
No EOL care

Iwasafool · 09/02/2024 18:24

EvelynPlummer · 09/02/2024 18:20

I couldn't disagree more.

I actually saw the figures rise and then gradually fall in ICU admissions.
I saw the figures for deaths daily.
I saw the number of staff off temporarily and long term and what that did to our service provision.
As I said earlier we just managed to keep our services running.
I'm sure from your armchair it looked a bit of an inconvenience but I can assure it would have been catastrophic without lockdowns .
EDs would just have closed their doors.
Zero diagnostics
No ICU beds
No cancer treatment
No EOL care

Show quote history

Like I said, the success of lockdown is now used as proof we didn't need lockdown. I think the reduction in flu during lockdowns shows how the transmission of infections was controlled.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 09/02/2024 18:30

Yes, totally! Very frustrating!

MermaidEyes · 09/02/2024 18:40

I’m curious about the posters who have said that their friendships haven’t recovered. What has happened that you haven’t reconnected.

Yes I'm curious about this too. We kept in touch with pretty much all of our friends and we were back out socialising as soon as we could.

DappledThings · 09/02/2024 19:37

MermaidEyes · 09/02/2024 18:40

I’m curious about the posters who have said that their friendships haven’t recovered. What has happened that you haven’t reconnected.

Yes I'm curious about this too. We kept in touch with pretty much all of our friends and we were back out socialising as soon as we could.

Same. We had a camping holiday with some of ours as normal in August 2020. And a 40th birthday in a garden the same month with lots of people. All within regulations.

Iwasafool · 09/02/2024 19:43

I live in a typical buckets and spades seaside town. It was packed in August 2020, you couldn't move. Lots of people were out mixing.

PropertyManager · 09/02/2024 20:45

EvelynPlummer · 09/02/2024 18:20

I couldn't disagree more.

I actually saw the figures rise and then gradually fall in ICU admissions.
I saw the figures for deaths daily.
I saw the number of staff off temporarily and long term and what that did to our service provision.
As I said earlier we just managed to keep our services running.
I'm sure from your armchair it looked a bit of an inconvenience but I can assure it would have been catastrophic without lockdowns .
EDs would just have closed their doors.
Zero diagnostics
No ICU beds
No cancer treatment
No EOL care

Show quote history

What we should have done is accept at the beginning that there was no way that the hospitals could cope with covid patients, and actively keep covid patients out of hospital - and if they died, they died, cest la vie (or cest la mort really!) - and thus keep other services running.

Sometimes you can't win, and acceptance of that is key.

EvelynPlummer · 09/02/2024 20:52

PropertyManager · 09/02/2024 20:45

What we should have done is accept at the beginning that there was no way that the hospitals could cope with covid patients, and actively keep covid patients out of hospital - and if they died, they died, cest la vie (or cest la mort really!) - and thus keep other services running.

Sometimes you can't win, and acceptance of that is key.

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You cannot be serious

Wherediditgoto · 09/02/2024 21:04

PropertyManager · 09/02/2024 20:45

What we should have done is accept at the beginning that there was no way that the hospitals could cope with covid patients, and actively keep covid patients out of hospital - and if they died, they died, cest la vie (or cest la mort really!) - and thus keep other services running.

Sometimes you can't win, and acceptance of that is key.

Show quote history

My brother would have died then. I bet you wouldn’t think that if you had a loved one who nearly died.

JenniferBooth · 09/02/2024 21:13

Akire · 09/02/2024 08:46

I feel like im only just over it. I didn’t have any human physical touch for 6 months. Was at home and not in anyone bubbles as they all had someone else. While I wouldn’t call it a dramatic event it certain left it mark. You can’t talk to anyone about it as people tend to roll their eyes at you.

Even now I can’t stand watching people kiss on TV makes my skin crawl. Sex is fine which is the strange part but I associate kissing as to germy. Not had chance to kiss anyone in that way so can’t see if it’s real life or just TV.

Havent had any human physical touch from DH for almost 28 years. I coped ok with this most of the time, (I did have a relationship with someone else between 2003 and 2008) I coped most years by focusing on friends and always looked forward to the social aspect of going to the hairdressers and wax salon etc. In March 2020 that all went. As time went on and certainly when we got to November 2020 lockdown seemed to exacerbate things and i STILL say we were psychologically abused. I woke up one day in early August 2021 and could not get ex OM out of my head. I was walking around my bed in the middle of the night shaking and crying (i did try to talk about this on the mental health board at the time but the Covid zealots got me booted off) I agonized for five weeks and then in September 2021 i broke and wrote to him. He was so pleased i wrote to him and still says that now that we have been seeing each other again since October 2021. In the August i felt like i was having a complete breakdown I also had a terrible feeling that something had happened to him. I was right. He had had a small stroke and has been left with a stutter and damage to his swallow reflex. It was strange how i had that feeling when id had no contact with him for 13 and a half years at that point. He said there has been no one since we split in 2008 (obvs i wouldnt have minded if there had been as not my buisness but others have told me its true I have no idea what caused the way i felt in August 2021 (it could have been a delayed effect of the lockdowns or exacerbated by it but im glad it led me to where i am now and i no longer give a rats what others think

Crikeyalmighty · 09/02/2024 21:20

@JenniferBooth life's short lovely- good luck to you xx

Areyoureadyforthis · 09/02/2024 21:21

TwoUnderTwitTwoo · 09/02/2024 11:55

No of course not. But I can see you’re going for the reactionary and inflammatory statements, rather than trying to understand the OP’s perspective and unpack the short and long term health implications and morbidity and mortality from lockdown, including public health, addiction, domestic violence, mental illness, delayed diagnoses and on and on. There was no certain outcome one way or the other, nor was there any certainty that the “bodies would pile up” or whatever hateful phrase was used.

The government and public response to the pandemic will provide a rich vein for PhD theses across all disciplines for years to come.

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How it is hateful?! Bodies did pile up in many 3rd world countries. South America is one example

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/30/brazil-manaus-coronavirus-mass-graves

Crikeyalmighty · 09/02/2024 21:26

@notacooldad I would say other peoples situation changed too- it's not just lockdown- but lockdown brought about changes in my friends - one just seemed to no longer enjoy going out much, developed a bit if a fear of mingling. - another had a baby, another's job changed and has much more time away from home due to nature of job changing- another moved away due to the WFH kicking in more.

BMW6 · 09/02/2024 21:30

PropertyManager · 09/02/2024 20:45

What we should have done is accept at the beginning that there was no way that the hospitals could cope with covid patients, and actively keep covid patients out of hospital - and if they died, they died, cest la vie (or cest la mort really!) - and thus keep other services running.

Sometimes you can't win, and acceptance of that is key.

Show quote history

So in your scenario if you catch Covid you don't go to hospital, you stay at home and recover or die.
But that person has already infected others who go on to infect others, because you have not instigated lockdown.

So all these sick people are staying home, in exponentially increasing numbers, recovering or dying.

Who is staffing the food shops? Who is looking after those who ARE in hospital with non Covid illness? Who is setting broken bones?
Because None of these people have some kind of natural immunity to covid - they will be sick at home too in ever increasing numbers.

Or just staying away from work and isolating themselves because they don't want to catch it.

So where will you get food when the shops are closed because they can't be staffed?

And who the fuck is going to take your dead from your homes?

Without Lockdown you are totally fucked.

And I'm sure that will impact far, far more than any lockdown ever could.

If you think I'm exaggerating read Plague History and think about the population then compared to now.

Alwaystired22 · 09/02/2024 21:33

PropertyManager · 09/02/2024 20:45

What we should have done is accept at the beginning that there was no way that the hospitals could cope with covid patients, and actively keep covid patients out of hospital - and if they died, they died, cest la vie (or cest la mort really!) - and thus keep other services running.

Sometimes you can't win, and acceptance of that is key.

Show quote history

You ok hun?

Mairzydotes · 09/02/2024 21:34

Usernamen · 09/02/2024 13:54

I think people might be mis-remembering the length of lockdowns in both directions.

Restrictions began late March 2020 and didn’t fully lift until late July 2021.

16 months of restrictions (imposed restrictions, obviously some people shielded for longer).

The people who had to continue going out to work throughout the majority of the restrictions experienced it from a different perspective from those who didn't.

As a society, the first 3 weeks of the lockdowns were a bit of a welcome break as it allowed us to stay home and rest .

Thingamebobwotsit · 09/02/2024 21:36

Thank you @EmmaEmerald for posting this. I identify with a lot of the sentiments on here and haven't really found the way to articulate it. Yet. It is good to know I am not alone.

Areyoureadyforthis · 09/02/2024 21:52

nopuppiesallowed · 09/02/2024 16:32

@Iwasafool 'I'm always puzzled when people use the argument that more people die of X than died of covid. If we hadn't had lockdown many more people would have died of covid, surely that's the point. The same with people didn't get diagnosed of X because of lockdown, well how many people would have got diagnosed of anything if the NHS had completely collapsed, overwhelmed with the people sick and dying of covid? It is like the success of lockdown is now used to prove we didn't need it.'
Totally agree. Covid might be mild now, but it wasn't just like a cold then. And Long Covid has robbed many of us of the normal life we had before the flipping virus hit us.

Replied to wrong person sorry!

seafoamgreenhair · 09/02/2024 22:05

MN, a fascinating little town on the internet, where many - despite having devices that allow them to peruse the internet outside its borders - have managed to stay completely unaware of how governments in democracies and non-democracies all over the world implemented lockdowns (and also such outrageous notions as mask-wearing and social distancing) to prevent not just their health and other systems being overwhelmed, not just unnecessary deaths, but bodies literally piling up in the streets, as they did in some places, or makeshift mobile morgues made out of refrigerated trucks to deal with the extraordinary number of corpses being a common site in all cities and towns, during a global pandemic.

Despite having access to news of it, and of the measures taken that successfully saved thousands of lives in the previous global pandemic 100 years ago - which involved (gasp) lockdowns, called then "quarantine", and (gasp) wearing masks - they feel it was something unique and horrid and "political", occurring to upset them and curtail their ordinary lives unnecessarily.

IkeaMeatballGravy · 09/02/2024 22:07

I still can't get over the panic buying thing, the toilet paper especially, it was all very odd and scary. My friend couldn't find formula for her baby, she had to around different shops in different towns and cleared the shelf when she found it.

I still feel immense guilt that I put my autistic DS through the covid tests, he screamed until he gagged he was so distressed, but I felt like it was necessary because he wouldn't have coped with 10 days without going out. I lived near the countryside, we could have gone for walks each day and not met another soul, why did I follow the rules so blindly?

It disturbed me how quickly people turned on each other, how eager people were to report neighbours. I do find it hard to trust people now, I have moved areas and I am in no rush to make new friends, I prefer to just spend time in the company of my immediate family.

JenniferBooth · 09/02/2024 22:07

@Crikeyalmighty Thank You

PropertyManager · 09/02/2024 23:23

Wherediditgoto · 09/02/2024 21:04

My brother would have died then. I bet you wouldn’t think that if you had a loved one who nearly died.

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Unfortunately you can't make such decisions based on personal emotion, when the govt' and NHS decided to stop, for example, cancer screening or certain treatments, they would have known a number of people would sadly die as a result, I knew someone who did, the stopping of his treatment killed him.

The difference in my mind, morally, is that the decisions taken condemned a group of people who were known, in the system, undergoing treatment, to their deaths.

The covid cohort wern't known, it was a lottery as to who would live, who would die, no names pre-attached.

Neither scenario is great at all, but many families were thrown under the bus knowingly for an unknown.