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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think easing lockdown on Monday is allowing a second peak to happen?

591 replies

Gawdsake2020 · 06/05/2020 13:02

Exactly that really. Still 4,000 odd infections a day, 600 deaths a day and there easing up on Monday.

OP posts:
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Oakmaiden · 06/05/2020 14:04

Depends what they mean by easing.

It might just mean allowing more outdoor activity within your family group.

And maybe allowing some non-essential shops to open with the sort of social distancing restrictions that supermarkets have been shown can be implemented.

I think both of those could be managed with very little impact on spread.

SudokuBook · 06/05/2020 14:05

How do you justify easing lockdown when the curve is still at a point where a second peak will happen and people will die?

So much for the 5 tests being met eh.

I agree lockdown needs to be lifted and things need to start getting back to some semblance of normality but this feels too soon. I think they should wait until after the May bank holiday at the end of the month. Surely we should be watching and seeing how things go after easing lockdown in other countries before rushing into it

DateandTime · 06/05/2020 14:06

It's true Noextremes, I'm conflicted about an end to lockdown. I know it needs to happen for the greater good, the economic prospects for the next few years already scare me to death but on an immediate personal level I'm not desperate for it to end. I'm doing half my usual work, from home, on full pay and saving commuting costs. And I quite like my job, if it was one I hated, I imagine the prospect of lockdown easing would be most unattractive.

ReadilyAvailable · 06/05/2020 14:06

It may well be that Boris announces a plan to ease the lockdown that begins from Monday. The first however many weeks of that plan could be more if the bloody same.

It’s still new policy for easing the lockdown starting from Monday though.

doublemix · 06/05/2020 14:07

I'm not even bothered about shops opening (though I understand they need start for economic reasons) I just want to be able to visit my parents again with my children. They are both under 60 with no pre existing conditions I'm really struggling this week without seeing them.

Fruitsaladjelly · 06/05/2020 14:08

Omg, calm down.
This is not a virus that is going to go away, it’s something we have to live with. There will be deaths from it just as we have deaths from many other illnesses, the deaths from this virus are higher because no one had had it this time last year so the infection rate has been far greater than for our normal repertoire of nasties. There is no magic wand and unfortunately death is a normal part of life. Mercifully despite the headlines it’s still extremely rare to die of this and it typically doesn’t kill indiscriminately but tends to effect those who are already reaching end of life either due to age or illness. Of course there are exceptions just as illness or accident can lead to death for any of us. We don’t call a halt to life due to the number killed in RTAs daily which is far greater number than those cut down early due to this virus. Life is not risk free.

The goal of lock down was not to prevent infection but to keep the numbers at a manageable level so medical care is available to those who need it. We have until now had significant surplus of hospital beds. Of course we shouldn’t all rush out and go crazy but it’s clear things are currently improving, a slight increase in infection rate won’t bring the system to its knees. It’s still unclear how much of the population have been infected but I suspect it’s far greater numbers that we know, random testing is starting to reveal significant numbers of asymptomatic cases even in the vulnerable categories, this will have been a pattern all along, we just didn’t realise because there were so few tests. If I were a betting man, I’d put money on that we could significantly ease current measures including opening schools and see a slight increase in cases but still have a comfortably functioning heath care system.

ellanwood · 06/05/2020 14:08

Spartacus Wed 06-May-20 13:07:31
Of course it is. It's murder.

I wish people wouldn't say things like this. It;'s so misleading.
Lockdown cannot kill the virus. It was never intended to. The virus will keep infecting people, just like flu and the common cold, as there is no cure for it. Lockdown's function was to ease pressure on the NHS.

It's abundantly clear that people who are very likely to recover easily from the virus are suffering severely in lockdown - losing jobs, businesses, eating into savings, having other medical needs ignored, putting untold stress on family relationships. And the economy is tanking.

There has to be a balance and at some point that will necessitate us becoming an integrated society again. We can't lock down until there's a tested vaccine. That point could be years away. Meanwhile, people will starve. Entire industries will die. That could lead to riots and looting and physical attacks.

What we need is a proper plan for how society can work. Everyone wearing masks, hand sanitiser everywhere, social distancing in shops, cafes, restaurants, on public transport etc.

It's better to do this in the summer when people have access to open spaces, are willing to walk longer distances instead of take trains etc, and have higher Vit D levels (known to help ward off severe attacks) than wait until winter when we are all fighting off colds and flu and have depleted Vit D.

DateandTime · 06/05/2020 14:09

I think he difficult thing to take will be that the easing required to get back to work will need to come before the fun is allowed again. So, I think it's very likely children will be back at school before they're allowed to play at friends' houses or visit family. I'll be back at work before I'm allowed to run with a group. Which will be a big ask and difficult to understand/enforce.

TinRoofRusty · 06/05/2020 14:11

So stay home then Hmm.

Murder, ffs.

SonjaMorgan · 06/05/2020 14:12

The lockdown began to allow hospitals to remain at or under capacity. Yes more people will die. Lots more. But if you aren't worried about the recession we are heading into then you haven't got a clue.

nellodee · 06/05/2020 14:14

Protecting the NHS may be the aim, but you do this by ensure the virus is not spreading. If it spreads, the NHS will soon be overwhelmed. Angelo Merkel said that if they had an R of 1.1, the German health service would be overwhelmed by August. If you keep R below 1, you may be doing this to protect the NHS but the side effect is that you will also come close to eradicating the virus.

Smilethoyourheartisbreaking · 06/05/2020 14:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ReadilyAvailable · 06/05/2020 14:17

@nellodee An R of under 1 is still spreading. Just slower than exponentially. The hope is that with lower rates of reproduction health services will cope with the healthcare needs of those with Covid-19. But people will still get it.

vanillandhoney · 06/05/2020 14:17

They're going to struggle to get people back to work if schools remain closed, though.

ChocolateQuiltedShitPig · 06/05/2020 14:19

Going by things happening in my work, an ease in lockdown is definitely happening from monday, at least concerning public transport to and from university accommodation.

Cam77 · 06/05/2020 14:19

"Boris" ffs

duffeldaisy · 06/05/2020 14:21

People who are worried about recession while under lockdown (when around 60% of the UK population are managing to work from home), what will happen if lockdown is lifted too early and lots more of the workforce become ill, and some of them die? Lifting the lockdown doesn't magically make the economy run brilliantly. And it's not like everyone lives in isolated units. It puts family members who are vulnerable at greater risk.

Moondust001 · 06/05/2020 14:21

It'll be fine. 98% of mumsnet are never leaving home again anyway.

TimeWastingButFun · 06/05/2020 14:21

It's madness. We should watch what happens elsewhere and get much lower deaths per day before we change a thing.

GoofyLuce · 06/05/2020 14:22

'Yeah, Murder. I'll stand by it'

What the fuck?! So if Borris decides to extend 'lockdown' for another three weeks, is Covid-19 going to disappear in that time?

We have to go out at some point to work and pay taxes to fund the NHS.

Are you working? Furloghed? How do you expect the government to be able to keep paying your income?

Your talking absolute shit.

PineappleDanish · 06/05/2020 14:23

Will it be the same people begging for Lockdown to contine FOREVER that will be shouting when their pensions are affected or we have higher income tax due to the coming recession

But none of that matters because if we don't lockdown FOREVER we will all be DEAD and the planet will END. Obviously.

People who take the "lockdown isn't hard enough, house arrest for everyone and armed police on the streets shooting people buying non-essentials" aren't thinking long term. In fact, it could be argued they aren't doing much thinking at all about the wider picture.

nellodee · 06/05/2020 14:23

I'm going to be paying close attention to what is relaxed, because it will tell us a lot about what their priorities are and what they really think about us. If they relax adult clothes shops and football matches, they think we are idiots. If they relax beer gardens or bars, it means they think we are idiots, and they still want herd immunity.

I'm hoping that they will do something much more sensible.

Lynda07 · 06/05/2020 14:24

I don't think you're unreasonable and feel it is too soon but so many people are stir crazy and calling for easing of the lockdown, the government can't please everyone. I have little time for 'our leaders' but they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. I'm happy for lockdown to go on longer but have great sympathy for so many others who are in dire straits because of it.

Who knows what the answer is.

loobyloo1234 · 06/05/2020 14:24

Stay at home if you want then OP

nellodee · 06/05/2020 14:25

@Readily it isn't. An R of 1 would mean cases would remain absolutely steady. Unless people never recovered and had the illness forever.

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