To think the lockdown needs to end now?

[Fr0thandBubble]

I could understand a lockdown being imposed for a few weeks to make sure the NHS was up to capacity, but it’s gone well beyond that. The NHS now has lots of excess capacity and yet here we still are.

I am horrified by what has happened to our civil liberties, what it’s doing to our children’s education, what it’s doing to everyone’s livelihoods and mental health, what it’s doing to the economy, how people are not getting life-saving treatment for things like cancer, etc.

I don’t understand why people aren’t given the right to choose to self-isolate if they need to but for the rest of us to be allowed to get on with our lives and to take responsibility for ourselves.

I don’t understand why people who are not old and don’t have underlying health conditions are acting hysterically and why people have decided it’s OK to police other people’s behaviour and shout at them in the street.

I feel like I’m living in some kind of awful dystopian society.

I realise I’m in the minority here but does anyone agree with me?

[Mittens030869]

It really isn't just about those who have died of COVID-19. Too many people have had their lives impacted by the virus. I still have symptoms after 3 months, I'm just not getting better. And I'm not past the average life expectancy, at age 50, with 2 DDs of 11 and 8. This virus is a mild illness for a majority of people but for others, it's very damaging indeed.

Also, the vulnerable don't just include those who are elderly or at death's door. My DH has asthma, so he would be vulnerable, but he hasn't had a day off work for sickness in more than 5 years.

I'm not saying that the lockdown should go on until there's a vaccine, as I can see the impact on my DDs and it isn't fair on them. And sooner or later we need to live with the risk of infection, as we used to historically with other diseases and as they do in other parts of the world.

But I still think we need to wait until the R rate is lower. The infection rate has come down but not far enough yet IMO. It's being done too quickly.

[NorthernSpirit]

Sweden has a population of 10m & is 450km2.

The UK has a population of almost 68m & is 242km2.

The UK is by far more densely populated. You can not compare them.

The UK population had the ‘right to choose’ taken away from them due to people who couldn’t heed advice and went ahead stupidly endangering the rest of us who could adhere to recommendations.

[FourTeaFallOut]

If the vulnerable can self-isolate, how is it selfish for the rest of us to be allowed to get on with our lives?

How many people do you think are vulnerable as a percentage of the population and how well do you think your 'back to normal' will operate if they all isolate? I'll give you a clue, the vulnerable are a far, far larger group than the 2.2 million who have been advised to shield.

[Eckhart]

Love the polarising going on here. 'The people who want to carry on with lockdown are all this/that/the other'

I doubt it.

They're just people who disagree with OP for their own reasons, not a homogenous group.

[BamboozledandBefuddled]

Now that the furlough scheme is being phased out I imagine back to normal will come soon enough when people have to go back to work.

I would assume so. Not every job can be done from home. It's going to be impossible for employers to pay full salaries to people who can't/won't go to work due to shielding/family members shielding/childcare/isolating plus taking on a replacement employee to actually do the work.

[MellowBird85]

Because a measure of a decent society is how it treats its elderly and vulnerable

Sanctimonious tosh. The measure of a good society is making balanced decisions with the wellbeing of every section of society in mind.

[Bollss]

The UK population had the ‘right to choose’ taken away from them due to people who couldn’t heed advice and went ahead stupidly endangering the rest of us who could adhere to recommendations

It was never the right to choose really was it?

Because a choice means you don't have to do it. We did have to do it.

[HildegardeCrowe]

Agree wholeheartedly with you OP. And a part of society who are never mentioned are uni students. They continue to have to pay rent when they have no idea when they can go back. Their degrees will be worth less because of no face to face teaching (especially science degrees).

Everything is being sacrificed, including my poor SIL’s cancer treatment, and it amazes me how many people are happy to exist in their little bubbles. Society as we knew it is fucked.

[VideographybyLouBloom]

@m0therofdragons

Weston super mare hospital is closed due to being at capacity. You’re misinformed if you think it’s all hunky dory now.

Terrible example. Weston hospital is tiny and badly run. It also closes with alarming regularity in normal times.

[Mittens030869]

Okay, I've seen your update about your DH. I'm broadly in agreement that lockdown can't go on because it's unfair on our DC. And we will be sending DD1 (11) to school on Thursday when year 6 goes back, as she's going to high school in September so it wouldn't be right to deprive her of the opportunity of being given some transition. My DH is in agreement.

I just think caution is necessary too.

[trappedsincesundaymorn]

Completely agree OP.

[DomDoesWotHeWants]

The chance of a child being seriously affected by Coronavirus is significantly less than a child being hit by a car on the way to school.

Evidence? I see it said on here but no one has produced any figures for it. Best ignored.

And children’s lives are being very badly affected by this - both in terms of the immediate affect on their education, social lives and mental health

Most children are safe at home with their parents. Most children have work set by their schools and are supported to do it by their parents.

but also in terms of the colossal debt they are going to be burdened with - they are the ones who will be paying for this for decades to come.

Plenty of savings to be made to reduce the burden. HS2 to start with. Cancel it. Defence budget cuts. Have you any idea of the wastage?

Lots can be done to reduce the burden. Sadly education will be part time for quite some time but schools are getting better at organising on line work and work to be done at home.

[InfiniteSheldon]

It's the same as Brexit , the Election "transwomen are women" the considered opinion of the majority is drowned by an obnoxiously vocal minority claiming moral superiority

[Jeremyironsnothing]

I want my life back.

Some people want to keep their lives and the lives of others!!!
I'm not worried for my own immediate family but I care about others - Hell, even people I don't actually know.

The stupid actions of many will prolong this for a lot longer than it need to if people social distance for a short while longer.

Many of you lot are cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[Bollss]

Most children are safe at home with their parents. Most children have work set by their schools and are supported to do it by their parents

Oh is that right is it? You have no idea.

Even the best parents are struggling because they're having to do this thing called work? Or their mental health isn't great, or whatever else.

Saying most children are safe at home and learning is frankly bullshit.

[wanderings]

Yep. The whole lockdown and social distancing thing is a total farce now. It's condemning tens of millions to a miserable existence, to save a relative few. The scaremongering (of which MN is a part), economic carnage, damage to mental health and deaths by lockdown are set to do much more harm than the virus itself. I'm in the "lockdown will be remembered as a huge over-reaction" camp. You're more likely to be killed on the roads than by CV.

I'm sure that the Dominic Cummings business was an inside job. Boris knew the public would be angry, and retaliate by ignoring the guidelines, so in way the public starts demanding normality, and the government doesn't have to take any blame for what might happen next.

The government (and pro-lockdown force on MN) can keep throwing figures around until the cows come home. But figures can easily be made up to suit somebody's agenda; this has been proved multiple times, the government are making up figures every day to suit what they want us to believe, moving the goalposts in subtle ways.

Also:

IT'S NOT A NEW NORMAL. IT'S A TEMPORARY NORMAL.

[Juliet2014]

* I am horrified by what has happened to our civil liberties, what it’s doing to our children’s education, what it’s doing to everyone’s livelihoods and mental health, what it’s doing to the economy, how people are not getting life-saving treatment for things like cancer, etc.*

Me too. And also horrified that you thought it worthwhile for yet another thread on this.

[Bollss]

Lots can be done to reduce the burden. Sadly education will be part time for quite some time but schools are getting better at organising on line work and work to be done at home

Part time education is useless and will just further widen the gap. Parents will lose jobs over it. Children WILL suffer as a direct result of this.

Is that ok?

[heidipi]

Yeah I think that some people just don't realise that the virus gets less contagious as time goes on - sort of wears off, yeah? So the fact that we're getting bored means the risk must be miniscule by now surely.

Seriously - people wanting lockdown to end because they are missing their elderly parents... WTAF?

And as for the NHS now having capacity so would totally cope with thousands more admissions - even though it couldn't cope with that number in April and May. It would be fine now, cos it's summer. And we're bored of staying in.

Loads of scientists are saying exactly what you are, so you're definitely right.

[Playdonut]

You are right, but the doom mongers love living in fear so they will find your post very offensive. Keep sharing the truth as much as you can, you are helping the normal ones as well as the scare mongers. Thank you for your post xxx

[trappedsincesundaymorn]

@m0therofdragons

Weston super mare hospital is closed due to being at capacity. You’re misinformed if you think it’s all hunky dory now.

Weston Hospital is closed after 10pm anyway and is closed on a regular basis in "normal"times, in fact it's A&E dept is scheduled for closure permanently next April .The C-19 outbreak originated from within the hospital not through large numbers within the community. Please don't post something when you are not aware of the facts. Although it has risen slightly, the SW region has consistently remained the lowest region with regards to cases and deaths.

[MashedPotatoBrainz]

I don't think doing it the Swedish way would have saved peoples' mental health. Mine's shot to pieces and I'm not the only one. Watching the world shut down while having no choice but to send you child to school takes it toll. Being told your loved one is identified as being in the most at risk group but having nothing in place to enable them to isolate takes it toll. Being threatened with social services for keeping your child off school because their parent is high risk takes it toll. I don't know anyone who's going to come out of this undamaged by it.

[peaceanddove]

Absolutely 100%. Covid simply isn't dangerous to the overwhelming majority of our population. The overwhelming majority of people won't ever even notice if they have it FFS! It actually only affects a tiny minority of frail people. Everyone else is, and will be, absolutely and perfectly fine.

The needs of the many must outweigh the needs of the few.

[MarieIVanArkleStinks]

I agree emphatically with you, OP. And that's because I'm seeing the collateral damage being caused, in particular to people with addictions and mental health issues. Alcoholics are relapsing in droves because of the restrictions - even people who are not alcohol dependent are reporting that they are drinking far more than usual. This information comes direct from our local drug and alcohol rehabilitation service, who I'm in contact with to try to help an alcoholic family member. They can't access AA meetings. The ever loving mess unfolding behind closed doors - that people can conveniently hide from while 'prefecting' the neighbourhoods and wailing 'but you're killing baaaaaybees' because you've been out to the fucking supermarket - can all go hang, as long as people are obeying The Rules and some diseases and health issues (mental health esp) are more equal than others.

People can't access dental services, they can't access community support, they can't receive mental health support or attend groups, and the already chronically and terminally ill are suffering and having their treatments delayed.

I sympathise enormously with the predicament of the shielded, but it is not all about them.

And while I'm at it, please be so good as to ram the pathetic biscuit icon somewhere the sun isn't shining.

OP, YA in no way BU.

[FourTeaFallOut]

Knowing the difference between the UK and Sweden does not mean I live in fear.