To think the Covid 19 crisis has revealed a scourge of ableism and ageism in our society?

[Madhairday]

I see it on every thread about lockdown. The elderly (over 60s) and vulnerable (of whatever age) are again and again dehumanised and cast as less worthy of help than the young and the fit, who should be prioritised because they have longer and healthier life left before them. Phrases like one I saw just now about how these people will die soon anyway so why are children suffering?

I am really tired of being othered. I am really tired of being made the reason for the suffering endured by many in lockdown. Really tired of being told I should be grateful others are suffering for me. Just really tired.

Before all this I'd never have dreamed these attitudes would come to light, but in the past months I've been repeatedly punched in the gut with some of the words thrown out against the aged and the disabled and chronically ill. It seems that we truly live in a world where not all lives are equal, where in fact many are worth less than others.

Lots of people are suffering due to lockdown and the effects will continue to cause suffering. The shielded know this and are affected by it as much as everyone else. I have lost my income as well as not being able to touch another human being for nearly 3 months. Many of my shielded friends mental health is shot, too, yet on threads about mental health the shielded are yet again othered and in fact blamed for the mental health issues of those not shielding.

Many are suffering in lockdown. We know this. We know the NHS has cut off much treatment (largely because the spread of covid in hospitals is so uncontainable that they cannot risk bringing already vulnerable people onto wards as covid would exacerbate conditions and kill in greater numbers, as well as the risk for frontline staff, yet many people here seem to think the NHS has narrowed down 'because only covid deaths are important to them' )

I am deeply concerned at the level of ableism and ageism I see on here every single day at the moment. If we said someone else's life mattered less because they were black or gay we would rightly be torn to pieces, but so many are saying lives are less due to age and vulnerability, and this is going unchallenged, again and again and again.

I see it. I see it every day. I feel it deep down, a sense of worthlessness because I have long term chronic illnesses. I am likely to live many more years, however, but that doesn't fit in with the narrative so many have built around the shielded and those dying of Covid, that they must be near death anyway.

Do lives really rank one over the other due to age and illness? Is this where we are now?

I agree lockdown is hurting people. I am not one of the lockdown should last forever people. I'm just getting on with shielding quietly and carefully. But I do fear for a second wave if it's relaxed too quickly.

I would like to ask for some compassion today in the way people speak. I'd like to ask that people don't denegrate others as less worthy or state that covid is just a bad cold. Have a care for those who feel othered and dehumanised by the rhetoric that flies at us day after day.

Lockdown may have not have worked as well in the UK as it could have done with better timing but an absence of lockdown, as in Sweden, is not looking like a good choice right now.

Returning to the main topic, I think that, in difficult times, people need scapegoats so they can bundle up their frustrations and put them on the back of others who are, in some way, different to them.

There’s got to be someone to blame for discomfiture. It’s hard to be angry with a mindless virus, so people cast around for human targets. Some settle on the narrative that it is the perceived risk aversion of the old or the vulnerable that’s stopping society from getting back to normal.

But the truth is that the pandemic is a complex, multifactorial problem, aspects of which are not under human control.

if you want scapegoats I offer you a government that failed to provide enough PPE and dithered over lockdown. If you want a further scapegoat I offer you those who went on foreign holidays, especially skiing holidays, around February. Although some older people and those now isolating will have been out on the slopes if you think they are all on their last legs you'd believe none of them were - so not to blame for bringing the virus here.

I just seriously cant believe that the shite show called lockdown is still going on. Double standards too. Is fine to protest in droves and not be arrested for gathering, is not fine to drive to wales and see my family.

The numbers of deaths are going down. Every death is obviously tragic. People have lost their jobs, financially fucked, the economy is shite, loss of education, dv and child abuse is on the rise - and for the majority of the population there is no need for lockdown. The majority of those who died did have underlying health issues, and the majority of those were over 70. As I say every death is a tradgedy for the family. At what point do we draw a line and say enough is enough?

the answer to your question depends about how you will feel if you are one of the ones who get a very nasty illness that drags on for weeks. The young dont always escape from the virus, there are even a few deaths. Personally I think the lockdown rules have frequently been stupid and some of them could and should have been relaxed sooner. However there are still significant numbers testing positive and this week the number stopped declining.

We are tentatively coming out of lockdown thankfully for most people in England.
Not sure about those shielding.
I do however hate the pre existing condition argument tbough. I have pre existing conditions but I am fit and well.
Yet if I were to catch Covid 19 and die it apoears my deaths woukd be dismissed as less tragic. I am in my late 40s with3 kids.
Also part of the reason why it was so high in older people is because they were shipped out of hospitals to make way for younger peope into care homes to infect other residents and staff who had insufficient PPE.
Also many were asked to sign DNRs.

Yes, it is full of inconsistencies - eg sure everyone on a protest who did not social distance has had a massive fine handed out. I haven't seen my grandchildren for 6 months. My son has not been able to stay with his girl friend for 12 weeks - they have met once at a distance but that is not quite the same thing. Yet many of us making the most sacrifices are the ones not getting a penny of financial help from the state (eg if I were an employee even on £100k a year I could get furlough of £2k a month, but as I am a sole trader honest enough to declare profits over £50k before tax I get nothing - let us hope those who benefited have the higher taxes next year and those who got nothing have tax reductions)

The economy is about to nose dive.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53060529

Found this link on another thread. Says it all. Hope it works
www.facebook.com/dwayne.clark.79230/videos/130545615275572/

Interesting link. I know you can't really compare demographics with NZ but there's no doubt their early and decisive action stopped this in its tracks over there, and our government bumbling around look so rubbish in comparison.

@Xenia - many of those currently receiving government help could shortly be made redundant and face long term unemployment. They will need more government help not less. Those of us who are higher rate tax payers and still employed will be facing a higher tax bill.

Your concerns are valid op.
I have learned that there are absolutely millions of people who give no shits about anyone but themselves. We are most certainly not all in this together. I think it’s best to accept that this is a fact and try to live your life as best you can.

Looking at the response to being allowed to go shopping, it's clear that jostling for the short term dopamine fix of buying stuff overrides any concerns about the repercussions of such actions for society as a whole.

It’s important to go shopping to keep the economy going, otherwise even more redundancies will hit in October. As long as you stick to social distancing rules.

it's clear that jostling for the short term dopamine fix of buying stuff overrides any concerns about the repercussions of such actions for society as a whole.

Nope. The economy needs to get going as much as possible.

Or where do you think funding for NHS, essential services, public sector wages, etc, etc is going to come from?

Mind you, I could fucking do with a short term dopamine fix

I can’t believe people on here don’t care about people loosing their jobs! Families loosing their homes.

Of course people care. I'm shielded and I am not advocating for everything to be locked up forever. I'm angry with the government for not locking down earlier and letting Cheltenham, football matches and skiing holidays go on. However we are where we are. What I would like is for the government get a decent track and trace system up and running. One that people will buy into. We cannot afford a second wave and all the evidence from past pandemics suggests we will get one if we don't take measures to avoid it.

On a personal level, it is difficult watching all the mad crowding to buy trainers. When you and your family can't leave the house because the infection rate is still deemed too high it kinda stings hat people are risking more infections for fripperies. But I do know that people in retail need jobs, I would just like the shoppers to behave a bit more responsibly.

Tescos drove me potty this evening. It felt like absolutely no one waa paying any attention to the arrows. The majn culprits were young males.

@Alex50

The cost of lockdown will hit the beginning of January next year, funding to the NHS will be cut, millions unemployed, children still not in school full time, society will break down. Riots and looting will be an every day affair but yet people on here will still say is was all worth it

On a thread with a lot of stupidity this takes the prize. Calm down, dear.

Yes the economy is going to take the worst hit in a generation but the NHS will still offer their excellent services, schools will reopen fully in September and everyone will start to regain something like their normal lives. It’s bad but not the end of the world!

We locked down to ensure there would still be health care for the working population, not to protect the elderly - that was just a side effect and by not providing PPE the government did its best to kill off the old and sick.

We still have restrictions not to protect the elderly but to stop them taking up hospital beds. Those beds might be needed for the young males paying no attention to lockdown, the children getting meningitis, people who are having car accidents, those with cancer and all the things the NHS normally treats as well as the pregnant women who need a safe place to deliver their babies.

The government restrictions dont follow the science. They could have opened garden centres, gardens, zoos and any outdoor activities sooner. They could now open self catering accommodation. Their idiocy and incompetence meant we went into lockdown late and they are damaging economic activity far more than is necessary now. The real culprit here is the incompetence of this government.

@Parker231 there is no plan for schools to open F/T in September. How are mums/single mums going to work?

I think schools will definitely reopen fully in September - government keep going on about restarting the economy and that can’t happen until people go back into work - for that to happen schools need to be open.

We are working from home, it’s working ok but a decision has been taken for everyone to return into the office in September.

@Parker231 I agree but so many arguments over it, even parents are split on this, the amount of comments on here, children’s health is more important than education. Many children will be scared to go out the front door as some parents have been so over the top.

I think schools will definitely reopen fully in September

I doubt it. I teach - we would like this and are hopeful but we are all preparing for blended learning of some kind.