If we could go back do you wish we went down the herd immunity route?

[Sakalibre]

Just curious

YABU - no
YANBU - yes

Yabu

Not even remotely! No thanks. Even Sweden didn't go down that road.

No. Herd immunity would not have been achieved but many more people would have died. Maybe even someone you care about.

If we could go back why would you, op, prefer an alternative where even more people die than the other alternative where a competent and compassionate government aim for elimination?

I thought that it still wasn’t clear whether having had Covid gave you immunity, or at least anything that wasn’t weak and short lived?
In which case, YABU because there is no either / or.

Even if herd immunity would be possible for Covid19 (in time) flattening the first curve - and just flipping take a look at it, it was hardly flat! - buys time. Today, we are closer to a vaccine. Hospitals will have ironed out some process issues. We’ve had more time to build the right kind of PPE. I suspect (though don’t know) that medical people are better at identifying and treating Covid19.
We haven’t have the devastating psychological effect of huge death rates.
YABU.

No I don't wish we'd had even more deaths (we already have one of the highest death rates in the world) and large numbers of young people possibly permanently disabled with Long Covid. Nor would I want worse economic destruction. We've done badly enough as it is.

It's obvious we should've used our island advantage. Has we closed our borders like New Zealand, Australia, etc, we too could by now be living mostly normal lives. Schools, shops, bars, restaurants, and theatres all open.

Er fuck no.
You know immunity doesn’t last.

@Cocomarine

I thought that it still wasn’t clear whether having had Covid gave you immunity, or at least anything that wasn’t weak and short lived? In which case, YABU because there is no either / or.

Yes experts just recently warned about potential reinfection. Herd immunity can only come with the vaccine.

I'd prefer it if we could go back a bit further than that and have a government who had properly planned for the next pandemic (which was expected to happen at any time, it wasn't really a huge suprise).

Something like Taiwan's response.

I agree with the lockdown to not overwhelm the NHS to give everyone the chance of decent treatment for both COVID and other diseases (which hasn't totally happened). However while/if the NHS can cope then I don't want extra restrictions even if it means extra cases and yes, some covid deaths. As the Iives we save I believe will be lost elsewhere.

I'm very glad I don't have to make the decisions. I also follow all guidelines whether I agree or not as I'm socially responsible.

As we currently have no evidence that having the virus once prevents you from getting ill with it again, herd immunity is clearly not an option that can even be debated.

Herd immunity hasn't worked without a vaccine for a single disease. So no. Dedinitely not.

Thank you @SheepandCow that’s what I thought but I didn’t know if I had the latest info!

To a great extent we DID go down the herd immunity route in that the government handled the situation so badly that many more people got infected than should have. And look where it got us: at least 50,000 deaths so far. That’s 50,000 people who died before they should, 50,000 sets of grieving friends and relatives. It’s awful.

One of my parents falls into the category of “probably wouldn’t survive it” so absolutely not! Herd immunity has never worked before so why would it now? Preventable deaths for nothing would be the result.

Hancock warning on potential reinfection.
news.sky.com/video/coronavirus-hancock-says-there-are-first-credible-cases-of-virus-reinfection-12066589

@SheepandCow

New Zealand population: 4.9 million
Size: 243,610 sq km

Australia population: 25 million
Size: 7.692 million sq km

UK population: 66.65 million
Size: 242,495 sq km

We've got way more people and way less space, and our borders are a lot more accessible than theirs. I don't think our government has done a good job, but don't think our starting situation is comparable to New Zealand or Australia.

Op, can you achieve herd immunity with flu?

No.
It's a mutating virus that comes back year after year. We need a new vaccine every year and often, the vaccine doesn't work.

Can we achieve herd immunity for the aids virus?.. No.

What the bugger does anyone think about a herd immunity for this virus when we do not know anything about it yet!

@Sakalibre

Just curious

YABU - no
YANBU - yes

I’m happy with the fact I shielded my kids

@Sakalibre

Just curious

YABU - no
YANBU - yes

Are you stupid?

Look at the US. there's your answer.

Our borders are only as accessible as we allow them to be. Population size is irrelevant (and although NZ is a much smaller population, cities like Auckland are densely populated).

We, like NZ and Australia, are an island. That makes border control extremely easy. Other countries with land borders aren't as fortunate as us. We failed to use our advantage.

Until very recently We had the second highest death rate per 1000 population in the world.

So no.

Many people are still dying at home and in care homes.

So what are we going to do then? There won’t be a vaccine for years and even then it will probably only be about 40% effective like flu vaccine.
Instead we just let the economy crumble and our young people’s life’s be ruined? I’m one of the old people I’ve had my life I need to put young people first.

@SheepandCow

Our borders are only as accessible as we allow them to be. Population size is irrelevant (and although NZ is a much smaller population, cities like Auckland are densely populated).

We, like NZ and Australia, are an island. That makes border control extremely easy. Other countries with land borders aren't as fortunate as us. We failed to use our advantage.

Yeah, we don't need imports or food, do we.

NZ isn't in the same league, Australia is also a very different beast. LHR is one of the busiest hubs in the world, it was never going to close.

I do think it should have though. I do think that flights from China and Hong Kong should have been halted. That might have helped.

We've got way more people and way less space
Even more reason to prevent the virus spreading in the first place. The more densely populated, the more easily it spreads, and the more damage done.