To think we are heading for a full 2 week national half term lockdown

[Midlifelights]

DS’s school ramping up the preparation to teach on MS teams & making sure they can all use it & have the tech in place.

Teachers indicating that it’s going to be half term plus another couple of weeks after.

Given the rising numbers, it’s seems more likely that’s what’s coming - and maybe even a full lockdown this time & not the half arsed one we had before.

Aibu? I am worried as my kids really hated it last time but with so many new cases, it just seems the likely path

I'm sure I didn't shout for anyone to be 'put out of work' and I do understand how difficult it is for people with young children.

Why are some people so desperate for harder, stricter lockdowns?

If you're happy to lock yourself away, no one is stopping you. The rest of us want to continue living our lives the best way we can at the moment.
Thinking of going back to sitting indoors day after day, with only a supermarket open for entertainment is absolutely soul destroying.
Thinking about seeing no family at Christmas is heartbreaking (let's face it, no one will stick to that rule.)

The public have already given up so much. There's nothing left to give. Patience is fraying. The local lockdowns are doing nothing.

This virus isn't going away. I saw an article today where it was said that only half the population will be getting the vaccine (when it arrives) and absolutely no under 18s; so awaiting that for a semblance of normal is pointless.
We have to learn to exist along side it. The same way we've done with other illnesses.

Flu kills, Norovirus kills, chickenpox kills... we live alongside these diseases.

Don't accuse people of being 'smug' just because they may have some advantages. It's just the way things are. Most of us care about others who are in a more difficult position but what can we do?

It's those who're in privileged, (currently) secure positions calling for harder, stricter lockdowns that are smug.
They're fine so 'pull the ladder up, Jack'.

I'm in a fortunate position. I can stay home for a very long while before needing to worry. I also understand (and have seen first hand) that there are lots of people who would suffer greatly/go broke from just another 2 week lockdown.
I wouldn't call for another lockdown for that reason alone.

Average chicken pox deaths per year are 25. Norovirus is about 80. Flu deaths are high and can easily swamp hospital capacity on a bad year. Which is why we can't let coronavirus rip through society, especially right before flu season.

Average chicken pox deaths per year are 25. Norovirus is about 80.

In the UK...before the pedants start typing.

I'm picking my dd up from uni and getting her tested (i have a home test that we didnt use). She'll isolate in her room until the result. If she's negative my in laws are coming for Christmas whatever the govt says.

The NHS struggles every winter because the Tories have deliberately under funded it for ten years.

Track and trace is an utter shambles because the Tories gave the contract to their incompetent chums.

Any lockdown severe enough to stop the virus would also result in millions of people becoming unemployed and tens of thousands of businesses closing.

We have to learn to live with COVID, not pretend we can eradicate it.

I would guess schools are working desperately hard to get online learning in place now just incase. They don't have some magical knowledge about lockdown, they are preparing for if it does happen.

Yes, they were caught with no notice last time, then blamed for not having a system in place, which was hugely unfair. Makes sense to be making contingency plans really. Also I suspect a LOT of kids will be having random isolation fortnights so schools will be trying as much as possible to keep those kids up to date. I always thought being a teacher would be one of the hardest jobs, I suspect its much harder now.

Regardless of how it came to be, the NHS can struggle with the flu on some years. We will see far more flu deaths alongside covid death if no restrictions are in place.

That might be fine for you though.

Tens of thousands of kids do not have access to

• a PC
• a laptop
• a tablet
• a printer
• a desk
• a workspace
• reliable wifi

at home

Rich folks forget these things

And unlike covid, we see more deaths among children with the flu...I suspect people may be less cavalier when children can't get access to oxygen.

@ListeningQuietly

Tens of thousands of kids do not have access to

• a PC
• a laptop
• a tablet
• a printer
• a desk
• a workspace
• reliable wifi

at home

Rich folks forget these things

Yes, a lot who shout for schools closing and online work being the answer do seem to forget/not register this.

Our local high school seems to be taking measures to try and address this, as DSD came home a couple of days back with a new laptop, and a form for us to fill out to say we would take care of it and she will use it for school stuff. She was most pissed off when we returned it and said for it to go to someone who needs it, because she already has one. Apparently she wanted to take it to her mams so she had one at each house, but thats not what it was bloody given for. Shes still in a bit of a strop about it, but hopefully this is something more schools do. Though quite where the funding came from, I don't know.

@FourTeaFallOut

Regardless of how it came to be, the NHS can struggle with the flu on some years. We will see far more flu deaths alongside covid death if no restrictions are in place.

That might be fine for you though.

The flu comparison is more to do with the fact that, even though death toll for flu is high, we don't let it dictate our lives. We don't run and hide. In fact, quite the opposite.

A vaccine will only be used in half the population (and on no under 18s) so we can't bank on that eradicating the pandemic.
How long are we supposed to live under restrictions?

I'm of the opinion that if a person is concerned, they should be supported in shielding themselves away. The rest of us should try and live as normally as possible, while taking precautions. Otherwise where does it end?

Look, I don't know what you are trying to persuade me of here?

I'm not in a position to either impose or relax restrictions. It is simply a statement of fact that if we let covid rip we will see an increase in flu and covid admissions and flu and covid deaths.

It is going to happen in Scotland for sure. Teacher friend in one area which normally only has one week half term in October, has been told they are having two weeks this year.
It’s pretty obvious. Stand by

dementedma

Could be a case of chinese whispers

@FourTeaFallOut

Look, I don't know what you are trying to persuade me of here?

I'm not in a position to either impose or relax restrictions. It is simply a statement of fact that if we let covid rip we will see an increase in flu and covid admissions and flu and covid deaths.

I'm not trying to persuade you of anything You're stating your point and I'm stating mine.

That is okay on here still isn't it? Or do you have to be hysterically crying 'We're all going to die!!' to post on these threads?

Could be but we work in the public sector and our Boss was very much “suggesting” we inform our teams to be ready for two week shut down in October in our team meeting last week. Sturgeon has said today that stronger measures are coming.

I don't think we are all going to die and I'm not convinced that a two week break would make much of a difference. I just stepped in to say that flu and covid admissions will compete for the same resources in a hospital. Comparing the two, as if they are unique, therefore is a nonsense.

With so many job losses now (1mil and rising) I hope we don’t. More restrictions perhaps but the cost of a full lockdown in the uk now is more worrying to me.

So to say...we don't carry on like this for the flu...isn't the whole story because usually we have (only just) enough resources for the flu. For a flu season that might overwhelm the NHS we have models which may very well include some of the steps taken as a result of covid.

@dementedma

It is going to happen in Scotland for sure. Teacher friend in one area which normally only has one week half term in October, has been told they are having two weeks this year. It’s pretty obvious. Stand by

I love these kind of posts - it's not even been announced but yet someone who knows someone has inside knowledge

I was wondering if we were heading towards another lockdown after the increasing number of cases recently - then I got an email from DS’s school today saying where and how we can access “home learning”. So I guess they’re getting prepared.

But no one seems able to say what good a 2 week lockdown will do, apart from delay things even further into winter.

And what assurances do we have that it would last 2 weeks?

It will be a case of "Oh look it's working, we must continue" or "Oh it's not working yet, we must continue and have an even harsher one."

I would (personally, many cannot afford it though, or have other reasons for not tolerating it) be happy with a 2 week lockdown I think. But I don't believe it would be two weeks. Afterall, the last one was sold as a few weeks, and look how that turned out. Public pressure about how some people are still dying!! Its not safe! and then.. 4 months of it. Aim changed from flatten the curve, to try and stop any infections

Lockdown is not a longterm strategy of course. But it can pause things, and maybe knock it backwards slightly before opening up and starting all over again!

Also, those calling for stricter lockdowns don't seem to think about other countries like Spain who were VERY strict, and where they are now. So, the strictness made no difference, as it won't realistically as whenever people start mixing again, its back spreading..