AIBU but isn't it a bit daft to end all Covid restrictions so soon.....

[Diamondsareforever123]

I'm pretty worried TBH, particularly the move from people not having to isolate if they have Covid. Let's face it a lot of people won't be able to afford to isolate! Surely this will simply allow the virus to circulate more widely - so more people with Covid, and more vulnerable people with Covid. What happens when the vaccine immunity starts to wane? What happens if we get a really dodgy variant? Why can't the government impose mandatory mask wearing on transport and shops? This would stop spread, I'd really like to hear views on this please.

Completely disagree. Restrictions have been lifted gradually.

@ Armadeus

But Covid is no longer killing people anywhere near that rate. And when it was we had restrictions in place.

@ Flatsusuy, what sort of straw man question is that? I don’t want to go out when I’m Ill with anything. Like most people I hope, if you feel unwell you stay home until you are better and don’t mix. But getting unwell is part of the risk of living. The risk of death for triple vaccinated people is very low.

@TheKeatingFive but that's the nursery guidance which would not necessarily change to fit government guidance. They can dictate that your DC's don't attend if anyone in the house has covid as that's their right.

There’s a horrible kind of superiority complex on threads like these. All the folk somewhat anxious about covid due to pre existing health conditions are portrayed as bedwetters. There are people who through no fault of their own are extremely clinical vulnerable - renal transplants, on immunosuppressant meds etc - aren’t they allowed to be concerned ? They aren’t asking for lockdown or everyone to wear masks. Just that people be sensible and keep their distance, to mask up, to not mix freely when they have a novel virus like covid.

I have no idea what is the right thing to do about Covid but a gradual loosening of restrictions seems sensible to me.

The main problem is that no one is quite sure if Boris is loosening restrictions because of medical advice or for reasons of political expediency to save his own skin And that is the main issue here. The lack of trust.

@TheKeatingFive count yourself lucky then. Some of us were ill, some of us have lost careers, have had to retire prematurely due to LC. Your all of 16 days in isolation was 2 weeks of your life. That’s it. You talk about it as if you sacrificed everything.
FWIW I think it maybe is time to start getting back to normal but folk with covid really should not mix with others.

Just that people be sensible and keep their distance, to mask up, to not mix freely when they have a novel virus like covid

That is reasonable and of course if people feel unwell they should take these precautions. But that is not what this thread is about. We have had two years of restrictions and so many people want these to go on and on. Two years, mass testing, triple vaxxed, low hospital numbers are STILL not enough for some people.

@OlympicProcrastinator it can't be both though. If covid is super mild and not dangerous, then why wouldn't you go about your daily business even when infectious with it? It's just like a cold right, I go to work with a cold, swim, go out to eat, cinema. Therefore I would do all those things whilst having covid.
The difference is that it's not the same, it's much more contagious and people are contagious for longer. Without regular testing I don't see how this won't result in more hospital admissions.

Also you can't expect people to be sensible and not go out with covid but then also not pay them. That's not a choice.

And people don’t die or develop long term conditions as a result of cold.

Do people stay away from others with chicken pox/ shingles?

@FlatSusy

Also you can't expect people to be sensible and not go out with covid but then also not pay them. That's not a choice.

This exactly. The government is saying you shouldn’t go out with covid but is then taking away the tools that enabled a lot of people to do this.

Without regular testing I don't see how this won't result in more hospital admissions

Because people are triple jabbed and hospital admissions and deaths remain very low despite most people going about their business without masks. The vaccine is pretty good in reducing transmission.

There is no vaccine for a cold. I personally wouldn’t go swimming or cinema or anything with a cold and spread it around and never have done because that’s selfish on other people. That was way before covid. Most people might go to work but wouldn’t do the other things you’ve mentioned if feeling unwell. Respiratory illness has always been deadly to the elderly especially in winter, leading to pneumonia and bronchitis.

I hope that the lasting legacy of Covid will be more care in the winter to keep away from others when you are snotty and coughing. But more restrictions for this particular coronavirus now do not seem proportionate.

Your all of 16 days in isolation was 2 weeks of your life. That’s it. You talk about it as if you sacrificed everything

Oh please, where did I say anything like that. I pointed out that no it isn't five days for many families.

@OlympicProcrastinator do you work in a hospital? The restrictions and testing are partly keeping people out of hospital. Taking a test before you see granny, testing before a big indoor event, staying home when you have a cold. All this will no longer happen with no free testing.

Nobody will know whether they have it or not anymore because no one will want to pay £6 per test except maybe the mega anxious people who have £6 to throw away on a test.

It’s been two years and we’re all vaccinated with extra boosters for medically vulnerable people. People can wear masks if they want to, nobody is stopping them. I think it boils down to personal responsibility now. If you know you’re vulnerable to covid then wear a mask and avoid busy places as much as possible. Everyone can keep washing their hands and I think cleaning trollies and baskets is a great idea, I used to do it pre covid because I always thought about how many germs were on them. We know most people aren’t affected by covid so it’s unfair to keep throwing restrictions on the majority to protect the minority imo.

And people don’t die or develop long term conditions as a result of cold.

Colds can and do some people. Not nearly at the same rate as Covid but it happens.

Every time I take a cold I have post viral fatigue for 3-4 months afterwards. They really floor me and I've had to go to hospital a nunber of times.

I have long Covid which has lasted much longer(since November 2020) but its intermittent(symptoms occur every 10-14 days and lasts for a few) but the symptoms from my cold related PVFS are constant so for me that's worse.

Why can't the government impose mandatory mask wearing on transport and shops? This would stop spread

Yeah, worked a treat when they did exactly that in early December.

Oh, wait!!!

FlatSusy the vaccines are keeping people out of hospital.

Paying a small amount for a test if you want to see a vulnerable person seems reasonable. The huge cost and environmental impact of free tests needs to end. Restrictions have caused huge damage to peoples lives, mental and physical health and the economy. They needed to come to an end at some point. Now is that time.

And people don’t die or develop long term conditions as a result of cold

Omg yes they absolutely do!!! Colds are coronavirus’s that develop into serious, sometimes life threatening conditions in vulnerable, elderly and immune compromised people.

[quote Armadeus]@TheKeatingFive count yourself lucky then. Some of us were ill, some of us have lost careers, have had to retire prematurely due to LC. Your all of 16 days in isolation was 2 weeks of your life. That’s it. You talk about it as if you sacrificed everything.
FWIW I think it maybe is time to start getting back to normal but folk with covid really should not mix with others.[/quote]
Who is gonna pay my bills then if I can't go out to work? We can't all WFH.

If I could isolate I would but I can't afford to lose 10 days pay, not sure why people are struggling to grasp that.

YANBU to worry but we cannot live a life of masks, social distracting and restrictions forever. Do you really want that?

[quote Armadeus]@TheKeatingFive count yourself lucky then. Some of us were ill, some of us have lost careers, have had to retire prematurely due to LC. Your all of 16 days in isolation was 2 weeks of your life. That’s it. You talk about it as if you sacrificed everything.
FWIW I think it maybe is time to start getting back to normal but folk with covid really should not mix with others.[/quote]
My DD is 7 and autistic on the more profoundly side. She was 5 when the pandemic started.

School closures meant overnight everything she knew disappeared and she doesn't have the understanding of why. She couldn't see her grandparents and all her friends disappeared from school. She had different staff supporting her every single day. She, at just 5 years old, went into an extreme mental health crisis. Multiple professionals referred to her as being in crisis yet no services were running to support her.

Schools reopened the September and closed again the January so the same thing happened again.

When school's reopened in the summer term the in and out hokey cokey started. 2 weeks in isolation when a classmate tested positive happened twice, with just 10 days between them.

Since September she has had 2 lots of covid isolations personally. She has 2 members of staff who provide her full time 1-1. They've both also been off twice each for 2 full weeks each leaving her with whatever the school could make work support wise. Both staff on both occasions were asymptomatic and only picked up on routine testing. They've closed her class at one point due to staffing.

The testing is deeply traumatic for her, the amount of testing she has needed due to a winter of routine illness and as close contacts has left her traumatised at the mere sight of them. Of course we could just not test and take the isolation period but she'd never have been in school.

At 7 years old the harm that has been caused has been profound. Her anxiety is severe. Her wellbeing has really suffered. She's barely coped with life all from these measures for an illness that won't affect her.

Do not tell me its just 16 days. The impact has been HUGE and will stay with her long term.

Why does her wellbeing and MH not matter? She's had covid twice and never had any symptoms so all of this for an illness that doesn't affect her health. It's obscene. For her sake I am so glad its ending and there is a reprive for a bit.

@Emmaaa1990

Me and 5 other colleagues have just been taken down with covid! Avoided it this whole time until now. I know everyone is different but all of us have been really ill with it. I was still wearing my mask, sanitising & im triple jabbed. I'm still going to be wary as I know how terrible it's made me and others feel and I wouldn't want that on anyone else. Not saying all restrictions are needed but we should still be cautious at least

So despite all your precautions, you still caught it, hmmm, maybe those precaution don’t do as much as people think they do.

@LondonWolf so what about what we have now is restrictive for you? Having to stay in when you have covid? Wearing a mask in a really crowded area like a train platform? That's really all I can think of. Nothing else is being restricted by the government. You can go to a club and lick the podium if you wanted, but the club might ask for you to test first.
This is a huge blow to employees rights. No support payments if you get ill and your employer can suggest that you come in with covid. Even though nursery won't take your child or your child could spread it round the school? Most people can't afford to lose money or lose their jobs and so will come in, causing much more sickness for everyone.
I look forward to the 'colleague came in and gave us all covid' threads in a few months time.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@Diamondsareforever123

I agree. Seems mad to stop isolation and testing. Isolating for 5-8 days whilst having covid is fine, the government should financially support those who need it whilst isolating[/quote]
With what money??