To think there's still that teeny weeny bit of a pandemic thing happening?

[IAmOldNow]

Not complaining, just observing:

Figures say: cases rising, hospitalisiations rising, fatalities: flat at best but if anything that'll be thanks to large scale immunisation, largely due to vaccines that may not prevent infection altogether but are, largely, proving to be pretty good at making sure the vast majority of us don't end up on a ventilator and/or: dead!

Currenrt reality says: huge client party tonight. Cue some 3k people crammed into a mostly indoors space, free alcohol, hugging, air kissing, any old thing you'd imagine from people who, literally, know and do not actively hate each other and haven't met in the flesh for two years.

AIBU to think that this is a) human and understandable but also b) bound to see 1/3 of the organisation out cold with COVID within a week?

For the record: I don't know the right answer! I went, too!

I actually respect the honesty there, although admittedly it's somewhat undermined by the next few sentences of faith based claims about the utility of restrictions that have mostly already failed.

is that the Zoom weddings person back again?

Thankfully no. They delighted us long enough 😆

The poster sounds suspiciously similar to another poster who didn't think evidence were needed to support their claims.

As I said above, quite a few MNers are nostalgic for lockdown and miss all the drama and feeling superior to others for the 'selfish' behaviour of meeting with family every so often.

I went to loads of events with tens of thousands of people, totally unvaccinated and never caught covid. What finally did me in was dd catching it at school and infecting me. Mild cold and done. Lock yourself down all you want but most people are over it.

If wearing masks was easy and no inconvenience more people would wear them. I find them extremely uncomfortable and a barrier to communication. In my case I suspect undiagnosed ASD. I have to wear them round the office at work (NHS). Luckily not while sitting at desks. I usually find people who think it is easy to wear a mask only wear them for short errands, not all day. If mask wearing becomes compulsory again it will hit the economy as people reduce shopping and leisure. I will reduce these activities myself if forced to start wearing masks again.

Call me selfish if you like but I have done my bit. Worked my arse off in a role directly affected by CoViD while trying to manage two DC including one with ASD, participated in a vaccine trial, spent two years on the SIREN trial having PCR and blood tests every couple of weeks, followed all the rules, including the stupid ones. Clearly not enough for some people though.

I just try to protect myself
So FFP2 masks if I'm somewhere out
People test before coming into my house (I have tests so can supply them)

My above a response to KeatingFive - thanks for engaging.

With the other posts since diving straight back into the usual bingocard of hysterical references to „autocracy“, „everyone“, „impositions“, „unpleasant“ & the evidently malicious, self-promoting motivations of people sharing my view(!), I think you’ll see why I don’t think the balance is quite right yet, or the UK entirely rational or empathetic in debate about this.

I know I can come across as smug myself - sorry; I never mean to, & am working on this! - but, really, some of these responses reflect such a lack of critical thought & empathy, it makes me despair for us.

No point saying more. Thoughtful disagreement‘s fun, furious hyperbole not so much. Nuffin more to say (you’ll be pleased to hear!)

Enjoy the weather over there.

It's not a tiny bit of a pandemic. We are still in a pandemic.

CEVPeopleExist

why is wanting to go back to pre pandemic behaviour more selfish than you insisting we all carry on with uncomfortable and inconvenient measures?

Ok, one more thing, as I want to try to be considered right to the end: not all responses above are like this (eg. the one re. neurodiversity a really good point I’m conscious of as a teacher) but there’s such a general inability/unwillingness to acknowledge nuance, like an earlier poster highlighted, with the endless strawmanning of more nuanced points.

Proper-bye now.

Insisting?! We all?!?

Dammit, at least read my posts before responding, or I’ll never be able to leave out of sheer astonished frustration.

Alternatively, thanks for demonstrating my last few posts in real-time, Beancounter.

some of these responses reflect such a lack of critical thought & empathy, it makes me despair for us.

Pity that your advocacy for nuance and opposition to anything ‘hysterical’ does not seem to extend far to those whose nuanced views you don’t agree with.

The poster sounds suspiciously similar to another poster who didn't think evidence were needed to support their claims.

They did, didn't they? There does seem to be something of a script for posters on MN who want to berate others for not going along with their faith in particular restrictions and slither out of providing any actual proof.

But what does that mean, in practical terms?

I had to check the date on this to make sure it wasn't a zombie....

Snap!

Same here!

Will deaths rocket?
Casees were sky high just before last Xmas and Omicron, was the new variant, I have to admit I did think the government might introduce more restrictions at Xmas but they didn't and as I recall whilst cases remained very high deaths didn't.

When it gets cooler, Covid will start ripping through society and I fear deaths will rocket

Oh are we back to "ripping" again? I missed ripping. And "uptick".

Is there a proper balance though - something that suits everyone. And what do we balance out - what negatives are we prepared to have on either side, what is an acceptable negative on each side.

And what country has got that right?

And I agree @Dotjones we are in for a fairly miserable winter.

Covid will be but one string in that - making it the front and centre as you wish to do would have huge implications on everything else. No one thinks it is over - but there has to be an acceptance that can no longer be front and centre and everything adapt around it.

It is now merely one variable that we need to be aware of and work with this winter to ensure as few harms as possible

From my perspective Covid ripped through society two weeks ago with a massive outbreak in blithe disregard of the weather. It caused a lot of upheaval all over the place due to staff absences and it undoubtedly put more strain on an overstretched NHS, but it didn't kill people in large numbers.

I honestly think we've got to a stage where the only bottleneck in infections is people's individual immune systems vs the latest mutation and that's what drives the waves

However on the upside, the latest pills are hugely effective in protecting vulnerable people from serious illness if vaccines don't work for them. The best thing you can do to protect your vulnerable loved ones is to make sure they know exactly what to do to access medication in the event of infection or illness.

Literally can’t believe people are still talking about COVID…..

@CredibilityProblem how do people get hold of this medication if needed. Is it just a case of advocating for your vulnerable relative when they get ill?

I can understand the staff disruption I had covid a few weeks ago and felt awful for about four days ,and.i used to be a nurse in the nhs so can understand lots of people feeling getting covid will be massively disrupting ,how, however is it affecting.hosputal admissions and deaths?