To think there should be some kind of national reflection on the pandemic?

[23rdmarch2020]

It’s coming up to three years since the first lockdown. In many ways, it feels an absolute age ago. From personal experience, my life completely changed in the space of a week and so many things happened in my life that never would have because of the pandemic (some good, some bad). For some, it has been an absolute tragedy. In the space of a few weeks we went from being in our normal lives to it being a criminal offence to step outside our homes without a valid excuse. Obviously people are keen to move on but AIBU to think there should be more reflection on the pandemic than there has been?

Honestly? I think people don’t actually realise how easy we had it here.

Our measures were minimal compared to the majority of the rest of the world, and still people think that there should be a national reflection?

Reflection on what?

On the fact you didn’t have to have a letter to leave your house? (Spain/Italy)

The fact you were able to drink alcohol? (South Africa)

The fact no-one came round to inspect your house every day to make sure that you hadn’t been out? (China).

The fact that our borders weren’t closed for almost two years? (New Zealand.

Honestly the Uk had probably one of the least harsh lockdowns in the whole world.

This is mumsnet where the vast majority supported lockdowns and forced the jibby jab on pregnant women.
I would say most are still washing their shopping and wearing a face mask when alone in the car.

That really isn’t true. Yes you can cherry pick different elements from different countries, but we can do the same the other way round too. We had the longest school closures of any European country, for example. Minimising doesn’t help.

@MySugarBabyLove You would hardly say that Britain had a soft lockdown if you were running a small business that was shut for years.
perhaps you work in the public sector with a safe job and the struggles of many passed you by.

I think reflections should be left to the individual.

I want to see justice for all those people who lost loved ones, when at least 20,000 fewer would have been bereaved if Mr Johnson had been doing his job, acting promptly and not missing five COBRA meetings.

The relatives of the 97 who died at Hillsborough had to wait over 20 years for even limited justice, the bereaved Covid families should not have to go through this.

Boris Johnson by his actions and inactions should face criminal proceedings, along with Matt Hancock and no doubtless some other people.

Frankly I’d be quite happy never to think about any of it ever again.

'@LlynTegid Apparently the "enquiry" is going to take seven years.

This is the general public afterall, give most the footy, pop stars and celebrities ect
that said I believe academics ect will certainly produce various books ect on the subject and research of the public's behaviour .

I don’t even want to watch tv shows and movies where people are wearing masks. The pandemic was awful. It took some amazing people from us and it really impacted everyone’s day to day life. Medics need to reflect on the appropriateness or otherwise of the response, families need to mourn the people they lost, politicians need to ficus on the appropriateness or otherwise of their actions. I never want to think about it again.

You must exist in a vacuum then. To not have been impacted by the government corruption with regards to how public money was spent, by the destruction of the economy. Just 10 days ago a Silicon Valley bank collapsed and looks set to shake the entire financial system, as if 2008 wasn’t bad enough. And why are these banks on trouble? Because government printed trillions for fun and then had to raise interest rates when inflation got out of control. So banks are now stuck with government bonds whose value is impacted by the rapid interest rate rises.

But hey, the con that was covid restrictions is over. Nothing to see here.

the sooner the forgotten the better. One very weird & mostly bad dream.

A lab made virus, as per the declarations of FBI chief, that was no worse than the flu for most healthy adults. Governments then locked healthy people at home, and printed and borrowed trillions of dollars, engaged in rampant corruption to line the pockets of their friends. When runaway inflation followed the money printing, they then whacked up interesting rates, pleading ignorance, making more of their friends rich in the process.

While the idiotic public stood outside their homes on Thursdays banging pots and pans, counting their magic beans, sorry furlough pennies, and reporting their neighbours for taking second walk of the day.

I want to forget it all, and chalk it up to a nightmare.
What pisses me off more are the people acted like the Covid police during lockdowns... the people who reported their neighbours for leaving the house, the people who uttered nastiness to people unable to wear masks, the folks who posted on their FB that anyone who is not vaccinated should be kept in their own lockdown... those people can fuck off with their apologies and excuses about being scared etc.

Dear me, no. We have already wasted far too long talking and thanking about it.
The enquiry is a waste of time and money, as all enquiries are, so that should be shut down immediately.
Many people weren't particularly affected, merely inconvenienced. Those who were affected can find their own meaningful way of "reflecting". The last thing we need is some "one size fits all" nonsense designed by a committee.

I think there should be an enquiry into who thought up all the stupid rules based on very little data/ evidence, the adhering to which then turned people’s lives and mental health upside down. And why people followed them so readily will definitely be covered in future psychology degree courses. The whole thing was madness!!!

"talking and thinking about it", that should say!

My mum died on her own and I don't want to look back on any of it.

I don't really know how this would work.

There are the national enquiries which were mentioned earlier, although sadly as others have also pointed out with regards to Grenfell, Hillsborough, and so many more, I suspect the end result will be the usual government lip service "Lessons have been learned, blah, blah, blah".

And then there'll be another earth-shattering event (certainly climate change, at some point) and all those so-called leaders will behave in exactly the same way.

Already in my circle there's a suggestion that some people are talking about how we all banded together and banged pots and wasn't it all wonderful, while others are focusing on the appalling loss of life and suffering; no two people had the same pandemic. (I do work in backroom healthcare and have a lot of nursing/medical relatives and friends, though, so that has probably also helped shape my response.)

COVID-19 has been a generational global shock, and its true effects probably won't be understood for at least a generation or so. There's a theory called inter-generational trauma which suggests that the effects of major upheavals like this actually show themselves in later generations.

Personally I've always kept journals since I was 13, in an attempt to make some sense of this bonkers world we all find ourselves in, and I found during the COVID-19 pandemic my journal keeping was so sporadic as it was just too much. I have a whole file saved online of some of the truly astonishing newspaper articles about things that happened from the end of 2019 through to last autumn, both good and bad. For me, the whole situation also highlighted just how rubbish and self-serving our so-called leaders are, globally, with a handful of honourable exceptions - it's only now starting to come out. Far better to rely on family, friends, found family, decent colleagues if you can.

There are no rules - we all process things differently, hope you find something that will work for you.

Adding a postscript - people wondering about the psychology etc of the whole thing might like to look up the Nudge Unit. Nothing sinister at all...the entire planet has effectively been part of a massive social experiment in the wake of a virus with questionable origins (several clinicians privately expressed disbelief right at the start about what we were being told about Wuhan etc but had to toe the party line. It's probably going to be very interesting, but not surprising, to see what comes out in time about how it really did all start, the bits the authorities drip feed us, that is. Although by that time with any luck I'll be living in the Highlands of Scotland, keeping sheep and spinning, so I won't be all that interested any more.)

Carpe Diem

YABU. If Covid taught us anything it’s that life is short and precious. I don’t want waste my time wallowing in the past - just be grateful we are through it and move on.

Midway through Lockdown 1, my boss and I mused whether we would behave any differently afterwards with regards to social conscience, respect for the environment re flights etc

We concluded, based on our pool of two, it was utterly unlikely.

Lockdown triggered a series of catastrophic events in my family that I'm convinced would never have happened otherwise. It was a barbaric decision that I'm wholly convinced didn't justify the means. The social effects will likely never be truly measured by any government but I view it is a crime against humanity.

I think there's a really big academic piece of work to do. Firstly it's terrifying how easily the population was controlled and the way people turned on each other to make sure it was controlled. It may have been with good reason but we only knew that becuase government told us so..

Second I think there was truly inhumane behaviour. People in carehomes, best case, reaching the end of their lives with no visitors. DH went into hospital and stayed there for 3 months with no visitors. During that time he was told he was dying, alone, by telephone because his consultant was shielding. No one to hug him or hold his hand. How did anyone ever think that was Ok? He didn't see his kids (or they him) again until he was weeks away from death and a completely changed man.

Our situation may have been extreme (but not as unusual as you'd hope) but I think large parts of the population are severely traumatised by the experiences of the last few years and it's going to have a lasting impact.

Then there's the impact on schools and education. Not just the missed years, but schools at every age group are really struggling with behaviour and MH.

We can't do that. It will happen again. Surely we must learn something from it?