(Poll) If a new disease with a similar fatality rate to pre-vaccination COVID appeared again…

[user1477391263]

And the government started to issue instructions about rules, hand washing, masks, social distancing, not meeting up with people, and the like, similarly to what happened in 2020-21….

What would your response be?

A: I would follow the rules more strictly than I did last time (because WFH has made it easier OR because the deaths from COVID make me feel we should have been stricter last time).

B: I would follow the rules about as strictly as I did last time, for the most part.

C: I would follow some rules or follow most rules to an extent, but would be significantly less “strict” about this than I was during COVID.

D: I would be much, much less strict or would completely ignore most rules/instructions, insofaras I was able to disregard them.

I’m just trying to work out whether the COVID experience and aftermath has shifted the Overton window and made people more open to the idea of following rules etc. to contain infectious diseases, OR alternatively whether people have grown a bit more blasé about diseases, disillusioned about governments or concerned about negative aftermaths of pandemic control measures.

For what it’s worth, I’d be a C (although I was never very strict first time round either to be honest).

And MNHQ, can we please get a proper poll selection option that goes beyond YABU/YANBU options?

Are we all assuming that we wouldn't be the ones who would die this time, then?

@KrisAkabusi They were relaxed for Christmas were they? No You are gaslighting. But you now wont be able to say anything about me going to my parents at Christmas 2020.

I'm not sure people tend to 'rally' if that means not seeing their children for a potentially open ended period of time. It's an order of magnitude different from people doing errands for their more vulnerable neighbours.

Worth noting that most NHS clinical staff and carers with DC did not choose to live away from their families during covid, despite the fact that they'd clearly pose less risk to their patients if they did. That's a very substantial sacrifice and it's not one we can assume most parents would make, especially not if they could reduce the risk to their DC in exactly the same way by not working.

A. I didn't sacrifice anything in covid. I'm a lone parent and had no one years before covid kicked off. My priority has always been to keep healthy, parent and work. No social life at all, ever, and no back up.

If anyone fancies dealing with my dc's every day (including the one with MH issues who might smash up the house) and paying my bills then maybe I'll be more chilled next time......

D

I followed the rules in Lockdown 1....my mum still died
I followed the rules in lockdown 2....my dad still died.

So if it should ever happen again, I won't follow any rules unless I've no choice.

OK, well I'll have another go.

You said, in a couple of posts:

Yes, after a while if children's hospitals collapsed. But before that there would be a period of society trying to reduce transmission, and trying to work together to muddle along. Civil unrest wouldn't happen immediately, imo. There would be panic but also hope and attempts to keep the essential plates spinning.

However, I am optimistic that society would try to organise and collate and at least attempt something cohesive and not just going straight to civil unrest . Humans are resourceful and quite tough even when facing adversity.

I think this is unrealistic, skirts over the problem of parents refusing to work on a wide scale and doesn't explain how any of the problems would actually be managed.

I agree with your point about people putting their families first though.

C
I am happy to do masks but would never support school closures again and wouldn’t keep away from my family again either.
life is too short

C/D

I followed them quite strictly for covid and now feel like a complete idiot. I can't believe I let DS go weeks without seeing other children. I would not be so stupid if it happened again.

D

I'm a D, I was a D before as far as I could get away with it

Actually, the only thing I think they should have done is to do outside schooling / catch ups. We knew after about 2 months that the outdoor transmission risk was low so they could have had catch ups outside to some degree. Children and teachers should have been safely prioritised over pubs etc. But I have a child who loves cross country in winter so I'm probably biased.

On a thread on the Property board there is a social housing tenant getting a hard time about not moving out of a three bedroom house after her father has died. And YET SH tenants in tiny flats were getting moaned at on here for not having enough room to self isolate. So Covid has changed nothing. We are still seen as lesser
So D D D all the way home.

B.
I am vulnerable.

C - I'd follow practical advice about hygiene, avoiding large crowds, wearing masks etc but there's zero chance I'll stop visiting my family no matter what the restrictions unless they/I'm actually ill.

D

We knew after about 2 months that the outdoor transmission risk was low so they could have had catch ups outside to some degree.

FWIW @megletthesecond DD2 said the chance of direct outdoor transmission was roughly on a par with getting struck by lightning – yes, it does happen, but no one makes a decision about going out or not based on the likelihood of being struck by lightning…

Obviously that goes up if you have prolonged exposure to someone coughing/sneezing/spluttering directly into your face, but walking past someone in a park, or sitting on a bench, or supervising your kids in a playground? Nope.

B

I will never be locked down or kept away from my family again.

C

D

You're being ridiculous. Space is hardly an issue confined to social housing..

Haven’t rtft but if it was the same I’d take the shield the vulnerable approach and allow society to continue until vaccine was developed

From those options I’m a D

C/D, also followed them strictly last time. This time I'd carry on as normal... Which means probably people would think I was following them (introverted homeworker) but I'd know 😁

Yeah it's a C/D here too.