(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?

D. I regret following the rules to the extent I did during Covid as they caused damage to my children due to social isolation. And my children got off lightly compared to lots of poor children who suffered serious abuse and neglect due to falling off the radar of school and authorities.

B

Well aren’t you pleasant. It’s currently hayfever season and I wish some people would wear masks on the tube to be honest. It’s not being pushed around by the government to not want to be spluttered on and therefor have to accept not spluttering on others yourself.

Oh, god forbid anyone should wash their hands to prevent infection.

The thing is, it's hard to get meaningful answers without knowing how compliant people were last time. I feel like C describes where I was the first time round. I did pay attention to the rules, but I was in no way strict about complying. I would probably be slightly less strict this time round, but answering C seems to suggest I was quite obedient last time!

It would depend on the restrictions, the timescale and the government.

D

D - I didn't follow them the first time round.

The scariest thing about the pandemic was seeing how malleable people are. I've no doubt if it happened again compliance would be lower however I still think the vast majority would get caught up in the inevitable hysteria and go along with whatever farcical rules the government laid out (scotch egg anyone? )

B

D, and I didn’t exactly observe the rules last time. There’s no way I’m sacrificing any more of my life for the sake of people who have already had theirs.

We obeyed the rules at the time and the consequences for my family were awful. I'm particular, one of my kids' mental health plummeted. It was terrifying, and entirely a result of lockdowns.

If I had to relive the ordeal, I'd ignore as many of the rules as possible in an attempt to keep some sort of normality for my DC. I don't see it as selfish, but as self-protective. I see my previous behaviour as unhealthily self-sacrificing.

B whilst at work, basically would do what I was told.

C at home.

I'm a C like you @user1477391263, broadly speaking, but I do have the advantage of living with an expert in infectious diseases.

So I know, for example, that it's almost impossible to catch Covid outside – if your hypothetical new pandemic had the same profile I wouldn't be restricting myself from going outside at all. I also think there is considerable evidence to suggest that locking down schools and care homes was disproportionate and I wouldn't be in favour of that recurring.

D
The government didn’t follow their own rules so why should I?

I followed the rules to a certain extent during covid. I think that a lockdown was the correct response until we gathered more data. After that I feel it was over the top for the majority. I do like that masks are more acceptable now. I like to wear one when I have a cold and this has always been acceptable and almost expected in Asia, but when we are in the UK people found it strange.

I would probably follow the rules again. The only thing we really missed was travelling and that's not an easy rule to break.

I think one of the largest drivers was how nonsensical the rules actually were, its no wonder people just gave up as it was hard to find the fairness or common sense. It was easier during lockdown 1 as it was a largely blanket effect. It was the subsequent lockdowns that made the whole thing seem like a farce.

I like to think I would still obey rules that made sense - and I say that as someone who gave birth during lockdown 1 and have some horrible PTSD because of it. Ultimately I felt I had a duty to protect the vulnerable as well as ease the burden on the NHS.

When people say that future lockdowns we should just protect the vulnerable but the healthy carry on living, no one ever explains what that entails - locking them away.

Another D here. I followed the rules more or less to the letter and wouldn't again. The damage to my mental health still hasn't healed and I'm not sure it will. Not for me, sorry.

Would your answer change if a new virus targeted children?

D!

E. Tell them to fuck off.

D

I dont know.

In the last round i worked in an infant school, which was open and was in fact a hub bringing in other children from other schools so it was basically the same as before lockdown. I was with my colleagues and loads of kids plus I saw lots of parents too. I didnt wear a mask and didnt get a vaccine until it was my turn as it were.

Id have seen more of family, but they were all old/vulnerable so its not just my decision. They might still choose not to meet me whatever i thought.

If the impact on children was same as covid i would definitely expect parks to be open and full of children playing.

C/D
Depending on who it most highly impacted, I'd be more likely to be strict if it disproportionately affected kids. If it was COVID exactly, I'd not be happy to follow the same rules again and would actively protest about schools and unis shutting.

Yes of course, because children haven’t already had their lives, but they wouldn’t do the same for kids because kids can’t vote.

This is assuming though that the virus was exactly the same as COVID. Because it would be easy to say what you would do when you have an idea of what the outcome might be.

But let’s say it was a virus like Ebola where the death rate is almost 100% and the spread is high, I think it’s likely that people would think differently.