Is there going to be another pandemic

[Lookingforwardtoautumnnow]

This winter?

Seen a couple of people posting about it, tbf they are conspiracy types, but I have anxiety after having covid & long covid and can’t go through all that again. Can anyone reassure me?

It always amazes me how implausible some MNers find it that people would just opt out where they could. Speaks volumes about how different everyone's pandemic experiences were, but honestly, you should've seen some of the shit that was going on in my area during the last one when people had had enough.

Ultimately, we don't have anything like enough of a security apparatus in the UK to make people stick to a lockdown if they don't want to. For many of us, it really was pretty easy to have who we liked in our homes, visit people and use services that were operating illegally. I wouldn't really call it rebellion though, most of the time it was childcare that didn't meet the bubble requirements, family meals and playdates. All very mundane lawbreaking!

I think there would be such uproar and social unrest at the mere mention of lockdown they wouldn't get the chance to close anything. But then again we are British

It never stopped, my friend got covid 6 months ago and now has horrendous long covid and can't return to work.
People are still getting covid.

I tend to agree with you. And How hospitals would cope is another thing. Also supply lines and distribution for food and medications etc..

But If the next virus is more deadly for children, as they can be, then people will go straight to lockdown. We were very lucky with covid that most children were not more vulnerable to it. It was the elderly and sick who were not so lucky.

Your post makes no sense.

I could tell you that I work at the national vaccine development centre at Porton Down and that you shouldn't worry because there isn't going to be another pandemic but why would you believe me more than the people saying there will be a pandemic?

I'm sorry for your loss @KingSeokjin

The meaning of pandemic is an infectious disease that spreads. There is no implicit judgement as to the severity of that disease - it could be nits or the bubonic plague meaning this whole debate is pointless

And there’s that. People still getting very ill from covid. Old people still dying. but the rest of society, including our governments are just going to magical think it away.

For my family it would mean we wouldn't wear masks in any circumstances, we would leave our homes as and when we decided to, freely meet as many people as we like and also have as many visitors to our own home as we wanted etc

People were saying that about the last variant as well though. How it was a "very nasty strain and everyone was floored by it". Some people get hit badly. Some do not. Regardless of the strain. Plus you don't know if it's the new variant they have. My friend currently has covid. No idea what strain. He felt like death for one day (still well enough to text/ watch TV etc though) and then it eased. He still feels rough but more just like a bad cold. He even joked he had man flu before he tested.

And the reason there won't be another lockdown is because what would be the point? We already know we don't have a vaccine that will stop you getting it or passing it on. So there's literally nothing we can do now. It will never go away. All an enforced lockdown would do would be minimise cases temporarily until we're allowed out then they all ramp up again. As someone else pointed out covid isn't seasonal. It only minimises in summer as people are outside more. So unless the new strain has a significantly higher death rate (like 10%+) they cannot and will not lock down again. Otherwise every winter we'll need to lockdown and obviously that won't happen.

Ha ha exactly this. People will not just roll over like they did last time and small businesses and restaurants won't close either. They could shut the school alright but that did the kids more harm than good.

@threelittlescones how would you cope with home schooling again?

Honestly, this comes up every time this issue is discussed. Surely the answers are obvious? You have who you like in your house, visit others in theirs, meet outdoors and use whatever you want of the services that illegally operate. Which some would. They did last time.

Obviously yeah, you're not breaking into Primark or whatever. But why do people think that because you couldn't do everything, that means you wouldn't do anything?

And if there was one that affected children does that mean the child free would be forced to keep the country running? Cos im just imagining the threads on the Childfree board. In fact i would start one!!

Another pandemic or restrictions due to covid increases?

Neither are likely tbh.

We often have pandemics. They aren't as bad as covid. Swine flu was predicted to be bad but luckily wasn't.

It's very unlikely we'll have something new to create a pandemic so soon as the last one like covid was over 100 years previously.

We will have endemic spikes of covid as it continues mutating. It'll never go away. Spanish flu still circulates and so does swine flu. But it's documented in a lot of medical journals that virus's actually mutate to be spread and not as deadly. You can't stay alive if you kill off your hosts 🤣

Sorry you're feeling anxious. I imagine having long covid has taken its toll physically and mentally.

This would be us too. It doesn't take much imagination to realise we couldn't send our children to school.....I could take them to see there cousins/friends to alleviate the boredom though!

@KingSeokjin I’m so sorry that your Dad died.

Honestly hope not , I don’t think I could survive a covid lockdown again , my mental health is still recovering and so is my mums who lives very far away . We were 2 years without physical contact and the restrictions would probably be enough to send me over the hedge . Not being able to live as normal and travel means a life half lived , I don’t what to just survive for 2 years , life is to short .

when i see people wearing masks i assume they are covid positive or i guess could be vulnerable, there is a shop worker in my nearby supermarket who always wears a mask

Then do that

But what exactly can we do to stop that? Covid will NEVER go away. The same as colds and flu will never go away. Unless you plan on isolating old people from their families and friends forever all they can do is get vaccinated and hope for the best. A lockdown now will not protect old people except in the short term. Vaccines for everyone will not protect old people as you can still catch it and pass it on. Vaccinated old people still die of covid and flu despite being vaccinated. People, including old people, still need to live. Living a life isolated from everyone or wearing masks constantly around your family and distancing etc isn't a decent life for many. Even now many old people and their families can choose to isolate or wear masks if they want. Nothing is stopping them. But enforcing it could just make some peoples last few years a misery. All the over 70s in my family are very happy to carry on as normal and accept the risks.

Yeah, my kids not being allowed into school is the whole reason they spent so much time with their cousins in the last lockdown!

I was with someone this weekend who consults government on covid. He was in meetings for 12 hours. They are monitoring a new strain

You need to take responsibility for managing your anxiety around this. That includes reminding yourself not to give a single fuck wondering where idiot nut jobs make up their “information” from 🤷🏻‍♀️

I would have previously said no (this year). However I have seen in the U.S that some school districts and hospitals have re-instated masks due to increased hospitalisations.

Obviously this is not the UK - (and hopefully won’t be). But I must say since I’ve heard this I do have my eyes and ears open.