Do any of arch-lockdowners regret it?

[Refractory]

Just that really.

I haven’t really been on MN since 2020 because I found the near complete support for lockdown far too upsetting.

the lockdowners in my life seem to not think about it much. For them, it’s just over.

with hindsight do you wish you’d been more sceptical?

would love a civil conversation about this.

Parliament didn't follow any of the rules, in fact they had parties! As head of this country who are privy to information from the top, I'm skeptical covid was as bad as they told us! It could have been one big social conformity experiment, using a type of cold/flu that does effect vulnerable people every year.

It feels like an odd question tbh. We were in the midst of an unknown thing that went on to kill over 200,000 people. Who can say what the figure would have been, had we not locked down. Are you asking if we regret trying not to spread the disease?
Looking back, I wish we'd also taken the precaution of face masks right from the start.

I can't imagine we would, as things stand. Which is worrying. There were a lot of cards played during this pandemic that we won't be able to play again for a long time, if ever.

I didn't agree with the lockdown at the time, I felt the herd immunity approach to be the best course of action which was Boris Johnson's preferred approach. The lockdowns in my view did and continue to have a negative influence on the younger generation and will do so for years to come. The idea that we lock up most of society rather than letting go about normal activities - maybe with a few precautions was in my mind wrong. I understand that at the time no-one had a crystal ball but the way that care homes were seen as the most important and talked about as saving the elderly was over the top - we created a whole new vulnerable generation. The physical and mental health of the young and not so young individuals has suffered, the abuse of children locked up on their homes (we have seen the awful court case), the lack of school and structure which has led to disengagement with many now not attending schools illustrates the damage.

At the time people felt they couldn't complain about the measures there was a bullying mentality against those who didn't agree with the lockdown - the whole clapping on the doorsteps wasn't just support for the NHS staff who I agree did and do an excellent job but it was enforcing the view that lockdown was a good thing.

I think there are now many people like myself who if faced with the same mentality over other issues would be much more vocal opposing the supposed popular and "right " course of action.

"Parliament" weren't breaking the rules.
Boris Johnson and his friends were.

I think in hindsight only those medically vulnerable and the over 60s should have had to lockdown. The working age and young people should have continued to live. This would had resulted in less financial burden and less mental health and educational issues for our young people.

I don’t think it was a social experiment, but I think they knew early on which groups were susceptible to Covid becoming serious, and that for most people it would be a minor flu bug. They sat on that information and decided that we all needed to act the same, to save any awkward conversations and increase compliance with fear.

It was pretty obvious to anyone by late May 2020 how it was affecting different people.

the lockdowners in my life seem to not think about it much. For them, it’s just over
well, why are you still thinking about it??

Everyone broke a rule at some point I'm sure. Was your misery levels high enough, did you feel any joy? Joy? What?! Joy won't help the NHS! Shame on you!

Poor Auckland that must have been hard

What a very odd post.
Please clarify what you mean.
Also - no need to get personal.

Other than going for more than one walk a day (as I couldn't see the logic of that restriction), I stuck to the rules. I'm not sure whether that makes me an 'arch-lockdowner' or not.

I am not a virologist, epidemiologist or aerobiologist - and I wasn't privy to a credible source of information indicating I shouldn't follow lockdown rules. So no, with the benefit of hindsight, I still don't regret following the advice given in the slightest.

My view is that about half the period of the highest restrictions could have been avoided had there been prompt action in early March, no eat out to help out, and then some action in late September. And 20,000 fewer people would have died.

Also that the government did not understand the economy or society, as the removal of restrictions would have been done in a different way had that been the case.

Even one day a week schooling in person in June and July 2020, and having one or two subjects being sat as exams in 2021, would have made a significant difference and reduced the impact on children and young people. Also having churches open for private prayer and for those who could not attend funerals to at least file past the coffin of the deceased.

I do not regret a single thing about following the lock down rules - we would have been overwhelmed in the nhs if we hadn’t and more people would have died. I don’t believe in conspiracy nonsense and I lived the awful reality of the illness at work!!!

Gov could have done more preventive work - I believe the covid enquiry has stated if we of locked down a week earlier more lived would have been saved.

@Badgerandfox227 100% this. The elderly and those with health conditions that made them vulnerable could've all stayed at home and the rest of us could've cracked on with life.

I’m a teacher.
I didn’t experience whingeing on the ground so to speak, but do agree that the union were ridiculous. Mind you I’m not in one!

@Badgerandfox227 Ideally, yes. The issue is the people they tend to need contact with are often young and they are the most social. I agree, but the implementation would be very difficult.

I did get slightly annoyed though when at least six months after the doctors were still operating on a full lockdown yet sending their children into our schools and using supermarkets, et cetera

I followed the rules, almost. We had 2 people (DD and Mum who we did shopping for) who were clinically vulnerable, and we were masking way back at the end of January. I use masks anyway (Trigeminal neuralgia, with very cold air being a trigger).

Masks, distancing, good hand hygiene; none of us caught COVID (regular testing). And we had all vaccinations when they became available. We worked from home anyway, and continued to throughout the pandemic.

We did break the rules at Christmas 2020 when my very clinically vulnerable daughter in law & my son, who were in her family’s bubble, had to come to us as one of her family had COVID. Everyone tested first to be safe, and it was better for her mental health to be in our family for Christmas (she had younger siblings and Christmas was always a big celebration at her folks). It was Dec 23rd when her DB tested positive, they had no food for the season, and she was scared and sad and just needed that family love surrounding her. As it was, her brother stayed in his room for 10 days, had his food brought to him, spent every moment gaming, and was completely non symptomatic for the whole quarantine period and said he lived like a king with servants 😂 !

To date, none of my family in our bubble had had COVID. Those family members who didn’t follow guidelines have had multiple bouts, so anecdotally, we could perhaps assume that the guidelines worked for us.

Obviously this is not empirical evidence, and every lockdown was undoubtedly a ballache, but seeing what my medical friends were going through, and the situation in Dad’s care home, it brought into sharp relief how important it was to try to minimise spread.

Ironically, I became very clinically vulnerable (and didn’t know it, my routine blood tests were all but cancelled for 2 years) and I think by practicing good hygiene, masking, vaccination etc, I was unwittingly protecting myself.

Re op question I pretty much did what was asked of us but thought it damaging at the time, especially to young people who were otherwise lower risk from Covid

There wasn’t much acceptance for talk re damage from lockdowns which was unfortunate

No, it was easy. I was lucky being able to WFH and went for runs every day. I even had time to watch TV for the first time in years as there wasn't a school run or reason to rush around. My IBS was better too (no pain for a year!). I suppose if you have local family and a social life it was annoying, but I don't have that so it was no biggie.

Those of us who stopped the virus spreading minimised deaths and reduced the chance of key workers becoming ill. My daughter broke her arm in lockdown and there were NHS staff in A&E who could treat it straight away.

I don't think about lockdown, for me it's just a distant memory now. The same for my children, I think. Although I still worked as I am a key worker (not in the NHS), so I still had many social conversations and I made my child go to school at least a couple of times a week for social reasons.

@ClaudineMallory I am odd. I also got reported to the police for laughing in my back garden by an Covid obsessed moron for having a friend over "and she took a photo saying we weren't 2m apart" 🤦‍♀️

I thought lockdowns were insane. I still do. The longer term cost to human life is much greater. We are seeing that.

people would have taken the precautions they needed to. I was in favour of a Swedish approach and haven’t changed my stance. It was insanity to shut basic services. And then open pubs before school?!

one of my children has been crippled with anxiety and eating disorders since and many of her peers are the same. There is no help nor compensation for them. Or our family.

i am still raging

They probably feel stupid but too embarrassed to admit that they were wrong. Because they were the kind zealots who usually think they are more moral than everyone else. That anyone who disagrees with them is an extremist or a conspiracy theorist.

So many things that they called conspiracy theories have been proved to be right. The FBI admitting the lab leak theory, Fauci admitting that there was no solid evidence for lockdowns and that they probably didn’t work. The fact that inflation and economic catastrophe that followed was squarely down to unnecessary lockdowns.

But stupid people double down when they are told they are wrong and these people were a special kind of stupid. They will never admit they were wrong.