AIBU to think if there was another pandemic tomorrow, country is still not prepared

[magneticturtle]

Inspired by another thread. If there was another pandemic tomorrow, irrespective of how government chose to handle it, we’d still face the same issues and be woefully unprepared.

I’m more interested in which countries you think would be prepared?

It's worse. More people will tell it that it doesn't exist and it'll hit harder. I don't think lockdowns and what it will work.

Considering we haven't got over the previous one yet.
I went late night shopping to a city, only to be met with "we're closing now." Explained they started early closing during Covid and that's how it's stayed. same with all the big chains I tried.

Go on web sites to buy or for restaurants and receive instructions for masks and distancing.
People worked from home, still working from home.
Still getting calls from GP to have a booster. On a forum close to this one, they are still having boosters and wearing masks. Some even miss lockdown.

Only thing I miss about it, is the lack of prosecutions of all those who ripped off the government.

I think people’s compliance would vary depending on what the disease was. For example, if Ebola was running rampant, I think you’d have no issue with compliance and it would be immediate. Or bird flu which is spreading through dozens of different mammals at a high rate, and has a very very high human fatality rate, people would maybe be reluctant at first but would if they saw that level of deaths.

Something like covid, I agree people would do it. Although of course some things aren’t optional - if schools/shops/restaurants are closed, you can’t go to them no matter how much you hate lockdown.

I've got 30 toilet rolls and a pasta machine. Work still have a few hundred boxes of face masks left over from the pandemic.

People will not tolerate lockdowns. Some places were closed when they could operate with PPE - hairdressers, barbers.

Then in Wales, supermarkets had to put barriers down the clothing and general merchandise. Including kettles, Kettles were a must in lockdowns. Plus friend's DD was 2 at the first lockdown and we had a nice April and her summer clothes too small for her. Was grateful for supermarkets selling clothes both in store and click n collect.

Some places still operate in covid times - registry offices. Have to book an appt to record a birth or death. Prior to covid, you just turned up when you want with the relevant paperwork.

I had to book to register my daughter’s birth pre-Covid. I guess it varies by area

I think its hard to prepare for something like that but I do think we are in a better position this time round as more people are use to work from home and getting healthcare from home. Hopefully they would be quicker to close the borders. I do think overall the world did quite well last time they got a new vaccine to the vunerable within a few months. They paid people who couldn't work from home, they shielded and paid the vulnerable. We got nightly updates from the prime minister and specialists in the field. Although im still quite bitter about mcdonalds getting rid of the sausage, egg and cheese bagel and never bringing it back.

Friend's grandmother died Nov 2019 and she just turned up at RO with paperwork.

It would be much, much worse than last time because so many people have lost faith that the government will prioritise telling them the truth over what is simply convenient to say.

I would, I loved lockdown.

What do you mean by prepared?
Things like natural disasters, pandemic, war etc all have very big policy consequences for certain people and the response will always be polarising as there would be “winners” and “losers” from the measures.

If ebola was running rampant, it'd be like something out of a zombie film, and the basic building blocks of society wouldn't be there. Lockdown compliance would be the least of anyone's worries.

Stay home then?

Are you going to pay me to do that ?

And no OP, yanbu.

We went into lockdown with no slack after years of austerity, and we still haven't got over either of those things yet. We couldn't afford to throw money at policies to try and deal with it. I'm not saying lockdown was necessarily the best option, but even if we thought it was, it would be practically and financially impossible to do again so soon.

Well loads of us didn’t get paid to stay at home during the last one.

I did, I was shielded 😁

Good for you.

The thing to remember is that a pandemic doesn't automatically mean people doing the things needed to allow the bulk of the population to lock down.

I’m sure even if it was Ebola, there’d be some saying it would be good for people to catch to build up immunity!!!

I think given how covid has been handled, a fingers-in-the-ear approach on longer term impacts of infection will pretty much be a given.

As for other countries, that’s a really good question. I’d be interested to know too. NHS still runs very hot, so will struggle to cope. Infection control for airborne viruses and testing in hospitals etc is pretty poor, increasing pressure on services, sickness in staff and poorer outcomes for patients. Presenteeism and working when sick/poor sick pay, low vaccine and low antiviral offer here.
Some countries are trying to address things like indoor ventilation and air cleaners, or advise on what masks work best if people want to protect themselves, rather than e.g. telling people to wash their hands or attend school when contagious etc.

I’m sure even if it was Ebola, there’d be some saying it would be good for people to catch to build up immunity!!!

Not that we'd be able to hear them over all the looting!

Why? Maybe try losing your job or your business as a result of Covid policy and get a bit of perspective instead of moaning no one’s paying you to sit and do nothing at home.

So many have lost jobs and businesses as a result of covid policy - an increasing number due to long covid, accelerated by a lack of will to reduce prevalence. There are also those who slipped through the cracks in lockdown who didn’t receive financial support and those whose jobs/businesses didn’t survive lockdown.

You couldn’t. I had to book an appointment to register a death in 2015.