To be depressed that lockdown would happen again tomorrow if there was another new disease

[Pavementworrier]

We talk about all the things that are worse "since the pandemic"but government prep is based on all the same mad nonsense that caused the worsening

Grim

They’d be equipped with proper PPE. A functioning society is very much possible with something much more serious. After the initial panic and deaths.

Isolation and protective clothing works when there are small outbreaks around the world. We’d have to scale up. The issue is doing it quickly and it only works if people actually follow the orders. And in a situation like that, the army would be deployed and they know how to follow orders. The problem is we’d end up shorting people out walking towards them when they’re meant to be locked down inside.

As others have said it very much depends on the illness surely? If it was something with a much much higher death rate I think what you’d need to worry about is people CHOOSING to lockdown. Who in their right mind would go to work in Tesco when there’s Ebola or worse about? For a covid type illness yes I don’t think everyone would lockdown. Nor do I think the country would even try to do that again for that. But for a significantly worse virus with a 50%+ death rate? I’ll be locking myself in my house thanks.

Exactly - it’s non negotiable. Hospitals struggled during the Covid pandemic. What does everyone think would happen if a virus like Covid was able to run unchecked through the population?

But its not likely to happen again is it? Stop teasing me lockdown was dreamy

you have a choice not to take part of the pantomine

If employers are not compelled to shut down, vulnerable people will be compelled to work. It isn't possible for some people to do self imposed lockdown and others carry on as normal. Lockdown only works if it's a collective, societal effort. We locked down to protect the vulnerable and to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. That was the point. And vulnerability can depend on levels of exposure eg healthy doctors and nurses died of Covid because if the intensity of exposure (and inadequate PPE). If you don't have a large scale lockdown, more healthcare workers will get ill and die - people who would survive Covid in less intense circumstances. A 'pick and choose' lockdown doesn't work to protect anyone, except perhaps the tiny minority of vulnerable people with the resources to lock themselves down - which isn't most of them!

I sincerely hope we never have a lockdown again, but as posters have pointed out, if something like ebola comes along then there won't be a choice. It would be great if our energy and resources went into better pandemic prevention - more vaccine research and development, better environmental protection and controls to stop the spillover of viruses from animals to humans, more robust healthcare systems: things that would actually help rather than bravado and bluster about non-compliance.

You said wanted I think but much more eloquently! People love to complain after the event and to blame the government. Not saying they were great but can’t have been easy being in charge.

Don’t be so sure. I would.

Well it depends, doesn’t it? Ebola, hell, I’d be complying like billy-o. Something like Covid? I doubt it.

And that’s the problem - because we were locked down for something that didn’t really merit it, people have lost faith in the government and next time will make their own assessment based on the fact that the government over-reacted last time. And that’s not great if it is Ebola or another haemorrhagic fever, I imagine.

@Dolphinnoises is right.

We've no idea what another pandemic might bring in terms of pathology so to say we'd not comply with a lock down is strange. What about an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection? Or something extremely virulent such as ebola?

I'd like to think that our government would make better decisions based on recent experiences, but if these included another lock down, and it was likely that this would prevent spread and protect the vulnerable, I'd comply. Covid lock down prevented situations in families and relationships where people living together didn't need to rely on each other's good sense and good will in order not to do their own thing and possibly risk bringing the virus home. No restrictions would leave these difficult decisions up to individuals within a household to negotiate, which could prove tricky for people living with inconsiderate family members. Ditto unscrupulous employers putting pressure on employees to attend busy workplaces where contagion would be exacerbated.
Just a thought.

My DS worked in the Covid wards, at 22 she was phoning people up to tell them their family member had died , and holding up mobile phones to dying patients mouths so they could speak their last words to family. Nurses and doctors ended the day crying because of how many people had died that day or were severely ill and they were unable to help.

It would need a lot more than PPE to get supermarket workers or similar on minimum wage to go out to work with a virus with say 50% death rate. The army would likely have to take over dealing with food distribution. And they’d also need to do many other jobs that people would refuse to do.

This is all wildly optimistic.

You have no guarantee that all such workers would be provided with proper PPE. Remember we're not just talking about the ones who had it last time. The people needed to keep things running aren't only hospital staff but also anyone working in food distribution, utilities management, basic transport services (so things like petrol stations). Even then, you cannot assume they'll still be willing to come in, or well enough. What do you think would happen if, say, 20% of food transport workers stayed at home? Because they sure as hell aren't all going to come into work if it's a serious enough virus.

Also, do you not know how big our armed forces are? There's 180k. That's not even close to being enough to keep order in a society of 70 million.

Experts agree that we're long over due for a major deadly epidemic/pandemic, it's a case of when not if and Covid wasn't it. Something like the black death, the bubonic plague or the Spanish flu where a significant percentage of the population dies. I'm sure the "I will not comply" people would comply in those circumstances.

I would comply 🤷🏻‍♀️ Covid was fatal or awful for so many people. It has left many people with long lasting health problems. It would have been far worse if we hadn’t locked down. People should be more resilient and support their kids to be more resilient. You are responsible for developing your children’s emotional resilience. Why do you think society should help you if you’re not willing to help society. Grow up, stop being so selfish.

Why are you even thinking about that? There are plenty of other things to worry about right now! Also - is it the prospect of another pandemic or another lockdown that depresses you?

I don’t think they would, parents maybe.

But... some of it absolutely is negotiable. Do remember that lots of us have direct experience of not complying last time.

Really? What evidence do you have for that?

You can’t live your life being depressed over things that might happen. Worry about them when they have happened.

I’d love it if we got to stay at home with pay. I had to work through it last time and I’m still bitter to this day.

Depends on the disease but if it mostly affected vulnerable people, then they can isolate all they want. Not me.

I’d comply in a heart beat

I don't agree.

Yes, as if minimum wage food retail and factory workers are all going to dutifully troop into Asda when they'd have to step over people bleeding from every orifice on the way in. People who think that aren't on this planet.