Lockdown is not the answer

[NellyGrace]

We have a vulnerable family member and have been isolating for 9 days. This is unsustainable. It will drive us mad.

Whilst it was just the vulnerable we could cope as we could still go out to walk. We have no garden.

If the crazy want to carry on mixing. Let them. The vulnerable can hide if they choose.

Test like South Korea and isolate the pockets of disease.

We should not be allowing governments to use this as a way to take away our freedom.

@Dogsandbabies If you ever do an AMA, please give me a heads up. I don't really have a firm grasp of statistics or maths, and I think you'd be really interesting.

@OP We have too much freedom in this country that's why we struggle to cope and is the root of selfishness. We've all become 'entitled'.

@Thelnebriati

Sure thing. I am respecting social distancing and stick at home all day. So I can definitely do that

How long can people be locked up for?

You hate isolation and self distancing and instead you suggest we do.... what exactly?

Excellent! Look forwards to it

@Dogsandbabies Well clearly SAGE agree that increasing suppression is the right approach and I will trust them rather than a random on MN.

@NellyGrace

It's very uncomfortable and inconvenient to do the extreme "social distancing". But, it's also really f*ing important

The hospitals, doctors and medical product suppliers need time to make more tests, make more PPE for nurses and doctors, try new treatments to see what works best, etc. Even if a vaccine is probably at least 18 months away, every single day that we can slow the spread, we buy time for those people and companies to do their work and ultimately to reduce the number of people who will die or live with badly damaged lungs for the rest of their lives.

If we don't do this, then not only will more people die, but there will be disproportionate casualties among frontline healthcare workers, many of them poorly paid compared to the responsibility they have, who work their arses off while facing higher danger of infection than almost anyone else. If we let that happen, then besides being grossly unfair to them, by killing skilled medical staff and probably prompting others to leave the profession, this virus will reduce everyone's access to healthcare for years if not decades to come.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coronavirus/coronavirus-nhs-workers-share-powerful-selfies-of-bruised-faces-after-long-shifts/ar-BB11wuBT?ocid=spartanntp

A doctor calling into LBC pointed out that during WW2, teenagers were lying about their ages in order to be able to sign up, go to the front and fight and possibly die for their country. Now, people are asked to stay home for one month or possibly two, and some of them say that it's too hard.

It's new, different, and uncomfortable, but if you really think about it, rarely have so many been asked to do so little for something so important.

Are we really going to say, "no we can't" ?

This suggests that the nationwide lockdown in Italy may have already saved around 10,000 lives and if the UK was to have a similar lockdown starting today, we could be where Italy is now in 14 days time.
But if we don't, it will be much, much worse and every day we delay will cost lives:

mobile.twitter.com/JKSteinberger/status/1241611239719084032

@HJWT both women had complicating conditions. The 39 yo had asthma and a previous chest infection.

Not only is lockdown needed - we're already too late in doing it. We've been far too slow - people were still going abroad on holiday last weekend for God's sake! Stupid or what? I'd love to see a full and complete lockdown announced tomorrow. Far too many arrogant people around who are too selfish to see what's going to happen in the coming weeks if we don't stop unnecessary movement now.

Trouble is, dickheadedness is everywhere and some people are ignoring "suggestions " .

However, one caveat - the author is (as they point out in the thread) not an epidemiologist.

I’m afraid lock down is the only answer as a lot of people are not taking it seriously and are continuing so socialise and are continuing to work when they don’t really need too.

The sooner we go into lockdown the better.

I know it will be hard for those who don’t have gardens or any outside space but there’s not really anything else that’s going to stop this virus.

Lock down is ridiculous.

There will be even more chaos than there is now.

Let the stupid take risks. Darwin rules.

We should not be allowing governments to use this as a way to take away our freedom.

Sorry but reading that all I see is Mel Gibson's stupid blue face! How thick are people? Maybe you would like the government to stop doing anything and allow the virus to cull the population, as long as you and your are not in the cull, obviously.
Until this virus signs up to the ' 'uman rights' nonsense then measures are needed that in peacetime would be eyebrow raising, and make no mistake, this is wartime.

“ But, you’re sick of being inside, so I guess screw everyone else.”

Pretty much everyone who has a big family thinks “Screw everyone else”. when do I get to say it?

Our grandparents lied about their age to go out and FIGHT for our country to live, we are being asked to sit on our backside for a few weeks and everyone can't even do that!!

Fully agree - great post. We need posters made saying exactly that to be distributed to get the message across.

Are you really so unresilient?

“ Millions dead? Or thousands?

That's the choice between herd immunity and lockdown.”

Millions. That’s what the earth needs to recover even a tiny bit.

Let the stupid take risks.

For God's sake - it's not risking themselves - it's risking everyone around them - their friends, relatives, shop workers, etc. We've had centuries of laws and rules to stop the stupid doing stupid things - we need those powers more than ever now.

Also, there will be millions more dead from the resulting economic hardships if this goes on for three months.

“ We've had centuries of laws and rules to stop the stupid doing stupid things”

Except controls on population. So HERE WE ARE AGAIN!

Buttermilkwaffles that's interesting thanks.
OP Please try and look at it the other way. The fact that you and your family are following the rules means you may have already saved many lives - the people who you would all have come into contact with during that period, and all their contacts.

We've been in lockdown here in France for 5 days and it's shit. But I don't think there's an alternative. The U.K. is behind Europe in cases and the NHS is already at breaking point. It's pretty obvious people can't be sensible so a lockdown now is the only answer.

We are allowed to go to the chemist, doctors (for other urgent stuff, patients with symptoms have to phone and be assessed), supermarket, work if we can't wfh, out to help vulnerable family members and we are allowed to go out for a short walk. We have to fill in a declaration every time go out - I can't see why a similar model wouldn't work in the U.K. I agree it must be much worse if you have no garden, that's why we are allowed out for some exercise (alone or with children, not in groups).

I have no idea if it's working and I don't think we will know for a while. But we are on the Franco-swiss border and I'm pretty sure cases are rising faster in Switzerland - where there is no lockdown, although there are still more restrictions in place than in the U.K. All non essential shops are closed, restaurants doing take away only and gatherings of more than 5 people are not allowed (am idly wondering what happens if you are a family of 6). In spite of this Switzerland has a massive number of cases for a small country.

Ask any Italian if they could go back in time ten days (to where uk is now), would they impose stricter measures than they did. UK by its liberal nature has doomed thousands of older people.