Lockdown over sooner than we think - positive outlooks

[oldbeforem]

I keep reading threads about this lasting 6 - 18 months.

I have had an operation cancelled with no date for it to be rebooked.

I need to think positively and believe that this will be over sooner than we think!

Anyone agree?

My honest opinion (and it's literally just that) the Govt can't afford for this to go on in its current state for six months. And there would be little point doing a six month lockdown as it just lengthens the time that people are exposed to it.

I think another 8 weeks, a gradual lifting of restrictions for the summer, tighten up in sept, lockdown again Oct/Nov, vaccine January.

Did you not see the press conference this afternoon? Likely to be six months or more.

I really don't know how the government are going to find the money to pay everyone's wages for 6+ months.

@Afterhours did you not read my post?

6 months until we are normal, not 6 months if lock down. And like pp have said the government can't afford to keep us in lock down.

But if being doom and gloom makes you feel good, 🥂

They did not say it’s likely to be six months or more, actually Dr Harries (deputy chief medical officer for England) said “We need to keep that lid on and then gradually we will be able to hopefully adjust some of the social distancing measures and gradually get us all back to normal,” Harries said.

“So I think three weeks for review. Two or three months to see whether we’ve really squashed it, with about three to six months ideally, and lots of uncertainty in that, but then to see at which point we can actually get back to normal. It is plausible that it could go further than that.”

They didn't say we'd be in lockdown for six months. It's not remotely do-able.

I think there will be a very gradual easing of restrictions with a return to normal life in six months. That's not the same as lockdown for six months, which you just can't do. People will need to go to the dentist or optician, for example.

Cross-posted there :)

Restrictions may not be the same for the entire 6 months. Where I live in China it varied: takeaways closed then open then closed, office workers back to work, takeaways open again, some restaurants open and now schools starting to go back grade by grade,
It will take months to get back to normal, but hopefully changes in restrictions over the 6 months.

What’s that saying... hope for the best, prepare for the worst..?

@ShanghaiDiva that's what I thought. My firm has several offices in China and they have been slowly getting back to normal in the past few weeks!

Yes, fingers crossed we will follow the same pattern here in the uk.

I agree and I don't think the government are thinking any differently - it's always been clear that they want to lockdown the country for as limited a time as possible. I think restrictions will probably ease in a month or so; some things will take longer to get back to normal but they absolutely know that people only have a finite ability to lockdown (hence delaying it as long as they could).

I was just reading what Dr Harries had said today. It makes sense about being careful of a second wave. However, psychologically I've accepted 3 months and that DD won't be back in school until September but the thought of 6 months as we are. I don't know it's just all so weird.

Did you not see the press conference this afternoon? Likely to be six months or more.

More scaremongering and spreading misinformation. Just stop it FFS.

I'm sorry your op has been cancelled OP. Are we doing the right thing by prioritising coronavirus patients over practically everyone else? I'm not sure really, but that's a whole other debate.

@Dongdingdong it's not prioritising. If we do nothing no one will be able to access the NHS because it will be overwhelmed. What are doing is protecting the NHS.

That six month comment has been misquoted everywhere and it's not helping people's anxiety! As OP says, it's NOT six more months of the lockdown we're currently in, it's six months of reducing restrictions and reopening things until we are back to normal. China's starting to get back to normal after two months of strict lockdown, why would it take us longer? It's scaremongering to say six more months of lockdown.

There are so many people that have had Corona without getting tested. If they start anti bodies tests the people can start going back to work if they've had it. Start testing keyworkers etc. I don't see why everyone should stay in quarenteen if some have already had it? So slowly the country can start going back to normal. But yeah it's unsustainable.

All these places of business closed down....how long can that last before they start having to close down permanently? Got to be an end in site

Press conference today ... we’ll be in this situation for the foreseeable with reviews as we go. No one can predict, one way or the other. I’d settle in for the duration, if I were you.

Of course it is possible that the lockdown may get stricter, rather than being released initially. I would suspect that 3 weeks after cases start to drop they will begin looking at reopening things gradually. Probably 6 months before all shops are open and children all back at school. Which order that will happen in I don't know.

So many people are just loving the drama of all this. They are literally relishing it.

The government will want to get back to normal as soon as possible, it's not in the countries interests to go on like this.

Life might not go completely back to normal but restrictions will be lifted.

Meanwhile people are working day and night to find better testing, a vaccine, treatments.

At some point there comes a stage where we have to balance the interests of the vulnerable against those of the majority.

For me, the current lockdown is as far as we should go- the vulnerable should be asked to protect themselves by staying at home, but I don’t believe it is fair to ask everyone else to give up all their liberties and pleasures for a long period to extend the lives of people who will in all likelihood die in the next year anyway of other causes.

We will also reach a stage where the lockdown will cost more lives than it saves. We need to get to a stage where the vulnerable are shielded and everyone else is able to live as normal while taking precautions.

There are 20,000 deaths from flu each year and almost no attention at all is paid to this.

Amazing how perfect can watch and listen to the same words but report to have heard something different. She did not say 6 months of lockdown. Clean your ears out!

People not perfect

I read that as meaning restrictions would likely to be lifted gradually, rather than all at once, and it might take a six month period before they were all gone. So perhaps eg stop the full lockdown first but still keep the pubs shut, or reopen the schools but still require that people work from home if possible.

Nothing to add really....it is only guessing.

BUT...I would like to say how impressed I am with Dr Jenny Harries.. She answers every question thoroughly and in easy to understand language...She is very calm and confident...

I feel much happier in all of this having her in our corner..
When this is all over...I hope that she (and any others) get the credit they are due