Social distancing to be the norm "until there is a vaccine"

[Frompcat]

So this is what Neil Ferguson has said today and seems to be being backed up by government distancing. But what does it actually mean, does anyone know? How can social distancing be maintained if schools open again? Will we be able to visit small groups of family? Or are they literally talking about things continuing as they are for 18 months.

I think people badly need some clarity about this. I don't believe the government don't have any ideas of what their options are.

I will be seeing my mum ASAP.

And me.

Fromp oh I didn’t realise you were joining us. I’ll make sure there’s extra cake.

Listen to world at 1 today when it's on listen again and it explains how this would work in terms of social distancing alongside trying to get the economy going again.

One thing I think will happen is that all Covid cases will be treated in the Nightingale hospitals and other treatment will resume in normal hospitals. But only when they can test everyone at admission to see if they are infected.

It wouldn’t necessarily work to do it the Swedish way - the Scandinavian countries are nowhere near as crowded as the U.K. You basically can’t move for people in England, for example. As soon as restrictions are lifted in any meaningful sense we will have a load more cases. But again, that’s necessary at some point.

Public transport will be interesting.

Those saying they prefer shops as they are now...
they're ok in mild spring weather but if this goes on until there's a vaccine I personally am not looking forward to slow outdoor queues in red hot sun or next November!!

I am interest in how this will work and to what level they mean by “social distancing”.

I can’t keep my children away from their 60 year old fit and healthy grandparents for any longer than is absolutely necessary. If schools are back given that both myself and their grandma are teachers it seems daft keeping them apart to then go to work and be a risk there.

OP I would really advise trying to take one day at a time. Nobody knows what is going to happen in the future.
In terms of vaccines I have seen companies interviewed saying it is 2 months from development and others saying it is 18 months.
Try and take it one day at a time.

And your family staying alive and getting through this is what matters at the moment.

“ I personally am not looking forward to slow outdoor queues in red hot sun or next November!!”

Oh, I’m used to it because of public transport.

I'd expect any shops/cafes etc where social distancing can be observed to be one of the first things to re-open. Even if that means putting markers on the floor. Surely drive through (Costa etc) could re-open too in this case, if staff were provided with gloves/masks?

I think social distancing with some things re-opening, is better than nothing opening at all

I'll take it one day at a time but I want the government to be open about their envisioned options. No reason why they can't do that and would improve the mental health of a lot of people.

I haven't seen anyone saying that, but the fact remains that

1) certain groups are more likely to get it badly than other groups
2) it is not feasible to remain locked down for 18 months until there is a vaccine

This. The lockdown as is cannot go on forever. The government paying people's salaries cannot go on forever. There is a time limit on all of this, and it's a LOT shorter than the time it takes to get a vaccine.

And for all the shocking stories of young deaths, this virus overwhelmingly affects older people and people with certain underlying conditions. For the rest of us, it is not a serious disease.

So the obvious answer of how to prevent economic collapse but also without causing loads of people to die, is to start lifting restrictions for the least vulnerable people first. Gradually, Over time. But the start of doing that cannot be far off.

Apart from the difficulties with schools, in most other places it's easy enough to say they can open up but limit the number of people inside an establishment at any given time, space chairs and tables further apart, enforce spacing in queues, make masks mandatory, etc. etc.

If Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong can cope, why not the UK?

If we have 18 months of how things are at the moment - I will be ending myself no questions about it. I can deal through it short term and force through longer short-medium term but mentally if I have to do this for that long I will be seriously contemplating suicide.

Kuponut - I hear you.

It will not be 18 months. Try and keep in mind that if it went on much past mid May, we would not have any economy to go back to. We would all lose everything. The Government simply won't let that happen. I know people on MN consistently like to doom monger and extend the lockdown for the next 5 years if they could, but it isn't realistic nor sustainable

It will not be 18 months. Try and keep in mind that if it went on much past mid May, we would not have any economy to go back to. We would all lose everything. The Government simply won't let that happen

This.

It's easy to say "you can't sacrifice lives just for money" but it's obviously not that simple. There is a line beyond which the economy becomes too effed. And it's much, much sooner than 18 months! I would imagine in the next month or two, businesses will gradually be reopening, with some restrictions such as

limit the number of people inside an establishment at any given time, space chairs and tables further apart, enforce spacing in queues, make masks mandatory, etc. etc

What will probably happen is that there will be ongoing restrictions on large super spreading events like festivals, concerts, sports fixtures and so on, plus stepped up hygiene measures etc. until The Vax arrives.

You can't do much more than that for 18 months because life has to go on, people need to earn livings, pay for rent and food and pensions and mortgages, children need to be educated.

As more and more people turn out to be immune to this thing, that will change the calculations a lot. It's also going to easier to shield vulnerable people for a while now that everyone has had the experience of lockdown.

I like the way everyone’s pinning things on ‘the vaccine.’ There’s absolutely no guarantee that an effective vaccine is going to be made.

I like the way everyone’s pinning things on ‘the vaccine.’ There’s absolutely no guarantee that an effective vaccine is going to be made.

There are no guarantees about anythign in this life, but the most learned scientists all seem to be in agreement that an effective vaccine is the most likely outcome.

As others have said, I predict they'll start relaxing the lockdown in 3-6 weeks for everyone except those in vulnerable groups, who will unfortunately be asked to continue isolating until a vaccine is available. They can't be forced to isolate but it will be for their own good to do so. The rest of us will just be expected to get it and then get over it at home - it's no extra pressure on the nhs as only a tiny proportion of those needing ventilators are not in those vulnerable groups.

Kuponut I understand.

If this goes on for eighteen months we'll lose everything. And I'm not prepared to live on the streets. I'm just not. Hats off to those that are tough enough.