Has UK Lockdown been a waste of time and money?

[pontypridd]

Other countries have started locking down earlier and been far more strict. Their lockdown has had more effect and now they're beginning to come out of it.

UK locked down was late and has been soft - so not much change to infection rates etc are happening.

Might we have been better off not bothering? As it stands it looks as though we're going to have to continue this for much longer. I wonder whether a shorter and more severe lock down would have ended sooner.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/25/boris-johnson-lockdown-dilemma-grim-virus-data

so not much change to infection rates etc are happening.

While you may be right that a stricter lockdown would have been more effective, you're not right about there not being much change to the infection rate versus what would have happened with no action. Without the lockdown the number of new infections and deaths would have continued to rise exponentially.

Yes - there has been change sorry and it's been quite significant too. But not enough to mean that we can end lock down any time soon.

This is going to have such a severe impact on our economy and I wonder why the government weren't more strict with the lockdown - in order to shorten it and lessen it's impact.

If you recall, they didn't want to do the lockdown. They were pressured into it. I do still think that deep down, they want the virus to spread but in a more controllable manner hence why they haven't imposed a stricter lockdown. I read that only 3% of the population is thought to have had it, which if true, in my opinion, will not be good news for the government.

We don't yet know if those with a stricter lockdown will need another strict lockdown to prevent a second wave. Until sufficient time has passed it is not possible to say which way is optimal.

I said this at the start.

The danger is we can’t afford to do this half hearted lock down much longer so come out of it/relax it more. Then because we didn’t lock down early enough/well enough we still get the massive increase in infections because there’s so many people out there infected.

Then it will all have been a waste of time.

So time will tell if that happens or not.

It has reduced the strain on the NHS and therefore saved lives but I agree it’s been a half-hearted approach, not nearly as strict as other countries and therefore not as effective.
You see on the news the sacrifices other countries have made compared to ours yet so many selfish fools are asking for the lockdown to be lifted when it’s clear we’ll be heading straight for another lockdown very quickly as the numbers are still too high.

It will have been if people don't just knuckle down & start following the rules again because we'll be back where we were 4 weeks ago in no time at all!

Jelly - thank god it's not just me - I' completely exasperated today with the baying for an end to the lockdown - we tipped 20,000 deaths today fgs!

I think it’s time the police step up or as you say it’ll have been a waste of all our time, those new cases will keep rising.
It’s so frustrating that people are deliberately choosing to ignore the rules, yes it’s hard but come on, not like we’re being bombed, all we have to do is stay at home until the numbers decrease.
I hope Boris steps up, notice it’s being said those countries with female leaders are doing the best job!

The lockdown has achieved absolutely nothing.

Something doesn't add up.
If the government were telling the truth about this virus we wouldn't be able to leave home.
Anyone who has visited a supermarket would find it virtually impossible to keep two metres apart.

Isolatedlzzy - we’re not alone I’m sure but it does feel like it reading all the posts on here lately...crazy is not the word!

South Africa has less than 100 deaths. The UK has 20000. It just doesn't make sense.

Once again:

1. Lockdown is not to eradicate the virus it is to suppress it to buy us time to learn and treat more effectively.

2. Deaths are not a 'daily death rate' - many deaths happened weeks ago and just now coming through in the numbers. Peak was April 8th.

3. We will be living with this virus for a long time. We'll learn to live with it in whichever way that is. But it won't be by hiding inside and never hugging anyone again.

4. Remember no one has the answers. We (the world) are learning as we go. Hindsight is 20/20 (ironic) and we need to keep our collective shit together and stop 'ffs'ing everything (literally) under the sun outside.

UK locked down was late and has been soft
You have no idea if this is true.

so not much change to infection rates etc are happening
Wrong

Might we have been better off not bothering?
I am betting you have no idea either way.

As it stands it looks as though we're going to have to continue this for much longer
Like most of the world.

I wonder whether a shorter and more severe lock down would have ended sooner
I am betting you have no idea either way.

we tipped 20,000 deaths today fgs

That’s just hospital deaths. With community and care home deaths included the FT is estimating 45,000 and the Times 40,000.

The lockdown has achieved absolutely nothing.

So stopping the rise in cases and deaths to continue spiralling exponentially is “nothing”. . We could easily have been looking at a death rate 10x higher had we done nothing.

As a nation we have made massive changes that have hugely reduced the ability of the virus to transmit. Whereas at the start of March most of us tolerated someone coughing on the bus a row or so away for 20 minutes, now people get twitchy if someone passes less than 2m from them for a fraction of a second.

Lockdown doesn’t have to be total to make a big difference - look at Sweden.

@SouthsideOwl I love your bullet points but why is the UK death rate so high compared to countries you would consider poor.

Nobody is ‘hiding inside’ We’re trying to slow the spread, flatten the curve to save lives and hopefully in doing so, buy time to find a drug that may successfully treat it effectively in hospital before a vaccine can be found.
‘New cases’ figures are important and will not decrease any time soon with people flouting the rules so it prolongs everyone’s misery.

If you look at Sweden's plan they should have more deaths?
They haven't locked down.

Whether people want it to end or not it is breaking down. People have adhered pretty well to the restrictions - far better than the gov expected I think - but they've had enough. Socially and financially it's unrealistic to expect people to continue in the same way.

There's no point talking about the Police cracking down harder - they have already been severely criticised for their handling so far, they will not want to jeopardise their standing with the public further. The only way to crack down harder would be to bring in the armed forces and I really can't see anyone, especially Johnson, advocating that.

South Africa has less than 100 deaths. The UK has 20000. It just doesn't make sense.

Latitude may be significant.

I am in NZ - we went early and hard and our infection rates are in single fingers every day. Our lockdown is being lifted slightly at midnight on Monday - contactless takeaways and construction can resume as long as social distancing maintained. Britain went too late but I think “better late than never“ and I think it will take much much longer for you 😥.

@Yellowshirt

'I love your bullet points but why is the UK death rate so high compared to countries you would consider poor'

I don't think I drew any comparisons. Collective 'you'?

My guess would be testing. Can't have high numbers if you don't have a lot of tests or the capacity/will/means to treat people.

Even with all the bungling (which I'm not endorsing) - how much have the UK gov spent on testing and tests of all kinds that we know about. 100 mill? More? Can you see cash poor countries where a significant number of the population live in shed housing and deal with open sewers having the infrastructure or capacity to '''acheive''' the numbers we have?

The people are likely there but honestly for a lot of countries outside our first world bubble they have bigger problems day to day that this virus, as weird as it might sound to us, isn't that big a worry.

@SouthsideOwl

We'll learn to live with it in whichever way that is. But it won't be by hiding inside

Ok so as a diabetic with high blood pressure, what do you suggest I do instead? Go lick door handles?

It's no wonder people are stop 'ffs'ing everything when we are being ridiculed constantly, for merely trying to stay alive.

I don't think it is good for society to have the police impose a lockdown, but I do think the UK went into lockdown too late to get the desired effect.

That being said, this is a totally new situation world-wide and a learning experience. I just discovered this video which is really interesting www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=2h2QMkS5Ftw&app=desktop