How long until we return to normal?

[onedayinthefuture]

I know this is the million dollar question and obviously I don't expect anyone to know, but would be interested to hear your opinions? With us now going into this new phase, I am feeling very anxious about our 'new normal' and listening to the government briefing, this is going to be like this for a long time. It's not just about work and getting the kids back to school, it's when we can have things to look forward to again. When will we be able to go on holiday? Throw a party for our kids? Meet up for a meal with friends? Play a team sport? I just want to see my family, my sister and her kids and my parents and be normal again. Life is short as it is and precious time is already being lost, months that we'll never get back. My parents missing quality time with their grandchildren.....

Some people I speak to think next year we'll all be back to normal and booking holidays? Or by Christmas we'll be back to normal but I'm not sensing that. Will this take years?

No body knows.

Hope that helps.

3 weeks next Tuesday

Not quite sure why you have both commented? I was just asking for opinions bearing in mind everything Covid related is pretty much speculation anyway, why not just have a view as to when we will see our way of life return?

It’s now occurred to me how much I took little things for granted.

Just wandering around a shop.
Soft play hell!
Seeing my dad
The gym!
Going for a coffee while waiting for my nail appointment.

Things that I never thought wouldn’t happen for months.

Well you won’t get them back if they die of covid, either.

Much depends on the speed with which an effective vaccine can be developed, mass produced and administered, as well as more effective treatments. In addition, ramping up and speeding up testing is essential to an effective track and trace strategy. The contact tracking app will help, if it works.

But how long.... nobody knows. I think Christmas 2020 is optimistic, Christmas 2021 is more likely, Christmas 2022 I bloody well hope so.

That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do any of the things you’re missing before then. You will be able to do some of them, to some extent, at some point.

I’m fed up with hearing about the new normal. If we don’t meet new people and form new relationships how will we procreate as a race?

Do they want us to breed in family groups in the future- no of course not - it’s a temporary state and that’s all it can ever be and I hope we get through it sooner rather than later.

How long is a piece of string?

I think children will still be born..

@Nicknacky I can't believe I miss softplay either, the normality of it. My DS always mentions going and having a slush puppy.... that seems like such a far away dream (for him) now.

@PuzzledObserver thank you, I appreciate no one knows but yes I would hope by Christmas 2022 we'd be back to fully normal!

Realistically I think about two years - that seems to be how long previous pandemics have lasted. But it's impossible to know, that's just a guess and hopefully a pessimistic one.

I keep thinking how much of the time I have left with my parents around in going to miss. I wish they lived closer so, so much.

oneday My kids don’t even seem to miss these things now. They are so used to their new normal.

@Inforthelonghaul so true. If you were single now and wanting to date, online dating for months and years just isn't feasible is it.

I actually don’t think things will ever be quite the same again. Not for a very, very long time- 5/10 years. I think Covid 19 is going to be a permanent feature and we may never have a vaccine. I think it’s shown we are all too crowded, too densely populated. I think some aspects of social distancing will potentially stay.

Couple of years. I'm talking about things like unrestricted travel, browsing shops, eating in restaurants, going to packed football matches and concerts.

Stuff like schools being open, being able to meet friends and family, team sports will come back sooner.

Some things will never come back, like pubs.

Some jobs will become obsolete as people go toward digital and working from home.

Well like you said no one really knows but there’s a lot of discussion around lessons to be learnt from the Spanish flu in 1918 which lasted till December 1920. This died out without a vaccination but there were many other factors at play not least movements of troops due to WW1.

There comes a point where the contagion simply can’t infect at the same rate it can initially due to immunity so it slows down and you’ll see more concentrated outbreaks. Again there’s the disclaimer of mutations able to reinfect people with natural immunity but it’s far more likely a virus will become less virulent.

The Spanish flu killed a lot more people in its second wave but there are a few theories about why. Some think it caused a cytokine storm in the immune system (making it go bonkers and kill the virus and the person in the process) whilst others think there’s strong evidence for over prescribing Aspirin at a much higher dose than we would now. It’s frustratingly likely to be one of those scenarios we won’t actually understand till it’s long over.

@tittysprinkles you think all pubs will disappear completely?

What @Bagelsandbrie said, sadly.

I don't think there will be life as we knew it for many years.

I think if a vaccine isn't found and if no suitable treatment isnt found then there will be changes to how we live life that allow normal things to happen. If numbers infected fall enough, test and trace can control outbreaks. People will innovate. We won't be seperated from family, friends or potential friends forever.

But i think it's more likely we'll find a medical solution

Pubs have been in existence since the 12th century, they won't completely disappear?

The Spanish flu is an interesting comparison on time and that was a more lethal virus.

We won't.

Things will be different, of course. Already Oasis is gone, one of my favourite shops. But new businesses will sprout up, in time. There will be a huge recession, many people's lives will never be the same again, either through loss of loved ones or money. But it's highly likely we will be back to a new normal within 10 years.

Let's bloody hope so, anyway! I must admit in my darkest moments I do wonder if this is the end of the human race...

Please don’t mention Oasis😭😭. That’s nearly sent me over the edge!!

OMG some of the predictions on here are so funny and bonkers!
Never be pubs again!? WTH? From reading some comments anyone would think aliens have landed and taken over the entire population of the planet!
Humans are social creatures. We mix and collaborate with others. That is how we have become human and top of the food chain. It’s literally who we are. This is not the new normal. This is an unnatural state that won’t last. It’s been 7 weeks and already many people have had it and will this week be meeting friends and family.
We need travel for our country and many many other counties to even function as 1st world countries! If pubs didn’t open, don’t you think that large groups of people would be meeting for drinks anyway?
I can see very large events not happening and social distancing in shops and airports being around for a while but other than that we will be back to a semblance of normal before Christmas.