Would you be happy to lock down for the next two years?

[BirdieFriendReturns]

If the government restrictions stayed in place?

So until May 2022.

No way. What a ridiculous notion. The damage being caused to young people in terms of education, jobs, future prospects etc is colossal. We have to find a way to live with this.

Not 'happy' - I'd probably have to drop out of my PhD program because I need to be able to travel for research. But I'd do it if I had to. I can't see this government continuing lockdown unless the threat level was high.

Surely this would never happen. Governments will be more willing to sacrifice lives than let economies tank for TWO years. Come on.

Some of the responses here are evidence for more compulsory economics education.

Two years of everyone staying home means full collapse of the economy and possibly society as we know it. There will be no public services because the government won’t have any funds for them.

God, all these people saying yes, it's ridiculous! Completely fails to consider all of the colossal impacts of this. The country would be in ruins, people's lives in ruins, people's health destroyed, families broken apart, education of children destroyed. I am working fulltime and trying to home educate a struggling child, and care for his younger brother. It's impossible. I am completely sick of smug messages from SAHM with very young children who aren't in school anyway, with big houses and big gardens, who love having their husbands home more, exhorting us all to stay at home. Easy for them to say because they are loving it. Others of us are falling apart!

For those saying NO, how would you feel if the 2nd wave of CV-19 was far more severe?

If it is, better have it now rather than in winter when NHS capacity is far, far more limited.

If it is, better have it now whilst there is still some semblance of an economy, before the recession becomes a depression.

And as pp have pointed out, this is not 1918 and our ability to respond to pandemics is very, very different.

I fully believe people in the shielding and other vulnerable groups should be supported, financially and otherwise, to remain in 'lockdown' as long as they need to do so. But the rest of us are going to have to live with this and we need to make sure the response to the virus does not end up causing more harm than the virus itself.

No! The mental health repercussions are massive as it is. 2 years is unthinkable. Add to that the rise in domestic violence and the small issue of the economy. The government needs to be bringing in taxes to fund the nhs, refuse collections etc

TheGoodEnoughWife absolutely. I'm hearing of people who are paralysed by fear, fit healthy young people who are scared to leave their home, even for exercise or to go to the supermarket. People who are convinced the virus is airborne so won't even go into their own gardens.

Honestly this is no way to live. I am concerned that a lot of people with health anxiety are really struggling, and they are passing their fears on to those around them.

No. It would probably cause more deaths through things like social deprivation because of a constant world-wide depression so what's the point? Everything in life carries a risk. We've just got really, really complacent about communicable diseases and need to get our collective psyche around their being a threat again.

No - but i would like handwashing, staying off work /transport if you are ill, increased cleaning and keeping people more spread out for the forseeable.

No, I wouldn't be as it would mean my business would totally fail, at least at the moment I have a chance of rescuing it. Fingers crossed.

Certain aspects, maybe - I could go two years without going to a festival, concert or cinema but not without seeing family and friends. Also far more unfair on the young generation who the economic impacts of a 2 year lockdown would impact most

No

No. Not at all. I consider myself to be a fairly upbeat person and this is getting to me so much and I'm definitely one of the lucky ones and have job, family and garden which I know many haven't. I miss seeing my friends so much as do my children.

Well I am shielding so may have to, not happy but if it necessary it’s necessary. The regular “ lockdown” is not any where as strict as it is in other countries so should be continued if that’s what’s needed to save lives.

I bet there’ll be people posting on AIBU in a couple of years;

“not left my house for two years because I’m too anxious because Covid19”

“I am refusing to go to work for the past two years and my employer has sacked me, should I sue?”

Don't be ridiculous.

No
If we have to forego holidays and festivals and traipsing round busy shopping centres that’s one thing but being able to go out and earn a living be able to live our lives in at least a controlled fashion absolutely not

Some of the responses here are evidence for more compulsory economics education

I couldn't agree more. We might not like being wedded to neoliberal capitalism but that's where we are right now and collapsing economies wholesale will simply result in societal collapse. It's unthinkable.

I don't think that it's feasible. Consider if you could continue with lockdown if there was no furlough scheme (it won't be around forever), if there is no manufacturing (what happens when you need new things?), if there was nobody to work in hospitals, supermarkets etc (why should they do what they do if everyone else just wants to hide until there is a vaccine? What about education, should teachers risk themselves if you won't or will you just not educate your children?
If you're financially independent (even if dividends fall, you don't need to work etc), have the skill-set to home school indefinitely, don't need human interaction and are prepared to survive if everyone takes he same approach then fine but I don't think that's realistic.

Absolutely 100% no!
Working with people who have substance misuse issues, involved with child protection, mental health and domestic violence this would be a complete and utter nightmare and I believe would cost the lives of way more people than the virus

Absolutely not.
Every death is a tragedy that goes without saying. And what can realistically be done to protect people should also be done. With the emphasis on realistic. We need to not lose sight of the figures and remember that the vast majority of people even if elderly or with underlying conditions survive this. We cannot stay like this to stop what remains a very small % of people dying. Illnesses and death happen and will continue to happen forever. This is just a new way to add to an already very large list. The government did not create this virus and they CANNOT prevent everyone from dying. We need to manage the flow of cases and put everything we can into finding treatments and hopefully a vaccine.

The quote from a pp of ‘living isn’t just not being dead’ is exactly right.

I want to go to restaurants, watch films, go shopping, see my friends and family. I’m happy to do these things in whatever safe way is decided on, but stay in my house for 2 years? No chance. (Wouldn’t have a house in 2 years anyway)

Absolutely not.

I also think the current release of lockdown is fine and the restrictions on seeing family and friends are ridiculous, but I’ve been going to work throughout

“IncrediblySadToo“ - this is a discussion forum. I’m asking a question. And many people on here would be happy to lock down forever apparently!

It’s okay for others to say they think it’ll never end but not okay for me to ask a hypothetical question?