So no hugging, mixing households until a vaccine?

[NutellaOnButteryToast]

Hi,

I have been wondering this for a long time and then last week, Nick Hancock admitted that this would likely be the case.....which is horrendous.

If we do manage to keep R under 1 and eventually well below, which I do understand is looking unlikely without more waves, then why won't it ever be safe to mix with our loved ones until there's a vaccine?

I'm starting to feel suffocated by the idea, as I know so many are.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

[Dontsayyouloveme]

Nick Hancock is THE nicest person! 😊😊

[PersephoneandHades]

@Lindjam I honestly don’t think that is a reasonable ask anymore. A year and a half is a very long time for the entire population to be living in a state that is crippling for their mental wellbeing in order to protect vulnerable people that they will never meet.

Babies born now would have their development severely impacted and would get to 18 months old having only ever met their parents and siblings.

All the people who have lost their jobs and been furloughed cannot be expected to just suck it up in order to protect the minority of people for whom Covid would be fatal.

All the people who live with violent or toxic family members will have no escape (and a Women’sAid temporary hotel room is not an escape).

What about all the people who don’t have a garden? Families of 8 who live in 2 bedroom apartments? 18 months would be a lifetime.

I’m not trying to have a go at you I hope it doesn’t come across like that, but I can’t take this minimising of the sacrifice that we are all making anymore. It is not ‘just’ staying at home. Suicide rates will sky rocket if we are forced to do this for much longer.

[Thewheelsonthebus23]

I thought in phase two of the document brought out by the government two households will be allowed to link?

[ravensoaponarope]

@Dinosauratemydaffodils I think it's okay to hug loved ones in your circumstances. Mental health is just as important as covid

[ddl1]

I don't think there should be hugging (except within households) or mixing of households until the situation is less dangerous. That doesn't necessarily mean waiting for a vaccine: efficent ways of testing and tracing might come much sooner. Or drugs that can reduce the rate of deaths or permanent health risks, even if people do get the illness.

[ddl1]

PS: I am NOT saying that no one should go to work, or that people from abusive families should not be able to escape, or that people should not be able to get non-emergency healthcare for other reasons than Covid. Lockdown for 18 months is probably not realistic or possible, without too much risk of deaths from other causes. But social distancing where possible is another matter.

[MereDintofPandiculation]

PersephoneandHades But it isn't just to protect a minority of the population, it's to prevent the virus from rampaging through the country causing illness and economic consequences as damaging as those of lockdown.

I'm not saying it should continue, simply that lockdown isn't there simply to protect a minority of people, it's to protect all of us.

[Crimsonnightlotus]

At least most of people can see their family even it's with social distance. Some of us who are foreigners living abroad can't even see them, in worst case scenario, even if they are dead.

[highmarkingsnowmobile]

I was thinking today about dating and how it will work or I guess it will be off limits for a while.

Can't see all of humanity who are single committing to or being able to sustain celibacy for a while because of this.

[RicStar]

Op there is no way in this earth my children are going another 18 months without playing with friends, or seeing their grandparents. It wont happen, it's not reasonable or proportionate. We will be mixing again in some way, perhaps a few more weeks like this but there will be changes.

[Flamingodial]

This led to me googling Nick Hancock. What happened to him? very mysterious.....He took a sabbatical and started working at a friends brokerage company but left without a public reason.....

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Hancock

[MrsFogi]

No - the longer this goes on with no prospect of a vaccine people will just do their own risk assessment and do what suits them according to that. Either the government will gradually ease things or people will unilaterally do so themselves.

[Tootletum]

Yeah fuck that for a laugh.

[Eebahgumlass]

It is not sustainable but it is what the government laid out in their document- some form of social distancing till a vaccine or cure. Also feel very bleak about this new normal. It is not living. 18 months of this and my mental health will be finished- and I am in a relatively good position compared to many.

[Redwinestillfine]

@Lindjam yes there is! The latest schools guidance says it's not possible to social distance with primary school kids and the way around that is to have them in 'bubbles' of up to 15 kids who interact with each other and their teacher. That means if your kid goes in you will in effect be in a household with up to 16 other families including the teacher.

[Bellendejour]

I could give up seeing friends for that long but not my mum and stepdad who are 69/70 but are healthy with no underlying issues - they have to be realistic, yes, have bubbles or immediate family only or whatever but they can’t stop you seeing your family for that long.

Fuck it I would just move back home!

I don’t give a shit about going to pubs/restaurants etc holidays or any of that, I just want to see my family!

[HeatherIV]

The government can't tell you who you can have visit your private home. It's a massive over reach of their powers.

The rules are stupid and contradictory, mostly pulled out of some tory toss-pots arse.

You can have a cleaner over to your home, who's been to multiple homes that day - but your sister can't go over for a visit - even if neither of you are working. It's bullshit.

I'm not saying people should start having parties - but if you desperately want to go see a friend or relative in their home, when neither of you are vulnerable - then go. I'm tired of hearing people crying and distraught because they are lonely and missing loved ones because of these stupid nonsensical rules.

[Pipandmum]

There won't be a vaccine any time soon. As the death rate declines there will be more mixing.

[NellWilsonsWhiteHair]

Yeah, I can’t see people sticking to that tbh, and I don’t think that’s necessarily wrong of them - for children especially I think 18 months of 2m-distancing would be really damaging. Which isn’t to say we should just be shafting the vulnerable, either.

It’s weird - I’m quite a difficult person to hug, and in particular I can only remember my mum hugging me once, ever (actually in adulthood! - relatively recently), but i really want a hug from her now.

[MaggieFS]

"There are no plans to return children to school without social distancing - not in England.

If SD is still required, then there won't be enough school classrooms or teachers available for more than about a third of children to return."

@Lindjam Nurseries are going back without social distancing.

[Dowser]

My dil gave me a hug today
I’m sure we will be fine

[GabsAlot]

therfe might never be a vaccine so no i don believe that will happen

[EvilTwins]

The government's alert plan (the one that looks like a Nandos menu) has "no or minimal social distancing" when we get to alert level 2. We're currently about 3.5. Level 2 means that the virus is still present but that the number of cases and transmission is low.

The hysteria on MN is wearing.

[Dowser]

Bellend..just go and see your family

[LisaSimpsonsbff]

There is a limit on how long you can outlaw intimacy, and surely we're reaching it. There is no society that has ever existed where people don't have casual or indeed illicit sexual encounters. People have risked their health, their closest relationships - people have risked the most powerful positions in the world for sex. I think it's madly unrealistic to expect all new sexual contacts to stop until a vaccine is found.