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.

[Dowser]

Boris’s clarified rules

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8326535/Boris-Johnson-hails-British-fortitude-aims-draw-line-confusion-new-rules.html

[CrowCat]

People will not adhere to not hugging their loved ones. The government cannot police it. Can you imagine a world where we fine people for hugging their parents or DC?? Where no one can meet a new partner? Or meet with a long term partner they don't live with?

If we're to allow children back to school then there is no way on earth I'm not hugging my family members.

[Chinchinatti]

And I know Mumsnet is all about THE RULES, but sometimes, you need to take a measured risk, all things considered.

[SignOnTheWindow]

HeatherIV, I absolutely agree.

[BillywilliamV]

If herd immunity is what its going to take then maybe some of us non- vunerables should get th at started?

[Chinchinatti]

And I have a care coordinator who checks in with me every day on the phone and she has said that from Monday she'll be back working in the office and will come to my flat and meet me outside for a chat. I think I'll probably cry at having some human contact.

[Khione]

Do your own risk assessment and act accordingly.

Unless you plan a huge party, without distancing, anywhere you are encroaching on others rights or in view of certain self appointed police there will be no come back.

[TheGinGenie]

Yeah fuck that, I'm not waiting for a vaccine to hug my boyfriend or my parents again. I would actually rather be dead.

[yogz1976]

I think it will be another 18 months. Two more waves of major outbreaks, both larger than the first wave.

We just have to stay at home (remember that?) and wait it out.

WTAF?! I can't believe what I'm reading. Oh yeah, let's just sit at home for another 18 months, maybe 2 years. Lets allow the economy and life as we know it to collapse around our ears. Doesn't matter if we lose our jobs, homes and have to choose which of our children we feed and which we allow to starve because..y'know...."flatten the curve" and "God, a jogger brushed past me this morning and he was like metres away and I felt violated...AIBU?"

[Jane1978xx]

If your house and the house you want to see all stay in for 2 weeks with no outside contact at all then technically you’ll all be virus free so could technically meet. Me and dd have only been for walks And had shopping deliveries etc. I always wanted to make sure we were virus free in case my parents needed me.

[Rhiannon13]

I think it will be another 18 months. Two more waves of major outbreaks, both larger than the first wave.

We just have to stay at home (remember that?) and wait it out.

I live an hour away from my long-term partner and haven't seen him for two months already, and now I'm being asked by parents of the children I look after if I'll be able to look after their kids again from June 1st. It's OK for me to mix with other families before my own?? Um, absolutely not! And no, another 18 month wait will not be tolerable.

[SciFiWoman]

Ooh, Nick Hancock💕
Had a massive crush on him, back in the day!!
I’d hug him.... now😄

[Godzillasonice]

I’m not even a hugger but I’d rather be dead (not joking) than not being able to spend time with my family. I have been on my own with my children for nearly 10 weeks I haven’t seen only one other than them and if all I’m aloud to do is go to work and back here I think I’m going to lose the will to cary on.

[outofthemoon]

Where did 18 months come from?

My mother is 88. Already in utter despair, 50 miles from nearest family.

[HoneyBee03]

I've been nearly 6 months without seeing my mum and something has got to give. She's almost in tears whenever I video call her with toddler DS. She's also a teacher and I think it's so unreasonable that she can teach a class of kids but not see her grandson. We've all been following the rules but I'll be bending them soon.

[FrogFairy]

@toomanysighs you are not alone.

Even pre virus it has been years. My 19 year old DS has not hugged me since he was a small child. My parents are not tactile with me. I have been divorced for 16 years but my husband was never affectionate after we married. Probably the last time he hugged me was when we were courting in 1989.

I know hugs are not the done thing on Mumsnet but I would like to give you big squishy cyber (((cwtch))) as we say in Wales.

[Wilmalovescake]

Fuck that. My mental health is already suffering.

[Megan2018]

We will mix households before a vaccine. My baby is 8 months old. My parents and brother will be seeing her and holding her this year regardless (4 households Inc ours) They would rather die than miss much more time. We have tolerated things so far, and are prepared to do 6 months max. But no more. No way.

When I am back at work if it is ok for her to be hugged by nursery staff she can bloody well see them. It is ridiculous to think people will stick to it for years or forever.

[happysleeper]

We've done our own risk assessment and are creating a bubble with my parents (both under 60)
Happy for me to send them to school/nursery but not to their grandparents. Nope.

[cryinglightning]

OP, my sympathies, this is so,ething which terrifies me. it's no way to live and surely not a reasonable expectation from the government?

[PanamaPattie]

I don't like hugging and kissing anyone so I'm ok with the social distancing. I understand that other people like the comfort, so as the virus isn't going to disappear, it's up to everyone to do a risk assessment. If people feel that social and physical contact is worth the risk of contracting and spreading the virus then it's their decision and their responsibility.

[megletthesecond]

My family are 100 miles away. I hope we can see them next spring. We can't drive there and back in a day so I've got to suck it up.
They've been really good at lockdown so I don't want to risk making them ill.

[Megan2018]

@megletthesecond why not?
I have family 110 miles away and we frequently do day visits? Obviously not since lockdown. It’s less than 2.5hrs driving?

[ToLiveInPeace]

No idea when I'll see my parents. Even less idea when my husband will see his overseas family. WFH means long hours and a lot of stress. But... DH is shielding and I've seen him close to death four times in the last five years so I'll stay home as long as it takes.

[CoachBombay]

Once schools are back and the majority of people back in work place settongs, mixing will happen.

The government know this, they know lockdown fatigue has set in already, it's why they keep lifting small restrictions to try and keep the majority of the population onboard. So they may bring a social bubble rule in.

The millions of single people all across this land or those in relationships who don't live together aren't going to go without human contact for much longer. Were social creatures, it's what we do. We didn't spend a millenia becoming societies, and breeding and have family units to abandon them long term because of a virus. There becomes a point where social deprevation becomes a massive mental health issue/literal torture.

I am not going to sit here though and say I follow the rules, I'm not I broke them last night. So it would literally be a pot kettle black situation of I spouted off about the importance of adhering. 😳