Is there any point continuing the lockdown if no one is socially distancing?

[Notcontent]

I was in full support of the lockdown and in fact withdrew my dd from school a few days before schools closed. And I have been very diligent about complying with it. However, now that many of the rules have been relaxed, it feels like floodgates have opened and no one is bothering to comply.

I went for a run after work today and ran past two local parks. Both parks were heaving with people having picnics in large groups, children playing together, etc. It felt like a bank holiday weekend, rather than a Tuesday during a pandemic. Lots of people are also having parties and inviting friends over.

I know it’s complicated, but I am just a bit fed up, as the current situation may result in me losing my job (due to the economic impact) and is having other adverse impacts on my life, yet here all these people are having a jolly time, enjoying the fact that they don’t have to be at work. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest...

But I think a lot of people dropped SD after the Neil Ferguson incident, understandably.

Really? It just shows what lemmings people are that, despite Coronavirus being highly infectious, they "understandably" stop doing the right thing just because one dimwit decides he thinks he's too bloody clever and knows best.

Where's people's common sense and independent thinking?

If the nutcase I encountered in the queue of one person (her!) for the pharmacy is anything to go by, it's alive and doing well where I am.

I was walking towards the pharmacy and she went mental, shouting at me to get away from her as "I will give her the virus as I have germs". I must have been a good 12 feet from her at the time, Madness!! Even more crazy as she was waiting outside the place which was a) empty and b) allowing 3 customers at a time inside.

At least I got to the front of the queue.

Yes, it's alive and kicking in Cornwall and judging by this taken to the extreme!

Is it highly contagious?

They are looking at the fact that it was here earlier than they thought. Yet only about 5% of the population have had it?

If it was bouncing round most of February and we didn't lock down until late March, surely far more than 5% would have had it, given its so highly contagious?

I don’t know a single person in my social group - among them epidemiologists and statisticians - who has ever gone along with social distancing, and I know who I’d rather trust. As a previous poster said, why on earth do people think that the experts behind the advice didn’t stick to it themselves?

I find this statement rather dubious on a few counts - you have epidemiologists AND statisticians in your social group, handily, and they just happen to not have socially distanced. I reckon the chances of that are statistically tiny ...

Funny how everyone on mumsnet is so good at reading scientific research. And evaluating risk. So good at it in fact that you are better than the majority of the world's public health experts. Amazing how all of these experts spent so much time and money on their education and research when all they needed was a few hours on the internet and some common sense. Fools.

It's a misconception that no one is socially distancing.
Very many people, probably a majority are still completely social distancing.
Some are doing it a little less, but that's not too say they're not making very careful, conscious decisions.

I'm weighing up risk. I met one friend last week and gave her a hug. She's had coronavirus and is well recovered by now, so that felt like a very low risk thing to do... And it was her first hug in 9 weeks.

Life is still completely different for me and my children. We've not meet with groups of friends as we would several times per week normally. We've not been to any places where people gather. No cafés, no cinema etc. Husband working from home. So there's still a huge decrease in the amount of people we all see.

My teenage son is making plans to see his girlfriend. She'll be the first person he sees from outside our household. I don't expect them to meet 2m apart.

I find this statement rather dubious on a few counts - you have epidemiologists AND statisticians in your social group, handily, and they just happen to not have socially distanced. I reckon the chances of that are statistically tiny ...

^ This. I smell bullshit. Quite a few people with an agenda around lockdown on threads the past couple of weeks that spout a lot of bollocks lately.

For example - Neil Ferguson was wrong to breach SD rules because (as BigChoc) pointed out its not effective to have two sets of rules.

But it wasn't because he didn't think it was highly contagious or that it isn't dangerous, it's because he is immune (at least for a while) having already had COVID and recovered.

The majority are still complying - it's just that you see us less because we're at home more whereas the 'I know better than experts' group are out at mass picnics.

I'm meeting with friends this week, one at a time with social distancing in place and outside as per the guidance.

I've followed this virus closely since 25th Jan (I started the Preppers thread about it) and have read the medical research papers rather than get my news from the media who all carry some kind of bias.

Hopefully enough of us are being sensible to balance out the selfish arseholes.

Most are still complying, especially those who are more vulnerable. I've already had covid so most probably have antibodies so I admit I'm not 100% compliant but I have to work, have an adult dd with disabilities so I have to travel etc. As for distancing, the WHO says 1m is enough and countries have chosen different distancing, so I sat either end of a bench with a friend to eat yesterday, she hadn't seen anyone for 9 weeks when I last had lunch with her.

Peggy,

It is medium contagious. It is not measles or smallpox but one person, in the absence of other measures, does infect about 3 others.

It started with one case early this year and if it has infected 5% of the population, that is about 3.5 million people. If lockdown had not happened, the same rate of growth would have continued.

Yes the main bits of lockdown which basically shut all indoor spaces will still have a big effect on r because the virus spreads more rapidly indoors.

larrygrylls

I think you have misunderstood my point. A post said it was highly infectious.

I dont agree its highly infectious. It wasnr a comment on lockdown at all.

Of course without lock down, more would be infected. Thats the point of it.

But its not highly infectious.

People are still distancing here.
The amount of traffic on the roads is still way down as many of the biggest employers are still having everyone work from home
People still dance across the road to give people space when walking & thanks to everyone who does that!
The one I find most fascinating is how empty the food shops are...what did people used to do in sainsburies that meant they spent so much time in there? Clearly it wasn't shopping for essential food

@ Peggysgettingcrazy sorry if I missed it but what are you basing your assertion on that Covid19 is not highly infectious?

By the way I am in Scotland and we are still in lockdown. As far as I can see most people ( apart from my stupid neighbours) are sticking to the rules .

People are arrogant and ignorant.

This country has a proportion of people
who have chosen to IGNORE the Government.

I wish we were tougher on these people, except we aren't and that's all there is to it.

Some snowflakes in Hyde Park have already been protesting about their " human rights " during this pandemic last weekend ( including Jeremy Corbyns brother who was arrested) so there are a fair few twats that are refusing to abide by the guidelines....

Compare the numbers who marched against Brexit with the numbers who marched against lockdown!

attackedbycrittters

Aah yes, but the numbers spoke for themselves at the election in December..

Landslide victory...

People in this country want out.

I live on edge of a town of 12,000 people.
I don't see more than 20 ppl total any time I travel across to other side of town.
I conclude that the overwhelming majority are staying home most of the time.
Letting out of school time is kind of busy, to be fair, I got caught in that once -- very confused. Easy to forget some schools still operating. There were a good... 12 people there on that one road in front of the school.

Amusing that OP was on streets & in 2 parks but complaining about other people on streets & in the parks.

The big park near here was really busy yesterday. People were keeping away from each other when walking/running round.

But there were groups all over the grass, and whereas most clumps of people were under 4 adults, there were some which were much larger, mainly young people (with booze). Because they were right be an intersection of paths in a very conspicuous place, it really did make it seem as if 'everyone' is ignoring the current rules.

But away from that big park, It seemed that people are continuing to follow the regs

As always there's a minority who don't think the rules/restrictions apply to them. They're just not being fair on the rest of us who have to work closely with colleagues/customers, want to see an elderly relation, go out for lunch etc. The sooner we can get that R level down, the sooner we'll all have our freedom back including those who are breaking restrictions) , albeit in an adapted way, but far better than now.

This was clearly the government's plan all along, and we, the public, are playing right into their hands.

It's this: relax the rules a tiny bit, but make sure it's ambiguous enough to confuse people. Then all the people will argue amongst themselves, snitch on their neighbours etc. Divide and Conquer - the oldest political trick in the book. And it's working.

Loads of people are still socially distancing but you won't see them. Because they're socially distant

There's alot of negative talk about picnics on here, you do know we are allowed and encouraged to unlimited time outside and the government themselves have said picnics are ok.

"Mass picnics" may be one family, you don't know.

Myself, DH and our two DC had a picnic in our local park yesterday and it was lovely to see others doing the same. After the shit couple of months our children have had forced upon them I won't be begruding anybody a picnic

@Oldbutstillgotit @ Peggysgettingcrazy sorry if I missed it but what are you basing your assertion on that Covid19 is not highly infectious?

Measles is highly contagious, its R is 15 (which is why we get pissed off with anti-vaxxers). The R rate of coronavirus is 3. Which is a low to medium rate of infection. However, that's not to say it still isnt a risk to certain members of society and a vaccine or at least an effective treatment, wouldnt be an absolute need right now. Just that you still have a much smaller chance of being infected if you bumped into someone with corona than you would if you bumped into someone with measles.