Does anyone else think things are going to be worse than most people realise?

[username108]

In terms of the global depression and the short and long term effects? From what i've been reading, I don't think this is something we have ever faced and most people think it's going to be like the 2008 recession. People keep talking about a new normal but I don't think things will ever be like they were in 2019.

Yes. Much, much worse.

I don’t know. What specifically will happen? Massive job losses I guess?

Yes. The impact of lockdown and recession will have far worse consequences than COVID-19 itself.

Yes, definitely. Lockdown will cause far more deaths than covid.

How do we prepare? Anything we should hoard or stockpile?

Definitely if this carries on much longer. But I feel things will be lifted soon, one way or the other. I don’t think it will be allowed to carry on much longer precisely because of these effects. And who knows, there could be a treatment soon. Or it could mutate to become less dangerous. Or we could just accept that life needs to carry on for the majority who are at low risk.

@Redolent please tell me you're joking

Yes

Yes, people seem to think lifting lockdown will start the economy back up... but don’t seem to realise that lots of businesses will go under either way.

Social distancing isn’t profit friendly.

@Redolent please
Don't start stockpiling

I’ve said from the start that the impact of this will be devastating. I am more worried about the impact of this then I am of getting the virus.

Me too @Dancingalong

Met with many virtual shoulder shrugs when I started a similar thread weeks ago.

Hoard gold

How do we prepare? Anything we should hoard or stockpile?

Time machines.

Yes. It's going to be worse than the virus which is why we need to start lifting lockdown and getting children back to school and people back to work.

I have been thinking about this a lot the last few weeks, possibly more so due to the job I do (local government).

I'm scared about how deep the financial and mental impact this will leave on society.

It's happening already, the divide between rich and poor will grow, the future feels very bleak and I'm usually a positive person.

And then climate change is going to be even worse, and we will wish the depression had been bigger and longer, because it was the only thing holding off global destruction through over consumption.

If we want prophesise doom, let's zoom out one extra level.

From an emergency planning perspective new normal is the correct terminology. It will become our new normal as we adapt to living with COVID.

We can't predict the true extent of the recession. Theories are ranging from the extreme to the mild, I'm hoping (obviously) for the milder end of the scale, but I suspect we'll see the other end.

@nellodee agreed! That ad is also very powerful

The inevitable tax rises as well 😳

@nellodee you are so right.

Zoom out one extra level.

Definitely if this carries on much longer. But I feel things will be lifted soon, one way or the other. I don’t think it will be allowed to carry on much longer precisely because of these effects. And who knows, there could be a treatment soon. Or it could mutate to become less dangerous. Or we could just accept that life needs to carry on for the majority who are at low risk.

Or Yellowstone could explode, or aliens might turn up with a cure. We can only deal with what we know. We do know Covid kills people and should have a bit more sympathy for the vulnerable.

I agree, but some people who know a lot more than me have said recovery may be easier than 2008 since the recession was in a sense an artificial pressing pause rathe than stemming from deep rooted structural problems in the economy. I guess a lot will depend on how significant further waves of infection are.

Recession compounded by the difficulties that Brexit will present. It's not going to be pretty, and the double whammy will leave UK struggling harder and for longer than other countries, and because of lack of market access it's very possible it'll never catch up.

In a decade it's very likely that the UK will be one of the least affluent countries in western Europe.

Yes, Yellowstone...I have been worrying about that for years.