Am I missing something?

[theginge]

I feel like I'm the only person wondering whether covid is the biggest threat now...

Everyone is worrying about lockdown being eased 'too soon' and for some I understand this is a valid concern. The deaths that have happened are really sad and it's horrendous for families to loose their loved ones but there seems to be little context. The general public have been scared by the media propaganda and have lost all ability to reason and self regulate.

My primary concern is the other effects this is having on life. My middle child is in reception and therefore entitled to return to school. He desperately needs it from a social and emotional point of view. The risks to me seem quite low (we live in a small village where there have been not a single case and the school is small and in the village)and our local hospital has never been working at capacity at anytime during this pandemic. The issue I have and the reason I've chosen to keep him off school is the way that schools will re-open. The school sent home a huge list of changes they will implement which in all honesty sound horrific. The children are being treated like leppars. This is going to have a huge effect on all of these children long term and (in my mind) be far more damaging than catching covid for us. What children need to protect them now is some normality.

My baby is 6 weeks old, he hasn't met any of our family. He is no longer a newborn and they have missed this - I can never get this time or opportunity back. Again, a huge sacrifice for what I deem to be a small risk.

My husband lost his job the same day as our baby was born - he was made redundant because his employer could no longer trade and the business collapsed. His job was skilled but very specific so will be difficult to find a new job in the sector.

Every measure in place seems to go against natural human nature and I'm just really fed up of making such big sacrifices for a virus that has a mortality rate of 0.2%.

The lockdown was put in place to not overload the health care system and not to get rid of the virus!!

Don't even get me started on the whole 'clap for carers' thing. It's just annoying and serves absolutely no purpose. Nobody has been forced into working for the NHS or in social care - it's 100% an informed choice (I'm a nurse and many of my colleagues are of the same opinion!).

I wholeheartedly agree.

The 'remain in lockdown forever' have become real bullies too, suggesting anyone who disagrees is pretty much murdering their granny/child. It feels very similar to Brexit when anyone who voted leave was called a racist and had to be very quiet about their choice.

My baby is 6 weeks old, he hasn't met any of our family. He is no longer a newborn and they have missed this - I can never get this time or opportunity back. Again, a huge sacrifice for what I deem to be a small risk

My baby didn’t meet anyone for 3 months because she was in NNICU. It hasn’t substantially affected anyone. I wouldn’t say that was worth sacrificing a few old people for.

Again I’m amazed that people are cavalier about the number of people who have died, but hey, the old and vulnerable are expendable.

I completely agree Op, this has gone on long enough. The initial lock down was to help the NHS and that was done long ago. The nightingale hospitals have even been closed down now.
I'm in Northern Ireland and I don't understand why things are moving so slow to return to normal, we have had 518 deaths, which of course is awful for the family of those affected but I don't believe they are all completey due to covid 19. But over all that is not even 0.03% of our population! Enough is enough.

This is what we’re doing to our kids. The terror is out of all proportion.

No, this is what that parent is doing to her child. Nothing to have stopped her taking them out every day.

No, this is what that parent is doing to her child. Nothing to have stopped her taking them out every day

The mother has done this to her child because she is terrified of the virus. She is terrified of the virus because of relentless government propaganda that convinced her that ‘the virus doesn’t discriminate’ - even though it very clearly does, and her children were pretty much safe all along.

I agree OP but I think the more of us that “push for normal” the sooner it will naturally go back that way - ie the people will make it happen, not the government.

I think there’s a lot of that already going on and I applaud it.

Lots of local shops open and trading, albeit awkwardly. Lots of people keen to make new appointments (for example we were going to get a patio laid, now the guy is phoning us ready to come out and get going). We had a cleaner in from a company, she arrived in a mask and gloves. I said it’s up to you whatever you’re comfortable with, 5 mins later mask and gloves off and everyone happier.

With school the fewer kids go back the longer the horrific measures will stay in place. They’ll think people are scared and likeminded. The more that go back the sooner they will realise it’s not working, not necessary, and people aren’t worried.

The people need to seize back power now before all of our freedoms are lost.

When I look out on the road past my house and see how busy it is I feel like clapping out the window for them - all the people saying stuff your overreaction, I’m ploughing on. Good for them.

"I don't understand why things are moving so slow to return to normal"...

.....because the infection rate is still high and the R is only just below 1....it's important to proceed slowly so as not to provoke another surge

[quote TempsPerdu]@WTF99

Because it’s true. There are people who are literally picturing clouds of Covid lingering in the air around them. You only need to read threads on here, where people are terrified of being passed within 2m by a panting jogger, or a teenager on a bike who might exhale at the wrong moment. When I’ve been out with toddler DD in her buggy people have literally leapt into bushes to avoid my ‘super spreader’ child. It’s utterly ridiculous.

The lady whose house backs on to ours has two under 10s. She isn’t vulnerable or shielding, but until yesterday they hadn’t left the house for 10 weeks, even for a park walk. Last night she posted on FB that they’d been for a walk around the block and her DD had sobbed all the way round. She’s now refusing to leave the house again, so terrified is she of the outside world. This is what we’re doing to our kids. The terror is out of all proportion.[/quote]
That example with the buggy is just you interpreting things in bad faith. I’ve always assumed that people have kindly moved out of the way for me, because it’s hard to manoeuvre a buggy out of a footpath…

I agree OP.

I don’t agree @redolent, I’ve had a similar experience with my child on a scooter and people leaping out of the way because she wasn’t exactly 2’m away from them.

@Sadie789

I don’t agree *@redolent*, I’ve had a similar experience with my child on a scooter and people leaping out of the way because she wasn’t exactly 2’m away from them.

So what’s wrong with that? You take your own decisions, they take theirs.

Yes that’s fine but I don’t agree that’s me or a PP interpreting that behaviour in bad faith. They are leaping out of the way because they believe genuinely it’s a matter of life or death.

There are people who are literally picturing clouds of Covid lingering in the air around them

But for some people this was actually true in late March and and early April.

Imagine living in an inner city tower block and using the lifts or an inner city terraced street. Using the local metro supermarket or working in it. Working in public buildings or public transport.

Also notice how the guidance changed as we learn more about the insidious spread of the disease. Even forum topics about catching it in the air were dismissed or even banned earlier but now catching it that way is discussed and warned about in govt daily briefings

I do think children need school though and need to go back as soon as possible

I actually cannot believe some of the things that are being said on here. I can understand people being sceptical of the politicians....I am too....but the scientific advice is very clear...and when people continue to dismiss it...sadie I'm looking at you and your cleaner.....then people like me are gonna have to stay at home for even longer cos we won't be able to come out until the infection rate falls to a lot lower than it currently is.
As for unshielded people not venturing outside for weeks and then having sobbing children when they do....well I'm sorry...no one has forced that person to stay in and terrify their kids
Just be sensible and follow the advice ffs!

@Redolent

You’re probably right; I’m sure there are some people who are moving aside out of courtesy. I try to where I can. But I don’t like the way children have become persona non grata in most public spaces. Twice now I’ve been asked by older ladies why DD is out at all when she’s been firmly strapped into her buggy and we’ve merely been walking around the park. I’m worried that this attitude to - almost fear of - children and young people will continue for as long as social distancing is maintained.

Agree with everything you have written OP. Although I do still have a fear for older loved ones, I am starting to look at it all a lot more rationally now. I think there needs to be an investigation into the media handling of this crisis, they started the panic and some of the posts I have seen on social media have defied belief. At the beginning of this year who would have thought daily posts would be about places being available to you in ICU because you dared to go to the park? The worse one I saw told us that there would be an unmarked van come for your child and that would be the last you saw of them if you didn't stay the fuck at home. It took us back to the dark ages quicker than anyone could have ever imagined and it was like Caroline Flack had never existed.

People willing to give up their freedoms for evermore really frightens me and the willingness to crucify anyone who doesn't follow suit.

It seems the majority of parents in my DS reception class are not sending their children back because of the restrictive and downright heartless way they are handling the return of very small children who, like you say are NOT leper's. They are innocent kids who have had daily death counts become commonplace on TV, the swings taken down in the park and their family and friends no longer being there.

I also think there were far too many references to the Spanish flu, it was almost like because that happened just over 100 years ago that it was our time again for another 'big one' and that even though this is a completely different virus that it is 100% going to follow the same course.

sadie it is a matter of life and death.
Even though shielded, I have been out for walks because I'm taking a calculated risk and balancing my covid risk with my mental health.....but do I give a sweaty panting runner a wide berth....fuck yes!

Agreed. The indirect consequences of covid long term will be outweigh them directly affected now. It's a horrendous situation all round

Teachers are in a more vulnerable age group. Being suddenly exposed to even a third of a class of not vulnerable but possibly carrier children is an issue. We're low on teachers as it is. And I do appreciate how important it is to get them back into education. It's just a bit of a logistical nightmare all round

I also think there were far too many references to the Spanish flu, it was almost like because that happened just over 100 years ago that it was our time again for another 'big one' and that even though this is a completely different virus that it is 100% going to follow the same course.

Yes it is a completely different virus but
How infectious it is
How deadly it is
Is very very similar

People should stop moaning...and stop being so disrespectful of the elderly..the lockdown has been to protect all of us . Why should the lovely old people and people with other health issues who might of had parents who fought for your freedom be now thrown onto the scrapheap...show some respect people and stop being so selfish !

@WTF99 if I’ve learnt anything over the last few years it’s that life is really fucking short.

People like you that I am apparently extending lockdown for (I’m not, lockdown is being eased) are also people like my parents who are both ill with other serious illnesses that still exist in the time of COVID and I am not going to let the strange moves of an inconsistent government and a points scoring little hitler in my own country make what time we all have left, limited, weird and unpleasant.

A cleaner who literally could not have cleaner hands because she is using them to clean and is not working in the same room I am in does not need to walk about in a mask and gloves if she’s happier doing her job without them.

If you think that she’s going to breathe on a cushion and I’m going to catch it from that later while I watch TV, well...

@Sadie789

Yes that’s fine but I don’t agree that’s me or a PP interpreting that behaviour in bad faith. They are leaping out of the way because they believe genuinely it’s a matter of life or death.

Well firstly, I like to extend the interpretation of courtesy where possible. It generally makes for a more pleasant existence.

More importantly, for some people it is a matter of life and death. Tens of thousands of people have died in the UK, there is no point in disputing this. They may be far more at risk than you are, but that doesn’t make the situation all them less pressing to them.

Knowing that the risk of outdoor transmission is very low, I would deem that risk assessment excessive for me personally. In the same way it strikes me as excessively cavalier that your cleaner won’t be wearing a mask indoors. But like I said, we all make our own decisions and I won’t sneer at people who are cautious, in my desire to return us all to normality ASAP.

Completely agree OP. I’ve said this for the last couple of weeks.

I also can’t believe how obsessed the British are about following “rules” instead of using their own judgement & risk assessments. They have to be told exactly how to do things without actually using their own brains

Teachers are in a more vulnerable age group. Being suddenly exposed to even a third of a class of not vulnerable but possibly carrier children is an issue. We're low on teachers as it is. And I do appreciate how important it is to get them back into education. It's just a bit of a logistical nightmare all round

Teachers are no more vulnerable than supermarket staff, and many other workers, who have been working all the way through this pandemic. Working when the virus was running through our communities like wildfire (March and April)

We are now approaching June and much less risk