I know no one who’s had coronavirus and neither do my friends or family

[mywayhighway]

Or any of their friends or families.
But I have 3 friends who’s businesses probably won’t survive, another who’s husband has just been made redundant, possibly more to follow, a friend who’s teen has sunk into depression. All the dc have missed out educationally and no prospect of getting back to school anytime soon. That’s just my selfish perspective. There’s loads worse off as a consequence of the impact of lockdown and the slow easing out.
Feeling so frustrated with this now. We’re all suffering and I’m not quite sure if the benefits are going to outweigh the losses long term.

I know 2 who died from it and 10 who have had it, I possibly did too in January but I always get sick Dec/Jan as I’m asthmatic and get walking pneumonia most years.

I think the very fact that you're able to post this shows that our sacrifices haven't been in vain.

Had we taken no action, not only would an awful lot of businesses folded, but you'd have been going to a lot more funerals.

I've not always agreed with all the decisions made but in general I support the decision to lock down rather than go for herd immunity, and think that the support packages have been surprisingly good from a Tory government.

Don't fret OP, you and your family might still catch it in the Autumn. Perhaps it will be a stronger strain and as we are unlikely to have another lockdown perhaps you can share the experience withyour colleagues, friends and neighbours.

You are familiar with a few people who had it though, right? It could have gone either way for them. Are they end of life in your opinion? Boris Johnson, Kate Garroway's husband, Chris Whitty, Matt Hancock, Prince Charles...
The care staff who died or became seriously ill were going to work and doing a physically demanding job. But they were end of life too, right?

I’m not sure why your OP is phrased in that way. You almost seem to be suggesting that it is made up or exaggerated because you know of no one personally.

I know one person well who has died, my Mum’s friend who caught it from her carer. In the North West.

I know of people in my office and in my wider organisation who have died. I also know of colleagues who don’t seem to be recovering very well.

Some people I knew vaguely in my local community (London) have also died.

I have been relatively lucky in that both DH and I can work at home and in my case, I doubt I will go back to the office this year.

Both student DDs are affected. DD2 more so, because her degree is related to live performing arts and her future career may also be adversely affected.

It’s a difficult balance, I feel for those who face financial ruin and all that goes with it, but also for those at risk of death and potentially permanent disability.

I only know two personally who've had it and heard of one neighbour that died and a few colleagues who've lost relatives. However, my local authority was the worst hit by deaths in the county. Just because you don't personally know people, doesn't mean the deaths weren't around you.

I get confused by people saying 'if you knew someone who had coronavirus then you'd think differently'. The fact that i happen to know someone who won the jackpot on the lottery does not change the fact that the chances of winning are 14 million to one.

Covid-19 is of course real, but it is not and has never been a huge threat to the health of most people. Chris Witty said at the one the early press briefings that the vast majority of people who get covid will only suffer mild symptoms - sadly that message seems to have got lost.

All of my in-laws, MIL died, you’ve been very lucky OP. Odds are, people you know have had it. My DH was asymptomatic as are many others.

That's nice for you, OP.

I know at least 3 people who have sustained long-term damage to their lungs/cardiovascular system from corona. None of them elderly, all of them working.

For them it is not about losing their jobs: it is about the thought that they may never be fit to work again.

I controversially think that the majority of people who have died we’re already past their life expectancy and had lived a full life. The younger people who have died were tragic but so are deaths from cancer etc.

What a truly unsympathetic, selfish, and horrible thing to say. NONE of the people I know who had it or died would have agreed with you. Not all were old or sick either. YOU will recover, they'll still; be dead.

Of course lockdown can't last forever. But at the time it started, no-one was sure how many would die if we didn't do it. Provided people are socially distancing and hand washing frequently, it looks like it's reasonably safe to stop it. But it's a big IF. I'm not convinced that people are caring enough or unselfish enough to do this. But if they don't, lockdown will be back.

OP, I am very fortunate to be in the same position.

I live in what was the joint top highest risk area in the country in terms of poverty, healthcare and likelihood of getting the virus, Walsall. My neighbouring city, Birmingham also tops the mortality list. I say this, because posters are often told they are lucky to live in an area not impacted too heavily by infections/ deaths.

I also work in education across a number of areas, so know lots of people in my circle.

I know a few who have died and my friend's son has been in hospital for months due to the effects the virus has had on his digestive system which has basically stopped working. He's only 19 :/

Both my parents died from it just a month apart. I got it and was quite poorly for a good 3 weeks but didn't need hospitalisation. I am sorry for other people's misfortunes as I hope they are sorry for mine.

I know people who have had it and recovered well, and others who are still struggling many weeks after the fact, and fear their quality of life has been damaged forever.

If lockdown had started sooner, and been taken more seriously by everyone, we could be closer to talking about ending it. Ending something prematurely because you started it late is not a real solution.

We don't need to experience something personally to know it's a problem. I mean, I haven't experienced all forms of discrimination, but that doesn't mean I don't know they're all bad and can have anything from a mild to devastating impact on other people.

If you and your loved ones don't experience bad things, that means you're lucky. Not that they don't exist, and not that you shouldn't feel any sort of empathy for the people who are affected.

Chris Witty said at the one the early press briefings that the vast majority of people who get covid will only suffer mild symptoms - sadly that message seems to have got lost.

At the early press briefings you didn't hear much about e.g. long term scarring of the lungs; the full effects of the virus were not properly understood, so quoting an early briefing is perhaps not the most helpful thing to understand the issues currently facing decision-makers.

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-long-term-health-disease-covid-19-lungs-heart-brain-a9546671.html

I know of three people who have died of it. My dbro friend was only 27 years old no underlying conditions had a 3 year old and his partner was pregnant another was in her 50s was a friends Auntie and the last was my friends nana who was in her 80s with health conditions. I think you're post is abit insensitive to those who have lost people.

Lucky you.
My sister has had it, my father (thank goodness) has not. My sister is recovered.
I have several friends who have long term health conditions who are still suffering with the after effects of it.
At least one of my friends has lost a family member to it.
That's in the UK.

Here in Australia, my friend's mother had it but was totally asymptomatic - only tested because they'd been on the Ruby Princess cruise, and because my friend works in aged care.
A friend of my son's had it, at his high school.

If we hadn't locked down, then I think we'd all have known people who caught it. Numbers are relatively low BECAUSE of the lockdown and would have been massively higher without extreme precautions.

I know three friends who caught it. They are all BAME .
Luckily they are now all recovered.

I know several and some are still recovering. But I still am horrified by the impact on the economy and education.

My mum, aunt and uncle have all had it. My mum was first 8 weeks ago and is still recovering. She is a nurse and still not back at work. She is ok in her self as such but she's so tired, still coughing and still rundown

That's nice dear.

I dont know anyone within my circle if friends and family who have had it.

1 neighbour lost her taste for 10 days early on, but no other symptoms at all.
1 Facebook friend put on the other day that she has antibodies so must have had it at some point with no symptoms (which is scary as she works in a hospital).

Lucky you. My stepfather passed away in April and two months on the grieving process for my poor mum (in self isolation) has been horrendous.

I smoke, I’ve known several friends and family members who have smoked. None of us have had lung cancer or any serious effects. So hey I guess the risk has been over exaggerated! Clearly this is not the case and I am intelligent enough to understand I am increasing my risk of lung cancer etc. You can’t just look at your own little bubble and make sweeping generalisations based on that. It doesn’t work.

I know three people who have definitely had it. All were lucky and had it mildly with only one needing to go into hospital for oxygen therapy (NOT a ventilator).

I also know people working in the local hospital who have assured me that the number of deaths and the seriousness of this illness are not being overhyped. One friend told me she feels like she’s seen more death this year than in her 20 years in the NHS.