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 think that, over time, the number of people who are killed by the economic fallout of the lockdown will exceed the number actually killed by COVID.

At least 60,000 are likely dead from Covid 19 already. It's likely less than 10% of the population have had it. You don't need to be a genius to work out how many might have died with no restrictions in place (although once NHS oxygen capacity was exceeded the death rate would have gone up a lot).

600,000 people die in the UK each year. It seems wildly unlike that the numbers dying 'from lockdown' would be comparable to the potential death toll from rampant Coronavirus because of no action occuring.

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.

That message has been lost because it has been debunked. Whitty, Vallance & Harries etc are now worried about looming public enquiry, which is why you won’t hear them repeating “mild sniffles” “herd immunity” “large outdoor gatherings are relatively safe” “Testing & tracing isn’t appropriate for a country like ours” & “There’s no science to back wearing masks”
All of which were proven to be wrong & have contributed to U.K. having one of the worst death counts in the world.

I don't know anyone either.
However, our society would have suffered no matter what action was taken once the infection took hold and reached a certain level. That's what happens when you get a nasty disease that can't be cured running rampant through an unprotected population. Especially a free society where people are used to coming and going as they pleased. If lockdown hadn't happened people would have locked themselves down out of panic, only without government financial support.
Yes we will come out of it eventually, it is going to take longer than people were hoping, unfortunately.

Well lucky you if you don't know anyone who's had Covid 19.
My Aunt,neighbour and best friend's husband all died from Covid,none of whom were past their life expectancy.
I know others who have had it and recovered.

I controversially think that the majority of people who have died we’re already past their life expectancy and had lived a full life.

If this it the way you think about people, then I'm not surprised your teens are depressed.

I know 3 people who have had it, all young fit and healthy under 30 with no other conditions and one of them died from it. I know that’s quite rare to die from it but even the 2 who recovered who had it ‘mildly’ as in they didn’t need to attend hospital were very ill.

@feelingverylazytoday

I don't know anyone either. However, our society would have suffered no matter what action was taken once the infection took hold and reached a certain level. That's what happens when you get a nasty disease that can't be cured running rampant through an unprotected population. Especially a free society where people are used to coming and going as they pleased. If lockdown hadn't happened people would have locked themselves down out of panic, only without government financial support. Yes we will come out of it eventually, it is going to take longer than people were hoping, unfortunately.

You’re so right

Same. The financial effect has been far further reaching that the health effects.

Well yes, except for the 60,000+ who it has killed who would otherwise be alive today. And their wives/husbands/children. So probably at least quarter of a million whose lives were turned upside down. Without Lockdown you could times that by ten.

Lockdown isnt just a British thing. The whole world did it. Unfortunately in Britain it didnt work as well as virtually everywhere else. Thats mostly die to government incompetence. We social distanced too late - Ireland was already announcing plans to shut schools and had strict distancing in place while Johnson was still just banging on about washing hands and nipping off to Twickenham.
So we have such high death rates AND a painfully slow economic recovery as the virus gained a big foothold before we finally got into action.

I controversially think that the majority of people who have died we’re already past their life expectancy and had lived a full life

What is the cut off point please? 30? 40? 70? 71?

I know quite a few people who’ve had it, one very seriously. I haven’t heard of many people recently but that could be due to lockdown working or simply because of my circles of acquaintance. I suppose we will all have our own perspectives.
It certainly is controversial of you to suggest that most people who’ve died of it were past their life expectancy, as if this makes both the fact and the manner of their deaths less important. I don’t think any of us want our loved relatives exposed to a condition that renders them unable to breathe and alone.

I'm always amazed there are people who don't know someone who has had Covid!

I've had it, I was seriously ill with it and still recovering 2 months on. My DH and my two young DC had it. I know three couples (who are close friends), two work colleagues, two separate relatives, my dc's teacher and her family and many other acquaintances who have all suffered to varying degrees. Thankfully we haven't lost anyone to Covid yet.

We are very fortunate that the dozen or so people we know who have had it (so far) all had mild cases, they didn’t need hospitalisation and all made excellent recoveries. One of them, a junior geriatric doctor, didn’t even know he’d had it until his test results came through. I know of 3 people who have lost family to it but haven’t been directly impacted myself.

I’m guessing you don’t live in London OP? Perhaps your part of the world escaped the worst of it so and that’s why you don’t know anyone who has had it? If that’s the case you should be counting your blessings not complaining. I hope you and yours remain safe and well as the country gradually opens up again.

I don't know a single soul who has had Covid. But tens of thousands of people have died and to suggest that the length or quality of time some of those people would have had left invalidates their death, shows a shocking lack of compassion.

I’m in London and I know a lots of people who have had it and 5 who have died, although thankfully not in my immediate 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 agree OP

@AhBallix

I don't know a single soul who has had Covid. But tens of thousands of people have died and to suggest that the length or quality of time some of those people would have had left invalidates their death, shows a shocking lack of compassion.

What if they had died if influenza or pneumonia would you feel the same?

As has been said before - the whole world locked down. This isn't just a UK thing.
The 60,000 extra deaths happened in spite of these measures. It doesn't take a genius to work out that the death toll would have been far far higher without these measures.
And you may well know people who have had it who aren't aware - testing for the illness, and antibody testing, isn't widely available so it's just speculation at this point as to how many might have had it.

I know three close family members who have a positive diagnosis (all had antibody tests) and at least 10 more in our local community who have tested positive to antobodies.

DH's work had three people confirmed whilst in hospital with it.

Perhaps where you live is behind the curve (I'm in London) and cases will rise in your area? who knows - but it's there, and has affected 100s of 1000s.

All these people you are connected to are still alive.

Sadly for many others that is not the case.

Had lockdown not happened it's extremely likely you would have known people who had it. I know how frustrating it is for people myself included, but I think it was necessary.
My brother has type 1 diabetes, other than that he's young, healthy, fit, full of life and has his whole life ahead of him. If he caught covid it's likely he would experience complications. I'm thankful for lockdown for his sake more than anything, it does protect vulnerable people to some extent.

5,000 people in my head office with no cases. No friends or family, and my sister and brother both work at a massive hospital in a major city. None of my wife's family or friends. So that's a good 7000 people without this 'major killer virus'. Plenty of people potentially losing their jobs though.

I support OP.

I had it (at flu severity, confirmed with a private test) in mid-March, and told my neighbours about it. It took me around three weeks to recover (at home, I've been never hospitalised).
They still treat me like I have an active case of Ebola, almost three months later. When I go to my garden, they scream at their children to immediately hide indoors (and we have large gardens, there is a good distance between us). And a couple of other things.
I learned my lesson and I didn't tell a single other soul since.

@EnlightenedOwl what is your point?

If there was a year where suddenly flu excess deaths started to reach the same levels - don't you think there would be public concern?

Difference is - we have vaccines (which only just allow us to manage capacity as it is over winter).

Don't you think it's understandable that a new virus, that we don't fully understand, that is causing a huge amount of excess deaths, causes additional concern and grief to people who have caught it, or who have lost loved ones?

It's like you are saying, get over it, pretend they died from something else and it won't hurt so much?

I know two people who have had it.
One had a mild illness and was back at work 7 days later.
The other got an exacerbation of his existing heart and lung problems and spent 2 days in hospital.
It’s difficult as, unless this thing burns itself out or we get a vaccine, herd immunity is the only thing I can see getting us back to normal.
I can’t work until schools are fully back in, so I’m expecting to be told to take leave without pay when furlough ends.

But would you necessarily know if they've had it?
If I'd had it the only people I would have told was work, and immediate family.
Most of my friends wouldn't have known.
Ds was tested (needed hospital admission not due to Covid) if he'd been positive, again, we'd have told people on a need to know-my work, immediate family.

One of the people I know who've died, I only knew she'd had it when I was told she'd died. A couple of the others I only knew when they went into hospital.

What you'll probably find is that when this is over, you go to your local shop. "Haven't seen the lady who worked here for ages?" And you'll find she died of Covid-19.

I know, or know of through friends, a fair number of deaths and hospital admissions. Some of whom would be in the at risk category. Some would have not, young, very active and no known health conditions-and unlikely to have had hidden ones either. And at least one might well have been saved by going into lockdown a week early as she must have caught it in that last week.