Do you think we will ever go back to normal?

[Mummypig2020]

I just can’t see how the government will turn around one day and say “that’s it, no masks needed, no social distancing”. I feel like everyone will going to live in fear forever!

I feel the same OP, I’m anxious everyday and sad at the prospect of a future without hugging family and friends without worrying 😣 but I try and remind myself that there have been pandemics throughout history that have ended and things gone back to “normal”. After the Spanish flu, we had the roaring twenties. It was all about dancing and socialising. And that was after a war as well. HIV was 100% death sentence and now there are treatments for it which means you can live a relatively normal life with it. I’m hoping there will be more treatments for this as research develops. We’ve already got one after only 3 months

Masks are normal in some countries anyway.

I’m finding life better in many ways. Prefer wfh. No commute. Realised how much I’ve wasted buying things I don’t need. Better online anyway. Seen more, if anything, of my closest friends.

I think the younger generation will miss going out more as that sort of social life of bars, clubs and events is more significant at that time.

The reduced immunity is worrying. This article suggests it could only last for months www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/12/immunity-to-covid-19-could-be-lost-in-months-uk-study-suggests

I suspected that as we’ve never found a vaccine either for SARS1 or the coronaviruses that cause colds. This seems to be in the middle of those.

Reduced immunity or even immunity for a short time with a vaccine might just be enough to keep the virus at bay. It’s going to be a gargantuan job though!

I think we will. I don't know when, but the Spanish flu didn't last forever and neither did the plague.

I suspected that as we’ve never found a vaccine either for SARS1 or the coronaviruses that cause colds. This seems to be in the middle of those.

This keeps being said, but since SARS was effectively controlled back in 2003, there was no need to spend millions developing a vaccine. Colds are mild illnesses which are caused by a large number of different viruses, only 4 of which are coronavirusues. So again, no point in putting so much time and effort into working on a vaccine.

Covid is a completely different scenario. The high likliehood is that a vaccine will be available within the year. It won't be perfect and will probably need to be readminisered annually, but that's no different from flu vaccines.

Absolutely it will 100% return to normal. It's hard not to see that right now, but in a decade, this will be all behind us. BUT, I think this (or variations on this) will be the situation for a while, possibly a few years.

Nope I can see all these measures: social distance, wfh, small bubbles and face masks just becoming “good practice” even if a vaccine was found.
Makes me sad and terrified all in one, for the economy and the younger generations.

It won't return to how we lived last year. Too much has changed. We'll certainly go back towards how it used to be, but not all the way and not in every aspect. It's the classic pendulum swing.

So many people are working from home - many will continue at least for some of the time.

Shopping habits have changed. Huge numbers of people now get their groceries delivered or do click n collect. They won't all go back to trudging around Tesco themselves. Same with internet shopping - it's accelerated the trend and the slow lingering death of Identikit High Streets will be quicker.

We'll never go back to long waits in overcrowded GP surgeries or out patient clinics (thank goodness). That particular folly can be consigned to the history books. Who'd have thought that doctors could do things remotely by phone after all or that hospitals could make proper appts and run on time rather than giving everyone the same 9.30 appt and make you wait all morning!

More and more people have discovered a little bit of plastic called a debit card that is now widely used by even the smallest of shops, some of which don't accept dirty/smelly cash anymore. Even our tiny village bakery now has a card machine thanks to Covid.

In the fullness of time, we may also find that new bars, restaurants and nightclubs will use larger premises so people aren't squashed together like sardines. Likewise, rather than shortening trains, we may find train operating companies buy longer ones so that we don't have to spend an hour stood sniffing someone's armpit.

The "new" normal will be like what we had last year, but (hopefully) different for the better.

I love your post user!

Plenty of things will improve from this - appts etc.

Less casual consumption etc

I hope people find jobs in new areas asap as that worries me but I’m alteady noticing job ads

I do wonder if this will make everyone hypochondriacs long term.

Every few years you get a bad flu season and the country carries on as normal although it's tough on the NHS (every winter is tough on them). Going forward you'll have the media reporting every daily death toll from the flu over the winter and face masks every winter will become normalised.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Nope I can see all these measures: social distance, wfh, small bubbles and face masks just becoming “good practice” even if a vaccine was found. Makes me sad and terrified all in one, for the economy and the younger generations.

Why? Why would we possibly carry on with those things if a vaccine is found and rolled out? Why would it be good practice?

I think it will take time at the start, but I think people will get back to normal very quickly when people feel safer.

No. I think my life is over. I can't wear a mask and yes, have tried several including a visor and have the scars to prove it. I hate this "new normal", it's all negatives for us including dh wfh and whilst I'm trying for my kids, can't see myself still being here come January.

Off the back of a trauma which defined my life for a long time, I'd finally got my life perfect and then this happened. I can't do it again. If I can't have what I had, I don't want to live.

@Dinosauratemydaffodils please hang in there. I have no advice to offer because I feel the same but this won’t be forever x

user if your dad had nearly died because a GP had missed a serious infection over the phone you may be a bit more keen to go back to face to face appointments.

@Dinosauratemydaffodils it will get better and perhaps quicker than we realise. It won’t be forever. Please phone your GP and chat about how you’re feeling so they can help. I know it feels never ending at the moment but that’s because none of us have been here before - things will go back to normal and the life you’ve worked hard for be yours again. It’s so crap atm though that’s for sure xx

Yes it definitely will get better. In the not too distant future we will be looking back in disbelief (that the pandemic happened I mean) and will be able to freely live our lives. IMO it’s a combination of hanging onto that thought and of trying to live day by day, or hour by hour if necessary.

Sounds trite but zoom yoga has really helped me, not so much the yoga but the contact with real people at the other end. If anyone is interested I can PM them details of various teachers. All affordable, and some really affordable or free.

I think everyone has lived this pandemic in different ways, or the pandemic has meant different things to them, so it’s impossible to compare.

All I know now is that isolation from others is REALLY shit and hard. Some days likes on Instagram (🙄) is what gets me through that sinking lonely and very dark feeling. Can’t contact the people I know all of the time or even have anything to say, but it’s nice to know that they are still out there and that somehow I am “seen”.

And I have three teens at home (am divorced), can’t imagine what this is like for people who are on their own.

Yes it will go back to normal, not the new normal.

Yes, summer 21.

I think this winter might be a bit grim but the virus will recede eventually.

I hope things will go back to normal but if they do I think it is a long way off.

I just feel glad that I am mid 60's and have a pretty good life. For youngsters the future is likely to be pretty shit.

I think the UK, in particular, had become far too materialistic and shopping seemed to be literally a hobby for many. So in some ways people doing less shopping is good but I feel dreadfully sad for all the staff that will lose their jobs Also for all the staff in the food, leisure industries that will lose jobs and so many fighting for the few jobs remaining

Also I certainly don't agree that future GP appointments being over the phone is a good thing.

user if your dad had nearly died because a GP had missed a serious infection over the phone you may be a bit more keen to go back to face to face appointments.

GPs miss things even in face to face consultations. They missed my OH's cancer on numerous apointments over several years, despite all the signs being there (they are obvious given the type of cancer he has which any half decent GP would have realised). His health and abilities just got worse and worse as the months past but the GPs didn't put two and two together.

Also I certainly don't agree that future GP appointments being over the phone is a good thing.

But they're not are they? You can still get a face to face appointment if necessary. What IS a lot better is being able to discuss simple things over the phone which must take an awful lot less time and avoids crowded/cramped waiting rooms which are ideal for bugs and viruses to pass. It's also a lot better for consultants etc to just phone you to tell you tests etc were clear rather than making you go to the hospital and sit waiting for half a day for a completely unnecessary and pointless face to face.

What we need is to find the balance where everything is done remotely that doesn't need face to face which hopefully relieves plenty of time so that you don't have to wait weeks for face to face appointments.

@tobee

Totally agree I am not sure why people think we will stay in bubbles what I can never see my brother again to hug ridic .... people forget and will be back to normal but prob better

@dinosaur

I am the same I had a breakdown last year was getting back to normal
Hang on in there I said the same I cannot live like this it is existing please pm me if need a friendly ear

Why? Why would we possibly carry on with those things if a vaccine is found and rolled out?

Because many people are finding their life a lot more pleasant without the daily commute.

Because there is a much wider choice online.

@Fieldofgreycorn

Why? Why would we possibly carry on with those things if a vaccine is found and rolled out?

Because many people are finding their life a lot more pleasant without the daily commute.

Because there is a much wider choice online.

Many people are finding life a lot less pleasant working from a tiny desk in the corner of the living room with two kids running around all day long. Perhaps working from home will become an option to more people, or more workplaces will facilitate it, but it wont become compulsory.