What if there's Not a second wave

[ButWhatiftheresNot]

Genuine question. I see so many posts about a second wave, some of which, to be honest, contain some very strident views predicting massive further deaths, lockdowns, nothing being normal ever again, Christmas is cancelled, you get the drift. It is almost as if some people are using this to bring out their inner domineering side - It WILL come, you MUSTN'T do that, etc.

But what if there's not a second wave, just local spikes and local lockdowns, like Leicester. All those predicting major doom and gloom, how will you feel about that? Relieved? Disappointed because you feel you've lost control and can't shout at others?

Just that really.

I think the key is 'hope for the best - prepare for the worst'. Nobody wants a second wave but it is better to do all we can to prevent it / prepare for it than to stick our heads in the sand.

Yes disappointed because tens of thousands of people haven't been left gasping for breath, dying alone having not seen family for days/weeks. Disappointed that even more people haven't been made redundant, disappointed that school children haven't lost out more. Knob.

What the hell??? Just because people are warning/preparing for a second wave why on earth would anyone be disappointed if it didn’t happen???!

'hope for the best - prepare for the worst'.
^
This

It’s a bit like putting a seat belt on... When you get to your destination unharmed, you don’t say “don’t know why I bothered with the seat belt - I never even had a bump!”

Paradoxically, the more people are confident there won’t be a second wave, and are convinced “it’s all over”, the more likely there’ll be one. They are the ones tempting fate.

Bizarro thread. I hope masks, SD & working from home where possible will help curb transmission but based on the research I’ve done & current school policy for September, I do fear there will be a second wave in the Autumn/winter.
But I absolutely hope I will be proved to be doom-monger & scaredy-cat. I will come on here & say you were right, OP if this all fades away by Christmas with just a few local outbreaks here & there. I am rooting for you to be right - I mean, who wouldn’t?

@TingTastic

What the hell??? Just because people are warning/preparing for a second wave why on earth would anyone be disappointed if it didn’t happen???!

There are some posters who seem desparate for the worst case scenario so I can see they might be disappointed if we manage to keep things under control. I'm sure they don't want large numbers of deaths but they seem determined that it will happen

It's not definite there will be a second wave and (I hope) everyone will be relieved if there isn't one. But it makes sense for all of us to behave in ways that will make a second wave less likely.

Surely nobody actually wants a second wave ? But there is a very real possibility that it might happen ,as pp said hope for the best prepare for the worst .

It might be that most people who haven't covid have some natural immunity and as a result there is no second wave, cases drop over the holidays, schools go back and cases stay low and we all have a normal Christmas and write off 2020 as an annus horribilus and sigh in relief.

It would not be prudent to rely solely on that possibility and I hope the government is making well thought out contingency plans to implement in different scenarios and learning from experiences of countries that have reopened successfully or otherwise r.g Israel, Australia, Germany etc. Based in what we've seen so far I wouldn't be optimistic about that either.

I think most people talking about a second wave this winter assume that the season of viruses and bugs of all kinds will create the conditions for one - particularly as people move indoors for the colder months. With schools going back, more people returning to work and air bridges allowing international transmission it's certainly going to be much harder to contain in the coming months, but IMO it's not a foregone conclusion and I think we can all contribute to ensuring there isn't a second wave by our own behaviour. Until we have a vaccine there will be a constant threat of more waves of this thing, but if we continue to SD, wash hands, wear masks in communal spaces, etc we can see from Asian countries that those measures do work if widely adopted.

Yes, I for one will be absolutely devastated if there isn't a second wave. I was so looking forwards to tens of thousands more deaths because the government couldn't get their act together, I don't really think that children have missed enough of their education so, that will be absolutely brilliant if they miss more! I think a few more businesses probably need to shut as a result of another lockdown and a few more livelihoods lost in the process. And I REALLY think that NHS staff haven't worked hard enough this time round so they probably deserve a second wave just to make sure they do work themselves fully into the ground even more.

Or....not???

OP did you really think this through?

I get what you're saying OP.
I imagine of there's not a second wave the "life will never be the same again" MN hand-wringers will move on to some other doom and gloom scenario.

I think the scientists are predicting as long as people continue to be careful and obviously as long as vaccines etc work that localised spikes will continue for a while but a whole new blanket contagion is unlikely.

I'll feel relieved.

But I do think it's important people take seriously that a second and even third wave is very likely based on previous experience of pandemics.

If people don't take seriously the very real risks it actually increases the risk it'll happen iyswim?

What if there isn't? I'd be jumping for joy. There isn't any other reaction is there?

I don't think anyone wants a second wave but some people also really don't like being wrong, even when the outcome is good. Especially when they have been aggressive, rude and persistent about something.

I've noticed quite a few of the most prolific posters earlier on in the CV crisis have disappeared or name changed after insisting there would be a second wave caused by the bank holidays/beaches/schools/VE day/whatever and calling other posters who disagreed stupid, moronic, selfish etc

I don't think anyone wants deaths or infections obviously but some people make a name for themselves being relentlessly negative, aggressive and downright ghoulish sometimes and can see why they leave or n/c.

I hear you op. Some appear to be willing it to happen. It's fucked up and I suspect these people is real life are bitter, judgement, bullies.

I think that as you mention, spikes and local lockdowns which may cause disparity and a sense of disillusionment on those areas- as os already happening.. and maybe anger if it is thought to be certain pockets causing the problem as well.

I bloody hate the dementors on here with the doom and gloom worst case scenarios. I’m living as close to a normal life as I can now - seeing friends, visiting family, going to the pub, weekends away etc.

At the same time I’m bracing myself for a second wave on the basis that forewarned is forearmed. Have my toilet roll and tin stash nicely topped up again in case people lose their minds like last time! We had a decent amount organised so had a relatively calm time avoiding the shops when it went mad in March/April. We’ll have a newborn if it kicks off again in winter so I’m determined to be prepared in case it happens.

The way I see it, if there is going to be a second wave I’m going to make the most of this bit of relief in the middle, and I’m going to make sure I’m prepared. But I very much hope there won’t be one

and also that instead of a wave it is maybe an ongoing situation we need to learn to live with, hopefully is reduced by treatments and a vaccine but maybe flares up yearly more in winter, but in time gets more manageable and life becomes a bit more normal. Fingers crossed

Then if there is no second wave then bloody marvelous. I would predict though that it will happen. My husband works for ASDA and since the introduction of mandatory face mask (I agree with masks) they have stopped the outside queues and monitoring the number of people in store. To be fair though, this particular branch made staff work with symptoms, wouldn't allow those that developed symptoms at work to go home and said that the isolation period couldn't be 2 weeks, staff could have a week off (this was all at the peak)....so maybe it is just this branch but still this management team can't be the only people like this so I think it will come.

But being a bit more carefully now might prevent that second wave. Acting as if it's all over, makes it much more likely.

I'll be delighted to be proved wrong, but I can't see how on earth we can avoid a second wave when people are behaving as if it's all gone, people are traveling abroad and the schools are fully open with no pp or social distancing.

I wonder if this was a second wave.

I will be extremely relieved if we are lucky enough to avoid a widespread second wave despite the way people are currently playing fast and loose with the guidelines.

I will be very happy if everyone works together at the merest hint of an uptick to make sure that it doesn't develop into a second wave, by willingly and promptly following both the existing guidelines and any additional controls.

I will be absolutely delighted if we postpone a second wave long enough for an effective vaccine to be developed and rolled out, so that far from there being a second wave, there is a permanent decline in cases.

Why wouldn't anyone be happy in these cases?

Coldspring if this is a second wave there could still be a third wave so all the same comments apply.

The news coming out of Spain is concerning? They seem to definitely be beginning a second wave. Surely if they are, we will? Willing to be corrected on this