End social distancing now - it’s time to get back to normal

[peasoup8]

Four deaths from coronavirus were recorded on 5th September - and yet the economy is on its knees, businesses are folding and my GP refuses to do face to face appointments because of the supposed risks posed by this “deadly” disease. Whilst I have every sympathy for the families of those who died, there are more people killed on Britain’s roads each day than there are from Covid.

People said there would be a massive spike in cases/deaths after the BLM protests and guess what - that failed to materialise. Central London was packed when I was there last weekend so nobody is taking the virus seriously anyway. AIBU to think it’s time we end this social distancing farce now and get back to normal, before more people lose their jobs and homes and the economy tanks still further?

. The only number they can cope with is zero - which means we’ll never be free of this nonsense

Lots of relaxations happened when cases got lower. The problem is that people get complacent as cases and deaths fall think the precautions are not needed then cases rise again and once high enough so do hospitalisations. Happened in Australia happened in America happened in France and Spain. Difficult to see why it will be different here.

The problem with the "anti lockdown" crew is they are driving up infections making life and lockdowns worse. Most of the country is out of lockdown really but I despair that the local lockdown in Manchester will be lifted for weeks if not months.

None of what we discuss on here makes any fucking difference to what the government does or the decisions they make. They are not going to keep things closed because cases are not zero. They are not going to lift lockdown because some people think it's no worse than flu or the pandemic is over. What does make a difference is how we behave as a result and whether that behaviour increases or reduces infections

I don't know why anyone would find a GP refusing to see a baby face to face as acceptable

As a general rule I don’t, but none of us actually know why the baby needs medical attention or what information the GP was given. Within the new guidelines none of us can say whether the GP was right not to examine a baby or right to limit it to a telephone consultation.

@Vinoonasunnyday

The graph you posted indicates exactly the opposite to what you intended. Tests processed have risen slightly since early August - 20% or so - whereas the 7-day average of cases have trebled!

Fuck sake.
The death rate is down as the elderly and vulnerable are still hiding away. Surely you all know someone over 60? Or anyone over 50 with high blood pressure counts as underlying health problem.

It’s great people aren’t dying but so many people are getting long covid.

But great you don’t have anyone over 60 or friends with kids going through chemo that you don’t mind losing or having treatment delayed.

I also think it depends what you said to the GP about the baby

Slight runny nose/collapsed and blue

Those two things require two very different outcomes.

Viral rash/unresponsive and purple rash accompanied with limp baby and fever of over 41

Again. 2 very different things

So whether the GP was doing her job right or wrong

I would complain to the practice manager. That's the first instance really. They have a certain amount of days to respond.

Derby that’s because tests are targeted currently at outbreak areas - factories, flights etc

Gov said today positivity was 0.3%

I've also just spent 3 weeks in hospital

Woman next to me caught COVID in feb. Still can't breathe properly. Not can she sleep lying down. Dr said that only now (obviously) are long term effects coming into play. It seems that people who caught it will be unwell for over a year.

Although it didn't kill her. It's hospitalised her for mo the now. She was one of the good ones who didn't even have it that bad either.

I don’t understand how we went from flatten the curve to where we are now, which seems to be in a perpetual stall mode...

We’ve just had a massive opening up of society with schools going back after a summer of relaxations (“lockdown areas excepted). It’s hardly stalling.

@Vinoonasunnyday

Positivity is cases divided by tests. If cases rise faster than tests, then positivity will rise, that’s indisputable mathematics!

I think the positivity figure you’ve quoted is “pillar 1” as is those taken in hospitals, which haven’t risen (and that’s good). I believe pillar 2 (Community) has risen and the total is more like 2.5% now.

My god I've been wanting to say this for ages. I have health anxiety and have been terrified of this virus but now, I literally am terrified of what the future may hold more than the virus.

No don’t forget the cases don’t appear next day as some take 3-4 days to come thru as we’ve heard from people on here so cases could have been rising much more steadily the last month

@Vinoonasunnyday

You do have a point about the focus of testing. 1,000 tests focussed in an area of known infection will very likely have a higher positivity than 1,000 tests given randomly, but that doesn’t necessarily mean total infections are rising. I was wrong to say cases were indisputably rising as there are other possible reasons. However, the very sharp
recent rise indicates a genuine rise in cases is very likely now happening. We’ll have to see what the coming week brings.

The children who went back last week in my area most have colds now secondary and primary

Social distancing hasn't worked

@yarncakes

My god I've been wanting to say this for ages. I have health anxiety and have been terrified of this virus but now, I literally am terrified of what the future may hold more than the virus.

This. Exactly how I feel. What sort of world will my 6 and 2 year old nephews grow up in?

Agree 100%. I work in a library and I cannot for the life of me understand why we are STILL not open for browsing. Back when things were normal we where hardly packed with people! In fact we struggled to get people through the door! It's a lovely, big library with lots of space to socially distance, hand sanitiser could be available throughout if you have the crazy inclination to pick up a book to read the blurb - but no. Click and collect only. All I want todo is take my toddler to choose a handful of books ffs. I'll wear a mask if I have to.

The library here is open for 2 hours a week. Which seems really bizarre as it just encourages everyone to come at the same time rather than spread out over more hours

@slipperywhensparticus

The children who went back last week in my area most have colds now secondary and primary. Social distancing hasn't worked

?!?

I don’t think even the most fervent advocate of social distancing has ever suggested that it would eliminate all bugs!

In fact, surely your example is a perfect example showing how social distancing does work when it comes to infection control! When socially distanced, they don’t all have colds... Once they are no longer socially distanced in a school environment, many more get colds!

There may be arguments against social distancing, but this really isn’t one of them...

This. Exactly how I feel. What sort of world will my 6 and 2 year old nephews grow up in?

One where this is a weird time in history they can barely remember, maybe one they do school projects about one day, maybe one their grandkids ask about some time in the far future, but something that’s been and gone and done.

@Floralbean

The library here is open for 2 hours a week. Which seems really bizarre as it just encourages everyone to come at the same time rather than spread out over more hours

Are they effectively quarantining the books till next time?

Your problem isn’t social distancing it’s that your Dr surgery is shit

SD is allowing us to return to normality by effectively testing the virus It would be irresponsible to just go “back to normal” at pace -

@blueberrymuffin88

I agree with you regarding libraries. They should
now be open and people should be able to borrow books. They should implement some proportionate hygiene measures such as requiring hand sanitising and masks, and let people get on with it. The risk of passing between books is very low as it is... probably far lower than being in a pub!

However, completely ending social distancing will just make it far more likely infections will get out of control, and they close libraries.

Continuing to take sensible social distancing measures that are as non invasive as possible whilst applying them proportionately (ie allowing libraries to open) would ultimately mean we’d be more open than if we just said “to hell with it all.

Well OP, all I can say is thank fuck that your opinion counts for nothing in the real world.

If you feel your GP is not taking you seriously then ask for a second opinion. Surely there must be another doctor at the one practice in your area?

Everything else you wrote is complete bollocks, you're really having trouble adjusting to the changes (that none of had a say in and none of us can change) aren't you?

You should be campaigning to people who have the power to change it, not taking it in turns to "educate the masses" on Mumsnet.

You could say the same about most posts on Mumsnet- or any other forum

Most of us do not have a hotline to Number 10 so have to resort to ranting/arguing/discussing/chatting on social media

It can be quite cathartic

@Pootle40

The hospital cases are not rising either. So we certainly won't see a sudden rise in deaths for a while if at all. Also people saying it's the highest infection since April or whatever - probably 50k infections a day back then but we never knew !

Hospital admissions have doubled this week.

Don't spread false facts.