Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

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

381 replies

peasoup8 · 07/09/2020 16:24

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Yellowbutterfly1 · 07/09/2020 22:03

lockedownamdcrazy
I’ll be sure to let my local GP surgery know to make sure everyone wears a mask with no exception as you put it.

Nice to see that there are still awful people around that cannot grasp that there may actually be people around who are exempt from wearing a mask for various valid reasons.

Bluemooninmyeyes1 · 07/09/2020 22:04

@amusedtodeath1 I don’t think it was the OP’s intention to ‘educate the masses’, it was just a topic of debate. No need to be nasty and aggressive just because you disagree with her opinion.

SheepandCow · 07/09/2020 22:08

I'd love to know how an immediate end to social distancing would get us back to normal?
Unfortunately we didn't use our island advantage - unlike NZ, Australia, and the IOM, who really can largely get back to normal.

Sparticuscaticus · 07/09/2020 22:18

@Happyheartlovelife

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.

Happyheart makes a good point

Deaths is not the only measure

We think I had Covid in January as was hospitalised after 2 weeks & extremely ill on oxygen 24/7 - it was diagnosed as a severe unknown respiratory virus (unlike any other I'd had before) - I still am in and out of hospital with cardiac and respiratory problems, none of which are "Covid recorded" as it wasn't being tested for back then. So 9 months later I'm still slowly recovering but are far more disabled than before

There's at least one case they know confirmed of someone catching it twice

The respiratory physio told me that he, (an extremely active fit young 20 year old man), had months of lung & low oxygen problems & limited ability to do his usual activities after he recovered from Covid and was seeing similar but worse ongoing postviral issues in his work

I agree with social distancing measures, masks, hand cleaning

And slowly heading back to normal. But taking a bit of time to see impact of schools returning on the general population & prevalence

I understand the frustration about GPs and cancellation/ delays of other treatments and agree it was time for schools/colleges/unis to reopen and to take the next steps

I don't agree we should abandon reasonable safety measures

carehomes are still under lockdown slowly risk assessing for visitors with the most ill and vulnerable residents most at risk

Many Extremely vulnerable people are still shielding or going out little and carefully

The more able/ well are now more out and about - efforts to slowly resume in a safe measured way

It's very unknown still

I too am worried about the economy, my DCs experiences, exams and everyone's mental wellbeing

But my DCs are also worried about their mum's health and others in their networks, including shielding family members and disabled young friends, as well as their studies. No matter how I reassure them "I will be fine", it's not predictably true & they've been upset at seeng me struggle and wouldn't wish it in others

Ethelfleda · 07/09/2020 22:18

[quote Bluemooninmyeyes1]@amusedtodeath1 I don’t think it was the OP’s intention to ‘educate the masses’, it was just a topic of debate. No need to be nasty and aggressive just because you disagree with her opinion.[/quote]
This.
Can’t people try and dig deep to find a semblance of empathy for someone who may just be worried about their child and is finding it tough?? Just disagree respectfully... don’t be a dick.

Userzzz · 07/09/2020 22:22

Agree, OP.
This is planned economic destruction. Google “the great reset”. Prince Charles is a part of it also. Funny how big businesses are doing ok, but medium/small businesses are being destroyed.

LoveNote · 07/09/2020 22:24

@Userzzz

Agree, OP. This is planned economic destruction. Google “the great reset”. Prince Charles is a part of it also. Funny how big businesses are doing ok, but medium/small businesses are being destroyed.
lol prince charles???? planned???

the Uk is a tiny island ...this virus is affecting the whole world but you think its all about us and prince charles?

SheepandCow · 07/09/2020 22:33

@Userzzz

Agree, OP. This is planned economic destruction. Google “the great reset”. Prince Charles is a part of it also. Funny how big businesses are doing ok, but medium/small businesses are being destroyed.
??? I bet all Prince Charles wants is a quiet life with his organic farming and championing of traditional architecture. I very much doubt he wants to destroy people's livelihoods.

As for the size of the impacted businesses. I don't especially like Richard Branson but he's been very vocal about how this has affected Virgin Atlantic (although he'll be fine as he's already super rich). Loads of big businesses are struggling. The owners might be ok as they're already financially set but their employees are suffering.

It's ironic about the airline and travel industry. Their foot-stamping lack of foresight has directly led to their (and our) plight. Has they accepted that Covid can't be wished away, they'd probably be back up and running by now. Every country in the world should have closed their borders temporarily for a couple of months in February. Would've nipped the virus in the bud.

Desperado24 · 07/09/2020 22:36

Couldn’t be arsed reading the whole thread.

Saw people on page one saying there are more cases!!!

Are people really so stupid fhey don’t understand why that is.?

Dear god

JayDot500 · 07/09/2020 22:39

Prince Charles? Wot Grin

LoveNote · 07/09/2020 22:46

@Desperado24

Couldn’t be arsed reading the whole thread.

Saw people on page one saying there are more cases!!!

Are people really so stupid fhey don’t understand why that is.?

Dear god

yes, its all prince charles fault apparently!
Cantata · 07/09/2020 23:48

@Vinoonasunnyday

I don’t think people realise

It’s the current SD that’s ruining lives

So people really think they’ll all have jobs by Xmas? Most companies are not operating full capacity

Half people on here could lose their jobs

Are people not worried? It’s the 2m rule which is destroying companies as they can’t fully operate

Yes, this too.

We locked down to ‘flatten the curve’

No we didn't. We locked down because every decision the government has made about Covid has been a knee-jerk, reactive "Oh fuck, we need to do whatever the electorate says they think they want" policy. Because they want to be re-elected (and I will reiterate that I am a natural centre-ish conservative, so not a loony leftie).

Many, many sectors will simply not be able to function with the two-metre rule. And in any case: why does it apply any more, now that everyone is wearing the particular type of Hell known as a face-covering? Surely it's either one or the other?

jewel1968 · 08/09/2020 00:59

I was at a large London hospital today for a non COVID related apt. It was really really busy. I know the hospital pretty well and don't think I have seen it that busy before. Suggests to me that NHS is as busy as it ever was. My GP has seen me and hospital doc and nurse. Suggest problem is your GP.

Rubberblubberwhale · 08/09/2020 01:49

Genuine question - the US has had a very lax approach under Trump. Has the health care system completely broken down? We hear nothing on the news about this at all.

Nikori · 08/09/2020 01:56

Looking at the data, it seems that the UK is heading towards a second wave. Other countries have had similar patterns. This time it is likely that there will be more infections, but younger people and a lower death rate. I agree that the death rate isn’t the only issue. Many younger people who were only mildly infected are still experiencing health problems many months later.

Torvean32 · 08/09/2020 04:37

I can't see SD ending until a vaccination is made and the majority of ppl vaccinated.

The outbreaks in England are community based and probably due to a lack of SD and also too many groups of ppl in others houses. Theyve said in Leeds its due to illegal raves and house parties ie no SD.
Somewhere in Wales is back on lockdown as they say ppl got lax over SD and wearing masks.

If ppl followed the rules we would have a much better chance of reducing numbers.

Derbygerbil · 08/09/2020 06:52

Genuine question - the US has had a very lax approach under Trump. Has the health care system completely broken down? We hear nothing on the news about this at all.

It was lax in May and June in many places...Things started going pear shaped in July as hospitals in many places started running out of ICU beds and were repurposing other wards (read about children’s ICU in Texas being requisitioned for Covid. They tightened up significantly as a result to flatten the curve, with even Trump-supporting Republican governors mandating masks. Whereas it’s not uniform, things are much less lax. Things stabilised but things are on quite a knife-edge with cases still running very high (3 times U.K. levels per capita) and deaths running around 1,000 per day (reports all lower yesterday as 7 Sept was Labor Day).

I recall Trump saying not to worry as deaths were falling, as cases were rising.... A couple of weeks later that reversed and deaths started rising abruptly again. People can’t see further than their own nose sometimes!

The lesson is that if you abandon all social distancing and all measures, you won’t be able to sustain that for long. Nowhere has. Given that a vaccine is hopefully months away, trying to go back completely to normal now would be crazy, and would lead to a crisis in the run up to Christmas.

Mistigri · 08/09/2020 06:58

And US deaths are being significantly underestimated per the Economist's excess mortality dataset, so you can probably double the reported number.

The US epidemic has stressed the healthcare system and the communities worst affected by COVID (black, latino) tend to have the least-good access to healthcare. So the healthcare system is probably not seeing the true extent of disease.

Here in France cases started rising about 3-4 weeks ago, and this week ICUs in the Marseille area (France's second largest urban area) are nearing saturation. Elsewhere ICU admissions are also rising although the system still has plenty of capacity - for the time being.

So yeah - let's all go party Hmm.

MadameBlobby · 08/09/2020 07:15

@Mistigri

And US deaths are being significantly underestimated per the Economist's excess mortality dataset, so you can probably double the reported number.

The US epidemic has stressed the healthcare system and the communities worst affected by COVID (black, latino) tend to have the least-good access to healthcare. So the healthcare system is probably not seeing the true extent of disease.

Here in France cases started rising about 3-4 weeks ago, and this week ICUs in the Marseille area (France's second largest urban area) are nearing saturation. Elsewhere ICU admissions are also rising although the system still has plenty of capacity - for the time being.

So yeah - let's all go party Hmm.

Meantime in France people squash together with no masks watching the Tour de France. Unbelievable that this was allowed.
Jenasaurus · 08/11/2020 12:45

@peasoup8

Exponential growth (look it up) will mean lots more deaths.

Oh come off it. I’ve been hearing that there’s going to be “lots more deaths” for weeks now and yet the latest death toll is 4.

Wish we could go back in time and do the circuit breaker at this stage.
Sb2012 · 08/11/2020 13:01

It’s concerning when you read through this thread.
From 4 deaths when this thread was started to over 400 today.
Unfortunately yesterday there was a 39 year old who died of covid and he/she had no underlying conditions either.

manicinsomniac · 08/11/2020 13:31

Gosh, this is sobering reading for only 8 weeks ago ...

I can remember feeling sick when we started jumping back up to 2000 and 3000 cases a day in the first weeks of school, thinking we were about to close everything again.

2 months later we can only dream of a 'mere 3000' daily cases!

JackHam · 08/11/2020 13:32

Unfortunately yesterday there was a 39 year old who died of covid and he/she had no underlying conditions either.

😮😔

DioneTheDiabolist · 08/11/2020 13:41

If only people had kept to the social distancing guidelines and wore masks, but no, they knew better than the epidemiologists.Hmm

NaturalLight · 08/11/2020 14:41

It would be interesting to know what @Vinoonasunnyday thinks now