Wow,look at the actual numbers on worldometer at the moment ..

[Layladylay234]

Current levels of infection: 7,007,039
Number of mild infections: 6,946,649 (99%)
Number of serious/critical cases: 60,390 (1%)

Do these numbers make anyone else think,what the fuck are we doing damaging the economy,our children's future and mental health for figures like this?

I don't know. But nobody knew how those figures were going to look, either before, during (or once this is all over) so its difficult to know how to act at any one time. Easy to say with hindsight. If the 1% was your parent etc am sure you would have a different view.

[quote newyearnoeu]@timeforanotherusername get your maths right.

Approx 7million are infected out of a world population of just under 8billion. So less than 0.1% (more like 0.089) are infected and then only 1% of this number is serious (much fewer will be criticial). So even if every single person who is seriously ill from covid dies (which they wont) then it will be a maximum of 0.001% of the world's population. [/quote]
That would be true if the virus was stopped spreading now. But it's still spreading.

Do these numbers make anyone else think,what the fuck are we doing damaging the economy,our children's future and mental health for figures like this?

No. The numbers are rising rapidly.

@Layladylay234

Try a little maths.

What happens if 50 million people overall get infected? I am thinking for the UK population.

One per cent of 50 million is....

500,000

That is a lot of very sick people. Especially as we only have a much smaller number of ICU beds.

Why do people keep starting these stupid threads?? How hard is it to understand after 8 months of this????

I'd like to know what the definition of "mild illness" is first of all.

A recent study found an alarming number of people who had a "mild" form of Covid (ie hadn't required hospitalisation) had heart and lung damage, possibly permanent. So, no I'm not reassured that 99% of cases are classed as mild.

Yes. Completely agree.

No, the numbers are low (compared to where they could be) because of global action and lockdowns!

Those numbers show how fucked we be if we all just went back to normal.

Why are so many people not able to understand this?

Yes

@MaxNormal

I doubt things are low because of social distancing globally. I can almost guarantee that is not happening in developing countries.

Do you think data in developing countries is accurate then? Everyone who is sick is being tested and the cause of every death is accurately identified?

Yes. Virus is never going to get to zero, which in some people’s eyes means we have to be in permanent lockdown. There are so many viruses and diseases in the world which have the capacity to kill us, and we live with that risk. This is just another one to add to the list.

@Forgone90

The worst thing is in 10 years time we will moan that the world is over populated by about 10%

Yes,exactly!

@Layladylay234

Current levels of infection: 7,007,039 Number of mild infections: 6,946,649 (99%) Number of serious/critical cases: 60,390 (1%)

Do these numbers make anyone else think,what the fuck are we doing damaging the economy,our children's future and mental health for figures like this?

Yes, and a thousand times yes.

@orangejuicer

trappedsinceesunday fair point but I do not personally understand how you could feel that way if you have been in that situation.

You've never had restrictions on grief? When Mum died there were 3 people at her cremation, because there was a limit on the numbers who could attend. There were no funeral cars (we had to drive ourselves there), mum was buried in her hospital gown with no usual deceased "make-up" carried out. We couldn't meet up with anybody for a hug and a sob. The whole thing was as inhumane as it could get. That's what a covid (or any other) bereavement was like in early lock down. Do you honestly think I would want other families to go through the hell we did and still do? People die of many things but the rules where the same. Whilst everyone was worried about deaths nobody actually cared what was going on with those left behind and how they were coping without the normal things in place. Now there are people telling us how we should feel, what we should think because somehow our loss is worse than others. It's not, it's equal, so our opinions are no more valid than anybody else's at all.

Bear in mind too OP that a 'mild' infection merely means you haven't been hospitalised. There are many people who are will for weeks or months with this thing.

'Long Covid' is real for many people and very debilitating. I'm not saying we should wreck the economy or anyone's education, but just because you're not in hospital doesn't mean you don't feel bloody ill!

@primabloodydonna

I just cannot understand the mentality that says lives lost due to covid are the ones worth saving. What about all the missed cancers?

And again,thank you for speaking sense. I read someone post on here a few weeks ago,all these deaths that may happen due to Covid are worth more than all the deaths happening currently due to lockdown/work not being done on the NHS.

And the crazy thing is,it's 1% of people in a critical condition,not 1% will definitely die. We've all read stories about people being discharged after x amount of days. Or people over the age of 80 pulling through or being asymptomatic or not getting it that badly. Why does it seem to be "Oh my god,that means 1% will DEFINITELY die"?

I would also love to know why I have to accept the removal of my rights and freedoms for something that's about as fatal as flu. The latest legislation to be passed (with zero parliamentary scrutiny or debate on the public record) as a statutory instrument under the covid legislation is the extension of the period you can be held in custody without charge to 80 days. Maybe someone can explain to me why I should accept this - I didn't accept it when Tony Blair tried it under the terrorism legislation, and in those days we actually had a free press that reported on the parliamentary debates extensively. I am more shocked by the fact that no one cares about any of this stuff, and all just keep saying it's for our own protection. Yes, that's what Viktor Orban said when he dissolved parliament and ruled by decree indefinitely earlier this year. Does that not worry ANYONE??

@ChanceChanceChance

No, the numbers are low (compared to where they could be) because of global action and lockdowns!

Those numbers show how fucked we be if we all just went back to normal.

Why are so many people not able to understand this?

Most people do.

Anyway many restrictions are lifted now, people have even been on holiday!

Children will be none the worse off for not going to school, fast forward a couple of years and they will be fine.

For many people it has been a very useful time.

Apologies the legislation is in fact 8 months while awaiting trial. t.co/fTzJ9OZH5W

It's incredible isn't it.
Can you imagine what those numbers would be like has there been no measures put in place.

Yes, absolutely. The fear mongering has got to stop.

And nobody who says 'we just have to be inconvenienced for a short time' has a valid point unless they can state a) how short, exactly? And b) what criteria need to be met before we open up?

@primabloodydonna

I just cannot understand the mentality that says lives lost due to covid are the ones worth saving. What about all the missed cancers?

I think on MN ifthey get diagnosed, get Covid and die, they just become people who had an underlying condition and would have died anyway?

They only really count as tragic deaths if they die because of delayed diagnosis or treatment. Otherwise it's more a case of 'well we all have to die sometime'.

Back in the real world, given the speed the disease spreads with no restrictions, even 1% of severe illnesses is likely to overwhelm most healthcare systems (not just the NHS). Those patients aren't going to be getting diagnosis or treatment then either because there'll be no beds and a shortage of staff.

1% sounds like a small number, but it's a large number of people to all be getting sick and be needing healthcare at the same time.

Yes. There are about 60 people in ITU with Covid throughout the whole country at the moment. There are many more times that in ITU with flu. Mortality has been below the 5 year national average since June.

The increase in positive results comes from asymptomatic people being tested and uses a test so sensitive that it could show any number of things - including shedding dead virus contracted in the last 3 months, 5 % false positive and such a low viral load that the person is not infectious.

There is actually no need for a vaccination for this virus. RNA viruses change so anything developed will be a short-term solution and will not eradicate it. Most people have such a mild illness that it is not a problem. Among those who are more severely ill treatment has improved a lot in the last 6 months so survival rates are much higher and lung damage from artificial ventilation is much lower.

It is important to encourage good health practices, such as healthy eating, exercise, vitamin supplements, good PPE to keep elderly and vulnerable people safe and so on. However, we also need to remember that people die of flu every day. None of us are immortal.

The point of lockdown was to help the NHS cope. It is coping very well, so there is no argument for continuing to impose draconian restrictions that cause huge damage to the economy and to mental health.

@Tootletum

I would also love to know why I have to accept the removal of my rights and freedoms for something that's about as fatal as flu. The latest legislation to be passed (with zero parliamentary scrutiny or debate on the public record) as a statutory instrument under the covid legislation is the extension of the period you can be held in custody without charge to 80 days. Maybe someone can explain to me why I should accept this - I didn't accept it when Tony Blair tried it under the terrorism legislation, and in those days we actually had a free press that reported on the parliamentary debates extensively. I am more shocked by the fact that no one cares about any of this stuff, and all just keep saying it's for our own protection. Yes, that's what Viktor Orban said when he dissolved parliament and ruled by decree indefinitely earlier this year. Does that not worry ANYONE??

Yes,I'm worried as these restrictions just keep on coming. But I'm more concerned about the amount of people in society who just seem to want to roll over and accept what they're being told to do and not question a clearly feckless,shady government that might have other agendas.

Eg we got told,wear masks,it will cut the spread by up to 90% (or something). Numbers keep going up. Response: It's because people don't wear them properly/wash them.

Another example....go and spend time with people outdoors. For MONTHS we were told,the chances of it spreading outdoors is tiny. Now,you cannot socialise outdoors anymore. Nope,doesn't matter what we said previously. You all can't be trusted to go in groups bigger than 6 outside and socially distance,you're fucking the lot of us. So now, we're going to go back on what we said.

Absolute madness

Can the posters who agree with op please explain how they envisage the country, and the world for that matter, functioning were restrictions to be abandoned?

I'm really sorry for the posters who lost loved ones and weren't able to mourn properly but what do you think would happen if no restrictions were in place and the cases were rising uncontrollably? Every service in the country would be affected so it wouldn't mean you had limited numbers at a funeral, no cars and so on, you wouldn't have a funeral at all because undertakers and crematorium staff would be ill.

Hospitals would be hit two fold by large numbers of sick patients plus large numbers of sick staff. Schools would close due to staff absence, essential services such as national grid and BT would suffer due to staff absence, food shops and the supply chain would be impacted...

How is that preferable to what we have now? Plus you'd have the fall out from hundreds of thousands of people facing a long recovery. I'm waiting to see a respiratory consultant for a non Covid problem - they are snowed under treating post Covid infection patients and the service is struggling.

Please explain how your way would work

@Livelovebehappy

Yes. Virus is never going to get to zero, which in some people’s eyes means we have to be in permanent lockdown. There are so many viruses and diseases in the world which have the capacity to kill us, and we live with that risk. This is just another one to add to the list.

This.