@Angrymum22
" As for the over 64yr olds, the majority of which will be retired and therefore not economically affected, shielding is their best option."
Do you do the school run? I'm a grandparent that does and there's as many GPs doing the school run as there are parents. I'm economically inactive, but I prop up three families via childcare, who couldn't work without my help. Our local MPs and food bank/distributers are 55+. When I did plans for disabled people, I found without the help of retired neighbours, a lot more people would have to go into residential care. Retired people, especially women, prop up our society in so many ways.
Social distancing and mask wearing isn't difficult. I'm happy with that. I've chosen to limit my going out etc. We need the truth behind the hospital figures. I had severe ME after an illness and was denied disability benefits. I eventually got them but lost on thousands. I'm suspicious of the government suddenly caring about disabled people and trying to scare people by using CF. I don't agree with hospital treatments, therapies and education stopping. I agree with everything that's been said about personal responsibility for health. It's sad to read the lancet report on child deaths in the US and see that the majority of children who died were severely obese.
As for older people, I think we've got to stop trying to push back the natural age of death, at the expense of society.
Reports are coming out from oncologists, Consultants, Specialists ect that for every four people who have died from Covid, three have died from lock down. People won't ever recover the ability to walk/talk/move because they've lost the window needed for therapy to work. Child speech therapists are doing their best via video calls but for many it isn't quite enough. Speech is one of the most important things for life chances.
I don't see the government proposing to up the age of funded education (currently 19). My DD with LDs took an extra year to pass her basic skills to go onto NVQs and because she reached the age of 19, we had to find £3k, because they don't give learner loans for starter level NVQs. With the benefit system the way it is, including the bedroom tax, it won't be a matter of things being delayed for a year, many teenagers will have to give up on college.
Contraception services in some areas are failing. Charities are having to close shops because of revenue lost. There's billions being lost for research.
Covid isn't the only health issue and cause of death/disability.