@AntiHop
But now I'm not a 100% believer anymore.
Here lies your problem @Dustballs.
It is not about "belief". It is not a religion. Through the lockdown earlier this year, many lives were saved.
But it is about belief. The scientists don't all agree. The government are not releasing all the relevant data. We are being asked to trust the Government and it's advisers, when other equally (or more) reputable scientists are very clear that they believe Government's approach to be wrong.
Already, covid 19 is way down on the list of things likely to kill you. The number of excess deaths caused by lockdown is massive, and rising. The following is a quote from a Daily Telegraph article:
Patients dying at home from causes other than Covid-19 are fuelling excess deaths across the UK, official figures show. The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows more than 6,700 extra deaths in homes across the UK in the past two months – of which just 203 involved coronavirus. The statistics show deaths from other causes are soaring, amid concern that millions of patients went untreated for killer diseases during lockdown.
It goes on to list the deaths for particular conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia - all of which are way higher than normal. The British Heart Foundation is quoted as being particularly concerned about the number of excess deaths for heart related issues in younger people that indicate a lack of support. Then there are all the other lockdown related non-covid deaths that are also increasing such as suicides, domestic violence killings.
A while ago I saw a few articles that estimated that lockdown had already caused almost as many deaths as covid, and that this was likely to increase further. A sky news report, quoting ONS statistics, said that for every 3 covid deaths, another 2 had been caused by lockdown. That 41% of the excess deaths between March and May were caused by missed medical care (for other conditions) rather than covid. And this doesn't even consider the worsened quality of life for those who may not die, but whose conditions are far more severe than they would have been, had their operations/treatments not been cancelled.
The government is relying on us to follow the new restrictions because if we don't there may be a serious spike in covid deaths, which the NHS may or may not cope with. But when it goes with the 'project fear' approach using models that don't seem to be based in reality, and won't address the totally valid concerns put by reputable scientists like Prof Sunetra Gupta of Oxford University - well it just makes us not trust the government at all.
I am fully of the opinion that we need to learn to live with it. Those that are vulnerable (I am one of them) should decide how much risk they want to take. Those that aren't should be allowed to get on with things. Yes to masks in enclosed spaces, yes to sensible social distancing. Yes to increased hand washing/sanitising before entering/leaving places. But no to rules restricting households mixing, particularly outside. No to the ridiculous rule of 6, whereby if my parents visit us they drive down together (they won't come alone) then only one of them can come inside while the other sits in the car, and then they swap over, before driving home together again. Meets the guidelines but is nonsensical. No to restrictions on gatherings outside, where social distancing can be observed. Let people make their own choices that fit their own circumstances.
Blimey, that was long! Sorry!