Is anyone still fearful?

[justgeton]

Not that long ago people were panic buying, watching the news as many many people died, clapping the nhs.

We're clearly heading in the same direction.. but so many people are now ignoring it.

Why?

Yes lockdown is horrible. But the alternative isn't?

I can see all pov. I'm not trying to start another debate on whether we should lockdown or not; more why the massive swing? Is it that people don't think it's scary anymore?

The first lockdown was a big shock to our systems. It was new and scary and anxiety inducing. It is difficult to keep up that level of adrenalin/anxiety/fear. Its exhausting and people are tired of being so restricted. I'm living very cautiously compared to many others but not compared to the levels of precaution I personally was taking for the first couple of months after lockdown started and I doubt I will wind back to that unless my fear escalates to those levels again.

For instance i am not feverishly washing my hands and surfaces every 5 minutes.

I am fearful though. It seems that we are still fucking up the response at every turn. It's going to be shit 6 months.

I still worry about vulnerable people i love dying
I am very worried about the economy - massive issues and social change heading our way.
I think this is the end of the NHS and am concerned what healthcare will look like in 20 years. I hope it looks like germany, i think ot will lool like USA.

@WiseUpJanetWeiss

I’m fearful that our hospitals will become full of seriously ill Covid patients which will cause the health service to grind to a halt again. I don’t see how this will be avoided given that numbers of ICU admissions are doubling every week.

I don’t understand what the “just let it go” people think is going to happen, or what they want the NHS to do with the very sick patients.

I know the government should have done more to shore up the NHS after the first wave, but it didn’t, and here we are.

I don’t want to be locked down. I want to see my family and I want to go on holiday. I’m truly fed up of all this. But without a functioning health service all the rest falls apart.

I have to hope that the NHS, with its Nightingale Hospitals and arrangements for staff to be moved to ICU if necessary will cope because there doesn't seem much point in having a health service that can't deal with a huge event that comes along from time to time. Every single year, since the 1970s I've been hearing that the NHS isn't going to cope with the winter if there's bad flu.

I understand that it might become the Covid service for a while and I also understand, but very much resent, that because it doesn't seem to be set up to deal with such emergencies, people with other conditions will be 'thrown under the bus'.

But I would rather that than, as a PP said, endless ups and downs of Covid numbers, with an NHS increasingly depleted of funds as the tax take goes down as the intermittantly locked-down, or partially locked-down, economy shrinks, over years and years. Watching as increasingly non-Covid cases can't get seen and ,inevitably, treatment for Covid patients gets compromised.

Like most people I was petrified in March, now I am very worried for the long term affects. The economy, our children, the whole future. It is scary. I of course social distance, wash my hands all the time and have gel for when I am out. Wear a face mask etc. I have just started back at the gym, I was a bit worried but feel so good to be back. We have to respect this virus, but we cannot live in hibernation for years. The consequences are worse than the virus.

I'm still quite fearful of what might be still to come.

In March I was very scared. I wanted my children home safe with me and I was fearful every day for my DH in a key worker role. I feared a scenario where people could be dying in hospital car parks because they were not able to get help.

In July and August I relaxed a bit. Cases were low. We enjoyed the summer whilst still being cautious. We only do outdoor activities, outdoor socialising (and only a little bit of that) and some outdoor dining at pubs.

I am not as relaxed as I was in the summer but not as scared as March. I think I'm too exhausted actually to keep up that level of fear.

I constantly feel worried though. I'm quite down and I find it hard to look forward to anything or feel happy. A positive case at one of my children's schools yesterday has knocked me back even further.

@WankPuffins

I don’t believe in any of it anymore. In fact, I never did but as I was pregnant I was paranoid.

You’d probably all have me down as a batshit conspiracy theorist if I told you what I really thought.

But, I’m still following the rules. Always have done. My own personal views don’t mean that I’m not sensitive to the views of others.

What’s your explanation for the increasing number of patients in ICUs?

Am I fearful. No. Being in fear for many months is hardly good for your health is it?

I shop, I eat out, I do all the things I am allowed to do as I am not in an area with extra restrictions and no I don't walk around being fearful of my fellow human beings.

As for the increases in infections I honestly think we have to accept that it will happen. Some people will die. Others will die of different things like they always have. I don't want to live in a place where human interaction is frowned upon and made unlawful so I accept that this virus may cause people harm and I might be one of them. Fearful I am not.

Ok OP you worked in the NHS so you’re fearful because of that. I work in local government and see the effects every day of the cuts to public spending that were imposed after the 2008 financial crisis. The economic impact of covid so far is the equivalent of the financial crisis happening twice in one year. I’m terrified of the impact of that on the public finances and services as a result. The NHS was largely insulated from previous spending reductions and impacts, other areas of government were not and services were decimated with resulting loss of live and prospects. I can see that happening again and that’s what scares me now, no matter how many campaigns are launched to try to terrify people into forgetting that covid is not the only risk people face.

@justgeton

I have to say I'm a little horrified at the 'lm alright Jack' attitude.

Will your view stay the same if ITU continues to fill, the nhs struggles to treat any other emergency and any planned treatment?

We can't escape the fact that 600 Itu beds were filled yesterday. Probably more today.

Me too. I’ve been saddened by the number who won’t follow the rules because they believe they can risk assess, aren’t worried about catching it etc.

It’s not just about ourselves, it’s the impact on others. Not just spreading the virus but the NHS having to stop other treatments, teachers having to risk their lives etc.

I don’t want my children to think it’s ok to be selfish and not think about others.

I'm not fearful of the virus, as I know I am doing everything I can to help control the spread which is all I can do.

I am very fearful of the legacy this virus is leaving, peoples mental health is absolutely shot, elderly people are lonely and frail and losing their last years of precious time stuck inside away from their families, the impact on new parents due to the rules surrounding ante-natal appointments and labour, our children have been let down at every toss and turn, they lost months of education, all of their hobbies/activities/socialising has now stopped, people with health conditions have been denied treatment and subsequently been ill and in pain unnecessarily from months or worse - lost their lives due to non treatment. All of these will have long term irreversible effects on us far after the virus has disappeared

its not 'I'm alright jack' its accepting that whilst we need to be mindful of Covid, its not the only thing we need to focus on and there is a much bigger picture.

Not afraid, but don't want a bad dose of Covid either.

Taking sensible precautions to balance health, wealth, sanity and living.

@WiseUpJanetWeiss I’m not disputing there are people Sick with a virus. I never said that. I just don’t buy the official line.

I believe I had it myself in Jan when I was working at what became one of the hardest hit hospitals in London.

I just don’t trust anything around it, where it came from what governments are doing and where it’s all headed.

I’m less scared seeing the average age of death is 82.

Not fearful but only because I'm still shielding!
Not comfortable going out

Me too. I’ve been saddened by the number who won’t follow the rules because they believe they can risk assess, aren’t worried about catching it etc.It’s not just about ourselves, it’s the impact on others. Not just spreading the virus but the NHS having to stop other treatments, teachers having to risk their lives etc.
I don’t want my children to think it’s ok to be selfish and not think about others.

But none of us here have said we aren't following the rules, I am definitely following every single one to the letter, I am however not fearful like I was in the beginning of the year, that's all.

I was never fearful in the first place, not of the virus. I am fearful of losing my job and school closing again.

The most frustrating thing is that the initial (economically devastating) lockdown was sold to everyone as being to protect the NHS and buy it some time so that it can prepare adequately.
7 months later we’re being told that the NHS still needs protecting, still needs time to prepare, is still at risk of being overwhelmed. Why? Why wasn’t that 7 months used effectively? So yes I’m scared. Scared of the extreme government incompetence that has resulted in the NHS (and those funding it through their taxes) being completely failed.

We don’t have one person in our hospital at the moment with Covid, let alone icu, we’re in the SE

No, not fearful at all. Don't know anybody who is. Family, friends, colleagues, clients, neighbours.

Found out yesterday that someone I know - lives 200 yards away - has tested positive. That’s the first positive test I know of.

He feels fine but is self isolating as per the rules.

I had a really bad bout of flu a couple of years ago. Had a fortnight off work and it took another two or three weeks to fully recover.

Shit happens.

So, no, I’m not fearful.

I'm not at all fearful of the virus, I'm scared for what the government is doing to our country and fearful of other illnesses going untreated. A friends elderly father collapsed and hit his head last week, he was laying in hospital for 3 days waiting to be assessed and in the end my friend just went and took him home as he had not even been seen by a doctor

Also another lockdown will destroy the country.

@SoUtterlyGroundDown

So do you think the fear factor needs to be ramped up then OP? Like back at the start when the government (and this was a deliberate strategy) made everyone fear for their own personal safety? Do you think it’s healthy for the population to live in fear for a prolonged period of time? What’s your solution?

Not fear, no. Definitely more information and education about simple risk management and infection control.

Tbh I think basic common sense would help. For instance a short visit to family in small numbers is obviously far less risky than a bigger gathering. Why not just do that? Of course swing family is important. But can we not be trusted to rein it in a bit? Seemingly not.

Massive groups getting drunk in pubs is far more risky than smaller numbers keeping apart. Why not do that?

Would we even need rules if people could be a little sensible?

I don't claim to know better than professional who have spent a lifetime studying viruses, pandemics, finance. I'm just a nurse at heart.

I'll follow the rules because I don't know better and they generally make sense.

I'm concerned, not fearful or scared. First time around was scary though, this time we know more and I am mentally prepared for a long hard winter.

I have Covid right now, this morning I woke up with a sore and swollen eye, lol. I'm not worried about dying, I'm pretty sure I'll be ok, but it's really not nice at all.

What worries me most is how people will cope with this winter. People scare me way more than CV.

Maybe look at why people aren't following the rules.

People are losing jobs. People are losing their homes, their children are suffering. Other illnesses are being ignored. Mental health is suffering. But when people express concern over these things they get called selfish and told it doesn't matter in comparison to Covid.

If there is another lockdown, if schools close again and I lose my job due to that then I will no longer follow the rules. I spent 4 months on furlough worrying about paying bills, 4 months struggling with DS who suffered incredibly during lockdown. I'm not prepared to sacrifice my child's well being for anyone. If that makes me selfish, I don't care.