To think January will be the point when people give up Covid restrictions?

[Antiquated100]

I’ve noticed amongst my friends that a lot of people are saying “January is when we will have a vaccine, we just need to wait until January, only a few months now...”

As well as this, I also assume everyone else is also noticing “lockdown fatigue” in general. It’s hard to tell people not to mix households at all when schools are open with no social distancing, workplaces, etc... (At least where I am anyway!)

Does anyone else think we’re going to be entirely f*** if there is no vaccine in January? It feels like it’s being hyped up so much, people are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. People are already ambivalent to restrictions- ie, the poor people of Leicester who basically never came out of lockdown. I can’t imagine how awful that must be.

All I can think is if the North has all these restrictions and cases are still going up WITH restrictions as people are just tired of having no life- again, no blame there, I understand people are only human- surely if there is no vaccine in January, or even an alternative strategy, I really don’t think the government are going to have enough control to get compliance on further restrictions. Maybe even sooner.

Perhaps I am even unreasonable to suggest the gov has control now. I’m in the South and already all of my friends have said they will ignore restrictions on households not mixing.

So AIBU to think a lot will change with the “new year,” vaccine or not?

Also I’m sorry if this thread seems overwhelmingly negative! I’ve tried to stay positive but with rising cases again and more restrictions, I’m simply struggling to care about the virus anymore. I followed everything to the letter the first time, I’m in an at risk group, but now I’m more concerned about my financial situation, my job, etc... I’ve become very desensitised to the virus itself, apart from still worrying about spreading it to my elderly relatives

No, I think it will be Christmas. A lot of people will say, fuck it, and have a big family Christmas regardless of whatever the rules are at the time.

Not me, just before anyone jumps in me. We will be our family 4 plus my parents if the rules are the same as now. If they are stricter it will be just us but I really don't think everyone will abide by that.

I don’t know a single person who thinks there will be a vaccine in January. Everyone I know seems to be working towards next spring for a lifting of restrictions (which may or may not come to pass, we’ll see). But no, I certainly don’t know anyone who is expecting a vaccine in jan.

My Christmas will also be small- just my family and two elderly relatives. I’m OTT when it comes to to visiting them, and actually try and isolate for the week before. My main fear all along has been passing it to someone else!

A lot of my friends seem to think the Astra Zeneca vaccine will be given out in January to the elderly and medical professionals and we can all get on with life again.

I’m not that optimistic sadly!

I suspect whatever they announce on Monday will be ignored in the North, people have had enough and are at breaking point. The government will have no control now never mind January...

Dry January, when everyone's skint and cold? No, I don't think it will be January!

I don't know one person who thinks January is going to be some kind of watershed

@Antiquated100

A lot of my friends seem to think the Astra Zeneca vaccine will be given out in January to the elderly and medical professionals and we can all get on with life again.

I’m not that optimistic sadly!

Even if it is rolled out to the elderly and medical professionals as early as Jan, it’s highly unlikely that that would mean no further restrictions. Vaccines are known to be least effective in the elderly and those with pre existing conditions due to a lower immune response. So I fear they’re labouring under a misconception. But no, I don’t know anyone who will give up in Jan if a vaccine doesn’t come because I don’t know anyone who is expecting a return to normal in Jan.

They have in the NW already.
Well, most people I know have.
You can't keep people from seeing their families inside and outside, but expect people to still go to work who could wfh.

Until the labs say "vaccine success here it is" there is no vaccine.

So as pants as life is I am trying to just accept things, yes lockdown fatigue is rampant, but I am trying to do things at home that we don't get the time in these uninterrupted blocks to do usually and hope that's enough to keep us sane.

I think most people will start ignoring them now, never mind January. The current lockdown areas have been in it for so long yet cases are rising, there appears to be no end. I’m in the south and most have said they won’t stick to a no household mixing rule. I won’t be either.

Actually I think now that DS is back at secondary school, our risk level has gone up so I don't want to add to that even more by having people round or meeting inside places, so it's still only outdoor walks or outside coffee with friends. Hoping the local cafe will get some patio heaters to put outside for dec/jan. Otherwise it's your best Arctic outerwear if you want a coffee with me

There’s only a limited time you can keep people from seeing friends and family really and we are long past that time!

I agree, but also think it will be Christmas. I don’t know anyone who thinks we’ll have a vaccine by January either though. Everyone is completely fatigued by it and I don’t think people will continue complying when it seems largely pointless.

Well in my part of the North West nobody seems to give a shit anyway ...

Walking trough my local town today, the market seemed more busy than ever. Coffee shops and restaurants had a lot of customers, people chatting in groups no social distancing. Think people have had enough. Most those people were older as well. If it wasn't for the masks in shops, I wouldn't have noticed a pandemic.

January is when I'll be going into hermit mode, tbh.

There is a study of the previously-known family of coronaviruses, admittedly not Covid. Their behaviour looked strongly seasonal - big drop off around May whatever's in the background with good levels of humidity to limit them However, the 'best' week for transmission being the first part of January, influenced by the season, return to work, and slightly earlier December travel with larger groups spending more time indoors with each other. It makes sense. Back in April I made the decision to book early Jan off, if I still have work to go to.

academic.oup.com/jid/article/222/1/9/5815743

I agree that lots of people already have given up. When the 2nd work from home announcement came, most people who had gone back in to their office jobs were told by their companies (multiple) that they weren't going to be going back to WFH even if they could.

From then there is a general feeling of having to put yourself at increased risk for the company, but not being allowed to determine personal risk for visiting friends and family. So I know a lot of people now ignoring the rules and just calculating their own risks.

The government has lost the goodwill of many people already and I can't see them getting it back tbh, not the way they are doing things ATM

And what a kick in the teeth for the North and particularly Leicester to be under lockdown when the are with the highest cases in the country is next door with no restrictions what so ever.

Many people have given up already. I think a lot of people are seeing through the BS to be honest.

(No, not me before I get jumped on. I have no friends and no life anyway, so the chance would be a fine thing).

We're in a local restrictions area, there's only a couple of us in my circle actually following the 'rules'.
Everyone is stating they won't stop seeing so & so, they won't be told what to do etc.
There's quite a few planning big Christmas' regardless.

So no, I don't think Jan is going to be the point, as most I'm finding aren't actually following them now.

People have had enough already.

It was meant to be one lockdown to buy time, then we social distance/voluntarily shield until we have a vaccine ready.

Now it's more severe lockdown and talk of wearing masks each time we so much as leave our house, required shielding, and seeing noone outside our household for the foreseeable future - some of which could be years.

Well fuck that, I'm done.

I've given up now. I'm done, I can't do this anymore.

There isn’t going to be a vaccine in January. I can already envision civil unrest and riots as a result of these new restrictions, I hope I am wrong.

There was a lot of resistance back in March initially, then when people couldn't deny reality anymore they got scared and everyone complied. I imagine the second wave will be much the same -- once the NHS is under massive pressure again and things are looking really bad people will realise we need to do something or become so scared they won't want to leave their houses anymore.

It's a shame it will need to get to that point again, though. And a shame the opportunity to control the numbers whilst they were low was wasted by poor policies.

I'll be seriously considering suicide if things are still bad in January with no vaccine, I'll have nothing worth living for.

The Oxford Vaccine isn’t likely to stop transmission so even when/if that’s rolled out we’ll still have restrictions, I’d guess by next year rapid testing to allow a more normal functioning.