Do we need a reality check about covid?

[TheSilence]

I’m so quiet about this in real life, and bite my tongue but I’m so sick of hearing certain things and it’s making me despair of the human race.

I am no scientist, nor do I especially understand research/data or statistics.

But in a nutshell, I am sick of people minimising this virus. I’ve seen and heard it for 7 months now and am most frustrated by these kinds of comments:

“It’s just flu but they’ve renamed it”
“Flu has a higher death rate”
“For 99% of people it’s just like having the common cold”
“All nurses ever do is film tik Tok videos”
“Long covid doesn’t exist”
“Masks cause severe neurological damage”!

This is just a few because I don’t want to rant too much, I haven’t even covered the vast amount of conspiracy theories I’ve read.

From my understanding, all of those statements I’ve said are wrong, but I’m aware that my understanding is wrong.
I know some people might be reading this thinking I’ve got it back to front and that people are over estimating this virus, but that hasn’t been my experience at all.

Bottom line is, the single most important thing about covid that makes it a severe threat is that it’s brand new. The people who understand these things barely understand this. When going into a battle or war, knowing and understanding your enemy gives you a huge advantage. It’s the same with this, and tbh I can’t get my head around the statements people make with such certainty, such as “I KNOW for a fact if I or my family get it we’ll definitely be fine” or “Long covid is DEFINITELY the same as any post viral syndrome”. How can these people be so ridiculously sure when scientists aren’t?

I hate the arrogance and huge egos of people in this country and other western countries.

And yes I’m struggling with severe mental health issues that I can’t get proper help for because of covid. As I know I sound very ranty and possibly angry.

I’m just saying - please take this seriously.

I agree with a PP that there is too much minimising if the effects of lockdown, and I think this is the biggest problem we have right now. Everything atm seems to revolve around this one illness, which however serious it is for many, is also extremely mild for most, and nowhere near enough attention is being given to people whose lives have been messed up by lockdown and restrictions.

It's a brand new virus. I'm happy to sit tight while science figures out what the virus does to people. I think we'll have a much better picture by next summer.

Spoken from a place of true privilege. Other people have to catch it (presumably those poorer than you) for scientists to learn. But as long as the British middle class are okay who cares eh?

Also, just to reiterate if anyone IS still in question about taking the virus seriously...

NO it is NOT either the virus or the economy.

Overwhelmingly countries who took the virus seriously have a better economy.

(That includes Sweden whose economy declined as much as it’s Nordic neighbours)

YES it is a very serious novel disease that is worse than flu. YES people are dying disproportionately and years before their time in the huge majority of cases. Some people, our ‘essential workers’ are dying just because they are on the front line. YES it impacts many people for a long time, we don’t know why or for how long. It can reinfect, how much again, we just don’t know it could be the majority, it could be milder, it could be more severe.

So YES we do need to not catch Covid19. For ourselves. For others. For the economy. For fellow humans and society.

I think the problem is that for many people on an individual level it’s a mild illness and unlikely to be serious. However on a societal level it is very serious - because of the lack of immunity the sheer numbers mean left unchecked it would crash our health system. That’s means no access to health care for anything - not just Covid. A crashed health system would in turn also wreak horrendous economic damage. There is also the issue that the UK’s health system has been under resourced for a long time so has far less capacity than say other European nations.

However the restrictions necessary to control it are equally awful and will in turn cause great harm ( in fact are).

I guess that’s the reality of a pandemic of a novel virus ( with the added issue that - IMHO - the U.K. government has not handled it well ( albeit some of this is as a result of the structure of the U.K.)

Some things you say are correct, some are not... And some is different in different areas....

Yes it is new

Yes we don't know much about it.

Yes long covid is real however it is very similar to post viral syndrome and affects the same amount of people.

However it does disproportionately affect different people in life, there is no question there.

Not saying they are on tiktok but some. Hospitals have very few covid patients

Yes masks can cause mental health issues just like living ckdown etc.

Like lockdown*

@Teateaandmoretea it is disproportionately people who are vulnerable and in front line jobs who are catching it more severely, as well as young adults at present. I want to protect them by ensuring I am not part of that transmission chain. Don’t you want to protect the most vulnerable?

@TrustTheGeneGenie

I know it's serious. I know I could catch it, I know it might make me ill, I know I might die. I also know that there are thousands of other risks in my life which could do exactly the same thing. I also know that life is short and spending it locked up is depressing. I know that losing my job, or my home is a bigger risk to me personally than covid. Same goes for my other half. Same goes for my child. I appreciate it's not the same for everyone, but then everyone else doesn't put me first, and everyone else won't pay my mortgage for me.

I felt quite "in it together" and charitable at the start of this and funnily enough I don't anymore. I still know it's serious, but so is depression, so is everything else left untreated, so is loneliness and isolation.

I don't like the whole "covid is the only thing that matters" attitude.

This

I am still complying with the rules but don’t blame anyone for not, there’s no leadership or strategy from the government and they’ve squandered the sacrifices made by all of us. My 70 odd year old dad popped round to do an odd job in my garden yesterday and I couldn’t even have the old soul in my house for a cup of tea. Why are we doing this? What’s the actual aim of it all?

It’s possible to appreciate that the virus is serious largely due to the exponential growth and the numbers but equally think that the measures we have are pointless, don’t make sense, and have to come to an end at some point regardless as we can’t live like this forever

Some people I know I’ve massively distanced myself from, as they are anti mask etc. It’s at critical times that people reveal a lot.

Yes it is imagine being the sort of person who distances yourself over something that you have no idea is effective or not.

@NailsNeedDoing

I agree with a PP that there is too much minimising if the effects of lockdown, and I think this is the biggest problem we have right now. Everything atm seems to revolve around this one illness, which however serious it is for many, is also extremely mild for most, and nowhere near enough attention is being given to people whose lives have been messed up by lockdown and restrictions.

I couldn't agree more.

@MadameBlobby Margaret Thatcher brutally changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, and destroyed their capacity to earn a living, and reduced thriving communities to ghost towns; in the name of "progress". Were the unemployed miners supposed to take "progress" seriously?

I think that one of the real problems here is not the virus, but the way British government (not just this one, lots of previous ones) communicates with the public: by lies, spin, fear, scaremongering, passing the buck, blatantly breaking their own rules, blaming the public for anything they can, promising the moon on a stick when they know they can't deliver it, playing divide and conquer. All these have been demonstrated during the pandemic, and many times before. If the government took a more constructive approach, said "this is what we know, and don't know; this is what we think is best. Here is what we can and can't do. Here is what we need you to do".

In addition to the above, we've had the government's main way to talking to us being: something big will happen in a few days. Masks might be made compulsory. I might change the rules overnight. Leaking all these things to the press to test the public reaction, instead of having the guts to make a decision and stand by it.

All the methods I have mentioned here are the reason there is so little respect on both sides.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54648684

@NailsNeedDoing

I agree with a PP that there is too much minimising if the effects of lockdown, and I think this is the biggest problem we have right now. Everything atm seems to revolve around this one illness, which however serious it is for many, is also extremely mild for most, and nowhere near enough attention is being given to people whose lives have been messed up by lockdown and restrictions.

That is because everything does revolve around Covid. It’s not a choice! Sweden has had as much damaging economic effects as it’s neighbours.

However I do agree that revolving lockdowns are damaging - but they wouldn’t be necessary if

• this was better managed by the UK government and leads
• we as the public wore our masks and took it seriously in a consistent way.

Countries that are doing both of the above? Are not having to lockdown in the same way.

That is because everything does revolve around Covid. It’s not a choice! Sweden has had as much damaging economic effects as it’s neighbours.

Real conclusion cannot be made about economic impacts for at least 2-3 years.

I agree. Far too many armchair scientists.

I read stuff and I just think, that’s great Brian, where exactly did you do your doctorate? Oh that’s right, you work in a call centre.

A couple my husband is friends with had the virus in about April, both in their 60s, both fit and well. Husband recovered quickly, wife is still struggling. She’s not the sort of person to want to laze around but it’s absolutely floored her.

I think the scary thing for me is it’s an absolute lottery as to how you will react to it and we don’t fully understand the long term damage as it’s so new.

@Teateaandmoretea tell us oh wise one! What’s your plan?!!!

Yes I agree @wanderings. And people have been sucked right in my the government, blaming each other rather than the government for the mess.

I'd rather be in Sweden with its damaged economy but still be free to do as I please ,than in Britain with its damaged economy where it is illegal to have my own mother in the house I fucking own.

@Teateaandmoretea

That is because everything does revolve around Covid. It’s not a choice! Sweden has had as much damaging economic effects as it’s neighbours.

Real conclusion cannot be made about economic impacts for at least 2-3 years.

You aren’t really grasping factual information are you?

I think that are some people who are just happy to continue to spout their own nonsense. It spreads bad information and contributes nothing to help the economy, nothing to help people particularly the poor and vulnerable. No point to it.

Sweden's economy was hit less badly than economies with strict lockdowns

Hahahaha @IceCreamSummer20 whatever you say. You are right about everything well done you have a gold star .

Or maybe explain why I’m wrong (when I’m not, I actually have a degree in economics). Or just call me thick, it’s easier than trying to see other perspectives I guess and requires less intellect.

@TrustTheGeneGenie

I'd rather be in Sweden with its damaged economy but still be free to do as I please ,than in Britain with its damaged economy where it is illegal to have my own mother in the house I fucking own.

Why is your freedom worth more than fellow human beings?

And no people in Sweden are not free to do as they please. They are bringing in restrictions and also many vulnerable people feel totally shafted as they know they can’t just go out and about and catch Covid19. It’s really bad for them and I’d hate to be in such a selfish society that feels that vulnerable or poorer people are worth less than my freedom to do whatever the hell I want.

@Teateaandmoretea

Hahahaha *@IceCreamSummer20* whatever you say. You are right about everything well done you have a gold star .

Or maybe explain why I’m wrong (when I’m not, I actually have a degree in economics). Or just call me thick, it’s easier than trying to see other perspectives I guess and requires less intellect.

Are you still in school?!

@sunflowers246

Sweden's economy was hit less badly than economies with strict lockdowns

Not factually correct.

Complete misinformation.