If the virus had started anywhere but China, would the work ‘lockdown’ even be a thing?

[guitarstringseadgbe]

I can’t help thinking that lockdowns are only a thing because it was how China dealt with it initially. Would they even be a thing I’d say the virus started elsewhere?

The term lockdown makes me shake inside. My husband is self employed. His income is our main income. I never would have believed we would live in a society where people aren’t allowed to work and earn a living.

OP I really feel for you

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of lockdown other than prisons. When they started doing it in China for a disease, I was beyond horrified.

I won’t explain how I’ve felt about it the last six months.

My late father was a medical professional. I don’t know anyone in medicine who sees this an infection control.

Swine flu was initially a major international incident, huge fear and mass government and large business reactions - but no lockdown. NZ's border remained open throughout (to some internal criticism at the time).

So you may be right.

Nope. I think if it had started somewhere else, that lockdown wouldn't have happened. If it had started in Britain we wouldn't have locked down, the only reason we did is because everyone else did and then the public wanted it because it seemed to be the right thing to do. It wasn't, I don't personally think, and I don't think it's right to do it again either but here we are.

People have been using quarantine for centuries - it was a big step forward in containing outbreaks of infection.

In the 1665 plague, whole villages effectively locked down www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35064071

More recently, Sierra Leone locked down with Ebola www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-32083363

Although the current scale worldwide is a bit different.

We haven't just quarantined the Ill though, I would have found that much more acceptable!

I guess it could have been called quarantine instead, which is what we've called it for years for other diseases!

But have we ever quarantined the whole population and not just the ill?

It's a really good point OP.

Just quarantining the ill I can understand.

@AcornAutumn thank you. I think we must feel the same about this all.

I’ve just realised how bad autocorrect was in my OP and title. Sorry everyone!!

OP have you written to politicians etc?

It’s very difficult to know how many people just go along with it while deeply unhappy.

@TrustTheGeneGenie

But have we ever quarantined the whole population and not just the ill?

And how do you quarantine just the infectious when there is asymptomatic and presymptomatic spread?

You can't, I've never claimed otherwise but I don't think locking down the population is the answer to that.

Wasn't lockdown used for the spanish flu?

Interesting question OP... it has been publicised that China launched a ‘pro lockdown’ marketing campaign in Europe and America in Jan and Feb.
I do believe the approach would have been different had it originated somewhere other than China.

@Cheeeeislifenow

Wasn't lockdown used for the spanish flu?

Don't think so, not in England anyway!

I think schools and cinemas were closed during Spanish Flu, yes

I have more sympathy for that because of the number of people dying and of course, we didn’t have the treatments and so on that we do now.

There is a debate over whether some of those cases became bacterial pneumonia and did masks contribute.

This is interesting re: Spanish flu.

www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/03/how-cities-flattened-curve-1918-spanish-flu-pandemic-coronavirus/

@Ignoringequally

Interesting question OP... it has been publicised that China launched a ‘pro lockdown’ marketing campaign in Europe and America in Jan and Feb. I do believe the approach would have been different had it originated somewhere other than China.

I was looking for that article but can’t find it.

www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/03/how-cities-flattened-curve-1918-spanish-flu-pandemic-coronavirus/

It's may geo: how cities flattened the curve during 1918 flu pandemic. The link won't link.

@TrustTheGeneGenie: I would argue that test and trace was an attempt to 'quarantine the ill'. The problem here is that even identifying 'the ill' or at least 'the possibly contagious' (via test and trace) has proven beyond the means of most governments, including the UK's.

Locking down the entire population is a last resort that is economically ruinous for many and damaging to most of us. Nonetheless, it will probably need to happen if hospitals are in danger of becoming overwhelmed.

www.thesun.co.uk/news/12778173/china-tricked-world-economic-suicide-lockdown/

[quote TheWhalrus]@TrustTheGeneGenie: I would argue that test and trace was an attempt to 'quarantine the ill'. The problem here is that even identifying 'the ill' or at least 'the possibly contagious' (via test and trace) has proven beyond the means of most governments, including the UK's.

Locking down the entire population is a last resort that is economically ruinous for many and damaging to most of us. Nonetheless, it will probably need to happen if hospitals are in danger of becoming overwhelmed.[/quote]
Yes it was, v hard to test for a symptomless virus though I guess.

The thing is lockdown wasnt last resort was it, it was first resort.

In the old days - waves stick - test and trace was

Isolate the ill person
Ask for their close contacts
NHS staff or GP will contact if necessary

Test and trace is just a great way to make money

My own GP thinks asymptomatic transmission is vanishingly rare. I’m considered vulnerable.