'We won't be back to 2019 for five years'

[RainbowParadise]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54661843

Has anyone else seen this? I feel completely on the edge after reading this, people surely will not comply with this shit show indefinitely?

I hate these articles because at the end of the day, no one knows how this is going to play out. There is no way that people are going to continue to live like this for the next 5 years. People struggle to maintain social distancing and not seeing friends and family now, absolutely no chance of still complying with these rules for years to come. We’ve just got to take each month as it comes and keep our fingers crossed for a reliable vaccine that will at least let some sort of normality resume. I’m desperate for the theatres and arts to come back, it’s so sad to see them empty and all those people out of work. I just want to go to a huge festival, grab a large cider and dance the night away!

@KatherineJaneway that's a very good example. Same here for me actually, I will never be in the office full time again- I suppose for a lot of people this so a good thing actually. For me personally my ideal is a mix of work in office/work from home so this is one positive (got to look for them somewhere)!

The article is not that bad. It’s saying the virus will still be around and well have to adapt. Likelihood is vaccines will improve things but won’t be back to 2019. It’s not saying we’re locked down for the next 5 years.

@MrPickles73. Totally agree. I'm at a complete loss as to why this approach is not being debated.

@Emmacb82

I hate these articles because at the end of the day, no one knows how this is going to play out. There is no way that people are going to continue to live like this for the next 5 years. People struggle to maintain social distancing and not seeing friends and family now, absolutely no chance of still complying with these rules for years to come. We’ve just got to take each month as it comes and keep our fingers crossed for a reliable vaccine that will at least let some sort of normality resume. I’m desperate for the theatres and arts to come back, it’s so sad to see them empty and all those people out of work. I just want to go to a huge festival, grab a large cider and dance the night away!

I agree completely- I hate these articles too. Shame on the bbc- their journalism is appalling recently.

People won't comply. I agree it won't be back to 2019 but to suggest distancing long term and nothing being normal is just awful- they've used 'the new normal' in there and I fucking hate that phrase too.

@Racoonworld

People just won’t comply with it. I certainly won’t and have stuck to the majority of the rules all year. There’s no way I will comply next year, I’m already considering not complying now if there’s another lockdown

And here lies the problem.

🤦‍♀️ one again, no, the problem is not people suggesting that once we get into next spring, they will not put their lives continually on hold .

The problem is we have a fucking useless incompetent arsehole of a prime minister, who surrounds himself with similarly useless cronies. Had they dealt with this better, the situation wouldn't be quite so severe.

Also look to the fact that they have systematically dismantled the NHS over the past 10 years. Wait and see, Germany may be struggling a bit now too, but they will not be suffering for as long. They have a functioning healthcare system. It makes a difference.

@RainbowParadise

There really is no point in being alive then is there. None at all.

if course there is. we all need to adjust to the new normal and find other things to look forward to. it might seem horrible right now, especially as it's 'dark' season.

People who are going on about 'not complying' - are you going to go on holiday wherever you want, go to festivals, concerts, the theatre, restaurants, pubs until late, send your kids to school when staff aren't there? 🙄

Oh seriously 'new normal' again?

You may feel life is worth living like this. I suspect an increasing number of people will disagree.

I won't be complying either. If that means not seeing my friends in person, not going on dates, all of the things that involve actually being human. Not indefinitely.

@Silvergreen

People who are going on about 'not complying' - are you going to go on holiday wherever you want, go to festivals, concerts, the theatre, restaurants, pubs until late, send your kids to school when staff aren't there? 🙄

No obviously not, those things won't be there and I won't be able to do them.

I can however choose to see my friends/family in person etc and not put all aspects of my personal life on hold. I'm not going to do that indefinitely.

People are already doing that. Just get on with it quietly.

It's hard as humans to assess risk. We know on paper that the numbers are bad and that it is going to spread to older populations eventually this winter. But it doesn't feel as risky to live our lives as it did in the spring.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if all the terrifying markers of the virus comes back (the images of busy wards, hearing more ambulances, knowing more people who have had it, deaths of young frontline workers, etc) we will be more likely to comply. But in the interrim it is going to be really hard to adjust back to more restrictions

@Silvergreen

People are already doing that. Just get on with it quietly.

I have actually tried to comply with things since the beginning. The problem is on here if you dare question it or suggest that things haven't been looked at in a balanced way, you are immediately called 'selfish' or a 'granny killer'.

To me it is the level of control that the government have wielded without things going through parliament properly- it was Jonathan Sumption in the guardian was it not- suggesting that the reaction has been completely disproportionate. That is the issue I also have.

It's all very hard. The article writes about the virus affecting our lives for maybe 5 years but to a much lesser degree than it does now. We won't have to put up with 5 years of not being able to date or see friends. Nobody should be worrying about that.

So according to the article, we'll have to wear face coverings for decades. That alone I'm struggling to deal with.

@RainbowParadise

There really is no point in being alive then is there. None at all.

I agree !!!! I am really struggling but I don't think people will comply and remember this is from 1 scientist life cannot go on like this for 5 years

No. No no no I can't live like this for 5 years, my mental health will be destroyed.

One thing which will get life back on track is instant results testing. It will certainly get international travel moving again.

[quote BuffaloCauliflower]@midgebabe there’s still a choice going on there. They could choose to treat the cancer patients and not the covid patients couldn’t they? Why they assumption that is HAS to mean reducing services for everything except Covid? These lockdowns were meant to protect the NHS so it could continue vital services, not turn the NHS into a Covid only servicez[/quote]
They can only "choose" that if they have enough staff not off sick or shielding (or dead) due to covid. That's the big picture that people aren't seeing!

I just have no idea where this notion came from that the NHS hasn't been treating cancer patients. We carried on treating cancer patients throughout. Outpatients and new referrals were delayed yes, but to say cancer patients weren't treated is just a straightforward lie.

I haven’t read the article because frankly I feel my expectations are already realistic and I could do without compounding that this morning but there will be varying levels of infection and I doubt things will be as dramatic as this year long term.

Faster testing, better containment, better treatments, vaccines etc. All of these things will mean life is able to carry on around covid.

What’s the point in stamping your feet and declaring you ‘won’t’? Does that actually achieve anything or make anything better? This government is absolutely a shit show, but again be realistic, they can’t magic covid and it’s consequences away. Rebelling against containment strategies just prolongs the misery for everyone. It’s possible to do what you can to reduce the spread of covid and still think this government is populated by chimps.

I’ve found myself following advice from Germany and dr fauci in America because they’re broadly in line with our advice and seem trustworthy.

That’s the second very downbeat covid article from the BBC lately, there was one called “why is covid such a killer” or similar too. It feels very unbalanced/scaremongering to not include some much more optimistic views as well. Plenty of scientists hardly known for their upbeat assessment of the situation (Van Tam, Valance etc) saying we should be in a much better position by spring. Beyond that I have no idea how anyone can predict five years into the future.

The article mentions: "If up to 20% of people had Covid, it would slow things down and we should see a big drop-off, even if there isn't a vaccine."

Well they won't let us even try that will they!

@silvergreen. My fil was due to have radiotherapy and this was cancelled due to Covid. I'm sure he wasn't the only person to have his treatment cancelled.