A potential vaccine? What does that mean initially for those who aren't eligible for it?

[3littlewords]

Encouraging news today that a vaccine has been found that's 90% effective. However as initially it will be rolled out to those front line workers, the over 80s and those CEV , what does that mean for everyone else?

Will the virus just left to run through the rest of society as they will most likely not need any NHS support? Will 14 day isolating for close contacts still take place? Will school bubbles still close for 14 days ?

Given children will probably be the last people to be vaccinated (if at all), how will this affect education? Will they still be required to test and isolate every time they show any symptoms? Will there continue to be a disruption to teaching?

When will it be acceptable to reduce the need for SD and masks? When everyone has been vaccinated? When the NHS is no longer overwhelmed? When the number of deaths reduce? When?
What does the news of a vaccine mean for the majority that won't be eligible (initially anyway)?

@MarshaBradyo

Sheep agree it’s not immediate but we both seem to be saying Spring and referencing scientists who say the same. Fingers crossed for good news on Oxford vaccine soon which would help enormously.

Yes! Fingers crossed 🤞 I'm hopeful.

I agree with @FractionalGains
We'll be able to (hopefully) see some relaxations by spring. Just not everything.

We'll probably need some form of precautions - social distancing, masks, for much of 2021 - but definitely things should start to loosen up as time goes on - gradually opening up more and more.

I might be wrong but I think some people (not necessarily on this thread) think it will all be immediately back to normal by the new year. That's sadly not going to happen. Much as I wish it was. Now if we were in Australia, New Zealand, the Isle of Man, or East Asia, I'd say different. Things would already be largely normal.

@WouldBeGood

Devi Sridhar is in the pay of the Scottish Government and had been a perennial voice of doom.

Yes she has been very negative so if even she thinks it’ll be better come Spring, that has really cheered me up.

That's absolute rubbish!

I urge people to look her up. She's on twitter. Full of positivity and inspiration. Mental health tips, mood boosters.

She's a scientific expert. We would have been spared a hell of a lot of negative experience had we then her expert advice. It would be over by now (temporary bar on foreign holidays excepted).

*taken

It's the opposite of negative - urging us to do what's necessary in order to get back to normal.

Here's her pointing out our false economy.

Back in late Feb, a Chinese colleague said that with early action & an elimination strategy (stop transmission within borders), we could be past the worst by June. The UK response was ‘costs are too high.’ We are now into November & 2nd lockdown - cost with this approach?

And some of her infectious positivity:

Everything is going to be ok. There is a path through this crisis

And an example of things she retweets. Full of positivity and inspiration:

make space for pleasure today. Eat something delicious. Dance to your favorite song. Love on the people in your pod. Make art. Breathe fresh air. Your joy will not change whatever happens, but it will change your experience of it.

@SheepandCow

That's absolute rubbish!

I urge people to look her up. She's on twitter. Full of positivity and inspiration. Mental health tips, mood boosters.

She's a scientific expert. We would have been spared a hell of a lot of negative experience had we then her expert advice. It would be over by now (temporary bar on foreign holidays excepted).

She wants elimination... I don't think she's a total ray of sunshine.

Yes she wants the sunshine of freedom from this devastating disease. A very achievable aim. It's freedom that, as she points out, other countries, some much poorer than us, have already got. 🌞

@SheepandCow

Yes she wants the sunshine of freedom from this devastating disease. A very achievable aim. It's freedom that, as she points out, other countries, some much poorer than us, have already got. 🌞

It might have been achievable on day one but I don't think it is now. With a vaccine, possibly but we haven't eradicated many viruses have we so I don't think we have any reason to believe we can eradicate this one.

She actually asked us all in Scotland to channel our inner sunshine 😂😂😂

The problem is that the only positivity most people are interested in is positive news about when we can torch social distancing and get back to life. She hasn’t been very positive about that - I read an interview with her a few weeks ago when she said 2024 or something! Telling people to “have joy” in these dire circumstances with a grim prognosis is at best a bit silly and for a lot of people who are really struggling, downright offensive.

I’m not doubting her expertise. But she isn’t one to say something rash and so if she says it is going to be better by spring, that has credibility to me.

@FractionalGains indeed, the only positivity I best you hear about is getting my hard won pre lockdown life back

I want, even 😊

Youngest ever Rhodes scholar in its 100 year history. Spoke five languages, tutored autistic children, co-authored a book on Indian mythology - by the age 18. Yeah I think I’ll listen to her over some internet nobodies.

I wish young girls could see and aspire to be like her.

She actually asked us all in Scotland to channel our inner sunshine

Is that a new way of saying 'take your freebie Vit D'????

@FractionalGains

The problem is that the only positivity most people are interested in is positive news about when we can torch social distancing and get back to life. She hasn’t been very positive about that - I read an interview with her a few weeks ago when she said 2024 or something! Telling people to “have joy” in these dire circumstances with a grim prognosis is at best a bit silly and for a lot of people who are really struggling, downright offensive.

I’m not doubting her expertise. But she isn’t one to say something rash and so if she says it is going to be better by spring, that has credibility to me.

If people had listened to her expert advice,v we'd already be able to stop social distancing. She's long called for an Australian/New Zealand/Isle of Man/Taiwan style containment approach. Her way would've meant everything normal by now (bar foreign holidays).

Ignoring her advice is what causes negativity. It's what drags this out.

And, as a scientific expert, what do you want her to do. Lie? Pretend things are better than they are? With the consequence of making it all worse because the problem won't go away and get better unless it's dealt with.

It's people who want to ignore the experts like Professor Sridhar who are responsible for be misery and negativity. She wants to get us out of this. For real, not pretend (with the inevitable slip backwards).

@Redolent

Youngest ever Rhodes scholar in its 100 year history. Spoke five languages, tutored autistic children, co-authored a book on Indian mythology - by the age 18. Yeah I think I’ll listen to her over some internet nobodies.

I wish young girls could see and aspire to be like her.

She's a fantastic role model isn't she.

[quote WouldBeGood]@FractionalGains indeed, the only positivity I best you hear about is getting my hard won pre lockdown life back[/quote]
If the government had followed Professor Sridhar's advice, that's what we'd have by now.

Ignoring her is why we're in this second semi lockdown.

That’s rubbish

@SheepandCow

And, as a scientific expert, what do you want her to do. Lie? Pretend things are better than they are? With the consequence of making it all worse because the problem won't go away and get better unless it's dealt with.

It's people who want to ignore the experts like Professor Sridhar who are responsible for be misery and negativity. She wants to get us out of this. For real, not pretend (with the inevitable slip backwards).

You seem to think I’m slagging her off. No I don’t want her to lie, where on earth did you get that from? My entire point was that if she says something, I believe it. Why have you taken that as some kind of attack on her?

If Prof Sikora said things will be better by Spring, I’d take with a pinch of salt. When Prof Shridar says it, I’m inclined to believe her.

And the fact her advice is honest and even possibly right doesn’t mean it isn’t negative. This pandemic lasting till 2024 is a negative thing to say even if it is true. How would you describe it? I really don’t know what you’ve got so defensive about on this one sheep!

Sorry @FractionalGains
I'm skimming through. I should read posts properly!

I haven't seen where she said that. It's obviously not good news if true - but I'd wager a guess that she's talking about 100% world elimination. And/or what happens if we don't handle it right - including a rushed relaxation of measures.

There might be little changes that last a couple of years - especially travel precautions (perhaps vaccine passports, and/or masks, etc) - but things are looking up.

It won't be immediate, it will be a gradual return to normal, but we have a light at the end of the tunnel.

Oh, some people do love the masks and misery

@SheepandCow

Sorry *@FractionalGains* I'm skimming through. I should read posts properly!

I haven't seen where she said that. It's obviously not good news if true - but I'd wager a guess that she's talking about 100% world elimination. And/or what happens if we don't handle it right - including a rushed relaxation of measures.

There might be little changes that last a couple of years - especially travel precautions (perhaps vaccine passports, and/or masks, etc) - but things are looking up.

It won't be immediate, it will be a gradual return to normal, but we have a light at the end of the tunnel.

My posts prob don’t make any sense, I’m a little sleep deprived with the little ones

To be fair, it was a question about when the pandemic would be over I think. And the official classification of that is something I know nothing about. I assumed if we could go back to vaguely normal that would mean it is over, but I may be wrong.

Don't they just. Thanks to their moaning we dragged it out instead of rolling our sleeves up and doing what other countries did - took effective action to contain it.

The rest of us would've preferred to avoid the misery of a dragged out mess.

That said, misery - no thank you very much. The anti containment drag it all out lot can keep that. But masks? Love 'em. Excellent for an ugly or lazy day, and there are some fabulous options out there.

Sorry that was to the poster above you FractionalGains

Ugh sleep deprivation is horrible isn't it. I'm tired too - and probably making less sense than you (you're making perfect sense to me btw).

I think I'd better take a break from this now. It's taken over my evening! I'm sure everybody else will welcome a break from me too!

I think in general it's good news. It's not over yet but we're getting there. I'm hopeful of a better spring.

Time for my hot chocolate.