Worried about post Christmas peak

[TipTapTip]

Anyone else who believes in this Virus think it's going to be horrific and things will be much worse in the new year? People going all over the country, getting blind drunk etc etc... The majority of people even following the rules now will throw them out the window because they are so Covid Tired...

[LindaEllen]

I am worried about this as well.
I think that with a vaccine so close, it would be so silly to even try for a 'normal' Christmas if there's any chance of spreading the virus, which obviously there would be.
If you've been that worried about your vulnerable relatives catching the virus, why would you then want to spend Christmas with them and risk passing it to them yourself?
Is it really worth it, when this time next year vulnerable people (plus more, hopefully) will have had the vaccine?
We can still have a Christmas, of sorts, thanks to video calling etc. Single people will have bubbles, assumingly.
I just think - for this one year - we need to accept it's going to be very very different, and celebrate it quietly in our own homes in our own way.

[kittensarecute]

@LindaEllen

I am worried about this as well.
I think that with a vaccine so close, it would be so silly to even try for a 'normal' Christmas if there's any chance of spreading the virus, which obviously there would be.
If you've been that worried about your vulnerable relatives catching the virus, why would you then want to spend Christmas with them and risk passing it to them yourself?
Is it really worth it, when this time next year vulnerable people (plus more, hopefully) will have had the vaccine?
We can still have a Christmas, of sorts, thanks to video calling etc. Single people will have bubbles, assumingly.
I just think - for this one year - we need to accept it's going to be very very different, and celebrate it quietly in our own homes in our own way.

Er no, I shall be seeing who I want to see when I want to see them. The government won't be keeping me from my family and friends any longer, I'm afraid!

[loulouljh]

Not worried at all..economic collapse far more of a worry.

[MushMonster]

I think there will be a peak after Christmas and I am worried about it.
I wish schools did not open the first week after the Christmas break and I can take holidays.
I would happily stay home for that week.
But we will have to carry on and hope the numbers do not go up too high.

[Racoonworld]

@LindaEllen

I am worried about this as well.
I think that with a vaccine so close, it would be so silly to even try for a 'normal' Christmas if there's any chance of spreading the virus, which obviously there would be.
If you've been that worried about your vulnerable relatives catching the virus, why would you then want to spend Christmas with them and risk passing it to them yourself?
Is it really worth it, when this time next year vulnerable people (plus more, hopefully) will have had the vaccine?
We can still have a Christmas, of sorts, thanks to video calling etc. Single people will have bubbles, assumingly.
I just think - for this one year - we need to accept it's going to be very very different, and celebrate it quietly in our own homes in our own way.

I agree it will be different but I will still be seeing family. Just not as many as usual. I’m not going to be apart from my closest family for much longer and we have all agreed that we will break whatever rules are in place at Christmas. The government know most people will see people anyway so I’m guessing they will allow it. If not I don’t really care!

[TheKeatingFive]

I agree it will be different but I will still be seeing family. Just not as many as usual. I’m not going to be apart from my closest family for much longer and we have all agreed that we will break whatever rules are in place at Christmas. The government know most people will see people anyway so I’m guessing they will allow it. If not I don’t really care!

This is where the majority of people I know have landed out.

[User158340]

@ifonly4

We decided on a simple Xmas a while ago, lives and people's health are more important to us. Really hoping the government limit what we're all allowed to do (and if they don't it's going to be a kick in the teeth for those that couldn't enjoy Eid or Dawili!), otherwise it'll be Xmas it'll be a covid spreading event, with those concerned taking it with them to the sales and then back into schools.

This comes from someone who probably won't see her lovely Uncle again. Also, well expecting to walk into work tomorrow and loose my job - 14/80 went first set of redundancies, second waves of redundancies delayed hoping for a good Xmas - our takings were 85% down last week so a few of us will be out.

We've got a PM who wants to be liked more than be responsible. He'll enact policy based on Boris Saves Christmas headlines and will fear being labelled Scrooge. Even if that means disaster in January.

[User158340]

@TheKeatingFive

I agree it will be different but I will still be seeing family. Just not as many as usual. I’m not going to be apart from my closest family for much longer and we have all agreed that we will break whatever rules are in place at Christmas. The government know most people will see people anyway so I’m guessing they will allow it. If not I don’t really care!

This is where the majority of people I know have landed out.

When people talk about seeing family and friends at Christmas are they just talking about the 25th or the whole period?

2 or 3 households mixing on that one day If they've isolated/been very careful in the week or 2 before is not the problem Covid wise. It's the wider period of people just treating it like a normal holiday season.

Government messaging needs to be to self isolate for 7-10 days before meeting up with wider family and not treat it as one big party because the restrictions are lifted. Otherwise we will all be paying for it in January.

[KitKatastrophe]

@MigGril

We have 8 relatives that are over 70, believe it or not they all live independently full lives aren't in care homes. Have big enough pensions that they pay tax, but do have underlying health conditions. So far we've been really lucky, non of them have caught covid. I really don't see us getting out of this without losing some valued members of our family.

You've managed so far, past the worst peak of the virus before we even knew how to mitigate or treat the symptoms. Chances are your family members will be fine through the second smaller peaks too.
I also have many older relatives.

[3littlewords]

We've got a PM who wants to be more liked than responsible

I cant imagine Boris actively encouraging mixing households but I think many will make their own choices regardless of what Boris says or what restrictions are in place

[wildbarnet]

@bathsh3ba

When you start calling people murderers for calling on you to see the bigger picture, you quickly lose the moral high ground OP.

COVID is horrid but it's not going anywhere anytime soon and even the WHO says lockdowns are not a suitable long or even medium term strategy.

This past week an 11yo in my DD's class attempted suicide. She was struggling with starting secondary school after so much time off school and so scared of dying from 'the virus' she couldn't cope. She matters too.

Quality of life matters and losing your job significantly affects that. Stress and anxiety make us physically ill. Isolation makes us physically ill. In most scenarios governments talk about quality of life years not just numerical years. They're too scared to do that at the moment but they should be because it matters.

We have to have a balanced approach, I don't know why some people find that hard to understand.

Well said

[HelloMissus]

I’m hopeful, with schools and universities closed and the rest of us still in the restriction of tiers, numbers might well remain stable.

[SoloMummy]

@happytoday73

OP even if covid is out of control in next year... You are not going to loose half your family to it. Unfortunately some families have lost one family member... Its very rare to loose more than one.
I think its important we keep a sense of reality about this.
All you can do is control your actions and hope for the best.
I know it's hard but it's better to limit worry to what you can control.

And some families lost multiple members of multiple generations due to getting together with family. Four of these members died, 3 others ended up in hospital. All caught from the one family event.
So please don't make assertions you cannot prove to be true nor assure won't be repeated.

[Jrobhatch29]

And some families lost multiple members of multiple generations due to getting together with family. Four of these members died, 3 others ended up in hospital. All caught from the one family event.
So please don't make assertions you cannot prove to be true nor assure won't be repeated.

I guess that's why she said it would be "very rare", which of course it would be.

[Arielsgift]

[quote TipTapTip]@User158340 exactly. Problem is that it will spread thanks to all those like Wild Barnet and that will spread to the vulnerable when they go food shopping, have deliveries etc etc[/quote]
One, @wildbarnet has said nothing wrong. Or anything that would indicate they are doing anything that would spread this. So why are you insinuating that?

Two, you're being totally pathetic. Of course jobs are important ffs. If someone loses their job, and possibly their home and livelihood, it could well lead to the loss of their lives.

[SoloMummy]

@Jrobhatch29

**And some families lost multiple members of multiple generations due to getting together with family. Four of these members died, 3 others ended up in hospital. All caught from the one family event.
So please don't make assertions you cannot prove to be true nor assure won't be repeated.**

I guess that's why she said it would be "very rare", which of course it would be.

So how rare is rare? How many examples is too many to still be rare?

A Michigan woman has lost her entire immediate family to coronavirus after her husband and son died within days of one another

Arizona family lost their business and eight family members to Covid-19

The pain of losing a relative to Covid has been unbearably multiplied for one family in south Wales, who have seen three loved ones die with coronavirus within five days.

The Lewis family, from the Rhondda Valley had been trying hard to protect themselves – some of them had been shielding.

But they are now having to deal with the loss not only of two brothers in their 40s, but of their mother too – and all in the last week.

Covid-19: Three members of one NI family die in two weeks

family with five doctors – and two Covid-19 deaths

Is this enough examples not to be rare anymore?

Three children orphaned, after both parents die within weeks

[Jrobhatch29]

Of course its rare. There are billions of people on the planet. You're talking about a few examples from different countries around the world where there are millions of families.

[IcedPurple]

So how rare is rare? How many examples is too many to still be rare?

The fact that these cases made headlines in the news is itself evidence that they are very rare.

[Racoonworld]

@SoloMummy yes still rare. There 65 million in the UK and you gave a few examples. Very rare. Also can’t believe they were being that careful, we’ve been pretty careful but have still bent some rules but no one I know at all has had it. They would have to be incredibly unlucky to have so many family members catch it if they were being very careful.

[Tfoot75]

I think that January is going to be pretty horrendous, mainly because I think the government have lost control of it now, I don't think the current lockdown will achieve anything, not because of schools but because most people just don't care anymore.

By the way, it's an easy judgement to say that I care more about DH and I keeping our jobs than I do about the lives of anyone outside of myself, DH and DC? Can't see why most people wouldn't agree unless you have a disposable job that you can get the equivalent of anywhere?

People do die you know, not just of covid. I have CEV people in my extended family and if they caught covid and died it wouldn't be because of people not following the rules, it would be because we're in the middle of a pandemic during winter and they're already ill - these things happen. Putting the blame on people for going about the essentials of daily life is just a totally fucked up mindset.

[Arielsgift]

God, 5 whole examples? Must be the new normal now then surely?!

[Stellaris22]

I'm worried, yes.

Spreading the virus to vulnerable elderly family members just because 'it's Christmas and we HAVE to see family'.

Then bringing it back to spread through schools.

But we live in a country where people only care about themselves so unavoidable sadly.

[User158340]

@HelloMissus

I’m hopeful, with schools and universities closed and the rest of us still in the restriction of tiers, numbers might well remain stable.

Yes but the issue is January when they go back again. Like what happened in September.

[AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]

It’s all fine and well locking down/saving a few lives if the people who are actually still here after all this have a shit time to look forward to e.g. tax rises, homelessness, poverty, job losses etc.. I’m
More worried about the fall out from this virus.

Honestly don’t know how some people will cope when the next pandemic comes along and this one might actually kill huge numbers of the population

[HelloMissus]

user when schools and universities opened this September, huge numbers of children aged young people had been mixing fairly freely all Summer.
Eat out to help out, holidays abroad and the UK etc
They then took the virus with them to places which facilitated spread.

This time most children and young people will spend a fairly quiet Xmas, especially those in tiers 2 and 3. The numbers picking up the virus and taking it into their institutions should be much smaller than in September (plus a lot of students have already had it TBH).