Given the optimistic press conference tonight - when will we be back to normal?

[Teenageromance]

So v optimistic press conference tonight. Predicted first groups vaccinated next month and then rapidly thrift the age groups in the New Year.
So could we be back to normal end Jan/Feb?

@HeyBaby2020

Wow some right negative Debbie downers on this page ffs

On this page? More like on almost every positive thread started! First it used to be there’s never going to be a vaccine and now that there is apparently it won’t be ready in time or distributed in time or some other very unlikely doom gloom scenario 🤦‍♀️

Summer, with things starting to improve by March

@Sunshinegirl82

If the vaccine only lasts two years then we will just have to repeat the process in two years. Based on what they seem to be seeing on immunity though I'm starting to be more optimistic that immunity will actually be quite long lasting.

People still have immunity to SARS 17 years after infection so it's not beyond the realms of possibility we could be looking at 5-10 years worth of immunity.

Plus they can maybe have a rolling vaccine programme instead of having to get everyone done ASAP

I’m really hopeful for a good Easter. For the first time in a long time I really can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It will be ok. We just have to keep going for a few more months! And then it will be ok and we must all remember not to take normal life for granted ever again.

@MadameBlobby

Summer, with things starting to improve by March

I think this too. Fingers crossed 🤞

A lot depends on how we handle the coming months. Optimistic we should be, yes, but not complacent. As long as we don't drop our guard too soon and keep taking necessary precautions.

We have a light at the end of the tunnel - but we must make sure we go slow and cautiously.

Let's just hope we don't bugger it up with a Christmas that involves spreading a virus rather than goodwill. We're so close, it would be terrible to lose tens of thousands more people needlessly for the sake of a few days over Christmas.

April or May to vaccinate everyone over 60 who wants it.

"I know everything has been shit for so long that it's hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but this honestly is one. We have developed several vaccine for a new disease in under a year, and they're amazingly effective, and the government have actually planned ahead and bought enough of them. You can be happy!"

This, and I'm happy tonight.

@Sb2012

I don’t think the government have done that bad considering we aren’t the only developed country in the world to be in this situation. Look at France as an example. The fact that there are effective vaccines coming and the government have paid for them in advance is excellent work. The vaccine are coming and we will have more than enough to probably vaccinate the entire population twice over. Apart from New Zealand, most developed countries are in a similar situation to us, but minus the purchase of so many vaccines. So it’s not all doom and gloom. We also now have a few drugs to minimise the severity of covid and some excellent ones in phase 3. Look at how Trump has done! And be grateful we aren’t in that situation. All the drugs that he spoke about as being possibly effective treatments against covid are proving to be ineffective (remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine)

Why compare with one of the few countries that handled it worse than us? Many more have done much better.

Most of the developed world has handled it as badly as us? Not really, no. Australia, New Zealand, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany. All took effective containment measures.

We have the highest death rate in Europe - and, the only countries in the world with more deaths than us all have much larger populations. Per million population we have pretty much the worse death rate in the world.

@Mintjulia

April or May to vaccinate everyone over 60 who wants it.

We'll need to vaccinate the 40-60 year olds before things could start to get back to normal.

With a bit of luck Hancock was telling the truth when he suggested that every adult who wanted or needed it would be vaccinated by Spring.

I think the vaccine news is optimistic, I did worry that because immunity if you catch actual COVID seems to disappear it would make creating an effective vaccine very difficult. I’m obviously not a virologist though.

But January for normality? That idea is a massive lol. My kids were offered the flu vaccine in August and there’s still no sign of them getting it. That enough people could be vaccinated by a vaccine that isn’t even fully ready yet is ridiculous.

Agree @SheepandCow

A dismal few months beckons but look at what we have done, 8 months so far, another couple of months and we will hopefully know so much more

Once the old and vulnerable start getting protected we can hopefully start a cautious easing

At this point the vaccine hasn't been approved and it actually needs to be produced. That time scale is the ability for the NHS to administer it. Which is completely useless without any actual vaccine

It is brilliant news that the vaccines are now within touching distance. Awaiting final approval.

Back to normal by January or February of next year is rather optimistic though and we still have to navigate the traditionally difficult winter months for now.

Realistically, I think that it will be more likely that normality will be beginning to re-emerge next summer, although we might well see a big difference by next Easter if the vaccination program goes smoothly.

It is light at the end of the tunnel and is very welcome after so long.

I'll be fascinated to see what the Covid, Lockdown and Mask Police do then. They are the ones who seem to have been really enjoying this pandemic. Will they perhaps morph one more time? Perhaps into the Vaccination Police? Will that be their new purpose?

It was an optimistic briefing, with really good news for a change. Hancock was giving out the best case scenario though in terms of time frames. It’s not being negative to point out that, realistically, the vaccine roll out is likely to take longer than the best case scenario. It’s still great news, and moving in the right direction, we just might have to be a bit more patient than we want to be.

@Littleposh

The vaccine has been in production for months. Most of the drug companies started producing it at risk at the same time as they started the later stage trials. It's one of the reasons this whole thing seems quicker than usual.

I think the vaccine news is optimistic, I did worry that because immunity if you catch actual COVID seems to disappear it would make creating an effective vaccine very difficult. I’m obviously not a virologist though

No, obviously not. Also immunity does not "disappear".

Can't believe how much some people just love to wallow in misery and can't possibly be happy about this amazing news.

@Figmentofmyimagination

Won’t the refrigerated lorries of vaccines have the lorry park formerly known as Kent to navigate first?

Let’s be realistic here.

This!

Plus all Those vaccine refusers will have a fresh way to screw the vulnerable over

It's hardly doom and gloom just being realistic about timescales. Nothing wrong with being a realist! It's great news for all those vulnerable and worried, and progress is being made, but if people want to go around in a joyous bubble thinking it'll be business as usual by Jan / Feb - crack on

Typical MN 😄

‘’Wow some right negative Debbie downers on this page ffs ’
Nah, just people being realistic

Let's not forget that a few short months ago, the "realistic" people were all saying that a vaccine was going to be years away - if we ever got one at all...

If the vaccines hit no snags then Summer. But we still don’t know the full details about the vaccines. I am optimistic but really want to see the full results of the trials. The devil is often in the detail and we haven’t seen that yet.

@GoldenOmber 👏

Great post.

I'm feeling hopeful about the vaccine but realistically I think it will be spring /summer when things start to feel more normal.
To have all adults vaccinated by April seems wildly optimistic (but I'd be pleasantly surprised if that could happen) for it to even be a plan is hopeful. My relative in their 90s has only left the house 3 times since March, I would be so happy for them to have some more freedom and see people face to face.

One thing that is different is that the Government didnt (or indeed couldnt) outsource a vaccine to their preferred cronies with no experience of making a vaccine.....so that in itself makes this a lot more positive than any of the other claims.

I am a pretty pessimistic person who genuinely thought this virus was just going to be around forever and we all needed to accept that people will die and that will be our new reality. However even I am now feeling more optimistic that maybe by middle of next year things will start to get brighter and more back to normal.