Once we're all vaccinated...

[MissEllaWater]

...or most of us are anyway, do you think that self isolating/track and trace/all that jazz will still be a thing? And fines and so on if you don't comply? I'm not talking about in the next few months, more like in a year or two when it's all bedded in. Surely if the most vulnerable can be protected, we won't need to be quite so vigilant, inasmuch as we won't have to SI for ages if we've been in contact with a positive case?

I really hope it's not a thing, we don't do it for anything else so i don't see why we should do it for this (then again we've never locked down before either so...)

@ILoveYoga

As was in the briefing the other night, covid isn’t going away. We’re going to have to live with it in society. So society will have to change from what was the norm before particularly as this pandemic has shown there are many selfish and entitled people who think wearing a mask/refuse to be socially distanced, anti vaxers etc is more about their civil liberties rather than care and concern for their fellow humans.

So gatherings of fewer people (ban on large gatherings - or health standards for larger gatherings ) and mask wearing where social distance is hard to maintain should remain as well as more sanitising/cleaning.

Are you for real? What an arsehole.

@usernotfound0000

My thought is that it will be treated like the flu is. So all vulnerable people vaccinated every year, others can pay to have it if they don't qualify and then we just get on with life.

Yep, I agree with this too. I think the first rollout of the vaccine to the most vulnerable will result in a big decline in hospitalisations and the restrictions will start to relax. Case numbers won’t mean much if the vast majority of them are mild and don’t result in complications requiring hospital care.

So gatherings of fewer people (ban on large gatherings - or health standards for larger gatherings ) and mask wearing where social distance is hard to maintain should remain as well as more sanitising/cleaning.

Think you're on your own there with that one pet.

Restrictions will be lifted, bit by bit, over several months, when infection rates, and particularly deaths, fall enough, whether that's by vaccinations, herd immunity or mutations or whatever. Covid will always be with us, just as is norovorus, measels, chicken pox, etc.

We'll see a gradual removal of official restrictions/prohibitions, such as pub opening times, sports stadia numbers etc., together with society generally moving away from social distancing, masks, etc. A lot of the restrictions will just naturally disappear, such as masks - there'll never be an official announcement that masks are no longer needed, but society itself will start to stop using them, alongside the vulnerable/worried continuing to use them if they wish.

Big gatherings such as 50,000 in a football stadium or 10,000 at an indoor music festival, or crowded nightclubs, will be the last to officially be allowed to re-open as they're the highest risk areas.

Most people will be back to work long before then, hopefully as early as Easter, as when infection/death rates fall, there's no reason why workplaces can't return, with sensible precautions, such as handgel, etc.

People don't all need to be vaccinated - simply by other people being vaccinated, the spread will be much reduced and infection rates will fall. Within a few months, there'll be similar risk of catching covid in the shops/workplace as there is of catching norovirus or flu. That's an acceptable and balanced risk. Yes, some people will catch it, some may die, but that's the same as with other viruses - it's impossible to make life 100% safe for everyone.

I think, and hope, that this pandemic will leave a lasting legacy of everyone taking hygiene etc more seriously. More regular handwashing, more hand gel stations in shops and workplaces, more awareness of catching coughs/sneezes, more respect for personal space, no more "shaming" of people who choose to wear masks etc. More cleaning and hygiene in hospitals and care homes.

One thing for sure is that covid won't be the last pandemic. We have to hope that we ALL learn from this, at population level, employer level, and governmental level, and that we're better prepared for the next one that comes along, all of us.

Once every adult has had/been offered the vaccine we should be back to normal.

@ILoveYoga

As was in the briefing the other night, covid isn’t going away. We’re going to have to live with it in society. So society will have to change from what was the norm before particularly as this pandemic has shown there are many selfish and entitled people who think wearing a mask/refuse to be socially distanced, anti vaxers etc is more about their civil liberties rather than care and concern for their fellow humans.

So gatherings of fewer people (ban on large gatherings - or health standards for larger gatherings ) and mask wearing where social distance is hard to maintain should remain as well as more sanitising/cleaning.

Sorry but you are talking shite No weddings No festivals etc

I can't see people complying

@ILoveYoga

Or how about we just accept covid as an additional risk in our lives, as we have done with numerous other infectious illnesses since time immemorial? Or like we unthinkingly accept the risk of possible death or injury every time we get into a car?
Rather than condemning everyone to a joyless, regimented, sterile existence.

Honestly, people have totally lost all perspective on this.

[quote TempsPerdu]@ILoveYoga

Or how about we just accept covid as an additional risk in our lives, as we have done with numerous other infectious illnesses since time immemorial? Or like we unthinkingly accept the risk of possible death or injury every time we get into a car?
Rather than condemning everyone to a joyless, regimented, sterile existence.

Honestly, people have totally lost all perspective on this.[/quote]
There's a vaccine about to be rolled out. I'd rather sit tight for a few extra months until i've had it than be packing off to a rave any time soon.

@User158340
Yes of course; that makes logical sense. But that post wasn’t about sitting tight for a few months but about ‘living with the virus’ through permanent cultural change and keeping restrictions in place indefinitely. Which personally I’d call ‘existing with the virus,’ not living.

And no raving going on here - I have a three year old!

I think, and hope, that this pandemic will leave a lasting legacy of everyone taking hygiene etc more seriously. More regular handwashing, more hand gel stations in shops and workplaces, more awareness of catching coughs/sneezes, more respect for personal space, no more "shaming" of people who choose to wear masks etc. More cleaning and hygiene in hospitals and care homes.

I agree with this except for the no more shaming of people for wearing face masks. I have never seen anyone shame anyone for wearing a face mask. If you want to wear a face mask wear one !!!

@TempsPerdu

Absolutely things will have to return to normal once the vaccine is properly rolled out.

If people are more hygienic after this, and more considerate of protecting the health of others, then great, but we're not going to social distance for years on end, that's ludicrous.

@ILoveYoga

As was in the briefing the other night, covid isn’t going away. We’re going to have to live with it in society. So society will have to change from what was the norm before particularly as this pandemic has shown there are many selfish and entitled people who think wearing a mask/refuse to be socially distanced, anti vaxers etc is more about their civil liberties rather than care and concern for their fellow humans.

So gatherings of fewer people (ban on large gatherings - or health standards for larger gatherings ) and mask wearing where social distance is hard to maintain should remain as well as more sanitising/cleaning.

Complete and utter nonsense, and will never happen because it's total political suicide.

@ILoveYoga

As was in the briefing the other night, covid isn’t going away. We’re going to have to live with it in society. So society will have to change from what was the norm before particularly as this pandemic has shown there are many selfish and entitled people who think wearing a mask/refuse to be socially distanced, anti vaxers etc is more about their civil liberties rather than care and concern for their fellow humans.

So gatherings of fewer people (ban on large gatherings - or health standards for larger gatherings ) and mask wearing where social distance is hard to maintain should remain as well as more sanitising/cleaning.

Why on earth would bans on large gatherings and long term mask wearing be part of a longer term solution? Post vaccination this should be as dangerous as the regular winter flu, yet we never shut down the winter Olympics or football matches for that, let alone other family events.

Problem is, if we don't vaccinate children, then they will have to self isolate if there is a close contact case at school, and parents will still have to take time off work. Education will be disrupted.

And even in many months time, when everyone over say 40 years old is vaccinated, so many teachers and staff in schools are under 40, and at uni, colleges and secondary schools there will still be many cases and local outbreaks.

Unless a significant proportion of teenagers and young adults are vaccinated as well, which is likely to be in a long time, then life will not be completely back to normal.

@Nc135

I think, and hope, that this pandemic will leave a lasting legacy of everyone taking hygiene etc more seriously. More regular handwashing, more hand gel stations in shops and workplaces, more awareness of catching coughs/sneezes, more respect for personal space, no more "shaming" of people who choose to wear masks etc. More cleaning and hygiene in hospitals and care homes.

I agree with this except for the no more shaming of people for wearing face masks. I have never seen anyone shame anyone for wearing a face mask. If you want to wear a face mask wear one !!!

In our town, an asian girl was attacked, kicked and punched by a group of teenagers just because she was wearing a mask - that was in early February just as Covid was starting to spread.

There's a vaccine about to be rolled out. I'd rather sit tight for a few extra months until i've had it than be packing off to a rave any time soon.

I'll take the rave but you can fuck the vaccine. I don't want it. I won't have it.

@NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace

There's a vaccine about to be rolled out. I'd rather sit tight for a few extra months until i've had it than be packing off to a rave any time soon.

I'll take the rave but you can fuck the vaccine. I don't want it. I won't have it.

How old are you? It probably won’t be offered to you for ages anyway.

I hope tfl keep up the cleaning regime on the tube. It’s never been so clean and shiny. You can see your reflection in the chrome hand rails

@Kazzyhoward from your description of the girl I suspect the mask was the rather pathetic excuse rather than the reason.

There is still no active plan to vaccinate non vulnerable people under 50. We may never 'all' be vaccinated, the plan is currently for sufficient people to be vaccinated so as to manage the risk.

I think once the NHS is no longer in danger, ie by Easter, we will see life returning to normal, one step at a time.
2022 will be completely normal.

Anyone know if this vaccine can theoretically be rolled into the flu one ? I already pay for that, happy to pay for covid too if they make it similar cost on a yearly basis. I’m nearly 50 so presumably they ll keep it free for that age and above .

Think foreign travel will need proof of vaccination for at least the next 5 years.

How old are you? It probably won’t be offered to you for ages anyway.

I'm 53 but I was so desperate to avoid having it that I found a way of ensuring I won't have to .....

@QueenBlueberries

Problem is, if we don't vaccinate children, then they will have to self isolate if there is a close contact case at school, and parents will still have to take time off work. Education will be disrupted.

And even in many months time, when everyone over say 40 years old is vaccinated, so many teachers and staff in schools are under 40, and at uni, colleges and secondary schools there will still be many cases and local outbreaks.

Unless a significant proportion of teenagers and young adults are vaccinated as well, which is likely to be in a long time, then life will not be completely back to normal.

After the over 50s and vulnerable are vaccinated I assume the govt will stop publishing data on cases- hopefully deaths and hospitalisations will be vastly reduced so they won't bother with the mass testing/isolating/quarantining arrivals (or trying to!) from hotspots abroad. The govt's priority is to save the NHS from being overwhelmed- even if many more younger people get long term health issues from contracting Covid, they won't take up hospital beds so the govt won't care unfortunately.

Problem is, if we don't vaccinate children, then they will have to self isolate if there is a close contact case at school, and parents will still have to take time off work. Education will be disrupted.

Why would they? You don't self isolate if you come into contact with someone with flu, or norovirus? You stay at home if you yourself are ill, and that's what would happen for Covid too once vaccination reduces (not eliminates) the risk to the vulnerable.