Normal life will not resume by May

[LemonadeFromLemons]

The article below is brilliant at explaining what the vaccine will and will not do. Unfortunately, it also makes clear that it is going to be years not months until we are able to go back to normal. I would strongly encourage every person to read it to get the clear facts in an easy format:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-b6360f40-84f9-469b-b6a3-a4568e161c4f

Yeah it will

Well seeing as the government have said once phase 1 of the vaccination plan has been completed we will be going back to normal I don’t think they can backtrack now. No one will comply. I’m certainly not going to social distance anymore from anyone once phase 1 is done and everyone I know feels the same.

The two years comment refers to the global issues. For the U.K., as a developed nation, recovery is likely to be much quicker...as mentioned in the article.

Unduly pessimistic in my view. Life will be pretty normal for most people by Easter I reckon.

I think life will get much more back to normal. Once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated then there is no need for huge restrictions is there because the risk of dying is vastly reduced.

Yes there might still be cases but there won’t be over 80k deaths in a year.

OP I’m unsure whether your intentions sharing this article and your comment which is purely your opinion (and not one I agree with) was designed to be helpful and informative or just another attempt to be negative and dull any hope that people have or spring being a better time, if the latter please think twice before posting. The article again is only someone’s opinion and isn’t saying that things will not get better. The pure and simple fact regardless of whether lockdown lovers like it or not is that once the vulnerable are vaccinated we will move away from restrictions and onto personal responsibility like we do with many other seasonal illnesses. It is not viable to live in this way indefinitely. Yes we may need to keep up our hand hygiene etc. but this should be the norm anyway. I don’t think doom mongers understand the impact these posts can have on people who are struggling and are desperate to get back to the full lives they had before.

It depends on your must and whether you blindly follow misguided rules that make no sense, or whether you are assertive and say "that's enough, no more". I'm not a Vivid denier, conspiracy theorist or anti-vaxxer, just an ordinary member of the public who's worked throughout the pandemic. I'm embarrassed by the hysteria and terror exhibited by some members of the public but it lies firmly at the feet of the government and their manipulative use of data.

Your thread title is so bloody miserable. Maybe try to consider those who are struggling with life currently and be a bit less black and white about stuff.

Mindse not must!😐

I thought it was a well written and balanced article. Having realistic expectations about what will be happening next is really important.

Thanks for sharing.

We'll have to start accepting that death is part of life, it comes to us all and then wake up and realise we might as will live our lives in the meantime.

I've said similar on here OP.
People don't want to hear it though.
I absolutely hate the restrictions, but I think a dose of realism is needed. No point getting hyped up for normality only to have it whipped away.

I think things like hand steriliser and masks might continue for a while and maybe big gatherings will be held back on but people can’t take the social distancing for too much longer.

This part of the article is absolutely ridiculous:

The bad news is that it could well take months or possibly years to vaccinate enough of the global population to make the whole interconnected world safe and reach a point where we can all return to full normal.

So months or possibly years? What is it article writer??? See, no basis whatsoever. Guesswork.

@Florelei

I think life will get much more back to normal. Once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated then there is no need for huge restrictions is there because the risk of dying is vastly reduced.

Yes there might still be cases but there won’t be over 80k deaths in a year.

But it's not just the risk of dying that's the problem. The older people may be prevented from dying but it's also mainly younger people who get critically ill and need to be in hospital- hence overwhelming the NHS - which was the reason for lockdown anyway. Lockdown was to prevent deaths yes but mostly to protect the nhs as it cannot cope with the extra burden of covid patients. Life isn't just going to go back to normal when old people have been vaccinated, sorry. To think that would be terribly naive.

I’m CEV, have been shielding in an off this year, and although shielding is currently paused, we still got a letter outlining all sorts of extra precautions and urging us not to do anything risky.

My idea of ‘normal’ is being under the same level of restrictions as you are seeking to see the back of.

There are about 10million people ahead of me in the vaccine queue

It is a ridiculous article really. Someone pontificating on worse case scenario using information they must have looked up in April.

Not read the article, things won’t be normal but will be much better. Once we have protected the elderly/vulnerable people will be less inclined towards following restrictions. We are in winter cases are high yet lots are now bending the rules etc as it’s been a long time now. Patience won’t be forever. Most have done their best but even rule followers are very fed up.

I work for the nhs and fully understand right now it’s needs we are very busy and without the restrictions it would be carnage.

However this will ease and slowly normality will drift back in. No it won’t switch straight away but restrictions have to ease and the economy has to get going. I’m looking towards spring/summer for some light after a pretty dark winter.

Once the elderly and vulnerable have been protected, there is less need for restrictions in the uk, which were about protecting our society and the NHS , not about saving lives as such.

But normality might be different

Some aspects of normality rely on economic recovery.
Other aspects will be denied by Brexit,
Other aspects will be restricted as the vaccine needs to reach the whole world first
There may also be a permanent change with less use of central London offices

There are aspects that the scientists might like to keep forever. Firstly People not going into work when sick. People with colds wearing face mask when out and about. Significant financial benefit to society. And secondly , carbon reductions could be part of our future.

@iVampire

I’m CEV, have been shielding in an off this year, and although shielding is currently paused, we still got a letter outlining all sorts of extra precautions and urging us not to do anything risky.

My idea of ‘normal’ is being under the same level of restrictions as you are seeking to see the back of.

There are about 10million people ahead of me in the vaccine queue

I know, it doesn't seem fair! I've been in hospital this week and I would love for my kids to be able to visit. It is the small things!

The trajectory of life has been altered by this forever. But things are going to get better fairly quickly over the next year or so.

It’s not doom and gloom forever, nor is it “yay, back to normal!”

What matters to me selfishly is that there are spaces for my chemotherapy in the winter spring. Because of covid the units have to space out patients so fewer patients can be fitted in a unit per day.

If people abandon the rules and the disease keeps spreading it gets harder and harder to make the system work.

Many on here are of the opinion that the cev should just 'shield'. Impossible with school age children who need hugs. It's more that simple in real life

@user1493413286

I think things like hand steriliser and masks might continue for a while and maybe big gatherings will be held back on but people can’t take the social distancing for too much longer.

I think the social distancing in shops and restaurants should continue. Controversial I know, but actually it’s been more blissful not having people in my face all the time!

Schools aren't going to be back to normal until next academic year in my opinion. That feels right, not optimistic or pessimistic, just about right.

@VaTeLaverLesMains

What matters to me selfishly is that there are spaces for my chemotherapy in the winter spring. Because of covid the units have to space out patients so fewer patients can be fitted in a unit per day.

If people abandon the rules and the disease keeps spreading it gets harder and harder to make the system work.

Many on here are of the opinion that the cev should just 'shield'. Impossible with school age children who need hugs. It's more that simple in real life

So agreed with this! And it's not even just the hugs: if you have younger kids then they need taking to school, etc.

A lot of the extra hygiene stuff does go a long way. We have been hyper careful with changing clothes when coming home from school/work, washing hands when coming into the house, covering faces with elbows when sneezing - and my DC have been careful at school too (more so than directed by the school). None of them have been sick all winter, so I can't help but feel that it must have something going for it! Imagine if, a bit of extra hand hygiene meant a 50% reduction in the nasty bugs that usually do the rounds at this time of year...