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

@TheKeatingFive

I think people still don’t understand the point of the lockdowns and restrictions. The reason for them was to take pressure off the NHS. With a 95% effective vaccine, applied to the most vulnerable, it won’t be long before that makes a big difference to numbers needing treatment.

While I expect things like mask wearing to continue for a while, shutting down society to stop the spread of Covid in healthy under 50s just won’t be on the agenda.

The ons predicts up to 5% of the population has had covid. Now I don’t know the stats but there are definitely under 50s with no underlying health conditions in ICU. What I don’t yet understand (as we don’t have access to the figures) is if we allow it to spread rapidly though the under 50s by removing all restrictions what the hospital admissions will be. I expect depending on the modelling based on icu admissions they will be able to determine if hospitals will be overwhelmed or not and thus how much to ease restrictions.

[quote countrygirl99]@Loveyourideas the problem for us is that this year has made it even more obvious that, for my 82yo mum with dementia, what is most important above all else is social interaction. The deterioration brought about by the closure of her usual groups is pitiful to see and she can't cope with Zoom.etc. Quite frankly death by covid would be a release from her fear and confusion.[/quote]
Sorry about your mum. My dad is 82 and high-risk and feels very alone. Before Covid he was super busy and independent. I am so far away and can’t visit. It has made me think about things I took for granted and whether we should try to move closer to home. But that means a lot of complications (and simplifications in some ways too!) and not sure how DH feels about it.

My best friends mum died today and I realise that if my dad falls ill, I won’t be able to see him.

@Dotinthecity perfectly put 👏🏻

Now I don’t know the stats but there are definitely under 50s with no underlying health conditions in ICU.

There are. But not in uncopeable amounts (I may have just made up a word here). Locking down forever to stop all instances of serious disease is madness.

@TheKeatingFive

Now I don’t know the stats but there are definitely under 50s with no underlying health conditions in ICU.

There are. But not in uncopeable amounts (I may have just made up a word here). Locking down forever to stop all instances of serious disease is madness.

It’s copeablr amounts at the moment (less than 5% of entire population infected since March). What I’m queuing is whether it will be copable numbers if all restrictions are lifted at once AND under 50s are unvaccinated. Presumably it could spread rapidly in the 95% of under 50s without immunity with no social distancing and masks.

What I’m queuing is whether it will be copable numbers if all restrictions are lifted at once AND under 50s are unvaccinated. Presumably it could spread rapidly in the 95% of under 50s without immunity with no social distancing and masks.

I think the lighter touch measures (masks in particular) will be recommended for a while to come. And restrictions will be eased gradually, so that limits of what can be coped with will become apparent. Don’t forget also, that treatments are getting better all the time, and they’ll work best for the healthy young.

I suspect that in quite a short time, CV in the under 50s will be viewed very similarly to flu.