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

@Loveyourideas

“If you think that going to a pub with friends is an exercise in meaningless consumerism rather than social connection”

Yes, for me it is. And I understand it is not for you.

And I understand that not everyone wants to or needs to reflect. I appreciated this opportunity. That’s all I’ve said. I’m not defensive about my choices. And no one else needs to be either. But there is no point getting ‘frustrated’ with alternative views or calling others ‘smug’ and ‘unreal’

But you haven't said, "it has given me a chance to reflect about my life, and I don't want to go back to my old normal because my old normal was focused on consumerism. I am glad that I can savour the present."

You have said, in effect, "it has given us all a chance to reflect about our lives, and we shouldn't want to go back to our old normal because our normal lives were focused on consumerism. Why don't we savour the present?"

Can you really not see a difference between those two things? Really? Not even if you try very, very hard?

You're coming across as smug because you're talking like everyone else is in your circumstances, with your choices available, but with less 'resilience' and less willingness to reflect on life. And I'm sure you don't really mean that, do you?

It depends what people mean by “normal”. I have always believed that test trace and isolate is here to stay. It will always be a notifiable disease. There will be outbreaks. But I also believe we can get community transmission and hospital admissions down low enough that we can all go back to the cinema, theatres and sporting fixtures.

I also think that article is ridiculous and scare-mongering. It isn't helpful, either, for the people who are hanging by a thread. The BBC know that though - fear provokes clicks.

No, I don't think life will be 100% normal by May. I do think things will be vastly better than now though. The vaccine is going to be making a significant difference by then, we will have better treatments and the spring weather will help both case numbers and everyone's mood and options in terms of their social lives. As someone who has had a crap year (not everyone has!) I can take the improvements on offer and know it's enough to help me cope for now.

There are all kinds of opinions though, even among very respected journalists and scientists.

My view is it's been a utterly crap year, but with the role out of Vaccines next year HAS to be at least a little better, if not a lot. It's a positive and we all need that right now. Especially because brexit won't be easy, probably. The world feels very unstable at the moment but it will all pass eventually. It feels like the late 70s did, bleak, but things got better then and will do again.

@sashagabadon

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

The people who think this

May I ask what you think of as normal? Do you think we will be able to go around without masks, just go to cinema or pub without leaving details?

Do you think weddings etc of 100+ will go ahead?

Isnt it insane how many people have enjoyed this whole thing, social distancing a dream come true for some😂
My life will be going back to normal ☺️

I listened to a podcast with Nicholas Christakis - professor of social and natural sciences at Yale. He believes we won't be approaching anywhere near normal until 2023, at best late 2022. I think he's right tbh. He's not been wrong about any other predictions he's made around the pandemic. He's well worth listening or reading. He's actually very positive in how he talks about it too, not a doom and gloomer at all.

@museumum

It depends what people mean by “normal”. I have always believed that test trace and isolate is here to stay. It will always be a notifiable disease. There will be outbreaks. But I also believe we can get community transmission and hospital admissions down low enough that we can all go back to the cinema, theatres and sporting fixtures.

But it’s not notifiable if removed from HCID.

@AcornAutumn it’s on the list of notifiable diseases www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-causative-organisms-how-to-report#list-of-notifiable-diseases

Have I missed them talking about taking it off?

Life will because the people will ensure that and also the WHO is taking about the world not one country

[quote museumum]@AcornAutumn it’s on the list of notifiable diseases www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-causative-organisms-how-to-report#list-of-notifiable-diseases

Have I missed them talking about taking it off?[/quote]
I think this happened, like, early March?

We had a case at work in late Feb and had the full works, two week closure for deep clean etc. The person (mild symptoms) was in the Infectious Diseases unit at (IIRC) Royal Free.

By the following week, it had been declassified and the people who'd caught it off the first case were told to stay home with paracetamol and not bother calling 111 unless their symptoms became severe!

@ChasingRainbows19

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.

Thanks this is total sense

[quote museumum]@AcornAutumn it’s on the list of notifiable diseases www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-causative-organisms-how-to-report#list-of-notifiable-diseases

Have I missed them talking about taking it off?[/quote]
I might be confused, sorry

It’s come off the HCID list

www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid#status-of-covid-19

If it’s not HCID, what will they do with an HCID. Kill everyone carrying it I guess 😂

@museumum

It depends what people mean by “normal”. I have always believed that test trace and isolate is here to stay. It will always be a notifiable disease. There will be outbreaks. But I also believe we can get community transmission and hospital admissions down low enough that we can all go back to the cinema, theatres and sporting fixtures.

totally this.

I dont think anyone believes that a switch will go and life will go back to as it was before.

Firstly I think some changes are here to stay - working from home I think has changed, the realisation that UK holidays are just as nice, appreciating the small things. Some mask wearing I think might continue and hopefully the fact that when ill not going into work will help.

Then it will be gradual - life by May will be much improved on the May before. Next Christmas will be better than this.

But also OP nowhere does it actually say in the article it will be years in the UK at all.

I think if people think we will all Blindly follow the rules for another year then they are the naieve ones. JVT said once over 65 and vulnerable have been vaccinated then that will be 99% of possible deathz averted... That's enough for me and will be for others... If the ones that really are scared, want to hind away for years then be my guest... You will be a minority by June tho I can tell you that for certain.

Quartz “I dont think anyone believes that a switch will go and life will go back to as it was before.”

Some posters seem to. No one has answered my question but my version of normal definitely doesn’t include T&T or legally mandated mask wearing. So when people say “well I’m going back to normal” as a couple people f people have, what does that mean?

@Forgetmenot157

I think if people think we will all Blindly follow the rules for another year then they are the naieve ones. JVT said once over 65 and vulnerable have been vaccinated then that will be 99% of possible deathz averted... That's enough for me and will be for others... If the ones that really are scared, want to hind away for years then be my guest... You will be a minority by June tho I can tell you that for certain.

Oh classic example of why confuses me

If things aren’t open as normal, we can’t go.

If masks are still the law, we risk a fine not wearing them. We can’t just decide to go back to normal.

I've been accused many times of being a scaremonger, but even I think that we will be pretty much back to normal by next summer.

We may have a few hoops we have to jump through to do the things we want to do, but in the end, we will mostly be able to do them.

@acornautumn yes but do you really think mps will carry on voting to keep these rules in place? The numbers that support it are going down every time there is a vote!

I think things will go back to normal astonishingly fast. That’s why the rules have had to be so strict - Because people fall back to normal so incredibly quickly. There was a socially distanced outdoor carol service near me recently, filled with rule following types. Twenty minutes in, everyone was too close, chatting away, having fun. That was without any alcohol. It’s instinctive, and people who think that is over simply do not understand the vast majority of the human race.

[quote Forgetmenot157]@acornautumn yes but do you really think mps will carry on voting to keep these rules in place? The numbers that support it are going down every time there is a vote![/quote]
Yes.

The numbers going against it are very low.

@HmmSureJan

I listened to a podcast with Nicholas Christakis - professor of social and natural sciences at Yale. He believes we won't be approaching anywhere near normal until 2023, at best late 2022. I think he's right tbh. He's not been wrong about any other predictions he's made around the pandemic. He's well worth listening or reading. He's actually very positive in how he talks about it too, not a doom and gloomer at all.

So he basically sees life carrying on like this for another two years at least but thinks that is something to feel very positive about?

Surely no one knows yet. A lot will depend on how the vaccination roll out goes but vaccinating the elderly, health and care workers and CEV is not going to stop the spread in the community...

@acornautumn when people say they will go back to normal, it means they will go and see and stay with family, hug their friends and grandparents. People will find a way to get around the rules.

Also with a no deal brexit looming Boris will not let the economy suffer a minute longer than it needs too!