Feeling scared about January

[Bettydot]

Is anyone else feeling really worried about what January holds? I’m watching cases and hospital admissions start to spiral ahead of the Christmas easing. Seeing news articles about how much hospitals are already struggling and January and February are always the toughest months for the NHS. I just feel despite all the hope on the horizon that January and February will be the worst months of the pandemic. It feels even worse that we can see what’s going to happen yet no one is stopping it. I worry not only about Covid but also the impact on other emergency admissions and urgent life saving treatments. I find it heartbreaking watching what’s about to happen.

I don't understand why people feel that hospitals are under no greater pressure than usual at this time of year.

My dad has had his pacemaker battery change cancelled plus an important excision of a cancerous melanoma this week. Others have had important procedures cancelled. I wish I was wrong!

If the pp who mentioned ECMO is in Leicester then I've heard that through work too.
We have ECMO in my trust but are at capacity so have been relying Leicester. We have now been told they're also at ECMO capacity.
That's very, very frightening.
Covid patients aren't the only patients who require it.

Hospitals are definitely under greater pressure!

@Hapixmas

You're right to be worried but I don't think it will be Christmas that does it. Covid is spreading in schools, fast. The government have fucked up by pretending schools are safe when they aren't. A little bit of mixing over Xmas isn't going to make the dent, the damage is already done.

You are right that covid is spreading in schools; however the November lockdown showed that it is not the only vector for fast spreading. Up here in Gtr Mcr our numbers plummeted during second lockdown, despite schools remaining open in the same way as they have since Sept.

@Carrotcakeforbreakfast that is what I was trying to say but for whatever reasons other posters think I'm wrong and TBH I don't have the skill or energy to make strangers over the Internet believe me.

Leicestershire hospitals serve a wider area than just their own county. We have specialist ECMO and heart facilities serving fat and wide but they have been under pressure for a long time given how long Leicester has been struggling with infection levels. They are now almost full and that is very worrying not least for the incredible staff who work there and are aghast at people continually taking risks.

The fact is that the virus spreads only via human to human or touch points. So lockdowns and tough rules do work in theory, but not in practise as too many people don't follow them.

@2X4B523P

Time will tell obviously but I wouldn’t be surprised if cases fall just into the new year. Yes there will be lots of mixing over the 5 days but the mass daily gatherings that is schools will be out of the equation and should more than balance it out.

Amen. This.

I'm getting quite fed up with all the posters on mums net who simply want Christmas mixing to be banned. When many people are taking sensible precautions, I.e, private testing, isolating beforehand, only meeting for an hour or so with masks, not meeting with elderly and vulnerable.

It isnt fair to change it this late now when people have already been isolating ahead of meeting and have already got plans in place. I have assessed the risks and believe that I am OK to mix with the other 2 households (my parents and my brother) we will be 5 people altogether.
And I have time off after the Christmas 5 day window so I plan to relax and not go having gatherings.
I think we have to trust that people are being sensible in their approaches and stop penalising those people.
The ones who may gather over Christmas will gather whether there is law or not. So don't get the government to change the law for those of us who really need this Christmas and have been being sensible in the lead up.

@RosesforMama true but let's be honest, indeed around where i live, there is nearly always half the school of anyway isolating. It is spreading in schools, very fast. And why the government aren't doing something about that, bothers me.