Page 9 | For the first time since this started, I feel quite frightened

Goldistheanswer · 20/12/2020 19:31

Where we live, we’re surrounded by tier 4 but we’re actually tier 2. I wish they’d include us in tier 2 as a way of protecting everyone. Otherwise the people in tier 4 can simply drive 5 minutes up the road and that’s worrying. I’m starting to feel really worried, apparently there were 37000 new cases I think recorded today. The highest we’ve ever recorded.

MadameBlobby · 20/12/2020 19:32

@Flaxmeadow

Not more scared about the virus. It is part of their strategy to scare us into complying with measures though via their messaging

For what purpose?

To ensure people comply with the measures. SAGE engage behavioural scientists. There was published info back in March about the “messaging” they needed to get out to ensure compliance.

MadameBlobby · 20/12/2020 19:35

I agree it’s real and comply with all measures and have done throughout. We were not seeing family at Christmas and have been under severe restrictions for every months.

HOWEVER

It is possible to think that but also that the government have to get out scary messages to get people to follow the rules. If Boris had just come out with some general waffle about cancelling Christmas etc cos they’d realised it was a stupid idea in the first place people would be pissed off rather than scared.

People on here are so black and white. It must be nice to have blind trust in this clueless government and their motives for everything.

Fieldofyellowflowers · 20/12/2020 19:40

It's more infectious but not more deadly. The strain had mutated but not in a way that will affect the vaccine. They know exactly how and where it is mutated. This is partly why they were so late with yesterday's announcement. They needed all the scientific evidence behind them to try to justify the one day xmas and tier 4.

FestertheJester · 20/12/2020 19:43

I am scared too.

I was in hospital this week - a hospital which is fourth closest as the three closest ones were not accepting ambulances.

A nurse told me there that now even if they test positive, if they don't feel unwell, they are being told to come to work. She was getting really scared that people were not wearing masks on the ward.

That has scared me a lot.

Bollss · 20/12/2020 19:46

@Flaxmeadow

I don't want to be free of the virus. That's impossible. I want to be free of restrictions.

What do you think the restrictions are for? They are to protect us. All of us

Now we see a "significant" mutation, in the middle of winter, when we know viruses are spread more. Science is already telling us, it has mutated to a state where its easier to catch but what else will we discover in the coming weeks about the mutation? God willing it will be that the virus is not as dangerous anymore in other ways but what if it is? What then? What if, God forbid and I'm not suggesting it will, but what if it affects children more? What then?

I'm not prepared to take any chances with the damn thing and I'm going to carry on trying my best to abide by the science based rules and frankly Xmas, and all the sickly sentimentallaty and gross consumerism associated with it, can fuck off

Science vases rules? Yeah. Some of them.

I am rules abiding but I've lost the will to give a shit.

Bollss · 20/12/2020 19:47

A nurse told me there that now even if they test positive, if they don't feel unwell, they are being told to come to work. She was getting really scared that people were not wearing masks on the ward

There is absolutely no way that's true.

HuggedTheRedwoods · 20/12/2020 19:48

I'm scared too. We've been following the rules through-out (and yes, as fed up as anyone but just want to get through this) and I'll be home alone at Christmas but.... I'm still expected to attend Jury Service in January. So I'll be stuck in a court with a bunch of random strangers in a high risk city.... what could possibly go wrong.

MarcelineMissouri · 20/12/2020 19:49

@hoodathunkit

I think the only thing they may not say is if this is proven to be less fatal because that may change people's behaviour for the worse when's it's far more transmissible

also they simply don't know about any changes in terms of the likelihood of the virus causing hospitalisations and deaths

I initially misread your post and thought you might be commenting on the virus mutating in such a way as to change human behaviour, thus making the virus easier to transmit

Many viruses change the behaviour of the host (rabies being one of the best known examples) and it is entirely possible that the virus has mutated to change human behaviour to become more risk taking and seek the company of others, which would make it more likely to be transmitted without changing the protien spike

Is this a joke?

BonnieDundee · 20/12/2020 19:50

I'm not as scared as I was in the beginning. I work in the NHS in admin. We have no social distancing in our office. Havent had all the way though I was terrified of going to work then. I'm not now. And quite frankly with the lies the government have previously told us to scare us, I dont believe a word they say any more. I'll keep following the rules but only because I dont have any choice. But I'm pissed off about it.

CopperPotter · 20/12/2020 19:53

Generally speaking the more infectious a virus is the less aggressive it is. As a virus mutates to become more infectious it also loses its potency.
Ebola for example is incredibly dangerous yet relatively less infectious. The common cold is highly infectious yet has fairly mild symptoms.

hoodathunkit · 20/12/2020 19:54

People on here are so black and white. It must be nice to have blind trust in this clueless government and their motives for everything.

I don't trust Boris or this government as far as I can throw them

I simply have no time for conspiracy theorists claiming that "it's just a cold' or a "plandemic" / "scamdemic" etc

I am sick to death of trying my best to be careful but being exposed to risk by people screaming at me that I'm a sheep for wearing a mask and social distancing.

It is my opinion that we value individual freedoms far too highly in the UK.

I love to feel free as much as the next person but we really must accept that sometimes we have to curtail our liberties to protect ourselves and others.

I mean if there were a hoarde of flesh eating zombies wandering around outside eating brains then people would understand the importance of staying the fuck indoors and not running around outside screaming "We do not consent" whilst hero worshipping Piers Corbyn and David icke

Zombies staggering around groaning "braaaains mmmm braaains" would at least be tangible and people would do what they need to do to stay safe.

Some people are so clueless that they think that because the virus is invisible it must not be real. They can't see it so they don't believe in it. Just like they look at the horizon and conclude that the earth is flat.

Depressing

Flaxmeadow · 20/12/2020 19:55

I hope it's what he didn't say that's not true.

This is an important point that I think many of us overlook

I dont believe government and science are trying to deceive or mislead us. I say science because by accusing government you accuse science as well. I think they're doing their best under very difficult circumstances but right from the start, it's not just what they say, but what they don't say as well.

They, government and science, never said this was going to be easy
They never said it would end quickly
They never said it would all be over for Xmas
They never said it wouldn't be a long hard road
Because they can't, no one can, and because that would be a lie.

We are still in a learning curve, this is a brand new virus, named less than a year ago, and we are all still learning how best to deal with it. But there is hope and that hope still lies with, social distancing, vaccines and more efficient testing but the advance takes time. Yes it's hard, extremely hard for many, but throwing our hands in the air and saying we won't abide by the science based rules anymore will only make a bad situation worse.

We need to be honest about what's happening and stick together but that shouldn't include encouraging others to go against the science or go against it ourselves

Loopyloui · 20/12/2020 19:55

@Lostinacloud

I’m 40 and had covid end of October. I can assure you that I’ve had worse hangovers, wasn’t bed bound. Yes felt a bit tired, had a headache for about 3 days and the cough and did lose my smell and taste. However, if I had never heard of covid I would have thought “ooh that was a bit of a strong cold bug” and moved on. No long lasting effects, no breathing difficulties and even the headache was weakened by standard paracetamol. This strain has adapted to spread more easily (probably had to because of all the steps we’ve been made to take to avoid natural human contact) but is widely reported to be no more virulent. I’m going to keep posting my story on here because there is a massive lack of accounts from people who’ve had the mild version and fully recovered. We are only fed the scary stories and it’s not a fair representation. They are only worried about hospital capacity which is always stretched at this time of year. Add a fast spreading respiratory virus to the standard respiratory illness season and that’s a problem for hospitals, hence the accelerated reaction. Quite frankly it’s appalling the government have installed such fear into this country. Be angry not scared.

I agree I am angry cause of all the pay freezes /cutting of hospitals etc with all parties that we are down a couple of 100,000 icu beds than 30 years ago

Theotherrudolph · 20/12/2020 19:56

I’m not concerned about catching it. I am concerned by the flight bans and the U.K. being totally isolated - our food and essential goods come on lorries through the tunnel/ferries/container ships... what happens when our lorry drivers are banned from going in and out?

Thelnebriati · 20/12/2020 19:58

MarcelineMissouri Some parasites and diseases change the behaviour of the host or their own behaviour, to increase their own survival or spread. Off the top of my head I can think of cordyceps, toxoplasmosis, rabies and typhoid.

willsantausesantatize · 20/12/2020 19:59