To be hopefully that things will be back to normal by April

[Tellmelies65]

I’m convinced things will be mostly back to normal by April. Am in denial?

I was hopeful, but news of the new variant and the South African one, has sent my hope into a nose dive. I think it all depends on how quickly they can rollout the vaccination program but I'm not holding my breath because of the general incompetence the government have shown so far in implementing tests etc.

@MargosKaftan

Its the odd idea that many on here have - people in their 30s/40s/50s without underlying health issues - that the restrictions are to protect them and their dcs.

They are not. the government does not care if you or your dcs have covid. They care who you might pass it on to, and if the people you pass it on to might need ICU treatment and/or die.

Once people aren't needing hospital treatment for covid, who cares if you feel rough for 4 days?

I'll give up the things I enjoy for a year to save the life of a stranger, but you can fuck right off if you think I'm cancelling theatre tickets so you don't get a bad cold.

And any government that tries to make us all continue to give up fun stuff purely to stop people being off work sick for 10 days then recovering fine - will find themselves very unpopular. And Boris will do anything to be popular.

Well said!

Youre in denial 😀

But hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel

Im hoping that by Christmas we can see family and friends to a greater or lesser amount

I think things will be better over the summer

I dont hold out much hope of us being vaccinated to the extent that the government are saying though

I hope you’re right but I fear it will be much longer than that.

It’s all one big real life experiment. If it is found that the vaccines give immunity as well as preventing severe disease (fingers crossed) then things could get better much more quickly.

April might be a bit early for full normal but it may be start of a gradual return to normal.

I think so yes, unless something terrible happens like a strain they can’t vaccinate against them I think we will be back to normal by Easter.

They simply need to protect the medically vulnerable. If anyone else gets it the hospitalisation rates will be very very low and easily manageable. And if they can also treat it, then it will be better still.

So yes, I would agree as it stands now the odds are by Easter we will be back to normal.

No way will things be anywhere near normal by Easter! In fact, there will be no going back to normal so long as COVID is being transmitted.

Long COVID has the potential to leave millions of healthy adults and DC permanently disabled if the virus is allowed to run unchecked.

I'd also rather myself and my DC were not laid up in bed for days with a temperature and pains even with a mild case

Life has changed forever- restrictions will br in place forever. We will simply not see the kind of large events and concerts again.

Instead of popping round to DM's for coffee, this will be done via zoom from now on I'm afraid.

The sooner people understand this, the better.

Looking at these responses it seems that some folks think things can’t get back to normal unless the non medically vulnerable over day forty are also vaccinated. That’s just not true. The death rate and incidence of serious illness is so so low as to make that thought bonkers.

It’s like saying we need to shut down because of the flu and need to vaccinate healthy adults just in case.

A lot of it is fear I assume.

@LitPeach

No way will things be anywhere near normal by Easter! In fact, there will be no going back to normal so long as COVID is being transmitted.

Long COVID has the potential to leave millions of healthy adults and DC permanently disabled if the virus is allowed to run unchecked.

I'd also rather myself and my DC were not laid up in bed for days with a temperature and pains even with a mild case

Life has changed forever- restrictions will br in place forever. We will simply not see the kind of large events and concerts again.

Instead of popping round to DM's for coffee, this will be done via zoom from now on I'm afraid.

The sooner people understand this, the better.

Are you ok? Becayse this is so unrealistic as to be disturbing for you.

I'd also rather myself and my DC were not laid up in bed for days with a temperature and pains even with a mild case

Oh behave! Don’t be so ridiculous! Have none of you ever had the flu or a heavy cold before? Do you honestly think life should never go back to normal to basically prevent you from getting the cold?

This is such a good post.
It pisses me off when some people seem to rub their hands with glee at the thought that others might not be able to get on with having a fun life. I can't wait to see photos of people crowded together at festivals or packed into clubs again, not because I'm missing it, but I want young people to get on with life

I think April might be optimistic but I hope that things start to change by then.
On another thread we had one of the "I'm afraid that's not going to happen ever again " people which I find really depressing. They gave no reasoning why they were qualified to say things will never go back to the way they were.
I rarely go to the theatre and have never been to a festival but I'd love those to be part of life again for the performers , and all those whose livelihood it is, and all the people that enjoy them.
It's one thing banging on about the new normal and retraining etc but I feel really sad that people that are amazingly talented , and/or have trained for years to hone a very specialist skill are not getting to use them.

@Bluntness100

Even when everyone is vaccinated, that will not be enough to ease restrictions as vaccines do not prevent transmission.

We will therefore need to have restrictions in place forever unless and until transmission is prevented. In order to prevent Long COVID and millions being unable to work for weeks with even mike symptoms.

I do not understand why some people seem unable to just stay at home and are desperate to go out and put people at risk.

[quote LitPeach]@Bluntness100

Even when everyone is vaccinated, that will not be enough to ease restrictions as vaccines do not prevent transmission.

We will therefore need to have restrictions in place forever unless and until transmission is prevented. In order to prevent Long COVID and millions being unable to work for weeks with even mike symptoms.

I do not understand why some people seem unable to just stay at home and are desperate to go out and put people at risk.[/quote]
Don’t be so stupid

People won’t have to stay off work for weeks if they have mild symptoms

[quote LitPeach]@Bluntness100

Even when everyone is vaccinated, that will not be enough to ease restrictions as vaccines do not prevent transmission.

We will therefore need to have restrictions in place forever unless and until transmission is prevented. In order to prevent Long COVID and millions being unable to work for weeks with even mike symptoms.

I do not understand why some people seem unable to just stay at home and are desperate to go out and put people at risk.[/quote]
Groan

@LitPeach

No way will things be anywhere near normal by Easter! In fact, there will be no going back to normal so long as COVID is being transmitted.

Long COVID has the potential to leave millions of healthy adults and DC permanently disabled if the virus is allowed to run unchecked.

I'd also rather myself and my DC were not laid up in bed for days with a temperature and pains even with a mild case

Life has changed forever- restrictions will br in place forever. We will simply not see the kind of large events and concerts again.

Instead of popping round to DM's for coffee, this will be done via zoom from now on I'm afraid.

The sooner people understand this, the better.

ANOTHER Stereotypical MN post with posting your crappy opinion as though it’s a fact because you’ve CLEARLY got more insight than the rest of us. Bonus points for the ‘I’m afraid’

It’s getting old now. Can people not at least be original in their gloom spreading and find some new material???

@LitPeach do you honestly think it’s going to be swirling round at the same rate of prevalence forever that it is now?

If my family and I have all been vaccinated why on earth would I not be able to go and sit in their house? No reason at all.

You can think what you like or live your life via Zoom if you want but stop posting your uninformed nonsense as fact.

@Hardbackwriter yes, it pulls be partly that assumption...I am quite old myself so do have elderly relatives. I agree though, most families go through a phase when grandparents are no longer alive but parents are not elderly.

That makes a difference to risk assessment for sure but it isn’t just about that...even if people who mix at Xmas are all likely to be mildly affected or asymptomatic they can still raise case numbers and end up passing it along down to line. Also every new case is another chance for mutation, and I have started to realise recently how much we need to limit that while we get the vaccine rolled out.

Sorry, could be partly

[quote LitPeach]@Bluntness100

Even when everyone is vaccinated, that will not be enough to ease restrictions as vaccines do not prevent transmission.

We will therefore need to have restrictions in place forever unless and until transmission is prevented. In order to prevent Long COVID and millions being unable to work for weeks with even mike symptoms.

I do not understand why some people seem unable to just stay at home and are desperate to go out and put people at risk.[/quote]
I though it was not yet known whether vaccines prevent transmission, but suspected they would at least reduce it. If you have access to confirmation that the current vaccines don’t prevent transmission can you please link it so that the source can be evaluated? Also, we can’t of course speak for future vaccine or drug developments in any case.

Also, if the people the virus is being transmitted to are all vaccinated and thus likely to have no or mild illness, transmission won’t be such a big issue anyway.

@litpeach long covid does sound distressing & challenging however even pre - covid, there were post - viral infections that behaved similarly. Did you lock yourself aware to avoid glandular fever?

Your view also assumes that medicine moves no further than where it is today. Vaccines will improve as will treatments.

Once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated and NHS staff too there will be far less pressure on beds in hospitals.
Because no matter how many times you read on here that ICU is full of perfectly healthy 30 year olds - it’s simply not true.
And once the pressure on hospitals is relieved, we can relieve restrictions.
I think some will still be in place but gradually, gradually things will ease. And perhaps less gradually people will vote with their feet.

I agree that we should be able to get back to normal once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated. However it is helping noone to dismiss the virus as 'just a cold'. It really isn't. Many people need longer than the quarantine period to recover from the symptoms and this is not the same as long covid. Not life or death for healthy adults but absolutely to be avoided if possible and certainly not equivalent to a cold.

I think April is perfectly reasonable if people would stop panicking every time a new strain is reported!

Just did the online calculator and it has DH down for vaccination in February (ECV). Our GPs has only just started though so worried it will take much longer to get to him.

DDs school is on reduced hours and I can’t see that changing this academic year.
I’m on fingers crossed for June at this rate so we can have some kind of nice summer. We’re not expecting to travel though anytime soon.