How much more can we take? Is the end really in sight?.

[starship08]

I’m not trying to a pessimist, definitely not trying to be the doom and gloom type.

I felt incredibly positive this morning after hearing the news of the Oxford Vaccine.

I’ve tried so hard to keep positive and hopeful, but after watching the update tonight I can’t help but feel negative.

We still don’t know if the vaccine reduces transmission, which means even if the vulnerable are protected, they will still need to distance to prevent spread.

Boris and JVT mentioned that masks could be a long term measure, even after vaccines.

We still don’t know for certain that the vaccine will be effective for the new strain.

I honestly don’t know how much more I can take of this.

I’m totally and utterly fed up. I was diagnosed with PND and I know this is playing a part in how I’m feeling, but I struggling so much to see a future that’s bright.

My sons friend has tested positive for it. He is 25 and fit with no underlying health issues. He said he is struggling to breath and his breathing is shallow. He said he feels like he is dying. Struggling to walk and too weak to cook or eat more than soup. He has the Oxygen monitor on his finger most of the time and sleeping a lot. His Mum and Dad both have it but he is more Ill than they are. No idea if the new strain or old but I thought young people got it less bad than older ones. If his breathing gets any worse his parents will ring 111 for advise on hospitalisation. He is too Ill to be alone so lucky he still lives at home. Somehow hearing this news this evening just made me cry with despair. I was more hopeful earlier today with vaccine news.

We all Knew we were going to be in for a rough winter.... If they can get this vaccine rollout right we should be looking much better come the spring. even if you take the 15-20 million that's vaccinated by then plus the likely 5-10 million that have already had it, you are well on the way to half the population having some sort of immunity by easter. Which although will not be classed as herd immunity it will slow the spread of the virus massively ( at least in terms of serious illness)

They say the new strain has been around since September and yet there were no hospitalisation In phase 3 trials of the Oxford vaccine after one dose... I'm not a scientist but I would think some people in the trial would have had the new strain and were still not severely ill. I think we need to look forward to spring as once things start to improve they will not decline again afterwards ( as long as the vaccine rollout is a success)

You've still not said why, when we're in a situation where most people will experience mild symptoms, you think restrictions will stay. We aren't zero risk for many other diseases.

@StealthPolarBear

You've still not said why, when we're in a situation where most people will experience mild symptoms, you think restrictions will stay. We aren't zero risk for many other diseases.

I answered this upthread. Covid is much more risky to all age groups than flu.

Plus immunisation will have to happen on a yearly cycle so at any given point a significant percentage will have no immunity.

What I said upthread was: Because if the virus can still spread, then eventually it will kill those who can't have the vaccine for clinical reasons, and immunity from the vaccine is expected to wear off anyway. Plus all the younger people who haven;t been vaccinated will be at risk of long coovid.

They haven't talked much about long covid due to the primary focus being hospitalisations/deaths, but it is a real risk to the working age population and to NHS budgets going forwards.

* Plus immunisation will have to happen on a yearly cycle so at any given point a significant percentage will have no immunity.*

Surely we don’t actually know this yet? Do you have a source or is it your opinion? As you seem to be stating it as a fact.

it will slow the spread of the virus massively

The vaccine has not yet been shown to reduce transmission.

People need to listen to the science advisers, NOT the lying PM.

Thr vaccine is a huge breakthrough but it hasn't got the power to return us to 2019.

@MarcelineMissouri yes, substitute the word 'may'. Everything I have read says scientists fear immunity from the vaccine will wear off, but we have data for a short period only so nothing is fact yet.

I would be very happy if it were a 40 year immunity, rather than like the flu vaccine!

Calum semple disagrees. The experts seem cautiously positive and I'll take my lead from them.

Calum Semple disagrees with Whitty and Valance?

I think we are making huge progress and the vaccine is great but Johnson is treating us all like donkeys with a carrot dangled in front of us by claiming things will be better by Easter.

But tbh, we all use psychological tricks to get through things - mine is to prepare for the worst, others like to hope for the best.

There's no right or wrong in how we process things and we'll know when we know.

I think at least we can say the vaccine is a Very Good Thing.

@inquietant

it will slow the spread of the virus massively

The vaccine has not yet been shown to reduce transmission.

People need to listen to the science advisers, NOT the lying PM.

Thr vaccine is a huge breakthrough but it hasn't got the power to return us to 2019.

You forgot to put the bit I put in brackets after that it is in terms of severe disease!

Yes, but that doesn't slow the spread. That limits the impact on vaccinated people. They are important differences and confusing them doesn;t help anyone.

I think a lot of people think once the vulnerable are vaccinated (which won't happen until June anyway) we can just get on with things. It is not necessarily the case. There is a lot to understand yet, and a lot of younger people to protect from the horrible non-death impacts of covid.

Plus widely circulating virus will mean more mutations. Which is a big risk.