It's not going to get better for a long time, is it?

[MagicSummer]

After such uplifting news about the Oxford vaccine last week and the proposed 2 Million per week vaccinations, I was feeling a bit optimistic last week. I am in Group 5 so according to the calculator can expect to get the jab in late February. However, today's news is so bad, I feel extremely despondent today. I feel there is absolutely no way we will be back to a more 'normal' life this side of late summer. It makes you want to cry!

They should focus on vaccinating people who are HCP'S for a start. Then teachers.

@MillieVanilla that's a really nice way of thinking about it, with the candles in the dark tunnel I hope you son is feeling better now.

I am having a down day too - I think the news about the vaccine maybe not working well against the SA mutation has thrown me a bit, but I'm trying not to dwell on it too much.

@Tootsey11

If one more person says this virus is mild in the under 50's I swear I'm going to scream.

None of you have any idea how you will react to getting cv. You really don't. You listen to the same shit spouted out on the TV and social media that's most will 'only have it mild'.

I'm 45. I had it mild. I spent nearly 4 months in bed, then another 3 learning to go a snails pace while my heart spent most of the day at 140+. Even walking to the toilet left me exhausted.

Would this scenario work for those that keep coming out with the same crap. How would affect your life if you ended up like me.

Sorry but for the majority of under 50s it IS mild. You were unlucky, but that could have happened with any virus. There’s always going to be someone who gets it worse, but statistics show for the majority it is mild. I know lots of under 50s who have had it now. Not one got it worse than a mild virus for a week or two and none have ongoing issues.

Let's not catastrophise. Avoid bad news publications online and get on with your day to day life.

Sitt I actually have 5 children, including a 3 year old and 4 month old, but what I'm saying is, keep busy.
It's a shit dreary situation but we have to find ways to pull ourselves together on our worst days. My way is to find an hour a day to watch a series or catch up of something, or read for half an hr to switch off from the doom and gloom

Strangely enough, I feel quite positive about the impending lockdown in England. I'm hoping that combined with the vaccine roll out will have a very positive effect and things will look a lot better by Spring.

God, this is a grim way to live........ not really living, more existing.

@viccat

Everyone under 50 is going to be thrown under a bus by April or so when the most vulnerable have been vaccinated and the restrictions will be relaxed.

Unnecessary drama. Those who absolutely need vaccinating will have been vaccinated. We all want restrictions lifted. You can still socially distance even once the restrictions are lifted. I'm very cautious, but there is no bus.

think 2024 not before...I'm not joking

@amitoooldforthisshit

think 2024 not before...I'm not joking

Oh hush

I really wish people could see that the only way to keep society safe and economy somewhat intact is to actually suppress the virus to levels where we can rely on test, track, trace to do ti's job and find exposed individuals and isolate them.

Instead the attitude in this county (and to some extent in western civilization) is that individuals who are not 100% healthy/fit/young can go suck an egg. The burden of staying safe is on them when society is not helping at all. These people are exposed to risk:

• have to send their kids to school
• have to go to work in unsafe environments
• they have to shield/take measures of mitigation when noone else does

and if they really want to stay safe there is minimal to no gov support to so do.

All in the name of "let people get back to normal". UK has selected the best possible action points during the last year and has exacerbated.

This society has shown how it is all about the individual and how individual short sightedness, immaturity, lack of understand of basic biological/economical/ph principles can wreck a country.

Small things that -if done by 80/90% of society- could have been done would have resulted in the UK being in a much better place now.

• everyone over 6 wear a mask at all times, all place. Yes, schools particularly.
• sd - really, not just in name. In schools, in factories,...
• borders closed

Please tell me, hand on your heart, that you think english society has done all it could have. We all know it's not true.

Ideally nobody wants a lockdown and the economy crashing and livelihoods lost.

But do we have a choice?

Is this not now a matter of saving as many lives first, then livelihoods with hopefully saving as many long term livelihoods as possible?

It's a "choice" of super bad/evil options! Do we crash the economy a bit more now to save a few lives or do we continue to have a perpetual economic cyclical crash as we never eradicate let alone control the virus?

Opening the economy and subsequent cycles of open, close, open, close etc will be more long term lives and livelihoods damaging. It's all a $hit show and medium to longer term damage limitation to lives and livelihoods. Yes surviving is not living but at least it's still (barely) living!

There will be green shoots by April, this was always going to be the worst time ...chin up, the finish line is in sight!

@lightand

The world has to learn to live with the virus in my opinion.

What does this even mean? 'Learn to live with'...that is what we ARE doing. Learning to live with something doesn't mean throwing all good sense away. 'Learning to live with' a degree of crime doesn't mean 'fire all police and leave your goods out on display'. Learning to live with Covid doesn't mean 'just go out and spread it willy nilly. What do you actually mean?

Unnecessary drama. Those who absolutely need vaccinating will have been vaccinated. We all want restrictions lifted. You can still socially distance even once the restrictions are lifted. I'm very cautious, but there is no bus.

No, it's not.

1. vaccination protocols are being botched up and the UK is creating a giant experiment without actually designing the experiment, controlling it or even following up
2. The whole vaccination protocol -as of now- is based on people having their fingers crossed. Not on data or research.
3. no, you can't SD when you have a kid in an unsafe school picking up anything and everything
4. You can't SD in the community if others aren't. Think shops, transport, work.

I'm feeling pretty down about it all. Home learning indefinitely again (schools did need to close). Can't go anywhere or see anyone. I hope things improve by spring but I just don't see it happening.
According to the vaccine calculator I'm due mine Jan to July 2022.
I am hoping DD gets to do some of the fun stuff for her end of primary school but we'll see....

It feels hideous today. I feel like crying...I have just had enough of this complete nonsense now. One thing after the other. Day after day. It is just awful. Relentless.

And I agree...we are not living now. We are existing. From one press conference to the next. It is not a life.

If come spring we are all back to normal and us under 50s carry on as normal, then surely the virus will just be spreading between us and it that's the case and we will all be fine, maybe the over 50s should have stayed inside away from others and us lot carroed on.

Fact is my friend with no underlying health conditions was in hospital for 2 weeks, very ill and early 40s, loads have long term effects.

[quote burntpinky]@MillieVanilla - nice post and a good way of putting it to kids[/quote]
Thank you

It's quite difficult to explain it to a kid with additional needs. He misses school so dreadfully, and routine to him is so important.
He is calm for now

@TheSunIsStillShining

Why will we be thrown under a bus? I’m in this group and will be very happy when restrictions are relaxed, even if I’ve not yet had the vaccine yet. Under 50s with no vulnerable health conditions are not at much risk from the virus. I’m prepared to take my chances for a normal life!

Lovely. You taking your chances means that everyone else has to take chances. Because you could be spreading it even unknowingly.
I'm really happy for ppl to be so brave, but it's sheer stupidity. It is not only about the individual.
But ppl don't seem to get this in this country.

Thats exactly the point though. It'll be better for the country to go back to normal after the over 50s are vaccinated even if that causes individual risks because the costs of lock down are so huge that once the most vunerable are vaccinated it doesnt really matter (on a societal level) if some middle aged people get seriously ill from covid.

I keep thing we should have left the under 50s all get it in summer when no flu. Let it rampage through whilst the elderly shielded. Yes I know not perfect but we wouldnhave at least gained some level of immunity by now

to everyone who says this is just existing...

What is stopping you from

• picking up the phone to your friends instead of seeing them?
• what is stopping you from seeing a theater show? There are so many good/bad ones online

What are the practical things that make you miserable?
And why is it so unheard of to adapt?
No gym - try things in the park or at home
no pub - do a skype/whatsapp/zoom/whatever virtual pissing session
no shopping - please , you can get everything online

What is limited to the extent that it is not living any more?

@user1471588124
over and over again on multiple threads this has been explained to you why it is a ridiculously stupid idea. I'm not going down that rabbit hole. In your opinion u50, vulnerable people can die, get longterm effects. Fine. I despise you for that opinion, but that is a subjective take on it.

&withmycoffee
learn to live with the virus -
not expecting it to vanish or be under control with a vaccination

not expecting any world government to get all things right all of the time

not expecting any health service to be on top of it all of the time

maybe accept that more medical frontline staff will need to be trained and paid for over the coming years

maybe accepting that the economy needs to be open for at least those under 50? or 60? or 70?

maybe accepting that all of those who want to venture out may have to get the virus[I am in long covid- hopefully just about through it now]. Hopefully, everyone only can get it the once, jury is out on that one.

maybe lowering expectations of a happy ending soon for all

I know people shoot a messenger. But hey ho. I can take it.