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!

@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.

Being able to get on with my life is the opposite of being "thrown under the bus" in my opinion.

OP I really don't think it is wise or helpful to dwell on the negatives nor to imagine the most gloomy scenarios we can. Pandemics end. This will too.

@user1471588124
When everyone over 50 is vaccinated and adults under 50 who are clinically vunerable then suggesting we stay in lockdown is just as selfish as those wanting to release measures now. The NHS will not be overwhelmed in those circumstances and society will be able to function, therefore asking millions of low risk people to keep losing their jobs, homes and mental health when the vast majority of at risk are protected is despicable in my view.

This with bells on. Anyone who dares suggest that the non vulnerable have a right to some kind of quality of life and for those who are barely affected to not have to be facing poverty are accused of being selfish! The opposing point of view is just as selfish...

My DD 14 has tried her best with online learning but it isn't cutting it. She's withdrawn, and heading towards depression. She's so under confident academically that this continued disruption will have massive implications for her. Very fortunate to be in the privileged position of paying for tutors for her to get her through year 10 and 11. However the vast majority of families aren't. Covid is affecting the minority acutely with some awful fall out I don't deny it. However it's affecting her generation FOR LIFE. Please don't minimise this. I'm sick of hearing "they'll just catch up"...

@nuitdesetoiles but what is the answer with our health system about to reach breaking point ? Cancelling urgent cancer surgeries etc?

"Please can I point out that being over 50 does not make you elderly and / or necessarily likely to suffer badly with covid."

The poster didn't say people over 50 are elderly though.
Being over 50 does statistically make you more likely to suffer badly with Covid than being over 40 and being over 40 makes it more likely than being over 30, etc. The risk increases with age in adults and of course is much higher in the elderly.

This with bells on. Anyone who dares suggest that the non vulnerable have a right to some kind of quality of life and for those who are barely affected to not have to be facing poverty are accused of being selfish! The opposing point of view is just as selfish...

Couldn’t agree more. I’ve lost my savings, my livelihood and soon to be my home - what more do they want from me?!

Dear Lord get a grip! We’re not being bombed, most of us are not cold and hungry, the government that people are denigrating is paying shedloads of money trying to keep everything afloat and trying to balance the myriad issues of a modern capitalist country. Name one country which has got it right without oppressing its citizens. Yes it’s ghastly, but it could be so much worse. Trouble is we have become horribly complacent, expecting all our jobs, our luxuries and our safety as rights. They aren’t. Probably only in the last 50 years. Sad for us that we are the generation to discover it, but that’s life.

"Name one country which has got it right without oppressing its citizens. "

Korea or Taiwan possibly? They didn't need to lockdown in Korea, did they?

"Dear Lord get a grip! We’re not being bombed, most of us are not cold and hungry, "

Many people are isolated though. Humans need regular contact with other humans.

@stonecoldhippo harsh, and maybe true, but I wonder: are you yourself at risk of losing your job/home/mental health/? Because it’s usually people in secure jobs/situations who can be so disparaging on here (just wondering)

After today's press conference I honestly think we will be pretty much back to normal by March.

@MiaMarshmallows I hope you’re right but after (by then) 12 months of being told anyone can suffer from covid badly and anyone can die I can’t see people letting things return to normal when most won’t have been vaccinated.

@nonono1 I'm so very sorry to hear that. It's awful.. Not saying you should be in the media but there needs to be more of this in the public domain! Rather than privileged people banging on about lockdown and rule breaking.

Interestingly there was a senior scientific/medical person on C4 news last night stating the virus spread is unlikely to be down to "rule breakers" as the majority of people have been remarkably compliant, however a 100 person one off warehouse party makes better headlines than millions of people sitting at home..

It also means you can get sanctimonious busy bodies banging on about "well we wouldn't be in this position if people had followed the rules" bla bla bla. We so would... The whole thing has been an utter shit show and the Xmas mixing was the nail in the coffin! No spikes from the protests, no spikes from people on the beaches, it's to do with vulnerable people mixing indoors with asymptomatic people... And I hate to say it but from my own admittedly limited observations it's grandparents and families allowing it to happen!! (Before I get flamed I totally get the caring responsibilities, mixed families, it's when it's an active yet avoidable choice)

Covid is affecting the minority acutely with some awful fall out I don't deny it.

I really don’t think it’s the minority that’s being affected acutely. I’m doing my best for my kids who are doing ok. At the moment.

But this is day one.

We weren’t ok by the end of the last lockdown. It won’t take long for this to take it’s toll.

And I’m not even counting all the lost learning.

This time kids know what’s coming. There’s a strong sense of giving up before we’ve even started here.