I know it’s not possible, but....

[PuzzledObserver]

A 3-week hard lockdown would kill the virus stone dead, wouldn’t it?

Everyone stock up for 3 weeks..... vulnerable would need carers to move in.... and then literally everyone stays put for 3 weeks, except in medical or life-threatening emergencies.

The virus would have nowhere to go.

I’m not saying it’s practical, or will ever happen, but in theory it should work.

So as dh and I are critical workers you want us to stay at our place of work and leave our children to fend for themselves?

Panic also isn't the basis upon which anyone would actually spend money for equipment, researchers etc etc.

If only Along with the Nightingales I'd offer more of the glaring examples, but don't really want to respond to comments like "paranoid weed smoker's dreams" and "pure unthinking bollocks" any more
I'll admit to surprise though; your posts are usually way above that kind of thing

What about electricity? Water? Gas? Internet?
What about vets? Farms?
What if a boiler breaks? Or a fridge? A sewer?
What about social services? Courts? Prisons?

You're risking bringing common sense into it now, Wax
Maybe, when folk suggest it's got to be just about everyone, they forget some of the things society relies on to function?

Good god, you couldn't pay me enough to move in to my place of work! It's bad enough having to work during the day, let alone live there!

@Bixs

So as dh and I are critical workers you want us to stay at our place of work and leave our children to fend for themselves?

No silly, you just wouldn’t go to work. Nobody would. Anyone who doesn’t survive simply isn’t resilient enough.

It’s just not possible to shut everything down except hospitals. The hospital staff would need to travel to and from work. So you would need buses and trains to run. Which means you need drivers and fuel. And engineers and mechanics. And signal staff. And station staff. And then what about animals? Cows will need to be milked. Animals will need to be fed. Farming. Crops will need to be tended to. Or there would be no food to replenish the three weeks of supplies everyone has taken from the shelves. Which means you will need trucks. And fuel. And mechanics. Loaders. Packers. Processing plants would need to be open. And so it goes on.

in theory it should work

No, for 2 main reasons.

(1) Incubation periods. eg...
3 week house arrest starts Monday the 2nd.
Ann is exposed on Sunday the 1st.
Secondary attack rate is 20%.
Ann lives with 4 other people.
Ann starts symptoms on 7th.
Ann gives it to Jamil who starts symptoms on the 15th.
Jamil gives it to Pam & Tariq who start symptoms on 22nd.

3 week house arrest finishes on the 23rd & Pam & Tariq are still infectious to others when they start circulating in community again.

(2) even if it worked in UK, no one else is going to do this insanity. There will be new imports. China & NZ & Australia have struggled with this.

Restarting the electricity network after 3 weeks would be hellish.

Yeah, no.

Having a heart attack/baby/delete as appropriate medical emergency? Just stay at home...

You want carers to not see their kids/partner for 3 weeks, while they shack up with their client?

You first Op!

@BritWifeinUSA

It’s just not possible to shut everything down except hospitals. The hospital staff would need to travel to and from work. So you would need buses and trains to run. Which means you need drivers and fuel. And engineers and mechanics. And signal staff. And station staff. And then what about animals? Cows will need to be milked. Animals will need to be fed. Farming. Crops will need to be tended to. Or there would be no food to replenish the three weeks of supplies everyone has taken from the shelves. Which means you will need trucks. And fuel. And mechanics. Loaders. Packers. Processing plants would need to be open. And so it goes on.

For this to work, everything would have to close, including hospitals. No one could leave their home. If your appendix ruptures or your heart stops or you have a placental abruption or you can’t physically get out of bed without a carer then that’s just tough. Sorry that your house is overwhelming with rubbish and you’ve run out of nappies so your child is crapping all over the house, sorry you can’t have your chemo or dialysis or get your insulin.

I mean, it would certainly purge the country of all those wastrels who can’t take care of themselves won’t it? I’m sure some on the right would be thrilled at the prospect.

A lot of people can’t afford to buy 3+ weeks worth of food in one go. Very few people can afford to take 3+ weeks off work. I don’t even want to start on the impact that will have on people’s mental health.

@MrsMomoa

You want carers to not see their kids/partner for 3 weeks, while they shack up with their client?

You first Op!

What happens if you have multiple clients? I guess you’d all have to move in together.

How many hotel rooms do we have in this country? Perhaps we can put everyone in a single room with a few weeks of supplies and just see who comes out alive. We could be kind and let under 6s stay with a parent - 7 year olds who can’t manage alone are just not resilient enough.

Don’t forget that every person in a care home, residential home, hospital also has to go into a single room, and no one is allowed to respond to anyone else’s crying or screams.

Absolutely foolproof. Slight fly in the ointment is no one could come and collect the bodies until the end of the isolation period (maybe 8 weeks so that a parent and 3 children can definitely all be clear by the end) so it’s going to get a bit whiffy.

Alternatively, how about 60 million hazmat suits?

All you pregnant ladies about to give birth, keep those legs crossed for 3 weeks!
Hope every single one of you was planning on a vaginal delivery with zero pain relief!