Your thoughts on when life will be normal-ish

[charcb]

I realise this is purely speculative but what are people's thoughts on when we will be back to a semi-normal reality? Knowing what you know on vaccinations, when, according to you, can we expect the most simple of things to be back up and running again? I am referring to the simplest of things such as getting people back to their offices/places of work, having shops/gyms/entertainment venues permanently open, and the like?

I know we are a long way away from normal as we know it and that it may take several years to go back to it so I am not talking to getting back to total normality - ie no masks, no social distance, no restrictions.

[quote FranklyTruly]@MarshaBradyo

Full lockdown will need to be in place until everyone is vaccinated. Ideally it should be stricter than currently- ie no one out of their homes at all unless a key worker.

It should then be possible to remove a few restrictions- perhaps outdoor meetings of 6 people in summer 2022.

But I do not expect indoor gatherings to be permitted at all anytime soon. Schools will not operate on a full time basis again in order to keep teachers and parents safe from Long COVID and there will be no foreign travel for the next decade.[/quote]
Hang on when do you think everyone will be vaccinated?

Btw you’re very similar to a poster who posted this kind of stuff before. I don’t think you really believe it, not sure though

@Drinkarsefeck

I think things will be much better by the summer and next year will be better still due to the adult population all being vaccinated. We will continue to make progress on vaccine developments and treatments. I think the danger exists in not learning from past mistakes and lifting restrictions too early, Id like to see all the over 50 teaching staff vaccinated before schools open, which should be around late April early May if all goes well.

All over 50s have now been promised to get the jab by the end of March. That is the whole population over 50 not just keyworkers.

If they continue to ramp up the vaccinations the calculation is actually around mid March. Which is why Rab is saying possibly slowly open up again middle of March.

Fingers crossed

@Jourdain11

I know I'm being a baby. I'm just so fed up. It's been a horrible year going through chemo and it would have meant so much if I could have seen my mum and my sisters, who are in France. Of course we've done Facetime and everything, but it's kind of not the same.

Sorry for the self-pitying moan.

I agree that we will come out of it, but then people say "oh, you're deluded" and so on.

Ignore the doomsters!

I haven't ever heard one REAL expert say we will be like this for ever.

They generally all agree this will be a serious but manageable thing for a while. Then become less over time.

In the mean time we will have the vaccinations. Live with some restrictions but nothing as bad as are current ones.

[quote FranklyTruly]@MarshaBradyo

Full lockdown will need to be in place until everyone is vaccinated. Ideally it should be stricter than currently- ie no one out of their homes at all unless a key worker.

It should then be possible to remove a few restrictions- perhaps outdoor meetings of 6 people in summer 2022.

But I do not expect indoor gatherings to be permitted at all anytime soon. Schools will not operate on a full time basis again in order to keep teachers and parents safe from Long COVID and there will be no foreign travel for the next decade.[/quote]

Please let people know you are being sarcastic. Someone is going to believe this.

[quote FranklyTruly]@MarshaBradyo

Full lockdown will need to be in place until everyone is vaccinated. Ideally it should be stricter than currently- ie no one out of their homes at all unless a key worker.

It should then be possible to remove a few restrictions- perhaps outdoor meetings of 6 people in summer 2022.

But I do not expect indoor gatherings to be permitted at all anytime soon. Schools will not operate on a full time basis again in order to keep teachers and parents safe from Long COVID and there will be no foreign travel for the next decade.[/quote]
Hate to break it to you, but you're not succeeding in scaring anyone. We're too busy mocking you.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Oh thank god. I really didn’t know if this was sarcasm up not 🤣.

@randomer

So many epidemiologists all gathered together here, quite astonishing.

It is isn't it.

I don't know why they bother with the briefings. People could just get their advice and predictions here.

@FranklyTruly

I wish people would stop talking about the vaccine as some sort of panacea.

We know that it does not prevent transmission- so if the virus is allowed to let rip, millions of people will be left permanently disabled by Long COVID. It is also not 100% effective- so thousands will still get ill and some will die.

Susan Michie and Independent SAGE (the actual experts) have been very clear that restrictions will still be needed for a long time to come and full (ideally stricter than now) lockdown must stay in place until everyone is vaccinated.

twitter.com/susanmichie/status/1350559207490252800

They can't say the vaccine stops transmission because that is still being tested.

What they have said is it definitely can limit transmission in most cases.

I has never been said it definitely doesn't!

@MarshaBradyo

Btw you’re very similar to a poster who posted this kind of stuff before. I don’t think you really believe it, not sure though

Some nut nuts getting kicks out of winding up or scaring people.

You are right some posters have a very similar writing style to previous old posters. Also change their stand on the topics depending what will wind everyone up the most.

It is a bit sick really

There was/is one poster who must have been through about 15 name changes but still managed to give themselves away by saying nobody should be allowed to 'pop' to the shops for wine or chocolate. D grade trolling I think.

[quote FranklyTruly]@MarshaBradyo

Full lockdown will need to be in place until everyone is vaccinated. Ideally it should be stricter than currently- ie no one out of their homes at all unless a key worker.

It should then be possible to remove a few restrictions- perhaps outdoor meetings of 6 people in summer 2022.

But I do not expect indoor gatherings to be permitted at all anytime soon. Schools will not operate on a full time basis again in order to keep teachers and parents safe from Long COVID and there will be no foreign travel for the next decade.[/quote]
I think you need to stop posting. This is incredibly unrealistic and will be terrifying to read for people with poor mental health.

Please go and seek yourself some help.

I agree @Busygoingblah

Banned from leaving your house! So ridiculous and yes distressing to those with mental health issues.

Stop posting. Nobody agrees with you @FranklyTruly or whatever your latest name change is

FranklyTruly is a out and out wide-up merchant. I’m amazed people fall for it.

@IcedPurple

There was/is one poster who must have been through about 15 name changes but still managed to give themselves away by saying nobody should be allowed to 'pop' to the shops for wine or chocolate. D grade trolling I think.

Yes and telling us that we will never be allowed to see our family again at Christmas, or meet a friend for coffee. Accompanied by phrases like "I'm afraid" and "get used to spending a lot more time at home."

Not sure why all the name changes when it's obvious it's the same poster.

The same type of poster who replies ‘nope’ because that is much more definitive than ‘no.’

It’s the way you close your mouth with the ‘p’ sound. So very authoritative and final. So very wise.

While FranklyTruly is obviously trolling, there are some things which are never going back to 'normal' and I don't think people are grasping the scale and implications of this. Take WFH for example. Lots of people here are saying they are quite happy to WFH forever, perhaps going into the office once or twice a week. How is public transport infrastructure going to survive with the reduced revenues long term? I bet the same people who WFH in London will expect the same level of service as pre-March 2019 using the tube at weekends etc...What about all of the businesses that support offices in city centres?

@santanddec

While FranklyTruly is obviously trolling, there are some things which are never going back to 'normal' and I don't think people are grasping the scale and implications of this. Take WFH for example. Lots of people here are saying they are quite happy to WFH forever, perhaps going into the office once or twice a week. How is public transport infrastructure going to survive with the reduced revenues long term? I bet the same people who WFH in London will expect the same level of service as pre-March 2019 using the tube at weekends etc...What about all of the businesses that support offices in city centres?

I meant pre-March 2020!!

I think we'll start edging out of this by Easter........ I'll be very surprised.if schools go back in February. I'll eat my hat if they do.

Mask wearing I can see staying in public areas. I hate the situation were in but I'm happy to play the long game if it gets us to some sort of normal.

@santanddec

While FranklyTruly is obviously trolling, there are some things which are never going back to 'normal' and I don't think people are grasping the scale and implications of this. Take WFH for example. Lots of people here are saying they are quite happy to WFH forever, perhaps going into the office once or twice a week. How is public transport infrastructure going to survive with the reduced revenues long term? I bet the same people who WFH in London will expect the same level of service as pre-March 2019 using the tube at weekends etc...What about all of the businesses that support offices in city centres?

Way too early to predict what's going to happen in this regard. Even now, considerably fewer people are WFH than were last March. Some workers may indeed be happy to WFH forever, but bosses and clients - tons of complaints about poor customer service - may not agree.

Not saying there won't be a long-term increase in WFH, but I'm not sure this is going to lead to the great changes some have predicted. I wouldn't pronounce the city centre office block dead just yet. Let's see how things are a year, or even 5 years, down the line.

I haven't been at work for the most part this year, but I have been in touch with a lot of colleagues and I know that there were major issues with wfh. Difficulties with sensitive handovers, mainly, and issues with meetings where one person was having connections issues, etc. Even where things went smoothly, it's generally been felt that the quality of cohesive work has suffered (even if individuals' output hasn't).

A lot of my colleagues quite enjoyed the wfh period on a lifestyle level, but almost everyone agreed that it wasn't a great thing for us long term.

Does anyone when know when the Govt is to review the English lockdown? I thought it was 13th Jan but clearly I was mistaken.

There definitely will be some changes. However I think not as many as some people predict.

Things like wfh will still happen but for the majority there will be a slow slide back to the office in time. We are social beings, service in some areas have suffered and competition in some work places is fearsome. If you aren't in the office you will miss out on opportunities for clients or promotions.

The high street was badly hit. Though a lot of shops that have official gone where on the brink before covid. So it was only a matter of time. Online shopping has been taking over for years.

Foreign travel will be the main difference. Restrictions will last for a fair while and some may carry on. Travel will happen though and holidays will be pretty normal apart from the airport and plane bit.

I’m really just wanting to be able to see my family again, for my children to be able to hug their partners, for unis and schools to re-open, things like theatres, restaurants &cinemas to reopen, sports to begin, to be able to have holidays.
I really don’t mind no big parties, I don’t mind wearing a mask, or sanitising my hands etc. I just feel like a prisoner at the moment (with a nicer environment). My daughter is especially finding it difficult as she has bad anxiety - her partner is her main support, and they can’t spend time together properly. She finds it really difficult and stressful doing uni work at home, without being able to talk to her lecturers properly or use the library.
And I just need a holiday with my family xx

@Coffeeandcocopops

Does anyone when know when the Govt is to review the English lockdown? I thought it was 13th Jan but clearly I was mistaken.

It isn't expected to be reviewed until mid February.