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.

CoronaIsWatching When you say opening up do you think back to the tier systems or just fully open as before pandemic?

@Sirius99

CoronaIsWatching When you say opening up do you think back to the tier systems or just fully open as before pandemic?

Fully open should be mandatory once over 60s and vulnerable vaccinated

@Sirius99 The government doesn’t care about individuals getting it and ending up in hospital. Yes I’m sure 30, 40, 50 year olds will still end up in hospital. But not in such numbers that the NHS won’t cope. Therefore economic restrictions will be lifted as they cannot be justified long term!

Viruses mutate. Scientists know this. They tweak vaccines every year.

I think that things will improve, we will adapt and survive but we will never go back to the old ways

CoronaIsWatching You do realise that people under 60 are catching it, being ill or very ill or even dying from Covid, my friend 57 no health issues died last week all alone in hospital, her partner is in hospital and the children have it but are isolating at their grandparents

I think there will be significant and positive social/cultural changes as well as advances in medicine as a result of the pandemic

For the millionth time. There are many illnesses that all age groups get and die from. Unless that particular illness overwhelms the health system there is no justification or support for economic restrictions.

Yes people will continue to catch COVID and some may end up in hospital. But people wil kit be dying in huge number as the most vulnerable will be vaccinated.

You need to stop thinking about this on a personal level.

Not be dying

I really hope you optimistic people are correct, only time will tell,

Sirius it won’t be eradicated, nor will zero people get very ill or die from it. Of course it’s terrible but people die from various diseases atm. Covid will be the same.

Yep I am under no illusion that COVID will always be with us and that for some will still cause serious illness.

But economic restrictions can’t continue for years
once the most vulnerable are protected and the NHS can function. It’s always been about balance. COVID doesn’t trump everything.

Time will tell, but I cannot see how will will return to a pre pandemic normal this year,

Ok @Sirius99 great counter argument. I can see all your reasons for that.

[quote Delatron]@Sirius99 The government doesn’t care about individuals getting it and ending up in hospital. Yes I’m sure 30, 40, 50 year olds will still end up in hospital. But not in such numbers that the NHS won’t cope. Therefore economic restrictions will be lifted as they cannot be justified long term!

Viruses mutate. Scientists know this. They tweak vaccines every year.[/quote]
This .... they don't care who dies they want the economy open and hospitals not over whelmed very harsh but true

Tbf a lot of pressure on MPs will be to reduce restrictions so sectors can re open. From everyone - staff to owners. Democratically we’ll see restrictions reduce or go.

I agree with some about 2022, and I mena normal life like before with zero restrictions and no masks etc.

Don't forget they are rolling out the first dose of the vaccine as quickly as possible they will need to do the second dose so it will take many months until people are fully vaccinated

I think at least in UK things will open up again maybe late Easter maybe summer but masks will still be in place as they have been saying all along

Hence why I say 2022 because normal life meant no masks.

The government's focus is on getting the economy open so they can carry on helping their rich friends to get richer

They don't care about people dying but they do care about people dying in a way that makes them look bad

@Yohoheaveho

They don't care about people dying but they do care about people dying in a way that makes them look bad

Many people are desperate for sectors to re open so they can work.

@Sirius99

CoronaIsWatching You do realise that people under 60 are catching it, being ill or very ill or even dying from Covid, my friend 57 no health issues died last week all alone in hospital, her partner is in hospital and the children have it but are isolating at their grandparents

As others have said, this is not about individuals. Yes, people will die of Covid because we cannot eliminate it and have a functioning economy and society. In the same way that people will continue to die of cancer because scientists have not yet figured out how to stop it spreading in the body and causing death. We 'accept' the latter because we recognise that stopping deaths from cancer is an impossibility, we need to accept the former.

It's not that the government don't care about people dying - people die all the time, and did so for thousands of years before Covid came along. It's about having a functioning society, including a functioning economy and a functioning health are system.

That's not to say I think the government have done a great job, but people do seem to have weird expectations of what is achievable.

The government's focus is on getting the economy open so they can carry on helping their rich friends to get richer

You realise that without that oh so dirty word the 'economy', there would be no NHS? There would be mass unemployment and misery, and without a benefits system. No one to pay taxes, no public services.

Why do some people think 'the economy' is some kind of 'far right' concept?

The economy is also jobs. If anyone had noticed unemployment going up. This is the real impact of not worrying about the economy. It’s jobs for next generation too.

@Sirius99

CoronaIsWatching You do realise that people under 60 are catching it, being ill or very ill or even dying from Covid, my friend 57 no health issues died last week all alone in hospital, her partner is in hospital and the children have it but are isolating at their grandparents

to you & your friend's family ❤

@Sirius99

CoronaIsWatching You do realise that people under 60 are catching it, being ill or very ill or even dying from Covid, my friend 57 no health issues died last week all alone in hospital, her partner is in hospital and the children have it but are isolating at their grandparents

to you & your friend's family ❤

The economy is also jobs. If anyone had noticed unemployment going up. This is the real impact of not worrying about the economy. It’s jobs for next generation too.

Lots of people dont seem to understand that the economy is not just CEOs in suits on 6 figure salaries! They're the ones least affected when everything goes tits up. When Debenhams goes under, it wont be the CEO that struggles to put food on the table, pay the rent and wonder where the next job might be, it will be all the people on the shop floor.

Probably the same people screaming that teachers and nurses deserve a pay rise and are not properly compensated (I'm not disputing that) are wanting everything locked down at the same time.