How much longer are we meant to do this?

[Creamteaincornwall]

I have so many friends who are at the end of their tether. Some suicidal, many almost.
I attend a zoom support group for my mental health and emotional well being as I have BPD and ASD. The last few weeks have been horrendous, every person is at the lowest they’ve been since the beginning of all this.
The amount of posts I’ve read on various Facebook groups of people saying they don’t want to get up in the morning anymore, they just stay in bed. Surely this isn’t doing anyone any good physically or mentally?
Surely this will put most in a weaker position if they were to catch covid?

How much more are we all suppose to take of this? With no end in sight?

I'm counting myself in that too, happily sacrifice myself for my younger relatives now it's just silly

You wouldn't be sacrificed and it's a bit off to expect HCPs to watch you die - that would be incredibly traumatic. I also doubt you've really thought this through and checked it would actually work out as planned. Doctors, nurses and family members would intervene. You would be treated. Furthermore, you'd quite probably have transmitted the virus to someone who would like to live (or has more humane expectations of their HCP) before you realised you were infectious.

but what's the fucking point of vaccinations, if the goalposts have now moved without anyone being told, and the ultimate aim is now 'zero Covid'?

Well, the news updates are fairly regular and the implications are clear. The new vaccine doesn't work on lowering transmissions. That means we have no way to stop the virus in its tracks until the autumn. People will continue getting ill. It doesn't matter what you aim for - we are never going to get zero Covid. That is so last year. We now have a much more transmissible virus that can't be kept under control by 'flattening the curve'. You have to keep numbers extremely low - low enough for test and trace to work until the autumn - or there is no hope at all.

Stop behaving like a child. Listen to the news.

The current vaccines don't work on lowering transmissions with the new, more serious variant.

@TiersBeforeBedtime I have nothing useful to say, other than I hear you. I share many of the same feelings, and if I could reach out across the ether then I would give you a hug. Know that you are not alone.

@myfriendsgivebadadvice

The current vaccines don't work on lowering transmissions with the new, more serious variant

Not true, hasn't been proved one way or another.

It's not more serious - just more transmissible.

@myfriendsgivebadadvice

The current vaccines don't work on lowering transmissions with the new, more serious variant.

Don't they lower it by 67%?

ElliFAntspoo
I suspect we will have a bit of freedom in the summer, a firebreak lockdown over the October break, another firebreak lockdown at the end of November, freedom for more than just one day at Christmas, and then really harsh lockdown from 30th November through to mid March 2022.

Lord. You are jolly soul are you not @ElliFAntspoo

[quote xmasmob]@myfriendsgivebadadvice

The current vaccines don't work on lowering transmissions with the new, more serious variant

Not true, hasn't been proved one way or another.

It's not more serious - just more transmissible.[/quote]
And based on the limited data available, the AZ jab does prevent serious illness in relation to the South African variant, I think? It's just not very effective and preventing mild to moderate illness.

@TooManyPlatesInMotion that doesn't work to support the 'rolling lockdowns for years' narrative though so easier to ignore that

[quote xmasmob]@TooManyPlatesInMotion that doesn't work to support the 'rolling lockdowns for years' narrative though so easier to ignore that [/quote]
@xmasmob, yes I know, strange that!

@ElliFAntspoo

Ok so you can commit a crime but nothing will happen because there's nobody to police it. Ok they could use the military but it's unlikely, isn't it?

No. What you can commit a crime and you will likely get a fine, as it is not a recordable crime and does not come with the possibility of a custodial sentence. It will probably stay that way, because most people do not think like you and do not wish to break the law.

But you challenged me to explain how it could be possible, and I explained that if they can just pass a law to make gathering in groups a criminal offence, why can they not just change that law?

You seem to be determined to make your frustrations with your current lockdown situation into personal attacks which you are welcome to do. All I would say, and all I have ever said is, people should stay with it, look after their families. and abide by the law.

Think like I do? I haven't committed any crimes thanks.

What i asked is how they like enforce it and the answer is... They can't.

And as for personal attacks it's not me calling people cunts now is it.

[quote ElliFAntspoo]@TrustTheGeneGenie

You probably shouldn't be posting to the thread suggesting asking if we should start shooting people. You are coming across as very angry and rather unstable.[/quote]
I am angry. I think most people are angry. Unstable I am not. Most people realised I was saying something ridiculous because what you were suggesting was equally ridiculous.

I'm so utterly sick of working from home. Being on-boarded on your 2nd total WFH role is so so lonely. Good thing I have DH at home for a lunchtime walk and a moan.

Have you all read the Israeli hospital cure article? Google 'Israeli Covid cure'. Very exciting. Hopefully the drug will be scaled up into bigger trials.

xmasmob and plates

It's a changing picture, isn't it. There is no point pretending we know it all about each variant. I would not be particularly interested in statistics trying to claim a high degree of certainty - 67% may or may not be this week's figure, we're not getting statistics like we've known them in the past. We're getting hour by hour bulletins that would never usually be deemed fit for public consumption because they are subject to change when further research emerges. That's another good reason to be cautious. I'm certainly not trying to overstate it to make a case for rolling lockdowns - you seem incredibly juvenile to think anyone would bother to do that. If I wanted to suggest we needed years of rolling lockdowns, I wouldn't do it by trying to make up statistics about which variant is more serious.

Your comment that it's not more serious, it's just more transmissible really highlights the extent to which no one should be listening to either of you. Scientists would vastly prefer more serious over transmissible. I would be delighted to find the former wasn't true, let's hope not but it doesn't look like it's not more serious. Beside the point really (except that it holds implications for younger people's vulnerability to serious disease if they're out and about unvaccinated) because it's highly unlikely that it isn't more transmissible and that makes for a higher death toll with this kind of virus. When you said this:

the AZ jab does prevent serious illness in relation to the South African variant, I think? It's just not very effective and preventing mild to moderate illness

I was really astonished. Who cares if it's effective at preventing mild to moderate illness. The point is whether or not it stops transmission. If it doesn't stop transmission, we either have to have a vaccine that everyone has had, or we have to keep numbers low enough for individual outbreaks to be stopped, one by one. Otherwise you will have large numbers of people needing treatment for moderate illness and lots of mutations.

I think people have stopped thinking.

Who cares if it's effective at preventing mild to moderate illness. The point is whether or not it stops transmission

They're both important.

If you can prevent serious illness you can prevent the NHS collapsing. Which is what we've actually been trying to do all along.

If "moderate" illness doesn't need treating I hospital, the government don't give a shit.

What does it matter if it's transmissable if people don't get hospitalised or die?

If it doesn't stop transmission, we either have to have a vaccine that everyone has had, or we have to keep numbers low enough for individual outbreaks to be stopped, one by one.

No we don’t. We need to vaccinate the people who are more likely to end up in hospital - which is exactly what we’re doing. For most people, this is mild/asymptomatic.

For most people, this is mild/asymptomatic

No, not really.

They're both important.

Well yes I do think that really....

@myfriendsgivebadadvice

For most people, this is mild/asymptomatic

No, not really.

Well statistically that is true, actually.

Yes, really. Sorry @myfriendsgivebadadvice I know you love the doom and gloom but the fact is that the vast majority of cases are actually mild/asymptomatic.

This thread is just bonkers. Think I’m coming off here good, it’s utterly unhealthy.

for good Just correct my mistake as wouldn’t want to leave a lasting impression that I was illiterate

@myfriendsgivebadadvice

I think people have stopped thinking.

I don't think i am the one who had stopped thinking. If it prevents serious illness and hospitalisation and we are vaccinating at a good pace (which we are), transmission is not such a huge issue because those who are lost likely to become very ill have had the jab.

All I did was state what has widely been reported in the data and subsequent media - AZ vaccine prevents serious illness and death (based on the small study available). I have no idea why this would fill you with rage and disbelief.