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?

The end is in sight. The vaccines are going well. Schools are back in a few weeks.

Saw that in your crystal ball, did you, Elli?

Blimey ElliFAntspoo who sold you your crystal ball? Do you also take money off grieving people for fake medium readings? Or are you just this miserable and brave over the internet.

😂

@tatutata

Forever apparently. Because we've always destroyed everything for a pandemic which over 99% survive.

But thousands upon thousands don't survive. The numbers are so large the NHS was being overwhelmed. Death rates arenas enough but can you imagine them with no mitigation? We haven't destroyed the economy - it is set to bounce back strongly.

This will pass - and one day we will be telling our grandchildren that we lived through the pandemic and they will be very impressed.
Yep. Spot on.

I agree we need to learn to live with it. We were told lockdown was needed to stop the nhs being swamped and I’m just annoyed they seem to be changing the goalposts. Levels here are down to last Sept levels.....so why are we we still in lockdown and likely to be for over another month.

@Creamteaincornwall

Is the vaccine really the way out? I thought they were now worried about mutations and variants. It feels never ending.

Astra Zeneca is the one they are worried about but it still prevents hospitalisation and deaths, it just doesn't reduce transmission as much as hoped. Plus they are already tweaking it.

@CountessFrog

Saw that in your crystal ball, did you, Elli?

I got similar responses when I said there was no way this would be over by Christmas last year, and was mocked. It isn't rocket science.

Its exhausting
I don't trust the Government or their advisors either
Its like they want this to go on forever

The numbers are so large the NHS was being overwhelmed.

Tbf that doesn't take much, its the same most winters.
[[
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/08/nhs-hospitals-emergency-measures-winter-crisis]]

No not a covid denier just saying the NHS in a state of crises isn't unique to this pandemic.

There's a lot of soul suckers on MN. It's not the best place to be when you are feeling hopeless.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/08/nhs-hospitals-emergency-measures-winter-crisis

Link fail above.

@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.

ODFOD

@Covidcorvid

I agree we need to learn to live with it. We were told lockdown was needed to stop the nhs being swamped and I’m just annoyed they seem to be changing the goalposts. Levels here are down to last Sept levels.....so why are we we still in lockdown and likely to be for over another month.

That is the job of the government, to manage the expectations of the public who need to have their expectations managed. There is a whole other side of the general public who don't listen to the soothing words, but pull out the facts. They don't need their expectations to be managed because they make their own assessments of where things are headed and live their lives accordingly.

If readers are afraid of another year in lockdown, then there are threads on MN that will really terrify the F out of them.

I know but there is nothing we can do so I don't see the point wasting energy getting angry

I don't trust the Government or their advisors either
Its like they want this to go on forever

I don't think they actually do. It's all very odd though now. It's starting to feel surreal even.

Not sure if it's because I'm trying not to read too much news - but is there a sense that government and Johnson have disappeared?

Why am I feeling that no one is taking any responsibility for this?

I wish I could make my own assessments and live my life accordingly.

Sadly the cafes, shops and gyms are shut so I can’t. I’d go back to normal tomorrow if I could.

There are more vaccines coming through.

Maybe people will have to get revaccinated sooner than hoped if/ when SA variant becomes prevalent. That's why the government are trying to chase cases of that down.

@tootsytoo

I know but there is nothing we can do so I don't see the point wasting energy getting angry

That is my take on it. We hide it from our kids, don't have the news on during the day, no point in flooding the house with repetitive news droning on and on about BS that you know will be contradicted by scientists that evening, and then U-turned the following week. Its entertainment meant to keep you placated, to think the country has things under control.

I know but there is nothing we can do so I don't see the point wasting energy getting angry

There is a point in getting angry @tootsytoo

I've been pissed off that I've sunk into acceptance lately. We need to be angry to stay alert. This government is a pile of shit and we need them out next time we get a chance to vote.

@LetItGoGo

There are more vaccines coming through.

Maybe people will have to get revaccinated sooner than hoped if/ when SA variant becomes prevalent. That's why the government are trying to chase cases of that down.

The problem ATM that I see is that they do not know which vaccines can be mixed with which vaccines. The odds seem to be high that we will have to annual or bi-annual vaccinations every year for the foreseeable future, but that those vaccines will keep most of us safe from a severe Covid attack. The problem I see ATM is if they discover you cannot have Vaccine A with other vaccines, and then people who have had vaccine A are stuck on Vaccine A. ATM it looks like the Oxford vaccine may be the one that plays well with others.

@Mischance gosh thank you for sharing and giving me some perspective. No matter how hard I’m finding it (single parent), I’m lucky in so many ways too.

Are you sure we'll have "freedom for more than one day at Christmas" @ElliFAntspoo?

Because not 2 weeks ago you said we'd have a Christmas exactly the same as 2020

"the promise that Christmas will not be a repeat of last year, a Christmas exactly the same as last year"

Cases are rocketing down now and were very low through last summer when pubs were open in most places and people were able to mix indoors. They had to carry out vaccine tests in another country because people involved in the testing wouldn't come across enough covid in the wild here.
Things have to be even better this year, so have hope.

Tim Spector who runs the Zoe covid app, which is one of the sources of govt data and is always about a week ahead of other data, so spots the trends more quickly has been a very measured voice of reason so far. He has this to say yesterday.
"Good news as UK new case rates keep dropping for four straight weeks and now 18k/day down from a peak of 69k/day on 1st jan. Hospital admissions dropping too with most regions under 30% covid patients. Need to start planning gradual relaxation strategy now."