We are going to have to live with covid

[Cloudsurfing]

Thank goodness the government have acknowledged this. Hancock says it will become a virus we live with, like flu. Once the vaccine and treatments have done their job of bringing down hospitalisation, and cases are under control, we will get on with everything again this year.

We aren’t going for zero covid, and all the doomers who say we will be like this for years are most likely wrong!

@ThenCatoJumpedOut

Pink, but we have no choice? If schools, gyms, pubs, theatres, museums, sports centres, gigs are closed , how does one rebel?

Seeing family and friends? Ok you can't go to a shop if it's closed but things will go underground....

@ThenCatoJumpedOut

Pink, but we have no choice? If schools, gyms, pubs, theatres, museums, sports centres, gigs are closed , how does one rebel?

I understand what you're saying but people will start seeing friends and family, hairdressers and beauticians will go to peoples' homes as will personal trainers. People will do as much as they can.

There is a small minority of people who want to keep some restrictions and masks

Bizarre.

We had a horrific flu season a few years ago and no one batted an eyelid.

@Bluebeeee

I know that zero Covid isn’t possible any more. But it still isn’t great news. The nhs will struggle in the face of it forever, even with vaccines and treatments. We will probably have various restrictions imposed for a long time yet. And as the virologist says in the article Covid is a much nastier virus than flu. And the new variants are getting more deadly not less.

@Bluebeeee why isn't zero Covid possible?

@ShanghaiDiva

This has been clear from the beginning: the virus is endemic.

@ShanghaiDiva why so? In many countries they've managed quite well to bring it way down

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow I put this earlier on the thread - 50k in 17/18

No one gave a stuff!

In fairness to @Flaxmeadow I don't agree with most of her posts but I have found them fairly measured in approach, I am not a covid or lockdown denier as to be one of those you would have to believe neither exists! We have had covid in my small town and in my house and it was very minimal, I was actually surprised as we have a Very large elderly population that we haven't had one death from it! I am a lockdown sceptic as I live with a scientist that specialises in data analysis and I have been so bored as I'm not allowed to work that I have read nearly every peer reviewed paper published! I don't have young children, I am financially secure yet I still have to question the reaction! But I do understand those that are unsure or worried as I have friends that have been there. What worries me more than anything is the division within people, I see it daily where I live (a very small tourist town) and the blaming and finger pointing from both sides its awful! When this does end (and it will very soon) the damage to relationships as in friendships, age groups and economics is going to take alot longer to heal and that's devastating! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but this whole situation has brought out the very worst in people, where as we all thought it would bring us together, that's heartbreaking xx

*Living with it (and the next virus whatever that may be) will mean rolling lockdowns though, right?

The way we live now will go on forever, I think? (Lockdowns, tiers, tier1 for longer periods if we are lucky)

I don’t think there is a way back*

Are you being serious? How do you expect these lockdowns to be funded forever?

You think furlough will be a permanent fixture? Pubs, theatres etc will never reopen?

Even the bubonic plague died out for gods sake stop being so ridiculous.

They've been saying that for ages. Its not new.

Not all the time, but yeah we will have more restrictions (but not the furlough, companies will have to adapt I guess)

Cases may be lower, but they still live with the possibility of restrictions. The city where I used to live in China has had no cases for a year and is considered low risk. Low risk does not mean no risk.
People do test positive in China after the 14 day quarantine period which is why some provinces introduced 14 day home isolation after 14 days quarantine.
Restrictions may be short term eg Melbourne, but localised testing and restrictions will no doubt continue.

Move to personal responsibility after Easter, says Hancock

GOOD! Best news I’ve heard all year.

@ThenCatoJumpedOut

Not all the time, but yeah we will have more restrictions (but not the furlough, companies will have to adapt I guess)

How will companies adapt exactly?

Lockdown without a furlough scheme would mean a large proportion of the country not in employment.

Think it through. These lockdowns have only been possible due to furlough.

I've seen some ridiculous posts about covid but yours takes the biscuit and is completely devoid of any logic or economical knowledge.

People won't do the minimum so we end up all having to do the maximum.

Like the people who think it's a big deal to whack on a face mask to go to the shop.

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow I thought 22,000 died that year from flu as per Public health england ?

@Allmyarseandpeggymartin 22k died that year of flu as per public health england ?

@Ahmontacat but for some people like me that is a big deal! I can't wear one at all! I have cancelled all appointments including cancer screenings and don't go anywhere they are needed so probably take up slots that are needed for the vulnerable, to may of us it's not a minor issue!

many not may sorry!

@Wildswim

I suspect face coverings and some degree of being spaced out more will be with some people permanently

You've got to be kidding. Face coverings permanently? Why all the doom and gloom on this thread? It's almost as if some people want to stay in permanent lockdown

They really do, I find it so strange😳

@ThenCatoJumpedOut

Pink, but we have no choice? If schools, gyms, pubs, theatres, museums, sports centres, gigs are closed , how does one rebel?

People are doing hair/lashes/nails at home, there are even some salons that are open but they keep the shutters down. Some pubs are still open, I know someone who went to one for lunch in the first lockdown but just had to say they were there for a takeaway. I think a lot of people are quite oblivious to what's actually still going on even when we're in lockdown

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

Living with it (and the next virus whatever that may be) will mean rolling lockdowns though, right?

The way we live now will go on forever, I think? (Lockdowns, tiers, tier1 for longer periods if we are lucky)

No, people will be vaccinated. Do you really think that people will abide by continued lockdown? I've seen a huge change in attitudes to this lockdown of MN and I can't see people continuing to live like this.

There's a lot of crystal ball gazing on this thread.

I understand we are all desperate for this to be over, but there's a huge space between lockdown as it is today and what life was like in 2019.

Humans never go back, so 2022 will not be just like 2019. The pandemic will have changed things. We just don't know how - a feeling have man's generally hate, so I see a horribly hostile angry argumentative year ahead.

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

There is a small minority of people who want to keep some restrictions and masks

Bizarre.

We had a horrific flu season a few years ago and no one batted an eyelid.

People still don't understand that covid is not flu. Do you actually read the research on this? You do realise people in their 30s and 40s die in hospital but also very healthy people get long covid. This doesn't happen with flu!

So many people still denying the facts of covid, so so depressing.
You think people like restrictions? I hate them, I really do. But I'm not going to pretend covid is the same as flu just because I'm miserable.

You do realise we get older every year right?

@Lelophants

So many people still denying the facts of covid, so so depressing. You think people like restrictions? I hate them, I really do. But I'm not going to pretend covid is the same as flu just because I'm miserable.

You do realise we get older every year right?

Denying the facts of covid is the thread that runs through the whole UK response, sadly.

Also people don't understand zero covid at all, you can see that from the responses.

We have a zero measles strategy. It doesn't mean you actually can achieve zero, it means you try to jump on clusters.

lelo thousands of people become very unwell with flu each year actually. My healthy and young friend nearly died if it.

My point isnt that covid is flu - of course it isn’t - but we have lost our heads over an acceptable level of risk in society for any death from covid. We have had very few flu deaths this year. May who died of covid might equally have died of flu. Unfortunately old and vulnerable people die and have to die of something.

Once we have vaccinated the vulnerable we HAVE to realise there is risk inherent in living. And we have asked our young to give up their lives to save the NHS and the elderly. What I want to see now is a huge investment in CAHMS, children’s services and education as its bloody pay back time for them.