Next week's announcement won't be the good news we think it'll be

[likeamillpond]

Listening to the news and reading between the lines regarding the latest variant that's supposed to be resistant to the vaccine, I don't think it's going to be brilliant news next week.
I dont think it'll be a case of, We've got this. You can all go out now.
Im hoping theyll say for certain that schools can go back. At least.
I think we are still in the shit. They just haven't told us.
I'm prepared to be told I'm worrying over nothing.

Where I am they've now moved on to vaccinating unpaid carers. My DS is autistic and I'm his carer. I had mine today and I'm early 40s. My niece has been called for hers, she's only 19 but has a blood condition. I was told that in two weeks my jab will be 80% effective. I think the roll out is going to be quick and with that level of protection after just one jab cases should really fall.

The waiting is awful at this point. It’s been so long.

If we find out finally that schools open on 8th that will help.

@Abraxan

Those of us who have stayed well and not had major bereavement are very lucky

Sadly I've had 3 family deaths, albeit not from covid, however restrictions have meant we'd not seen them - though dh was allowed an 'end of life' emergency visit for his dad and my mum was able to visit my nana briefly under similar circumstances - for months. Their funerals were restricted between 10 people in April to 25 in August, so we couldn't grieve fully as a whole fa,ill and they were dine with masks and social distancing.

I've also had covid during the last autumn term, I was in hospital and off work for 7 weeks. 4 months later I'm still suggesting post viral issues and my blood pressure, which I didn't have any issues with previously, is too high even with 2 different daily medications. It caused my arthritis to flare and that's only just settling following another steroid injection.

What with that plus some other stuff we've dealt with in the last year, it's been a really hard and stressful time tbh.

Funerals in the past year have been very difficult and 3 is a lot.

It has indeed been a very stressful time.

I hope that the arthritis settles soon.

Our school has had quite a lot of cases recently (staff and students) and are only open to key workers children. Local shopkeeper (under 40) has just died from Covid. Cases in my area remain high.
Whilst my DC need to keep in touch with their friends and their teachers it doesn't feel safe right now.

I think certain year groups will return. Maybe reception and Year 1 and year 11/13 for assessment purposes. Possibly year 10 too.
Then rest will be after Easter.
Possible non essential shops opening?

Yes, much better now that Mr. Biden is in place, that’s true.

Do you really think they’ve done very well until now though, with the number of deaths they have ?
As of today, they have the eighth highest death rate per capita in the world. For an economy of their size and domination, I’d say that’s pretty appalling.

@Sparklingbrook

All this 'locked up' talk. So dramatic. Nobody is locked up.

Locked up, locked down - same difference!

@EffIt

[quote Sparklingbrook]
All this 'locked up' talk. So dramatic. Nobody is locked up.

Locked up, locked down - same difference![/quote]
It really isn't.

@likeamillpond

I know things are going to be eased gradually but I suspect it will be more gradual than people are expecting! Because of the new new variant.

To listen to people around me they seem to think it'll be all holidays, hugging and parties before long..
They seem to think the vaccine means that's the end of it.

They are in for a shock.

Some people seem to think vaccines are basically magic.

They help. Hopefully a lot.

Once we get a large enough % of the population vaccinated. (The Israelis are working on 90%)

But we're six months away from that.

And even then, if you just let the virus continue to circulate unimpeded you give it endless practice at beating the vaccines and putting you back at square 1.

I hope the government really spell this out.

I think it's quite unhelpful to talk about schools going back, as if schools were somehow all similar.

There's a world of difference between years 11 and 13 (and equivalents) who really need to be back in asap because they're nearly timed out for salvaging this year's qualifications, followed by 10 and 12 who might yet have major consequences on theirs next year; and younger year groups for whom there is far more time ahead.

Not seen my grandmother for a year now. She's 92. Kids not seen grandparents properly for months. It's so depressing and dark.

I think when the weather gets warmer and we're allowed to meet 1 or 2 people for outdoor dining etc with restrictions things will feel easier. :( It's awful. I hate most this race to the bottom attitude people have. If you want the shops open you're selfish. If you want the pubs open you're more than selfish, you're the worst of the worst. I said at work I can't wait to spoil my kids for lunch outside Spoons with my parents and Nanna.

I was stared at and my colleague said "ARE YOU ON GLUE? I wouldn't take my family out anywhere!! For months if not years. We'll be back in lockdown and you're part of the problem!!"

Eh? We're all absolutely worn down with this. I have hives and constant stomach pains. My anxiety is relentless. That's just me. My kids are ok but miserable cooped up even though they say they're fine. We are in contact with the school and nursery constantly as DD3 is in nursery attached to the school.

My kids need hair cuts. To get out this place and off this road. My kids haven't left our neighborhood since December last year.

I don't want to go back to packed bars on wild nights out. Just simply to take the kids out for a simple family lunch.

I'm not sorry if that makes me a terrible human being!!!! It simply makes me honest for actually saying what I want to do WHEN WE CAN DO IT (safely) and trying to give us something other than doom to look forward to.

Sorry, that was to DBML.

OP: it’s going to be two months before groups 1-9 are vaccinated. Just two months. Are you really willing to throw away the collective effort of the past year to have a few less weeks of restrictions? That would be incredibly short-sighted.

We have been at home since mid-Feb 2020. I’m pretty much ok but have CEV and CV loved ones. I want to say hi to my daughter and 6 month old grandchild and touch them, see my mum and stepdad who are hundreds of miles away, my youngest to be able to actually go into College in person, which he hasn’t for almost exactly a year now, walk without a mask on my face, do my own food shopping.

But when I do, I want it to be permanent and to not have to wake up to this nightmare ever again. These things are all within reach within a matter of weeks, just weeks, if people could just be a bit more patient.

@DenisetheMenace

Sorry, that was to DBML.

OP: it’s going to be two months before groups 1-9 are vaccinated. Just two months. Are you really willing to throw away the collective effort of the past year to have a few less weeks of restrictions? That would be incredibly short-sighted.

We have been at home since mid-Feb 2020. I’m pretty much ok but have CEV and CV loved ones. I want to say hi to my daughter and 6 month old grandchild and touch them, see my mum and stepdad who are hundreds of miles away, my youngest to be able to actually go into College in person, which he hasn’t for almost exactly a year now, walk without a mask on my face, do my own food shopping.

But when I do, I want it to be permanent and to not have to wake up to this nightmare ever again. These things are all within reach within a matter of weeks, just weeks, if people could just be a bit more patient.

The vaccinations will change nothing

Beanie cats

“The vaccinations will change nothing”

Why?

@motherrunner

Thank you *@the80sweregreat*.

I’m sorry to hear of your circumstances too 💐

I can’t even speak to my mum as her condition means she can’t hold a phone or iPad etc. The nursing home offers window visits but she’s on the second floor and got distressed when she was tried to be moved from her bed.

How can it be safe for me to teach 150 + pupils a day (in some classrooms that don’t even have a window) but I can’t see my mum?

Safe for whom though? If you are under 50 and have no health conditions that make you vulnerable, it’s almost certainly ‘safe’ for you to teach, in that if you caught Covid, you very probably wouldn’t die. It’s almost certainly safe for your pupils, who probably wouldn’t even get very ill. If you’re not CEV or over 50, it’s as safe for you, if you visit a nursing home. For the nursing home residents if you’re asymptomatic and pass it on? Not very safe at all.

I’m sorry you haven’t seen your mum since March - my father is CEV and lives at the other end of the country and I haven’t seen him since December 2019, so I feel your pain - but whether it’s safe to teach and whether it’s safe to visit a nursing home aren’t really comparable.

@Christmasfairy2020

Is the NHS under pressure? If not then why do we need to still not visit family and live life. Its stupid

There are still more in ICU than during the first peak, so yes, the NHS is currently under extreme pressure.

@DenisetheMenace

I think they were hit hard. They chose to prioritise economy, because ultimately that affects all people rather than just the vulnerable.

That approach was always going to lead to huge numbers of infections. But looking at Florida (which is republican btw) they seem to be over that hump and they are carrying on with life...parties in the Keys; meals out with friends; celebrations. Their vaccination program is also going well and whilst I am no trump fan, that was down to him and not Biden.

Meanwhile look at us here in the UK. We doing phenomenally aren’t we;
Everyone is depressed or suffering MH issues
We are billions in debt, which even our grand kids will be paying off
We have shop aisles taped off...you can’t buy a sodding towel or a bed sheet
And we’ve got politicians and scientists telling us this could go on for months yet, maybe another year even.
And our numbers of deaths are still high!
Yep, we’ve clearly nailed it.

Locked up, locked down - same difference!

It’s really not. It’s ridiculous that people are saying it’s like being in prison even if they’re sticking to the rules.
Lots of people are not sticking to the rules where we live and I still heard one of the neighbours talking to another declaring it’s like prison. 🙄 Then she had her 3rd set of visitors for the day and it was only lunchtime. They told me last week that their kids are still having sleepovers with friends and they’re seeing their family as it’s ‘gone on long enough.’ Interesting prison. 🤔

@likeamillpond

Listening to the news and reading between the lines regarding the latest variant that's supposed to be resistant to the vaccine, I don't think it's going to be brilliant news next week. I dont think it'll be a case of, We've got this. You can all go out now. Im hoping theyll say for certain that schools can go back. At least. I think we are still in the shit. They just haven't told us. I'm prepared to be told I'm worrying over nothing.

NRFT so apologies if it’s been said - but It can’t be resistant to all the vaccines though as they’re all different and have different techniques to stop the virus.....

Once we get a large enough % of the population vaccinated. (The Israelis are working on 90%)

But we're six months away from that.

And even then, if you just let the virus continue to circulate unimpeded you give it endless practice at beating the vaccines and putting you back at square 1.

What are you saying? That even once 90% are vaccinated we still have to keep restrictions because if we don't the virus will become immune to the vaccines? We don't worry about that with the flu vaccine, we just produce a new vaccine each year. We don't tell everyone they can't see their loved ones or go to the theatre or send their children to school.

Who ever thought 2021 would be more shit than 2020? Remember the euphoria that we had a 'vaccine'.........which we don't seem sure of what it actually achieves .....depressing

Is the NHS under pressure?

Is that a serious question?

I saw my uncle who is 92 just after xmas. I dropped some food at his door, and waved and chatted for about a minute from the end of the drive (he was at the door)
We did visit MIL because she was given a terminal diagnosis not long after xmas
My own parents died some years ago but its been hard for my DC not to see any family since last summer when we briefly saw them outside...and now probably the next time we see family will be MILs funeral...

I think rhe hard thing for some people will be moving from the view pf a 'cure all ' vaccine .. we are now safe.. to the reality that boris seemed to allude to .. that some people will still die of covid .. and that instead of lockdowns we need to learn to live with covid as we do flu as it wont be erradicated. I think a lot of folk i know feel relieved at having had the jab , and that is good .. however jabs do not protect all people all the time. I think rhos will need to be acknowlged
. They do seem worried .. i wonder if this is in part behevouiral science .. to keep people a wee bit careful.. so that they maintain a slow and safer lifting of restrictions .. so that all the good work of lockdown isnt undone. .. also they need to try to.minimise infections .. so less chance of mutations .. all this may be just my musings of course.!

I’m a children’s social worker (so tier 2) and I’m having my first vaccine next week. I don’t understand why teachers aren’t similarly prioritised.