Charles Walker

[LunaHeather]

I wrote to him last week and got a reply, which he seems to have personally addressed and signed, which surprised me.

He isn't my MP.

I didn't realise that this week he's actually asked people to write, I was worried in case I was bugging him.

But he has asked...So I thought I'd flag it up in case other MNers wanted to write.

mobile.twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1362406296390164482

There's just something comforting in knowing they're not all lockdown fanatics in there.

I am very sorry for the people who have lost someone on this thread, or who are suffering with their MH. It's tough all round. I'm personally struggling a lot at the moment and very worried about my children, but I also empathise with people who are anxious about lifting of restrictions.

@LastTrainEast I don’t have to swallow the suicide claims. I personally know of three in lockdown 1. Prior to that, during my 45 years on this earth, I had only ever known one person who had committed suicide. PM me if you want more details.

Luna - yes absolutely. The problem with EDs is they can be swift to take hold and very hard to recover from. The sharp increases in referrals is really alarming. We really need to push for more investment in CAMHS but also recognise many would never have become ill in the first place without the current restrictions.

I went through anorexia many years ago and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's absolutely devastating for sufferers and their families. I'm desperately sad to see so many children are going down this path.

He is also my MP as long as i can remember. He is a good MP.

[quote BunsyGirl]@LastTrainEast I don’t have to swallow the suicide claims. I personally know of three in lockdown 1. Prior to that, during my 45 years on this earth, I had only ever known one person who had committed suicide. PM me if you want more details.[/quote]

@LunaHeather

Dolcie I'm sorry about your friend (and I'm sorry too if that seems hypocritical coming from me).

sitting that makes sense. Food is one of few things we can control at the mo. Also easy to abuse.

Thanks honey fed up with people quoting "stats" when they know bugger all

@Kljnmw3459

Meh.

And herein lies the problem, concisely encapsulated in a single word.

I have known quite a number of people who took their lives, prior to lockdown. None during it, but several who died of and with covid and a number of long Covid sufferers, and one of those I know died of the effects this week. The real issue is that our government have fucked the response up from start to finish and have let their friends make a ton of money along the way. I am not about to take any solace from a welfare grabbing Tory who does not care who dies, as long as he gets to feel like a little hero for speaking up against the big bad virus his colleagues can't get a handle on.

And one of my oldest friends killed himself leaving a note directly blaming the terror induced in him by universal credit stipulations, so heftily supported by CW.

This is not a left or right issue - I applaud any MP, left or right, speaking out.

Sir Desmon Swayne also continues to speak out:

Travelling I wrote to him too but I doubt he will reply. I don't expect a reply, just wanted to say thanks. Credit where it's due and all that.

Night folks.

"How were you planning to eat and drink if so many people were off sick that the water stopped coming out of the taps and the supermarkets stopped getting deliveries?"

Has that actually happened anywhere in the world though - my impression is not? I do agree that there could well have been problems with panic buying, though there would have been other ways to address that. But by and large it has seemed that there are not so many people who are seriously ill that food and water supplies have stopped - I mean in places where there haven't been lockdowns, or where there were fewer restrictions.

Anyone who dies of or with Covid has it recorded on their death certificate.

Can you imagine if they could do the same with anyone who has died, or will die from lockdown? Can you imagine the numbers? This obviously can’t happen and is only a thought experiment, but it does mean we will probably never know the true cost of lockdown.

Same would also be useful to compare cases of long Covid with cases of ‘long lockdown’ as its equivalent- all the people whose mental health is in the toilet, people who have almost taken their own lives, people who have or will lose their homes etc etc

It is my personal belief that lockdown will cause a larger number of deaths over the years, as well as massive suffering than Covid ever did.

And the stupid thing is, we can (and are) fucking vaccinating people against Covid!! Lockdown needs to end now.

Desmond Swayne does continue to speak out, usually to the accompaniment of a lot of groaning from anyone unfortunate enough to be listening.

On the BBC covid numbers page it shows that less people are.dying of non covid.related cases than normal. I absolutely refuse to believe that. There must be more heart attack/stroke/cancer /suicide deaths due to lockdown. I have no stats to.prove it and I am not a particularly clever person but common sense tells me that this is so. I believe covid is being over reported

ismympaprick.co.uk/mp/desmond-swayne

@BonnieDundee

On the BBC covid numbers page it shows that less people are.dying of non covid.related cases than normal. I absolutely refuse to believe that. There must be more heart attack/stroke/cancer /suicide deaths due to lockdown. I have no stats to.prove it and I am not a particularly clever person but common sense tells me that this is so. I believe covid is being over reported

I agree with you and I would say these numbers may be correct, but the fall out from lockdown will continue for years and years after it ends. Sadly, deaths and suffering for many are still yet to come.

Every wrecked marriage. Every eating disorder. Every suicidal thought that hasn’t been reported to authorities yet. Every case of cancer that hasn’t been picked up on yet. Every job that hasn’t been lost yet... we need to unlock now before there is any more damage done.

@LastTrainEast, "How were you planning to eat and drink if so many people were off sick that the water stopped coming out of the taps and the supermarkets stopped getting deliveries?"

Jesus of Nazareth. You really do need to give your a head a wobble! Your going as if theres an apocalypse out there.
Most people get flu like symptoms, are laid up for a week then back to work! We now have vaccines with high efficiency rates! Maybe you need to swallow these facts.

And this week I lost a friend, who suffered from long COVID. So don’t talk to me about suffering

I'm sorry for your loss but that doesn't give you the right to dismiss what others are going through.

To some of you who mentioned that some deaths are being classed as covid when they are not due to covid, yes, I agree and there are an increasing number of reports confirming this - even in the mainstream media now.

It's 'only the daily mail' but journalists Bel Mooney shares an account about her father Ted Mooney who died - not from covid (he tested negative) but his death was still put down as covid: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9279767/BEL-MOONEY-dad-died-chronic-illness-hes-officially-Covid-victim.html#comments

Yes, they put that down as covid against the family's wish; and they did it because others in the old age home had had covid although every test of the father had been negative. I would be wanting a post mortem and correction of the death cert if I were that family.

However I don't believe our state or our doctors are trying to fix the figures. Most people on both sides anti lockdown and pro are pretty honest normal people with sincerely held views who want facts not for anything to be manipulated. Compare the UK to China where today apparently we discover 100k people in one region no longer claiming old age benefits who clearly died of covid despite China say there were hardly any deaths, and not the 300 reported.

I have always felt since last March the excess deaths figure is going to be the simplest to consider and even if some of those are caused by no NHS treatment in many areas for lots of conditions most will probably be covid. I think the Uk has had about 60k or 70k excess deaths. We usually have about 600,000 deaths in a normal year. Despite being anti-lockdown laws I do of course accept covid does kill people, is horrible and I certainly don't want to get it. I just believe the balance of good v evil is on the side of voluntary advice not mandatory laws.

I agree - comparing excess deaths can be very useful in flagging up anomalies. As can comparing A&E/999 callouts and hospital admissions by type of illness eg respiratory, heart attack etc.

Also, because a winter 'season' spans two calendar years, I think it would be sensible to compare illnesses/deaths from Oct-April for each year.

Sorry for the derail!

Common sense is generally uneducated stupidity. If you don't have the facts don't just express the feelz.

All excess deaths will not be covid. There will be people who are unable to access healthcare/have treatment delayed/scared to go to hospital. So there will be many excess cancer/heart attack/stroke etc deaths.

Isnt there also a link between loneliness and reduced life expectancy?