I worry about people's mental health on here if the government fuck it up as usual

[ssd]

Just back from work, shocked at what 'Boris' is doing regards lockdown lifting

Posters here seem to totally believe everything is going to be fine, the relief is tangible

I know I'm wary, but jesus , all schools back etc, mutations rampant, yet 'Boris' says it's fine so waaayyyhaaayyyy

If/when things go haywire, I worry for posters mental health, I dont think so many in here can take another disappointment

I am worried about posters mental health on here if Boris' plan works. I am afraid some posters just won't be able to take it

@gallbladderpain agree with the worry that it will probably be more unsafe for CEV who cannot have the vaccine.

I don't think there is a good way out of this though, there will definitely be more deaths over the next few months and the government are preparing us for that. Most people will see past the deaths if they get their 'normal' lives back.

I wouldn't take what a lot of people post on here as 'Gospel'.

For example I've read quite a few posts from people saying 'I haven't stopped crying since the announcement'.

I tend to take those posts with a pinch of salt, the same way I don't believe people actually spit tea over their keyboards when they read something funny.

But people need a bit of positivity right now and if we have to go back into tiers or lockdown, we'll have to deal with it.

Bozo said it was ok Christmas. Bozo doesn’t make decisions, Bozo’s team does. Bozo has had covid, along with half his team.

@SummerHouse

I worry for the posters who have no hope and no faith. Surely it's better to be positive and wrong than negative and right? But there's also the possibility of being positive and right. I just heard on the radio that studies have found both vaccines give 75% protection from dying or hospitalisation after the first dose. This is excellent. Worry not for my mental health. If the relaxation of the rules is wrong and they have to u turn I am fine with that. What I could not live with is constant fear and expectation of another wave.

Surely it's better to be positive and wrong than negative and right? This is an interesting question, but the truth is people are different.

I've never been able to kid myself, it just doesn't work for me! I prefer to be forewarned and forearmed.

I'm concerned about next winter, and am disappointed we are repeating last year's gambling approach, but like everyone I do hope we have better luck this year.

I hope my gloom this time is proved wrong

@HelloThereMeHearties

Fuxache. Can't we have ONE DAY, maybe even ONE EVENING, of feeling happy and hopeful?

No, shush, the virus will HEAR YOU and then mutate itself into a lethal vaccine-escaping strain to teach you a lesson. Sackcloth and ashes are the ways we show our humility. If we are all very very obedient and promise not to smile ever, maybe it’ll agree not to smite us again.

I find it odd that so many posters here think they know better than everyone involved in the decision making. You know it’s not just Boris right? Or Boris, Gove and Rishi rubbing their hands together wanting to make money? It’s the government, economists, social and behavioural scientists, medics, epidemiologists working together trying to create a balance. You don’t have the abundance of information or the wide scope of knowledge the the government (not just Boris) has. Those who agree with lockdown will continue to comply long term. But that won’t happen for everyone you can see compliance slipping. Young people won’t do it. If you then have mass disobedience under restrictions with no repercussion as it can’t be enforced then everyone will have no fear and stop caring. If you allow freedoms but are able to maintain a sense of control ie people sticking to the rules compliance is likely to be significantly higher if there was another period of lockdown. It’s not just Boris on his own cobbling it together.

My concern is schools and the spread of the virus tbh. The whole year group in our school had to be sent home due to positive cases which eventually led to the school closure a week before the half term .

@Nellodee

There's literally no point in worrying. We are where we are. We've got on this aeroplane, we're not the pilot, we're just in for the ride and will either crash or get off the other side into the sunlight. Maybe it will be fine, maybe it won't be, but there's no point worrying.

When we had lockdown 2, under the old variant, I did not think cases would drop whilst schools were still open. They did drop.

At this point, we just need to hope Johnson has made the right call. He may well have - it's not beyond the realms of possibility.

Exactly this. Fingers crossed.

I hope my gloom this time is proved wrong

Positivity right there practicing !!

I see what you and other posters mean though. I have been very positive throughout and mostly wrong. But that's not a mindset you can decide to have. You either have it or you don't and actually is it better? I think think to a certain extent I went into self preservation mode. Around mother's Day last year I completely spiraled into anxiety to the point I couldn't even stand still. Now everyday I am just grateful I don't feel like that. for those who do. It's truly awful. I guess I want for them what's helped for me, but actually that's very shallow thinking as it's not necessarily what they want or need.

for you too @SummerHouse - and I think we have all been in self-preservation mode.

I have felt philosophical, practical and pretty robust most of the way through and this evening I feel like a jelly - I think it is because secretly I do believe there is a chance we could move to a much better place. Last year - I did bugger all over summer as I was convinced it was the wrong decision. I was very arsey about EOTHO and refused to partake. I was angry about not having the circuit break and don't get me started on Christmas!

But just today when I saw the rates in my local area and thought about vaccine timescales I thought maybe it could be ok - that thought has made me more worried than any of the worry.

It's the hope that kills you

Why are people so determined that there will be more lockdowns with so much vaccination having been done?

I don’t know why but some people really don’t want this to end. It’s very strange.

I think we are going to still have a fair amount of deaths but not enough to justify these ludicrous restrictions any longer.

Why are people so determined that there will be more lockdowns with so much vaccination having been done?

Because of the risk of vaccine escape.

It is a genuine possibility (not probability).

Tbh I’m worried about this idea of all social restrictions ending in mid-June. Does this mean things like 500-person indoor weddings going ahead? The R number would shoot up massively. High circulation of cases makes it so much harder to track new variants, and could help breed vaccine resistant strains. I don’t want another Sep-Dec lockdown while the ECV get vaccinated again

My thoughts are similar OP.

Maybe it’s an issue of trust. I don’t trust this government one bit and sense we’re being sold another lie.

@PracticingPerson

Why are people so determined that there will be more lockdowns with so much vaccination having been done?

Because of the risk of vaccine escape.

It is a genuine possibility (not probability).

Is this not less likely if vaccines stop transmission?

Get out and enjoy life when you can. They'll be some other variant in September. Or the effects of pathological priming.

I think it's about balance. I am quietly hopeful without betting the farm on it. It WILL be better in a couple of months anyway just because the weather will improve. I'm preparing myself for plodding along for as long as it takes while hoping I can see the light at the end of the tunnel

Is this not less likely if vaccines stop transmission?

Ultimately yes but the government has opted to allow a lot of circulation this year and is basically gambling on getting lucky with variants.

We really haven't vaccinated enough people to be cutting the rate of mutation yet and the unlocking proposed before summer is going to create a big risk.

By autumn - much better but the levels of virus going round schools in definitely not a good idea.

@Peoniesandjasmine

My concern is schools and the spread of the virus tbh. The whole year group in our school had to be sent home due to positive cases which eventually led to the school closure a week before the half term .

As one positive case sends an entire year group home around here it's not a measure of spread. Any massive problem with schools opening will be clear by Easter when they can have a rethink if needed. For what it's worth the evidence shows the small risk of reopening is massively outweighed by the risks of closure. At some point something other than Covid has to matter and I wish in Wales we'd take the same line. As it is I'll be able to get a haircut before years 7-10 are back in school. That's just wrong.

As one positive case sends an entire year group home around here it's not a measure of spread.

The issue is by the time you get a test positive cases, asymptomatic spread can have been substantial.

Every transmission risks a variant of concern and schools will be a giant pool in which this can happen.

We might get lucky but I'm.not the gambling type. I think the slower approach in all nations bar England is better in the long run.

@PracticingPerson

As one positive case sends an entire year group home around here it's not a measure of spread.

The issue is by the time you get a test positive cases, asymptomatic spread can have been substantial.

Every transmission risks a variant of concern and schools will be a giant pool in which this can happen.

We might get lucky but I'm.not the gambling type. I think the slower approach in all nations bar England is better in the long run.

How do you think we'll keep English variants out of Wales? Our children in some years will have had 6 weeks more out of school than England's at a minimum across the lockdowns. It's completely unacceptable that hairdressers will be open before schools are fully. The only bright spot is drakeford can't afford to carry on with his nonsense forever.

@ssd

Between you and @Dustyboots we will be staying locked down forever apparently. Do neither of you have anything else to be doing? Bizarre

It does make me anxious about making plans again though after last summer. We were overjoyed to be finally able to go and visit relatives up north, and with two days to go, Matt Hancock made an announcement that you couldn't visit people indoors in some parts of the country.

I really want to make plans again, but far worse than the certainty of lockdown for me is having hope, making plans, then having that snatched away from you. Not sure I can go through all that again.

I think we'll open again regardless tbh. There's only so much the economy can take.