Is this really the end of Covid now

[Worriedmother666]

Or will there be more lockdowns

Exactly this! I am truly sick of hearing people insinuate that they know something we don't, that it is all some kind of trick to control us, etc etc. This is what will keep us under restrictions, not the COVID

Sorry, was referring to this...
15:10Incogweeto

LucilleTheVampireBat

I can't see there being another lockdown. I honestly don't think people would comply. I know there are plenty (particularly on here!) who have totally swallowed the fear campaign, but I do believe they are in the minority now.

Honestly this kind of stupid bullshit is just so frustrating. Yes, most people would comply with another lockdown the same way that most people comply with all our laws. The 'fear campaign' is a mind blowingly ridiculous term. You really think you're so much cleverer than everyone, don't you? Well you're not. They're just more empathetic and less narrow minded.

Oh I know it’s here to stay but I’m hoping it doesn’t have a major impact on everyone’s lives anymore.

Once groups 1-9 have had their first dose I’d expect it to change from something much deadlier than flu to something much less deadly, and not the sort of thing people would normally get worked up about.

Not the end of Covid, but the end of it as a serious public health issue.

@SmudgeButt

nope - not the end. there will be more lockdown as the infection rates yo-yo and the virus mutates. Might be approaching normal sometime in 2024.

Not that some people will pay much attention to lockdowns! they don't now and won't in the future. which of course will contribute to the yo-yo effect.

Have you literally guessed out of your backside there?

@LucilleTheVampireBat

I can't see there being another lockdown. I honestly don't think people would comply. I know there are plenty (particularly on here!) who have totally swallowed the fear campaign, but I do believe they are in the minority now.

👍🏻

@BarbaraofKent

nope - not the end. there will be more lockdown as the infection rates yo-yo and the virus mutates. Might be approaching normal sometime in 2024.

You're deluded.

It's going to be at least 2030.

Actually you may be right.

We might manage to be out in public a bit more but the tax implications will be going on and on. how many billions have been spent? in addition to the normal stuff government spends on??

@allPootle40

"Have you literally guessed out of your backside there?"

Well yes basically.

But then you need to think that the initial shutdown was supposed to stop it. and then wearing masks. and social distancing. and some that people will not even get an initial vaccination until summer. and not getting their second vaccine until autumn. and then new seasonal flu vaccines. and knock on effects to those who haven't sought/couldn't get standard medical treatment who then have become extremely vulnerable. and travel opening up. and importing new variants. and anti vax paranoia.

I'm really thinking BarbaraofKent is right about 2030.

But then you need to think that the initial shutdown was supposed to stop it

No it wasn't.

I'm really thinking BarbaraofKent is right about 2030

That's way too optimistic. It'll be at least 17 and a half years after that before we're allowed out of our houses.

Sorry.

2032 at least im afraid.

Sorry.

@InterfectoremVulpes April 13th.

March 2020: Chinese kids wear masks to school, with Japan, Korea etc shortly afterwards
.....
.....
March 2021: British kids wear masks to school

If Western governments hadn’t been so incredibly slow and complacent getting up to speed it would have been behind us already in terms of return of jobs, schools and functioning economy.

I think covid will be a serious 'thing' for at least 5 years as it will take that long to vaccinate enough of the population.
However here, given our vaccination programme, i am very hopeful if not certain that this lockdown will be the last. Things will go hopefully, broadly go back to normal later this year, though not necessarily according to Boris' timetable.

Foreign travel will be complicated for some time, although if we are all vaccinated that should be possible.

We'll be living with the ecomomic repurcussions for years.

But then you need to think that the initial shutdown was supposed to stop it.

SmudgeButt No, it wasn’t. It was never about stopping it, just slowing it down so the NHS didn’t get overwhelmed.

Stop spreading bullshit.

It will always be around. It will be as deadly as the flu once most adults are vaccinated. We will get a booster every year and get on with life. I will probably continue to mask up on public transport and flights for the foreseeable future.

Surely it will continue to be roughly x10 more deadly than flu, unless the covid vaccines are much more effective than flu vaccines.

That was agenuine question btw, I don't know what the relative risk of covid vs flu wil be after having the vaccine for both, obviously vaccinated people still die of flu, vaccinated people will still die of covid.

Nope
Nope
Nope

(No isn’t certain enough. I fold my arms when I say nope).

2055 I’m afraid. Adjust your expectations. I’m afraid. Just wait and see. The worst is yet to come.......

HTH

We will live with Covid as we do the flu but population immunity will build as it has with common colds and the flu. We will vaccinate the vulnerable every year against new strains.

I checked and apparently the flu vaccine is not usually as high as 50% effective. Presumably the three things that have an impact then are likelihood of encountering a virus, how serious a virus is in the first place and then how effectve the vaccine is.

We have been very lucky with the covid vaccines being so effective so quickly!!

There is no meaningful population immunity to colds and flu as they change all the time.

The Spanish Flu is still here today one hundred years later albeit different variants

Covid will remain for at least our lifetime and we'll learn to live with it

The 'fear campaign' is a mind blowingly ridiculous term.

It's not ridiculous at all. Fear was used to get the message across in the beginning as a way to get the public on board with what otherwise at that time would have been seen as draconian measures

"The perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, using hard-hitting emotional messaging."

Taken from a paper prepared by SAGE’s behavioural science sub-group SPI-B, for discussion at SAGE #18 on 23rd
March 2020.

Have a serious Europe earworm now. It's the final lockdown! Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo...

People are way too pessimistic.

I think it could be the end of COVID in the sense the OP is suggesting.

We drive cases down to a tiny number with vaccines and test the few clusters that pop up. We do annual vaccinations to cope with inevitable mutations and travel is restricted to those with vaccine certificates.

Technically Covid will remain with us and clusters will occur from time to time, as per much rarer diseases such as meningitis (pre vaccine).

However, I can easily see life going back to normal and remaining that way, especially if people are sensible over the next few months.

Well this just in from the scottish govt tells me lockdowns are far from over..At least up here..
Most central belt areas are pretty close to level 4 restrictions (basically lockdown) being imposed and thars before anything opens..

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-56237471