Why do people keep saying this?

[Stalagmitesstalagtites]

We’re going to keep being in lockdown, how? Why? How would they justify this after vaccines here, and why would they do that?

Because they promised they wouldn’t cancel Christmas. And then they did. Who knows what else and when they could do. I can’t get my hopes up when they just randomly take it all away at a moments notice

I'm not a "lockdowner". I loathe them. I think we are unlocking too slowly here (NI) and at the very least kids should be returning to school.

BUT I find it hard to believe there won't be more lockdowns. As PP have said we've had several "last" lockdowns.
I know we have the vaccines and I'm hopeful they'll pull us through this, but what if we get a vaccine-evading variant?
I know scientists have said that they can make boosters but that doesn't happen instantly and once made they still need to be trialled and tested and injected into people, which again isn't an instant thing. I don't trust that we wont be locked down while boosters are developed and rolled out.

Lazy people want to stay at home

@People who are fat and old are loved ones too.
And they and their families can help them stay as safe as possible. But the bare truth is that most fat people can choose to reduce their weight (I'm one of them) and therefore reduce their risk of Covidity, and that you are at risk of dying if you are old and nothing can prevent that from happening, it will happen to us all.

Some people just enjoy being miseries/doom-mongers. There have always been pessimists among us.

I understand some people feel better ignoring the science, some of us feel better paying attention to prepare ourselves.

🤣 condescending much!

If you were paying attention to the science you would see that vaccine efficacy is proving better than previously thought. You’re entitled to be cautious if that’s what works for you, but don’t paint yourself as better informed than the ignoramuses ‘ignoring science’ as a coping mechanism.

Go back a month and I was concerned that a full opening of high schools now would be too soon. Recent data is very promising and it looks like full reopening is the right call.

Presumably anyone who thinks there will be another full lockdown this year is just uninformed? Or are they just talking about future restrictions?

We cant stay in forever and businesses can't afford to stay closed for ever

We haven't stayed in forever, weve been out for a walk almost every day. What we haven't been able to do is go where we want when we want.

Not all businesses are closed. But yes there might have been a shift in what businesses work and what businesses don't. If we have to live this way permanently, what businesses were viable would also change.

The government have gambled. They have opened schools way early. Only time will tell if that will pay off or result in further virus mutations and vaccines escape.

The country was told vaccination was going to be the game changer. Really that was a lie. Their efficacy is effected by whether enough of the people get them, if the virus mutates etc,; it only has to be a small change to make a big difference on a population level.

The big game changers will be increasing ICU capacity (announced to little fanfare in government this week), treatments (which are increasing) and tack and trace (which sadly is still shockingly bad).

The thing is that When big shit changes stuff, life doesn't go back to the way it was simply because we want it to. We have to adapt and change

Recent data is very promising and it looks like full reopening is the right call.

this is so short sighted.

Problems with opening schools include:
Opening the schools now will allow the vaccine to circulate which increases
its chances of mutating. Increasing the risk of vaccine mutation.
The government response is based on hospitalizations and ignores long covid. Long covid typically happens in otherwise fit people who have sometimes very minimal symptoms. long covid we think does damage to the mitochondria.we cannot at this point in time fix mitochondria.

If you want more information the Dr Chris and Dr Xand "Covid oneyear in what do we know" BBC I player program is very interesting on both this points.

Dr Xand "Covid oneyear in what do we know" BBC I player program is very interesting on both this points.

The same Doctor Zand who wrote in 'article' in the BBC telling people that if they have guests around to meet outdoors, they should mark out 2 metres with broomsticks, set alarms to wash their hands every 45 minutes, and suggest that overweight men over 50 bring their own cutlery?

No thanks.

@Stalagmitesstalagtites

We’re going to keep being in lockdown, how? Why? How would they justify this after vaccines here, and why would they do that?

Who keeps saying this?

My question is why do people over estimate the power of the vaccines?

The real world data is good isn’t it? Or are you referring to variants

While "zero covid" dominates discussion about future policy, then restrictions and controls can never end.

When they announced furlough extension to September, a lot of people on my SM, including myself, thought here we go again.
Everytime it's extended, the country has more restrictions imposed.

Yes the real world data on vaccines is excellent.

The reality is vaccines alone don't get us out of the situation.

People are over stating their impact.

The fact they are excellent doesn't make them magic!

@ChameleonClara

Yes the real world data on vaccines is excellent.

The reality is vaccines alone don't get us out of the situation.

People are over stating their impact.

The fact they are excellent doesn't make them magic!

What is the impact in your view?

What situation will we be in

because as recommended on another thread, i looked at the rest of europe,
the rates are worse than they were

How long are the kids back at school for before they break up for Easter
Is it 2-3 weeks then off for 2weeks
Surely it would be better to go back after Easter so another 5 weeks off school but more time for people to get vaccinated
Sending kids back for two weeks seems pointless although I can appreciate that kids need education and parents probably want to kill them or drink lots of wine 😂

@joystir59

Good grief life won't be worth living if all these restrictions carry on much longer. People get sick and people die, it's part of the condition of living. Ffs! Why are we protecting all the fat and old people at the expense of everyone else? At the expense of everyone being able to earn money and live a normal life!!! I've spent the last year trying to stay slim fit active and mentally well do that I don't become a burden to myself and others. I've lost the love of my life during this dreadful situation after spending months not being physically close to her to shield her. I can't do this any more. Please let the restrictions end.

What about the fat nurses and doctors? Without them, who is going to treat YOU when YOU have an accident, heart attack or cancer?

@Grinch48

How long are the kids back at school for before they break up for Easter Is it 2-3 weeks then off for 2weeks Surely it would be better to go back after Easter so another 5 weeks off school but more time for people to get vaccinated Sending kids back for two weeks seems pointless although I can appreciate that kids need education and parents probably want to kill them or drink lots of wine 😂

Infection rates are VERY low at the moment, so risks in schools during those 2-3 weeks are VERY low too. Then we have a 2 week "fire breaker" over Easter. I can't see it being much of a risk as long as parents/teachers follow the rules - after all nothing else is open (non food shops, restaurants, indoor attractions etc) so it's a relatively safe scenario anyway. Kids have already lost so much of their education - those 3 weeks matter - it will mean they can get used to school again and means they can hit the ground running straight after Easter.

I don't think we'll be in lockdown endlessly

After a year, there's been so much impact on people's mental wellbeing and that of children missing schooling that we are moving into next stages of pandemic management.

It has really all been about managing NHS hospitals DN resources so that doctors aren't in impossible situations and to limit mortality rates.

Once most vulnerable people are vaccinated, there should be less hospital admissions and whilst the risk remains, life will gradually return to a new normal- possibly more fully by summer/Sept next year.

I'm possibly too hopeful, but that's what the DC and I have been discussing.

I think it's because we have been told over and over that vaccination alone is not enough, and because yet again the scientific advisors have warned against opening up too early and too quickly, but the government is doing it anyway.

I think a lot people are struggling to comprehend that this thing is going to end - and probably end quite soon for the UK - thanks to our amazing vaccine programme.

This past year has been a complete head fuck for all of us. Even in wartime the entire country wasn't shut down like it was over the past year with everyone told to 'stay at home'. The most overused word of the year is 'unprecedented', but that's what it was - there is literally no precedent for the huge change to our previously free and independent lives that has happened in the past 12 months. And people are traumatised by that! They're still processing it! Some are wallowing in this misery, most are tolerating while hating it, but we're all a bit shell-shocked and after such a huge change to our lives, which came into force so quickly and suddenly and totally, I think a lot of people are struggling to get their heads around the fact that we could be weeks from the end.

Because if these vaccines work as well in the whole population as they seem to in the ones already vaccinated, once the vast majority of us are vaccinated this crisis is going to end. Just like it started with a bang, it's going to end quite suddenly. And that too is a bit of a head fuck. Plus, we've got our hopes up before, haven't we, and our hopes were dashed, because we ended up right back where we started - in another harsh lockdown. So I think at least some people are just trying not to get their hopes up, because they can't cope with much more disappointment.

People are desperate for it to continue goodness knows why

Self preservation.... expect the worst, any better is a bonus?

It's curious that they've extended furlough until autumn, when you've been told it'll be all back to normal by June.