Will lots just say 'stuff it' come the 23rd?

[JuneSummer]

It'll soon be a year since lockdown was first called and me and DH have been watching lots of TV coverage over the last few days. It's just dawned on us this week that we have now not seen our parents for a year, the DC haven't hugged their grandparents, we haven't been for any days out as a family, DC1 hasn't had a single uni class in person. The list goes on.

DH and I are now quickly coming to the conclusion that we just cannot and will not go on living like this any longer as a family. Particularly when there seems to be no end in sight if you listen to people like Chris Whitty and Christina Pagel (who was wanting masks and social distancing for the foreseeable future last night on the news).

Both sets of parents are in their mid 60s and have been vaccinated. We are now strongly minded to visit both at the beginning of April and allow them to see their DGC.

I suspect we will not be alone. Will lots of people simply say 'no more' upon realising they've spent a year of their lives not living?

I said "fuck it" the day my mum died. We had been shielding for months, I hadn't hugged her or held her hand until she was dead. Still haven't seen others, just a couple of people though, that if I didn't see, I probably wouldn't be here now either.
I've not been in a shop or restaurant for over a year. I'm done.

@Coldofhands

We are still following the rules and have done so since last March. We will continue to do so because we're decent human beings that care about other people. For the same reason we wear masks and do the lateral flow tests.

DS1 is clinically vulnerable and at primary so won't get vaccinated any time soon
We lost DS2's Godmother, 2 of DHs uncles and one of mine to covid.

I miscarried by my fucking self in hospital because selfish arseholes can't follow the sodding rules. I sincerely hope no one of you being blasé, selfish and inconsiderate have to go through the year we and so many other families have had.

I am incredibly sorry for all your losses, i really am, but it is not rule breakers that meant you were in hospital alone, it was the rules surrounding the virus, and no, i dont agree with it, but it wasnt other peoples fault.

We all know Whitty will say conditions not met

But once 90% (or some such high figure) of people have been vaccinated then that’ll be it. We will be free to do what we want because we will be protected. And like I said, that moment is not too far away.

@Dongdingdong

We all know Whitty will say conditions not met

But once 90% (or some such high figure) of people have been vaccinated then that’ll be it. We will be free to do what we want because we will be protected. And like I said, that moment is not too far away.

You're making it up as you go along aren't you? There are four conditions that apply at each stage. Not a single condition that an unspecified number of people have been vaccinated.

We've said 'fuck it' since all our parents and grandparents have been vaccinated. I'm CEV and have had 1st vaccinate. We're hosting 4 households for Easter weekend in the house, cannot wait to have the family back together. DC are going to grandparents for sleepovers, we're having friends round and meeting friends and family for walks and at the park. I genuinely don't know a single person who's now following 'the rules'.

I know another family who had the same "fuck it" attitude and had a family party last week, including the elderly dad who has health issues. Despite him having had his first vaccination he's still got covid (as have the rest of them who attended)

@HazeyJaneII I couldn't care less if your son has been shielding! I'm concentrating on my family.

You're making it up as you go along aren't you?
There are four conditions that apply at each stage. Not a single condition that an unspecified number of people have been vaccinated.

What are you on about? It’s called basic common sense! I’ll say it again on the off chance it goes in this time: once the vast majority of the population has been vaccinated then there won’t be any reason to continue restrictions. Or are you one of those posters who’s hoping we stay in lockdown for the next 10 years?

[quote mn81987]@HazeyJaneII I couldn't care less if your son has been shielding! I'm concentrating on my family. [/quote]
I hope you remember comments like that if you ever find yourself in a similar position and suddenly no one gives a stuff about your family

@Missfelipe well it's not really relevant is it! Why would I care about random people on the internet? I'm sure you're not losing sleep over anyone on here 🙄

I agree some of the posters on here are selfish . I know of a family in hospital where the son is mid 20s and both parents are late 40s the father is in intensive care .

If you think this is all over then you are wrong .

Just take slow steps forward.

Look at Europe in some countries the cases are going up again .

[quote mn81987]**@HazeyJaneII I couldn't care less if your son has been shielding! I'm concentrating on my family. [/quote]
I actually think that has to be one of the most cuntish comments I’ve seen on here.

@HazeyJaneII I hope he is able to start secondary master this year with his peers. It’s really hard for the shielding students, and those living with some really vulnerable family members I think. We’ve got a few in our school and remote learning was great for some of them recently as they were once again fully involved with their classes.

*later not master!

People aren’t being selfish for wanting to see their family. It’s been a year. Many of the vulnerable are vaccinated. Yes there will still be some vulnerable who aren’t vaccinated and so unprotected, but to be honest that’s the same for every illness and we can’t keep these restrictions for the few who won’t be protected. We just can’t expect people to do that. The restrictions were always to protect the NHS and not individual people and now it’s not at risk anymore it’s time for everyone to get on with life. It’s unfortunate for those people but they will have to shield themselves, I’m not doing it anymore.

Yes. As soon as it was announced that schools were reopening I took my daughter to see her Grandmas. Both vaccinated. My mum had been in hospital after a fall for the 2nd time in 9 months. She lives alone but is in a bubble with my sister.I'm a teacher. Back in the stupid position of not seeing my elderly, frail Mum but can mix with hundreds of kids a day. Sick of that shit.

@Racoonworld

People aren’t being selfish for wanting to see their family. It’s been a year. Many of the vulnerable are vaccinated. Yes there will still be some vulnerable who aren’t vaccinated and so unprotected, but to be honest that’s the same for every illness and we can’t keep these restrictions for the few who won’t be protected. We just can’t expect people to do that. The restrictions were always to protect the NHS and not individual people and now it’s not at risk anymore it’s time for everyone to get on with life. It’s unfortunate for those people but they will have to shield themselves, I’m not doing it anymore.

This.

People have had their businesses ruined, kid's education disrupted, mental health gone down the pan... yet they get called selfish for the simple natural human instinct to want to see their own family.

However we only went to see them since we haven't been anywhere since December. Wont be going again now we are back at school.

There has been no precedent for mass vaccination in the middle of a pandemic from an epidemiological standpoint. Likewise for vaccinating the vulnerable? What dynamic impact will this have? Particularly if immunological response is less than robust. It may reduce morbidity and mortality for that group but may produce asymptomatic spread to those previously less vulnerable.

There is also the question of learning from previous pandemics where the first wave had most consequence for the elderly and vulnerable and health care workers but subsequent waves then effected the young and healthy.

We have all become used to antibiotic resistance - the danger of supercharging bacteria as a result of human intervention and giving the wrong antibiotic or stopping an antibiotic too soon.

But we ignore the dangers of supercharging a virus through human intervention - not paying attention to innate immunity and social factors that reduce it or support it, the impact of isolation in reducing innate immunity, the impact of over-riding innate general immunity via specific immune generating vaccinations, the response of a virus during a pandemic to partial immunity etc.

Given that the response of the virus so far to political attempts to control it overwhelming a national health service and trying to limit economic consequences, psychological well being etc, but not prevent it finding new hosts, has been to mutate into variants that are more infectious to more groups (and recent studies suggest more deadly), do you really think the same strategy will mean that the virus has nowhere left to go and will wither away?

The 'danger' may be no longer the asymptomatic and not severely effected young with strong innate immunity passing on the previously dominant strain to the elderly and vulnerable with reduced innate immunity, but that group passing on a more virulent strain to those whose general innate immunity has waned due to isolation and who don't have specific immunity because they have not been vaccinated.

@Racoonworld

People aren’t being selfish for wanting to see their family. It’s been a year. Many of the vulnerable are vaccinated. Yes there will still be some vulnerable who aren’t vaccinated and so unprotected, but to be honest that’s the same for every illness and we can’t keep these restrictions for the few who won’t be protected. We just can’t expect people to do that. The restrictions were always to protect the NHS and not individual people and now it’s not at risk anymore it’s time for everyone to get on with life. It’s unfortunate for those people but they will have to shield themselves, I’m not doing it anymore.

Yes you are right and I think the majority agree with you

People don't seem to get that the best way for us all to get back to some sort of normality is for us all to stick to the rules as best we can, to keep cases down while the vaccine is rolled out. The more we can squash it, the better all of our lives will be soon.

@StylishMummy

Absolutely understand the frustration everyone has towards 'rule breakers', but only on Mumsnet do the vast majority claim to be playing by the rules.

I won't be held in this ridiculous limbo anymore and am living my life. I'm not killing granny, or my parents, or anyone else for that matter. What are you all going to flap about in June when restrictions are mostly done away with?

This "ridiculous limbo" is saving lives. And keeping beds free in hospitals. Most people I know are still playing by the rules but I have compassionate and intelligent friends who understand the circumstances. The few ignorant and selfish ones are too stupid to think it through. But you can't fine people for stupidity, unfortunately. I do hope the rule breakers are caught and fined.

If you think restrictions will be done away with in June you are in for a shock.

@Racoonworld

People aren’t being selfish for wanting to see their family. It’s been a year. Many of the vulnerable are vaccinated. Yes there will still be some vulnerable who aren’t vaccinated and so unprotected, but to be honest that’s the same for every illness and we can’t keep these restrictions for the few who won’t be protected. We just can’t expect people to do that. The restrictions were always to protect the NHS and not individual people and now it’s not at risk anymore it’s time for everyone to get on with life. It’s unfortunate for those people but they will have to shield themselves, I’m not doing it anymore.

Nobody is going to disagree with this. That's the whole bloody point and has been clearly laid out as the strategy . But we aren't quite there yet. People are being asked to wait that little while longer to manage the balance between infections and vaccinations

[quote mn81987]@Missfelipe well it's not really relevant is it! Why would I care about random people on the internet? I'm sure you're not losing sleep over anyone on here 🙄[/quote]
Have you seen the news headlines.
Most people have empathy for people they've never met on the the internet or the news
You clearly aren't most people

@Dongdingdong

You're making it up as you go along aren't you? There are four conditions that apply at each stage. Not a single condition that an unspecified number of people have been vaccinated.

What are you on about? It’s called basic common sense! I’ll say it again on the off chance it goes in this time: once the vast majority of the population has been vaccinated then there won’t be any reason to continue restrictions. Or are you one of those posters who’s hoping we stay in lockdown for the next 10 years?

Good lord, this is hard work.

Have you even read the four conditions? Every stage of lifting of lockdown is dependent on the following:

– The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully.
– Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
– Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
– The assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of concern.

Contrary to your post, vaccination of the "vast majority" is a necessary but not a sufficient condition of lifting lockdown in June. Infection rates and new variants are also relevant (conditions 3 and 4), as is evidence of effectiveness of the vaccines (condition 2).

Oh yes, I just love lockdown what a daft comment.

Still following the rules. The end of Lockdown is in sight. Just need to hang in there a little longer.

@TheMancunianCandidate. Absolutely none of those conditions are quantifiable. Lots of woolly words like sufficient and adequate. It gives the politicians total leniency to decide what they mean.