Is life never going back to normal?

[JuneMoonstone]

I feel incredibly lucky that I've lived 44 years of a normal life. I am heartbroken at the way life has become. Like so many others, I feel like I am existing, not living. I don't see any point in making plans, I don't feel any hope for the future. I was feeling quite positive about the progress made in the UK with vaccines and seeing the infection rates and death rates lower. However with the news about the rest of Europe going into lockdown due to escalating infection rates, I can't help but feel that we are never going to get out of this bloody mess. I cannot help but believe that we will have to live our lives under constant restrictions forever now because of this virus. Is life really going to be shit from now on? Will I ever be able to, for example, go into a busy pub on a Friday night and watch a live band and have a bloody good time again? Will we have to wear face masks permanently in public places from now on? I get a very strong feeling that this will be the case. It's my daughter I feel for the most. She's just 5 years old. What kind of a life is she going to have?

@thecatandthevicar

I think many people are going to be very surprised (and some a bit disappointed) by just how comprehensively and how fast everything does go back to normal. And how keen everyone will be to forget about it as much as possible.

You just have to look at the difference between the first "lockdown" and the second. The first was marginally respected, no traffic, most shops closed

The second "lockdown" is a joke. Only a few businesses are suffering and unable to reopen, and they are the real victim. Everybody is carrying on as normal.

If you put a foreigner in this country and tell them we are actually in "lockdown" they wouldn't believe you. Again, shame for the few industries who are respecting the rules, no one else is.

Rubbish

It absolutely feels like lockdown

There’s always been posters lamenting not totally picking people up but they can bog off

We’ve had restrictions for a long time

Some barely notice but that’s their life probably

Locking people up

It absolutely feels like lockdown

It does to me. If nothing else, Easter is coming and we are still not allowed on a real holiday. I am also bored of outdoor gym and outdoor classes, I want to go back to real indoor training.

It really doesn't to most people around me. No one is restricted about meeting friends and families.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-876f42ae-5e44-41c0-ba2d-d6fd537aadfe haven't read the full thread but I found this informative.

There will be some restrictions for a long time, maybe forever. That is no bad thing as far as hygiene goes.

If you are possibly infectious, wear a mask. Wash your hands often. Restrict the size of crowds.

We'll get used to it.

[quote IndiaMay]@lightand bloody hell if I'm post 80 and have dementia end me dont vaccinate me! I've seen two close family members loose their minds and then their lives to dementia and it's a horrible process.[/quote]
Living Wills ought to exist.

I'd prefer Euthanasia over Dementia from what I witnessed with an elderly neighbour.

It looked so utterly distressing, like being on a permanent ''Bad Trip'' where invisible things were seen and persecution was feared .

Dementia seems alarmingly common these days, maybe as people are living far longer.

I read of a High Court Judge who was diagnosed with a form of Dementia that can make those with it ''Very aggressive''. {Picks Dementia}

He Euthanised himself because he didn't want to become aggressive to his much loved family.

That takes courage.

No. Not for a very long time.

I’m late 50’s and I don’t think we’ll return to ore Covid normality (fully, 100%) in my lifetime. That may seem pessimistic but, it’s what I think.

And long Covid? It’ll be the “gift that keeps on giving”.

There will be pockets of normal. So, after all the restrictions it’ll seem wonderful but really, this will have ongoing world wide effects for years.

@thecatandthevicar

I think many people are going to be very surprised (and some a bit disappointed) by just how comprehensively and how fast everything does go back to normal. And how keen everyone will be to forget about it as much as possible.

You just have to look at the difference between the first "lockdown" and the second. The first was marginally respected, no traffic, most shops closed

The second "lockdown" is a joke. Only a few businesses are suffering and unable to reopen, and they are the real victim. Everybody is carrying on as normal.

If you put a foreigner in this country and tell them we are actually in "lockdown" they wouldn't believe you. Again, shame for the few industries who are respecting the rules, no one else is.

I don’t know where you live but in the city I’m in is very much in lockdown. Shops are closed, pubs are shut. Offices are very very low staff numbers, streets are empty after 7pm. Vast majority wear masks in the supermarkets.

@Radio4Rocks

There will be some restrictions for a long time, maybe forever. That is no bad thing as far as hygiene goes.

If you are possibly infectious, wear a mask. Wash your hands often. Restrict the size of crowds.

We'll get used to it.

No there won’t tg.

We’ll accept a level of deaths (like flu every year) and move on

Until the virus is completely eradicated we are going to be in this limbo because as we are about to discover even when the numbers go low after a lockdown, once we open up again they will sky rocket.

1 year in and the mutated strains are everywhere and continue to change further it seems with every week. Masks, social distancing and closures are the new way of life, acceptance is better than reluctance.

What nonsense.

Only a few businesses are suffering and unable to reopen

So in your view, 'non-essential' retail, pubs, restaurants and cafes (takeaway only), hairdressers, beauty salons, hotels, gyms, leisure centres, swimming pools, museums, theatres, cinemas, music venues, airports and many more businesses which collectively employ millions equals 'only a few businesses'? Are you having a laugh?

I am South East.

Pubs and restaurants are opened for take-away (and a couple of restaurants opened unofficially for locals, there's a lot of arguments about it on the local FB groups )

and you can see people eating or drinking their "take-away" on outdoor tables

All the shops are opened for "click and collect"
(which is handy)

Most office workers are working from home, which is one of the thing we hope will stay forever!

Yes, there are masks, but nothing wrong with that.

Indoor gyms and hairdressers are closed, and we can't go on holiday, which is highly depressing.

Even Chris Whitty talked about returning to normal. And he’s pretty cautious in statements

I think some posters are revelling in it too much and would like to stay stuck

Up to them but we can all move on

@Cassilis

"Do you actually understand how the virus broke out, Claudia?"

So the WHO continue to investigate the cause of the virus and the US and Chinese Governments have their own investigations but hey let's not bother with any of that because @Cassilis has managed to figure it all out herself.

Would you be so kind as to enlighten the world on the cause of the the Covid 19 outbreak so that we can prevent future outbreaks?

I guess I'm getting used to this life and already forgot what the "normal life" was!!! in-sane!

No there won’t tg.

We’ll accept a level of deaths (like flu every year) and move on

we have been accepting over-crowing and non access to medical treatment for decades anyway, we'll just accept longer waiting lists and more crowded wards.

Nope. This bitch holding up the vaccine situation will screw any normal life up for us .
She’s going to be on our case for ever now we’re not in the EU .
COVID will be in our lives for a good 10 years or so no” normal” for a while.

@outdoorballpro

I guess I'm getting used to this life and already forgot what the "normal life" was!!! in-sane!

Me too.

Humans adapt.

@outdoorballpro presumably you must be pretty settled though? What about the people in their late 20s or 30s desperate to find a partner and settle down? We cant just stay like this forever or the human race would die out. People need to meet, fall in love, procreate!

@Wildswim

Until the virus is completely eradicated we are going to be in this limbo because as we are about to discover even when the numbers go low after a lockdown, once we open up again they will sky rocket.

1 year in and the mutated strains are everywhere and continue to change further it seems with every week. Masks, social distancing and closures are the new way of life, acceptance is better than reluctance.

What nonsense.

I’d love to know Which part you think is nonsense?

[quote 1dayatatime]**@Cassilis

"Do you actually understand how the virus broke out, Claudia?"

So the WHO continue to investigate the cause of the virus and the US and Chinese Governments have their own investigations but hey let's not bother with any of that because @Cassilis has managed to figure it all out herself.

Would you be so kind as to enlighten the world on the cause of the the Covid 19 outbreak so that we can prevent future outbreaks?[/quote]
If you need the WHO to tell you this then suggest you go back to school.

Previous coronaviruses have originated in bats and this will be no different.

HTH.

All of that is nonsense. It's not the new way of life. Do you in all seriousness think nothing will re open?

What do you suggest we do with everyone who will be unemployed forever? Because if nothing opens there are no jobs.

Masks, social distancing and closures are the new way of life, acceptance is better than reluctance.

What job do you do that SD doesn’t impact income?

@lightand

No Plague or Flu lasted forever

Pandemic no. But isnt flu now, the Spanish flu but in a somewhat milder form? Or even just the same??

Yes the current "flu" is a mixed bag of historic flu viruses including Spanish Flu, the 1957 Asian flu, 1968 Hong Kong flu etc. They all mutate from time to time which is why the flu jab needs updating every year.

Interestingly deaths from "flu" are at an historic low which maybe because Covid out competed flu in infections, or that flu deaths were recorded as Covid deaths or for some other reason.