How normal do you think life will be in 12 months?

[Daisiesarecute]

Do you think the pandemic will have been declared over by this time next year?

I think it will be better than now but testing, isolating etc will still be part of life

Not sure. It'll either be much better or scarily worse.

I think life will be completely back to normal

I think there will probably be masks and hand sanitiser.. possibly some social distancing measures.

Testing still part of life but not so sure about isolating.

I hope that employees will continue to be more conscious of turning upto work ill though. That's one good thing to come out of the pandemic at least, people not wanting to turn up full of colds / coughs. Definitely haven't missed that.

Same
We will be coming out of another bad winter with variants etc
I think the year after will be ok and vaccines will be constantly updated etc to protect against different strains

I'm hoping so.

My nose can't cope with twice weekly gouging testing for much longer. Sick of the nose bleeds.

I think it will be less stressful, mind. Heading into a big city for the first time since September, today, it was clear that everyone now has worked out their procedures. It was much busier and more vibrant and a lot less tense than 8 months ago.

@PickAChew

I'm hoping so.

My nose can't cope with twice weekly gouging testing for much longer. Sick of the nose bleeds.

Yeah why can’t they come up with a less horrible test?

I don't think it will be over but as pp said we're all busy working out strategies

Yeah why can’t they come up with a less horrible test?
There is another test possible, I do twice weekly saliva testing, so much easier to just spit in a tube. Not sure why it isn't more widespread.

@RichardMarxisinnocent

Yeah why can’t they come up with a less horrible test? There is another test possible, I do twice weekly saliva testing, so much easier to just spit in a tube. Not sure why it isn't more widespread.

That sounds much better. Where are these from.

Approaching normal but with restrictions still on travel to some countries.

Boost shots for all to cover any new variants.

Economy growing, recovery underway.
Many people now working 2 days in office, 3 at home.

I truly believe it will be ok, almost normal. Masks will stay...

Much will depend on vaccination rates, virus mutations and the Winter. Having said this I still think we are in a better place than before, even if we still have to abide by face coverings, distancing etc.

I think there will be travel quarantines in place between certain countries depending on surges and variants. I think masks might still be around in public places. Otherwise I think it'll be fairly normal.

Spanish flu took three years to completely return to normal.

I think it will be more or less normal. Some restrictions on foreign travel, (pointless) masks in indoor places like shops and some testing and sequencing going on.

@Pyewackect

Spanish flu took three years to completely return to normal.

That may be true but there are so many differences that its not really possible to compare, not least the scientific advancement. There was no vaccine, testing or genome sequencing for the Spanish flu - they didn't even know if it was bacterial or viral for a long time.

It'll be as normal as we insist it must be. The pandemic should largely be over by then, but politicians don't easily let go of power.

As a good example, Winston Churchill had to be voted out after the war to drive the message home that the public were sick of war and restrictions and wanted to return to normal.

Have a look at the football kerfuffle. The only reason that may not proceed is the uproar from the public.

May be more or less normal in developed nations. Will probably take much longer elsewhere where vaccine supply is an issue.

Today's news about the hospital admissions after vaccination is bloody brilliant. Only 32 admissions out if 70,000 were people that had had vaccines. That is above expectations and as long as the take up keeps up this good then it will be OK. The only people that will need to be vigilant are those who can't get vaccinated for health reasons.

Yeah why can’t they come up with a less horrible test?

Seriously? I’ve had several tests done and barely felt a thing.

Unlikely to be over. I don't think the WHO can call it until everywhere is back to normal. It'll be a catch up game of vaccinations and hoping mutations are controllable.

If we shut our borders now we should be ok-ish over winter. Then we need to work with other countries to get them out of it.

I think travel is the only question as it depends on how other countries do with the vaccine program but yes I think it will be normal past that.

I don't mean to sound flippant but who knows? We're not in control.

I hope things keep improving but I also don't expect it to be like 2019 anytime soon.