To just want a normal summer?

[User89044]

I always supported the previous lockdowns imposed by the government and disagreed with the viewpoint of some people that we should just lock up the vulnerable - probably biased as I was a shielder. But I've now reached my breaking point. It all felt so positive and I've spent all afternoon reading posts of people wanting Monday not to go ahead and to lockdown again now. I just feel if we lockdown now we won't be unlocking until May 2022? Because I feel like there will be problems again all through autumn and winter due to the nature of the virus during those seasons. Is there no way we can have a normal summer before another year of lockdowns?!

I initially felt so anxious about the virus and was warned at my vaccinations that they may not be as effective for me (though I am 32 I am immune-suppressed). But I just feel like I've been vaccinated now and soon all those at risk of serious consequences who can and want to be vaccinated will be too. Is it unreasonable to want some normality before another winter of hell?

We all feel like it, I haven't seen a relative, my DS or any friends since October 2019.
My saving grace is work, I work in the NHS. Without that I would have gone stark raving mad. But then it means people don't want to see me because a lot of my patients have covid.
I moved to another county in October 2019 with loads of plan to see friends there, travel, join local groups and instead have done nothing.
It feels like a kind of death.

It's here it's seeded, there are no proper controls at our boarders, Andrew marr quoted from border person this morning, it's all done on trust.

So I'd rather get some normality back, live and then lock down again if necessary.

As long as Hospital admissions don’t go up, it will loosen up a lot, even if not quite as much as we’d like. Autumn and winter feel a bit unknown but hopefully the vaccine programme will be well advanced and boosters ready if needed.

Stay positive (and stay off social media - it’s a hot bed of panic and misinformation.)

Reality is we need people to build immunity through vaccine or other ways

Truth is government are not concerned about healthy people in their 20s getting covid and not should they be

Now the top 9 groups are done it should all be personal responsibility. Hospitalisations and deaths outside of these groups are so minimal is actually embarrassing to be even worrying about it

Off Mumsnet anecdotally most people don’t give a shit and are done with restrictions

Boris knows this and that’s why it’s now ‘personal responsibility’ which I’m delighted with

The worried well wont be happy til all kids vaccinated - I guarantee it!! Which means schools be on lockdown forever dispite the fact hardly any kids at all - inc cev - have died

Parents won’t vaccinate kids in huge numbers so this will go on for years meanwhile lives are destroyed

Life is for living not hiding away

But that hasn’t stopped hundreds of parents on here freaking out like banshees about risk to their kids

@ringading22

Why does everyone assume autumn and winter will be ‘so bad’? Do they not remember we will have vaccinated almost everyone, plus boosters which we didn’t do last year?

And if this Indian variant shows us anything then the seasonality of if it cannot be predicted.

I don't think it'll be bad with Covid in particular.

People have been shut away for a year so their immune systems will be shot. Winter will be bad for flu/seasonal viruses and the inevitable collapse of the NHS around December/January.

Flu just wan't here last winter.

Truth is government are not concerned about healthy people in their 20s getting covid and not should they be

No, but I think the mistake they made was not factoring the roadmap into when all adults have been offered a vaccine. The easing of restrictions tomorrow I think is about right. Opening everything up in June when most under 30's won't have had a vaccine gives it a chance to spread more, rather than just leaving it that extra few weeks. The vaccine isn't impenetrable when it comes to Covid, so that extra few weeks would be good insurance.

[quote User89044]@bookworm1632 and what of Wave 4 when the new variant emerges in 3-6 months time?[/quote]
Err - not sure what you are referring to here - a wave after the one just beginning (which I called Wave #3)? Or do you class this as Wave #4?

If the Indian variant hadn't occurred, then in 3 months time, with nearly all the adult population vaccinated, the UK would be far more resilient to new variants coming in from abroad. The problem with the Indian variant is that it has spread quickly through the unvaccinated to a point where numbers are too large to stop it. This was why it should have been ABSOLUTELY critical to stop a variant like this being imported at this stage.

If by a miracle we can somehow quosh this variant, and stop the take-off in cases from occurring, and get through 3 more months with the current national level of cases, then we'll be highly unlikely to experience another wave (unless the government later seriously lost the plot).

It's quite impossible to deal with a home-grown variant though as by the time you're aware of it, it's already quite widespread - which is again why it was always crucial to keep infection numbers low. Allowing the Indian variant to spread practically guarantees that the next variant of concern WILL be home-grown.

I'm sort of sick of hearing of all the stuff we can do outdoors.
I live 3hrs from my parents. Seen them twice, for a few hours, in the past 14months. Several times of nearly been able to see them (October half term, then Christmas for example) and then it not being allowed last minute.

In that year they've gone from pretty mobile, frequent holidays, getting around country on trains etc to being nearly blind (mother) and nearly losing a foot (father). They aren't even elderly... Late sixties/early seventies. Both have suffered from delays in NHS services making conditions worse.

So no, I can't just meet them outside. Staying at their home for a few days in the upcoming half term holiday is an event we are all looking forward to. I can take my mum shopping for stuff my brother can't. It's safer in their home than a restaurant, even with them being vaccinated, DDs and I aren't (unless it gets to my age group in the next week or so!). My parents are very by the rules so if Boris says No, they won't.

I think bsome doom mongers need to get in the real world. There is more happening in the world than Covid.

Off Mumsnet anecdotally most people don’t give a shit and are done with restrictions

Not true - that's merely proof of the type of people you are friends with.

The ones who currently "don't give a shit" are the same ones who NEVER gave a shit.

Yes please to a normal summer 😎

Everyone I speak to semi regularly in Britain has seemingly forgotten that there are any restrictions in place anymore and are visiting people as normal. These people followed the rules for the first 6 months, bent the rules for the second 6 months and now have seemingly forgotten there are any now they’ve been vaccinated. It would be a real shame for businesses to stay shut with people mixing anyhow.

@User89044

But *@BusyLizzie61* where do you see this ending? We could carry on and try and get a handle on the Indian variant but another one will come along in a couple of months time with goodness know what mutations. How long can we keep going for with this half life? Yes some people will feel cautious and May choose to essentially stay in lockdown but even people like me who are highly vulnerable want something to live for beyond sitting indoors!

@User89044 I personally would rather have a reduced life with no indoor venues, but for many more months than the likelihood of exponential transmission rates, deaths, and national/regional lockdowns again.

Isn't some adapted normal life better than some of the old life that is probably unsustainable for very long at all?

If like to think that yes I could go to a beer garden in August than me in a lockdown as a result of the pub opening inside again now...

@User89044
And if the trends seen in other countries where the deaths are impacting younger people more extensively will that change everyone's pov? , And given these younger people are often the target market for many of these venues now reopening it seems like sending the lambs to their slaughter, quite honestly. Which is, for me, as distasteful as when some felt the elderly and vulnerable should just be collateral damage...

@bookworm1632

Off Mumsnet anecdotally most people don’t give a shit and are done with restrictions

Not true - that's merely proof of the type of people you are friends with.

The ones who currently "don't give a shit" are the same ones who NEVER gave a shit.

Bollocks. Just another attempt by you to sneer at people. You positively revel in writing long posts waffling about shite to make yourself look informed and intelligent. Newsflash - you don't. You're not an expert.

Everyone has had enough. Nothing to do with people having "types" of friends. People of all ages and backgrounds have had enough. People like you are in the minority now and honestly, we would rather you did stay inside forever, thanks.

What are the risks? BusyLizzie61 said she was CEV and could leave her son an "orphan".
Once you've had both vaccinations. What are the risks that you will be that ill from covid?
Anyone got a link?

The problem with the Indian variant is that it has spread quickly through the unvaccinated to a point where numbers are too large to stop it

It really hasn’t

"People like you are in the minority now and honestly, we would rather you did stay inside forever, thanks."

I don't think that's true at all. Generally the UK public has been very compliant and supportive of mitigation measures/lockdown. Wasn't there a recent survey that showed 40% would support another full lockdown of the entire country, and 60% would support local lockdowns, if infections continue to increase?

Anecdotally, I don't know many people who are breaking the rules, I guess it must vary from area to area though.

Polls are one thing and yes compliance has generally been good but I do think that you see the popularity of government go up when we move on. Most people have had enough, even if, like most I know they are still rule abiding.

Mn seems to have a strong (loud anyway) contingent of posters who want it to not go ahead.

I'm a pro lockdown person but - we're not going to be locking down again and anyone who wants to must have forgotten the incredible amount of vaccinations done so far and that they are obviously working against the Indian variant and they do hugely reduce transmission.

Infection numbers are not increasing, nor are hospitalisations and these are the things that result in us being locked down.

I think numbers might increase a little in a couple of weeks as our young people are on the whole still not vaccinated but hospitalisations still won't increase much as those catching it won't be so vulnerable. It's going to be nowhere near the awfulness of January!

Graph from worldometers

@Oblomov21

What are the risks? BusyLizzie61 said she was CEV and could leave her son an "orphan". Once you've had both vaccinations. What are the risks that you will be that ill from covid? Anyone got a link?

I don't really understand why BusyLizzie61 feels this way except that maybe she feels the vaccine won't work for her. I was told at my second vaccine appointment that the vaccine may not generate the 95% procreation seen in trials due to my weaker immune system. But I still believe I should be protected from death and serious disease. Maybe I'm naive but I do feel the vaccine should have worked well enough for me. I therefore don't feel like I need to continue to shield.

*protection

Wasn't there a recent survey that showed 40% would support another full lockdown of the entire country, and 60% would support local lockdowns, if infections continue to increase?

I've heard about this 'survey' a few times but never seen a source. Was it a professional YouGov survey or a self-selected one? If the latter, I'd expect the 'pro-lockdown' people to be more likely to respond.

Also, I think what people say to pollsters isn't neccessarily what they believe. This has been shown numerous times. And when they say they 'support a lockdown' does that mean they'd 'support' it if furlough ended or their own business had to shut without government supports?

[quote BusyLizzie61]@User89044
And if the trends seen in other countries where the deaths are impacting younger people more extensively will that change everyone's pov? , And given these younger people are often the target market for many of these venues now reopening it seems like sending the lambs to their slaughter, quite honestly. Which is, for me, as distasteful as when some felt the elderly and vulnerable should just be collateral damage...[/quote]
And what of young people's risk of suicide? And their risk of being in road traffic accidents?

@Oblomov21

What are the risks? BusyLizzie61 said she was CEV and could leave her son an "orphan". Once you've had both vaccinations. What are the risks that you will be that ill from covid? Anyone got a link?

They've reduced the risk for most cev by about 80%,but I've been advised it's expected that in my scenario it will reduce by between a few weeks third and two thirds of this. So my risk of death has reduced by 24 to 48%. So still a great improvement.

@User89044
And what of young people's risk of suicide? And their risk of being in road traffic accidents?

Well the BMJ has already debunked the myth that suicides have increased due to covid. Traffic collisions in the 12 months up to June 2020 were also down 16% and road deaths have reduced by 14% compared to the equivalent period in the preceding year. So I'm many ways lockdowns have not only saved lives due to covid, but also reduced the number of typical deaths. So actually these areas support restrictions as they reduce these deaths.

I just want it to stop raining.