Can we really just stop life to preserve every life?

[MrsHastingslikethebattle]

Everyone whom I know is more scared of the Governments reaction to Covid, than Covid itself.

The vaccinations are the most protection we are ever going to get, and yes people will still die.

Why can't we just accept that people die of Covid like we accept thousands each year who have died through flu and other preventable diseases?Millions and millions of people have died through smoking and alcohol, costing millions to the NHS. Yet we haven't banned them?
Viruses mutate and Covid is no different. They're will be variants indefinitely. Are we to cower behind our sofas every time a new one is announced?
The media in full force say how serious the new strain is, then lo and behold, weeks later it shows the vaccines are still offering high protection.
Public Health have started there is no correlation between the Indian variant and hospital admissions.
There is also a report that over 80% of Covid infections were caught in hospital, yet hospitality is are still targeted with table service, masks and track and trace.

When did this become about cases? not deaths and hospital admissions like it was to begin with?

The media and government have done well to completely scare people into submission. This is no longer about protection, its control and power.

Mumsnet is the only place is seems where people want these restrictions to carry on.

Everyone in real life has had enough and can see through this bullshit for what it really is!

#Imdone

The UK is nothing like Texas. Demographically, geographically, culturally.

Also. Again - and this is key.
Texas is in America. Which has its borders closed to high risk countries like the UK.

Oh and my son has to start secondary school in September having never set foot inside it, either on an open day, or a transition day. FFS.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

There was also a curfew in France. People had to be home after a certain time unless essential reasons (they had to have written evidence, and police would check)

I think you'll find the French curfew was mostly centred on certain cities, but it's certainly true that the police were checking
We could of course try to impose the same on the hotspots where cases usually balloon in the UK, but good luck with the shrieks of outrage which would follow any abandonment of the softly-softly approach

Marsha like others I'm still waiting to see what happens with Delta in Florida now that it's reached there. For all the reasons said it "ought" to be a disaster, but if it isn't there'll be some very hard questions to answer ... not that we'll get any

Yeah because the curfews really worked

Weird isn't it that Florida and Texas are now doing better than France who imposed daft stuff like a curfew ....

Florida is such a puzzling one. Older population (more at risk) and yet they’ve been restriction free since last June. They had a bit of a rise initially (like all countries coming out of lockdown). Then remained low.

France had less restrictions on seeing family (they would not have accepted not seeing grandparents for example).

We just got everything wrong!

Florida is in America.

Which has had its borders closed to high risk countries like the UK.

Densely populated. That's what increases the risk

It's one of the factors, yes, but certainly not the only one. With morbidity being centred mostly upon seniors, those with comorbidities and those insufficiently vaccinated, we might have expected Florida to suffer terribly since easing restrictions nearly a year ago, and it's simply not happening

And why on earth would you say the US has its borders "closed to the UK" when it's patently not so? Granted pure tourism isn't yet allowed, but that still leaves a huge number of incomers

@Tealightsandd

It's about democracy

Well you'll be pleased to know that the public support freedom for all (including the vulnerable). Common sense prevails. The majority are in favour of sensible containment measures.

'Scaremongering' suggests there is nothing to fear. Which is clearly wrong, when it's a pandemic that has killed over 150,000 people in the UK alone, and left many more suffering debilitating Long Covid (which can cause organ damage, diabetes, and hearing loss). It's really quite offensive to the many bereaved, those with Long Covid, and traumatised exhausted NHS staff to claim scientific data and fact (and basic common sense) is 'scaremongering'.

And it's that attitude which is partly responsible for why we're still in this mess (unlike some other countries, who rolled their sleeves up and got on with it).

Its people like you why people are scared and why no normality will return. Because you just don't get it.

150,000 with Covid. Who have tested positive for Covid with 28 days of death.
Reports have shown that nearly 30% of Covid deaths (where it has been mentioned on the birth certificate) weren't contributed by Covid at all.

I'm not saying that no one is dying of Covid or that people havent got seriously ill from it.
What I am saying is the cure is worse than the disease. Lockdowns are affecting every person in the UK, where was Covid a small percentage.

People are dying of other serious causes. A lot of them preventable.

If we had locked down every winter for the past decade we could have saved 10s and thousands on lives due to the common cold.

Why does Covid Trump every other illness?
There have been single daily death figures due to Covid. How can these restrictions be justifiable?

If there were only 7 new car deaths would we ban cars?
If there were only 7 new alcohol related deaths would take alcohol off the shelves?
If there were only 7 new smoking relating illness would we take fags off the shelves?

There are millions of other causes which are killing people every day, much on a wider scale than Covid yet we don't restrict the lives of 68 million people.

Oh, the US had no problem allowing in tons of people, anyone with US citizenship or a green card or special considerations.

People who don't live there and haven't a clue about it love to spout about how they do things there but again, they are clueless.

@Tealightsandd

The UK is nothing like Texas. Demographically, geographically, culturally.

Also. Again - and this is key.
Texas is in America. Which has its borders closed to high risk countries like the UK.

So Texas is doing well because the UK are not allowed to travel there? Are you saying that all the states in America which are bad that the virus can't travel over the border of Texas - from state to state. Its not an island you know. 29 Million people live in Texas alone. Houston houses 2.3 Million people. Houston is the fourth largest city in US we are not talking about living in the sticks here. Its a densely populated city. There are no real borders and travel has taken place across those borders. Does the virus just disappear when you step in to Houston

I am bored with even talking about covid.

I am fortunate to be in a position to have that luxury.

I dont trust the government one jot about it, and am enjoying life as much as possible within the rules.

People who don't live (in the US) and haven't a clue about it love to spout about how they do things there

Tell me about it

And scare mongering is

"Astrazenca doesn't protect against mild symptoms"

If the headline was "Astrazenca protects from death and serious illness but not mild symptoms"

It would have a completely different emotional response. Its scare mongering, mis using information and manipulation.

@bonbonours

Just because the current restrictions don't affect your life much doesn't mean they don't affect others.

I work in extra curricular activities in schools. These are still not allowed due to school bubbles. My choir is not allowed to rehearse indoors and our many planned events have been postponed postponed and cancelled. All of which is a living (or lack thereof) for professional musicians who run the choir and band members who play with us in concert.

My kids have had pretty much every fun activity planned at school ripped away from them: residential trips, proms, prizegivings, sports competitions, and the delay until the end of term means everything school had planned for the end of this crappy year is now cancelled. And they can't do it next year because they will have moved school, will be in exam year etc etc. It's not just waiting a few weeks. This stuff will not be replaced.

My kids and I spent 9 months rehearsing hard for a semi professional theatre show (supposed to be April 2020) which was postponed and postponed and still we are unable to restart rehearsals for it.

My daughter can't have a birthday party. My parents can't have a 50th anniversary party. Who knows if they'll make it to 60...

Don't tell me life is not being affected. Many of these things cannot and will not happen at a later date. Children are growing up and elderly parents are getting closer to death. Small businesses which took years to build are crumbling or have crumbled
Time is not endless.

A very good post, and I’m so sorry you and your kids have had to give up so much. Be prepared to be told that you’re ‘dramatic’ or ‘hysterical’, though, and that none of this stuff matters.

Isn't mumsnet a funny place

A month or so ago it was all "the government have made mistakes but they've done so well with the vaccines. I'm sooo glad I'm not in europe"

Now it's...

"The UK has done everything wrong! Why couldnt we have handled it like europe or the US?!"

I'm as pissed off about the delta variant as anyone. It was a massive cock up. But the government haven't made ALL bad calls.

Besides, you only need to take a quick glance at other threads to see why a harder approach wouldn't have worked in this country.

I actually think that even if there was only one case[not death] in the Uk, the government would still jump up and down about it.

At what point will there be 0 cases in the Uk? Possibly never again.

Does the virus just disappear when you step in to Houston

I guess it must do - ditto San Antonio, Dallas, Miami, Tampa, Orlando ...

You'd almost think they'd put up huge no entry signs at the state borders

@MrsHastingslikethebattle

And scare mongering is

"Astrazenca doesn't protect against mild symptoms"

If the headline was "Astrazenca protects from death and serious illness but not mild symptoms"

It would have a completely different emotional response. Its scare mongering, mis using information and manipulation.

I agree. For some people now its not even about ending up with serious life threatening illness or death. Its just about not getting possibly mildly ill with it. And I'm genuinely starting to believe its those people that have health anxiety or Munchausen by proxy. To be fair though the BBC and Sky have got a lot to answer for.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

People who don't live (in the US) and haven't a clue about it love to spout about how they do things there

Tell me about it

What's for. I'm a US citizen. Will be going back in a couple of weeks. Can't wait. Everyone will still be sat po-faced at home here, I'm going to see some gigs. No masks, either.

I had the AZ jab. My family all had Pfizer or Moderna. The kids will get the Pfizer whilst there as we're going on a cruise later this year. FUN!

@lightand

I actually think that even if there was only one case[not death] in the Uk, the government would still jump up and down about it.

At what point will there be 0 cases in the Uk? Possibly never again.

I find their whole stance bizarre. they are certainly not going off real life data or what the NHS are reporting. I think this last move was a really badly judged play for public approval.

You can see the difference of threads on here. So many more people are starting to say that they too can actually read stats and its not adding up

So jealous. We are meant to be going to see a concert in Salt Lake City in August really hope the borders will be open to us filthy British by then as no doubt it will be going ahead.

'What's hmm for. I'm a US citizen. Will be going back in a couple of weeks. Can't wait. Everyone will still be sat po-faced at home here, I'm going to see some gigs. No masks, either.'

We won't be sat po-faced. Gigs are going on here too..

The reason people are criticising the government is because they’ve squandered the vaccine advantage.

Why are we one of the most vaccinated populations yet have the most restrictions still (or have had for months?) that’s the issue

@JaniieJones

'What's hmm for. I'm a US citizen. Will be going back in a couple of weeks. Can't wait. Everyone will still be sat po-faced at home here, I'm going to see some gigs. No masks, either.'

We won't be sat po-faced. Gigs are going on here too..

Yeah, okay. Whatever, Janiie. 100% capacity no bookings no masks no social distancing, bring it on.