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We can’t achieve herd immunity by letting Covid spread (or with the current vaccines)

120 replies

Turquoisesol · 17/07/2021 22:35

It isn’t really possible to reach herd immunity and Britain will not do this by deliberately infecting large numbers of people. Many people seem to be under the impression that by letting it rip we will eventually reach herd immunity but it almost certainly won’t happen.

www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2

OP posts:
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Proudpeacock · 17/07/2021 22:43

Article is from March so not exactly news that herd immunity had not been reached given that it was 4 months ago.

gardeninggirl68 · 17/07/2021 22:44

thats outdated info op

covid is ever changing, you have to keep up!

MaxNormal · 17/07/2021 22:45

So.... what then? What do you suggest we do?

IcedPurple · 17/07/2021 22:48

Would anyone else like to ban the expression 'letting it rip'?

Turquoisesol · 17/07/2021 22:49

I am not suggesting anything. Of course I don’t have a solution. It’s just sad that there isn’t any way out really. I wonder how everything will pan out.

OP posts:
TeddingtonTrashbag · 17/07/2021 22:49

@IcedPurple

Would anyone else like to ban the expression 'letting it rip'?
Me! It seems every other thread/post contains that expression at the moment.
SonnetForSpring · 17/07/2021 22:51

blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/07/16/kit-yates-how-can-we-reach-herd-immunity/

This is an up to date article.

gardeninggirl68 · 17/07/2021 22:53

we are possibly seeing the euros events fallout now....the mixing from that

oh wait,werent they all negative when tested???

RedToothBrush · 17/07/2021 22:54

@IcedPurple

Would anyone else like to ban the expression 'letting it rip'?
Yes cos people using it are being emotiove and don't actually have an alternative other than locking down indefinitely which there is no longer sufficient public goodwill to sustain.
LEMtheoriginal · 17/07/2021 22:56

I followed all the rules, i had to work, my company cared very little fucks about its workforce and i got covid from work and infected both dp and dd. We were one of the lucky ones and despite feeling really unwell for about a month we are ok now. Im fully vaccinated and i am still following the "rules" such as they are. We ARE going to have a third wave and more people will die or get long covid

But

WE CANNOT CARRY ON LIKE THIS!! I need to see my Dr but its a mental health issue and ive little to no chance of getting a drs appointment. I didn't get to be with my mum before she died, or indeed see her in the weeks running up to her death because of cunting covid.

I dont want to "socialise" but i just want covid to go the fuck away now. It cannot dominate our lives the way it is. Track and trace can fuck off, pointless gesturing.

We really have to learn to live with this. I cannot do another lockdown , i cant

TheKeatingFive · 17/07/2021 23:02

So what then?

RedToothBrush · 17/07/2021 23:03

I think thats the mood im sensing off a lot of people. The idea of another lockdown is more than they can cope with.

Personally im generally fine with the idea.

However i am very aware that as a minimum a lot of people need a psychological break for a few months and thats how they will eventually cope with another lockdown when the case for it becomes unavoidable.

The reality is that we are going to have to open at some point and we cant surpress the virus sufficiently within the uk because of our cultural issues / how we need to carry on with essential services.

Rock. Hard Place.

Turquoisesol · 17/07/2021 23:03

Well I don’t know. It does appear the delta variant can’t relay be contained either. So there isn’t really a solution.

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 17/07/2021 23:04

@TheKeatingFive

So what then?
We are fucked?!
RedToothBrush · 17/07/2021 23:11

@Turquoisesol

Well I don’t know. It does appear the delta variant can’t relay be contained either. So there isn’t really a solution.
Precisely.

Only option are 'the needle threading option' where we open up and let things rise until hospitals are overwhelmed at which point we lockdown or the 'body bag option' which is a hard line just let it go and if you get it and need hospitalisation you just dont get it and you just die at home until everyone who is vulnerable to it, carks it.

My worry is that at some point people will start openly and very consciously and bluntly start to call for the body bag option.

At which point things start to get very scary and you get the madness of people ordering oxygen for use at home (what could possibly go wrong there?) and covid drugs off the black market (cos thats really sensible) and lots of people basically go a 'bit nuts' like in an end of days scenario.

At which point all the people who whinged about how much they needed a foreign holiday or to go clothes shopping or to go to a nightclub start regretting ever even thinking it and instead would prefer not to be living through 28 days later.

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 17/07/2021 23:20

@SonnetForSpring

That's quite a sobering read.

It describes herd immunity, and why we're never going to achieve it

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 17/07/2021 23:25

My worry is that at some point people will start openly and very consciously and bluntly start to call for the body bag option

I think it's already happening. There are many people, starting with the proponents of the Great Barrington debacle and now all the 'I won't comply with another lockdown types' who have no answer about the future for the CEV (any age), the CV and the over 60s (other to shut them away)

Sunshinegirl82 · 17/07/2021 23:29

We don't have herd immunity to flu either but we manage and the vast majority don't give flu a second thought.

Not reaching herd immunity doesn't mean that background immunity won't build up to the point that covid circulates at low levels and is generally a mild illness. Why would this virus behave differently to every other virus the human race has ever encountered before?

I'm not a covid sceptic, I'm not anti lockdown or anti mask I just don't think that we'll need to social distance for eternity, herd immunity or no herd immunity.

NannyAndJohn · 17/07/2021 23:32

@SonnetForSpring

This should be essential reading for all.

Just backs up what I've been saying about the Delta effect overpowering the vaccine effect.

There's no way out, is there?

Sunshinegirl82 · 17/07/2021 23:36

The human race is nothing if not tenacious! We've survived every major infectious disease thrown at us as a species for thousands of years.

I understand people are anxious but the way people talk you'd think it was 100% lethal and this was the end of time. I do think we need to keep a bit of perspective.

TheKeatingFive · 17/07/2021 23:39

I understand people are anxious but the way people talk you'd think it was 100% lethal and this was the end of time.

I know right? It’s silly season on here tonight.

RedToothBrush · 17/07/2021 23:40

@Sunshinegirl82

The human race is nothing if not tenacious! We've survived every major infectious disease thrown at us as a species for thousands of years.

I understand people are anxious but the way people talk you'd think it was 100% lethal and this was the end of time. I do think we need to keep a bit of perspective.

I think the problem is that modern mentality is that we can stop deaths in 'civilised' countries. We've got used to the idea that its possible.

But what if we can't?

What if its a bit like King Knut and with the best will in the world nature throws a spammer in the works and we have an unstoppable natural disaster?

Choux · 17/07/2021 23:41

The human race is nothing if not tenacious! We've survived every major infectious disease thrown at us as a species for thousands of years.

The human race has survived every infectious disease but plenty of individual humans have not!

So it's understandable that people are concerned. While most people who have died are older or CEV you can get 30 yr olds dying and 100 yr olds being asymptomatic.

Sparklingbrook · 17/07/2021 23:42

Here we go again. ‘Let it Rip’ it’s like Groundhog Day on here.

TheKeatingFive · 17/07/2021 23:46

But what if we can't?

Seriously?

We already know we can’t, people die, from many causes, even in the richest countries in the world.

Now we’ve got one more thing on the list you can die from.

Life is risky and death is guaranteed.

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