Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Over two weeks since The Big Reopening...

201 replies

TheVampiresWife · 04/08/2021 10:35

...and so far, the carnage predicted by some on MN has not come to pass. Indeed the opposite seems to be true. This from my local newspaper suggests that in the north east (where we had the highest rates in the UK just a few weeks ago) we're doing far better than was expected by this point. It's worth remembering that Newcastle is renowned as a party city and the clubs have been busy since they reopened at 12.01am on 19 July. We would definitely expect to be seeing a surge in infections by now, if it was going to happen.

And for those who will jump on to say that less testing/schools being off will skew the data - that's addressed in the article, and the proportional rate of infection/testing.

In my local area the rate was almost 1500/100k just three or four weeks ago, now it's less than 300. I'm sure the naysayers will be along shortly to tell us that the data is noisy/unreliable/not to be trusted, but let's hope all the predictions of 100k cases a day and 'calm before the storm' are wildly off. It certainly is looking that way.

OP posts:
Bordois · 04/08/2021 13:25

Given how rude and condescending a couple of the doomongers were to people who disagreed with them, I couldn't care less about the OPs "tone" towards them.

Original poster
TheVampiresWife · 04/08/2021 13:38

@frozendaisy

I don't get it OP do you want naysayers to jump on this information or not?

Or is this a general pointing out that if anyone said it might get worse you just want to point out they were wrong?

Basically for positive data your post is very negatively worded.

I'm just very, very pleased that the awful scenarios predicted haven't come to pass. No more, no less.
OP posts:
SandyStarfish · 04/08/2021 13:46

@Marcee

Its cos schools are shut. Schools are the biggest spreaders.

I expect numbers will start to increase again in Sept. But hopefully the number getting sick will be low as most at risk will have been vaccinated.

Yep, this.
changingstages · 04/08/2021 15:46

@Bordois

Given how rude and condescending a couple of the doomongers were to people who disagreed with them, I couldn't care less about the OPs "tone" towards them.
It just... doesn't help, though, does it? I really think we've got to move past this awful divisive stage where it's either lockdown loving or anti-vaxxers and nothing in between.
vera99 · 04/08/2021 15:47

Good, we went to a small birthday party with a friend who I haven't met for a while. He showed me a text from a tennis-playing friend of his apologizing for not getting in touch for a while. His family have all had covid - the wife and him were fully vaxxed with AZ and were a bit rough but otherwise ok. The son was unvaxxed and has a rough time but was on the mend but their 24 year old daughter , no co-morbidities that he knew of was on a ventilator in hospital. He dropped this in when I was waxing lyrical about covid being over for us. Quite sobering. Obviously anecdotal but this is the first first-hand account I have had from my family and friends as to someone severely ill in the whole pandemic.

vera99 · 04/08/2021 15:49

Wrong thread...

Kokeshi123 · 04/08/2021 15:53

I don't really understand the tone here - do some of you just want to have a fight about it?

I don't think anyone wants a "fight" as such, but I do think some of us are a bit frustrated about the fact that some posters seem to love making the most awful, doom-ridden predictions, and when these don't come to pass we're all supposed to just forget about this.

Kokeshi123 · 04/08/2021 15:56

I really think we've got to move past this awful divisive stage where it's either lockdown loving or anti-vaxxers and nothing in between.

Actually, most of the people here (including me) expressing frustration at the doomy lockdown lovers ARE the "in between" people.

I am strongly pro vaccination. So are most people on this thread. That's kind of the whole reason why we are getting annoyed at the people who seem to think that we are eternally stuck in March 2020 because they think vaccines don't work.

Westchesterarms · 04/08/2021 16:16

In July Independent Sage and 1000 scientists signed a letter saying that it was criminal, unscientific and unethical to lift restrictions and that it would lead to vast increase of nu.bers in hospital. Today Prof Cristina Pagel from independent sage, who signed the letter, admitted that they'd got it wrong and that the good news numbers and hospital admissions were dropping and that was definitely confirmed by the statistics.

Surely people who disbelieve Sage but trust independent Sage will believe what she says and be relieved that IS got it wrong.

RosaMoline · 04/08/2021 16:19

Agreed. I’m totally pro vaccine, and did my bit and abided by the rules, but I am keen to move on.
The doom posters were really getting me down and anxious. Like I said, I got a sense of them revelling in it.
Onwards and upwards!

MarshaBradyo · 04/08/2021 16:23

A couple of times the hype has really ramped up amongst some scientists

The 8% AZ one which stressed me late one night and the 1200 sign letter / ‘U.K. experiment’ / WHO slamming

Luckily for second time I didn’t let it get to me as for first over 65 was right

I’m glad things are so much calmer than some scientists said they would be - and some posters on here

They probably will return in September just to say I told you so though

changingstages · 04/08/2021 16:25

@Kokeshi123

I really think we've got to move past this awful divisive stage where it's either lockdown loving or anti-vaxxers and nothing in between.

Actually, most of the people here (including me) expressing frustration at the doomy lockdown lovers ARE the "in between" people.

I am strongly pro vaccination. So are most people on this thread. That's kind of the whole reason why we are getting annoyed at the people who seem to think that we are eternally stuck in March 2020 because they think vaccines don't work.

Yes, I think you're right, I'm perhaps railing at the wrong people.
Westchesterarms · 04/08/2021 16:26

"They probably will return in September just to say I told you so though."

Christina Pagel is,already saying I was wrong about that but... Its so easy to say what should be done when there's no consequence to your words.

Cornettoninja · 04/08/2021 16:56

@RainbowCrayons, I don’t disagree with what you’re saying and I get where people are coming from I just don’t think it’s a particularly flattering look (for the want of a better phrase). It’s just reflecting the same behaviour under a different banner; it’s become more like warring football teams that can’t move past the scuffle to take in the bigger picture.

Re: Christine Pagel, I’m glad she’s come out on record and said that she was wrong because we need more examples of that in our society in general BUT I agreed with SAGE at the time and still believe the government have made very foolhardy decisions. We would have had the same results as now without the dramatic ceasing of all restrictions and possibly with a smaller wave than we’ve experienced. I don’t think SAGE have undermined themselves I think the government have.

Stanlie · 04/08/2021 17:05

It's good news if it's going in the right direction. I do wish more youngsters would get vaccinated though, it seems quite slow to pick up.

Delatron · 04/08/2021 17:05

I was posting on the ‘deaths are low’ thread. When they went up very slightly a week or so ago one of the doom mongers (naming no names) bumped the thread up to say how my post hadn’t aged well and look how deaths were increasing. So she’d literally searched the thread to bump and say ‘told you so’ even though she was wrong and I told her.

Yet now they are quiet and we’re not allowed to name them. Double standards but hey ho. Thank goodness they were proved wrong.

milkyaqua · 04/08/2021 17:06

Prof Christine Pagel said on Twitter a few days ago:

THREAD: latest covid situation in UK (mainly England) and what I think is going on...

TLDR: I do think there has been a recent drop in transmission, due to combo of different things. Might not be quite as big as seems and might not last.

nordica · 04/08/2021 17:08

I don't know why some people are so keen to celebrate others being wrong. If there's anything we've learnt about this pandemic, it is that it can be very unpredictable. Things went the other way last year - so many said covid was over in the summer as they cheerfully went to eat out to help out, and even many NHS workers who worked through the first wave in the spring 2020 have since said they never expected the winter wave to be even worse.

Most of the time the situation is not so binary anyway. Fortunately the vaccine has made a huge difference but we can't yet say covid is over. Hopefully next winter will be much better but it is also very possible cases and hospitalisations will start going up again.

DottyHarmer · 04/08/2021 17:09

I hardly dared hope for good news at one stage and I digested all the information in the “doom” posts - and accompanying graphs.

BUT what really turned me off were those posts which, no one can deny, sounded pleased about bad news; some posts even had a Grin after them. Absolutely horrible and the sign of some sick minds out there.

MarshaBradyo · 04/08/2021 17:09

@Westchesterarms

"They probably will return in September just to say I told you so though."

Christina Pagel is,already saying I was wrong about that but... Its so easy to say what should be done when there's no consequence to your words.

I agree. I think that recent statement from WHO wasn’t good and I’m very glad they’ve been proved wrong. Was it her that said it? Irresponsible to make strong statements with no accountability.
ActonSquirrel · 04/08/2021 17:10

I found it very strange that some people in real life too seem almost disappointed that carnage hasn't happened.

Surely it is a good thing.

Delatron · 04/08/2021 17:12

The problem with the doom mongers (versus the positive posts) is that they could influence people who were not in a good place mentally. I don’t want to argue on Mumsnet but I will call out something that’s incorrect and could be worrying and upsetting to many people. Predicting dire situations with phrases beginning ‘Sadly,...’ wasn’t helpful to anyone. Or predicting endless lockdowns or ‘we’ll be back in lockdown by August’ no, not having it!

AbsolutelyPatsy · 04/08/2021 17:17

what about the pingdemic that has come about surely as a result of the reopening.

Musication · 04/08/2021 17:18

It all seems very positive so far. I hope it remains this way and we can all continue to get on with our lives

Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 04/08/2021 17:41

And there’s me thinking that “those who shall not be named” had been banned for their damaging words.

Still banned/buggered off = same result