Normal life is back

[ExmoorValley]

I don't know about you but life where I am is pretty much back to normal, masks in shops falling rapidly. People having a good time. Covid barely gets mentioned now. (and yes I know people are still catching it and a tiny proportion will die)

It feels great. So what happened to the 200,000 cases a day doom scenario peddlers on here? They seem rather quiet.......

@lannistunut

I think a bit of empathy wouldn't go amiss.

Sadly this is a pipe dream. The aggressive remarks on here alone demonstrate that there are far too many nasty bastards about.

The aggressive posts seem to be from those calling names - bastards and worse

I don’t feel any anger. More relief and I’m pleased things are feeling much better.

I also agree that if majority in polls want to wear masks they can and demand seems high for stuff I’m booking.

Whilst England buries it’s head in the sand about Covid, the rest of the world is either in a similar holding pattern as us with cases or experiencing growth from Delta.

Autumn is a big question mark, if cases start taking off again with almost no mitigation in place then we may be at risk of serious disruption that we won’t be able to ignore. Schools are our Achilles heel.

We should also be cautiously keeping an eye on China, if Delta takes hold there then supply chains will be affected because they will lockdown hard to avoid disaster.

The next few months will be interesting in terms of normality, right now feels a little too similar to this time last year and I have quite a distinct sense of dejavu.

@Thewiseoneincognito how does it feel in anyway the same to last year? We still had very strict restrictions last year (rule of 6 etc) and no vaccine?

I have to agree with @Thewiseoneincognito on the point that this year seems similar to last. We honestly don't know what Winter will be like.
Difference is I'm determined to do what I can when I can as what I've learned from last year is to take your opportunities while you can.

@rookiemere same to as below then...

Of course none of us know what will happen with Covid with any absolute certainty.
That remains the same for life generally.

So yes, enjoy the moment. Do anything and everything you’re allowed. There will be no medals for not doing them.

Looking for the most negative all the time is no help to anyone.

Some revel or actively want it to get worse.

Most are happy to have this reprieve.

Those saying "we must watch china and Delta" There are other ways the virus can get us, and now coming up with a plastic chat winging its way from China as a new path of doom, clearly have no grasp at all on Chinese culture.

China did not, and will not close down their factories under any circumstances (unlike the west) they didn't do it in the height of the first wave, they certainly won't be doing it in the subsequent waves. They were the only major producer still producing to a high capacity throughout, and the Chinese community have no power and will become collateral damage I am afraid. The party has its eye only on the spread sheets and the economy - people will be locked away if they are test positive as before, and the others will be expected to step up their work load to make up for it, as before.

You are making it up, literally, as you go along to try and scare other people or to give them something else to worry about. All you are achieving is a narrow world for yourself and those that choose to believe in your lies.

China will be fine, China will always be fine, the party will make sure of it. Come what may China will be exporting (very sadly for the planet)

**tat

Secondly the autumn will see the usual colds, flus etc along with covid we can expect the NHS (as it has been for the last thirty years) to be bursting at the seams (as it has done for the last thirty years plus) and winter and the NHS have been a toxic mix since time immortal.

The vaccines both covid boosters and the flu vaccine will make all the difference. Some areas could see small restrictions being placed to help the NHS, but I hope not, because with adequate planning we should be okay. We can't carry on with restrictions every time the NHS is wobbly or we will still see them in the winter in 50 years time, long after covid has drifted into the background. We need a proper assessment and a public debate about the NHS, it is long overdue. It was not sustainable before, and it certainly won't be now we have covid for life.

How much extra tax are you willing to pay to keep the NHS as it is (or with some small improvement) - that is the question that needs to be answered.

I don't foresee any major problems this autumn, beyond a slightly elevated covid infection rate as children return to school that will not be significantly alarming, and lots of doomsters on here feeling disappointed that the most miserable outcome hasn't happened (another lockdown)

[quote Theythinkitsalloveritisnow]@jasjas1973 around ten thousand people in the UK die every week, I'm afraid. Are you not aware that people do die? You must have led a very lucky life if people dying comes as a shock to you[/quote]
Lol - getta way, they don't do they?

the 36k p.a (on approx current levels of death) are on top of all the other reasons people die, or put it another way, within 3 years we'd have a death toll from CV on par with the first year of the pandemic.

You 're just another one who is happy for other folk to die so long as you can do whatever you like.

@Thewiseoneincognito

Whilst England buries it’s head in the sand about Covid, the rest of the world is either in a similar holding pattern as us with cases or experiencing growth from Delta.

Autumn is a big question mark, if cases start taking off again with almost no mitigation in place then we may be at risk of serious disruption that we won’t be able to ignore. Schools are our Achilles heel.

We should also be cautiously keeping an eye on China, if Delta takes hold there then supply chains will be affected because they will lockdown hard to avoid disaster.

The next few months will be interesting in terms of normality, right now feels a little too similar to this time last year and I have quite a distinct sense of dejavu.

What part of 'the vaccines are working' do you not understand?

What part of 'the vaccines are working' do you not understand?

Indeed, the doom-mongers appear to believe the vaccine programme was a futile effort that should have no impact on our ability to re-open or ability to prevent lockdowns.

It's the ones who would say

"I have a friend of a friend who's dogs cousins owner works high up in a hospital and they have to prepare for lockdown in 3 days time. THIS IS NOT OVER!"

Equally, one might ask: What part of the Delta variant is massively more contagious than the original virus don't you understand? What part of a partially vaccinated population is a recipe for yet another, worse variant than Delta developing don't you understand?

People are seeing what they want to see and polarised to the same level as their beliefs. Things aren’t normal but we aren’t as restricted as we were in November. Autumn could go either way depending on how long vaccines remain effective and whether new mutations occur. Many of us on this particular board have had our mental health impacted by Covid, from the COVID HAS GONE brigade to the DOOM, DOOM, DOOM merchants.

Do people think it’s gone?

I see some saying same which is that infection that doesn’t overwhelm healthcare is possible - which is different to gone.

They try to convince themselves it has gone. People are struggling in different ways. There is no way this is ‘normal’ but this thread is full of those who are claiming it is (and those who think nothing has changed since January). I guess it’s like a comfort blanket. I like certainty and I don’t mind admitting I am finding the ‘who knows’ a challenge.

You can not live your life in a vortex of 'what if'

You could be hit by a meteorite, but that doesn't stop anyone living their lives day to day.

Covid has as much chance of simply dying back into a cold as it does morphing into something worse. You have no idea what the next stage will be, but you can't live your life saying what if this, what if that. The point is delta is actually becoming milder, but that doesn't suit your narrative. It is now producing more and more like a cold and less and less like the old covid symptoms.

The fact is covid is now under control here. It is not morphing into anything dangerous and so must live for the moment, and enjoy what we can now. Because if your prophecy of doom does end up being correct by some miracle, you will wish for these days back. You wish you hadn't squandered the only opportunity to make the most of the summer days and the happy moments that are now possible.

You can sit and come up with any number of prophecies of doom, anyone can do that, nothing is guaranteed in this life so you can either waste your chances or make the most of them. The choice is yours milky

I would have a long cold look at the way you are framing risk, and how you are managing to turn around the best news into something sinister.

We are doing really well as a country!! What more can you ask for!

Honestly I am exasperated by the relentless negativity.

@milkyaqua

Equally, one might ask: What part of the Delta variant is massively more contagious than the original virus don't you understand? What part of a partially vaccinated population is a recipe for yet another, worse variant than Delta developing don't you understand?

Because that is catastrophizing at its worse. There is no evidence that will happen. Booster vaccines can be tweaked to new variant requirements. I blame the government for overdoing the 'stay at home or people will die' message. It has totally screwed with some people's mental states.

The fact is tho- that out in the real world the vast majority of people are not catastrophising. They are making the best of things.
They are put living their lives embracing the lack of restrictions.
They don’t think Covid has disappeared. They’re not stupid (thinking they are is just fucking middle class patronising). They just don’t live in fear of it.
As they don’t live in fear of cancer, or road traffic accidents, or drowning.

I’ve always taught my kids to seize the day. To take every opportunity they can. To live optimistically and openly. I’m not teaching them that this has changed because of Covid.

@MarshaBradyo

Do people think it’s gone?

I see some saying same which is that infection that doesn’t overwhelm healthcare is possible - which is different to gone.

Yeah, most people I know are fully aware that it's not 'gone' and probably never will be. Isn't that the whole point? The virus is here now and isn't going to disappear. Happily we have vaccines which, while not 100% - no vaccines are - they still offer very effective protection.

Things may get worse in the autumn or they may not. We don't know. Assuming there's going to be some dreadful new 'variant' is no more sensible or wise than proceeding with cautious optimism. Some here think being relentlessly negative makes them clever. It doesn't.

Because that is catastrophizing at its worse.

No, it isn't. Perhaps staying informed isn't your thing, but it is a statement of scientific fact that Delta is massively more contagious.

The possibility of a new variant of concern emerging is not catastrophising, either. It is a recognised risk.

You could be hit by a meteorite, but that doesn't stop anyone living their lives day to day.

This is an irrational statement.

My risk of dying from Covid is far higher than my risk of being hit by a meteorite, plus I can mitigate my risk of dying from covid far more, so it would be pure stupidity to respond to covid as I would a (possible) meteor.

The choice is yours milky

Well, actually, it isn't because I am in another country and in lockdown.

I do choose to stay modestly well-informed however.