Is it now impossible to avoid?

[MrsKDB]

My feeling is that the cat is completely out of the bag now and we are all getting covid, with symptoms or without, at some point. I’ve expressed this to colleagues / friends who have agreed but a few have looked very shocked at the idea and seem to think ‘being careful’ means they won’t ever catch covid.

What do you think? An inevitability or possible to avoid for your entire life?

Both DDs are currently at home after Positive tests (Primary School age)

The only symptom has been a headache (which meant she had to be tested- local rule). For the whole household, one headache.

I do think mist of us will get it, but it will be extremely mild. They were a lot more ill when they had Scarlet Fever but with that they could return to school after 24hr of antibiotics (and feeling better).

Lots of people will catch it, but being sensible can reduce reduce the chances.

Opening windows, wearing a mask and just keeping moderate distance all help. None of these are a bother for me.

I've found the cafes/pubs near me that have good ventilation and not too crowded. I just open a window when people visit.

None of it guarantees I won't get it but it is no harm to try. I would rather catch it next year than this (horrible variants notwithstanding) as the NHS is currently overstretched and treatments are improving all the time.

I don’t think it is inevitable.

It is ripping through schools but seems to have already stabilised and, with vaccinations coming for 12+, should start to decline soon.

And, even if you have a teen sick with COVID, it seems more like 50/50 than 100% that you will get it.

The vaccines do also prevent 65% of symptomatic infection.

So, all in all, I reckon 30-40% of exposed will get it and, for those without exposure to children, vaccinated, and with limited contacts, it is highly unlikely.

I am a primary teacher who is clinically vulnerable with two different things so probably should be cev but I have never shielded and for my mental health worked throughout after signing a disclaimer. I have had multiple cases in my classes and amongst colleagues, I have tested sooo many times including the blood tests as part of the Zoe app twice and am now known in my family as the negative Queen.

I have just ordered another PCR as I have a new cough but it will probably be negative and I will have another chest infection instead !! I am surrounded by germs on a daily basis and just don't know how I have avoided it so far but will just continue what I am doing.

Probably for children. Not so sure about adults though. My neighbour's child had it and the parents and younger child escaped it despite sleeping with her (as she was poorly), kissing and cuddling her as normal. They are both doubly vaccinated.

I don’t know if inevitable, but I think we are more likely to catch it with ease of restrictions and changes that have been made. Some of the changes I don’t agree with., and I mean the things that don’t impact on our quality of life. Example is that in my local Sainsbury’s that have removed all the screens between the self scan checkout… why??? Now I feel I am too close to people next to me I get that the screens are a nightmare for those on checkout and with masks too it’s hard to hear/engage with customer.. but at self check outs I’m there for shopping I won’t be chatting to person next to me as I shop
also two dc in nursery and I feel we will catch it from there if going to. They pick up everything at that age
But we keep wearing masks, sanitising and keeping our distance where we can

@cherin

The perception outside the U.K. is that handling it travel reopening by the U.K. was pissing poor at the beginning of delta, with a substantial number of travellers coming back from India (and religious gatherings in India) left unchecked, able to bypass quarantine rules. Large numbers, little controls, more aggressive variant. By comparison, the number of flights in other countries was a fraction, qnd the procedures for test&trace much more stringent. Seriously, regardless of other aspects, we’ve had a very badly done tracing, in general. Most people I spoke to have been called days if not weeks after contact. Most of my colleagues who have been quarantined in EU (for instance post travel from U.K.) had daily visits at the doorstep to check they were where they were supposed to be.

Yes indeed, but if the U.K. takes responsibility for delta entering the country, then why do other European countries not have to take responsibility for delta entering theirs?

Most people will get it, there’s no real way to avoid it now, the perceived risk differs from person to person, how that translates to being indoors more and in closer contact with strangers remains to be seen, this month is likely the point any significant change in cases will start to be noticed.

With so much of the virus around now my concern is If/ when it mutates again and becomes vaccine resistant, should that happen we’re back to square one.

I feel sorry for CEV people, not because they're CEV but because they've been made to believe they have to do whatever they can to avoid an infection that may have very negative consequences or no consequences at all. It's a terrible burden to put on someone. I also note that many CEV people never worried at all about the many infection that kill millions of people every year and now are suddenly fixated on one single infection. If you're 'CEV' to covid surely you're 'CEV' to many other things that were always around? What did CEV people do in 2019 and earlier?

What did we do, @TheDailyCarbunkle? Well, we avoided people who may be infected with viruses. We avoided crowds, particularly when it was respiratory illness season. We practiced hand hygiene meticulously. We had vaccinations against viruses religiously. We were very, very vigilant for signs of illness and reported any to our medical teams, because the flu, for example, could kill us. We were aware that infections which could be minor in others could be fatal for us - even a cut finger needed to be watched. We worked from home where we could. We were anxious every time a DC came home from school with a sniffle.

That's the sort of thing we did.

Yes, we absolutely did worry about the many infections that killed people every year. It was exhausting.

I don't think you know anyone who's CEV, do you?

@Kokeshi123

Why aren’t we more outraged with this government?

Yes, but what is the government supposed to DO, realistically speaking? They can't make the bloody virus go away. We're stuck with it.

You are right we are stuck with it. But Boris and the government should not escape accountability, or responsibility or morals. There is plenty they could do to limit the spread.

They could have rolled out vaccines to secondary school children before they went back. They could have kept restrictions in place such as masks in schools until after the children were vaccinated.

They are relying on us all thinking it isn’t their fault. We need to hold them to account. They are making terrible decisions that effect our lives.

Some people will never get it. Many will at some point. The vast majority will be absolutely fine. Whatever, for most of us, it's time to live our lives normally again.

But, MamaSass, not all kids will be having the vaccine, however great its availability. So many posts on various threads with people saying "My child's not having the vaccine." So unless the vaccine is mandatory then there will always be unvaccinated children around.

I think with cev people (obviously depends on reason for being cev) they knew previously to be cautious, but covid really brought it home. Never before have I received numerous letters, texts, phone calls etc etc about avoiding germy places. I gave some places a wide berth before (eg crowded public transport) but since all this covid started, I have been risk assessing everywhere . Still, those of us with dcs, apart from glaring if they dare to sneeze, can't do much about it.

Otoh I do think some people have been scared witless. Only today I spoke via email with someone who has not gone out for... over a year and a half. And now they are saying they are terrified their immunity has run out and are ringing the doctor's to find out when they can get a booster. This person, apart from being over 50, has no health conditions. But they truly believe they are doomed.

From what I've heard Boris did want to start vaccinating 12-16 year olds earlier, but it was the JCVI that held it up. I don't think it would be wise to bypass their advice, even if it was possible.
I don't think it's inevitable that we will all catch it at all, though eventually most people will just put it down to a cold, or some sort of 'bug', of course.

It’s impossible to avoid. My DD got it from school and now everyone in the family has it. We are doubled vaccinated, symptoms aren’t too bad just a nasty cold. The isolating is the most annoying thing. We all missing important appointments. I fed up with it all!

No, it's not impossible to avoid if you are vaccinated. A far higher percentage of people who have had it this year are not immunised, compared to those who are.

I’m vaccinated and got it bad, now I feel a sense of relief as this could be it for me. I’ve had the vaccination, I’ve had COVID, I’ll have the booster soon. I can’t really do more.

You may be asked to have another booster, and another and another...

@lightand

You may be asked to have another booster, and another and another...

Since I have an annual flu vaccination I have no problem with having an annual covid booster if it's available.

@Cruiser11

I’m vaccinated and got it bad, now I feel a sense of relief as this could be it for me. I’ve had the vaccination, I’ve had COVID, I’ll have the booster soon. I can’t really do more.

Hopefully that's the case... There are still very few cases of reinfections.. confirmed case incidence is crazy small almost non existent but there have been some decent studies suggesting it's probably around 1-2%... Then being vaccinated on top of previous infection means you're probably even less likely than that to get reinfected. So hopefully you won't have to experience it again.

what if the boosters are every 6 months @ilovesooty?
Many are not happy with that.

What if every 3 months? See where I am going with this?

Israel is taking away vaccination status from today, for every citizen, unless they have the next booster. Which includes those who are already double vaccinated.
2 million out of 9 million citizens are refusing so far, I have read I think.

Australia. All sorts of hoo haa over there happening, especially in Victoria. Perhaps people are not learning yet of what is happening?

@lightsand If the boosters are every six months and that's what it takes to keep people safe, then that's what's necessary. Why would people be unhappy about it, it's a positive thing. We are so, so fortunate that the vaccinations happened so quickly and are so effective at preventing serious disease and death. They won't be every three months because it's already known that efficacy wanes after 4-6.

We won't be in a pandemic forever. Once things settle down it will be up to people to decide whether to get boosters, like it is now for flu. Exceptions will be jobs that require vaccination to protect the vulnerable.

@lightand

what if the boosters are every 6 months *@ilovesooty*? Many are not happy with that.

What if every 3 months? See where I am going with this?

I doubt they'd be every 3 months but if that were deemed useful as a mitigation or necessary to be fully vaccinated I'd do it. Even every 6 months isn't really an inconvenience. People visit the dentist that frequently and it takes longer and is more hassle.

@Tanfastic

I think most people will get it but maybe not all. I'm 48 and never had the flu or the flu jab, I've also never had covid and been exposed in my job (nhs) and by friends. Maybe I've just been lucky as the child hasn't brought it home ....yet!

All these people who say they’ve never had the flu. It’s actually highly unlikely.

You’ve probably never had ‘Mumsnet flu’ where you can’t get out of bed even to pick up a 20 pound note but you’ve probably had mild flu which you thought was a cold or other virus or asymptomatic flu (it’s actually pretty common).

I've had 'Mumsnet flu' and I don't want to get it again if possible. That was in 2007 and I've had a flu vaccination every year since. I had a pneumonia vaccine last year too. I'm in the middle of investigations which is the news is bad would make me CEV so I'm glad I did.