Is it just me or is this board getting a bit quieter?

[bumbleymummy]

That’s a good sign, right? :)

Yes, perhaps we’ll see more discussion about approaches in other countries? The US/Canada seem to be taking it to a new level. I wonder what the media over there are saying about us. Probably not anything good! :)

@Dishhh

Yes. There's always been a presence of unpleasant ageism, ableism, and minimalism on the board, but as time when on it reached a whole new level. Hypocrisy all over the place too. People horrified over the UK approach were labelled 'hysterical', 'doom mongers', or unhinged, without any irony by people who screamed about perceived (due to misinformation) risks of life and health saving vaccines.

As reported in today's news, at the start of the pandemic (and ongoing) the UK pretty much chose genocide. Social murder, is how it was described by the group of doctors who wrote to the BMJ a while back.

The UK government and much of the public seem content to kill between 100-200 people a day, and condemn many more to long term illness including possible organ damage.

We have one of the highest death rates and highest number of deaths in the world. We currently have very high rates of infection - the highest in western Europe by a long way.

In countries like Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, people really are living their lives. That's taking simple mitigation measures for you.

@bumbleymummy

Yes, perhaps we’ll see more discussion about approaches in other countries? The US/Canada seem to be taking it to a new level. I wonder what the media over there are saying about us. Probably not anything good! :)

What’s happening with US / Canada?

As for unpleasantness / picking on stuff I’d say few would feel they’d avoided that no matter what they posted.

I find coming onto MN like a parallel universe where people are still highly anxious

The people with legitimate reasons to be anxious - the millions of clinically or socioeconomically vulnerable to Covid and their loved ones tended to back away from the group that seemed to take over. Which was people who were highly anxious about a life and health saving vaccine. It filled up with thread after thread full of highly anxious vaccine hesitant mixed with outright anti vaxxers.

The first group - and, because of Long Covid risks, everyone - would be foolish not to maintain caution. The second? Well, isn't it something like 90% of hospitalisations are the unvaccinated? Perhaps some no longer post because they can't.

US and Canada is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

US was planning to vaccinate 5+ - I think they've already started, plus they're doing the booster programme.

US also has been using monoclunal antibodies treatment since last year.

Like western Europe (except the UK) Canada took mitigation measures and is therefore unsurprisingly doing better than us.

Someone who says it's been going on for 2 years for a start

Surely that’s exaggerating it, not minimising it?

For example, Toronto has mask mandate. And I have friends in BC and I know they've taken good mitigation measures too (unlike England).

Vaccination of a large percentage of the population meant falling death rates and life returning to normal for the majority with some being careful still.

Falling death rate proves vaccine works so shuts up most of the anti vaxx lot. They still come on a bit but facts speak louder than their garbage now.
Discussions done to death so another reason to no longer visit the boards.

@TheGrumpyGoat

Someone who says it's been going on for 2 years for a start

Surely that’s exaggerating it, not minimising it?

no it fits with the "enough is enough we cant let covid ruin our lives" narrative, along with stay at home if you are still scared / petrified and other such crap

I actually think that most people are in the middle ground - living their lives but on a slightly reduced scale, with some trepidation about what the winter might bring

But this board is mostly about the "shout them down if they show any type of concern or maybe suggest any type of mitigation" brigade

Prefer real life

@MarshaBradyo the vaccine mandates/vaccinating very young children and making young children wear masks etc. Of course they are huge countries so we shouldn’t really generalise - some states are more relaxed than others. They’re only just coming through the peak of delta.

UK doesn't have falling death rates. We still have very high death rates. Hundreds being killed a week.

The rest of western Europe, yes, high levels of vaccination plus basic and easy mitigation measures, has led to low death rates and people living their life.

(Whether it's just their mitigation measures that has made the difference or if it's mostly using the mRNA vaccines, I don't know. As we know, AZ is good but 90+% efficacy of Pfizer and Moderna is better than 70+ of AZ.)

In RL it only comes with around vaccination.

A few family members waiting on boosters and few younger member waiting on appointments - similar conversation around flu vaccination as well this year.

I'm not sure we're completely back to normal - I think we're still going out and about much less partly espcailly at weekends - older chidlren, DH being crazy busy last 18 months and perhaps we're out of the habit.

Life goes on - it's been around 18 months and I think people have moved on a bit.

Also the social murder thing. People have realised that, whilst there is still a risk to everyone - particularly of long term illness or organ damage - the risks are slanted towards the poor, the old, the disabled, and the vulnerable particularly in deprived urban centres. And unfortunately a fair number of people in the UK are, if not supportive of, pretty accepting of eugenics.

Life goes on - it's been around 18 months and I think people have moved on a bit.

And there you go. The willingness to look the other way whilst terrible things are being done. Hundreds a week are being killed - life very much not going on - but people happily look the other way.

Problem with the Long Covid risks is it will only become apparent - the true extent of the damage in the future. One, two years? Perhaps longer - 10, even 20 years later.

@Tealightsandd

Problem with the Long Covid risks is it will only become apparent - the true extent of the damage in the future. One, two years? Perhaps longer - 10, even 20 years later.

Just like the contaminated blood scandal.

@Tealightsandd

Life goes on - it's been around 18 months and I think people have moved on a bit.

And there you go. The willingness to look the other way whilst terrible things are being done. Hundreds a week are being killed - life very much not going on - but people happily look the other way.

As horrific as it is the ability to look the other way is life going on - COVID isn't jut the only thing we do that too. We kind of have to I think because if we didn't, if we actually stopped for a minute and properly thought about it. We couldn't go on.

And that is twice on this thread that you have said about AZ - do you have actual data as it seems the effectiveness isnt different to the others at all

@inferiorCatSlave I think you’re right about just being out of the habit. It’s only recently that we’ve really started organising to do things again at weekends. We’d just gotten so used to everything being restricted and not really having the option to go anywhere!

To be fair our woes due to Brexit will no doubt be the next contender for high traffic and clicks but that’s for another thread…

Covid has been life changing for us in ways we could never have imagined pre 2020. It is no longer the unknown bogey man, instead it is something most of us can now recognise if you should get symptoms, most of us have had some experience with it in one way or another and for most it has left no lasting impression.

However many of us did feel the effects and lost loved ones or may be suffering long term problems after being ill from it, many are still anxious about infection and complications due to their own health issues and so on.

What does concern me is dismissing its potential in how it can still affect individuals and any possible long term impacts on those who get reinfected repeatedly over several years that we do not know about yet.

We’re on the other side of its initial introduction into humanity, what comes next may not be as clear cut as we hope. So yes, life does feel relatively normal now but I personally don’t feel confident enough to let me guard down just yet simply because we still have a lot to learn and understand.

Life isn't going on. Ever again, for the hundreds a week being killed in the UK. Other countries including our western Europe neighbours are managing to get on with life without killing hundreds a week. Mitigation is the word. They understood. We didn't.

And that is twice on this thread that you have said about AZ - do you have actual data as it seems the effectiveness isnt different to the others at all

It's been very widely reported. mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna) are 90%+ effective (Moderna is the most effective of the two), and AZ is 70%. Of course in many countries, eg. ones with simple and easy mitigation measures and therefore low rates of infection, 70% would be enough. In one of the world's highest risk countries, where levels of infection are high, it's slightly less protective. Luckily we are doing a booster programme and that should hopefully help.

Experts believe the UK is a likely candidate for the development of a Delta mutation. Because of our very high infection rate and lack of mitigation measures.

I've moved on a long time ago and getting on with my life - some people are still so obsessed with covid it's ridiculous.

Two sides, one after the other.

Like chess.

@bumbleymummy

That’s a good sign, right? :)

Absolutely. I've thought similar the last week or two. The posts are really dull and mundane now. The usual posters have gone....nowhere for them to keep repeating themselves anymore. Long may it continue.

@Tealightsandd

UK doesn't have falling death rates. We still have very high death rates. Hundreds being killed a week.

The rest of western Europe, yes, high levels of vaccination plus basic and easy mitigation measures, has led to low death rates and people living their life.

(Whether it's just their mitigation measures that has made the difference or if it's mostly using the mRNA vaccines, I don't know. As we know, AZ is good but 90+% efficacy of Pfizer and Moderna is better than 70+ of AZ.)

Is that hundreds WITHIN 28 days of a positive test? 🤦🏻‍♀️