Why do restrictions have to be introduced?

[Dancerinthedark01]

Vaccines were meant to stop the spread.

Vaccines were meant to prevent hospitalisation.

Fine - if they’re not working let’s admit that. Then I understand the need for restrictions again.

But if vaccines work why are we back in this position?

The indication now is that the booster shot will increase protection by 95% compared to two doses and will protect you for much longer. This explanation was on James Ward 73's Twitter.

[quote Coldpressed]@TheVampiresWife

Respiratory viruses are generally more prevalent in winter months though so I don't know how much we can really compare this summer to last winter.[/quote]
It's not summer.

@SapereAude

Perhaps because it's been spreading like wildfire in schools?

@Buzzinwithbez

I'm curious to know how many Mumsnetters who have never followed rules have caught covid? Reading another post it seems like just over 10 percent of the population have had it so far....

Have they had it more than once? or are they now immune and not now contributing to where we are now?

Or have they not ever caught it, so not contributing to where we are now?

How many caught it and spread it and quite cheerfully are telling everyone?

To what extent have they not followed rules? When things were closed there weren't many rules they could break and they could do very little other than infect close friends or family....At which point perhaps they'd rethink and not be blurting it around the internet...

A few personal stories does not make something statistically true across a population. There have been 8.6 million recorded cases of Covid in the U.K. but lots of people will have had it before testing, not testing (I know it’s only cold), especially during ‘pingdemic’ and people who had no symptoms or have only done a LFT!

At present it’s estimated that 1% of the population have covid. That’s over half a million.

Vaccines work. Just not as fantastically as everyone hoped. It seems this virus and this vaccine isnt as long lived as some other vaccines ( isnt hooping cough 8 years as an example?)

Unfortunately humans cant completely control everything and I think people find that unsettling. Even if there was more we could do to end the global pandemic phase of this virus, like getting vaccines out globally, we dont.

I think we either think if you throw enough money at something you can stop it or have distrust in science and the state. The truth is always a bit gray

[quote Coldpressed]@SapereAude

Perhaps because it's been spreading like wildfire in schools?[/quote]
Correct. What is your point though in terms of vaccine effectiveness?

@TheVampiresWife

Sorry, should have said the situation over past 6 months - summer wasn't correct. My point was that due to seasonality the next few months will tell us how well they're really holding up. We had less cases this time last year.

I didn’t sign up to the prospect of being vaccinated every 6 months

No one did. But if that’s what it’s going to take, that’s what we do. Presumably, the vaccine developers will continue to develop until they get one that works for life.

The mistake is assuming life will return to what it was. It can’t. We have to adjust and move on accordingly. Using masks in public places and enforcing social distancing would make a huge difference.

There was a discussion about where people were catching the virus and the majority were through schools where children are less likely to be vaccinated and in workplaces where lots of people hadn’t taken up the vaccination.

So it shows that not enough people were vaccinated quickly enough which we know can lead to mutations and that’s why the boosters are being introduced like the flu jab.

It's not a binary situation - vaccines work but they're not the be all and end all. The virus has mutated since this generation of vaccines was created as well and they don't work as well now. We always knew elderly people don't have such a good immune response either, this happens with the flu jab too.

It's really frustrating how the whole thing has become so politicised in the UK. So many people are completely unwilling to deal with even the smallest inconvenience like wearing a good quality mask and taking regular LFTs. (And I don't mean those who are exempt etc but the millions who've decided they're "done" and "not complying").

I agree with the comment upthread that people struggle with the idea It's a virus and it's not something we can completely control. This is a pandemic, it is how it is for now. Wanting it to go away is like saying I'm done with rainy weather, so I've decided it won't rain again.

[quote Coldpressed]@TheVampiresWife

Sorry, should have said the situation over past 6 months - summer wasn't correct. My point was that due to seasonality the next few months will tell us how well they're really holding up. We had less cases this time last year.[/quote]
Most of the hospitality sector was closed this time last year. The vast majority of those who could wfh were doing so this time last year. Restrictions were still in place this time last year, and in some areas they were stricter than others.

Because if the latter is the case we’re living with the consequences of Austerity rather than Covid.

Sadly that’s been the case throughout.

And that, alongside how the government has played this, has massively politicised what is a global event that we have little control over. Leading to people feeling misled by the government, disappointed in the vaccines, not willing to engage with more restrictions… and the drop in LFTs and mask wearing.

Mask wearing where I am is probably at 50%. I figured we were doing okay. But cases here have skyrocketed, the maternity services at the hospital are decimated (along with probably all the other services) and my midwife yesterday said that of the 8 ladies that she had in for antenatal care, only 2 had done LFTs before.

I can’t see how we get back from here, because it’s now all so politically driven that the vast majority have forgotten that it’s a pandemic.

This is a pandemic, it is how it is for now. Wanting it to go away is like saying I'm done with rainy weather, so I've decided it won't rain again.

Or this, to be honest.

I didn’t sign up to the prospect of being vaccinated every 6 months it was widely discussed pre-vaccine rollout that it'd be yearly.

@rrhuth

I didn’t sign up to the prospect of being vaccinated every 6 months it was widely discussed pre-vaccine rollout that it'd be yearly.

It isn’t compulsory either.

Our vaccine rollout has stalled and not everyone is vaccinated, especially teens.

We’ve been too quick to ease measures to slow the spread, so the virus has run away and what a surprise we have a new variant which is even more transmissible.

And we have politicians who care more about winning votes than saving lives.

Personally I think we have to hold our nerve.
Even if we do hit the 1000000 cases a day (which isn't necessarily a given), then if the hospitalisation ratio continues as it is now we we still be way below the hospitalisation peak in December/January of almost 40000 inpatients, as in way under half. Same with deaths, the peak in the winter wave was well over 9000 weekly deaths recorded as covid on death certificate, were currently at less than 1/10 that number.

Covid is currently passing through the younger population (mostly under 18), which is the cohort that is least of risk of serious illness/death. Eventually (and probably in a couple of weeks) it'll run out of fuel and numbers will drop, possibly as dramatically as they did just before schools in England reopened.

Oh and hate on me if you like, but we have actually unnaturally extended this pandemic. Not saying that every death is not a personal tradgey for their families (although as with other illnesses I don't doubt that for some "victims" and their families it was a blessed relief, I would much rather my Dad had the relatively quick death from covid than the months of agony he endured with terminal cancer). But we have extended the pandemic and tbh I've never been convinced that lockdown was the answer. The famous "next slide please" graphs showed all to well that the way the numbers reduced did not correspond to actual lockdown so much as people changing behaviour in the week leading up to lockdown.

One big side effect of lockdown is exit waves and the harsher the lockdown the worse that wave might be. Plus lockdowns cause many other problems for both physical and mental health in fact they kill.
I also can't help but think that we also gave alpha and delta a huge helping hand in becoming dominant, after all we created conditions where only the most transmissible strains could survive. And don't get me started on how we've funked up our immune systems, including the hundreds of thousands of babies over the last 18months who haven't been exposed to the usual coughs and colds and are now more at risk of such delights as RSV

Totally agree. I have no problems with taking a vaccine every six months. Do we really need an uptake of more than 92% of adults to curb restrictions permanently? Is a mask and social distancing going to become a permanent feature of winter from now on?

@Iggly

Our vaccine rollout has stalled and not everyone is vaccinated, especially teens.

We’ve been too quick to ease measures to slow the spread, so the virus has run away and what a surprise we have a new variant which is even more transmissible.

And we have politicians who care more about winning votes than saving lives.

What is astounding to me is that winning votes doesn't appear to be absolutely dependent on saving lives

Tbh I think it’s vital that the government does not give in to the independent sage extremists and impose restrictions.

Covidiots not going anywhere. The vaccines are our best line of defence, so we need to focus on ranking up the booster rollout. If we have to get a jab every 6 months, so be it.

But we cannot continue with ruinous lockdowns and restrictions that are catastrophic for society, the economy, mental health and our young people.

Things like ‘social distancing’ are not cost free- they make normal human relationships impossible and whole sectors of the dinky unviable. It would mean effectively no concerts or live events every winter for example, which I’m not prepared to acccept.

*covid is not going anywhere.

I agree we are just in a blip and the peak we are in will wane soon. As forecast by government.

The problem is slow rollout of under 18s and boosters. That is my main concern.

In addition many people are refusing boosters. Bonkers!

Because we neglected to vaccinate the under 18's for too long.
The virus is gently trickling around and able to get stuck in to too many people.

I also think it’s clear that the big issue in hospitals is not covid- only something like 5% of beds are occupied by covid patients.

Imo the problem is that many GPs are still closed and have been for the last 20 months. DH has tried to get a face to face appointment for high blood pressure and has had no success.

Clearly this will result in increased pressure on hospitals as all these problems are going untreated and others are attending hospital as it’s simply the only way they can get treatment.

@Guacamole001

I agree we are just in a blip and the peak we are in will wane soon. As forecast by government.

The problem is slow rollout of under 18s and boosters. That is my main concern.

In addition many people are refusing boosters. Bonkers!

Bonkers why? I've had my two. I can go on holiday I don't have to isolate. Thats why I had them. I'm not having more. I'm CEV, I've worked throughout this damn thing in a really risky job. I've had covid. I was fine. I'm done. I'm not having anymore vaccines just because the government can't work out their arses from their elbows and come up with any decent plan. I've totally had enough. Covid is here to stay and I'm not having three vaccines in a year for something which for the majority of people isn't an issue.