Were people who are very vunerable (weakened immune systems etc) isolating before covid?

[JellyOnAPlatewithicecream]

As there are lots of other virus' / bugs you can catch? I get it more when it was very new but we know a lot more about it now, and people seem to be disproportionately worried about COVID over any of the other nasty things out there you could catch in a shop or on the bus... when COVID disappears will they still be avoiding these places?

Just a bit confused as to why we might need another lockdown when the Omnicrom symptoms are basically a cold for most people who catch it (and are fully vaccinated), apparently most people (around 9 out of 10 I think) in hospital at the mo with covid are unvaccinated, are we going to have to be in lockdowns for evermore just because people are refusing to get jabbed?

@JellyOnAPlatewithicecream

Removing the need to isolate only contributes to a higher death toll if lots of people are unvaccinated. If you are vaccinated and catch covid from someone who isn't isolating you aren't likely to have it badly enough to need hospital let alone die.

I get that before the vaccine we were in survival mode and fully understood the need for restrictions. Now we have a vaccine it's a different story. But people are still going to suffer the horrendous effects of being in lockdown / tighter restrictions, all because lots of people are making a personal choice to not protect themselves by getting the vaccine. It's outrageous.

But there are three groups of people at risk of dying/serious illness from covid:

• the unvaccinated by choice
• the unvaccinated because they are not able medically to have the vaccine
• the people for whom the vaccine doesn't prevent severe illness (we don't know who/how many)

You sound like you're fine with people dying/getting seriously ill through no fault of their own, because you don't think you'll be in that group. That's not very nice.

Plus, once the NHS is overwhelmed, what about the people who are vaccinated who have strokes/heart attacks/fall off ladders/whatever - do their deaths not matter? Because there will be more of them.

I think you haven't thought it through fully.

The sad thing is what the OP wants is happening already. I was due to visit 4 patients with covid on Friday who were clinically vulnerable. 2 of them were out and about presumably because it was mild. Another patient over the phone admitted she’d been socialising with it although wore a mask. The stupidity and selfishness of people is mind blowing but obviously they aren’t alone.

How do you think people are going ro fare if our hospitals become so overwhelmed that no one gets treatment. The child with whooping cough, the child that fell out of the tree, the family in a rtc.
How are people going to fare if the police have so many staff off at the same time they cant respond to emergencies. Or when the fire birgage cant staff the service and a house catches fire.
Not to mention food distribution, staff in shops, utilities, transport.

Extreme yes, goingnto happen... who knows but it has the potential to if covid rises out of control. Especially with a varient that doubles daily. Thats why the scientists are worried because by the time they have the data to know if the above could happen wr have past the number of cases that hige impacta to every part of society will stop finctioning.

Im not disputingnlockdowns arent bad for lots and lots of people but if restrictions are goingnto be need but intriduces too late it thats going to be horendous for everyone.

My ds spent 2 years on lockdown long before Covid was ever heard of he was seriously immunocompromised.
Even still now meds are upped during winter months and all house required to have flu jabs.

When I had cancer treatment I had to leave my gym membership and take extra care . But the risk was low otherwise because most bugs are that infectious . It's not the same as a hugely infectious virus being everywhere . I think all the time of people in this position, utterly shit.

I'm not anti lockdown and anti isolation. Before the vaccine I fully understood and supported them, no one came into the house after I had my baby to meet him, no one cuddled him, grandparents met him on the doorstep at a distance etc.

Now we have the vaccine, and it seems like the reason we may need to put everyone through another lockdown is because lots of people are choosing not to have it - that seems outrageous. The negative effect it has on people doesn't seem to be taken into account. What about all the babies in 2020 who weren't breastfed because their mums didn't have access to lactation support? What about all the children who are missing out on their education and best years of their life?

The only reason they are contemplating a lockdown is because a lot of people are unvaccinated and therefore might need hospital treatment if they catch covid. If we were all vaccinated we wouldn't be contemplating one. Unfortunately there's always going to be a small group of people for who the vaccine doesn't work, but we can't and wouldn't be forced to lockdown solely to protect those people.

Jellyonaplate
The only reason they are contemplating a lockdown is because a lot of people are unvaccinated and therefore might need hospital treatment if they catch covid. If we were all vaccinated we wouldn't be contemplating one.

My understanding is that there hasn't been time to give boosters to everyone.
Also the jab will take a few weeks to become effective.

So the majority of the UK population aren't yet fully immunised. Refusers and non refusers alike.
Combine that with the fact that we are in the middle of winter and NHS pressures are already high and people are likely to mingle indoors more than usual at Christmas.
Even those who want to go out and party to spite the PM must see there's reason enough to restrict social contacts?

And children cant be vaccinated yet and there is concerns that this varrient impacts children far more. And even with vaccinations this varient has a risk of avading vaccinations so we do not know yet how badly the population is going to be impacted.

The people who there hasn't been time to give the boosters too are the younger people. These are generally not the people who will be taking up hospital beds and overwhelming the NHS. It's the ones who have been eligible for a while and have not had either booster of any jabs who are getting us into this mess!

2 famous people have died of covid despite being double vacc and boosted and only in 50s

gosh OP, you seem to have gotten over your 'confusion' very quickly about the situation to come out with some seemingly solid opinions on the whole thing...

The people who there hasn't been time to give the boosters too are the younger people. These are generally not the people who will be taking up hospital beds and overwhelming the NHS.

Even if bed occupancy doesn't hugely increase the NHS could grind to a halt due to staff sickness. There are already large numbers off sick.

@TeloMere off sick because they need to isolate to protect the unvaccinated to prevent the NHS melting down. Not necessarily because they feel ill enough to work?

@frazzledali nope still confused. How we managed to get into this mess even though we have the vaccine, why people are not getting jabbed, is beyond me

Do you also start threads aimed at wheelchair users bemoaning the general public's lack of walking as exercise? That's what your posts here are like. All about your experience and tone deaf.

yesmy family members have always avoided places like cinemas and we have to stay away from them if we have anything

Yes, we have always been careful with DC in the winter even before covid. He has high sensitivity to respiratory infection due to surgery. He has been ventilated with a common cold before.

Having to be careful sadly won’t change when the pandemic is over.

I was classed as Cv rather than CEV, and no I wasn't shielding or hiding away before.

However I did for covid in lockdown 1 as it was so unknown.

Until I was vaccinated I did feel more vulnerable.
Every year I have a flu vaccine. I've also had a pneumonia vaccine. I take multi vitamins and a range of prescribed medication to help myself.

Until early this year there was no vaccine.

Covid put me in hospital and left me with a life long health condition, requiring medication for good. This was pre vaccine.

So whilst I do take some precautions and test regularly I am triple jabbed and I am far less cautious now.

But I'm only CV. If I was CEV then yes, I'd be even more careful if that was what my consultant was advising.

A lot of very vulnerable people already had restricted lives.

For fully vaccinated people Omnicrom is basically just a cold.

This is often still not the case for some very vulnerable people, regardless of their vaccination status. Unfortunately vaccines can sometimes be less effective in people who are immunosuppressed. Therefore they still remain at greater risk. This is one of the reasons why those very vulnerable people are actually being offered 4 vaccines, not three.

Regardless of being vaccinated, this is what happens if I do get covid
Contacted within 24hrs of a positive test

I have blood cancer and am immunocompromised. The death rates for people in my situation is high and a recent article in the Observer explains this. Even without covid I would have to be very careful about coming in to contact with other. Things like a common cold can lead to pneumonia. I've had one bout of neutropenic sepsis which required a 2 week stay. I have to manage my risk but the 'it's only flu' brigade seem to think they are absolved of any social of community responsibility. The arseholes government have lost the trust of the electorate even though some still think they're doing well and it means the impact for the CEV is much greater. For some it might be 'flu' but people forget their experience is not an objective truth for all.

Like you say, them passing it onto very vunerable people isn't the issue as that's not the reason we've ever locked down.

Jesus wept. It's an issue in a hospital.