Get rid of all restrictions

[AnEpisodeOfEastenders]

I think it's time for all restrictions to be removed. There has been plenty of time for people to be vaccinated / boosted that want to, those that can't or don't should take their own precautions.

If we test positive then we shouldn't need to isolate, shouldn't need to declare it and should just treat it as a normal cough / cold / illness. If you feel up to going to work, out to the pub, seeing friends or family then do so. Everyone I know who have had it say they feel fine.

Life has been disrupted for far too long, the costs associated are astronomical and will be a crippling debt for generations to come.

@rrhuth

Why do people who say "no restrictions" think somehow that would make the virus disappear?

The honest, but worrying, answer is because a lot of people are genuinely quite stupid.

Agree.

Agree.

Wow, what an insightful contribution to the thread.

That graph suggests pretty marginal differences between the 4 devolved nations, with NI,interestingly, having the highest rates.

@IcedPurple which graph as NI rates per 100K looks much lower if I haven't misread the chart I posted?
England and Wales similar.

@southeastdweller

Agree.

Wow, what an insightful contribution to the thread.

More insightful than most of the comments on here.

@BeLessMe

those that can't or don't should take their own precautions

DH is vaccinated but hasn’t developed a full immune response, he likely won’t survive if he catches Covid. I work in a public facing role. What is your suggestion on how I keep a roof over my, & DC, heads please?

I recognise this must be an incredibly stressful period for you given the circumstances.

However, there are no easy answers... Unless restrictions are so severe that they quash infections and do so permanently - which is likely to be impossible with Omicron, even China won't ultimately succeed, all restrictions do is spread the same risk over a longer period of time.

Personally, I'd want to Government to provide financial support to those people in your predicament whilst the wave blows through, but that requires that the wave is alllowed to blow through and not artificially lengthened by restrictions.

Failing that, I wonder if the best (or least worst) thing to do is for your DH to isolate as best he can from you whilst the wave blows itself out, and you do whatever you can do to avoid catching it. The quicker this can happen the better, but ironically that requires restrictions to be lifted, or at least not increased, to allow this wave to blow itself out in a short time.

I appreciate this is shit, but I'm not sure what else is practical.

Yep I see know NI worse but Scotland better.

@Northsoutheastwest76

That graph suggests pretty marginal differences between the 4 devolved nations, with NI,interestingly, having the highest rates.

@IcedPurple which graph as NI rates per 100K looks much lower if I haven't misread the chart I posted?
England and Wales similar.

N.I. has the highest rates of the devolved nations according to that graph, though as I said the differences are fairly small.

NI is missing a decimal point which the other nations have, so that may make it appear lower.

I wish it really were as simply as some people think it is. That would be nice.

simple

@cantkeepawayforever

There has been plenty of time for people to be vaccinated / boosted that want to, those that can't or don't should take their own precautions.

So - the CEV child I know, who has been told by their paediatrician to isolate, along with their family, during this wave - and has not been vaccinated because they are too young, not because they do not want to be - they take their own precautions?

Because you don't want to wear a mask in supermarkets, take an occasional test or have to think about Covid (all so onerous).....

I could understand if we were living in total lockdown again. I could understand then that people would feel that this was excessive to protect the health of the somewhat more vulnerable. However, we are not. We have extremely minimal restrictions - boring, yes, onerous and life changing, no.

But they are being told to isolate despite masks and isolation... These clearly aren't nearly enough to stop Omicron. So, given this, the quicker we can come out to other side the better in terms of their isolation. Increasing restrictions will only prolong the point at which the risk subsides to an acceptable level.

Increasing restrictions don't really help the CEV at this time as it just extends the period of risk... though it may help the health service if it gets overwhelmed, as may be the case if numbers rise too far, too fast.

@Izzypuss

"rrhuth
Why do people who say "no restrictions" think somehow that would make the virus disappear?

The honest, but worrying, answer is because a lot of people are genuinely quite stupid.
Agree."
++++

Sadly with or without restrictions the virus is never going to disappear .

But I agree with you that people who think that if we either relax restrictions or toughen restrictions or keep existing restrictions that the virus will then somehow disappear are misguided.

Yep @IcedPurple cross post. Think I need my bed.

[quote 1dayatatime]@Izzypuss

"rrhuth
Why do people who say "no restrictions" think somehow that would make the virus disappear?

The honest, but worrying, answer is because a lot of people are genuinely quite stupid.
Agree."
++++

Sadly with or without restrictions the virus is never going to disappear .

But I agree with you that people who think that if we either relax restrictions or toughen restrictions or keep existing restrictions that the virus will then somehow disappear are misguided.[/quote]
I agree with you that the virus won't disappear and hopefully covid will truly become endemic at some point soon, but in the meantime, some short term restrictions should help to alleviate the crisis with our health service.

@hassletassle

I predict that by the end of February most of us will have had a dose of omicron and low deaths will mean it's downgraded to a 'flu' type illness.

🤞

Indeed

Those who just want to end all measures because they are stupid tired can do one. Life does not follow some predetermined timeline dictated by those who struggle with reality.

This is one of the most sensible comments I've ever seen on MN.

@gofg

Those who just want to end all measures because they are stupid tired can do one. Life does not follow some predetermined timeline dictated by those who struggle with reality.

This is one of the most sensible comments I've ever seen on MN.

Yes agree

The government /NHS are constructing Nightingale "surge hubs" around the country - attached to hospitals this time so they can actually be staffed though - and reviewing mortuary capacity. Hospices are also to be used.

This is not going to be good.

Omicron is in New Zealand now

Yes, brought into the community by a UK citizen, who decided to leave self-isolation before receiving his test results!!!

@vickyc90

I would prioritise care so kids always get care first even if Doris is left on the floor with her broken hip for longer. I believe kids are always prioritised currently aswell. Considering we both drive I don't see the need to call an ambulance arising could just dump him in the car and drive him myself. It's not like it's summer where kids are out on bikes etc so traumatic injuries are going to be very rare.

So, my your own cold scenario, your own care would not be prioritised should you require it? Look up 'triage system' for your Trust, perhaps, for more information on how medical prioritisation works. Surprisingly, a child with a broken arm won't be seen before a man suffering a suspected heart attack, for example.

Then I have wonderful news for you! You will be permitted to keep wearing your extra clothing when it's no longer a legal requirement
Precisely-nothing to stop the paranoid for keeping them on forever -and will be a useful badge for the rest of us to avoid those types 😀

@JanglyBeads

The government /NHS are constructing Nightingale "surge hubs" around the country - attached to hospitals this time so they can actually be staffed though - and reviewing mortuary capacity. Hospices are also to be used.

This is not going to be good.

I don't understand the staffing arrangements, this was why they could not create usable extra capacity in the first wave.

If they are now reviewing mortuary capacity it is disgraceful not to be communicating with the public about what is coming.

@AngryWithH

Then I have wonderful news for you! You will be permitted to keep wearing your extra clothing when it's no longer a legal requirement Precisely-nothing to stop the paranoid for keeping them on forever -and will be a useful badge for the rest of us to avoid those types 😀

Do you still not understand that masks are to protect others not yourself?

Such ignorance is staggering but accounts for some ridiculous opinions expressed by many on this thread.

Science teaching must have been very poor for some.

@Delatron

Masks are working really well in France. Over 200,000 cases today. It’s almost as though these crappy half-hearted measures do bugger all.

Indeed!

I highly doubt that the obsessive mask wearers really are doing it ‘to protect others’

Anyway, medical grade masks do protect the wearer.