Is this it now? Covid on the way out?

[ToJabOrNotToJab]

Now that a lot of people are less scared, particularly vulnerable people who have had it and only suffered mild illness, generally the feeling seems to be that it's moving to endemic and people just want to get on with it. With isolation now being slashed to 5 days as well, is this the end of all the covid hysteria and restrictions? Or is it simply that omicron has peaked in London and nowhere else matters?

Hopefully. Not even the sensationalist media and the wet lettuce that is the leader of the opposition seem minded to keep trying to terrify the fuck out of people

We can only hope.

Hopefully!!

I think we will start to see it treated as endemic in the spring.

I think it's important to both acknowledge that it is becoming endemic, but also that's it's killed 5.5 million people. I'm not sure hyperbole unless either direction is very useful.

I certainly hope so.

If you look at the charts on the data, stats and daily numbers thread it looks as if it's peaked in most places in the UK now.

In real life, yes I think so but there will be hysteria on here for a long time yet

Things are already a lot different than they were a year ago.

We have got through this wave without a full lockdown. As far as this wave goes, yes we are nearing the end.

They are planning to reduce restrictions, no one is talking about reintroducing any restrictions.

As far as the pandemic goes, I have noticed a change of tune with the media, politicians, and also some scientists.

The general consensus is that we are getting near to the point where we need to start ‘living with the virus’.

What that actually means is different depending on who is saying it, but ultimately we are near the ‘end’. However, it isn’t actually the end. Not yet.

Eventually, all restrictions (including testing and isolating) will be dropped, and we won’t live with the constant threat of everything coming back.

When exactly that will be I don’t know.

Yes looks like it. Isolation is being cut and less and less people worrying about it. More news stories about how mild it is now and how it's becoming endemic and life will be back to normal in 2022.

I think public testing will end in spring, and isolation later in summer, although with testing ending isolation will naturally come to and end anyway. I'm looking forward to this happening and not having to think about covid anymore.

Also think now Christmas is over everyone is just back living normal life again, it was lovely to see so many people out this morning enjoying themselves.

Looks like it. Can't come quick enough for me.

I've definitely noticed a big shift in the way people seem to be behaving now. People aren't wearing masks in shops/restaurants round here and no one seems to care.

I've booked a couple of U.K. holidays for this year and will hold off booking anything abroad as I really don't want to be spending time and money on PCR tests.

A few drama-loving friends are still being silly and my health-anxious Dm will probably never get back to normal I think but I've been "over it" for a very long time.

Pandemics usually last about 2 years.

So statistically and historically it should start burning itself out now.

Vaccines and natural immunity will of course aid this. As well as the fact each variant has seemed milder than the initial strain.

It won't be the end of covid. But the beginning of living with it being endemic.

I suspect - as with flu - we will have some bad winters with it some years. I don't think this will lead to restrictions but I do think we may have mask wearing in the future as a public health measure if truely needed.

The only thing I'm left wondering is when things is public will return to normal. I took da to have his eyes tested at the weekend and it was still all sanitising seats, very limited clients and sanitising everything touched - with signs saying sanitised or waiting for sanitising. I appreciate the care but it seems really OTT at this stage in the pandemic - but perhaps that's because I work in a school and so anything less than a room full of people with just masks (sometimes! And an open window - if you're lucky!) seems OTT!

Went to the pub this weekend and although I have been prior to Christmas when it was busy, this weekend there was probably double the number especially at the bar.

I was pleasantly pleased that most people are finally going out and getting back to normality.

I’m cautiously optimistic

@amicissimma

If you look at the charts on the data, stats and daily numbers thread it looks as if it's peaked in most places in the UK now.

They have stopped testing though, so I don't think you can rely on the number of cases being reported.

@itsgettingweird

Pandemics usually last about 2 years.

So statistically and historically it should start burning itself out now.

Vaccines and natural immunity will of course aid this. As well as the fact each variant has seemed milder than the initial strain.

It won't be the end of covid. But the beginning of living with it being endemic.

I suspect - as with flu - we will have some bad winters with it some years. I don't think this will lead to restrictions but I do think we may have mask wearing in the future as a public health measure if truely needed.

The only thing I'm left wondering is when things is public will return to normal. I took da to have his eyes tested at the weekend and it was still all sanitising seats, very limited clients and sanitising everything touched - with signs saying sanitised or waiting for sanitising. I appreciate the care but it seems really OTT at this stage in the pandemic - but perhaps that's because I work in a school and so anything less than a room full of people with just masks (sometimes! And an open window - if you're lucky!) seems OTT!

Yes, DS's swimming classes still aren't allowing parents in to watch. Everyone has to wait outside in cars. Utterly ridiculous and I'd like to move him but there's not much availability elsewhere and he's made good progress.

Yes. Really starting to think my business might survive now. Please god

Hopefully, though not all viruses will become endemic and endemic does not mean the end of something being serious.

Smallpox for example remained epidemic for centuries but how amazing that it was completely eradicated by a global vaccine effort. There are some great documentaries on YouTube about it

Bloody well better be.

They have stopped testing though, so I don't think you can rely on the number of cases being reported.

They haven't stopped testing yet, only PCRs if lateral flow positive for asymptomatic cases. The last reported testing numbers were on 13th January at over 1.4 million tests, so our testing numbers are still very high.

Wonder if I read newspaper correctly? Are they not talking about a new variant, a mix between delta and omicron which is this the case will be more deadly?

They have stopped testing though, so I don't think you can rely on the number of cases being reported.

The number of cases don't matter though.

That's why they're moving away from testing.

When will people start to get their heads around this?

Mass at my church this morning was busier than I’ve seen it since last summer. Shops are busy, restaurants and cafes are busy. I’m just waiting now for the end of the month and hopefully will be able to get back in the office a couple of days a week.