Are we going to be in a cycle of being unwell for a while now?

[WildFlowerBees]

Now there's no mask wearing etc most people will be exposed on a regular basis so will we all be in a cycle of having covid being ok for a while then getting it again?

It feels like that, doesn't it. Utterly shit.

Yep pretty much. The more it spreads the weaker the variants will become and eventually like other coronaviruses we will barely notice when we catch it. Expect a few more rounds of this... and in fairness we won't know because testing will be so minimal

@linerforlife That's not true actually. The more virus is circulating in the population the greater the number of new variants emerging. Viruses do sometimes mutate to become less dangerous, but not always. Viruses mutate totally at random and take hold as dominant variants only if they happen to be more successful at spreading/more contagious.

Ugh how much longer are we going to be in this shitstorm? I'm so fed up of it now just like everyone else I know.

How does a virus work in order to become weaker and less contagious?

I think yes OP, although with Omicron being so prevalent this was also the case when we still had mask laws, and still is in lots of places that do such as Scotland. It's just inevitable with a variant as impossible to control as Omicron, and where vaccines are helpful on a population level but can't prevent multiple infections of individuals. We don't have anything to throw at it that's going to prevent it being rampant. So I think you're right, and the question is how long this is going to be the case.

I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, there are still a lot of people who haven’t had it for the first time (me included) let alone waiting to catch it for a second or third time. I think people need to focus on improving their overall health/ immune system rather than constantly worrying about catching covid. There are plenty of steps we can all take to improve our overall health.

I think people need to focus on improving their overall health/ immune system rather than constantly worrying about catching covid.

I was going to say the same!

I've not had covid despite having had lots of exposure to it. I'm trying to be as healthy as possible and boost my immune system as much as I can.

Viruses are part of life unfortunately.

I realise it’s not quite what you mean but I did read the OP thinking that well yes, for all of our lives there is a cycle of catching a bug, being unwell for a bit, then being well for a bit, then catching another one, and so on. Yes it’s a problem if you have too many people ill all at once, but the cycle of being well and unwell in itself is a normal part of life. No one is never ill. I have toddlers and for the past few years the well periods have been few and far between tbh!

@Katie517

I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, there are still a lot of people who haven’t had it for the first time (me included) let alone waiting to catch it for a second or third time. I think people need to focus on improving their overall health/ immune system rather than constantly worrying about catching covid. There are plenty of steps we can all take to improve our overall health.

I really don’t think health has a lot to to do with catching covid. I consider myself reasonably healthy, I exercise daily and eat healthy, I rarely get ill. Yet here I am with covid for the 3rd time. 1st time I was I’ll for 3 days, 2nd time no symptoms, this time I’m feeling pretty rough but not on my death bed (hoping I will recover quickly).

I do hope we will eventually build immunity and the virus will effect us less but I think we will continue to catch it for a while. I also think some people are more likely to catch it because they are around people more, working with people, using public transport and socialising more than others. My parents haven’t had it because they don’t go anywhere other than the local supermarket once a week.

Yep second case of covid in 2 months for me , more time if work not great

@Katie517 maybe you have and don't know
When i had covid the first time I had no symptoms only picked up on a routine pcr , LFT never picked it up
Also i was like this until end of jan Since had twice , my friend who is a teacher exposed loads only got it for first time recently
Same as dh we have had covid in the house 3 times , he has worked pretty much throughout in a public facing role and literally just got covid a couple days ago
Way more have had it compared quoted numbers

In real life I know more people who have had covid that who haven't

I know a lot of people who have had it this last two months however there is still a chunk of us who've never had it so it will rumble on a good while longer while those that had a previous strain get it again as well. 🤷

[quote worriedatthistime]@Katie517 maybe you have and don't know
When i had covid the first time I had no symptoms only picked up on a routine pcr , LFT never picked it up
Also i was like this until end of jan Since had twice , my friend who is a teacher exposed loads only got it for first time recently
Same as dh we have had covid in the house 3 times , he has worked pretty much throughout in a public facing role and literally just got covid a couple days ago
Way more have had it compared quoted numbers [/quote]
In what way has a person 'had' an illness if they've had no symptoms and the presence of the virus hasn't been picked up on an LFT? If it was picked up on PCR it may have been that a little of the virus entered your throat and your immune system dispatched it before it took hold and gave you Covid, leaving tiny traces of inactive genetic material. Does a little genetic material passing briefly through your throat count as 'having' and illness?

Apparently about a fifth of young adults have meningococus in their throats. We don't say they 'have meningitis'. Lots of people carry MRSA on their skin. We don't say they 'have MRSA'.

@Katie517

I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, there are still a lot of people who haven’t had it for the first time (me included) let alone waiting to catch it for a second or third time. I think people need to focus on improving their overall health/ immune system rather than constantly worrying about catching covid. There are plenty of steps we can all take to improve our overall health.

Unless you're immunosuppressed of course I'm basically fucked 5th vaccine in a couple of months

When i had covid the first time I had no symptoms only picked up on a routine pcr , LFT never picked it up

But then you didn't 'have' covid. Your immune system did its job well!!

@linerforlife

Yep pretty much. The more it spreads the weaker the variants will become and eventually like other coronaviruses we will barely notice when we catch it. Expect a few more rounds of this... and in fairness we won't know because testing will be so minimal

This isn't necessarily true at all. What has led you to believe it is?

@Lovemusic33 yes I don’t think being healthy in general will stop you catching it completely but I do think it helps. I haven’t had it and neither has my family despite working out of the home, traveling, socialising a lot, going to gym classes several times a week and having a child at nursery. I have been a close contact several times and I do think the fact we are healthy, take the right supplements and spend a lot of time outdoors has helped a lot.

I have only had it once last August. It's very random.

The more it spreads the weaker the variants will become

Not necessarily. There is no evolutionary pressure to become milder because it's infectious before symtoms. It doesn't matter how ill or dead it makes a host if it's already moved on

That's not true actually. The more virus is circulating in the population the greater the number of new variants emerging

Yes

So at what point does this virus become much much less? Or is it possible we live like this forever?

@Purpleroseas by definition yes I did have it and would of been able to pass if on to others

[quote worriedatthistime]@Purpleroseas by definition yes I did have it and would of been able to pass if on to others [/quote]
How do you know you would have been able to pass it on to others? How do you know the test wasn't just picking up inactivated genetic remnants?

@Katie517

I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, there are still a lot of people who haven’t had it for the first time (me included) let alone waiting to catch it for a second or third time. I think people need to focus on improving their overall health/ immune system rather than constantly worrying about catching covid. There are plenty of steps we can all take to improve our overall health.

I’ll tell that to my 24 year old marathon running, dietician in training, picture of health, brother in law. Oh wait I cant, he died of COVID. Guess he needed to eat more vegetables.

There’s something like 21/22 million recorded cases, so even allowing for non tested cases and then back again for each person who’s had it more than once, there is still a sizeable chunk of us in the UK who’ve never had it yet.