Have people's opinions changed?

[MassiveOverthinker]

Just wondering really, if the last few months have changed people's opinion on how we managed covid in this country.

Anyone wondering if maybe fewer restrictions would've been better and if more draconian ones (often called for) were unnecessary. Anyone wondering if we needed to close schools, swab and isolate our kids, test and trace etc etc.

Or do people generally feel we did what was necessary at the time and are only okayish now because of weaker variants and higher vaccination levels?

Anyone feel less angry at the rule breakers, those who don't want to be vaccinated etc?

If it all happened again, do you think your response to restrictions would be the same, or would you be a bit more inclined to think "sod that for a laugh".

(Asking for a friend).

Thing is, no one, including gov knew what really was the best. Not knowing was the scariest part. Different countries took different approach and some are doing better than other. But worst time is hopefully over. So I don't really think about what ifs.
At least I hope we are more prepared if anything like this happens again.

I was working in a busy pizza takeaway in the height of the first lockdown, no masks or distancing and crammed together with at least a dozen people in a small space every bloody evening. Locally nobody seemed bothered by this (if anything people were ordering more than ever before) yet were quick to moan on social media about their neighbours exercising more than once a day or someone stopping at a park bench throwing the word ‘selfish’ around like it was going to run out.

I think the precautions taken were proportionate (if too slow) given the information available at the time, ie very little in scientific terms. It was simply too new. When confronted we a new virus, you have to assume the worst until you have more info and that will take time to come through.

I think I thought that after the first couple of months!

This.
My SIL was a nurse right T the outset before covid was understood. And fourteen of the medical staff went down with it from a patient that no one realised had it. She was so unwell she thought she was going to die. One of her colleagues did die..............

It is only milder now in UK due to the vaccines. If you compare the current outcomes for omicron in Hong Kong and Korea you will see the impact of good vaccines (the Chinese vaccine is not as effective)..........

We did not over react. And currently we are under reacting. I am Not saying any more lockdowns, but there should be ongoing vaccination programmes being rolled out for a 6 monthly booster for all. I am really concerned we will live to regret not continuing that for all adults.

I am really concerned we will live to regret not continuing with a 6 monthly booster program for all adults who want it.

I do look back on some of the things I thought and realise I behaved irrationally (washing my clothes when I got in from school, wearing a mask to go for a walk outside with my dad in lockdown 2, being incensed that an outdoor BBQ for 10 people became an engagement party for 30 without prior consultation, refusing to hug people when I saw them again).

Closing schools has caused long lasting damage and although I was totally for it at the time, now thing it shouldn’t have happened especially January 2021

If there's one thing we learned for sure during covid, it's that people have a tendency to regard their own activities and priorities as important and universal, whereas other people's different preferences are inherently suspect and of lesser value.

I always thought draconian restrictions were unnecessary and said so frequently.

This doesn't stop me being horrified every day since at what people were prepared to put up with and inflict on their fellow citizens.

It was a massive overreaction and history will confirm that and we will be paying the price fiscally and mentally for generations.

Yeah. I had our second child at the start of the first lockdown and we just lost the fucking plot - isolating from everyone at a time I needed them most, disinfecting post and panic buying tonic water.

what an utterly bizarre time, wish I’d never complied with any of it.

Haven’t changed my mind
Always thought lots of the restrictions were unnecessary

I completely agree with this. What we did know by 2021 was the damage lockdown was causing.

to start with when we didn’t know what we were dealing with definitely. But only for a short time.

Our office was decimated by covid in Feb/March/April and that was with a 'mild' variant. It still left a lot of people off sick for a week, and caused all sorts of issues because so many were off at the same time. I dread to think what it would have been like earlier if it was allowed to run riot

Nope by the time the 1st lockdown happened we had a viable vaccine candidate. I would have enforced vaccination on the CV and CEV at the point and totally isolated their whole house until they were all vaccinated. The vaccine was a modified version of one that had already been trialed

I think the general idea of keeping people away from people was correct, but they could have just restricted instead of full lockdowns, some of it was definitely just to hammer home the point. And yes I've done a 360 as I did think the school thing was a good idea because I thought it stopped the spread but I think they could have split classes and less hours so it didn't impact children the way it did.

I think the government got lots of things wrong. If we had locked down earlier and closed the borders we could have had a very short lockdown and got through the next year or two with very little restrictions on day to day life until the vax was rolled out (like New Zealand did). We had plenty of warning and could see what was happening in Italy etc. I think by the time we had both lockdowns it was unavoidable. Jan 21 there were a thousand people a day dying.

There's still a thousand a week dying though and no one seems that bothered. I am shocked at how we have normalised that level of death from a largely preventable illness. It's far from over, new variants arriving, lack of robust immunity from omicron infections etc. I don't want another lockdown ever again but I can't understand why we're not doing the things that will suppress transmission and will still let us do all the things that we want to do (I am talking masks, testing, ventilation etc). Even if it's just the cost of living that worries you, who can afford to be off sick if they get a bad dose of covid or long covid?

And if it turns out the hepatitis in children is a post covid syndrome, or linked with adenovirus which is also an airborne virus, we are going to have to do some serious thinking about how we can make things safer for our kids (I am talking HEPA filters in classrooms, free testing available, parents notified and isolation for a positive test back in the guidelines)

I know we will collectively look back on the Covid response as a time of total overreaction and hysteria.
You're lucky you can do this, if you see my post above I changed my opinion on the way it was dealt with but I still believe everyone was at risk of covid. I am 41 and fit and healthy and covid wrecked my lungs, chest, heart. I get pains if I lift anything too heavy (not great as I work in retail!) And can't play football with the kids too long or I get a burning sensation. When I said it on fb a number of people messaged me saying the same, were fit, now fucked basically!! And it wiped out so much of the older generation who might still be alive had it not been for covid

I think we had to lockdown, and we handled it really badly here, especially the care homes infections.

I worry about the long term impacts, we have no clue really.

Yes I agree with you @User3456

I think to some degree the first lockdown was needed as we didn't know what we were dealing with and no vaccines etc. but some of the rules in that were crazy and people took them further than they should have. Once vaccines were rolled out then I'm not sure lockdowns etc were warranted. Then we look at the people making the rules who were also breaking them.

I don't think long term issues due to lockdowns were thought through. Childrens education wrecked. Mental health issues. Other health issues caused by lack of access to health care.

I do think history will not look kindly on this period of time.

@stayathomer I'm not moved by anecdotes from members of the public, and what their friends allegedly shared with them on Facebook!

"I think the first lockdown was proportionate, if only because we didn’t really know what we were dealing with. The 2021 lockdown should not have happened, IMO."

I agree with this ^

I've always been anti lockdown from the very beginning. My opinion hasn't changed. It's done more harm than good, for me personally at least. The company I work for is close to folding because it's in so much debt from Covid borrowing. I had Covid and it barely affected my life, losing my job will be far more devastating.