To ask if we’re heading for another lockdown?

[TreeLine6]

So covid cases are rising and like clockwork, the likes of independent sage are back in the media calling for ‘protections’ like masks, isolation and social distancing to “avoid full lockdown”.

Is it time to reintroduce some measures like the rule of 6, a cap on large events numbers and maybe distancing and early closure for hospitality as independent sage are calling for?

Personally I feel that with vaccines and treatments, we are now in the best position we’re going to get with covid and would be very reluctant to comply with further measures, that themselves cause enormous harm.

I wear a mask FFP3 on public transport and if I have to go somewhere really busy.

Seeing more people doing that too now, last month maybe one other on the bus, this month (figures are back up to 115 per 100,000 and rising here) 5 or 6 people are wearing masks.

Can't see there being any special measures reintroduced, people would ignore them. I already get grief over wearing a medical grade mask for my own protection, so I'm guessing folks wouldn't do even that

Absolutely not.

We shouldn't have had the ones we had.

Absolutely caused more harm than they prevented

Absolutely not.
I'm CEV, currently have Covid for the second time, have felt like shit for two weeks and as soon as I'm better I'll be straight back out, I have tickets for six gigs between now and Christmas and I plan to go to all of them.

What on earth are you talking about? You do know it’s not 2020 anymore, there are vaccines and covid is here forever. Have you actually noticed the economic shitshow going on?

Anybody who thinks there will "never" be another lockdown is deluding themselves. It's highly unlikely to be for covid19, but another emerging virus may well result in future lockdowns - albeit we could be looking decades or even centuries into the future.

A lockdown is unlikely at this stage, unless things change dramatically, but the re-introduction of masks, social distancing and limiting mass gatherings in some situations remain a reasonable response if required. Whether or not they will be required, or indeed, if the government can be induced to consider them, depends on how things progress into winter. Personally, I doubt it - the government is cowardly, many people just don't give a fuck about others, and the situation at present isn't clear cut enough to make it a priority.

Here’s Trish Greenhalgh from Independent Sage arguing that lockdown ‘harms’ were a myth twitter.com/saugust06/status/1578432542364946432?s=21&t=o76k4slBM0oainfkfKIQig

The government won’t introduce lockdown. The country can’t afford it and no way would Truss get it through her party (doubt she’d be inclined to anyway.
us all taking some sensible precautions like mask wearing in certain situations, but more testing etc would be sensible though, both individually and for the ‘greater good’.

I care. I had my booster a few weeks ago (no underlying conditions but early because I live with someone vulnerable). Recently though, I spent 12 days in bed with covid feeling wretched. It absolutely floored me, it wasn't like just having a cold for few days. I'm still recovering

Oh the Trish Greenhalgh who recommended wearing a sanitary towel over your face when running!

Rates are rising rapidly. Hospitals are at bursting point already. People are still dying although rate is not comparable to previous waves yet. Currently around 50 people per day - so not insignificant but probably not enough to shut down society as yet. It’s rising though and involving younger people including children.

Truss will be extremely unkeen to upset her voters and supporters in the house. She’ll avoid full lockdown but I suspect we’ll see more places insisting on masks, more restrictions and perhaps large indoor events cancelled.
we’ll also see more companies in many sectors closing as Brexit and coronavirus will see them unable to staff their businesses. Some high streets already look post-apocalyptic, particularly in less affluent areas.

No.

I do think there is an argument for masks during the winter and flu/norrovirus season though, irrespective of covid numbers.

Some hospitals are reintroducing mask wearing - just the beginning.

Stupid to say you won't comply - if it's the law you have to or stay indoors.

No it’s done now. We will need to live with it. Everyone knows how to protect themselves, it’s up tp the individual to tailor their behaviour to the risk they feel is faced.

Hm. Greenhalgh has always been on the more hawkish end of things though, hasn't she? She claimed once that runners out in the open air were spreading covid in a kind of cone formation behind them. This has been, er, soundly debunked.

I'm in no way arguing for scientists to be muzzled. Trish Greenhalgh is a highly qualified and respected scientist on many topics. But I think being aware of the broader context of one person's stance and remarks is very helpful.

Good god no. Been there, done that, wore the mask. No intention of doing that again.

Ffs.

Nope, don't care, it would be political suicide, and I and many others would likely ignore anything that they tried to force again anyways.

Even if it was suggested there'd no longer be the same level of compliance.

We aren't in the same situation now. Those who are able to be and want to be are fully vaccinated, and there is anti viral medication to help those who are most vulnerable if they catch it. Not perfect but much better situation than in 2020 and early 2021, when the last lockdowns were.

We are already asked to wear masks in health care settings locally. People seem happy to engage with that generally, but I can't see them doing so elsewhere quite so readily as a whole. Not unless they physically couldn't go inside somewhere without, such as what happens in some other countries.

And let's not forget that a lot of people simply won't comply any further with lockdowns as they know those who made the rules previously wilfully ignored them themselves anyway. People haven't forgotten that that happened. The government and their actions ensured that even many of those very compliant on the last lockdowns just won't do it again. They won't sacrifice seeing their family and friends again whilst k owing the government partied through the last ones.

No the wheels fell off this nonsense a long time ago. Feel free to enact your own at home but I’m not going along with it. 2022 is a very different country to 2020.

No. We can't go on having lockdowns year after year. We have to live with Covid as we live with other viruses, such as flu.

Some hospitals are reintroducing mask wearing - just the beginning. Most hospitals never stopped mask wearing.

Maybe this is location-dependent, but here (Scotland) they never stopped. We have always been asked/obliged to wear masks in 'healthcare settings', which includes hospitals and GP surgeries, pharmacies, opticians and dentists (in-between gob work, of course!).

No chance

No absolutely not. I'm genuinley infuriated by people who casually toss out this suggestion. Just no.

I'd happily wear masks in public again and fully expect disruption at school etc but I genuinely believe Truss would allow a huge number of deaths rather than face a lockdown backlash.