Do you still 'feel' like you're in the Covid-19 Pandemic?

[nw1]

Yes - there’s a thread about Austria (and others).

So people complaining about lockdowns in the UK is not, actually, "British exceptionalism" at all, as was suggested up-thread. Plenty of continental European countries are doing the same, and indeed more so than here - I don't think we've had protests in the UK on the scale that has been seen in France, the Netherlands, or Italy, for example.

People are now seriously getting worried about whether this will ever end. Are we (Europe in general, not the UK specifically) doomed for many years to have winter lockdowns every year? This isn't about 'personal freedom', it's about the economy, jobs and livelihoods. It's about people's mental health. People need to be asking, what is the exit strategy? Are we going to be living like this for a generation?

Should we not, maybe, be building more hospitals as a reaction to the emergency? Granted this would be very expensive, but surely better than the constant threat of lockdown hanging over us. Governments have had two years to do something along these lines - and have done nothing.

And I say this as someone who has actually had Covid, and someone who does not have a problem with soft-touch measures like masks or 'soft' social distancing (e.g. preventing buses and trains being too full, or even some limits on the number of people in shops).

 

[DustyBin]

So people complaining about lockdowns in the UK is not, actually, "British exceptionalism" at all, as was suggested up-thread. Plenty of continental European countries are doing the same, and indeed more so than here - I don't think we've had protests in the UK on the scale that has been seen in France, the Netherlands, or Italy, for example.

People are now seriously getting worried about whether this will ever end. Are we (Europe in general, not the UK specifically) doomed for many years years to have winter lockdowns every year? This isn't about 'personal freedom', it's about the economy, jobs and livelihoods. It's about people's mental health. People need to be asking, what is the exit strategy? Are we going to be living like this for a generation?

Should we not, maybe, be building more hospitals as a reaction to the emergency? Granted this would be very expensive, but surely better than the constant threat of lockdown hanging over us. Governments have had two years to do something along these lines - and have done nothing.

And I say this as someone who has actually had Covid, and someone who does not have a problem with soft-touch measures like masks or 'soft' social distancing (e.g. preventing buses and trains being too full, or even some limits on the number of people in shops).

Whilst I’m opposed to ineffective “soft touch” measures as I believe they are no more than theatre, I wholeheartedly agree with the rest of your post!

 

[Bikeman78]

Not to mention many people in 2021 probably have had COVID themselves and realised it's not really worth all this panic for.

That's a fair point. Every week that passes, people catch it and survive. Those people are unlikely to be worried about it any more. Anecdotally I've not seen any difference between people who are cautious and people that are not. Some catch it, some don't, in both groups. I can't be the only one that has noticed this.

 

[greyman42]

And I say this as someone who has actually had Covid, and someone who does not have a problem with soft-touch measures like masks or 'soft' social distancing (e.g. preventing buses and trains being too full, or even some limits on the number of people in shops).

Absolutely not. All restrictions need to be removed and life returned to normal.

 

[DustyBin]

That's a fair point. Every week that passes, people catch it and survive. Those people are unlikely to be worried about it any more. Anecdotally I've not seen any difference between people who are cautious and people that are not. Some catch it, some don't, in both groups. I can't be the only one that has noticed this.

Yes I’ve noticed the same thing which only strengthens my belief that we can’t control the virus. I have a friend who was symptomatic (usual cough etc.) and yet their GF who had to isolate with them never tested positive at all, and I’ve heard plenty of similar anecdotes. It’s very strange. Neither my fiancé or myself have had it as far as we’re aware yet we must have been exposed to it by now; we’ve done nothing to mitigate against it since the end of the first lockdown. We also seem to dodge winter colds so there may be a link in terms of either inherent immunity or the fact that we keep fit and healthy generally (or a combination of the two).

 

[adc82140]

That is a rather heartless statement concerning the NHS part of your quote above to make above and I am indeed sorry that you chose to make you make no mention whatsoever of the front-line hospital staff who are the ones actually dealing with matters in the NHS part of your quote.

Front line NHS staff member here who has worked on Covid response.

The NHS isn't underfunded. The NHS squanders the money it has through utter inefficiency. It carries passengers amongst the staff who are impossible to sack. They are very much in the minority, but they are there all the same. Don't get me started on poorly negotiated supply contracts, or managers who couldn't run a cold bath. So much middle management revolves around making the manager look good, rather than actually running the service properly.

The NHS must remain universal, and free at the point of delivery. But it needs a fundamental rebuild from the bottom up. Unfortunately, the pseudo religion it has become, egged on by the media, is making this politically impossible.

The NHS hero thing is not helpful, and most of us wish it would stop. It sets unachievable goals. I know of some staff who feel they are unable to admit defeat, and unable to make mistakes (we are all human) for fear of letting down the public. There is a very vocal minority of staff who seem to think that the world owes them something. I don't get that. During the pandemic, when others have feared for their jobs and livelihoods, we have been guaranteed an income at the end of the month. I don't remember being press ganged in to joining the NHS. I wanted to do it, and if I no longer want to do it, I will resign.

On a lighter note, I encourage everyone to watch "Hospital People" by comedian Tom Binns. It may be silly, but he has the characters spot on. I sometime wonder if he worked undercover at some of the places I have.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Absolutely not. All restrictions need to be removed and life returned to normal.

Life is pretty much normal with minimal restrictions albeit some of them are an inconvenience but they don't prevent us going about our business which surely is the most important factor. If certain sections of society want to wear masks thats up to them there not harming anyone nor inconveniencing anybody. Ive also been delighted that so far the govt hasn't kowtowed to all the pressure heaped on it by opposition politicians, the likes of indi sage and medical professionals which must be because Witty, Van Tam, Valence et al haven't seen the need to respond so the fact that they've reacted to the new variant means there into not sure zone so lets just be more vigilant until we know what we are dealing it.

 

[317 forever]

In answer to the question, it does not feel as though the pandemic is ongoing in that the daily figures are well above their low points from August 2020 and May 2021; plus most people feel able to meet when they like; also we don't see supermarket numbers being monitored etc. Even when people are announced as having tested positive it is assumed that all they do is isolate then they will be fine. So it is hardly being treated as lethal anymore.

However it does feel ongoing when new variants are announced or people still want to talk about the pandemic.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Remember the vaccination programme made some difference to the statistical data gathering over the period from January 2021 onwards.

 

[Tracked]

I have a friend who was symptomatic (usual cough etc.) and yet their GF who had to isolate with them never tested positive at all, and I’ve heard plenty of similar anecdotes. It’s very strange. Neither my fiancé or myself have had it as far as we’re aware yet we must have been exposed to it by now; we’ve done nothing to mitigate against it since the end of the first lockdown. We also seem to dodge winter colds so there may be a link in terms of either inherent immunity or the fact that we keep fit and healthy generally (or a combination of the two).

I had it last month, had about 7 days of not particularly major symptoms (half-feverish cold/half-fatigue), but was in close contact with a dozen or so people in the 36 hours before I had any symptoms - none of them came down with it afterwards. Not sure where I caught it, the pub would seem an obvious place but no-one with me caught it, the only other place that sprang to mind was in the supermarket a couple of days before where several (unmasked, like most in there) people were walking around coughing and not covering their mouths Was reminded about that as I was on about it to someone the evening before my symptoms started!

 

[yorkie]

Remember, it seems a different variant of flu appears every year, so any natural immunity from one variant does not transfer across to a new strain. This is why the pharmaceutical companies work on a never-ending research programme.

This is not quite an accurate statement and you should also take care not to confuse variant with strain as they have completely different meanings.

I see you have ignored my post 77; those who think China is great really should be acknowledging the wrongdoings of China. I also think anyone who thinks Chinese authoritarianism and culture is so great should try to move there instead of telling us how great it is over there and trying to impose their values on us.

Looking at the situation as it stands at this moment in time, let us then ignore what people like Whitty say and listen to what the front line hospital staff have to say, who are now seemingly very near the end of their capacity to deal with both the Covid-19 related medical problems but also the usual end of the year flu hospital admissions. I think that whilst we seem to wish to defend our personal freedoms, let us not forget those good people who work in hospitals.

And don't forget the people who work in schools and are desperately trying to help kids who are suffering from anxieties, neglect, loss of education, and much more, all exacerbated by the effects of school closures, economic hardship, lockdowns and restrictions, which all disproportionately affected younger and more disadvantaged groups in order to ostensibly protect older people.

The pandemic has shifted wealth, opportunities and general wellbeing away from younger and poorer people and those who have either benefited or have suffered the least are generally older and/or wealthier people.

Going back to the original question, I so feel much more like we are in a pandemic given the recent developments of the past 24 hours and I find I am a lot less positive than I was.

This is not due to any fear over the new variant (discussed further in the dedicated thread) but due to the over reaction to it and the imposition of ludicrous restrictions (again discussed further in a dedicated thread).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

And don't forget the people who work in schools and are desperately trying to help kids who are suffering from anxieties, neglect, loss of education, and much more, all exacerbated by the effects of school closures, economic hardship, lockdowns and restrictions, which all disproportionately affected younger and more disadvantaged groups in order to ostensibly protect older people.

I am unlikely to forget the people who work in schools, as the younger of my twin sons teaches in a high school.

 

[Eyersey468]

You're not alone there. My mental health has taken a massive tumble in the last 24 hours. I know it's still early doors with this new variant and it may materialise to nothing like a lot of others have, but I'm very fearful that this will prove to be as bad as they say it could be, and bring about the misery of lockdowns/restrictions again.

It's doing my mental state no favours either. I am seriously wondering why I bothered getting jabbed.

 

[ChrisC]

And don't forget the people who work in schools and are desperately trying to help kids who are suffering from anxieties, neglect, loss of education, and much more, all exacerbated by the effects of school closures, economic hardship, lockdowns and restrictions, which all disproportionately affected younger and more disadvantaged groups in order to ostensibly protect older people.

Having retired a few years ago after 36 years as a primary school teacher, I think about the people who work in schools every day. I’m still in contact with a number of people that I used to work with and I know what a difficult 2 years they have had. Since retiring I have really missed being in school with the children, but so relieved that I retired before all this began.

It’s easy when thinking about people who work in school to concentrate upon those who work teenagers and all their anxieties connected with exams, not seeing their friends etc. Don’t forget those who work with younger children. Teachers of Years 1 to 3 are particularly having a difficult time because the children have missed so much of their early years in school when so many basic skills are learned. In addition to the children missing the time in school when they would have been learning the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy, these children have missed the learning of social skills of mixing with other children, playing, working and sharing together. Many of them have returned to school extremely immature for their age, tearful, anxious and generally not able to mix with other children or behave in an acceptable way. Teachers worked so hard to provide activities for the children to work at home but online activities were so difficult to deliver to children aged only 5 or 6.

 

[kristiang85]

It’s easy when thinking about people who work in school to concentrate upon those who work teenagers and all their anxieties connected with exams, not seeing their friends etc. Don’t forget those who work with younger children. Teachers of Years 1 to 3 are particularly having a difficult time because the children have missed so much of their early years in school when so many basic skills are learned. In addition to the children missing the time in school when they would have been learning the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy, these children have missed the learning of social skills of mixing with other children, playing, working and sharing together. Many of them have returned to school extremely immature for their age, tearful, anxious and generally not able to mix with other children or behave in an acceptable way. Teachers worked so hard to provide activities for the children to work at home but online activities were so difficult to deliver to children aged only 5 or 6.

Indeed; I've got a friend with two children - one is 7, and his academic performance has plummeted since the restrictions on schools came in. And their daughter started school in 2020 and so has only known this masked up world, so heaven knows what effect it will have on her in the long term.

 

[Tracked]

Have done for the last few weeks, was about to take a couple of days annual leave when BJ started the test panic a couple of weeks ago. Still did what I'd planned, but with the numbers inevitably spiralling upwards no amount of rationalising it as a natural result of increased testing stopped me worrying about things being cancelled/catching Covid again

Then all this talk of introducing restrictions introduced a bit of uncertainty - any talk of meeting in the pub on Boxing day/today invariably featured variations on "as long as we're allowed out ... " - despite the fact that I've actually been out more this December than any previous year which is partly down to thinking it might be the last chance for a while

In terms of people I know with it, it feels like it did back in July - I know of 6 people who've tested positive in the last week, mostly from Christmas Eve onwards, so was doing the "how long ago was it that I saw them, oh, I'm probably alright then" thing like I did in July . Incidentally, as 4 of them have/are Children (one's a friends' child, they have it but my friend doesn't - yet. Of the remaining two, one thinks it was the long and busy train journey home they took before Christmas, the other one I'm not sure - it's someone from work in their early 20's that I don't know that well) it's also reminding me of last October, where a big problem seemed to be Covid ripping through the local schools, but everything else was under threat of being ordered to close.

 

[kristiang85]

I'd say about half of my close friends in various places have tested positive for COVID this Christmas, in many cases leading to them being "banished" to their rooms by their families or not allowed home at all.

But all those I've asked have said it's just a positive test, no major symptoms, not even the sniffles on one of them.

So I still don't feel like we are in a pandemic, but the dying breaths of one of the most absurd periods of health authoritarianism we will see in our lifetimes. Surely the absurdity of all this will be apparent to most very soon.

 

[adc82140]

Just had a normal Christmas, now having a couple of days in the caravan on the Isle of Wight. Aside from the face mask shenanigans, everything else seems normal, certainly compared to this time last year. Not been near a testing kit. I'm triple jabbed and have had a nasty bout of Covid already. Why would I need to keep testing myself?

 

[duncanp]

Front line NHS staff member here who has worked on Covid response.

The NHS isn't underfunded. The NHS squanders the money it has through utter inefficiency. It carries passengers amongst the staff who are impossible to sack. They are very much in the minority, but they are there all the same. Don't get me started on poorly negotiated supply contracts, or managers who couldn't run a cold bath. So much middle management revolves around making the manager look good, rather than actually running the service properly.

The NHS must remain universal, and free at the point of delivery. But it needs a fundamental rebuild from the bottom up. Unfortunately, the pseudo religion it has become, egged on by the media, is making this politically impossible.

The NHS hero thing is not helpful, and most of us wish it would stop. It sets unachievable goals. I know of some staff who feel they are unable to admit defeat, and unable to make mistakes (we are all human) for fear of letting down the public. There is a very vocal minority of staff who seem to think that the world owes them something. I don't get that. During the pandemic, when others have feared for their jobs and livelihoods, we have been guaranteed an income at the end of the month. I don't remember being press ganged in to joining the NHS. I wanted to do it, and if I no longer want to do it, I will resign.

On a lighter note, I encourage everyone to watch "Hospital People" by comedian Tom Binns. It may be silly, but he has the characters spot on. I sometime wonder if he worked undercover at some of the places I have.

Re the bit I have underlined, and bullying of any whistleblower who tries to tell the truth about what is really going on.

This is by no means confined to the NHS, and there are examples of this in all sectors of the economy.

The function of middle management in any organisation is to prevent the senior management from knowing what is really going on.

 

[LowLevel]

The feeling of it returned a bit with a bump recently. I'm not in favour of further restrictions but I found out on Christmas Eve that COVID had killed an otherwise healthy enough friend/colleague in about 6 weeks. Not long before that another colleague succumbed to it.

I am quite happy to keep filling my body up with vaccines, I've never had an issue with them in any respect, have had various types and I'm not daft enough to think positions and situations can't change as time passes and more info emerges. If they turn out to be an annual thing, oh well.

It is however nothing like the first lockdown when the world felt very empty as I headed to work.

I am hoping with Omicron the course continues away from restrictions.

 

[Socanxdis]

yes many grocery items are regularly unavailable due to uh covid?

 

[Yew]

yes many grocery items are regularly unavailable due to uh covid?

And completely unrelated to Eastern European lorry drivers not working over here anymore due to Brexit...

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Well not only does it now seem more optimistic in England, but the right sorts of people such as Fraser Nelson are going for the jugular and explaining that this is the time to grasp the nettle and just push past this. The data certainly seems to agree, whilst Europe just capitulates.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I think more than a few pennies are starting to drop... and perhaps the greater surprise is that the BBC are carrying this...

Covid: Evidence does not support more England curbs - minister

Decision not to impose more measures in England will be kept under close review, George Eustice says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Prof Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, told BBC Breakfast that in time people with Covid should be allowed to "go about their normal lives" as they would with a common cold.

"If the self-isolation rules are what's making the pain associated with Covid, then we need to do that perhaps sooner rather than later," he said.
He suggested this might be able to happen "once we're past Easter", depending on the effects of the disease at that time.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

I think more than a few pennies are starting to drop... and perhaps the greater surprise is that the BBC are carrying this...

Covid: Evidence does not support more England curbs - minister

Decision not to impose more measures in England will be kept under close review, George Eustice says.

www.bbc.co.uk

It’s obvious now they’re all in self-protection mode. Public mood massively against, they need to stay relevant. Even the newspapers are changing their narrative to positive. The fear isn’t selling!