COVID-19

This is why they are taking it cautiously:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/22/relaxing-covid-rules-too-early-likely-to-bring-huge-death-toll-scientists-say?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

 

Mate of mine just shoved this on facepest.... don't know where they got it from...

 

I'm guessing they'll say the same things whenever restrictions are released.

 

I think it depends on how things pan out once most people have had the vaccine. Although they do seem to have a very pessimistic view of how well the vaccine will suppress transmission.
I didn't understand the logic behind this quote:
“Vaccines are predicted, as you’d expect and hope, to make a big difference,” Vallance said, but even with high levels of vaccine efficacy and uptake, he added “it is important to remember that a large number of people in the population remain unprotected”. If all adults received an 80% protective vaccine, roughly half of the population would still be at risk from disease, he said.

 

Ne neither. I had to read that bit twice.

I think its due to the Guardian trying to paraphrase something he's said (notice where the quote marks stop) and not quite getting the context correct.

I do hope the media stop 'scaremongering' with this soon. People are always going to die with Covid. The public seem to have generally accepted this by now so I hope the media stop trying to throw number around to undermine it.

 

More scientific views:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/22/england-covid-roadmap-lockdown-experts-view?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

 

In Israel the over 80s who have received their second injections (all within 3 weeks) have shown a 95% immunity yet France has said they will not vaccinates over 65 as there are no long term tests that say its OK, thank God I'm not French.
The same results 95% are expected with the UK over 80s once they have had their second jab, saying the second generation vaccines will give us even better chance of not contracting Covid.

 

The numbers are immaterial to the majority of the public now, they've lost trust in the so called experts with them contradicting themselves. The numbers now in favour of lockdown are diminishing quickly, Johnson had no choice but to make the easing of lockdown sooner rather than later. Sky and BBC can talk of variants fom Iceland to Outer Mongolia, the public don't care.

 

Interesting. That's totally not my experience. Nearly everyone I know wants them to proceed cautiously and avoid another resurgence.

 

Me and you obviously have different social circles i guess.

 

Exactly. Mine will be much older and more cautious than yours.

 

You're probably right. Don't take this the wrong way but i'm not really bothered. I'm just bored of this shit now, i've had all the things i enjoy doing and all the things that help with my mental health removed for nearly a year and i'm tired of it now. Seriously tired of it all. My mum and dad have been stuck in for nearly a year, my brother isolated in London. If Boris says that June the 21st will see a big lifting in these restrictions then i will be counting those days down, every single one of them.

 

Plus they also probably read the Guardian so are perpetually terrified

Seriously though I think at this stage that's the difference between people who view themselves at higher risk and quite a lot of the remainder of the population.

 

The hard part for me personally is my battle with mental health problems. I don't want it to come across as looking for sympathy, its something i've had for a long time and through professionals i'd learnt to put defences in place when things reached a critical point. People are different but my release mechanisms were or are the gym and boxing sparring, playing football and rugby and reading books at waterstones. The last one i'd actually leave work (i'm self employed) and go into town and just read books if i felt bad. Others enjoy walking or running or other pastimes, i don't really. I'm not the only one suffering because of this, there are many in my position and Johnsons conference has at least given people like me a hope that we might get some of those things back.

 

Fair comments Den, there is an edge of personal selfishness to me wanting things to be relaxed but I also believe we have to learn to live with this and that we can't just keep using lockdown as restricting measure in the future. I'm not asking for things to be lifted tomorrow but i don't want us to listen to those who would have us locked down forever and a day. Personally i think they will come out with something that sees us back in some sort of lockdown.

 

The teachers unions are out in force wanting things slowing down, where are others who's businesses are going to the wall are wanting to open sooner and can't see it being viable to only open up for outside especially when during the summer last year rates were low from hospitality and it was the schools and universities that caused the spike.

People look at it based on their risk. I consider myself low risk and I am happy for things to be opened earlier, others are higher risk and therefore more in favour of slower lifting of restrictions.

Just because a pub is open does not mean you have to visit it.