Restrictions cannot end for years

Because these variants will be around by the millions and there is no appetite to tolerate them

I know some people talking about moving to the Caribbean

But I really can't see any hope ahead 

Half the fvcking world (with money) seems to be moving to Dubai at the moment for this very reason. 

The main reason is that dying is quite hard, painful and easy to get wrong. 

I've turned down a contract in January because I don't want to be around to do it, one way or another.

How much more can the "vulnerable" ask of the people who are happy to have the virus? When will they finally get off our backs? 

15 months of our lives hasn't been enough - what will be? 

This is my real worry and I suspect a likely reality. Covid will continue to mutate all around the world a concerning variants will arise. We have 3 choices: (1) go full team sane, (2) adopt an Australian style approach to international travel for the foreseeable but go team sane on domestic freedoms, (3) long term restrictions.

I fear too many people will opt for 3.

Why won’t we do the obvious and that is adopt the same approach as we to do to flu with annual jabs adjusted for new variants?

This "we live in the society" crap can only go as far.

You can't expect me to make sacrifices without any reward or any light at the end of the tunnel. 

Covid is no threat to me. Also, I am not infectious at the moment. And yet, there are very severe restrictions regulating who I can meet and how I can behave in public. And no indication when this will end.

There has to come a point at which one must be able to place oneself ahead of the supposed masses of vulnerable in constant need of protection and support. 

I don't understand why people believe this to be acceptable. 

Once most of the world has been vaccinated, the proliferation of new variants will massively reduce and the implications of virus caseload will in any event massively reduce. The erosion of vaccine efficacy by mutation will be progressive and marginal (as it is with flu) rather than overnight and total. As with flu, but much faster, vaccines will in any event be developed that target features of the virus less prone to mutation. 

So yes, restrictions will end, and soon. Stop fannying m99

How far would Covid need to mutate to escape vaccination? 

Given the vaccines focus on spike protein presumably the number of mutations must be bounded otherwise it mutate too much to be able to infect humans. 

I await a virologist to tell me this is bollocks, but seems like the most likely outcome - it goes back into its animal reserve. 

Clergs if you had been asked a year ago whether you thought 95 per cent vaccines would have been available with rollout in U.K. completed in 2021 what would you have said?

you might be right, pinkus

but the point is that there are sufficient inadequate, fearful, life-free scientists controlling The Discourse that the fear will persist for many years

and there's the sunk costs fallacy at play now

people have lost SO MUCH

so much and indelibly

can't admit that it was folly

but the point is that there are sufficient inadequate, fearful, life-free scientists controlling The Discourse that the fear will persist for many years

Not if it just fvcks off. 

Remember mutation must confer evolutionary advantage for viruses to survive. 

 

well... flu hasn't fooked off has it?

The Covid vaccines work in a very specific way so vaccine escape would have to nullify that very specific attack. 

I've no idea how flu vaccines work. 

I was just about to mention sunk costs, thats why all these psychos are happy to just play along and not question what has actually happened to our society in terms of freedoms an  life vs pre 2020 life. If you've made the decision to not see another soul for over a year, sever all your relationships, disinfection your shopping etc you have to believe it was worth it, so you are perfectly happy to lockdown again, you cant possible think that locking down isn't the answer and you've done it all for nothing. Of course you aren't questioning whether lockdowns actually work and what the collateral damage is, you are to far in. 

I just want to see if Moaning Myrtle gets to her 50,000th post about wuflu before even she has to admit that she can’t maintain the hysteria at the same level of intensity and scales it back.

My bet is that she will get there but it is going to be close.

July time if my calculations are correct.

yep

and some folk have unclenched since their own vaccines (#sokind) but they would still feel humiliated to consider what w**kers they had been before that

Lol, the imaginary world if effective vaccines against the vuvu weren't a thing.  Happily, they are.

And my goodness aren't Team Sane just absolutely furious about that.

So there's a new variant, and they're trying to assess the impact of it before making any decisions but until then sticking to the plan.

THE PSYCHOTIC CHARLATANS!!!!! 

THEY JUST WANT TO IMPRISON US ALL!!!!!

AND THE FOOLS KEEP VOTING FOR THEM!!!!

it's not going to evolve away globally much before your 50th, I'd say

It would have to mutate enough to escape vaccine but not so much that it becomes ineffective in humans. 

All conjecture. I was just thinking about it th other day. 

 

21st June and it’s done, finished. People will be told take their own risk assessments and wear a mask if you want to, however there is no compulsion to do so. Fair enough. Millions vaccinated, 500k a day plus being currently vaccinated, vaccines more effective than anyone date imagined . This is good news .

Just read this thread and it's sad to see the effect that this is still having on people's wellbeing, even with the vaccine rollout and lifting of some restrictions this week.

I don't think I have any particularly helpful advice but these threads don't come across as very healthy. 

Has anyone tried taking a week away from reading the news / social media about Covid and just focusing on what is happening in their immediate environment? I wonder if that would help - the level of rolling news updates and commentary after more than a year must be exhausting.

Yeah, take some time away from the screen, go on a nice relaxing walk with people masked up and jumping around each other to avoid contact, have a nice relaxing meal in a restaurant, with a lateral flow test before and afterwards and putting the mask on in between chewing. 

Come to the country where life continues pretty as much normal.  Bank manager came round for coffee this morning and no faffing with masks and the fencing boys walked the fence line with me with nobody masked or jumping around.  Must organise some chinning with a local house chinny as that's been on the to do list for an age.

Are you intentionally trying to be a parody of yourself Barry? There’s a perfectly fine case to be made for the lunacy of all this without making stuff up

"Boris Johnson has vowed to take "very, very draconian action" against any future coronavirus variants entering Britain, as fears of further local lockdowns grow."

 

Sails you don’t have to come to the country for a sense of normality. London has long since been back to complete normal since non essential shops and pubs opened . Buses full, traffic jams, crowded pavements. 
the courier delivered my passport today , and she was maskless and wasn’t bothered that I was also.

it’s all good 

Boris Johnson has vowed to take "very, very draconian action" against any future coronavirus variants entering Britain, as fears of further local lockdowns grow.

The Prime Minister said on Tuesday that he does not "see anything conclusive at the moment to say that we need to deviate" from England’s lockdown roadmap as cases of the Indian variant rise.

However, he said "we will know a lot more in a few days’ time" amid reports that ministers are considering a return to a local or regional tiered lockdown system, or delaying the end of restrictions on June 21.

Pressed by reporters on why the Government delayed closing the border with India last month, Mr Johnson stressed the Covid-hit country was added to the "red list" before B1.617.2 was classed as a variant of concern. 

Hinting at the possibility of future crackdowns, he added: "We took prompt action and we will continue to take very, very draconian action in respect of all variants coming from wherever around the world."

RoF will always have Maidstone. That's the real outcome of the pandemic.

Aaahhh memories.

I'll chin to them.

 

honestly, I do not know how people can bear the knowledge of what is ahead

well, denial obviously quite a strong thread for some

Clergham have you been out for any drinks or meals at all? It’s rather fun than that which went before I can tell you! 
A month and we are done 

yes, ebitda, ofc I have

Scotland is already being put back into level 3 bit by bit

Boris admitting local levels will have to come back

this won't be over for years - you are drunk if you think otherwise

What is ahead ? The government have no desire for another LD and will move heaven and earth to ensure there isn’t one . Maybe some restrictions on a local basis but so what 

Leicester had "local restrictions" for all of last year

will you say "so what" if you live in one?

it means no end to restrictions FOR YEARS for any of us

The knowledge of what is ahead?

Chins with football tonight.

Flying to Portugal Thursday morning for a family holiday.

Summer spent at our second home.

Makes me warm inside. 

 

However, he said "we will know a lot more in a few days’ time" amid reports that ministers are considering a return to a local or regional tiered lockdown system, or delaying the end of restrictions on June 21.

This is the key bit.  There's a lot coming through in the next days which will mean they're making evidence based decisions rather than gut reflexes to keep people happy and the teacup will be deployed to catch this storm.

The weird thing is SS if you go online, people see this is dilatory, clueless, yet another mistake, or clear evidence of an intention to lockdown harder or stick to the plan.

When really all they are doing is what you see in business all the time of taking on board new info before making a decision. 

 

Exactly because people want certainty but who wants certainty based on a guess instead of waiting a little longer for a plan that takes into account all relevant info and is less likely to change again?

My post about wasn't really about me. Putting the mask issue to one side, I am finding my day to day experience steadily going back to normal. I have met up with friends and family, been shopping, gone out for dinner / drinks and am starting to go back into the office next week.

I find these signs of normality reassuring and a helpful process for adjusting back after a strange year or so of severe pandemic restrictions.

Yes, people are wearing masks, using hand sanitiser and taking tests from time to time. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been progress or that the relaxation of restrictions so far is not meaningful.

I don't have any particular insight on whether we will still have these or any restrictions next year, or in 5 years. Fortunately, I don't have to take that decision. I would like to have more competent politicians taking those decisions, but I cannot do much to change that until the next general election.

What I can to is to look out for those around me and try to make sure we all have a better 2021 than 2020. That is much more within my control and I can see the positive impact, which reinforces the sense of control and progress.

a small life going to the local pub now and then is not "normal" it's limited and limiting

I was just talking to someone who has been banned from having anyone in her home since September

September

and no end in sight

Sails I hope you are correct . The fly in the ointment is the latest sage modelling showing 10000 hospital admissions in July ..

Clergham you fully well know that tens of millions of people sacked off the no mixing of household rules , from LD 1 to date, along with stupid other “laws” 

Sumption even admitted he did after LD1

Rhamnousia - I'm not sure if that was intended as a response to my post, but it doesn't reflect what I actually wrote. I know you post strong views about this and I'm not really interested in getting into a debate with you about this.

My life is over!

This is just like prison!

I will never know happiness again!

This will never end!

 

 

 

Is everyone still looking at me?

Ebit that model will be adjusted over the next couple of weeks as they have more data and it's still a long way below the previous peak (think that had 30,000 or more in hospital) and there should be substantially fewer deaths.

Mole - your posts were thoughtful and balanced. Unfortunately that's not really what the OP is looking for...

Sails you're right that we peaked at much higher than 10k in hospital (nearly 40k if I remember correctly). However, sage were modelling 10k admissions*per day* (or 20k in worst case) not total. Peak daily admissions were just over 4k.

Thanks eeyore and cockpit.

Re the OP, I have generally (pre Covid) enjoyed reading her posts, lots of interesting topics and an interesting perspective on the world. The Covid posts I find less engaging, and it seems the main topic at the moment (which I can understand to an extent). It would be great to see the OP posting on a wider range of things again.

More generally, there have been some really good threads recently - ones like the MLC thread were genuinely useful and insightful, not the kind of experiences that I find are shared openly much. I lurked for quite a while but the social isolation of Covid has drawn me into posting and I've largely enjoyed the community.

Has anyone analyzed Boris’ choice of language? ‘Nothing conclusive to deviate from the roadmap but we’ll know more ’ implies deviation from the roadmap is the current plan....

To me it says you're all pressuring me to deviate but I can't see any concrete reason to do so and don't intend to.

YOU'RE MAD IF YOU THINK THIS IS LIVING...YOUR LIFE IS SO SMALL AND MEANINGLESS

 

*spends hours on message board and posts same shit over and over and over and over and over and over*