Lockdown Over

Makes me wonder if hospitals knew this may be on its way here- they dont normally dish out antiviral pills as a norm..if you go drs & they say
"its viral" you usually get told to take paracetamol & keep taking fluids...

Bluebelle and NemosMum are both taking a much more common sense approach.
This particular virus is horribly infectious, but has a low mortality rate. It is expected that somewhere in the region of over 70% of the population will get this viru-s the purpose of lockdown is to spread that out over several months, so that the small percentage who do become extremely ill will not over pressurise the hospitals. About 1% of those who contract it will, sadly, die - despite medical intervention.
Figures sound so frightening - it went up to just under a thousand a day deaths BUT - in a normal year that is the number of people in UK who die daily from either Cancer or Heart Attacks. But, because we did not have daily press conferences about those - there was not this panic. And, that was EVERY DAY throughout the year.
Do think that people are being very frightened. I hear phrases like 'Better six foot apart than six foot under' - as if without social distancing, EVERYONE would die. They will not!!!!
The other effects from this lockdown are truly frightening - so many small and medium sized business's not surviving. People losing their homes as well as their jobs. Domestic violence, divorce and all sorts of family relationship breakdowns exploding. Mental Health problems for all ages, particularly for the children who have been made scared still of the world going out of control of the adults who are supposed to protect them, many cooped up for weeks in tiny flats, no outdoor space, no space of their own. We can expect a generation with serious mental health problems for the next few decades!!!
Obviously, until such time as a proper vaccine is found, it would be sensible to those with serious medical problems to take precautions, but not to go OTT with washing their lettuce and veg in soapy water, etc.
Okay, I am willing to take my chance in a slow release from lockdown. As I have continued to do my weekly car trip for my supermarket shop, and have a most days trundle on my mobility scooter round the local park, I am not going to be scared of going out properly again. Will probably need to keep some social distancing in stores, etc for a few more weeks, but do need to open a lot more of the shops and stores - with sensible precautions.
Need to get the children in phased back to school as soon as possible
It is astonishing as to how willing people have become to being made terrified......
Sometime ago, I gave up watching the news, just watch for about 15 minutes each evening at the so-called update at 5 pm. Not much there that is enlightening though.
The world, and most of the people in it will continue post-pandemic. Just unlikely to be a very happy place for most for a longtime to come.

Yes it could be we some of us on here have had a dose of it,it does sound like it..but without antibody test we wont be sure..i discussed mine with our g.p.'s nurse last week when she rang over my usual INR warfarin tests- she agreed it did indeed sound like it,and said it was the best thing paramedics had taken me to urgent care...i have a few underlying conditions and im glad i survived whatever it was...i wont be rushing anywhere soon when they lift the lockdown.I already have to take risks getting my INR done regularly at the hospital,but it cannot be done at home.

What’s with the rant against washing lettuce or whatever? I always wash fruit, veg, salads as a matter of course. A friend of ours almost died from poisoning caused by faecal matter on imported strawberries. Is it not just common sense to wash fresh produce before eating it, especially if it’s going to be eaten raw?

Living in France our PM has said this week that life will not return to normal after the lockdown is eased on 11 May nor until a vaccine is found probably next year. Everyone who has symptoms will be tested including those in residential homes: Social distancing will still need to be practised everywhere. Masks will need to be worn on public transport and anywhere that distancing cannot be maintained: Shops will have to use barriers and & way systems as now. Employers should still allow home working unless necessary and if in work employers must implement distancing measures. Schools will have a phased return. No gatherings for events nor opening of bars and restaurants until at least mid July and all measures dependant upon cases not increasing once the lockdown is relaxed. Masks are going to be fully available by the end of the month; There will be no requirement for the elderly to remain in lockdown but they will need to use their own judgment and precautions for their safety. Greater detail is expected at the end of the month.

Carolpaint,you may see it as not as fearful as "youre old" & had your life- but its not just about you,is it? Its about the others too- the babies and kiddies who are gone and havent had their life? The young drs& nurses,paramedics,everyone on the frontline who have barely started their adult lives,or who have families,the bus drivers (my sons one,age 30) the shop workers,( my daughter,aged 27) people who volunteer,or carers who look after the "old" people,who cant isolate on their own- indeed,its about all of us.and at 56 im not old & ready to give up life yet.

Hamp75 I like the sound of that, a lot of common sense from your PM. Also the advice to the elderly rather than imposing a ban and making them feel discriminated against.

Its the 'get togethers' that are helping it to keep spreading!!

The French PM should give same advice to our government.

News today that an extra 8000 people died in the week up to 10 April (although not all registered as Covid-19 deaths). That's the normal deaths plus an extra 8000. So much for the fear factor!

Personally, I shall carry on in my own little bubble wrapped world. I would be grateful if those who don't really seem to care could keep their distance for the foreseeable future because I'm not volunteering to be one of the extra 8000, whose death could almost certainly have been prevented. Maybe those who seem so laid back it all could wear a "I'm not afraid of Project Fear Covid" badge or something, so the rest of us know to stay well clear.

"Am I the only person, other than many residents of Pennsylvania, that wishes there was no lockdown?" from Carolpaint. Carol obviously agrees with Trump but many do not - thankfully over here the majority don't.

PS. No, we do not need to get all children back into school as soon as possible! All school staff need to be provided with PPE and it would appear that we can't even manage to provide it for front line medical staff. Children are the best little germ spreaders in the world. Classrooms are too small for social distancing and anybody who thinks that primary school children could be kept apart in the playground obviously hasn't ever met a real child.

Maybe the laid back ones, who seem so casual about their own lives, would like to volunteer to childmind in schools, while the teachers could direct the real teaching remotely.

every time i have gone out for essentials .i get a cold.sneezing mainly ..wonder what will happen when we all get out of lock down ,will we all get colds ? or will we pick up the coronovirus? ok i know we will have to wash hands more often....dreading getting the dreaded lurgy...?

Franbern
About 1% of those who contract it will, sadly, die - despite medical intervention

I don’t think your 1% theory holds water Franbern unless you are much younger than the majority of us.
And even for those who pull through it is a very serious and damaging disease with potentially far reaching health implications.

i always said from the start what about the 50.000 that died in the years 2017-2018 from flu. where was the panic then? .no one batted an eye lid.....the media have gone way over the top....i support our NHS 100 percent and they should have been warned from the government and got the PPE ....when we clapped for the NHS i noticed that a lot of people were standing together.there was an incident in my area yesterday 2 police vans full of coppers ,NO ONE HAD MASKS OR GLOVES. are they immune?or maybe they know something we dont.i have never worn a mask as my glasses steam up when i tried .andi cant wear latex/plastic gloves..(allergy). apart from sneezing for a few days after my essentials shopping . i am ok. i have chronic liver and kidney problems.my neighbour has actually had her grandchildren up twice now.grrrrr, when i cant see mine. i asked her about catching germs and she said they havent got any ????...children are the worst spreaders. think the children should not go back to school till september.but lockdown should be lifted in june. may is too early too soon. we need to see deaths drop.very sad for those who have died.

1% is still 660,000. Obviously, anybody over 80 has a higher than average chance of dying within a year anyway, but it's not 14.8%. There will be some overlap, but there's absolutely no doubt that people will die unnecessarily. Only the blinkered would think otherwise.

Anyway, I really do think there are plenty of opportunities for these brave souls to work in care homes or ICUs. They obviously don't care much about life, so they'd be perfect. I'd also like some kind of safe areas, where I know that these people haven't been anywhere near.

PS. Have deleted my original post because I'm really angry and GN would have deleted it anyway

Keeper1. I totally agree with you. I worked in NHS for over 30 years. Yes at least 40,000 people die of flu every year. I am adhering to the rules though. The government s are panicking as there's no cure for Covid, but neither is there a cure for flu, (some people have flu jabs, and say that helps)

I think everyone needs to bare in mind that most people will “get it” as we need to obtain some sort of heard immunity until a vaccine is found. I know this sounds cruel but the government have got to make tough decisions soon and balance potentially a lot of unfortunate deaths against an economy that faces the worst depression in history. The government cannot keep the economy in limbo until a vaccine is produced so I honestly do think people will have to get their heads around the fact that unfortunately a lot more people will have to die in order to keep the country from total economic collapse. A vaccine is at least 18 months away (I live next door to a doctor); they cannot keep us all locked up until then. People really will have to start facing up to a new and yes, very difficult, normality.

growstuff I'm right there with you. you keep to your bubble and I'll try to keep to mine.

I'm not afraid I just want to protect the people around me even if they aren't doing likewise.

We, the UK, won't be the first country to come out of lockdown, so hopefully this time we will watch and actually learn. In whatever number of weeks, there might be enough masks to go round for everyone who needs/wishes one. I do sympathise with the GNs in the USA, and some other countries whose families have lost their jobs. This means they have also lost their health care cover. We are getting furlough top ups, and still have access to our NHS.

Unfortunately there is no way to know (not yet) when we are at that point of 80% with natural immunity (herd immunity) and a possible effective vaccine!
Then we Golden Oldies can safely go back to mixing in Society again?
Things will never be the same again that is for sure and will the Conoraviris be a yearly vaccine!
This first wave is nearly under control however when will second wave start and so on.
So I still also fear we will be in isolation in reality for some time to come

But Washerwoman - you said you haven’t been tested so how do you know it was C-V ? Are you just presuming ?

So sorry about this folks, but think you should know. Have just read on Facebook that the first wave of the Spanish Flu killed 3 million people, and the second wave killed 20 million. Hope history does not repeat itself. Hope the Facebook post is wrong.

Aljocookie Brilliant what a breath of fresh air. This is all too much. The country is being ruined.

Aljocookie - I agree with you.
I’m also tired of the misery inflicted by the Government’s doom and gloom policy.
I can’t sanitise every door handle every time I use it. I’d go mad. Once a day disinfecting for everything that can’t move out of the way.
People get sick and due at normal times. The old and the immunocompromised. And the normally healthy too.
I was sick before Christmas. The doctor said it was a virus. I had it for four weeks. I have never felt so ill. Cough. Chest pains. Back pains.