The other C word (Covid)

But Sweden is much less densely populated as the UK. And I believe their death rate was higher than their Scandinavian neighbours that had a stricter population. The Swedes also tended not to live in houses of multiple occupation: something that was a major factor in the death rate in the UK. However, the myth that Sweden didn’t lock down and and fared much better than other countries is baked into peoples perception. Their food is supplemented with Vit D, too, because of the lack of sunlight there.

growstuff

MissChateline

Am I right in believing that Sweden didn’t lock down, didn’t close schools etc and their outcome was better than here in the UK. They expected the population to take responsibility for themselves and they did. We should never have destroyed our economy or subjected the population to the torture of enforced isolation which has resulted in such a high level of mental health issues and wrecked the education for so many of our children.

No, you're not right. Large gatherings (more than 8 people) were banned. Secondary schools and institutes of higher education were recommended to work online and eventually closed for a period. The number of deaths in care homes was high and eventually people were recommended not to visit their relatives and were then banned. Initially, face masks weren't recommended but eventually they were. People were advised to work at home if they could and about 50% did. Social distancing was recommended and there were restrictions on travel.

There was no formal lockdown in Sweden - you could go out, shop, travel (although people were scared), people went on holiday, to work (although working from home to save on commuting was popular).

Nurseries and schools remained open for 1-16 year olds - however 16-19 colleges, adult education and Universities went online - but never formally closed and students stayed in their University accommodation throughout the pandemic if they wished to. Many formed Uni groups of up to 6 to socialise together

Restaurants and bars remained open but had to have tables 2m apart and close at 8pm.

There were restrictions on gatherings - numbers varied between 8 and 50 and different points so a lot of social and sporting events were cancelled

I don't remember any particular restrictions on travel.

There was never the shopping chaos and shortages that were reported in the UK, no queueing to get in etc. I remember the period where reports from the UK were of huge amounts of panic buying and shortages of toilet paper and things like pasta but that didn't happen really in Sweden.

There were major problems in care homes and in other residential services, PPE was also an issue in the early days. My 65 year old, diabetic partner who works in healthcare at a closed unit that had a major outbreak (traced to a nurse who was totally without symptoms) and had no visor, no gloves that fit although sometimes paper masks were available

Sweden's rate of deaths per 100,000 of population was lower than the UK despite the UK's strict policy
UK - 297.79 deaths per 100,000
Sweden 219.27
www.statista.com/statistics/1111779/coronavirus-death-rate-europe-by-country/

Oddone and Dickens - I heard similar from a person with 'learning difficulties' - convinced that we'd all been conned. It was a rare (perhaps once-in-a-lifetime) opportunity for her to feel somehow 'superior' and 'in the know' at last. So sad and dangerous.

0ddOne

I'm constantly amazed at the conspiracy theorists who insist that Covid was a government-perpetrated scam. These people really believe that every country in the world put aside their differences, ceased war and unrest, and conspired together to con the entire world's populace. To what end, they've never been able to tell us, but they firmly believe it to be true. If any government, especially ours(!), had even a fraction of the organisational skill required to orchestrate such a conspiracy, they would have chosen a much better way to do it! It beggars belief that there are people out there that are intelligently stunted enough to fall for such nonsense! I read an article during the height of the pandemic that accused the NHS hospital staff and patients of being actors, paid to pretend to be dying! I felt like I'd lost a good proportion of my own brain cells just by reading that article!

...To what end, they've never been able to tell us...

At the height of the pandemic I was discussing this on a social media site with someone who informed me that I was one of the gullible "sheeple" who'd fallen for the scam. Persevering - to get to the bottom of the whole thing, I asked why all these countries had joined forces to 'scam' us - apparently, it was to prepare us for the day of "The Great Re-set" drawn up by the WEF where a socialist world government would be imposed after the deliberate economic collapse, run for the benefit of powerful capitalists.

,,, how these capitalists would run a socialist world government was never explained. Which didn't matter much because I'd already lost the will to live...

0ddOne

CatsCatsCats

Callistemon, they weren't that strict in Australia, at least not all of Australia. I've not long returned from visiting my son there. Some regions were lockdown free, as the regions were relatively remote. However, those in these remoter regions weren't allowed to visit those that were in lockdown, so it had pretty much the same effect.

Australia were very strict. They closed their international borders, allowing no one in or out. Each state also had border control. My son's partner at the time was a hospital doctor, and she had to have special passes to move from the state she lived in to the state she worked in. Most businesses able to do so, went completely to home working. My son lives in the Gold Coast and they were in strict lockdown for quite a while.

My son's partner at the time was a hospital doctor, and she had to have special passes to move from the state she lived in to the state she worked in.
Ditto for our relative although they banned the young doctors from travelling over the border to work at first!

I'm constantly amazed at the conspiracy theorists who insist that Covid was a government-perpetrated scam. These people really believe that every country in the world put aside their differences, ceased war and unrest, and conspired together to con the entire world's populace. To what end, they've never been able to tell us, but they firmly believe it to be true. If any government, especially ours(!), had even a fraction of the organisational skill required to orchestrate such a conspiracy, they would have chosen a much better way to do it! It beggars belief that there are people out there that are intelligently stunted enough to fall for such nonsense! I read an article during the height of the pandemic that accused the NHS hospital staff and patients of being actors, paid to pretend to be dying! I felt like I'd lost a good proportion of my own brain cells just by reading that article!

NittWitt, spot on! Of course, our government doesn't care too much about the economically inactive - why should they? Somebody, somewhere, is gleefully calculating the 'savings' in pensions and disability benefits - you can count on it.

At the worst point of the pandemic, my daughter's friend a (now ex) intensive care nurse was encouraged to work throughout a Covid infection (as she didn't feel too bad) - as 'everyone has it anyway and we really need the staff!'. She felt heartbroken, holding the hands of the dying - many begging for vaccinations they'd earlier refused, unaware that they'd missed their chance.

CatsCatsCats

Callistemon, they weren't that strict in Australia, at least not all of Australia. I've not long returned from visiting my son there. Some regions were lockdown free, as the regions were relatively remote. However, those in these remoter regions weren't allowed to visit those that were in lockdown, so it had pretty much the same effect.

Australia were very strict. They closed their international borders, allowing no one in or out. Each state also had border control. My son's partner at the time was a hospital doctor, and she had to have special passes to move from the state she lived in to the state she worked in. Most businesses able to do so, went completely to home working. My son lives in the Gold Coast and they were in strict lockdown for quite a while.

Suzey

So your five vacs didn't work

If they're still alive, they did work. The vaccine doesn't prevent infection, it prevents SERIOUS infection in the majority of people. As with everything, there will always be people for whom the vaccine doesn't work, but thankfully that's a very small percentage. The death rate is down due to the vaccine, so it DOES work.

Iam64

*you were used, blagged and fell for the biggest scam in human history*
Could you help us understand the scam Usernametaken?

I've never yet heard a satisfactory, or even slightly plausible, explanation why multiple countries conspired with each other, virtually overnight, to perpetrate this 'scam' on its populations; one - which by its very nature - would damage and inconvenience those who engineered it!

MissChateline

Yes, I do agree that vulnerable people should have isolated themselves and the rest of society should have been allowed to get on with their lives as normal as possible. If I had been vulnerable at all I would have taken greater precautions and kept myself safe. But I’m not vulnerable. Neither did I contract covid so didn’t infect anyone else. On the whole the people who were very ill were those with underlying health conditions and they knew who they were. They could choose to isolate. I think that we all had a personal responsibility to look after our own health and for many if us this wasn’t harming our mental health and physical health by sitting at home in our own for months on end.
Never again should this happen.

How do you know that you never caught it and never passed it to anyone else? Just because you never experienced symptoms does not mean that you've never had it! Many that were asymptomatic passed it on unknowingly, you could well have been one of them! You'd help many others if you would wear a large sign that says, "Beware! I don't give a damn about anyone other than myself!", because that's what you're bragging about! You have little knowledge of what you speak (measures other countries took, how they were affected, how we "should" have reacted, and whether you ever had it) which is staggeringly scary! People like you prove that the masses in this country couldn't be trusted to make their own decisions!

I reported the post. I thought it was disgraceful,

I saw our Practise nurse recently for the shingles jab( newly 70 eeek) and asked about the next round of Covid jabs. Only 75s & older in my area are being offered them

I didn’t report the now deleted post - I wonder if my response will be deleted because I quote part of it

Marydoll and others in our CEV group won’t forget how our health needs continue to be impacted by this virus

Several weeks into lockdown one of the excellent GP’s at our practice phoned to ask how I was. Initially he was worried that I was walking my dogs early morning and evening. Every time yiu leave the house your risk increases. Then he agreed with me about the risk my joints and muscles would seize up and I’d be miserable if I stopped walking. I assured him I avoided people, kept a distance

I was really healthy - walking up steep hills etc. Now I have Long Covid. A trip on the train to London the other day completely wiped me out. I've been put on a Long Covid support group as I've been feeling a bit sad about it - no Am Dram as it's messed with my memory (brain fog). Can't concentrate as I used to, so writing children's fiction (not published but have written several full length children's books) isn't an option. Can only walk for 12 minutes without my chest feeling tight. And the fatigue isn't normal tiredness. It's like someone has taken out all your batteries. Can't join in with my friends in the same way or entertain as we did. Can't sing loudly any more.
Don't take Covid lightly. You might feel on top of the world right now (I did), but it can change your life.

Well said Marydoll
I was so shocked wen I read the now deleted post I couldn’t think of a response but you said it for me.

Iam64

*you were used, blagged and fell for the biggest scam in human history*
Could you help us understand the scam Usernametaken?

Oh dear, how could I have been so stupid to believe all that Covid nonsense?
Staying at home and isolating for two years was actually a waste of time! I think not!
I prefer to listen to my clinicians and read the scientific evidence, not a random poster on GN.

you were used, blagged and fell for the biggest scam in human history
Could you help us understand the scam Usernametaken?

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

MayBee70

CatsCatsCats

Callistemon, they weren't that strict in Australia, at least not all of Australia. I've not long returned from visiting my son there. Some regions were lockdown free, as the regions were relatively remote. However, those in these remoter regions weren't allowed to visit those that were in lockdown, so it had pretty much the same effect.

Is this the Australia where people couldn’t leave the country and, from memory, people weren’t allowed to return to the country for a long time? Or is my memory at fault. Methinks your perception of a lot of events is somewhat different to mine. I got the feeling that Australia was pretty strict regarding covid rules but, hey, what do I know!

Amongst the very strictest lockdowns in the world, Maybee.

I only know from the experiences of relatives who live there, one a doctor. We came to the UK just before Covid arrived, but we had regular updates from family and friends.

The vulnerable could choose to isolate themselves. The rest of us could get on with life as near to normal as possible.

The "I'm all right, Jack" approach.

That is what was happening as restrictions were lifted, leading to even more mental health problems for those who had to continue to 'choose to isolate themselves' while millions around them behaved as if covid never existed.

CatsCatsCats

Callistemon, they weren't that strict in Australia, at least not all of Australia. I've not long returned from visiting my son there. Some regions were lockdown free, as the regions were relatively remote. However, those in these remoter regions weren't allowed to visit those that were in lockdown, so it had pretty much the same effect.

Is this the Australia where people couldn’t leave the country and, from memory, people weren’t allowed to return to the country for a long time? Or is my memory at fault. Methinks your perception of a lot of events is somewhat different to mine. I got the feeling that Australia was pretty strict regarding covid rules but, hey, what do I know!

Well, we've both been told what we've been told, haven't we.

CatsCatsCats

Callistemon, they weren't that strict in Australia, at least not all of Australia. I've not long returned from visiting my son there. Some regions were lockdown free, as the regions were relatively remote. However, those in these remoter regions weren't allowed to visit those that were in lockdown, so it had pretty much the same effect.

Callistemon, they weren't that strict in Australia

Not what I was told. We've relatives in all states except WA and that was possibly even more strict, from what I was told. Parents not allowed to go to hospital with their babies there.

MayBee70

It isn’t like the common cold and it isn’t like flu. Someone I follow on Facebook has just died of it. The problem is that any measures put in place to protect the old and vulnerable will be bad for the economy and the government can’t have that. I’d like to know what measures they have put in place in case of a resurgence. Bet, if they have done anything it won’t have cost as much as the Rwanda scheme.

I think government would be quite happy to have fewer old & vulnerable people needing pensions and disability benefits.

Of course, they may also get more who are long term sick with long covid but the plan will be to harass them as they usually do with long term sick people, probably including stopping their sick pay now & again to 'encourage' them into work.

Cynical, moi?