I remember at the time whenever anyone raised concerns about the negative mental health aspect of lockdowns, the reply was typically ‘but people are resilient’. This to me at the time seemed a way of attempting to justify ignoring the mental health aspect of lockdowns.
If lockdowns have had a significant impact on people’s mental health then clearly the people are resilient argument was wrong, at least for some people.
Mental health as a subject suffers from being hard to take seriously. For most of society there is little visible evidence to see unless one WANTS to look deeper. Unlike a more obvious affliction (missing leg etc). It is so hard to "see" that it gets to the point where people just think those afflicated need to pull themselves together !.
What was also overlooked by the government and the media was the massive mental health impact of the constant speculation of whether we we going into lockdown. This was especially prevalent in both Autumn 20 and 21; in 2021 it was even worse as it was post vaccine roll out. It made me think that this would happen every single winter going forward, and that the vaccine was pointless - especially as the government kept emphasising that the vaccine was the "way out". Thankfully the government largely held its nerve thanks to the Tory Backbench, but at the time I thought we were staring down the barrel of having a lockdown, or at least calls for lockdown, every winter.
Your right - there was a risk of lockdown fatigue.
Unfortunately we will never know how effective or otherwise lockdowns were as we had no way of trying both approaches. For me I went along with all the precautions. Bear in mind I was the ill-est I have ever been Christmas 2020 and my missus ended up with long Covid while friends around her died (probably the same genetic build). But, although I am risk averse, I think we should have taken more risks earlier on in summer 2021. It was getting ridiculous by late Spring 2021 as more and more people gave up taking it seriously. To subsequently find out that those we look up to had given up practising what they preached just leaves me with utter contempt.
We needed to see if lockdowns could be relaxed and during summer was the best time to try. There was no way a significant number of people were going to adhere to restrictions right through to the next winter and beyond unless a relaxation caused a rise in cases during summer 2021.
The Winter 21/22 stuff was particularly unnerving, I agree. Unnecessary, too, given the vaccine roll-out and Omicron being less severe. Certainly the panic over Omicron was completely and utterly ridiculous. In the event very little happened with Omicron which we don't see in a bad flu season, apart from a good few people's Christmases being ruined.
I do remember reading some stories about "travel restrictions until 2025" or some such in around December 2021, presumably testing rather than outright travel bans.
And then, quite suddenly, all restrictions, or talks of restrictions, seemed to disappear, the western world over, in the latter part of winter 21/22.
For me Omicron was a good chance for a booster - I cannot have the vaccine due to an allergy.
It is interesting how China hung on to restrictions heavier and longer than the rest of the world did - do they know something ?.
It's more (IMO) that the government and the media overreacted and caused panic, rather than private individuals as such.
There were plenty saying Omicron was considerably less severe which made it strange to see the government and media tying themselves up in knots about it. It just didn't seem to make sense - but was enough to engender uncertainty in people and make them fearful of socialising, as you say - for fear of a positive test result, more than anything else, it seemed.
Yes it seemed clear to me that Omicron was going to be a walk in the park.
Oh boy, IndySage are sabre rattling again...
Scientists have called for people to start wearing face masks again amid a worrying Covid-19 variant 'mutation'.
www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
They just don't want to give up on mask compulsion, it has literally become a cult for IndySage and it's rapidly shrinking fan base.
Two words to them. The second one is off....
Every permutation and combination of conspiracy-theory/precaution/complacency/etc is out there if I dare to look.
So if it's "unlikely that this wave will cause a large surge in hospital admissions or deaths" because of the UK's high rate of vaccinations" why even get neurotic about it?
We absolutely cannot afford to go into panic mode every time there might be a new Sars-Cov-2 wave with mild symptoms. Aren't there more important things to worry about in the world? Do they understand, or care about, the consequences of constantly being afraid of Covid until the end of time?
What is the motivation behind this? Why do some people seem to be continually causing alarm over Covid long after it ceased to be dangerous for most of us?
Maybe these people should pressurise Sunak into funding the NHS properly and making it fit for purpose instead of constantly stirring up panic about Covid.
I do think there is a case for looking into the effects of multiple infections of Covid let lon one infection. There are also cases with other viruses where longer term problems occur. For example there has been growing evidence that a certain virus has to be contracted before cancer can get a look in - I am sorry I have no idea of a source as quite a while ago but I think it was research findings from a major cancer charity.
But how cautious we should actually be be over every maybe is the art.
COVID-19 reinfections could be taking a toll on some important organ systems. That risk applies to both short-term and long-term health effects
People who had more than one COVID-19 infection were three times more likely to be hospitalized and twice as likely to die than those who only had one infection. Those with multiple infections were also more vulnerable to other dangerous conditions; they were 3.5 times more likely to develop lung problems, 3 times more likely to have heart conditions, and 1.6 times more likely to have brain changes requiring care than people who had only had COVID-19 once.
Tht's not what I'd call "mild".
This sort of concern needs to have stronger evidence. Of course by the time that evidence is found it might be too late for the human race. But we cannot get hung up over every maybe.
Is there good evidence for this, though, and even if so, is it worth the economic damage and mental health effects caused by being afraid of Covid for all time?
I suspect most, in 2023, would say No.
It really is time to forget about Covid and move on. If we don't, much more damage will be caused than if we do.
Since Covid, you can't easily see a doctor in the UK. Many of us have lost affordable NHS dentistry. And operations have been postponed. People have suffered profound mental health effects.
Is it really worth living under the constant threat of restrictions for all time?
I suspect more people will die of car accidents than Covid-related effects in coming years, and no-one is (quite rightly!) calling for severe restrictions on car use. There's a need for balance and that life has risks, and trying to shield us from all risks causes more harm than it does good.
It is a matter of finding the right balance of collateral damage for the circumstances. Can you imagine what role health and safety would have on the Normandy beaches back in the early 1940s ? !.
And is that true of only covid, or is it true of all infections? Moreover what exactly are you proposing been done?
Hindsight will be the answer.
Let's say it is unusual.
There is not much that has to be done. If you are ill, stay at home, if you have to go out you are ill, you might want to wear a mask. Take extra care around vulnerables (hospitals etc.).
Yes. I would try harder to avoid passing my maybe on to someone else. It is why when I had Omicron I stayed in bed. Befor Covid I would have reluctantly gone to work. My first dose of Covid I had no choice as I was out of it - proper flu.
They say that where?
I wish everyone was that sensible. The coughing on the train and in the shops over the last few days shows a different picture. My current neighbour in the office (open-plan office without a fixed allocation of space) is quite proud of himself right now that he still comes to work even with a fever. And yes, sick pay is mandatory here. He actually hopes it is Covid, so he would be immune in the future. I hope he at least wipes his sneeze marks off the monitor before he goes home. Needless to say, I went home due to a lack of alternative places.
Yes. I was always one who went to work with minor ailments for me. It was my back trouble that I could have done without - and many thought that was skiving. But looking back I did not consider the effect on other people of viruses some of whom would be off for a week (never knew if they were really ill or just less keen on work). Catching Covid opened my eyes up to what it is like.
Jolly good! That should be just enough to keep the in laws at bay again this winter, given they're petrified of COVID.
Every cloud...
Indeed - even my household might have a few "false alarms".
And lets not forget there will be those who want to blame the effects of Brexit, appalling delivery delays etc on Covid - rightly or wrongly.