Is the lockdown a bad idea?

[Paddy]

Well then someone made a very bad judgement call didn't they? Clearly it wasn't over.

You're right though, the problem we face right now is that supression by limiting economic activity and restricting movement, travel etc, will only temporarily put out the coronavirus fire.
The fuel (un-infected people) will still be plentiful and the spread of infection is directly related to increasing economic activity. By opening the economy taps, the severe and critical covid cases will soon overwhelm the NHS again.

This is why it is important for us to get the anti-body test to understand how many people (including asymptomatic) have already had the disease and are effectively immune. That will allow us to understand when we have herd immunity. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing once we have the 60% or so immunity in the population we can lift most restrictions in the UK.

The country voted for a clown to be PM and planning is done on the back of an envelope. As per the news yesterday, the NHS does not have enough face masks for their own staff. Some nurses have to go without masks and some are limited to two disposable ones per day. They have run out of protective clothing. In Iran, the army are making masks by hand and masks are issued free to the population. Shopping malls are turned into emergency hospitals. Cuba has sent doctors to Italy. Russia has sent trucks to disinfect the Italian streets. The UK government are twiddling their thumbs. The only way out is to test people and test multiple times. The local busses are not cleaned and they are running all day without passengers. What a mess.

The lockdown is badly organised and it can't go on more than a couple of weeks without the whole system failing.

As for Dyson producing ventilators, if they are as reliable as their vacuum cleaners, then there will be a lot of ventilators failing and cast upon the rubbish dumps.

[cojak]

Watch Trump, as the only real leader (rather than unrealistic wishful thinkers) in the Western world he will decide and the others will forced to follow.

Oh, I don’t think so...

[escapeUK]

I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing once we have the 60% or so immunity in the population we can lift most restrictions in the UK.

The patient (our economy) would be long dead before then.

Watch Trump, as the only real leader (rather than unrealistic wishful thinkers) in the Western world he will decide and the others will forced to follow.

[NickFitz]

I’m wondering if Trump is right

Let me stop you right there. The answer is, in this and any other case: no.

[CheeseSlice]

The question that a lot of people don't seem to be asking, is what happens when its decided to be over, and we release the lock down and then it starts spreading again?

Well then someone made a very bad judgement call didn't they? Clearly it wasn't over.

You're right though, the problem we face right now is that supression by limiting economic activity and restricting movement, travel etc, will only temporarily put out the coronavirus fire.
The fuel (un-infected people) will still be plentiful and the spread of infection is directly related to increasing economic activity. By opening the economy taps, the severe and critical covid cases will soon overwhelm the NHS again.

This is why it is important for us to get the anti-body test to understand how many people (including asymptomatic) have already had the disease and are effectively immune. That will allow us to understand when we have herd immunity. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing once we have the 60% or so immunity in the population we can lift most restrictions in the UK.

[cojak]

I'm sure all will be fine, I can definitely see an extended lockdown pushing out the worst of the infections to the summer.

I can also imagine that various treatments will be found that will help all but the most vulnerable. And I can see us increasing our hospital capacity.

Didn't mean to depress people, was more of a question I was asking myself and was looking for various opinions on.

Mods feel free to delete this thread, regret asking the question as it's not helpful.

An unpopular proposal (and probably poorly timed) but a debateable one.

[scooterscot]

The question that a lot of people don't seem to be asking, is what happens when its decided to be over, and we release the lock down and then it starts spreading again?

Or indeed what happens when people have got used to lockdown and can't be ar$ed living the house anymore? Just live on benefits & watch Netflix.

I'm expecting a baby boom in 9 months.

[escapeUK]

The question that a lot of people don't seem to be asking, is what happens when its decided to be over, and we release the lock down and then it starts spreading again?

[GJABS]

Mods feel free to delete this thread, regret asking the question as it's not helpful.

I think it is an important question that does need to be asked. Just not yet. Not until we have stopped the growth of the infections, giving us time to think and plan.

[xoggoth]

Maybe woooooooooooohooo (& Trump) has a point. There's a few sensible people, including previous UK government advisors, saying the same thing. The adverse effects of this lock down on the economy, will have a huge knock on effect on mental and physical health issues and many deaths will result. Cancer treatments have already been postponed, just one example of effect.

Have they got the balance right? Dunno. Wish I was an expert!