Quote:
Originally Posted by nffc
A few days can be a long time with this but they do need to be in possession of the trends and consider multiple angles which even Whitty and Vallance don't. When your decisions could affect all sorts of things it's important you take time to decide what is the right course and what the exit plan is if you do tighten things.
We don't need a repeat of last years tiers where they were keen to escalate measures but conversely didn't have a clear de-escalation plan and ended up back in a full lockdown twice.
As for mass infection, well, isn't that what happens with most viruses? We don't do mass vaccination for flu, colds, noro, or other viruses, and don't lock down for them (aside for targeting flu jabs at the higher risk groups). For all of these they're just allowed to spread and people are advised to stay home if they have it. I suppose with covid it's different as without vaccination the death and serious illness risk is higher but the vaccine has reduced this, and aside from the risk of kids getting "long covid" (a term I still hate, it's post-viral effects same as you can get with other bad viruses) from the increased exposure, and that of spill over events into older people potentially evading vaccines, we aren't hugely far off allowing that to actually be the answer, or at least a potential outcome, not that anyone would actively encourage or condone it as an approach to take. Whilst we still have this level of hospital admissions we're still at the "best it doesn't happen" stage, but this is clearly what the boosters are designed to help with.
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The fact a decision is complex isn’t a justification to shirk responsibility, hope for the best and end up having to impose stricter restrictions anyway. Which is inevitable if this “wing and a prayer” approach that has served Britain so well to date is persisted with.
You may hate the term “long covid” but I’d hazard a guess those who suffer it might dislike it more?
In an area where elective hospital procedures are being cancelled and the military are supporting, people are being asked to avoid A&E unless “life threatening” I’d hazard a guess that the wait and see approach is doomed to failure.