Vaccine distribution is going well. However, until there is stronger evidence it will control the outbreak there is no harm in reminding ourselves the only way to be sure is to limit contact with others. The government's slogan "behave as if you have the virus" should be "behave as if everyone you meet has the virus." Seriously. Similarly, long ago we used to say the best contraceptive is an aspirin between the knees.
Prevention is better than cure: Vaccine distribution is... - NRAS
Prevention is better than cure
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Sohmui
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Hello Sohmui, I agree , very well said .
The trouble is Sohmui......people tend to become deaf, dumb & blind when told the truth about how to behave to protect themselves from Covid19.You only have to look on the TV news or read the newspapers to see how an awful lot of people are completely ignoring the advice that BJ gives practically every day.
It's true, AC. I guess my point is that the government is wasting time telling people to protect others by saying "behave as if you've got the virus". The people you talk about don't give a toss about others. It's a little more effective - not much more though - to say behave as if everyone has got it in the hope that may scare people just a little. More in hope than anticipation though.
Good advice.I never tried that method of contraception as the pill arrived in time for me, thank goodness! 😅
Me too 💊
What did bandy legged girls do?
They kept their legs crossed! 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Good advice
My cousin, a front line social worker, responded to me reminding her that I am not meeting anyone other than my partner, (my extended household) said but it's okay to meet up outside as we have been vaccinated 🙈.She did then apologise and said she got confused and accepted we can't meet up.
I despair....
I think if you each take a comfy garden chair...suitably placed & a flask of hot tea,coffee, chocolate....that satisfies the rules.If it doesn’t..it darned well should🧁☕️
My half sister is similar, except she wouldn't realise what she's said is inappropriate. She thinks that when I've given birth over the summer that everything will be back to normal and she'll be allowed into my house. Completely ignoring that I wouldn't have had my vaccines and I'll still be clinically vulnerable. Can't help some people 🙄
JustHereForGin, it's so hard. When the virus began to spread, my brother in law didn't believe it was serious. Once when he hugged me, I had to say please, please, don't. I hated having to do that. What happened to change things was when my nephew became seriously ill in intensive care with Covid. We thought we would lose him. It was a terrible time. Surely, you don't want people to have a brush with death before they accept the reality but what can you do?
Thats terrible! I hope your nephew is recovering! There is no changing some people. I also have family who view it as "if it's your time to die, it's your time to die" which I find horrendous!!!
Thanks, JHFG. My nephew made a good recovery. He is a relatively young, well, 60 year old, pilot. He became quite famous - infamous, I would say 😂 - and was on TV. Since then there have been literally hundreds of stories and he was one of the lucky ones. It was made even harder for us because my half-sister, his mother, has Alzheimer's and how would we tell her? In the end we didn't have to, thank goodness.
Glad he's made a good recovery and thankful that difficult conversation with his mom didn't have to happen! There are some little rays of sunshine everywhere throughout this pandemic... we just have to look for them!
My cousin also suggested that we could meet up in one of our houses, then quickly withdrew the comment.
🤦♀️ we just can't help some people. I'm pretty sure if I were remotely closer to my half sister she would suggest the same. She has said that to our dad and my mom! They've been very strict and banned them! Our dad is 75 and it doesn't seem to make any difference to her thinking! There's no changing stupid!
I'm sorry but I think it's too many reminders have caused Covid fatigue for a lot of of people. Too many have the disease so mildly that the risk seems to them to be minimal and no amount of reminders will address that. So it then has to be about protecting yourself and in that case yes everyone is a possible danger although even then balanced with need. I have just come home after a couple of stays in hospital and although vaccinated it was it seemed to me to be safe.I had the test on admission and the nurses and doctors were great. So if anyone needs a reminder then surely the latest letter about shielding today is another reminder. To be honest I'm fed up of reminders as I do take care apart from going to A&E and the GP's and . I've not been out since Feb2020 sept for medical stuff. These reminders are not read by healthy young people. I hope you are not annoyed by my comment its just reminding me of the obvious at the moment is just so depressing.
The reminders are wearisome at times ML, particularly to those of us abiding by what is required. But I am also weary of people not understanding after nearly a year that they shouldn't meet up indoors, they should wear a mask, wash hands and keep a safe distance. If we all do these things, we will all be out of it sooner. The danger is if we don't remind people then they will forget.
But those people don't read these posts. Thats my point, please, remind me of something I need reminding of but blanket reminders are like white noise so telling everyone in a group of 100 when no one is listening. And all of them are fit and healthy and at no real risk. If those behaving badly aren't listening to PH England and all the public advice why on earth would they be reading a message on a forum for people with conditions that mostly put them in the shielding list? I am just upset as it seems a futile reminder having had 3 covid tests despite not going out for nearly a year all negative. And healthy people getting the disease will help us in herd immunity too.
Unfortunately blanket reminders are really the only cost effective means the government has at its disposal. And there are far too many selfish (and stupid?) people about. But yes I do agree they are now getting a bit wearing for us goody goodies!! 🤦🏻♀️😇
Yes yes and yes ! ❤️x
Exactly so and it's now getting boring. I thought 3rd week from jab on Monday so I can see someone also jabbed socially distanced of course but at least a different human being not on a screen and bang the letter arrives shielding extended, Disappointed is an understatement. I know that they don't know yet about onward transmission but the end seemed to be on the far horizon not out of sight again. Sad today.
Do remember that shielding is only advice and you can, if you wish, choose to ignore it.
But we dont .. we want to do everything we can , especially the well informed people who use forums, so shield as requested I will....😍
Yes and I will too of course. If ML doesn’t feel she can though ...
Indeed, it's all our own decision. My sister absolutely cannot do it , worries me , but shes out and about , each to their own I suppose ?!
I'll just carry on shielding but do want to see an end in sight. I don't know anyone whose not followed the rules as not been out except to the hospital or GP's since November and before that just for a walk up the road. My kidney failure puts me at far greater risk than RA alone so will just carry on but how parents manage children in high rise flats and with schooling it must be so hard. And we've been doing food parcels through the church as it is a very difficult situation at the moment for some. No easy solutions for so many people. x
Me too , I see where you are coming from. Just when you get your first jab, then the weeks pass you get a bit hopeful for getting out for the first time in a year, see the family etc. But maybe the government are wary of the variants or waiting for immunocompromised to get 2 jabs for more protection. I dont know but yes it's hard just now. The instructions are listened to by a lot of people but I speak to people that dont even believe covid exists, that makes my blood boil.
You have misunderstood my post. It is not directed at readers here, nor am I suggesting yet another rule - yes, we are all tired of them - but that the current rule is ineffective to those it is directed at and should be replaced.
I don't think I misunderstood as you say 'remind ourselves.' thus readers of your post. And on the London news on BBC that message comes over very clearly which is also presumably why shielding has been extended too.
The term "remind ourselves" is polite literary language indicating that the writer does not always get things right themselves. It is not an accusation. You have perhaps not come across it before.
I have not accused you or anyone else of anything . When you use the word 'is' along with the words 'no harm' before 'remind ourselves' it includes you in the statement along with those you address. It is a collective so it is nothing to do with you getting anything right or wrong it's simply reminding yourself along with your reader. I'm not getting into semantics either as this is just a forum. And I think you're confused as am I as then it appears to be then a political post not related to RA.
I shan't comment further as I'm not going to watch anything to do with the news tonight and hope tomorrow to at least get out in my garden to see how the daffodils are doing and pick a few snowdrops. I think I'm lucky as have a garden and live in a very rural area, others with children may not be so lucky and lockdown is wearing thin so do think that we can only protect ourselves but must not loose sight of the difficulties caused to the many other members of society we live amongst.
Hopefully as things change as more get the vaccine there will be a fresh, effective ad to remind people that we need to still be cautious even when vaccinated. I’d love to help work on such an ad campaign. x
You are perfectly at liberty to disagree and it is embarrassing that you feel there is some need to apologise. The trouble is, too many people take things too personally. Nothing is - or should be - directed at anyone personally. My post is not an instruction or an aggressive argument, just something I thought might be a good idea for some people to help make things better. Take it or leave it.
I never thought it was an instruction or even a lesson just its like white noise and at this stage of the pandemic it is not being addressed to those people who are not following the rules. My sister has had the disease so I know how bad it can be and so yes I'm sorry as don't want to offend but I'm fed up of reminders
Agree 100%.... The majority on here seem to have looked after themselves and steered clear of contracting the virus....the key words being”look after yourself “... nobody can control those who won’t do that.
Those who have been careful & have contracted it have been very unfortunate....but blame the morons in the community.....who think advice is for “other people”
Yes it is really hard..,but so is everything that is worth having.
No such thing as a free lunch I’m afraid...but hopefully we are on the last lap,& freedom is in sight! ✈️
That’s what we are told in Canada. You still have to follow all the protocols.
In the last year WE all know what we are suppose to do ... no one needs reminding because we know ourselves.. wash hand ? Yes I have done that all my life ... wear a mask yes we know .. keep your distance .. yes we know ... other than that decode for yourself to keep yourself save ... it’s actually that simple that you don’t need to read or see anything
Hi Sohmui, I am with you on keeping with the distancing. All the way .. well from distance of course! I heard MH originally saying both .. behave as if you have it AND as if others do. Think it was shortened for the campaign. Whether some people like the campaign reminding us or not the Government will keep with it as it still could help reach some people. ( Feel the majority of those who aren’t at risk won’t even acknowledge it but as I am from an advertising/marketing background I’d say keep reminding people at the moment as the most effective way of advertising is repetition.)
There are so many people who have done an ostrich and don’t want to know as it doesn’t apply to them they think, rightly or wrongly. They don’t understand asymptomatic which I feel wasn’t communicated enough at first. I’m not offended at all if I see or hear an advert reminding me to do what I’m already doing by keeping safe and hygienic and if it’s getting on some people’s nerves then .. don’t look or listen. You know if you don’t need to hear certain advice after a while because you’re already doing what is advised. ❤️ The ad is there for a reason ... too many people haven’t done as asked. x
Thanks Neonkittie17. That was exactly my point. There is an amount of fatigue and I understand that but it's not a reason for the government to stop putting out advice. I have no doubt those here are doing everything that is right but we all know someone - even someone well meaning - who is getting it wrong. That some are asymptomatic is a reason for them to think it's the same for all and no worse than the flu. Well, we can only do our best.
Vaccination only reduces your chance of dying. It does not stop you transmitting if you become infected. The effect of any change in lockdown rules takes three weeks to work through before evaluation is possible (incubation period.)Caution and patience required - just look at what happened to Newfoundland which is a good example of why we need reminders to persist. (BTW, I'm as fed up with this as everyone else.)
I agree 'behave as if everyone you meet has it' if someone chooses to ignore the advice I don't want to be anywhere near them, haven't gone through all this to let things slip now and take any chances. No wonder I've got daughters I always thought I needed to swallow the aspirin
Yes, we all have to continue to do our bit.
Totally agree Sohmui, we must not be complacent now. Stay safe.
Ive always said to my husband ‘think that everyone you come across has it’ it’s the only way to think. I don’t know if it’s a man thing but he forgets so easily. He goes for a walk, sees someone he knows and immediately heads towards them, very nearly going to shake hands. Sometimes I despair of him. We’ve never argued but have come very close to falling out this past year 🤦♀️
Oh, I hope you don't fall out. We're all different and old habits die hard. Actually, I worry more about decent well-meaning people just forgetting. At least he won't have a problem getting back to normal when normal comes. 😊
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