The New Normal

[Bazile]

Will the world get back to 'normal' ?

If not what will the new
'normal ' look like ?

[jno]

empty streets ... jungle taking over former Debenham shops ... self-drive cars roaming round forlornly looking for a mate ... care homes with suspicious tall chimneys ... Parliament a gated community for old Etonians ...

[Old_Geezer]

Of course it'll get back to normal. Mainly the politicians need to find the courage to get it back to normal. The world needs to accept another virus has joined those we already had. Assuming humans get immunity after having caught the disease then herd immunity will be in play. If they don't get sufficient immunity then we'll just have to keep catching it and trust in medical advancement reducing the symptoms. It's only the nightmare scenario that kills off most humans in the world and has PPE compulsory from cradle to grave. Don't hold your breath for that one.

[eleanor2]

Interesting question Bazile,
I dont want to think about the 'recession' ... how will we recover & how it will affect us long term. Ithought this an interesting link to the future.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-dc2d6e2d-3ab4-42de-8d03-bb7eda5fff8e

[ParsleyDumpling]

I agree with O_G, we have to get back to normal not "new " normal. We cannot keep running from a virus, because what then happens when the next new one appears?

Treatment for Covid 19 has improved dramatically, since the first cases in March. One of the good things that seems to have come out of this, is how quickly the NHS has been able to adapt and use existing treatments/equipment for Covid management, since the shackles of red tape and box ticking have been removed.

My rather optimistic hope is that the recession will be short lived, if the government has the balls to say "get back to normal" now. The higher incidence of infections is still not leading to an increase in hospital admissions or deaths.

We cannot and should not expect to be wrapped in cotton wool by the government because of this virus. We have to get out there and take our chances, just like we do (and have been doing) unthinkingly. every day of our lives.

[jno]

how quickly the NHS has been able to adapt

mainly by becoming the National Covid Service. My GP's still seeing people, but you'll see on other threads how other people's GPs are not. And my OH has been discharged from hospital investigation because they're not doing the relevant operation any more. Maybe *that* will become normal.

Recessions are normal already. The last one was not much more than 10 years ago.

[maggiebee]

We will survive this. "Normal" was not all that great so maybe we can look forward to a "Brave New World". We survived two world wars and we can get through this too.

[ParsleyDumpling]

jno, I completely agree with you.

The NHS has been well looked after during this pandemic, the government wrote off its debt, and it has all but shut-down except for the treatment of Covid. The NHS also knowingly discharged people back into care homes, with the virus, thus fuelling the deaths there. I do wonder if a lot of the excess deaths we have seen, have actually been because people haven't had access to their doctors or hospitals?

[pastafreak]

"Normal" is always changing. Our normal of the past 10 years or so is different from normal as defined a few generations back. The coming normal for next year may be it until another social, technological or financial upheaval in a few years time.

[jno]

PD, that's very possible - I saw a figure (I can't find it now) that quite a lot of the most recent deaths have been at home, suggesting that either they couldn't get to hospital or they didn't want to.

[tonyav]

Interesting link that, eleanor.
Pen pushers and paper shufflers look like they'll be safe then.

[tamborine]

no1 son is essential worker on HGV & his life hasnt changed much. His wife is admin for multi national & works on pc/lappy/gizmo from home. Their dining room is office/classroom with all outside communations via zoom. Wife's business car lies idle as online shopping & deliveries are de riguer.

Department stores in my high street are empty & closed. Side streets closed to vehicles in favour of bicycles only leaving some businesses unable to park & receive deliveries. High street is just full of dossers & beggars. I cant see closed shops re-opening as they trade cheaper online.

[jourdain2]

Haven't read the other answers so this is my reaction - I don't want a 'new normal' just get back to normal.. I am seriously worried about people. There are just 4 cases of Covid in the whole of the E. Riding today and none of them are in hospital and yet I went to a nearby village for a couple of things today and people were wearing masks in the street (no-one did so a couple of weeks ago and it's pointless) and I saw others driving cars on their own and wearing masks! It won't do, it simply is breaking society.

I have suspected for a while that there is a political 'agenda' and I am becoming more and more convinced of an effort to brainwash the population into subjugation. None of these draconian measures is necessary. Just get back to normal from Sept. 1st and accept no excuses.

P.S. I'm vulnerable because of both age and asthma (which is troubling me at the moment - you should see me clear a supermarket queue! :) ) and it is far more important that the country and people function than that I am protected.

[diddlydo]

Jourdain2 - I agree with you 100%. Hancock said today on TV that there's no plan to make masks compulsory in the workplace as most cases of Covid are transmitted at family gatherings. So why do we all have to wear b***** masks on public transport and in shops? Pointless and guaranteed to keep me off the High St as much as possible.