The Light at the End of the Tunnel?

There were an incredible 873,784 vaccinations registered in the United Kingdom yesterday!

With hospitalisations reducing week on week, it seems we're finally on our way to returning to some semblance of "normal." I understand we're likely to be living with COVID19 long into the future; however, with the global vaccination response as incredible as it was, I maintain hope that we can strike a balance between controlling the virus and returning to living pre-corona lifestyles.

If the good news continues (please excuse me if you/your country is not in the same boat), what are you looking forward to the most? What have you missed the most?

For me, I think watching Black Widow in the cinema would be a good start! Have you already made plans for that back garden BBQ with friends? Are you one of the thousands that have pre-booked a good ol' beer garden sesh? Are you looking forward to browsing the wine menu in your favourite restaurant? Is that foreign holiday (following all safety precautions, of course) you've rescheduled multiple times getting tantalising closer?

Let's all daydream about the possibilities that are waiting for us!

Unfortunately, I think things in the US are likely to get worse before they get better. The UK is one of the best for vaccination levels. Much of Europe is back in lockdown with a third wave brought on by more contagious variants. The US tends to lag a few weeks behind Europe in covid trends, and those new variants are gaining momentum here. A number of states have eased or entirely removed covid restrictions already — too soon as far as I can tell. The states with the highest numbers of covid cases in the past 7 days are ALL states that have recently eased restrictions. No surprise there. Covid-19 may be with us in some form for years to come, but the pandemic will end.

That all said, I am looking forward to gathering with more than a few friends at a time. I look forward to movies and music in theaters instead of just on my couch. I look forward to spontaneously meeting and hanging out with friends, instead of having to make plans around numbers and the weather so we can be comfortable outside. I look forward to family reunions, weddings, and other parties. Travel will be great too. I can't wait for the day when I see an unmasked person in a public place without wondering if they have severe asthma or are just an idiot.

Jzone wrote:I can't wait for the day when I see an unmasked person in a public place without wondering if they have severe asthma or are just an idiot.

I wouldn’t mind face masks becoming the norm, to be honest. I don’t mean everywhere should have a strict mandatory mask policy like they do now, but for it to become “no big deal” for people who choose to wear them. For example, if you walked into a U.K. supermarket wearing a mask 18 months ago, people would think you were insane.

It’s standard practice in the East. In Japan, people who have colds, etc, wear a mask while they’re unwell to protect others. One of my friends wore a mask all the time during the colder months just to keep his face warm.

I also love the increase in hand hygiene and hope that continues, too!

There may be light, but it is still a very long tunnel. We don't yet know how long the vaccines last and how effective they are against the variants that are cropping up. It could take months for the countries who have easier access to the vaccine to reach herd immunity. It will take even longer for the rest of the world.

I think there is reason to be hopeful, but I also think it needs to be tempered with the reality that life is not going to return to normal any time soon, assuming it ever goes back to the way it was.

Paraguay defeated the US-backed right-wing coup, when did your fave ever