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Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe

@_SSTIE

Published and Promoted by Sevenoaks Swanley and Tonbridge In Europe, Printed (Hosted) by Twitter, full imprint at http://www.sstie.uk

Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

"Welcome to postnormal times. It’s a time when little out there can be trusted or gives us confidence. We live in an in-between period where old orthodoxies are dying, new ones have yet to be born, & very few things seem to make sense." [Ziauddin Sardar]


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

Thank you @chrischirp. I can completely understand people wishing to return to a way of life we’ve lost, aI think, if we’re honest, we’d all like that. The ways forward that you’ve outlined are constructive and doable. I hope humans achieve them.


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

They didn’t go back to normal life changed. medicine and infection control changed. Vaccinations became more easily available. Countries in Asia adopted mask wearing during respiratory virus outbreaks. International plans for dealing with pandemics were set up. Etc etc


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

We can’t go back to normality. The experience we’ve all gone through means that normality now resides in the utopian past. We can’t plonk it back onto our lives. We’ve changed..


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

We shouldn't even think about going back. We should go forward and develop the new practices we have been using, such as more working from home, less commuting and wearing masks whenever we have a respiratory infection just as they have done in the Orient for many years.


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

sadly, with the way policy is going, it's a more dangerous or a more lonely world for CEV people. Or both. I wish it wasn't but CEV people's needs have been shoved to one side as they are just not compatible with current plans. :-(


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

Thank you so much for your excellent and informtive thread with such useful information for us to digest.


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

Fundamentally, world is different now. Acting as if it isn't, which UK seems determined to do, may feel good in short term but will result in a new normal worse than the old one. I prefer for us to build a new normal that's *better* than frequent sickness & disruption. 13/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

8. We also need to invest massively in reducing inequalities: in health, in housing, in workplaces, in sick pay, in education - this will make us more resilient to future outbreaks and reduce ill health and death - from Covid & everything else! Both nationally & globally 12/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

A plan should *not* mean long national lockdowns, which represent a failure of public health systems. In fact, refusing to do the *learning* in "learning to live with Covid" is the biggest risk for such future lockdowns. 11/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

The plan might include (temp) reintroduction of large scale testing (inc better tests?), high quality masks in indoor spaces and - *if & only if* there is a serious threat from e.g. a new variant (or disease!) - further measures, such as targeted test, trace & isolate. 10/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

7. There *will* still be future surges. We need to have a plan to deal with these surges - as we do for other diseases. A plan which is supported by the rapid outbreak identification & rapid understanding of virulence & transmission we've learned to do so well in the UK! 9/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

6. We need to urgently increase funding and staffing for NHS if it is expected to cope with regular Covid surges *and* existing backlogs *and* years of understaffing and not enough money. This includes *supporting* existing staff to stay..! 8/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

4. Add permanent surveillance of Covid infection rates in UK to existing programmes for flu, measles etc in public health 5. Invest in understanding & treating longer term clinical impacts of Covid, inc organ damage & Long Covid + treatments (eg antivirals) for acute phase. 7/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

2. Vaccinate the world as soon as possible - and keep working towards vaccines that are longer lasting and more variant proof. 3. Invest in global infrastructure to support surveillance of new variants of Covid *and* other new infectious diseases. There will be more. 6/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

It's *not* easy, but it *is* possible - we did it with clean water, electricity infrastructure, CFCs, telephone and broadband... The best thing about cleaner indoor air is it works against *any* airborne disease and also reduces e.g. allergies. 5/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

We *can't* go back - but we *can* go forward *if* we accept we need some adaptations - driven by what we have *learned*. Learning: 1. Outdoors is pretty safe - so let's invest research and funding into making indoor air as much like the outdoors as possible 4/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

We *could* act as we used to & accept millions of people getting sick once or twice a year. Yearly education, business disruption. And gradually, a slightly sicker pop'n. That seems to be the current plan in UK and e.g. US. But that's NOT the *old normal* - it's worse 3/13


Sevenoaks, Swanley & Tonbridge In Europe reposted

Vaccines are amazing but do wane - esp vs sympomatic infection. Immunity from infection wanes too. Surely Omicron has proven that high levels of antibodies in your population are no guarantee against v high levels of illness & disruption. 2/13


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