Covid pandemic is not over in the UK, and we are in the middle of a new wave with significant increases in 0-14 and 75+ age classes (data from the UKHSA).
Society response
YouGov – the UK’s primary opinion pollster – has just published the results of their survey on “living with Covid” attitudes. 59% of Britons supported the statement:
We need to learn to live with it and get back to normal
whereas only 31% felt close to the opinion that
We need to do more to vaccinate, wear masks and test
YouGov survey, March 2023
Only 26% in NRS Social Grade C2/D/E (most deprived) are content that life returned back to normal, compared with 31% A/B/C1 (least deprived), whereas 65% and 62%, respectively, think that it did not.
When it comes to choosing between “doing nothing” and “taking action”, the Social Grade does not make a huge impact – among A/B/C1, 57% wants to do nothing and 33% want to take action. For C2/D/E, it is 61% to 28%.
For 74% of those in 75+ category, life is still not back to normal, compared with 55% in 18-24 year-olds. But, interestingly, 22% of 18-24 do not know whether to choose between “doing nothing” (43%) and “taking action” (35%). For 65+, 59% is for “doing nothing”, 34% for “taking action”, and 7% do not know.
Are these fair questions?
I actually do not think these are fair questions. In my opinion, the two options are not exclusive, as I believe that we need to “learn to live with it” and do more to protect ourselves and others.
It is probably better to think of these two questions as: “doing little” vs. “going back to the dark ages of Covid”. I am not surprised by what most people chose.
I think that in order to “live with it”, we must do more to protect ourselves and others. Covid is not finished, and it is only going to get worse over months as the next wave sweeps through and generates more #LongCovid cases.
And yet, I am amazed that the society managed to get together so well during the lockdowns and to sacrifice so much, and yet is unwilling to engage in such easy and risk-free activities as wearing masks (when needed), testing, and arranging ventilation.
Vaccination is perhaps in a different category and I fully respect those who decide not to. And yet, the impact of vaccination on the reduction in death levels is without a doubt.
