Summer holidays abroad ‘extremely unlikely’ as third wave hits Europe

misschatelaine/maddyone. Thank you for saying that. I thought I was the only one. I have no intention of locking myself away anymore. Once we’re allowed out I’m off. Life is about living and this isn’t living. I worked in Cancer medicine most of my life and as my old boss used to say “you’ve got to die of something “. My 99 yr old mum hasn’t got that long left and she’s been locked away for nearly a year now. It’s worse than prison. We’ve both agreed she’d rather take her chance than stay locked in any more. If you want to stay in that’s fine but don’t put your fears on the rest of us. Sorry. That was a bit ranty. I’m sure there are lots of variables out there but for me, this is the last time.

What really annoys me is those who are vaccinated and who are now wanting to travel. Just because you are vaccinated, doesn't mean you can't get covid. Just because you had covid once, doesn't mean you can't get it again. (My sister in law has had it twice.)

If you get covid and have had it or been vaccinated, maybe you don't get too ill. But you can still infect others. We ALL need to stay at home to protect others, not just ourselves.

No. I’m not afraid of catching or transferring the virus. The recovery rate for COVID is very high and for most people the illness is mild or non existent. I am vaccinated against flu and pneumonia as well as a number of other infectious diseases including TB. I don’t spend every waking minute worrying about whether I am contagious or going to catch something ghastly even when I was working with very vulnerable people in the community where TB was rife. That is what vaccinations are for.
Additionally I think that I would have to be exceptionally unlucky to be contaminated where I live as there are fewer than 3 cases in the town. I am also low risk being females, fit, healthy with no underlying health issues. I have a low and normal BMI which I work hard at maintaining and have not had a days illness since German measles when I was 13. I am prepared to take the risk of getting on with my life as it’s the only one I have. I will say again, if you don’t feel that you want to stick your nose out of the door and you want to live in a perpetual state of fear and anxiety and continue to live this half life, then that’s your choice.

And it is the height of selfishness to put others at risk.

The third wave is coming, if too many people act this way.

GagaJo

And it is the height of selfishness to put others at risk.

The third wave is coming, if too many people act this way.

Can't add anything more to this.

We have all been in the same boat, had to stay home for a long time and getting frustrated. We want our freedom and to decide for ourselves, we are lucky getting the vaccinations, but to go mixing with other countries who haven't, doesn't seem very fair. We won't get sick with Covid, they still could.

maddyone

Just announced on the BBC, AZ is 100% at preventing serious illness.

But only 79% prevention of catching covid. The 100% safe means that if you catch it you won't be so ill.

Have I misunderstood? The developers of the AZ vaccine have already told us that the vaccine prevents catching Covid at between 80% to 90%. I have never seen the figure 79% anywhere. In any case, do you not think that 100% chance of not having severe illness, like I had, is a good thing? I do. I can’t believe the negativity on this thread. It’s no wonder the Victor Meldrew character, based on miserable old people, was developed.

I am one of those global grandparents and I will have a need to see my DDs and DGC in the U.S and Oz. It is hard for all families, but when a flight or flights are involved it makes it more uncertain.

There's not a big difference between 79% and 80% is there? It was on the 6.00pm news.

With your figures there is still a 10% to 20% of catching covid. The point is that if you do catch it, having been vaccinated there is a 100% chance that you won't be so ill.

Lots of people have flu jabs but some of those will catch it.

Finally, you are forgetting that the strains are morphing and this weeks jab may not prevent you from getting a different strain in a few months time.

The figure of 79% comes from the AZ testing trials run in the USA, Chile and one othe country. These were requested by the US Drugs Administration, or whatever they call themselves.The trials done in the UK produced the higher figure.

Whatever the figure it is higher than the flu vaccine that no one worries about, and to know without worry that if you get the disease, you will not be seriously ill, is enough it in itself to get me cheering.

Despite living in a beautiful part of France I had a brief period of being fed up a few weeks ago. Last spring/early summer I realised that the friends who come to visit us wouldn't be able to come and I thought "Oh well, they'll be able to come next year, because it would be over by Christmas" Fat chance. It now looks as though we won't get to see any of them this year.

Some people have mentioned why they like to holiday abroad - food being one of them. Many years ago we borrowed some friends' house in Northumberland. We had our dogs with us, the weather was good, lots of things to see and specialist cheese makers too. And good beer. However, it wasn't foreign food. We shopped in the supermarket in Hexham and I was so disappointed because it was exactly the same as shopping in one in Suffolk, where we used to live.

My OH and I like to cook and always on holiday we go round the local markets and choosing food for our lunch and dinner that day. One year we were in the south of France and bought a large bunch of basil - nearly as fat as a bunch of daffs - for a few cents. You can't get that in England unfortunately.

Someone mentioned holidaying on Crete. We went many years ago and one afternoon ended up at a village which was famous for its blue doors. We had a plate of yoghurt smothered with local honey. The best Gk yoghurt we've ever had - better than any that could be bought in the UK, even if it was imported from Greece.

Mind you, I'm missing English bitter and fish and chips. Always the first meal that we have in England.

Monica Thanks for the clarification. I obviously only had one ear listening to the news.

Monica well said.

Dinahmo it’s not my figure, it’s the figure that was reported. Thankfully people will not be so ill if they catch it.
I’m not forgetting anything. I know that viruses mutate. The good thing is that up to now the scientists have reassured us that the current vaccines will offer protection against all known strains, although the protection may not be so high.

I think we will have to learn to live with this virus. I don’t think it will go away. Further vaccines will be developed, and maybe we’ll need a yearly vaccine, like the flu jab. Nobody locks themselves away for eternity because of fear of flu, and yet about ten to twenty thousand people die of flu every year, mainly like Covid, the oldest people.

We have decided to cancel our visit to Italy booked for June. Will go somewhere in the UK instead.

Dinahmo if you live in France, you have more reason to be afraid than I have. France is going into it’s third wave. If I was French, or living in France, I would be very cross with Mr Macron, because of his false scaremongering, people in France will die. I hope you are able to access a vaccine very soon.

You can get nice food in England. I noticed when we went to Bourton on the water the co-op was FULL of local food. I am extremely lucky where I live that we have farm shops selling local meat and produce. We have locally produced beer and wine too. The pubs are actually the nicest, least boasted about too. But would anyone come here for a holiday?

We have family in Wales and we are able to get local produce too and have nice meals out

Oh dear, well dont.l would rather support this country then go to Europe where they cant organise their vaccine rollout.

maddyone

Dinahmo if you live in France, you have more reason to be afraid than I have. France is going into it’s third wave. If I was French, or living in France, I would be very cross with Mr Macron, because of his false scaremongering, people in France will die. I hope you are able to access a vaccine very soon.

I am a little cross with Macron and it has been difficult to access the vaccine - we haven't had it yet. However, we rarely see people - two couples with who we have lunch occasionally ( at our homes). The supermarkets are very strict on the wearing of masks as are all the other businesses - vet, doctors and so on and the supermarkets are no where near as crowded as those in England. I also live in a art where the covid cases are low so, provided we carry on as we have done, I'm happy to wait.

GagaJo

What really annoys me is those who are vaccinated and who are now wanting to travel. Just because you are vaccinated, doesn't mean you can't get covid. Just because you had covid once, doesn't mean you can't get it again. (My sister in law has had it twice.)

If you get covid and have had it or been vaccinated, maybe you don't get too ill. But you can still infect others. We ALL need to stay at home to protect others, not just ourselves.

I think if Europeans are deemed ‘at risk’ from any holiday makers surely their governments will protect them - either by banning flights from the UK or demanding a quarantine upon arrival?

Dinahmo, why do you think our supermarkets are crowded? or we aren't wearing masks

(this isn't 'an attack or being defensive' btw I am genuinely interested)

But poor Parisians eh Dinahmo? No wonder they fled to the ‘burbs. Macron? Pfft.

maddyone

Have I misunderstood? The developers of the AZ vaccine have already told us that the vaccine prevents catching Covid at between 80% to 90%. I have never seen the figure 79% anywhere. In any case, do you not think that 100% chance of not having severe illness, like I had, is a good thing? I do. I can’t believe the negativity on this thread. It’s no wonder the Victor Meldrew character, based on miserable old people, was developed.

People happily go along for their flu vaccination each year, in the belief it will protect them.
In fact, generally it is far less effective than the current Covid vaccines, about 50% - 60%, and, as you point out, maddyone, thousands die from flu or its complications every year.

We are going to have to learn to live with this additional virus as we do with all new viruses and trust that the vaccines will give us a degree of protection, if not complete protection.

and the supermarkets are no where near as crowded as those in England.

They are not crowded here as people are only let in, wearing masks, one or two at a time. They stand outside in spaced queues.

And, as an aside, for those mentioning air travel:

“Air is dispersed at the top of the cabin and on side walls. This is most prominent when the air is cold but the outside is warm and it appears fog is drifting in from the top of the cabin. The air is then pulled out of the cabin through grilles at the bottom.

“This design feature makes the direction of airflow in the cabin basically vertical, and the airflow in the horizontal direction of the fuselage is very small,” the Civil Aviation Administration said in February. “Under normal circumstances, diseases will not pass through the aircraft air conditioning system.”

When you think about it, it must be as safe as other public transport otherwise cabin crew wouldn’t want to work if their colleagues were dropping like nine pins!