Free children and healthy adults from 'stay at home' lockdown

I am an older person with working-age children & school-age grandchildren.

It is the older population, especially in care homes, as well as others with pre-existing health problems, who have suffered most - and most severely – from Covid 19, and who account for most hospital admissions, ICU care and deaths.

But it is those least affected by the virus – children, young people and healthy adults - who are being most damaged by the extended lockdown: educationally, mentally, socially and financially.

A proper balance is needed now between protecting those whose health and lives are most at risk from the virus while freeing up children to go back to school and enabling healthy adults to get back to work.

So, instead of keeping low-risk groups in a ‘stay at home’ lockdown, it is the high-risk groups (ill and elderly people) who need to continue to shield themselves and, as needed, be helped to do that effectively (including health and social care and ‘hospital-at-home’) and with the care home sector being properly supported and provisioned (PPE, testing etc).

The R rate will rise, there will be more cases, and also the risk of more deaths among younger people. But if the virus can be contained and effectively managed in the lowest-risk groups, and if there is an effective ‘test, trace, isolate’ scheme, then community immunity will rise and this is a necessary goal until there is a vaccine.

This ‘selective’ approach to relaxing the lockdown has complications and many challenges - for schools and workplaces and transport and much else - but arguably it is more just and more beneficial for society as a whole.

There are also longer-term impacts to be redressed to reduce as far as possible the damaging long-term effects on the younger generations of unthinkable economic recession and national debt that will result from prioritising protection of the older generation from this particular disease.

Why the contribution is important

Because it suggests the need for a significant shift in approach from a simple, universal instruction - 'stay at home' - to a management strategy that is differentiated across generations that are being differently affected by the Covid 19 pandemic.

by AJT on May 10, 2020 at 12:14PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.5
Based on: 16 votes

Comments

  • Posted by AJClubb May 10, 2020 at 12:51

    This should be done in conjunction with testing preferably with an oxygen monitor

  • Posted by Johnjul May 10, 2020 at 13:15

    Yes please! The vulnerable can carry on shielding. Monitor the hospital capacity, ensure the nhs can cope, keep testing for indication of how widespread infections are then let us get on with our lives. The public need to accept that people will continue to get corona and people will continue to die but the majority of healthy people will recover.

  • Posted by GSS May 10, 2020 at 13:22

    Agree except for how to define 'healthy adult' many over 70's are more healthy than some younger people so age itself should not be a criterion for the description 'vulnerable'

  • Posted by lynr May 10, 2020 at 13:49

    People should be allowed to make their own choice about isolating.
    Then the fit and healthy can carry on normal life.

  • Posted by JanS20025 May 10, 2020 at 13:49

    The death rate in healthy under 50s is very low. Compare with normal day death rates. Please show this data, life has a daily risk always. The public are being blinded by the current media coverage.

  • Posted by Elkie May 10, 2020 at 13:57

    While I will happily accept any risk of severe illness from this virus for myself, I would be very careful if I had young children or elderly relatives.
    Not nearly enough is known about the long term effects this infection might have on individuals.
    Children have rarely been infected by this virus, so far. But new findings of something similar to Kawasaki disease in children with this virus, are alarming.

  • Posted by Shadikins May 10, 2020 at 14:54

    I think this is a sensible approach. We need to understand that not everyone is at risk and as such not everyone should be locked away. People who need shielding should be and they should be provided for. The rest of us should be allowed to return to work.

  • Posted by Jillianmcfadzean May 11, 2020 at 00:26

    I really like the careful and considered points put forward by AJT.
    The limited scientific evidence presented globally so far does not suggest children are asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19. Hundreds of children have been tested in Edinburgh and very few have been positive. To date, children have been medically affected less severely.
    Conversely, the physical, mental and social health of children and young people is being indirectly harmed: their education interrupted at best, and irreversibly damaged at worst.
    We need to give them a louder voice in this pandemic.
    We should realise, and realise quickly, that as a society there will be consequences and potential harm whatever strategy the government takes now which includes severe damage to the economy, and the future prospects for the younger generations. We will never eliminate the risk completely.
    It is not an easy decision to lift the lock down but if it happens gradually, with healthy groups first, the prevalence within the wider society will gradually increase over the summer months with the smallest risk of harm.
    This should reduce the worrying combination of Covid-19 infection along with other common winter viruses such as influenza, which could place a huge burden on NHS resources during the busiest months.

  • Posted by Hep2020 May 11, 2020 at 18:32

    I agree with what AJT suggests as the NRS publication up to the 3 May shows that sadly 90% of deaths recorded in Scotland were in the over 65 age group. Perhaps a gentle easing of restrictions for the low risk categories (including groups of population, business sectors and geographical areas) backed up with stringent “Test, Trace, Isolate, Support” will help ease us into a new normal.
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