Don’t drop your guard

@AB, I don’t disagree with your first sentence. However A couple of months of strict lockdown will not cause stress and fear in the majority of people here. Spaniards appear to be coping extremely well as we are aware of its importance and are very inventive of ways to pass the time! Spain, like Italy, started our lockdown much later than Greece (I refer to the number of confirmed cases not the dates). Greece also has strict lockdown. Iceland’s population density is minute compared to Spain, the same goes for Reykjavik to Spanish cities, so necessary restrictions are not comparable. Compare the curves from the point they started to ascend not from the date of the first case. Spain’s strict lockdown is to prevent the hospitals and ICUs from collapsing. They have been on the verge and that would have been catastrophic. Our lockdown appears to be helping so please let us be, for the sake of the health professionals if nothing more. Sensible people will of course take responsibility for their(our) ’own’ wellbeing but going out at this stage we could infect others unknowingly as there are believed to be very many asymptomatic cases. Then there are the not no sensible people.... it wouldn’t take too many of those to send the figures soaring again. Extensive testing is really the best solution.

@S , It has been proven that stress and fear lower the immune system greatly. Rigid lock down specially in democratic countries where peple are not used to be controlled by the statel, causes great deal of stress. There are already specialists who believe this might be one of the factors that the virus is spreading. Compare Greece with Spain and Italy, the first case were reported in Greece almost the same time as in Spain, lock down started again almost the same time, yet Greece rate is nothing like either Spain or Italy (taking into account Italy is next door to Greece). Also Iceland, where there is almost no lock down. UK rate of infection is a lot slower than Spain and Italy, first case was detected earlier there than either Spain or Italy. One has to question that the fact that people are allowed out to do some kind of physical exercise is a contributory factor to the wellbeing and slower rate of infection (and yes it can be controlled, both by issuing permits with time slots , or apps on the phone). We have been told by the specialists that virus is going to be with us for a long time, and we will not be rid of it, so are we going to live under house arrest for the duration, or be sensible , educate, inform and let people take some responsibility for their own well being.

@Zoe, the cases in the UK don’t appear to be levelling at all. You (UK) do it your way and please let us (Spain) do it our way, I live alone in an apartment and haven’t been out or seen anyone for a month nor do I web chat but I am neither mentally exhausted nor stressed. My only concern is not to catch the virus and I will isolate as long as it takes even if that means the whole summer. Letting people out once a day for an hour is impossible to control.

Social/physical distancing : YES , total lock down : No We have seen that in UK the cases are levelling, so distancing in itself work. People who advocate total lock down, are not looking closely at the consequences of isolation fatigue, mental impact. Was reading there are 100,000 women live on their own, which means it is even worse for them as there is no company (and do not tell me contact through web chat etc is the answer). Majority of people also lives in apartments. Rather than lock down bring physical distancing, let people go out at least once a day for an hour . Greece is doing that, UK is doing that and the cases have not gone up exponentially. Not everyone wants to be treated as an irresponsible or naughty kid. Those who break the rules will break them be it Lock down or Physical distancing. Isolation is mentally exhausting, stressful and leads to all kind of problems. We are all in it together works to a certain point only and we have passed that point now.