Thread by @SGriffin_Lab

Yes, it really does.
It matters because ignoring the consequences of this is what we, as a generally healthy society consider comfortable, rather than normal.
Reducing our assessment of all this to comparators with other countries, NHS capacity, ICU bed

bbc.co.uk/news/health-58…

occupancy, IFR, or even the % of people likely to develop long COVID is still essentially trying to rationalise human suffering, and doing it in a way that actually modern society depends upon in order to function.
After all, getting back to normal is a normal that accepts a

huge swathe of our population lives with often unclassified, unquantifiable and invisible disability that means they can never be as competitive, capable or successful as "normal" people.
The fact that so many people actually face this every day and still live wonderful, loving

and fulfilling lives, whilst also delivering consistent quality and above expectation outputs escapes many, or is patronisingly applauded as some battle hard fought...heroic.
Actually, those living with chronic illness and disability have had to learn the hard way that if there

isn't an appropriate yardstick by which their condition can be measured, then they either have to invent their own rationalisation of their condition, or accept that it will never really be properly acknowledged.
COVID has shone an uncomfortable light on this, beginning with the

idea of "throwing a protective ring" around those most vulnerable, extending to Great Barrington and then "but how many had underlying conditions", to the whole "with, not of", or X % will suffer outcome A, B, or C...
We see this as we seemingly accept >100 deaths each day

because "it's the same as with a bad flu season", or it "must already be endemic", blah blah blah...
Simple fact is that the vast majority of us never have to face the prospect of getting severely unwell, or inexplicably experience nebulous, vague, changeable and sporadic

symptoms that nonetheless are enough to severely impact every day life, and which we cannot possibly control. People suffering from ME, chronic fatigue and other long term conditions have dealt with this for years, often without recognition, and sometimes with huge cynicism. SARS

has thrust morbidity into the spotlight alongside mortality, yet still we focus solely on risk of death, on NHS capacity being overwhelmed, rather than on the tragedy that leads us to even contemplate such things.
Our ability to cope with something isn't how we should judge its

severity. Our entire concept of normal has long relied on ignoring the inconvenient elephant in the room that many people can't actually ignore their conditions, can't ignore the consequences of SARS2 infection, and can't rely on vaccines protecting them to the same degree as

most of us.
However, whilst shielding was necessary during the first wave, the fact that it has been seemingly randomly paused, reinstated, and abandoned says as much about our willingness to sacrifice the liberties of the clinically vulnerable as anything short of a senseless

declaration signed in a small American Town in 2020.
In fact, the more I think about it, the entire notion of "focused protection" illustrates how we consider vulnerable people to be an exception, an inconvenience that we should...and I quote...send to an island somewhere while

the rest of us build immunity. The idea that people's lives can just be put on hold so the rest can just carry on, seemingly without guilt or remorse, ignores the fact that these are people who love, are loved, and make outstanding contributions to life on this planet in spite of

their situation.
It's ironic that the somewhat rare times we've acted quickly during the pandemic is when we've realised it's "not just the vulnerable" at risk from alpha, Delta, long COVID, or waning immunity. The fact that boosters are being implemented while

the third dose cohort are seemingly left floundering with no guidance or surety on getting their jabs is a case in point.
Now, I'm a realist, I understand difficult decisions need to be made, and resources aren't infinite. But, to ask whether it matters that we continue to see

horrendous death and morbidity that are ultimately preventable, because "if not now, when", and "it doesn't matter cos I'm healthy and jabbed" I think should actually be rephrased. Instead, we should find new ways of understanding illness and it's impact, beyond the number of

ICU beds or positive cases. We should ask whether we should reasonably consider it right that our "normal" ignores the fact that many people's life simply isn't, and we should, I believe focus more on the fact that small relative risks or incidence together amounts to real terms

large and profound impact upon peoples lives and livelihoods.
I'm aware that many reading this will not have experienced directly people living with such conditions, or at risk from COVID or whatever, but perhaps this means we need to rethink how we measure quality of life when

people live with such health, and socio-economic inequality in these modern times - the two are often linked.
Perhaps when we hear about levelling up, getting back to normal, or even "living with the virus", there should be greater recognition that this should apply across the

board, and not just those who are, let's face it, already thriving.
I haven't even begun to relate the current situation to the damage done to younger people, acute and chronic, or the selfishness of antivax morons who would deny vulnerable people what little protection they may

potentially access, but I just find the whole comparative, quantitative, relative and selective way that we are justifying forgetting that we ARE still in a pandemic just staggering, and should instead make us realise that we should consider society as a whole as we move on to

what I hope can be a better way of thinking about public health...for everyone.
We run a considerable risk of broaching GBD by vaccines if we continue to follow our present course. We cannot corral people into convenient boxes...
...and I haven't even mentioned virus evolution😉

P.s. any semblance of insight here can be attributed to @lucy_prodgers