Anyone else's family completely OTT about Covid at the minute?

[Toddlerteaplease]

We all get on very well. But they are all being completely hysterical about the risk of covid and social distancing. None are risk. Met my parents in their garden and felt like a leper, completely OTT. My sister is refusing to even walk through my house to get to the garden.
I've been working all the way through. In a job where social distancing is impossible. And my friends are all fairly chilled about it. If their attitude the norm?

I'd honestly rather be ott and have people think I was a nut case but know I'm keeping people safe. And I mean that in the best possible way. The more covid loonies out there the less infection until some other way of battling this becomes apparent

I honestly think some people will live in fear forever now.

I hope all the people who are “fairly chilled” about it are still this chilled when the second wave hits

Your parents are following the guidance. Would you have preferred to go indoors at their house? That’s illegal. OTT in your book. maybe, but that’s the law as it stands.
Not sure what “none at risk” means - everyone is at risk of infection. Do you mean they’re not in a high risk group?

Everyone reacts differently. Those who have worked will have a view based on a very different experience than others and, so, expect and respect different reactions.

What they are doing isnr wrong. It maybe over cautious. Or, if a spike is on its way, it might just turn out to have been the sensible action!

@mouldygrapes it was more, that I was concerned at my mums level of anxiety about having me in their garden. I'm a nurse. Since social distancing at work is absolutely impossible I think myself and my colleagues have a much more relaxed attitude to it. ( though we are all obeying the rules, outside of work)

Let them do them, and you come out into the allowed freedoms and have joy.

Yep, OTT family here. Nobody at risk, DSis has even declared that she'll be isolating til there's a vaccine. I've told her she may be isolating forever then!

My friend also had to "sneak out" to go on a social distance walk with me as her husband is being OTT and if he knew he "wouldn't let her go"

It certainly varies. My in laws won't see their grandchildren at all, not even in the garden, since apparently children are "super spreaders", but croquet and group walk and meeting their friends in the garden is fine. My mother isn't concerned and will see the kids, but doesn't go anywhere anyway.

I don't actually think what you've described is hysterical. If you've been working in a medical setting with no social distancing in a medical setting then they could be worried the risk of you picking it up from work.

I'm very happy for my family and friends who are able to mingle and be relaxed with very little or no social distancing, but I'm not at that point yet. My side of the family understand but husbands side think I'm being a fanny and hysterical in sticking to guidelines and not having them all in my house. I'm supposed to be shielding due to a chronic lung disease and they've also been offended at "being treat like a leper" i don't judge them for throwing caution to wind because I know everyone is fed up, I judge them for trying to force me to ignore my medical advice because they're offended I won't mix households.

As someone who has had it over 100 days ago and is still suffering I think they are right to be cautious. I was running 5 k prior to this and now struggle to walk the dog. I've no underlying health conditions. I'm early 50s. Be annoyed at their over reaction if you like but I think you are misguided.

Your parents are following the advice. They are not being OTT sorry but it's you who is being unreasonable expecting them to break the guidelines.

And if you think it's a genuine mental health abnormal anxiety thing, then maybe show kindness, a lot of people are going to come out of this pandemic with anxiety they didn't have before and calling them hysterical and being annoyed that the boundaries that make them feel safe are diff to your personal boundaries.

I wouldn't be annoyed if my Mum wanted to keep her distance and my sister, who works in a care home probably would be the one not wanting to pass through my house, and I wouldn't mind if it made her feel safer and more relaxed.

I’m a doctor, and I don’t want to get too near my loved ones for that reason - I’m seeing patients at work and not always able to distance from colleagues. My family are at home except for brief trips to the shop. I’m the risk; not them. I understand that seeing me may make them anxious.
I’m sure your parents will get more comfortable with the idea in time, it’s natural that some people will be anxious, just as some feel more comfortable.
Despite working in healthcare, I am probably not that “chilled” - happy to be considered OTT. Lots of healthcare workers have completely given up on the idea of social distancing at work even when it is perfectly possible to do so (appreciate this is not the case everywhere, god knows the NHS is not blessed with space).
I do think we’re relatively lucky to have had our workplaces remaining relatively “normal” compared to what others may be going through

All of my friends and family are following the guidance.

I'm starting to think the people who have been working throughout this haven't ended up in a fear bubble. My parents are pretty relaxed but talking to others leaves me worrying for their mental health. It's madness.

I assume they see you as a possible carrier and don't want to catch it from you.

Surely it is better that most people still follow the guidelines, we are not out of this yet.

@ShirleyPhallus

I hope all the people who are “fairly chilled” about it are still this chilled when the second wave hits

^ This

@Nonnymum I wasn't expecting them to break guidelines. I wasn't going into their house. I am absolutely happy to sit in the garden. It was the being made to sit on a bin bag and towel on my chair, having to bring my own cup, and her jumping like she's been stung every time I touched anything the was a bit much.

I don’t think the are OTT. Most people staying at home and not mixing for the last 4 months is what has got the virus level down. This means that people who have to go into work, rather than work from home, are able to do so with much less risk.

I'm starting to think the people who have been working throughout this haven't ended up in a fear bubble.

Totally agree. I work In paediatrics. I'm on a clean ward and there have only been about 5 kids with it.

It was the being made to sit on a bin bag and towel on my chair, having to bring my own cup, and her jumping like she's been stung every time I touched anything the was a bit much

^ Yikes.

I hope all the people who are “fairly chilled” about it are still this chilled when the second wave hits

I hope that all the people ominously forecasting this 'second wave' of doom learn from this experience, unclench, step away from the internet and enjoy the life they've got to the fullest.

Me, apparently. We're in Scotland and family and friends are slagging me off for being the last person in the country to be following the guidelines.

I am also a nurse, and I think that doing a job where we can't social distance and spend many hours a day with other people from outside our own household can sometimes feel like a different world to what most other people are experiencing right now and, to an extent, it can make our attitudes different to other people's.
However, when my parents suggested coming to visit me and my children at a social distance in our garden on the first day that was allowed, I was concerned that we would be a higher risk to them as I am going to work, mixing with lots of people and not social distancing, and DC are going to school, mixing with a few other people and not social distancing. My parents are not at very high risk of complications if they do get COVID but some people with no risk factors still get very unwell and I didn't want to increase their risk of catching it. I let them visit us because we can't not see them indefinitely, but I did insist they stick to the guidelines of social distancing, not coming in the house, bringing their own food/ cups/ cutlery etc to minimise the risk. They are not concerned about the risk we could pose to them and probably thought I was overreacting by asking them to stick to the guidelines, as they have not been following the 'rules' of lockdown for the past couple of months.