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Original poster

The positives of The covid pandemic.

211 replies

badgergirly · 03/02/2023 12:35

Thinking back to covid times/lockdown/the pandemic and what a horrendous time it was for many, losing loved ones, children losing their education and and generally a horrible time for the world, I'm curious to ask if anyone can take anything positive from it all?

Has life changed in anyway for you that's become a positive going forward?

My DH now works from home 50% of the time and can take out DC to school and pick up, something he would never been able to do prior to covid as he would have been in the office.

He was also able to take DC to nursery in lockdown/covid times.

We also had another baby last year, something I'm positive wouldn't have happened if covid hadn't have been present.

OP posts:
namechangeforthisbleep · 04/02/2023 07:25

@PennyToffee oh ffs I heard similar to this bloody line soooooo much from my front line friends during lockdown. Like the ones of us at home had any say in it. The bitterness was off the scale for some and it's such an unattractive quality

piesforever · 04/02/2023 14:38

NHS worker, somehow we all pulled together in the pandemic. Sure as hell not like that now.

BashirWithTheGoodBeard · 04/02/2023 16:12

namechangeforthisbleep · 04/02/2023 07:25

@PennyToffee oh ffs I heard similar to this bloody line soooooo much from my front line friends during lockdown. Like the ones of us at home had any say in it. The bitterness was off the scale for some and it's such an unattractive quality

Yes, forced wfh is no luxury.

I think the best way to think of people's work situations during the lockdowns is that there were many different difficult situations. There are people who had to wfh whilst looking after kids who'd have loved to be able to go out to work every day, especially if it meant a school place too, or childcare place in the 1st lockdown. There are people who went out to work who were terrified and would've given anything to be furloughed even at 80%. There are people who were on furlough and suffered because of the lack of routine and money. There were a lot of ways to struggle.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Covid-19
prescribingmum · 04/02/2023 20:19

BashirWithTheGoodBeard · 04/02/2023 16:12

Yes, forced wfh is no luxury.

I think the best way to think of people's work situations during the lockdowns is that there were many different difficult situations. There are people who had to wfh whilst looking after kids who'd have loved to be able to go out to work every day, especially if it meant a school place too, or childcare place in the 1st lockdown. There are people who went out to work who were terrified and would've given anything to be furloughed even at 80%. There are people who were on furlough and suffered because of the lack of routine and money. There were a lot of ways to struggle.

Show quote history

Absolutely this. Everyone had their own struggles.

As for all the comments about it being crass to consider the positives - even those of us who are posting positives struggled and lost during COVID. Most of us wish the pandemic never happened. But focusing on everything that went wrong destroys my mental health so I focus on the positive that has come out of it.

lissie123 · 04/02/2023 20:28

I lost two stone in weight

OrderOfTheKookaburra · 04/02/2023 20:47

Well, I had a huge trauma in the UK and I moved to a city in Australia which had a horrible lockdown, in a flat with 2 teenage boys and only allowed outside for 1 hour a day. It was awful. I lost my job because of the number of times my DSs' school closed down (open for them as a key worker). My DSs really suffered, particularly in the second lockdown.

But WFH opened up a shift job opportunity that I would never have applied for if I had to work in the office. That in turn meant I had a job in a National company that had offices in every city. The horrible living situation prompted me to move to another city to live with a family member whose home had a garden and I am able to live rent free while providing support for that family member.

I am now in a situation where I can save money and will hopefully be able to purchase a house in a few year's time, and I'm working for a company where I've managed to get promoted to a position much higher than would have been possible in the original small company I worked for.

Without Covid I would still be stuck in a horrible job and in a tiny flat and no hope of a better financial situation.

Coppercreek1 · 04/02/2023 20:50

We spent some really lovely time as a family that we wouldn't have had if not for covid, and I'm convinced I have a closer relationship with my daughters because of it.
Also our doctors started doing online e consults and they have kept doing them and they are awesome, the vast majority of the time I go to the doctors I know what is wrong with me but have to see a doctor to get the treatment, this has saved me so much time!

Johnduttonsbuttocks · 04/02/2023 20:57

Online parents' evenings were another huge bonus.

Recycledblonde · 04/02/2023 21:07

Fuck all. I worked all the way through and am now dealing with the fall out in mental health problems and delayed diagnoses amongst other things which are causing burn out with both me and my colleagues.

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 04/02/2023 21:57

Positive for me is a decent increase in income as I came out of retirement for almost two years as a nurse working with the mass vaccination programme. I worked two or three shifts of my choice each week earning £120 for every six hour shift. Met loads of people who were grateful for their vaccine while working with a great team of nurses, doctors, dentists, cabin crew and assorted others. We’ve now been disbanded and miss each other and the fun we had working together.

tobee · 04/02/2023 22:11

Nothing good. We were "locked down" a long time as Dh is cev/shielding. Especially messed things up for my young adult dc who live with us.

tobee · 04/02/2023 22:14

And things are still not back to normal; things happening on zoom that shouldn't, needing to pre book swimming slots, slots at the dump, hospital visitors, zoom gp consultations etc. Lots still restricted.

Rosiefifi · 04/02/2023 22:15

The roads were empty when I was going to work that was it.

nodogz · 04/02/2023 22:22

I got my career back. In my neck of the woods, industry has been hammered since 2010. In the end there were no opportunities locally and I couldn't continue to commute to London 200 miles away with a young family. So in 2019 I settled for a horrendous job with a local authority on 1/3 of my old salary. It was awful and so were most of my colleagues. I've always enjoyed work and took great pride in a good job so it greatly affected my mental state.

With wfh, I've been able to go back to a "proper" job which I enjoy and is compensated fairly.

I'm pretty much the happiest I've ever been and so grateful for my second chance.

Smallonesaremorejuicy · 04/02/2023 22:48

Deadringer · 03/02/2023 15:54

Main positive, eldest dd has returned from abroad to live with us. The pandemic made her feel very cut off from family.
Main negative, eldest dd has returned from abroad to live with us.

love your answers 😂

XenoBitch · 04/02/2023 23:12

No, no positives here.
Relative saw her business go down the shitter, another struggled with WFH as going into work was good for his mental health. His home "office" was his bed.
One friend found out her dad committed suicide due to the lockdowns, another friend had a huge relapse with her eating disorder and died from it. Another friend's DD was so anxious from the lockdown measures, she developed Tourette's (and a lot of her peers did too).
I struggled to the point I tried to end it too. Isolating myself was the absolute opposite to what I was advised to do.

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:19

tourettes is genetic, and wont be related to covid in any way

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:20

suicide rate went down during the pandemic, and was particularly low during lockdowns

XenoBitch · 04/02/2023 23:23

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:19

tourettes is genetic, and wont be related to covid in any way

There has been an increase in tic disorders during the Covid pandemic.

XenoBitch · 04/02/2023 23:25

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:20

suicide rate went down during the pandemic, and was particularly low during lockdowns

Suicide is not the only marker of mental health. what about suicide attempts? Self harm? Crisis team involvement? Ask any paramedic or A&E staff about it... they would not say there was a decrease in people attempting suicide, or harming themselves.
I was under crisis team several times during lockdowns.. they said they were absolutely overwhelmed.

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:28

yes, but not overwhelmed by the number of patients, but by the lack of numbers of staff, due to the pandemic

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:31

XenoBitch · 04/02/2023 23:23

There has been an increase in tic disorders during the Covid pandemic.

Show quote history

related to social media, not directly related to covid. Specifically related to use of tiktok

XenoBitch · 04/02/2023 23:31

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:28

yes, but not overwhelmed by the number of patients, but by the lack of numbers of staff, due to the pandemic

Really? Staff in my team saw a massive increase in referrals to them

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:33

XenoBitch · 04/02/2023 23:31

Really? Staff in my team saw a massive increase in referrals to them

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maybe cos other local teams were closed?

XenoBitch · 04/02/2023 23:33

Nimbostratus100 · 04/02/2023 23:31

related to social media, not directly related to covid. Specifically related to use of tiktok

Show quote history

That is a whole separate issue.

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