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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:
MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 05/02/2023 12:55

ImAvingOops · 05/02/2023 12:39

The thread is literally titled 'The Positives of the Covid Pandemic'.
Is that not a clue as to likely content?

Perhaps it should have been 'The Positives of the Pandemic for People Who Really Enjoyed It' - with a first post of 'And By The Way Anyone Who Didn't Have A Positive Lockdown Shouldn't Open and Read This Cos You Might Get Upset.'

I haven't been on MN THAT long and even I know that threads develop and move on from the original title. Sometimes very much so.

ImAvingOops · 05/02/2023 13:06

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain your post makes no sense. If a thread is titled 'the positives of the covid pandemic' it is perfectly obvious to anyone with more than two brain cells that it will contain posts from people who experienced good things as a result of changes forced by the pandemic!
Literally no one is saying they are glad it happened or that they wouldn't undo it if they could.

MardyBra · 05/02/2023 13:31

@ImAvingOops Your crass and inept attempts to justify yourself from behind a keyboard are pitiable. I watched my partner of nearly thirty years take his last breath and I was one of the lucky ones who actually got to say goodbye. I also watched my children have their hearts broken. Most of our family and friends attended the funeral by zoom.

Nevertheless we’ve survived and grown stronger together as a result.

How dare you insinuate I am weak and easily-triggered and should stay away from threads like this? I’m stronger than that.

I just came on here to say that the thread was in poor taste and then got attacked for being oversensitive. Given that over 200,000 loved ones were lost to covid there will undoubtedly be many other MN users who feel the same way.

I’m angry not upset.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Covid-19
Johnduttonsbuttocks · 05/02/2023 13:33

@ThroughTheForestUpTheHill , what a wonderful story!

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 05/02/2023 13:38

ImAvingOops · 05/02/2023 13:06

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain your post makes no sense. If a thread is titled 'the positives of the covid pandemic' it is perfectly obvious to anyone with more than two brain cells that it will contain posts from people who experienced good things as a result of changes forced by the pandemic!
Literally no one is saying they are glad it happened or that they wouldn't undo it if they could.

Quote from a previous poster

We look back fondly on the enforced time at home in the early stages. The weather was fantastic and we spent every evening sitting in the garden with the family

Although TBF, they did say they got sick of it after a few months.

And I've got more than two brain cells, thanks. Certainly enough to know that some people are going to get pissed off by such a smug thread title and come on here and say so. And there's nothing you can do about that.

ThroughTheForestUpTheHill · 05/02/2023 14:01

@Johnduttonsbuttocks Thank you 😊

ImAvingOops · 05/02/2023 14:03

@MardyBra @MrsDanversGlidesAgain I'm not 'attempting to justify myself'. I stand by my posts. It's obvious from the title what this thread was going to be about - in opening it you have chosen to expose yourself to the upset.
Lots of threads are insensitive to specific posters. There are people talking about expensive holidays and designer handbags when other posters are on the bones of their arse financially. But such is life - people have different lives and experiences and they are allowed to talk about them on a clearly signposted thread. You can be as angry about it as you like, but you can't police what other people talk about and while it's totally your prerogative, you do just upset yourself by opening the thread.

No one is saying that Covid was a good thing, only that it forced some changes which have had a positive impact in some areas of their lives. There's no harm in trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Johnduttonsbuttocks · 05/02/2023 14:06

Such poisonous bitterness.

Some people cannot seem to grasp the idea that not everyone feels the same way about things.

FinallyHere · 05/02/2023 14:45

WFH always possible for us, but usually considered a treat rather than routine. Now, we go in when we want to (lovely office, great facilities, coffee booths etc) and stay at home to get some done when that suits. It's no longer an issue where we are.

DH used to travel a lot, being in the same house for so long I finally (sic) understood why the glamorous lifestyle no longer suited him.

Contact less payment accepted everywhere, even the local village activities

Got to know friends and family much better. I know who is for fun outings, who can be relied upon. Some collages (local and wide) have become proper friends. Now have a set of leisure activities which somewhat make up from DH's health issues to give me a home and leisure life not limited by his challenges.

I know we were very privileged and were touched very lightly indeed. Feel great sympathy for those whose life was so much more difficult.

MaybeSmaller · 05/02/2023 14:51

If there is any positive at all for me it's that my employer finally bit the bullet and embraced (or was forced to embrace) WFH after making quiet noises about it for years and I'm still enjoying many of the benefits of that. I do 2, 3 days in the office most weeks and the presenteeism culture (which I despised) is mostly gone.

MardyBra · 05/02/2023 16:19

ImAvingOops
You really don't get it, do you? Especially when you talk about policing posts.
I can post on whatever bloody thread I want (within the rules of MN of course). I am not at fault for clicking on the thread.

Do not try and put the blame on me.

Do not try to silence me.

MardyBra · 05/02/2023 16:20

Many thanks to the posters who get it.

MajorCarolDanvers · 05/02/2023 16:30

ImAvingOops · 05/02/2023 12:39

The thread is literally titled 'The Positives of the Covid Pandemic'.
Is that not a clue as to likely content?

Absolutely. People really should read the thread title before opening.

MardyBra · 05/02/2023 16:34

ODFOD

Lapland123 · 05/02/2023 16:40

Another positive is the much improved awareness everyone has towards proper hand washing, not sneezing and coughing onto other people, staying at home/ wfh when have a bad cold instead of coming into work and giving it to everyone there

Parky04 · 05/02/2023 16:54

Managed to semi retire due to the redundancy that I received. Now I work in the jobs I enjoy and when it suits me.

DatasCat · 05/02/2023 17:05

Johnduttonsbuttocks · 04/02/2023 20:57

Online parents' evenings were another huge bonus.

Ohhh yes, I hope they keep those; it makes so much more sense than being queued up in a crowded room earwigging on Billy’s problems grasping simultaneous equations and Milly’s inability to distinguish between avoir and faire, when you’re already 10 minutes late due to overruns…

PAFMO · 05/02/2023 17:09

MardyBra · 05/02/2023 13:31

@ImAvingOops Your crass and inept attempts to justify yourself from behind a keyboard are pitiable. I watched my partner of nearly thirty years take his last breath and I was one of the lucky ones who actually got to say goodbye. I also watched my children have their hearts broken. Most of our family and friends attended the funeral by zoom.

Nevertheless we’ve survived and grown stronger together as a result.

How dare you insinuate I am weak and easily-triggered and should stay away from threads like this? I’m stronger than that.

I just came on here to say that the thread was in poor taste and then got attacked for being oversensitive. Given that over 200,000 loved ones were lost to covid there will undoubtedly be many other MN users who feel the same way.

I’m angry not upset.

Flowers Very well said. And so sorry.
I've been avoiding this selfish "oh we get to bake and work from home tra-la" fuckwittery since the thread was started but your post has prompted me to barge in.
(Also if you are the@MardyBra which I'm guessing you are, then hope you are doing OK. Am namechanger but been around since time immemorial.

ImAvingOops · 05/02/2023 17:09

"Do not try to silence me."

Oh the irony. You are literally telling posters not to talk about their own life experiences because you think it's in poor taste.

As for putting the blame on you, it was literally your choice to come on this thread. No one has told you that you can't btw, only that in doing so, you will see posts that hurt you.
Not all threads are suitable for all people.

MajorCarolDanvers · 05/02/2023 17:19

Generally I find that hygiene is much improved everywhere. Especially toilets.

Online booking portals for restaurants etc have been much improved and remain convenient.

Also agree @Johnduttonsbuttocks about online parents nights. Although our school has brought it back in person. There was coffee and cake but everything was overrunning within 30 mins.

WaggyTailsWetNoses · 05/02/2023 17:22

I understand that view will always differ about this, just as people’s experiences of covid differ. But I have found it uplifting and comforting to read about the positives that have come from such a sad event.

DH lost his father to covid, I lost my wonderful godmother, who saw me through my tricky teenage years like the best of mums.

But your good fortune doesn’t make my sadness sadder.

Neither does the fact that positives came out of covid for our family negate our losses.

Please don’t be afraid to share your positive experiences. For some they are a comfort.

SoupDragon · 05/02/2023 17:24

The very first paragraph of the opening post literally says what a horrendous time it was and how people lost loved ones. It's not "oh, wasn't covid just marvellous!"

Covid robbed me of the last year with my mum, that doesn't mean I can't see how some positives have come out of it for life in general.

There have been good things to come out of it like WFH and the ability to do meetings via Zoom but it would have been better if those things had come about in a different way.

MardyBra · 05/02/2023 17:47

Hi @PAFMO whoever you are. Yes it's the same Mardy from way back although I'm not on MN that often these days. I'm doing just fine thanks.

MinceandMash · 05/02/2023 18:13

I loved every minute of lockdown. Yeah it was weird, but I enjoyed the slower pace of life and the lack expectations from other people. I’m an introvert and so it suited me. I also loved going for walks. Found some amazing ones.

Sue me if you don’t like it.

Floofyduffypuddy · 05/02/2023 18:17

Loads for us and funnily enough dh working from home has been amazing! It's been a huge massive help to me as both schools far away from each other so that has really helped me.
It kept on laws away.
Lots of other positives