Page 20 | COVID cringe memories (light hearted)

Floogal · 2023-08-14T12:52:57+00:00

Looking back at the pandemic, especially at its height in 2020, what made your toes curl? 1. "Imagine". Enough said. 2. The Marsh family. 3. On the local news, footage was shown of the Thursday clap (may or June). There was a parade of bhangra drummers and smarmy bratty kids doing the irritating floss dance. Was that point the 'applause' was seen as having had it's day. I know some people may mention the dancing nurses, I only saw tiny clips on the news. Even that made me cringe.

YukoandHiro · 14/08/2023 19:34

Sorry OP that wasn't very light hearted

napody · 14/08/2023 19:34

PinkCherryBlossoms · 14/08/2023 19:03

Nah, it wasn't. Whenever this topic comes up, there's always someone who rushes to trot something trite about hindsight out, but plenty of this was obviously stupid at the time even if one supported or at least accepted the restrictions based approach. The claims otherwise don't get any less daft with repetition.

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Yeah, do you know what? I retract my comment- yours is more measured. Some of the shite was obviously crazy. But I worry that some of those quoting don't even realise that e.g. short sharp school closures were necessary. See deaths early 2021.

Sorry, sorry... light hearted! Tbf a lot of these have really made me laugh.

FrenchFancie · 14/08/2023 19:35

We lived abroad during covid so missed much of the uk madness. I do remember watching a woman in the supermarket in mask and gloves trying to look at her mobile, getting frustrated it wouldn’t work so taking off her glove by biting the end of the finger and pulling - this putting the dirty glove into her mouth!!

i very quickly sacked off the gloves in public but had to wear a mask much more than in UK.

HippyChickMama · 14/08/2023 19:35

Hamandpeas · 14/08/2023 16:23

Oh the clapping. They came out on our street with their banners, clapping, banging saucepans.

Me - I sat inside with my glass of wine cursing. I worked at a GP surgery doing 60 hours a week with little to no NHS provided PPE. We had to rely on the partners to buy decent PPE and the kindness of patients to provide us with decent masks, etc. And Boris, out there clapping away - I actually threw something at the tv.

This.
I am, as far as I know, the only nurse that lives in our street (though not patient facing anymore) I am also autistic, as is ds. The clapping and banging of pan lids every week drove me to the edge due to noise sensitivity. One neighbour took it upon herself to bang on the doors of any household that didn't join in
Also, we had covid in July 2021 and I was really unwell, literally bed bound for 10 days. The daily, sometimes twice daily, phone calls from test and trace! I actually told them to leave me alone at one point but they continued calling

EarringsandLipstick · 14/08/2023 19:35

So how did those individuals know that they would be the ones for whom it was mild? My cycling mad, super fit 36 year old friend drowned in his own lungs in ICU and left two small children behind. I’m sorry but, we had to work on the premise anyone could have been the unlucky one until we knew better.

Exactly @EbiRaisukaree

I wanted to say this too. There was of course collective madness, some of it humorous as recounted here. Not every decision was correct.

But we are collectively appraising decisions from a distance, with the benefit of vaccines, knowledge & hindsight. We had very few defences at the time & the initial 'stay at home' was entirely correct (except the UK didn't do it soon enough).

PinkCherryBlossoms · 14/08/2023 19:36

Vitriolinsanity · 14/08/2023 19:33

I also live at the end of a dark, quite perilous path. Every single person coming to our houses comes in the back, which is not dark or perilous.

In December 2020 when DS and I had tested and declared positive, a woman from T&T appeared in our garden demanding to see that we were both indoors. Did I mention it was December and dark?

When we said yes, again because we were poorly, it was December and dark and we had to come outside to evidence we were inside, she then complained that she'd had to walk up the dark, dangerous path.

I pointed out that she could've popped round the back (like the Postman, Bin Men, many key worker delivery people) and quite possibly saved herself a death defying journey to our kitchen door.

Where do you live? Because in England at least, there was never a requirement for those isolating to stay indoors. They couldn't leave their property but that included the garden. I realise it wouldn't have been a particularly tempting proposition when dog rough in the middle of December though!

hippygirllucky · 14/08/2023 19:36

Tiger king. Would it be as big if
It came out now?

Takentomybed · 14/08/2023 19:38

My first experience of MN was during early days Covid. I said I would be going to visit my elderly Mum who lives on her own and would sit in the garden. Got told I was a cunt and was going to kill her....

Also not cringe but having to have my cat put down in the bloody car park of the vets sat on the floor behind the car.

CloudyMcCloud · 14/08/2023 19:38

PinkCherryBlossoms · 14/08/2023 19:34

That's why we did it too, kids liked the pans and fireworks! I used to use the time for a chat with neighbours.

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My dc did too. But that gives me half way between a pain and an argh because how sad it was we reduced dc lives so much.

I don’t think it’s all hindsight as some are claiming

explainthistomeplease · 14/08/2023 19:39

Woman in my village with a 2m long bamboo cane which she'd wield to encourage people to keep their distance. Trouble was she had a tennis ball on one end and my dog thought she was playing the most excellent game so would lunge at the ball on a stick

Crazy days

heatherheathe · 14/08/2023 19:40

yes to the essentials/non essentials stupidity in wales
Essentials you were fine to buy included alcohol, cigarettes (particularly essential during a pandemic that primarily affected the respiratory system...), lottery tickets, lube etc.
non essentials you could not purchase included things like underwear, duvets etc (in the middle of winter) kettles, baby clothes and paraphernalia, paper and pens
Make it make sense.

Oh and also the decision to shut down events of more than approx 20 people as late as December 2021 - can just about understand this applying to things like packed theatres (although such performances and parties went ahead in England with no discernible difference to the figures) but even applied to things like outdoor ice rink, winter lights walk etc. Ridiculous.

DrSbaitso · 14/08/2023 19:41

EarringsandLipstick · 14/08/2023 19:35

So how did those individuals know that they would be the ones for whom it was mild? My cycling mad, super fit 36 year old friend drowned in his own lungs in ICU and left two small children behind. I’m sorry but, we had to work on the premise anyone could have been the unlucky one until we knew better.

Exactly @EbiRaisukaree

I wanted to say this too. There was of course collective madness, some of it humorous as recounted here. Not every decision was correct.

But we are collectively appraising decisions from a distance, with the benefit of vaccines, knowledge & hindsight. We had very few defences at the time & the initial 'stay at home' was entirely correct (except the UK didn't do it soon enough).

Now that it's effectively "over" (I know it never will be but you know what I mean), it's easy to forget how frightening it was when we didn't know what we were dealing with, didn't know how it would pan out, didn't know how long it would last or how it would mutate and so on.

user1469095927 · 14/08/2023 19:42

@dontforgettofloss the stupid Facebook thing that went round where you showed support for keyworkers by downing a raw egg, a spoonful of sugar and a shot of something alcoholic. You were tagged by somebody else and then made a donation to "support key workers". Whilst on the subject of key workers, I used to get annoyed by those people who were not NHS staff but shop assistants, lorry drivers etc that claimed they were just as important (and I know they were/are important) dont mean to offend but they were not working on Covid wards1

PinkCherryBlossoms · 14/08/2023 19:42

CloudyMcCloud · 14/08/2023 19:38

My dc did too. But that gives me half way between a pain and an argh because how sad it was we reduced dc lives so much.

I don’t think it’s all hindsight as some are claiming

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Oh yeah, it's painful to think how much of their social contact that was.

And of course it isn't all hindsight. But someone who's uncomfortable with the topic being discussed invariably tries to pretend it is whenever this topic comes up.

Vitriolinsanity · 14/08/2023 19:43

@PinkCherryBlossoms Kent.

I swear to God herself. I admit I was so I'll I was delirious, but having to present oneself does stick in the mind of the crazy world we lived in.

I still cannot believe we supplicated.

PinkCherryBlossoms · 14/08/2023 19:45

Vitriolinsanity · 14/08/2023 19:43

@PinkCherryBlossoms Kent.

I swear to God herself. I admit I was so I'll I was delirious, but having to present oneself does stick in the mind of the crazy world we lived in.

I still cannot believe we supplicated.

Understandable in the circumstances! I'm combative and enjoy fucking with bullshitters and jobsworths, but when I had covid I felt so rough I'd probably have said anything.

fairytalesRonlyinbooks · 14/08/2023 19:45

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This user is a troll so we have deleted their posts and threads.

Countdown2023 · 14/08/2023 19:46

All those bloody idiots who claimed key worker status! Even Karen from back office accounts managed to wangle that one

Vitriolinsanity · 14/08/2023 19:46

A friend that lives in Hong Kong told me that folk were so PPE'd with home-made stuff - think diving masks, ski goggles etc that they were more at risk of being run over than catching Covid because they couldn't see traffic.

PinkCherryBlossoms · 14/08/2023 19:48

Countdown2023 · 14/08/2023 19:46

All those bloody idiots who claimed key worker status! Even Karen from back office accounts managed to wangle that one

I must say, I didn't blame any parent who did that in the Jan 2021 lockdown to access a school place. Would've done the same if I could.

jannier · 14/08/2023 19:48

Under 5s don't spread Covid so cuddle them no PPE over 5 distance

fairytalesRonlyinbooks · 14/08/2023 19:49

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This user is a troll so we have deleted their posts and threads.

Lorrymum · 14/08/2023 19:49

Wintersgirl · 14/08/2023 19:12

People wearing those absurd visor masks that were completely exposed at the bottom.

Yes and it always seemed to be old ladies with white hair that wore them! (well in my area anyway)

Still wearing them here!

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 14/08/2023 19:50

Wonderfulstuff · 14/08/2023 15:47

I dunno I think a lot of the Sir Tom and clapping stuff was just people trying to find something vaguely uplifting that allowed them to connect to others in a time that, for a lot of people, was exceptionally bleak. Doesn't make me cringe. Just makes me feel massively sad for all that we lost.

I kind of agree with this . There was s kind of sociableness of all our neighbours out on our doorsteps on a Thursday evening - waving to all and having a quick catch up . Then again none of my neighbours were into reporting others for their very 'loose' understanding of the bubble rules or the garden meet ups when we were only supposed to see others in the park .

What I found upsetting was the number of isolated elderly people - families not visiting - even though there was always provision in the rules for making care and welfare visits . Although I appreciate that this was complicated by worry of infecting people .

I'll admit, looking back I'm shocked that I was scared to hug my son, and the first time that he and his GF visited us for a BBQ in May 2020 we stuck them right at the top of the garden! (Although given they weren't actually meant to be in the garden perhaps it wasn't that bad, considering).

FreeRider · 14/08/2023 19:50

My Australian mother couldn't understand why the 'rules' here were so 'lax' and 'no wonder' the UK had such a high death toll.