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Original poster

Are people still nervous about covid?

93 replies

NoEffingWay · 28/08/2023 20:29

Have been away over the bank holiday weekend, stayed in a busy hotel in a major city. We were about to go into the lift, when a couple wouldn't let us in because they said 'we are very covid conscious'! They weren't wearing masks for context.

I see the odd person still mask wearing usually under their chin but am I naive in thinking most people are living without fear of dying of covid, or barricading themselves in lifts?

OP posts:
Justhereforthechristmasthreads · 28/08/2023 20:31

You don't know what their circumstances are.

You do your way. They do theirs. They may have very valid reasons for being cautious

Original poster
NoEffingWay · 28/08/2023 20:33

It was more the incompatibility of what they were doing. People were everywhere in this hotel, all 600 odd rooms were pretty much occupied. If they were that concerned, surely staying at home or staying somewhere les crowded would have been the more sensible option.

OP posts:
TheThingIsYeah · 28/08/2023 20:35

If they were really that worried about COVID they wouldn't leave the house.

My guess is that the husband had just farted and to save their blushes came up with this excuse on the fly.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Covid-19
Original poster
NoEffingWay · 28/08/2023 20:36

@TheThingIsYeah Grin

OP posts:
Mindymomo · 28/08/2023 20:37

Unfortunately it’s been mentioned on the news that cases are rising, so people are being more cautious. Fortunately for the majority it is just a cold, but it’s still worrying for those with existing medical conditions and to those who say why test, we’ve had so long being told to test if you feel ill, it’s difficult to carry on with normal lived, knowing you could potentially pass it on to a vulnerable person.

WorkingOnMyMindset · 28/08/2023 20:38

There’s a new variant circulating and hospital admissions are rising, so it’s a changing situation, I guess.

I’m more conscious just now, because I live in Edinburgh where apparently 1 in 10 people have it, and I think the Fringe could be just one giant superspreader event.

If you know someone with Long Covid, and/or are clinically vulnerable, I guess you could still be twitchy.

aspirationalflamingo · 28/08/2023 20:38

Being in a small confined space is different to open areas.

Some people who are vulnerable or have vulnerable loved ones are still cautious. It's easy to be relaxed if your risk of dying is remote.

Gilead · 28/08/2023 20:39

A lift is a very confined space, more so than a hotel lobby. They may well be taking their meals in their room. They may have been there for something unavailable.

Original poster
NoEffingWay · 28/08/2023 20:41

I would have said getting into a lift that 600+ had just got in or out of would be problematic if the fear of covid rising would be a genuine worry (there were stairs available!).

Had a look at the stats on the gov.uk website out of interest and there is no real change in the numbers so I'll not be hiding away just yet!

OP posts:
Original poster
NoEffingWay · 28/08/2023 20:44

DH is clinically vulnerable and has some long covid symptoms related to this, so I'm mot denying covid is a nasty virus, but we are both medical professionals who take a sensible approach to life in general.

I'm not putting myself or my family into lockdown unless there's a bloody good reason to.

OP posts:
Greenshake · 28/08/2023 20:46

Just my tuppence worth, but I think the couple in the lift were being overly cautious.

avemariiiaa · 28/08/2023 20:47

I honestly think some people just can't let go of the drama/excitement of the whole situation and will do anything to keep it going. However we also don't know everyone's individual situation when we see strangers wearing a mask or being shifty about getting too close to people.

Covid is now just an unpleasant illness that we have to deal with as part of life. Just like flu, norovirus, pneumonia...

Unless you are elderly, have a specific condition that makes you vulnerable to illness or have a poor immune system due to chemo/lupus type things then it is highly unlikely to cause you too much trouble. But this goes for a huge variety of illness and disease and before covid there wasn't this much drama about it for these groups of people. They just managed it how they personally felt necessary.

amicissimma · 28/08/2023 20:47

When I was out and about when quite a lot of people were still anxious the etiquette seemed to be that the nervous adapted their own behaviour as far as they could, rather than making demands on others.

So in the lift scenario, people willing to share a lift did so and anyone who didn't want to would get out, accepting that they might have to use the stairs or wait quite a while if they wanted a lift to themselves where a lot of people used lifts.

bluedelphinium · 28/08/2023 20:47

There's a fair few new cases about and testing isn't as accessible so they might have vulnerabilities/ be visiting elderly folk etc and be taking small easy-win steps rather than changing or restricting plans hugely. I work in a hospital and staff aren't as far as I have seen been ramping up precautions. Elderly patients often wear masks as do some others but obv I don't know whether this is general.concern or specific to their circumstances.

ASGIRC · 28/08/2023 20:49

@NoEffingWay I mean, I have a friend (though possibly more an ex friend, really), who not that long ago was still not leaving the house fr anything not essential.

And there has been quite a bit on the news about a new wave, so maybe people are becoming more concerned now. Long covid can strike anyone, not just the clinically vulnerable. In fact, the people I know who have/had long covid were not considered vulnerable before having covid, and the ones who were did not get it!

But I do understand what you mean... Being "very covid conscious" is not really compatible with not wearing a mask in public and being in a crowded hotel on a bank holiday weekend

megletthesecond · 28/08/2023 20:50

Sort of. Partly because I can't afford to be poorly for a few days.
I may well be the annoying person in masks again this winter.

Original poster
NoEffingWay · 28/08/2023 20:52

The NHS Trust we work for finally got rid of mask wearing a few months ago. Very much enjoying being able to breathe, and have the patients not be scared of us as they can't see or understand us.

OP posts:
Ascendant15 · 28/08/2023 20:55

Justhereforthechristmasthreads · 28/08/2023 20:31

You don't know what their circumstances are.

You do your way. They do theirs. They may have very valid reasons for being cautious

In that case staying in a crowded hotel and not wearing masks was a bloody stupid thing to decide to do, wasn't it?

CeriB82 · 28/08/2023 20:56

I wasn’t worried about it 1St time round.

wheresmymojo · 28/08/2023 20:56

I don't think many people are likely to be anxious about COVID anymore but obviously there are outliers either because of their specific circumstances or actual anxiety.

I just got COVID last week after managing to avoid it for three years.

I was fully onboard with the original lockdowns (and still feel the same about it, the original virus was much nastier). I don't take any precautions now and won't be going forward.

I have stayed indoors for a week other than dog walks away from any other humans so that I don't spread it around.

I'll be taking more precautions with the flu now TBH as I get a free flu jab which I'll take but the COVID jab makes me feel nearly as ill as actual COVID so won't bother with that again now that I know how my body responds to it.

BusinessClass · 28/08/2023 20:57

I would have got in the lift anyway. If they were that worried they wouldn't have even been in the lift

Topseyt123 · 28/08/2023 21:09

BusinessClass · 28/08/2023 20:57

I would have got in the lift anyway. If they were that worried they wouldn't have even been in the lift

So would I. They don't own the lift and they don't have any right to block other people from using it.

I'll be getting my winter flu jabs soon, and I think I am going to be able to have a Covid one too. Beyond that I will only be taking the usual precautions of not mingling with others if I am feeling ill, but if I am feeling fine then I will be.

paradoxicalfrog · 28/08/2023 21:13

"I honestly think some people just can't let go of the drama/excitement of the whole situation and will do anything to keep it going."

For goodness sake. Many of us have families with vulnerable members.

LlynTegid · 28/08/2023 21:28

I think you are correct in that many people are just ignoring it, but you should respect those who are in some way not acting as they would have done pre March 2020. They may have a vulnerable family member, or be just over it.

GlmPmum · 28/08/2023 21:30

Yup! Was at Leeds Fest this weekend and I saw two people out of 90k wearing masks! If I was that worried about getting Covid I wouldn't be going to a festival!!

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