Evidence of the pandemic?

[LaceWingMother]

Just idly wondering whether it's clear from any aspect of my life that the covid era ever happened.

Fortunately, no one I knew died or became seriously unwell from it, DH and I don't work from home because of it, DC now going through secondary school as normal, I didn't make any large purchases linked to it (one friend built a home office and a feckless neighbour bought a now-neglected dog). Apart from a few face masks stuffed in a drawer and forgotten about, I don't think there's any evidence of it in the house.

Does the impact of the pandemic appear in your life now?

WFH 90% of the time and honestly don't know how I used to do the office 5 days a week! One day now and then and I invariably get home completely exhausted. I am nearing retirement and don't think I would have lasted at work this long without WFH

algorithm messed up most of the results for the students

it was fucking useless, even the guy who designed it said it wouldn’t work, a friend of mine said ‘at least they didn’t do an exam’ she has no idea how close she came to a slap 😀

(obviously i didn’t really want to hit her…but i was very restrained in my response to her😀)

We were so fortunate and neither of us caught it. We were happy at home daughter now 21 and me. I did the food shopping, bought some mad things on line, and walked the dog on the common, looked after the cat and read a lot, as I always do. Had all the jabs though and didn't interact with anyone else. It was such a strange time. I felt so sorry for anyone on their own. Afterwards, people stpped me and said they felt better for seeing us pass by every day as it normalised life a bit for them.

No change for us work wise and school, back to normal, not long after but the emotional consequences will always be there. Not being able to see close loved ones in hospital to see if they were being well looked after (which they werent), not being to say goodbye at a care home, family member with long covid and really suffering, friends who died.

I doubt many sailed through and have had an improved life since, apart from the yipee wfh comments.

Same reaction, yippee, great, got to wfh.

I’m 32 well vaccinated and caught it 3 times. Was in good heath prior but still a healthy weight and unable to stand for long periods due to a cardiac condition called POTS my son developed a rare rash to ibuprofen that he never had pre covid and can’t take it for a fever now or he bursts out in massive painful welts all over his body and my (ex) husband went from catching zero common colds to now not missing a single small one.

I miss the quiet of lockdown because of my anxiety but I definitely have a pandemic has been here vibes.

My MIL was starting with dementia but was independent, living on her own, still doing her own shopping, banking etc., getting the bus to town and the library, etc., before the lockdowns.

Because of the lockdowns, we had to take over everything for her, we did her shopping, took her to the bank as rarely as essential, etc., to keep her "safe" by stopping her going into crowded/busy places. Even when restrictions were lifted, we still took her places as the "advice" was for vulnerable not to use public transport, and we took her at quiet times to avoid crowded places.

All it did was mean she lost her independence. She never left her house on her own again, never caught a bus again, never went shopping herself again, couldn't do her own banking anymore. By removing the "habit", she lost the ability and quickly became dependant on us which took away her independence.

I knew 3 people who died from it, 2 work colleagues (both nurses the same as me), and my father in law.

DP had it twice and he's in the same state. Lungs wrecked and constant fatigue, walks up two flights of stairs and he's panting like a retriever dog. Has to rest after a shower.

Sometimes I think about the pandemic and wonder if it was a fever dream lol. I didn’t know anyone affected by it, me and OH carried on working (me in a care home, him in construction) work wise we had an increase in deaths for a few weeks but that generally happens at certain times of the year anyway (obviously got put down as COVID regardless of a doctor not coming to certify death) so it didn’t really affect work that much apart from having no visitors inside the building for a long time. Aside from being at home for 18 months when not at work and my son not being at school for a small chunk of time it really didn’t have much of an impact.

Someone I was in school with died because of Covid. She was 25 and I think about her all of the time

The lockdowns seriously impacted me. I have not had covid but I exhausted myself trying to hold down a more stressful than usual job, wfh, with kids at home for nearly 2 years. Even when kids were at childcare I was constantly picking them up to take tests (one was teething and constantly had a raised temperature). I am still tired from it all. Part of it is my fault for following the rules too rigidly. I hope I would not make the same mistakes again.

We had a friend who killed himself a little while after covid. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

He had become depressed during covid as very outgoing but lived alone. Drinking problems escalated during this period.

A young man with everything to live for. Lonely.

I'm sure this wasn't an isolated case and it makes me so angry to think what they all went through.

Both of my daughters had major MH crises during and in the immediate aftermath of covid.

I lost my job February 2020 and wasn't able to get work for 18 months afterwards becausemy indistry disappeared overnight. It was horrendous. 🥺 My bank balance and pension both have big, permanent dents.

This is the glass half empty version. I made the best of it in practice. But when I reflect on it, I could identify bad stuff.

I almost lost my life, was paralysed from the waist down and had to re learn to walk etc again
I have permanent weakness in my hands etc from it , I’m a single parent to two SN children who one has developed ocd and a huge phobia of germs and other people being around her - her hands in particular are always red raw from over washing, yet she catches every virus going because she won’t go out and about and has no immunity and both my children’s education has been affected greatly.

I worked in an office with lots of other people all the way through it, I never caught it. I don't know anyone who died or anyone who has long term issues from having Covid. My grandchildren attended school during it and don't appear to have suffered any emotional or social traumas from it. I hated being stuck in the house so socialised in pubs and restaurants as soon as we were allowed. So whilst I'm obviously aware that it has sadly impacted some families, in answer to the OP, it hasn't impacted mine at all.

Yes in my own way. I pass a vets surgery every day when I'm on the bus to work. . The surgery where I had to pass my beautiful but very poorly cat to strangers (as far as moggy concerned) to be put to sleep. Literally do a cat carrier exchange in the vets lobby while they were guarding the inner door into the waiting room. The sight of the building gives me chills still.

And me. I wouldn't be able to do my job now if had to go to the office..

The vaccine (which I didn't object to) gave me muscle spasms and restless legs for months. I had a hypertensive crisis hospital stay and now have high blood pressure which also happened quite soon after jab. I can't help but think they're linked. Son's GCSEs were fucked up thanks to home schooling and he wasn't given any special treatment or remarking etc. it was traumatic for me as a single person with the kids constantly around needing help with school plus trying to keep a job down with horrid symptoms.

Yes, WFH is such a bonus for mothers of younger children though it obviously makes less difference once they are at secondary school. I'm older but would have killed to be able to WFH instead of knocking myself out to work full-time with four children. It means that mothers have a realistic chance of keeping their career going.

Hybrid/ flexible working- great.

terrible- BIL and MIL died directly of covid. Dog died indirectly- vets wouldn’t examine him and by the time they did it was too late.
Teen has MH issues from isolation. Education impacted.

As much as I love wfh I would swap it for none of the other things not to have happened.

My vision has been awful since Covid too and no one believed me!

I have no one directly related to me that died but quite a few friends who had family that died. Some young as well not just old.

The store I managed was closed down. Luckily I work for a large company and they moved me to a different brand but a different role.

My anxiety and depression heightened and has been a struggle since.

My son was left permanently disabled after his first Covid vacc'n and is now a full-time wheelchair user. It's turned all our lives completely upside down.
Work has never been the same either.
The winter bugs are being shared around again that nobody wears a mask now. 😷

It really was a devastating time. I’m so sorry to all posters who lost loved ones.
I had to work (front line public service) and I was ok ish with it. Driving by the airport every day and seeing all the planes lined up with no where to go was haunting,
I remember that fear of doing the drive through Covid tests.
I was first in my work to get it, it was so early on in the pandemic I was still in my work as per guidance at the time untill I got that text on my phone to say I was positive. Scary when I look back the amount of folk in my work who were checking in on me, offering to bring me shopping and so on. I was fine in the end.
it was scary times op!!

Positive impact:

1. Wfh 70% of the time. Best thing ever.
2. Husband is the same…so therefore we:
3. acquired not one, but two dogs. We wouldn’t have been able to in the past. 😁

Negative impact:
Husband caught Covid at the tail end of it all. It attacked his heart, we nearly lost him and he was left with heart failure. He’s on seven different meds and will be for life. BUT he’s here and his life expectancy and quality of life are normal. And to lend perspective - any cold/flu virus can attack and damage your heart if you’re unlucky.