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?

I finally realised I'm autistic in July 2020, thanks in a large part to the Covid lockdowns and then struggling when society reopened again. Diagnosed in 2022. I've been able to make changes in my life which mean I cope better now than before the pandemic.

DH and I were just discussing how publicly covid seems to have left the collective consciousness! It resulted in permanent wfh for me which has been great but I had pretty flexible wfh with a previous job so not a massive change. DH is police so his job stayed exactly the same. I had a horrible reaction to my covid booster shot which resulted in year long chronic urticaria which needed steroids - horrible stuff but that feels a distance memory and my recent miscarriage affected me far more. Everyone I know caught covid at some point but it wasn't any worse than a terrible flu which was lucky. I lost my mum to heart attack post the covid era and DH's dad got diagnosed with cancer last year - so just shows that horrible things happen anytime and if covid doesn't get you, something else will - the curse of being mortal! Also human beings are incredibly resilient so it's nice to see how we all adapted to covid life and then back to normal again.

I'm so sorry.
I lost my mother, I can't imagine losing my child.
Please can people be respectful.
COVID hurt so many .

I worked 18hr day throughout covid. It impacted my wellbeing, I was stressed.I was scared. I saw heard and thought things I never want to revisit. I used to go to the toilet in work to have a cry

The people who drew rainbows on their window and clapped - 2yr later were aghast at industrial action, were muttering about whiny staff, and have forgotten that a huge swathe of public service stepped up.

Covid will always be with me. It isn’t abstract. It’s not a crumpled face mask in a drawer

I’m so sorry Indianajet 💐

I work in the NHS (not inpatient). We still aren't allowed in the office for 5 days when we have a positive covid test. Were back in masks a couple of months ago as we had an 'outbreak' 4 out of more than 200staff.

NHS drained the resources out of the NHS quite effectively, I occasionally contract to the NHS, only customer I've ever had who bid my quote up from £50 to £250, brilliant for me, not so good for them.

I was diagnosed with cancer . My husband stood up to hug and comfort me . The consultant told him to step back and sit down . He didn’t and we were told to leave the office .

How awful, sorry for your loss 💐

A long list:

• family members with broken relationships due to pressures of WFH and home schooling
• my (formerly successful) self-employed business ruined overnight - 3 diverse portfolios, all stopped instantly
• still working in my mid 60s to try and recover financially
• very elderly parents who never recovered from the isolation, and died lonely and bewildered
• best friend on a 3 year waiting list for NHS treatment due to backlogs, will never recover to have a happy healthy retirement

@LaceWingMother you were fortunate (and maybe somewhat blinkered) if you think it was only about running out of bog-roll.

The most striking thing for me was how quick people were to accept such severe restrictions and the way others were judged for not following along even when they made little sense. And how people with houses and gardens and families had no sympathy for people on their own in flats without gardens who had to go outside.

I will forever be impressed with an A&E consultant friends approach tho. Told me her job hadn’t changed at all - she gave her patients the best care she could, some of them lived and rather more of them were dying but that’s the reality of medicine. When the rest of the world was panicking she saw it as her duty to carry on just doing her job.

I want to acknowledge the posts about loss,pain. I hear you

What a distressing time that must have been, sorry for your loss💐

How awful. I'm sorry to hear that.

For me, lock down, following hard on the heels of a year of cancer treatments had a major impact on my mobility. I suppose the cancer treatments alone could have done that but I do think that the mongths of restricted activity really took their toll.

My gadabout 82 year old neighbour whizzed about in her car every day until March 19th when the government scared her so much she never left it again. She eventually lost muscle mass couldn't walk, had carers. Two years later fell broken hip. Admitted to hospital, caught COVID survived, but died six weeks later of a stroke.

My grandson aged four became terrified of germs. The skin on his hands peeled from the sanitiser at school. He's still odd about germs

My youngest six months into his degree his life was upended. And again in the second year. He'll never get that time back again. He's very introvert now.

My friend got long COVID, she just wanted to give up and die after eighteen months. She's turned a corner now.

Me? My lack of activity, busy days caring for grandchildren accelerated my back issues because I wasn't running around after them. Wasn't dashing to the shops, wasn't seeing friends. My husband bought an e bike so would tootle off on that. I was lonely and bloody angry. I'd see areas of Wales where the death toll was enormous and weep for them.

We lived in a quiet backwater not blocks of flats so less chance of infection. But a mile away a nursing home lost 23 inmates in less than a fortnight. The owner hasn't recovered mentally.

Yes on the wfh point. Also my bf went mad and became intolerable so we longer talk. My dad died without seeing me or his DGD because of it.

What do you mean by evidence?

Are you disputing whether it factually happened or are just wondering about long term changes?

It clearly did happen, but I do find it strange how life has largely moved on. Personally I’m in my 20s and feel like there’s been a black hole in my formative years. I think the people who largely had a decent time during that time are middle aged and settled down. It wasn’t a good time for people starting out in life.

The signs are like ghosts now. I have been taking pictures of them before they fade.

but yes we have the home office, the Covid dog. WFM has continued although now in a hybrid form and that has transformed our family life. Also I’m involved in various volunteering groups and online meetings are saving so much time there.

My friend has long Covid and never recovered.

@MumChp It won't change the outrageous fact that you received no bonus but can I just say thank you and let you know that from this tiny corner of the internet what you did (and presumably still do) was/is so very much appreciated.

I think getting angry and not falling for it the second time around helped me mentally. When the supermarkets in Wales wouldn't let us buy certain things and blocked the aisles because of the roolz I finally lost it with the contradictory nonsense they were spouting here. We had longer lockdowns than England.

When I had to sit alone in the breast cancer clinic as did other women waiting to be seen. I thought it batshit.

My life will never be the same. I got covid and never fully recovered. I feel enormous guilt that our whole family life has been impacted. I’m unable to work so financially we’re worse off. I can’t do things I want you to do due to chronic fatigue.
My DS missed most of his alevel course and then struggled at university. It felt like he went straight from high school to uni.

I have a permanent wheeze and crackle thanks to 4 bouts of it (teacher). I'm on anti anxiety meds because of it.

Lots of the children in my Year 2 class are lacking in social skills and communication skills - they would have been 1/2 in Lockdown and missed out on gaining those vital skills or didn’t get put in touch with services they needed 😢

Our death rate was similar to Brazil. They were never locked up. It's just baffling.