To wish we had been completely wrong

[Wehttam]

Many of us were trying to warn people to mentally prepare for what was coming at the end of January, early February. Watching with horror at what was unfolding in China it was inevitable a pandemic was hurtling towards us like a freight train, only it was coming at 10mph and was still somewhere off in the distance. Nevertheless it was coming, and nothing could stop it. Any suggestion of this was met with accusations that we were revelling in the drama and being hysterical. The mention that it could linger in the air, was highly contagious and affecting millions was ludicrous and again we were berated and reported because what we said didn’t match the narrative from the news here in the UK.

We were sneered at and accused of scaremongering for even suggesting the possibility of a lockdown or that we would face living with this virus indefinitely. I think I can speak on behalf of all of those when I say we were hoping none of this would happen and that the sneers were for good reason, though this wasn’t meant to be.

This is now our new normality, a new world, again something I had posts reported for because it was a ‘fantastical’ ideology, that we were some frenzied lunatic fringe spreading conspiracy theories and talking about new normals as if we were disciples of David Icke.

How we move forward now will define our civilisation for generations, we are taking tentative steps towards a new set of rules and behaviours. What comes next no one can be sure of, it’s a new lifestyle we must learn to live in and accept. One day there will be a vaccine, a cure, a therapy, a way out. Until then, we carry on, stay safe.

Please do not label those with worries, fears and concerns as Dementors, yes I see those threads and frankly they are despicable and I am embarrassed for you that you openly mock those who have concerns, questions or fears about this virus. Your motivation for having to resort to name calling or compartmentalising us I will never understand, it says a lot about your character.

To those who were mocked, how do you feel now we are over the first wave? I am very relieved that society has stayed glued together for the most part, we are far more resilient than I first anticipated. The deprivation and societal impact will surely unfold as we go on, the economic damage will be immense, the mental health impact will be just as devastating.

I just wish in this instance I had been absolutely wrong and we would all be carrying on with life as I am sure everyone else does. I miss my family, interaction with people at work, being able to walk into a shop straight away and so much more.

I think there are some people who are actively hoping that the antibody tests will show that we do not gain immunity to this virus and that a vaccine will never become available.

I think it’s far more likely that they will show that most have actually already had it,or at the very least a far higher number than we think.

And when that happens I think that the restrictions will be drastically eased.

Having said that,I think there are many of the dementors who will refuse to be tested because it’s far better to live in fear.

If it turned out I’d had it I will be delighted.

The vulnerable always need to be careful, I am one of them,and my DP and parents don’t even see me if they’ve got a cold.

But the vast majority of people aren’t vulnerable.

Each time this thread appears on "threads I am on" I smile to myself at how long OP must have been mulling over starting it and how how to do it without overtly saying I told you so and make it to obvious that they were looking for a ton of "oh @Wehttam, it's true you were right all along! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻" posts.

@FourTeaFallOut thanks but I won’t be wobbling my head. The dam metaphor wasn’t mine it as op’s on a hysterical post

Her apparent glee at trying to toll the bells of doom is where heads need wobbling.

Get some perspective.

Any person dying of this illness- or indeed any other - is a loss, tragic for their loved ones, but it’s a virus. Its a natural event however prolific. It’s caused a tragic elevated rate of death, but it’s happened before and will very likely happen again. Lessons will be learned, but even if we ever get the perfect solution to a novel corona virus, sadly it’s still going to cost lives.

The most we can ever do is give the vulnerable as much support as they need, and the rest of us have to get back to as much as normal as we can.

Countries that have squashed this virus without community infection will be at risk from it for years to come.

I can relate. In January I saw it coming, I upped my preps and did my panic buying in Jan and Feb.
I told my family to do the same... My Nan got an extra tin of slimfast and my mother brought extra dog biscuits. I was told it would be nothing and to stop worrying. My family laughed when I sent them a picture of my prep store. Said I was a "looney".

Hahaha

Ah yes "the dam is going to burst" - that was a good one

We might well be at risk from it for years to come despite the huge loss of life we have seen. Research from France suggests community infection at less than 5%. Even if we have been hit twice as hard the virus still has room to grow. Those countries who managed to squash the infection may well have done the best thing.

Despite that, I'm still optimistic. I'm hoping the track and trace app will help curtail the spread. But it's a wild guess to presume we are any less likely to see future deaths at the same rate as New Zealand because of our limited outbreak.

Here’s another one of yours Wehttam!

Wait until you are shaking with fear because someone just sneezed in front of you and you know what the could really mean....

I can’t imagine why anyone thinks you’re doom-mongering and enjoying the drama, not at all.

I was worried long before most people I know, prepped re food and stuff (I keep stocks up anyway due to fear of the dc going hungry, it's a poverty hangover I think, but I did more than usual), told my family to be ready, etc, and yet I am very much an anti dementor now. Because it is very possible to be someone who was among the early worriers and at the same time to be someone who does not feel the need to obsessively police your neighbour's movements, scream that "you are going to be responsible for people DYING" at anyone who goes to a shop for a 'non essential', to believe that things are not actually as dire as some make out... I have been at work throughout and I am becoming more and more sure that it is people locked down at home who are the most afraid.

It is ok to be afraid, and it is ok to be worried, but it is fucking cruel to insist to other, equally afraid people, that things are not going to improve.

My family laughed when I sent them a picture of my prep store. Said I was a "looney".

Did you actually need it all though. I mean I'm sure it came in handy, but things didn't run out for long.

I can relate. In January I saw it coming, I upped my preps and did my panic buying in Jan and Feb.I told my family to do the same... My Nan got an extra tin of slimfast and my mother brought extra dog biscuits. I was told it would be nothing and to stop worrying. My family laughed when I sent them a picture of my prep store. Said I was a "looney".Hahaha

But what’s your point? There haven’t been any food shortages. Have your nan or mother starved as a result of the pandemic? Or were they right that your stores weren’t necessary?

I bought nothing extra and haven’t gone short of anything.

Yeah I prepped early too, but we would have survived fine without it 🤷‍♀️ It just took the pressure off a bit. So I don't see a reason to be smug or self-congratulatory about it. My friends and family who didn't prep haven't starved to death. They just went without pasta for a couple of weeks

“Shaking with fear”
“Literally sobbing and shaking.”

Only on Mumsnet! 😂

There does seem to be a vocal minority who seem to relish things getting worse and get some perverse thrill out of bad news. It's quite worrying. I bet they were sitting rubbing their bloody hands together as the death toll went up each day and congratulating themselves for having the 'foresight' to prepare, which hasn't really led to anything different for them anyway. They're in the same boat as everyone else. They just had some extra loo roll for a couple of weeks.

My family laughed when I sent them a picture of my prep store. Said I was a "looney".

That would be your prep store that ended up totally unnecessary as there were limited shortages for a short time? I can't imagine your family feel any differently about your prepping now than they did then

@Dontcoughnearme I did absolutely zero prep and I've managed to get everything I need since lockdown. I still think loads of prepping is loony.

So hilarious people being smug saying they saw it coming so stockpiled. It was YOU and not COVID that caused problems with shortages.

There was enough for everyone if you hadn't have done that.

And now you think you were clever and averting a shortage that YOU caused.

The UK didn't suddenly need to defecate more or take more paracetamol or use more tinned foods or pasta or flour. The shortages were caused by the stock- pilers.

Toliet paper and pasta or tinned foods levels thankfully went back to normal very quickly in supermarkets. Though many suffered because of the stock-pilers.

While they stock pilers had scores of toilet rolls and pounds of pasta that they didn't need to have stockpiled. And still have.

There weren't massive problems in production that couldn't stabilise quickly if people were sensible, it was the stock-pilers that caused the issues and then claimed that the reduced availabilty was evidence of a catastrophe they hadn't been effected by. But they caused it!

And i'm not talking about 'usual' preppers who are always prepared for something which may never happen and add a few bits every week over months but the people who rushed out stockpiling at the first suggestion of threat.

I'm also finding all the gleeful 'panic buyers' a bit odd. Did anyone starve in the end? Or was there a few days of no pasta or loo roll (big tip pasta isnt the only food for dinner) and then stocks in shops returned to normal.

I didnt stockpile and shock horror! didn't run out of food or starve.

Haha cross post @NoCaseToAnswer!

Oh give over with the dramatic 'I told you so' dressed up as faux-regret! What purpose does this thread serve (apart from attention-seeking and pretending not to revel in people's misfortune)? The best response to this crisis is practical, pragmatic helpfulness, not sighing, doom-presaging and a poorly-concealed and very misplaced sense of superiority.

Literally the longest "I told you so" I've ever seen
Must admit I gave up halfway through.

What do you want OP? People to thank you? Grovel and repent, see the error of their ways?

It's a bit of a silly monologue tbh

Who actually ran out of food? Who came close to running out of food. Year round preppers presumably not and probably never would, you're super-organised, skills. But this is literally the first time in my life I've even thought about food beyond the next day and that was more than I needed to it turned out. Why do some people want it to be really shit for everyone else so much?

@dappledthings my family thought I was crazy........they still do....

@dibble15 well I wouldn't say I disagree with your family!