AIBU - just been called completely irresponsible for going to stay in a hotel?

[Pivotthesofa]

DH and I are late ish 30s so not been vaccinated yet.
We have a short break early this coming week in London which involves meeting friends for an afternoon tea, then staying at a lovely boutique hotel near at James park and having dinner in a restaurant on the same road

My sister has just told me that I’m completely irresponsible for still going, that I’m essentially saying I’m happy to leave 17 month old DS an orphan for the sake of a few cocktails!

I feel really upset now. It’s the first break away or night out we’ve had since I was six months pregnant as I had a bad pregnancy, and I was really looking forward to it.

DH Has an Addison Lee account through work so we were getting a car for the hours journey to the hotel and back the next day, so no public transport. We were going to be really careful etc

But DS talking about how it’s really bad for those in their 30s - the new variant - and acting like we are basically signing our own death warrant for a day away has really chilled me.

I was having a bit of a wobble anyway and was reassured by some lovely posters on here when I posted about it, but now I’m wondering if we should just cancel the whole thing. :(

AIBU to go?

[Sceptre86]

Your sister needs to take a chill pill. Your are an adult and can assess your own risk. Avoiding public transport is sensible and crowds where possible and wear a mask and keep distance. Otherwise enjoy yourself x

[Barmychick]

so glad you decided to go have a great time!

[LovelyIssues]

I think your sister has a touch of the green eyed monster! Absolutely go!! Enjoy yourself after the shit show of the last year

[Pivotthesofa]

Sounds lovely @saraclara

[Bizawit]

Your Dsis is ridiculous. YANBU.

[saraclara]

I'm on my way home after a really lovely day in London. Pub, zoo, restaurant, walks etc.

I'm a cautious person but I felt absolutely comfortable. The pub and restaurant both went to great lengths safety wise and everyone was lovely.

It was the nearest I've felt to normal for a long time. Please don't restrict yourself unnecessarily, OP. I'm sure that when you get there you'll feel no different from how you feel at home. It's the anticipation that's making you feel that somehow it will be different and a bit scary. It's really not. Get out and enjoy it rather than just sticking to your hotel etc.

[JeanClaudeVanDammit]

I’m glad you’ve decided to go, hope you have a great time!

[Pivotthesofa]

We are going still, after much deliberation. Lateral Flow tests tomorrow to be careful. Got the AL booked both ways - says it takes two hours but from experience should be an hour and fifteen so not too bad and I understand they have screens up and we will hAve windows open.

The only place we will be going is hotel, park and restaurant. And as it’s a small hotel and it’s not fully booked we’ve assessed the risk as we will be coming into contact with less people than we would at the supermarket or popping to the other shops in town.

I’m looking forward to it, I am a bit nervous but I’m hoping I can still enjoy myself!

[flaminjo]

Oh god. Please go! Please

Now is the time when the infection rates and death rates are low and the hotels are open again. It's never been safer

Go and enjoy and don't let your sister put doubts in your mind

[Dizzybet74]

Go and have fun. Maybe get some lateral flow tests to take before and after to be on the safe side.

[Pinkfluff76]

Your sister is being an arse. Go and enjoy yourselves!!!

[Supermum29]

Just go! Your not breaking any of the restrictions, hospitality trades needs the business and you deserve a break.
My partner is a key worker in London and in his job role is exposed to the public a lot, he’s worked the entire pandemic and only had to self isolate once and has luckily avoided covid. There are a lot less cases now than there were so your chances are even slimmer!

Sounds like your sister is jealous to me!

[Amore2]

I would do it while we are allowed as we don't know what might happen in a few weeks/months. Just follow precautions ad you are doing.

[LakieLady]

@Daphnise

The fact that you are asking for validation here means you have doubts.

I would not stay in a hotel or eat in a restaurant at the moment- who knows where people with this so called Indian variant are, and being 30 is no defence against a more aggressive variant.

However it's all a matter of judgement for you- I've lost track now but presumably none of what you plan is either illegal or against government advice?

Not against govt advice, but some of the scientists are now advocating extreme caution.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/16/ignore-lockdown-easing-to-curb-indian-covid-variant-health-experts-urge

I'd rather keep eating and drinking an outdoor thing for longer than risk a 4th lockdown, tbh. I think a 4th lockdown might well be the death of me.

[Vintagevixen]

Oh my god just go, you have nothing to feel guilty about.

As soon as they opened air B and B places I was up in London for a weekend and a LOT of shopping.

Been using public transport throughout.

I am doing loads this week - trip to London, indoor lunch with my family, indoor meals and drinks in restaurants, will be staying in a hotel, trying to squeeze in a gallery or two. Can't wait.

The weaponising of fear is truly showing through in this thread!

[unwuthering]

Apologies, if I posted the wrong silly sentence. There were so many to choose from. I should have copied this one:

The Indian variant doesn't appear to be any more deadly or "scary" than any other variant.

No? Is that why it has been designated a variant of concern?

It is believed to be likely to be far more transmissible than the Kent variant, which already was far more transmissible than prior.

now predominately affecting young people does rather indicate it is in fact affecting younger people more so than older people, I would say.

[ChocOrange1]

@unwuthering

It is not "affecting young people as much as older".

The Indian variant is affecting young and healthy people in India. It is crazy to expect it to be more polite in the the UK.

Dr Amit Thadhani, director of Niramaya hospital in Mumbai, which is only treating Covid patients, said that this time round the virus was “much more aggressive and much more infectious” and was now predominately affecting young people. “Now it is people in their 20s and 30s who are coming in with very severe symptoms and there is a lot of mortality among young people,” he said.

If you actually read what I said, it is affecting young people in small proportions. It is not affecting young people as much as older people, as claimed.

Also, I'm not expecting covid to be more "polite" in the UK. But I'm expecting the vast differences in our countries to lead to different outcomes. Not least the massive number of vaccinated people. There are a lot of threads about why the situation in India is so dire and the variant isn't the main reason.

[unwuthering]

Director of a covid-only hospital in Mumbai - not just a medic, as you so disparagingly put it.

I think you might also know that data coming out of India re numbers affected, from the start of the pandemic to now, has been inaccurate and is not representative of the actual numbers of those who have been infected or of deaths.

Anyway, this thread has been derailed enough by minimisers.

[TheKeatingFive]

The Indian variant is affecting young and healthy people in India. It is crazy to expect it to be more polite in the the UK.

People are looking for data on this point, not ‘who knows how representative this is’ quotes from medics.

[Pinkylemons]

Your sister is a drama queen and sounds jealous.

[unwuthering]

It is not "affecting young people as much as older".

The Indian variant is affecting young and healthy people in India. It is crazy to expect it to be more polite in the the UK.

Dr Amit Thadhani, director of Niramaya hospital in Mumbai, which is only treating Covid patients, said that this time round the virus was “much more aggressive and much more infectious” and was now predominately affecting young people. “Now it is people in their 20s and 30s who are coming in with very severe symptoms and there is a lot of mortality among young people,” he said.

[ChocOrange1]

@myfaceismyown

My father in law was fit and healthy, had a fall, got covid in hospital and died from it in March this year. We are still in a pandemic, its not over yet. have your jollies after your are vaccinated or risk spreading it to your DCs. Unless of course you do not care about your own lives or theirs. Covid is not like getting a cold.

For the vast vast majority of people in the OPs age group, is it exactly like getting a cold. Thats why people in that age category haven't been vaccinated yet. And for children the chance of being adversely affected is even tinier.
I'm sort of horrified that people still aren't able to grasp simple statistics because they know of one healthy young person who died of covid.

[ChocOrange1]

@Cameila

Sorry no, that’s not correct. I am Indian I have been getting news of young people dying who have no underlying issues. In fact it is affecting younger people as much as the older. Lots of completely healthy people in their thirties snd forties dying. The latest being DH’s colleague’s 32 year old brother. The Indian variant is like nothing we’ve seen here in UK. It’s really scary. Boris is making light of it, even though I’m sure he knows how deadly it is.

The Indian variant doesn't appear to be any more deadly or "scary" than any other variant. There are just A LOT of cases in India (for various reasons, many of which don't apply here) and a very small proportion of deaths have always been amongst the young and healthy. However, a very small proportion of A LOT of cases, is a big number.

It is not "affecting young people as much as older".

[myfaceismyown]

My father in law was fit and healthy, had a fall, got covid in hospital and died from it in March this year. We are still in a pandemic, its not over yet. have your jollies after your are vaccinated or risk spreading it to your DCs. Unless of course you do not care about your own lives or theirs. Covid is not like getting a cold.

[saraclara]

Better one