To think some people are ‘enjoying’ the pandemic

[Flynnqwer]

I’ve noticed an attitude amongst some people where they’re nothing short of praying for a new, more lethal, variant.

I’ve noticed it amongst people I work with and people I do a hobby with. Any discussion about going back to our workplace (we can work from home but not easily or particularly effectively) once the Government ends the restrictions on waiting from home, or back to our hobby in real life instead of on Zoom (the hobby is controlled by a central board who are following the WFH advice until it is lifted) are met with cries of ‘No! We can’t do that! It’s dangerous!’ and it anyone points out that, thankfully, it looks like the vaccination programme is working and Omicron is less severe, they come back with ‘but what if there’s a more lethal strain that appears and kills millions?’

My workplace has one element which has legally got to be done in person. I have had emails today from managers begging us to cancel said work thing and do it online. We cannot do it on line lawfully (it’s along the lines of witnessing signatures). We have told them no, we must go into the building for an hour to fulfil this function. They are saying that that is breaking the working from home directive, that it’s unsafe, and what if a deadly variant is discovered? Then we’d have to find a way around the law.

AIBU that some people are actively hoping that the situation worsens and we are locked back down? Why would anyone want this to happen?

@Zoejj77

People are saving fortunes on travel and childcare, the WFH has enabled working people (mums) to balance work/ life a little better - if you have a job that’s changed that way that is. If agile working remains it will be great - doesn’t mean I want covid to continue at all it’s horrible for some

I loved this aspect. I now home educate and do a few different feelance things from home and it suits us all much better. I make dinner for my husband, a key worker, keep the home clean, educate my child and really enjoy my work and every day. This whole situation improved my life no end and I met more likeminded people because of it too.

@KarenTheGammonRemoaner

Yes I've noticed people becoming obsessed with testing then when they are positive they share it all over social media for attention. It's something akin to munchausen syndrome but on a mass scale.

What a horrible thing to say. People are obsessed for saying on social media they have covid? How judgemental.

My dh is more than capable and willing to do childcare, chores etc more than my fair share but his employer is terrible. Unless the gov mandates wfh I am left as the one wfh (due to the nature of my job and my employer giving autonomy) and it is physically not possible for my dh to share the housekeeping burden.

Really? I’ve been working out of the home most of my adult life and it’s never been physically impossible for me to do housework.

But if your individual circumstances are really such that you absolutely have to have two WFH parents to get on top of the housework, maybe it would be easier for your DH to look for a job where that’s part of the deal, especially now there’s more and more employers offering WFH/hybrid, rather than cross your fingers the government will force everybody to do it?

YANBU.
I find that there are some organisations & individuals who seem to still be using COVID as a reason not to do something. My child is at University and the Uni are still insisting on online lectures and hardly any on campus social events. Students aren’t even allowed to study in the library for fear of a staff member getting COVID. Staff aren’t expected to get the vaccine so that they can do their jobs but instead the students are expected to go without because the selfish few won’t get the vaccine. I’m sick of people who have not getting the vaccine and clogging up hospital beds and stopping people from living their lives. weirdly I’m actually quite left wing but the selfishness of people is turning me the other way!

@KittyMcV

That very accurately describes the situation, and I think that you'll be proven entirely correct regarding history's verdict.

@masterblaster

Seems if everyone else wants to do the hobby from home and you don’t, maybe the hobby is better done from home.

Everyone doesn’t, though. A couple of people who shout loud about it do. As I said in a PP, we surveyed people who partake in the hobby locally and over 70% want to go back to face to face.

@Dilovescake21

YANBU. I find that there are some organisations & individuals who seem to still be using COVID as a reason not to do something. My child is at University and the Uni are still insisting on online lectures and hardly any on campus social events. Students aren’t even allowed to study in the library for fear of a staff member getting COVID. Staff aren’t expected to get the vaccine so that they can do their jobs but instead the students are expected to go without because the selfish few won’t get the vaccine. I’m sick of people who have not getting the vaccine and clogging up hospital beds and stopping people from living their lives. weirdly I’m actually quite left wing but the selfishness of people is turning me the other way!

I know some universities want to keep online lectures as they are cheaper to deliver. Campus social events are largely organised by the Students Union, not the University. Most are delivered by private companies some of whom will have gone bust, and others who plan events at a range of universities many months in advance. It will take them time to get back to normal. It is nothing to do with staff and vaccinations.

@BoredZelda

If someone not vulnerable wants to wear a mask outside in a quiet area that's up to them. They might be going to meet someone vulnerable in a few days and, even though it is very unlikely they will get covid from being outside in a quiet area, they might want to do everything they can to avoid getting covid just in case.

Or, like me, they might find that their face mask is way more effective at keeping their face warm than scarves ever were. I’ll be keeping mine long after covid isn’t a risk any more.

I have been extra careful this weekend as I am taking a friend with cancer to a hospital appointment tomorrow.

I think for some people it is the only way they can legitimately retreat rather than over extending themselves. Like, they know they should socialize, they find it hard, so lock down gave a time when they did not have to feel bad about not doing it.

And could well not happen (and given the nature of viruses is to develop weaker, more contagious variants probably won’t.)

I'm sorry, but this is not true.

It's interesting how working from home never seemed to attract much criticism before the pandemic.

Because no one was trying to force other people to do it before the pandemic.

I do actually know of many people who are gutted they have to actually move their arses to go into work or college so yes! Also the isolation part = no work. As with anything, when a new lifestyle gets used to, people don't want to go back to reality. Personally have still had to go out on front line so maybe I am biased that yes a lot of people have had it easier and become accustomed to it.

Have also been through the hardest times with family members in hospital and not being able to visit so the sooner this is all over with the better!

I think working from home tipped the scale towards introverts and hard workers. People's hability to produce can be much fairly evaluated than when in the office when extroverts will dominates meetings and appear to contribute more than they actually do. Also manipulators are really strugling the loss of power and more democratic aspects of online communication. So I think many people would rather continue to work from home but it doesn't mean they want the pandemic to continue.

@KittyMcV

Yes, this is true. I think for many years to come the mass hysteria will be studied and analysed. Of course the pandemic is hugely serious and regulations needed to be in place. It's great that working from home is an option now, because if this had have happened even thirty years ago, the current response would not have been possible. However there appears to be a section of people I know who simply cannot get enough of it. I honestly believe that they are addicted to it. They have no empathy for those for whom the pandemic has brought hardship or poor mental health. They cannot look at ANY evidence that does not support any of their own views, because they appear to want it to go on and on indefinitely. There is no perspective, no concern and no filter on the hatred that they spew about others that do not share their view. And guess what? All of these people are middle class folk whose income has not been affected one iota, who enjoy working from home and who don't want to see one aspect of their 'new life' change. They all have gardens, families and a regular supply of goodies online due to not being financially affected.

This.

There are also a lot of people demanding that permanent home working be allowed, because it works better for them - never mind that, for many organisations, the best model is a mix of homeworking and office days. Apparently senior leaders are "cruel" and "ridiculous" for asking staff to come into the office 2 days out of 5, despite this being the best way to balance the needs of the business and employees' preferences (NB everyone is homeworking now, I'm talking about pre/post lockdowns).

I think for some people, who are naturally introverted, working at home and never having to see other people has been great, and they're reluctant to give this up, even when it's better for the organisation and their colleagues.

I had a wee google because I've seen the claim that viruses evolve to be weaker dismissed before, but am finding a variety of apparently contradictory ideas from various sources.

medium.com/a-microbiome-scientist-at-large/do-viruses-get-stronger-or-weaker-over-time-a0091b185fe2

apnews.com/article/fact-checking-011488089270

www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-virus-likely-to-get-weaker-and-become-a-common-cold-says-oxford-astrazeneca-vax-creator/articleshow/86456862.cms

www.dw.com/en/will-mutations-soon-make-covid-19-less-harmful/a-53839943

I'm not sure whether Gilbert (who you'd think would know this stuff very well) means that covid will evolve to be weaker, or just that viruses that are more transmissible tend to be the less virulent ones (or vice versa).

In any case, it all seems a bit unclear. Apologies, OP.

Fantastic post Orchid 876, totally agree 100 per cent. Hopefully it will strike a chord with those bleating on about people with keyworker status who had no choice but to keep on going to work risking their own health .

I'm not sure whether Gilbert (who you'd think would know this stuff very well) means that covid will evolve to be weaker, or just that viruses that are more transmissible tend to be the less virulent ones (or vice versa).

I read that as her saying it will end up like a common cold, not because the virus itself will change, but because we’ll all build up immunity to it and it won’t be able to keep mutating enough to evade all of that immunity.

My Mama loves it. Always on about it. Loves having her vaccinations then talks for hours on the phone to get SILS about it

I can relate only too well to all the comments about ‘key workers’, at my place of work I remember the man who delivered water proudly announcing “I’m a key worker because people need clean water to drink”. I suppose in a way it gave some people with ‘run of the mill’ jobs a sense of importance they’d not experienced before.

MotherNaturesSon Sun 16-Jan-22 19:18:49
YNBU

"95% of the over 65's are loving it and are romancing it like they do the war. "

Many of the people I work with are between 65 and 68 and never talk about the war. Why would they? Even the 68 year olds were born 9 years after the war ended.

@Fluffmum

My Mama loves it. Always on about it. Loves having her vaccinations then talks for hours on the phone to get SILS about it

Loving your vaccinations is not loving the pandemic; rather the opposite.

Haven’t RTFT. But I know several people, close to me, who are incredibly anxious about things going back to normal. They’ve had the absolute fear of god put into them about the threat that covid presents and haven’t yet been able to adjust back. So yes, they do talk about new variants and are what I think is obsessive, but it’s justified and real to them. They’re not enjoying it, they’re genuinely terrified. I think you’re being a bit unkind, OP.