Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think some people are ‘enjoying’ the pandemic

956 replies

Flynnqwer · 14/01/2022 22:05

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?

OP posts:
RonaLisa · 14/01/2022 22:52

OP, you are right.

Fortunately, I have not met one single person IRL who thinks along the hysterical lines of anyone on MN, so I trust that life will move on ere long.

Toloveandtowork · 14/01/2022 22:53

Maybe it's about safety. People got seriously rattled by covid, and haven't recovered. If the government orders another lockdown, perhaps that means safety from this frightening covid world.

I find this attitude tiring.

Sort0f · 14/01/2022 22:53

I think it’s sensible to be aware that things might get worse as well as they might get better.

It’s similar to “be prepared”.

It will lead to suitable emergency planning.

Crikeyalmighty · 14/01/2022 22:53

I think with a lot of older people it gives them a ‘focus’ , a point of discussion— my FIL would report to us at nightly at one point the gvt daily updates—(weare abroad)? I think he found it a change from some quiz or other. I think ‘many’ people over 30 actually don’t like socialising much , but do so normally as a bit of an obligation and this has given them an excuse not to join in

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 14/01/2022 22:55

the ones that benefitted from furlough and spent lock down relaxing in the garden while the rest of us worked liked dogs

I agree this was awful, even though it couldn’t be helped that some people had to be furloughed. Don’t be gleeful about it though. That was why I hated the first lockdown most - the people enjoying it.

Pendolino · 14/01/2022 22:57

I don’t know anyone like this in real life.

I like being released from feeling obliged to socialize, but I’d still love to see the back of the pandemic.

annie55 · 14/01/2022 22:57

@nocoolnamesleft

YABU. Recognising that we are still in a pandemic is not the same as wanting the fucking thing to continue.
Are we really? Do you think we're in 'the middle of pandemic' like the rest of the covid fans?
ClaudineClare · 14/01/2022 23:00

@CharlotteGoldenblattYork

Yep! I've noticed on here some people seem to absolutely delight in being in the 'shielding category'
This is so offensive and possibly ableist given that many disabled people are in this category.
Staffy1 · 14/01/2022 23:00

How do you translate fear of covid and possible new, more lethal strains to loving the pandemic and praying for it to get worse? If they don’t want to go back to mixing with all and sundry as it is because they are worried about getting covid then surely they would be happier with no pandemic or covid.

JugglingJanuary · 14/01/2022 23:02

@CharlotteGoldenblattYork

Yep! I've noticed on here some people seem to absolutely delight in being in the 'shielding category'
Don't be so fucking offensive.

There is NOTHING I like about getting letters from the NHS telling me that I am more vulnerable and although the law/guidelines, I need to do xyz because my chances of dying from it are vastly increased.

That abc are no longer there to protect me, but I need to be careful, make anyone I see do tests first. Meet outside &to be careful attending hospital appointments.

It's fucking terrifying, so bog off.

AllThePogs · 14/01/2022 23:02

@CharlotteGoldenblattYork

Yep! I've noticed on here some people seem to absolutely delight in being in the 'shielding category'
What a vile thing to say. People in the shielding category have got serious illnesses. Oh yeah, I bet they are loving that they have heart disease or other serious illnesses. What next? All those people who get "free" cars are secretly running marathons in their spare time?
Mermaidwaves · 14/01/2022 23:03

I have a friend like this who has been competitive social distancing. I find it perplexing as she has some health issues so was already quite limited in her lifestyle. She was very smug during the lockdowns as "now other people have to suffer like me". Even now she never goes out and is pretty much housebound but seems very proud to how she's managed it and no one else she knows has. That's because everyone else wants to get on with their lives though.

BillGigolo · 14/01/2022 23:03

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

the ones that benefitted from furlough and spent lock down relaxing in the garden while the rest of us worked liked dogs

I agree this was awful, even though it couldn’t be helped that some people had to be furloughed. Don’t be gleeful about it though. That was why I hated the first lockdown most - the people enjoying it.

I agree that the inequity of that situation was horrendous and felt pretty queasy at the stupid articles about banana bread and so forth that you’d see in the Guardian.

Though I was furloughed myself and I hated it. I was finally getting strength back after PND and suddenly being at home with my 2 year old all day every day pushed me right back, worse than before. Compounded by a huge amount of guilt at feeling that way. I would have given anything to be getting on a bus to work again, reading my book, talking to other adults, being away from the house.

Original poster
Flynnqwer · 14/01/2022 23:03

@Staffy1 I don’t think they’re worried about getting Covid. I think they just don’t want to go back to normal life because they enjoy being in the house, but they can’t say that so they want to stop everyone from going back to normal.

OP posts:
AllThePogs · 14/01/2022 23:04

I also don't believe that your employers don't want you to follow the law by going into the office for an hour to do this.
wfh is advised, but it is effectively optional for employers to do what they want. Nobody gets prosecuted, there is no enforcement.

HikingforScenery · 14/01/2022 23:05

They’re just being realistic.
I can do my job from home and enjoy working from home. I don’t miss socialising because I still get the level that’s adequate for me.
I know that people have lost loved ones who died alone, people are dying when it could’ve been prevented and that many, many people including young children are struggling with their mental health. What sort of sadistic people do you know who would be “enjoying” this situation,

Also to op, if someone genuinely dies t enjoy socialising, why would they care about nodding out? Socialising-wise, things are pretty back to normal, are they not? Apart from mask wearing, which I’ll continue to do even if the government drops it again.

AllThePogs · 14/01/2022 23:05

[quote Flynnqwer]@Staffy1 I don’t think they’re worried about getting Covid. I think they just don’t want to go back to normal life because they enjoy being in the house, but they can’t say that so they want to stop everyone from going back to normal.[/quote]
All the research shows wfh is more popular than working in the office. Why would people not fight for what they prefer? And frankly, what does it have to do with you?
You seem incredibly judgemental.

reallyisthisallthereis · 14/01/2022 23:06

During my hour stuck in traffic tonight I didn't briefly reminisce on driving during lockdown which was bliss.

AllThePogs · 14/01/2022 23:07

I wfh, I have been out to meet up with some friends after work. I like socialising. I don't miss mixing with colleagues in the office. Because like most people I am very busy at work. It is not a place where we have much time to socialise, we are working.

Ozgirl75 · 14/01/2022 23:07

I’m in Australia and we are in a high case wave now but the number of people I’ve heard saying that children should stay off school until they’re all double jabbed is insane. We had them off for 12 weeks last year and people want that again?
I’m afraid I rather delight in shaming them by reminding them that children from lower sociology economic areas have suffered the most, the “lost” children, the children where abuse hasn’t been picked up, let alone children from all backgrounds who starTed school in 2020 and are now going into year 2 having had every year of their schooling disrupted. There are a lot of people living in a very privileged bubble here (well my kids didn’t suffer as I work from home so could support their learning last time) and it’s important that they look around themselves and see how home schooling has been detrimental to so many children and families.

Original poster
Flynnqwer · 14/01/2022 23:08

I also don't believe that your employers don't want you to follow the law by going into the office for an hour to do this.
wfh is advised, but it is effectively optional for employers to do what they want. Nobody gets prosecuted, there is no enforcement.

It’s not my employers wanting me to go in. I am the ‘employer’ and it is managers complaining to me about having to go in when they should be working from home.

OP posts:
AllThePogs · 14/01/2022 23:09

@BillGigolo I am so sorry to hear that.
I was furloughed for 3 months and hated it. I am a low earner and I only got 80% of my salary. I was scared of losing my job and worried about the future.

FrasierCraneDay · 14/01/2022 23:09

@hangrylady according to our useless PM yes, in the eyes of anyone with a single working brain cell, no.
It is not furlough bashing as you say, it is simply an observation on the way lock down is missed by certain people. I assume you are not a key worker and spent lock down making banana bread with your precious cherubs and had time to waste on Facebook about how bless you are?

BillGigolo · 14/01/2022 23:10

I do think there’s the sense that the pandemic world was more suited to some people than the world as it was, though surely not if they had been very ill or lost a loved one due to it.

I remember having an argument with someone on here who said the world is finally geared towards introverts and you don’t like it, how do you think we’ve felt having to do things your way and work in busy offices all these years? And I was like Good God, there’ll be plenty of introverts not enjoying this. And schadenfreude is a very ugly thing.

AllThePogs · 14/01/2022 23:10

@Flynnqwer then you have to manage them.
I don't understand why you are whining about this when legally you can make someone come into the office to do tasks that can not be done from home.