To think there's still that teeny weeny bit of a pandemic thing happening?

[IAmOldNow]

Not complaining, just observing:

Figures say: cases rising, hospitalisiations rising, fatalities: flat at best but if anything that'll be thanks to large scale immunisation, largely due to vaccines that may not prevent infection altogether but are, largely, proving to be pretty good at making sure the vast majority of us don't end up on a ventilator and/or: dead!

Currenrt reality says: huge client party tonight. Cue some 3k people crammed into a mostly indoors space, free alcohol, hugging, air kissing, any old thing you'd imagine from people who, literally, know and do not actively hate each other and haven't met in the flesh for two years.

AIBU to think that this is a) human and understandable but also b) bound to see 1/3 of the organisation out cold with COVID within a week?

For the record: I don't know the right answer! I went, too!

@ToGanymedeAndTitan people can make a living working from home in many cases (or at least part of the week) and wearing a face covering in shops for a few minutes visit is not unreasonable (one way systems and till screens should be the first thing).

A one-way system is the most pointless piece of seen-to-be-doing-something nonsense I can possibly imagine.

However, if we go back to making retail a joyless and stressful experience, businesses will lose more money so unfortunately this silly tokenism is harmful and damaging.

The one way system turned my 20 min food shop into well an over an hour. Forcing people to stay indoors longer surely defeated the point.

I suggest doing some further reading into air transmission and ventilation risk of covid. Especially with the newer variants one way systems, screens etc don't so anything! It's air build up, only FFP2 masks offer meaningful protection if in a space longer then 15 mins.

I'm afraid your clinging onto control measures which do very little. Proper ventilation is far more important but still doesn't fix it after a certain amount of time due to transmission rate.

What is your thread actually about? Covid or being sexually harassed? You know the two are not inextricably linked?

This take is equal parts naive and privileged.

I'm not sure if you'll know the answer to this, but do you think there's been more widespread flu testing this winter? Just looking at the flu surveillance report and one of the things I think jumps out is that the number of cases at the peak of the wave is higher that 2017 and 2019 but the number of hospital admissions is lower than both 2017 (which was a bad flu year IIRC) and 2019 which was mild. Mind you it was also a very short sharp peak compared to previous years.

There are probably a couple of explanations for this but I'm guessing picking up milder cases that wouldn't normally be caught could be one.

Regardless of all the other factors behind it, no country wants to go through a flu surge as well as the usual (nowadays) winter covid cases when hospitals (particularly in the UK, but also here) are already struggling. Also, to say flatly it is not due to covid seems rather ignorant of the number of covid cases and deaths in Australia in the last 8 weeks.

What is your thread actually about? Covid or being sexually harassed? You know the two are not inextricably linked?
Very good point, being groped by sleazebags has nowt to do with Covid or parties!

I've had covid twice now.
It would not occur to me to be more worried about catching it again than any other infectious illness that can spread such as a cold or noro, my symptoms were a cross between both, both times.
I've heard horrible stories of long covid and even children being disabled from covid, I'd rather me and my child live life to the fullest possible whilst we can rather than restrict life for what would more than likely be a mild illness.
Son has had it once and was fine after one day, was more sick with another virus after.
Basically I'm not scared if covid anymore and I won't be having any more vaccines, wearing a mask unless I'm unwell or doing anything like a lockdown ever again.