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!

More or less my thoughts too.

Think long term, not just short or medium.

Why less of an issue as time goes on

I don’t think it is particularly helpful to decide the only reason people don’t want to do XYZ things - testing or masks or not going out with a cough or whatever - is because they’re all just selfish.

Yes some people are selfish. But we’ve also come out of a time when millions of people have given up on huge parts of their lives for the greater good. So maybe the reason they don’t want to do the thing you think is a little easy tiny thing is because they’ve lost all compassion now, but also maybe it’s because they don’t see it as the little easy tiny thing you do, or because they’ve seen two years of people pushing for more and more restrictions and being very angry when any restrictions are dialled down and thought “you know what, I’m not giving an inch on this any more because last time I did you people who want this sort of thing took a mile, and you wouldn’t give it back.”

^This^

With the cost of living crisis at the moment, if testing meant finding out I have covid which means I cant work and cant be paid, well, I absolutely would not be testing!!

Roof over my kids head, food in their bellies and heat in winter will always come before people I dont know. Sorry if that is harsh, but it is what it is. I need to be paid.

(Nb, I do get sick leave so wont apply personally to me but will apply to other people)

I've not given a second thought to going out in crowds, and havent since about July 2020! I got covid in December 2020 and yeah I felt unwell but still worked from home and enjoyed Christmas day etc. Covid is nothing worse than a bad cold for the majority.

@QueenCamilla
…It's unfortunate for those who fall into vulnerable categories (as unfortunate as it always has been) but no, I'm not compromising my own life just to equalise us all in misery. My misery won't un-vulnerable anyone. It literally won't...

Ha ha. Your misery? What? Donning a paper mask for 5 minutes in a check out queue? Get real!

@MorvernDark
But what the hell can you do, most of us are expected to go back to normal life.

What 'everyone can do' is have just a little bit of consideration for other people around them. No need for a space-suit, never was, but a light paper mask for a few minutes in close quarters?

@GoldenOmber
…maybe it’s because they don’t see it as the little easy tiny thing you do…

Yes, coughing and sneezing in people’s faces is of course easier, isn’t it? Silly me.

@Sugarplumfairy65
…Guests took the tests because they care about other people…

A well thought out post Sugarplum. Unfortunately we caring people are very much in the minority here aren't we?

It’s interesting that the naysayers here are comparing the current ‘do nothing’ policy to ‘full lockdown’ as before. Whoever suggested that?

Just a little bit of consideration for others? A light paper mask for a few minutes when in close quarters? Far too much to ask obviously…

Around me@MorvernDark, shoppers abothering to shield a cough or sneeze with a hand or hanky. That’s ‘living life’ is it? It’s hardly “recreating panic and paranoia” to ask for a little consideration.

In a lot of the above, posters who use ludicrous extremes to justify their “can’t be bothered” attitude are just plain stupid. In dealing with exposure to germs or viruses, it’s not ‘all or nothing’, it’s using your brain, and adjusting your precautions appropriately.

Sorry, all of that post was fine when previewed...

Ha ha. Your misery? What? Donning a paper mask for 5 minutes in a check out queue? Get real!

This kind of minimising of the impact restrictions had on people really isn't helping your case. Ask yourself, why would anyone make sacrifices for you if that's how you're going to treat them?

Yes, coughing and sneezing in people’s faces is of course easier, isn’t it?

I don't think anyone's advocating that, to be fair

A light paper mask for a few minutes when in close quarters? Far too much to ask obviously

The issue is there's absolutely no evidence that would make any difference. Doing pointless things isn't helping anyone.

Para should have been:
Around me, shoppers are not even bothering to shield a cough or sneeze with a hand or hanky. That’s ‘living life’ is it? It’s hardly “recreating panic and paranoia” to ask for a little consideration.

As for the @ situation, I give up...

@TheKeatingFive
…why would anyone make sacrifices for you if that's how you're going to treat them?...
I don’t get what you mean here. I treat people with the fullest respect.

A light paper mask hugely restricts the transmission of airborne snot etc. Surely that’s obvious.

A light paper mask hugely restricts the transmission of airborne snot etc. Surely that’s obvious.

That doesn't mean it's effective against omicron. Omicron doesn't need snot to spread. Just tiny air particles which aren't contained by masks.

I don’t get what you mean here. I treat people with the fullest respect.

No you didn't. You ridiculed someone, who's already given up a significant amount over the last two years, for not wanting to do something pointless.

if you can't see the impact that has, that's your issue

So you don't mind receiving a sneeze in your face?

It’s still around but it’s in its endemic stage now which just means it’s a virus we have to live alongside like any other virus. It will kill people every year, just as the flu does and the most vulnerable will receive a vaccine alongside their flu vaccine but it isn’t something we all need to hide away from anymore. It was never massively dangerous to most people, it’s fatal to a small percentage again, just as the flu is. We don’t shut up shop every autumn/winter due to flu and can’t for covid. I’ve had covid three times now and I’ve had much worse colds.

So you don't mind receiving a sneeze in your face

Not wearing masks doesn't mean people are sneezing on others faces ...

Chose if you want to go to mass events or not.
Mass events have always had capacity to drive illness rates for flu, norvirus, colds and other transmissible diseases. A number of which of which can lead to hospitalisation or death.
Covid no longer requires different management to those other diseases.
Unless death stats significantly spike or a newer deadlier version emerges.

Well yes to a degree life is back to normal. Work events, parties, weddings etc

although a good friend works in events and they are not getting the foot fall they usually would at all. Things like beauty expos or roadshows, tradeshows etc. I dont
know how bookings are looking moving forward but friend has had to take other work because the footfall is only 1/3 of what it used to be and there’s no money (commission) to be made really.

also I find the towns very very quiet, I’ve had a couple nights out and nowhere as busy as they’d have been pre covid.
This is probably a combination of cost of living and people reassessing their life choices post covid though.

I don’t think it’s business as usual as if covid never happened, I think the differences are really clear when you scratch the surface. Although agree from a very high level view, it probably does look like it.

@TheKeatingFive
No you didn't. You ridiculed someone, who's already given up a significant amount over the last two years, for not wanting to do something pointless.

I didn’t ridicule anyone. You misunderstood. I was not commenting on "the whole history of lockdown", I was commenting on what is sensible to do right now, imho ‘masking in close quarters’, and otherwise not generally masking.

Do carry on saying it’s pointless to mask. A hell of a lot of professionals seem to disagree with you.

Not wearing masks doesn't mean people are sneezing on others faces ...
I didn’t say that either.

You’d argue with a mirror I guess…

You remember back in 2019 when no one wore masks, right? Was it considered fine to sneeze in someone else's face?

I must be imagining how ill I have been for six months. Thanks for that. Or maybe it isn't a minor illness for everyone.

Do carry on saying it’s pointless to mask. A hell of a lot of professionals seem to disagree with you.

Is this a fact? Doctors wear masks because they are told to, that doesn't automatically mean they agree it's effective. I'm sure it does something but it's effectiveness is definitely disputed.

Anyway, I won't be wearing a mask forevermore even if it does work perfectly.

Google I agree. Town centres are pretty dead nowadays. I do think restrictions have made life a bit smaller for a lot of people, and I would include myself in that. I have kind of lost the notion to go out as much (and I think have maybe lost confidence a bit too). I imagine this is exacerbated in those who are still WFH full time

I think money worries with the cost of living crisis is affecting people going out. Don't know what the split would be, I'm sure some is covid but probably not all.

I was not commenting on "the whole history of lockdown", I was commenting on what is sensible to do right now, imho ‘masking in close quarters

As another poster pointed out, this is coming after two years of restrictions that many found tough. That context is important. However many people struggle with masking in any case, it's not an easy simple gesture for everyone.

Do carry on saying it’s pointless to mask. A hell of a lot of professionals seem to disagree with you

There are a huge variety of views among professionals. But where's their actual evidence that they're making any difference? Real life comparisons between countries didn't show that at all.

I didn’t say that either.

you're the one who brought up sneezing, so quite what did you kea by it.

You’d argue with a mirror I guess

Takes two to tango sunshine

I wonder if others remember how it was in Spring 2020? All the people writing “STAY. THE FUCK. HOME” on here (and elsewhere). Derbyshire police following lone walkers with drones. A chief constable said his police would check people’s shopping trolleys to ensure that they were only buying “essentials” (what the hell for?). A friend’s father in law died (of coronavirus) and she and her family were shouted at by a passer-by for sitting outside in a group of more than six immediately after his funeral.

It started out as fear but ended up tipping into mindless cruelty.

Technically I am CEV but I am damned if I want anyone to restrict their lives to protect me (especially young people). I kept to the restrictions when they were in force but I’m not keeping to others’ made up rules. There’s no need to try to demonstrate virtuosity to near strangers.