This covid merry-go-round is never going to end, is it

[sixtyandsomething]

covid again, oxygen monitors again, off work again, informing all vulnerable contacts again, feeling terrible again. I have had 8 immunisations. Well, at least it isn't anything like as bad as it could be without immunisations. But this is never going to end, is it. Every year, at least 2 immunisations, and at least 2 illnesses, until the one that finishes me off , I suppose. That is without counting the disruption when someone else tests positive, instead of me.

While it certainly isn't having the impact it once did it most certainly is not "by and large over for the vast majority". Lots of people here have it at the moment (yes, many people still test and even if they didn't the wastewater is tested).

I was fine with covid until last time i got sick. I ended up with a persistent chest infection that developed into asthma and had a massive attack and could have died. So I'm a bit worried if there's a new wave. It was just over 12 months ago I last had it. Is this about right for the last wave ?

The other viruses and bacteria have been around for far longer than Covid and so our bodies have co-evolved with them - we have greater levels of understanding of those organisms given the length of time. Covid is still a new kid on the block. When we have some longitudinal studies on hand we will begin to have a better understanding of long term secondary impacts on the body.
Covid is only “over” now because people have had enough of the measures and politicians know that and have acted accordingly. That’s all it is.

See this sort of attitude pisses me
off. Okay so it’s not like it was in terms
of restrictions/ testing - but it’s not in the past. That’s a real crap thing to say.

Op I am sorry you have it again. I have it as well at the moment and was in hospital at the weekend.

Hope you feel better soon.

I’d forgotten Covid was a thing tbh. I’ve just been going about my life as normal. I don’t think it’s correct to say it’s a never ending problem. Not for the majority anyway. Even my elderly parents are living normally, albeit with regular boosters.

We just have to learn to live with it as unfair as it feels. I am in the vulnerable group too, had my umpteenth booster a month ago or so ago and just have to accept that this is the way it is. I feel just as vulnerable to whooping cough and flu or any other nasty virus, but I have to live and can’t sit in the house hiding away (I’m talking for me here, not anyone else who’s vulnerable). I wear a mask and take all the usual sensible precautions and just try not to think or dwell too much on it all. It does suck though.

I'm a nurse and we still have to go
To work if well enough. It's become just another virus. I don't know anyone who's testing.

Agree wholeheartedly. OP I am sorry you are suffering, feeling and being ill is always going to be one of the worst parts of being human.
But the issue isn't COVID, it's the clinical vulnerability. Covid really is over for the majority, it's just another virus, hence the fact that restrictions are no longer in place.

Sorry to hear that. It's the gift that keeps on giving isn't it? When is it going to go away? For it to still be around is odd, bizarre.

My work still requires 5 days off from testing positive, so I'm still testing.

How do you keep getting it? Do you have a weekened immune system? I'm so sorry this is happening to you.

@WalkingaroundJardine No. You clearly never understood the impact of covid in 2020. Covid as a pandemic is over now because of vaccines. The impact of the virus for the vast majority (again. Note that phrase) is minimal. Vulnerable people will be as equally vulnerable to existing resp. viruses. Not less so. Any resp. virus/illness will have the potential to make them incredibly sick. It’s their co-existing pathology.

I think you need to do some reading about immunisation and vaccination

No
That's not how immunisation works

I love this post.

I'm sorry, OP.

Sorry to hear that OP, CEV here too following an organ transplant a few years ago, somehow iv managed to miss COVID completely, had 7 boosters and have two kids in primary school, my other half has had COVID three times, I haven't worn a mask for 2 years now but do WFH full time since the start of the pandemic, not sure how iv missed it tbh but wish you well.

Tests can be bought in many places also to whoever was asking, chemists, savers, many supermarkets still have them.

It's not going to 'go away'. Why would it?

That's 2.5 yrs old...and not actually what they said.
It's been very badly paraphrased.

www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eu-drug-regulator-says-more-data-needed-impact-omicron-vaccines-2022-01-11/

It's all about exposure OP
As you are so vulnerable can you do anymore to avoid crowds and public transport and shops?

I have two children and go about life pretty much as we used to....but we are at a stage in life where we are rarely in crowded places, children are older etc. We have caught viruses (potentially covid) in last 2 years but always after being on mass public transport, or large venues etc.

Covid is like flu now, its still a risk to some but for most is a relatively mild illness. So I don't think testing is important. People need to be more mindful about being around people when they are ill and better hygiene.

@NattyTurtle people will continue to have covid. I’m not sure why this is hard to understand. It won’t go away. We have always had coronaviruses and now we have another one. But. It does not have anything like the impact it originally did. Due to vaccination. Now, the vast majority will be ill like a cold/flu. Only the CEV may have a harder time with it and again, they would with all respiratory viruses in circulation. So. No. Covid is not a problem for the vast majority and it is indeed over for it was classified pandemic and while it will still be everywhere it no longer has the same affect therefore not important to employ any different measures than usual resp viruses like flu/RSV etc. all of which have vaccines for prevention in vulnerable groups.

Agreed

I think if you kept getting an infection your body could get used to it and stop attacking it as much with the basic inflammatory response as well as having specific antibodies to it

It's never going to go away. Why would it?

Covid will never go away they told us that at the start of the pandemic
But the days of restrictions etc are over for most people
Many people cant afford to stay at home with covid even if they wanted to.