If covid strikes at Xmas?

[slippersockgrey]

Covid is rife where I am - previously not had that much around. I suspect there is a good chance of someone being affected in the run up to Xmas. Everyone I know are having plans cancelled at the last minute currently with covid in the house in some form - positives / isolating / awaiting tests etc.

Are you doing anything differently in the run up to Xmas?

We're away for Xmas but are making sure we have all the makings of Xmas dinner here just in case of a last minute cancellation etc. Also trying to do a bit less in the 2 weeks before - some not avoidable - slightly regretting panto tickets now....

Bloody whitecat, huge amount of love coming from me. Health,loved ones are the most important thing. I'm not religious at all. Christmas was a pagan festival,the date chosen by the supposed son of God's birthday. Yet, for the majority of people it's greed, spending money you haven't got on "stuff" people don't like want or need. Up till retirement I was nursing,only had one Christmas off in 20 years. Many years ago,we used to turn our capes Inside out,only time you were allowed to do it,red side showing and go round the wards singing carols to the patient. Every year MIL,SIL, "what are you doing Christmas",me "working" but it's Christmas,er,yeah folk don't stop getting sick, having accidents. I hope you get DH home for Christmas. A friend who has multiple health issues,went to her DS last year,ended up seriously ill in January with Covid. My family decided not to meet up. I've got 2registered disabled sons, one definitely won't come, the other not in a good way,so won't know until the last minute. Food always in the freezer.not buying presents

I’ve told family groups not to worry about having us to their houses this year and as it’s only a month away and we’ve not been invited anywhere, I suspect it will be the same as last year, just us 4 and my DB. Adult DS1 isn’t going to firms Xmas dinner on Xmas Eve, adult DS2 firm isn’t having a do. I got a frozen turkey, but we had it last week along with Xmas pudding and mince pies.

As a separated parent, if one or the other of us gets covid, it's entirely possible one parent will be ill on their own at home. And the DC will only see one parent. As it's not my turn to have the DC, could be beans on toast. Not the end of the world but my DC have had a highly traumatic time since Nov 19 and all need something good to even the balance a bit. Sods law says covid will wreck that too.

Last Christmas dd2 had a positive covid result late on christmas eve, meaning we had to let down various relatives who were expecting to come for christmas dinner. This year we'll be making sure everyone has something in the freezer in case!

We will have stuff in the freezer in case father in law lives beside us so will drop off Xmas dinner if we can't go

I was thinking about this earlier. Many people I know are spending a lot of money pre-booking festive activities for now and December - wonderlands, grottos, pantomimes etc. This all sounds lovely but quite often non refundable so I don't want to spend out on anything just in case we couldn't go for whatever reason so we are only going to be doing things that don't require advance booking. Covid is rife here too, but it wasn't last Christmas... as for Christmas itself, I'm not worried. We don't have many major plans over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day etc. I would be more than happy to be home. I've got a food slot booked so we'll eat! Gifts are nearly all bought too!

We’re just preparing by having Christmas food in which we can use if we need it and can’t attend the family gathering. There’s not really much else we can do. All family members who can be vaccinated have been and of course we can still get it even if we are.

Christmas for me is more than just about one day. I enjoy the build-up and the events etc just as much so nope, we'll be carrying on as usual and what will be, will be. I don't want to put life on hold anymore for a what-if scenario, especially when you can get ill with anything at any time, it's not just COVID that can disrupt your plans.

@MimiDaisy11

I don’t have any plans. Hopefully it’s not going to strike on Christmas Eve or day for us, but then previous years if I was struck down with the flu it’d be ruined anyway and I never made plans for that.

I suppose the difference is you could be totally asymptomatic (particularly children) and be under house isolation missing everything when you're completely well. And others can't come to you but you aren't traditionally 'sick'. Would be so frustrating. But much less likely to care if you are really poorly.

Eek, I hadn't even thought of that! No contingency plans here. Will discuss with DP!

It wasn’t necessarily deliberate but most of our Christmas “events” (panto, seeing Father Christmas etc) are in early December so if we were to catch covid from them the chances are we’d all be fully recovered and out of isolation by Christmas Day. We’re hosting this year so if we end up having covid over Christmas Day we’ll just have far too much food and some disappointed relatives.

@bloodywhitecat I'm so sorry, I hope you get a lovely christmas together

Life is definitely not back to normal for everyone, so we're isolating for 7 days and doing regular LFT and PCRs up to the day so we can see some family and neighbours on C. Eve who will be doing the same. We don't want to risk killing anyone for a mince pie.

We have a full diary for the next six weeks including weekends away with friends, Christmas shopping, dinner parties, meals out in groups, theatre tickets, pantomime etc. We are genuinely just hoping for the best!

We have most gifts purchased and our food ordered from the butcher/farm shop so worst case someone would drop it here for us. Supposed to be hosting one couple but they have a back up plan so wouldn’t be too bad if we had to isolate.

We are planning as normal.
All adults attending are triple jabbed (boosters or no3) and because I'm CEV everyone is pretty good at social distancing and masks and 2 of the 3 teenagers (cousins) have had Covid a month ago.
We'll manage if it's all shook up but our diet may be a bit turkey heavy for a while.
Food all being delivered or grown here or in freezer so don't have to worry too much about getting stuff.

We have an online shop coming 23rd dec but not expecting it to be very good with covid chaos etc so I'm trying to fill the freezer with bits and bobs from now on really.

I'd prefer to meet family outdoors etc but the elderly relatives want to meet inside so will be doing that. Will do lft before we go. We can't really limit our contacts beforehand as children are in school until the 22nd!

We have loosely planned... And some will be in-between Christmas and New year

Trip to town one evening to look at Christmas lights and get chips on a bench the kids love this!

Trip to national trust place for a winter trail

Trip to another nature reserve for their winter trail

So nothing that really matters if we miss it.

Also got plenty of craft ideas for the children some in the garden eg making bird feeders etc

I thought this with all the adverts lately being all ‘nothing will stop this xmas’. Obviously one thing can, we’ll, that and Cromwell

@5thnonblonde

I thought this with all the adverts lately being all ‘nothing will stop this xmas’. Obviously one thing can, we’ll, that and Cromwell

I'm just waiting for the lock down xmas given the government going on and on about how it will not be disrupted. I bought my DS and DiL's gifts and have given them to them already just in case. It won't change my xmas because I planned to spend it alone in peace and quiet anyway.

We're in France where the numbers have been pretty low but are really rising now. DS2 has just had several days off school because his class was closed for a case, and two other classes in their school have just shut, so realistically he and/or DS1 are likely to be off for a bit again before the end of term. We are supposed to be returning to the UK for the Christmas fortnight we only moved over here in the summer, the boys are really looking forward to seeing all their friends and I'm also looking forward to seeing my family, especially as my Dad died just before we moved and I haven't seen my Mum since. Also a sister who lives in Australia, and whom we therefore haven't seen for a couple of years, is supposed to be coming with her family. But realistically if it all gets cancelled at the last moment I'll suppose we'll make the best of it. I think it won't be too difficult if we have to improvise here in Paris at the last minute Christmas is less of a big deal here, things don't shut as much / for as long and I don't think it will be a problem to do food shopping at the last minute. We don't have a turkey in any case.

I am pregnant (17 weeks) and have managed to book a booster while in the UK so I really hope we can go for that as well -- they're not doing boosters here yet, I was vaccinated early, with AZ which seems to fade faster, and the stats for women who get covid in their third trimester are not great, so I would be annoyed if I can't make that appointment.

On the plus side, we are having to make really complicated plans about transporting Christmas presents, so at least we wouldn't have to bother with all that if it gets called off at the last minute!

Christmas will be very low key for us anyway this year, just me, mum and DD...maybe my best mate joining us. My dad passed away six months ago and we've no extended family.

Mum and I are adding bits to the food shop each week. She's had her booster and I've got mine and 17yo DD has her second jab on 16th.

We're all in a bubble if there's a lockdown (best mate doesn't have any family to speak of either), so as long as no-one actually tests positive it'll be business as usual.

Hopefully DD will get to see her dad this year...last year he and his partner had a foster child overnight for respite 3 days before Christmas and they came into contact with a positive case at nursery on the day they did pick up so they had to isolate for the entire Christmas period.

We are preparing by making sure none of us covid test

Simple

No test, no cancellations

We are all double vax. Elderly members triple vax

No but not thinking we are at any particular risk. My daughter takes the tube every day to school but is fastidious about wearing a mask and washing her hands. My son works and is less good about the mask but is pretty cautious too.
We are not planning on travelling far anyway during the holidays and Christmas Day will be at home.

We've just recovered - which timing wise has worked out for us.
We should hopefully now be safe from catching it again for this winter season and are not allowed to take lft or pcr tests for 12 weeks...
That said, I am not keen on the idea of catching another cold even if its not covid and am a bit reluctant to sign up for traditional activities like father christmas, panto, etc... which involve mixing with strangers...

I booked panto tickets, not even thinking about Covid! But tbh the children I'm taking could catch it from school, so not stressing too much. Having not been able to have a big extended family Christmas last year, we are planning to have one this year (after we've all had a lft). However, I've bought nearly all the Christmas presents and we'll take them to our distant family soon, just in case someone develops Covid just before we get together. And I'm intending to buy in Christmas food just in case.

Urgh, I’ll be fucked off.
Last year, was meant to go up to Newcastle (from London) for Christmas with my family, boris said no, couldn’t go anywhere then I tested positive for covid the Sunday before. I was so bloody ill and vomited all Christmas Day.
I have no back up plans