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....

@Watapalava seriously? So if you start running a temperature Christmas Eve, or develop a persistent cough you just plough ahead?

We've got lots planned, including flying overseas to see family over new year. DH and I do lateral flow tests twice a week as standard & I always test the DC for cold symptoms, but otherwise we've been living very Old Normal lives since May TBH. No Covid thus far surprisingly enough. I'm pretty philosophical to be honest, as are both our families (all the older ppl in our respective families will be triple dosed & the PILs have had Covid). I'll make sure and buy the presents in well in advance and we'll stock the fridge up, but that's it really.

We can't avoid a lot of things in the next month. We don't have the option of doing less.

It does make me anxious if I'm honest. We did scale back on things just before half term because we did not want to get caught out.

The only up side is that almost everything is before the week before Christmas. And we have only got a quite Christmas day planned. Our problem is merely if we can't go get the beef joint on Christmas Eve. Otherwise everything else is done and dusted.

What I am now relieved at is that all the Christmas shopping is done and most of it already wrapped.

I have my booster booked for Christmas week so I think thats more of a concern for me than Christmas itself.

I kind of figure at this point we haven't got a lot of choice so there isn't a lot of point dwelling on it too much.

COVID? Completed it mate. We all had it early November so can now selfishly enjoy the run up to Christmas.

We also smugly don't believe we passed it on to anyone.

I know I'm trivialising it all but we got it mildly, thanks to the jabs & now it's not hanging over us.

I’m doing the same as last year. I have a small turkey crown in the freezer if it’s just the 4 of us. However, last year the present pile was extremely small without the visitors that usually come, so I might splurge a bit more on the kids.

I had Covid last Christmas. Tested positive on the 23rd and was 12 weeks pregnant. Luckily we had all our food in and family dropped us off bits we needed. My poor husband had to isolate as well so missed his Xmas night out with work and was grounded for the two of the four weeks he gets off each year🙈he was more bothered about me and the baby tho.

My worst fear about Christmas and covid is getting covid and not being able to smell
Or taste. I can deal with plans changing, just not being able to eat all the food. I had a reduced sense of smell and taste last Christmas - tested negative for covid - I had a cold, bad throat and sinus issues which causes. It was hell 😅

I am making sure I have a full freezer christmas dinner in stock. Dd tested positive at 5pm Christmas eve last year and we were going out for dinner.

@MrsBerthaRochester

I really dont get all the angst over covid still. The vast majority of folk are vaccinated and while cases may be rising hospitilisations and deaths are not. I think some people just like being doom mongers. Life has to go back to normal.

Doom mongers? Well I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m still a bit ‘angsty’ over Covid because my lungs are fucked. My DH also has a serious underlying medical condition. My elderly DM (who I care for) has copd as well as other underlying medical conditions and one of the family members we’re hoping to see over Christmas is currently having immunotherapy treatment. This Christmas we’ll be laying wreaths on the graves of four people who were here last Christmas. That’s four fucking people. So I don’t know why you really don’t get it. It might be that you’re a bit thick? Or it might be that you’re entirely devoid of any compassion, empathy or understanding for anyone who isn’t young, fit and healthy? Or it might be that you don’t believe that anyone with a positive test should be isolating? Only you can answer that.

@bloodywhitecat I wish you a calm and peaceful Christmas with your DH at home with you

To answer the OP, we’re hoping to be in Wales for Christmas so are keeping a close eye on what Boris and Mark Drakeford are doing. We’re not planning anything after 12th December to hopefully reduce the risk. I’ve got non perishables packed away, I’ve got pigs, stuffing, etc in the freezer and we’re working on making space in it for the turkey coming on 23rd (which we’ll have on New Years Day, all being well). All presents are bought and largely wrapped. We’ll have regular tests with the last one 24 hours before we go so we hopefully don’t take anything nasty with us. As things stand currently, we’re sorted to have Christmas either here or there.

With the new Botswana variant most likely already in the uk lots on here may get their wish of going back into lockdown.

@Sn0tnose
You have my sympathies. It took me months to get over Long Covid and many people are still suffering from it longer than I did. I hope that you feel better soon and that you are able to celebrate a really lovely Christmas this year.

@wantanotherdog thank you, that’s so kind of you, but I’ve been lucky enough not to actually get Covid at all yet (touch wood), they’re fucked for an entirely different reason and, unfortunately, won’t be improving with time. But I wish you the same happy and healthy Christmas.

@MrsBerthaRochester I apologise for being so rude; there was probably a far more polite way for me to respond. It is not my ‘wish’ to go back into lockdown. I’m well aware of the catastrophic implications that Covid has had on health and finances and I don’t judge anyone for doing whatever they think best for them. I’m quite happy to take responsibility for assessing my own risks. What I find difficult is biting my tongue when others can’t withhold their judgement on me for being bloody terrified about catching it.

As long we don't actually have Covid then we will spend the day with local family. I'm not being separated from them again. Our long distance family will travel if they can.
I've decided not to do any pre-Christmas big social things to avoid catching it as much as possible.

If.... Big if... We make it to our boosters hopefully that will help over Xmas period.
Our children have both had covid, and our guest is triple jabbed.
So as long as African varient doesn't take mad hold between now and and then, we are carrying on as normal.

Where I work I'm exposed to a vast amount of people everyday withy varying degrees of covid safety and risk.