Do you feel life is on hold?

[ivykaty44]

Are we all just holding back a little bit from job hunting, booking holidays making plans with friends etc?

I feel that I’m just going to work & going home & staying there, haven’t been shopping for 10 days

I’d planned on going to Portugal at the end of this month but had to cancel those plans due to other reason, haven’t booked any holidays for this year or made plans with friends

Anyone actually make future plans?

Not had had a break in five years and booked up for Spain at Easter last year! Now this has happened and I doubt we will get a refund if we can't go! Gutted. I feel sad for people dying of this virus which is more important of course but it's just our luck to book up and might not be able to go away.

Far too many people don't give a toss about those around them! But them, we live in a selfish world now don't we - sod everyone else!

But in fact if you are self isolating because it costs you no money and is a bit like a holiday due to "selfless reasons" it's is great to preach. But if you were the one who was going to lose home, business or job because of others being so "self-less" suddenly it doesn't look quite the same does it. It's about perspective.

carrying on as normal for now but we don't go out in crowded places anyway. A part of me thinks it may be best to catch it now if it's inevitable as i'm asthmatic & the NHS could cope with me now but may not be able to when everybody catches it. Obviously it would be better not to catch it at all but I think it may be inevitable.

I know of several people who have booked holidays and been able to either delay, or get a refund on the hotel. Better than nothing.

There will be a massive and ongoing impact on mental unwellness as a result of this and mental health services are so overstretches as it is.

I think it’s important to make decisions based on own circumstances eg if you have health conditions it may be wise to avoid large, public events.
My life is on hold as dd’s school is closed and at the moment we cannot get back to China. As the situation continues to change at a rapid pace we have not made any concrete plans so life in limbo it is!

Yes a little.

Not just the small scale stuff like holidays but worried about dhs job now.

Which is what everyone should be doing to help slow down the spread. Far too many people don't give a toss about those around them!

if everyone self-isolate, you do realise that factories and shops will be closed, you won't have any electricity or running water, no police to stop looters and no emergency personal to deal with medical and other ..emergencies.

People wouldn't last 2 minutes without tv or internet.

So yes, keep your distance, that's the least selfish way to deal with this...

It does feel a bit like this. I'm even debating whether to travel 15 miles on Saturday.

Absolutely! We were going to Hong Kong for the 7's, also planned Spain at end of April

Neither happening

And I'm not paying anymore off my summer hols with the kids just in case it can't go ahead

We are booked to go skiing in France on Saturday (going to stay with in laws who have a place out there and are already there having driven out). I have been worrying about going but France is not on the foreign office list of places to avoid, so think we will still go - DH is keen and he can’t see any logical reason not to given the risk in France is probably similar to here at the moment.

We are also in the middle of buying our ‘forever’ family home so I’m certainly not putting that on hold!

My parents look after my toddler DD once a week and she is in nursery 2 days as well so I’m worried how I will work if nursery closes and also if I should take some extra days off to look after DD instead of my elderly parents, but I won’t have enough holiday to do that indefinitely. I can work from home but not in the company of a 16 month old! DH is a GP so will have to keep working I imagine whatever else happens. As PPs have said it’s the uncertainty that is hardest to cope with.

But in fact if you are self isolating because it costs you no money and is a bit like a holiday due to "selfless reasons" it's is great to preach. But if you were the one who was going to lose home, business or job because of others being so "self-less" suddenly it doesn't look quite the same does it. It's about perspective.

Agree - if you have no symptoms, and are not ill, then why not travel? Just be sensible, don't sneeze on strangers, wash your hands.

I'm carrying on as usual for now but I think in another month it will definitely feel like 'normal' life is on hold. I speak to my friend in Venice and she says that's how's she's feeling now, she's getting cabin fever and her teen children are very bored. She doesn't even have any decoration she can be getting on with. I've got paint and supplies in so if we do have to stay home there's a few rooms we can do.

@JustInCaseCakeHappens
I was in China when restrictions were introduced (not Hubei province)
And we had power, water, Internet, tv,police, no looting..and still have all of those things six weeks later.
Supermarkets were open and pharmacies but nothing else. Social distancing seems to have been effective and my city did not descend into chaos.

Yes completely

I’ve sat here in my kitchen this morning, looking out at what looks like the promise of spring and feeling so sad that I even hesitated opening the window as I alway so for fresh air.

We’ve got the dc off as they have medical issues and I can’t risk it. I feel anxious

I feel almost a sense of loss at the plans we had for this year because of things get worse, which they likely will we wont be doing the day trips we had planned.
I feel like I’ve been taking things for granted stressing about silly stuff when now I feel like I can’t even enjoy popping out to a garden centre or the park or a playgroup with my toddler. I feel trapped

Looking ahead it seems that a vaccine will be a long way off so there’s no reassurance this will resolve soon

ShanghaiDiva
I wouldn't expect the Brits - civilian or authorities - to react the same way to be honest.

Have you seen footages of black fridays, or the London riots from a few years ago? I was in the middle of the riots, it wasn't pretty!

The point was more that calling people selfish when they keep going on about their business like the poster above is stupid. Just imagine if all the teachers suddenly self-isolate. Do medical staff take their kids to work with them?

I’m living my awesome life as I normally do. Travelling abroad again in 3 weeks!

I think it depends on what happens to the number of cases.
China introduced tough controls, but it was necessary and as the restrictions started when the country was on holiday for Chinese New Year it was relatively straightforward to implement: kids were already on holiday, offices were closed and some factories too.
Some opinions suggest that the Chinese are a nation of automatons used to being controlled by the govt and therefore they all complied. People complied because they were frightened and with no vaccine, an explosion of cases and 14 day incubation period, shutting down the whole country was probably the only solution.

@ShanghaiDiver I hope you are able to get home soon and be with all your family
I have been feeling in limbo too. Life goes on, whilst taking precautions as best we can. But I can't imagine the future. Just taking things day by day.

thanks funkycats
Am hoping (not planning!) for a mid April return.

And people calling others selfish for not self-isolating still assume that they will have heat, light, water, food, deliveries of essentials. And usually they are the stockpilers Think it through FFS.

It is about being sensible. I won't sneeze over everyone and I will stay away from civilization if I feel in any way unwell but I won't panic buy.

But yes OP - I do feel my life is on hold. Hopefully not for long.

if everyone self-isolate, you do realise that factories and shops will be closed, you won't have any electricity or running water, no police to stop looters and no emergency personal to deal with medical and other ..emergencies.

Who said anything about everyone self-isolating. It's only those who've just come back from affected areas, or those who know they've been in contact with people suspected of having it.

For someone to come back from Italy and not self-isolate - that's just pure stupidity and selfishness.

For everyone else, social distancing is the answer - most people can carry on the necessities of life (going to work/school etc) taking care with personal hygiene, not shaking hands/hugging, catching coughs/sneezes etc.

The problem is people who ignore advice and just carry on their selfish ways without a care in the World because they know they're low risk - and sod everyone else around them.

Yes.
I am not really interested in anything now. Just worried.
Normally in the spring, I always enjoy spring, on a school run we walk through lovely forest and a park where everything is now blooming.
Normally we would be enjoying looking on daffodils or bluebells, birds singing ..
But I can’t enjoy.
I don’t do shopping apart from buying loo rools and antibacterial wipes!
I worry what will be tomorrow.

Yes, I do feel as if my life is on hold. It feels exactly the same as the last 3 years of my mother's life, and the past 18 months while DH has had cancer (which coincided for about 3 weeks before DM died). Can't plan anything because it could all go tits up any minute.

We are supposed to be going to the French Alps in 2 weeks time to see DD1 who is working there. I can't see it going ahead, I don't want to go but I want to see DD1 (not seen her for 3 months), I don't want DH to get ill while we're there, and I don't want to be quarantined either in France or the UK.

Kazzyhoward
it's only those who've just come back from affected areas, or those who know they've been in contact with people suspected of having it.

that's everyone who has been in the London public transports for a start...

And I can tell you that one of the person who died in hospital was NOT in isolation there, maybe at the end that I don't know.

Covid 19 is already here, don't you know that? People DO NOT get tested at present, until they have travelled. Our figures are not accurate.

that's ok as long as "your" loved ones aren't at risk - you don't give a toss about other peoples' loved ones then!

Oh stop being so dramatic - do you really give a shit about other people's loved ones? I wouldn't expect anyone to prioritise my family over their own, and like hell anyone would. If it was your child or some random person on a ventilator, and you had to choose who got it, would you pick the random?

It's human nature. And that logic is stupid anyway - if you genuinely cared so much about other people suffering, you wouldn't buy clothes from sweatshops, wouldn't go to cheap carwashes, wouldn't support loads of shitty industries. Stop virtue signalling.