Who is carrying on as normal/going out and about and sticking to plans?

[DennisReynoldsDuster]

There seems to be a real divide.
Among my friends, ,many are staying put, cancelling plans and hunkering down for the next week and waiting to see how the land lies.
The other half are still of the 'pfff it's going to blow over' camp and are merrily talking about their trip to thailand and making plans for summer bbqs.

It's really unnerving. I flip between being utterly terrified to that reading about Nadine Dorries who seems to be recovering well, and hoping it's not going to be as bad as I expect.

[ElbasAbsentPenis]

-Going to work until it shuts down / I have so isolate, whichever comes first
-Sending DS to nursery as long as we possibly can
-Cancelled July holiday to the US to see family, as my mother’s partner is undergoing chemo and I will risk her life and health
-Curtailing all other activities. We’d only be going to soft play anyway and that will shut down soon enough & is gross and disease-ridden at the best of times.

• not stockpiling but am a routine overbuyer so we rarely have fewer than 24 rolls of toilet paper in the house & lots of tins and long life stuff in cupboards

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

DH and both have to go to work next week, so carrying on as normal. Visited friends this weekend, seeing an adult DC next weekend.

I suspect though that a weekend away planned for early April will not happen. I have planned lots of things to do when quarantine eventually comes.

[helpfulperson]

Bit of both. I'm working on a 4 week principal. Carrying on Planning for anything more than 4 weeks ahead with an acknowledgement it might not happen and otherwise following Gov guidance, washing hands, avoiding unnecessary contact eg shaking hands and have stocked up for 7 days self isolation but no more joined local self help groups and popped a note through local neighbours door with mobile number in case i can i help.

[Verily1]

I stocked up because I don’t fancy being in isolation when it hits without plenty of snacks and a variety of food in the house.

Have postponed holiday plans and social events.

I’m perplexed at people who haven’t!

[DirtyDancing]

• I am working from home starting from tomorrow
  
• cancelled UK holiday for April. Just a weekend but not happening now
  
• worrying about GPs constantly but all isolating about 90% of time now
  
• taking kids to school tomorrow as it is still open. Would prefer it if it closed. Any additional activities have been cancelled by school though.
  
• didn’t go out for drinks last night and all social plans for March now cancelled.

[Roselilly36]

We started self isolation from last Friday, I have an autoimmune condition, so fall into high risk group. I don’t trust the government to protect us, they have been woefully inadequate IMHO. Herd immunity my arse, anyone that believes that must be mad, protect yourselves & your families, the government are clueless.

[Monstermuncher]

Cautiously carrying on as normal for now. Work are making preparations for us to work from home should the need arise and I'm resisting the urge to panic buy even though the supermarket shelves are starting to empty around here. I live in an area that's popular for visitors to eat and drink and shop in. Its much quieter than usual out there so obviously a lot of people are changing their plans and staying home.

[moita]

Still going to work/children going to pre-school.

Not going to toddler groups and any socialising with the children will be in mostly outside (parks etc).

Still plan to go out for a meal with friends tomorrow.

Won't be visiting my 93 year old grandfather. Makes me so sad but too much of a risk to him.

Luckily we don't have to use public transport.

My daughter has regular hospital appointments but I'm cancelling any that aren't too important and can wait.

[TheFormidableMrsC]

I'm doing normal things like the school run (we walk so can stay away from people largely), I will still do my supermarket shop first thing tomorrow, in and out as quickly as possible armed with latex gloves and wipes. What I have done is cancel social events including a family do next Saturday. DS and I have stayed in all weekend which quite honestly has sent us both scatty but in the absence of any real clear guidance, I just feel it's better not to "people" too much. I will continue to exercise in remote spots and do that daily. I think myself fortunate that I am a parent/carer currently and don't have to go to work so I can pick quiet times to do jobs during the day with less people about.

However, others seem less bothered! I drove through out local leisure park last night, cinema was heaving, Hollywood Bowl was heaving, McD's, Nandos and other places full of people. People milling about everywhere. This is going to be the problem isn't it? The "it won't happen to me" brigade.

[Justlovedogs]

Carrying on pretty much as normal here. Washing hands a bit more often (not that I didn't wash them before, of course - ), using hand sanitiser when somewhere where there are people about (shopping, etc.), not buying anything more or different to what I would normally.

The virus is here in the country, it is going to stay here until it runs it's course or enough people get it to generate some sort of immunity. Personally, protecting the more vulnerable in society rather than trying to shut down the masses that can generally cope with having a flu-like disease makes better sense to me. Lock everyone down, you all get it when you're let out again. How does that help anyone?

[Talia99]

I usually wander around the shops on the weekend and I’ve skipped that. However, we still haven’t moved to WFH so I have to go into work all week. I will try and avoid the rush hour - at least we don’t have to work 9 to 5.

[february08baby]

me. I'll carry on as normal until told otherwise.

Its bad yes, but people's expectations of the government and opinions as to what will "work" are somewhat ridiculous.

All this campaigning to close schools FFS who is going to look after them if the parents can't get time off work?

And panic buying when there is plenty for everyone only makes a bad situation worse.

You can guarantee the same parents who want their kids to stay off school will just take them to McDonalds / cinema / soft play etc and that won't be risky will it? rolls eyes

You could get it from your colleague or your classmate, but you could also get it from the delivery driver who delivers your takeaway when you self isolate, or from your postman, or from your spouse.

So the approach would need to be all or nothing, and the former will lose people wages and ruin businesses.

Some people just don't think things through.

[ssd]

We're trying to carry on but be very mindful of hand washing advice etc

No holidays or events here anyway, just work and asda..

[speakout]

I am limiting a little.
I have an 86 yo parent who lives with us, so that is a concern.

[daisypond]

Some people just don't think things through.
And you’ve given a prime example of that.

[burntpinky]

Sort of but before all this hit we’d said we weren’t going to go out until I hit 12 weeks (pregnant) as I feel so rubbish and friends would guess if not drinking.

Am WFH however as I don’t want to put myself at risk of a high fever in first trimester and possible miscarriage

[JustInCaseCakeHappens]

Just because you or I might not be too ill from the virus, doesn't mean the person we contaminate will make it.

Why are we not closing schools, non-essential shops and places now is just criminal. How many body bags do we need to see before we take it seriously? It could all be avoided. Now. Waiting to have thousand of dead is beyond comprehension.

Even the ones "safe-ish" from covid 19 better pray they don't need urgent medical care when there won't be any.

[Swishswish26]

Bit of both here too. We’ve been to swimming lessons, Ice skating and for tea and cake at a local café and everywhere was absolutely heaving, in fact more so than usual so I suspect that people are making the most of their freedom whilst they can. We only have a birthday party next weekend so far which is apparently going ahead.
We have many weeks of possible isolation ahead so I’m glad we’ve had such a lovely weekend.

[Bluepeace]

Me. My nail technician has just messaged to ask if we're still on for tomorrow as so many have cancelled, I said of course unless she doesn't to, I worry for the self employed like her. Understandable if people are vulnerable or look after someone vulnerable, but unnecessary otherwise.

We are due to go on holiday to the US in May, if the flights are on and the FCO allows us, we will be going (doubtful atm I know!)

[Jenala]

What @wheresmymojo shared. I'm not scared for my DC or DH, we are all young and healthy. But being a little cautious is important for other people in the community who aren't so lucky. Reading some of these posts I don't think people appreciate that it's not how fatal the virus is that's the problem.

The problem is:

• No one has immunity, so the spread is exponential, meaning the rate of cases is going to go up and up, and fast.
• A proportion of the infected will need hospital treatment and ventilation. It may be a small proportion, but a small proportion of a large number is a large number.
• If the rate of infection is very rapid, the amount of people needing hospital treatment will be rapid too, quickly overwhelming the system (see Italy)
• This means that people who need urgent treatment for other reasons may not be able to get it, at least not in a timely manner, leading to increased death rates that are indirectly related to coronavirus.

When there is some immunity down the line, coronavirus will become something less serious that probably returns year after year like winter flu and will be more manageable as healthcare won't be overwhelmed.

People saying oh the fatality rate is low, or oh me and my family are healthy etc are just showing their ignorance. You will probably be fine if you get infected. But...you can still get hit by a car and need emergency treatment. Your child can still get meningitis. You can still have a bloody brick fall on your head. You can still need urgent non emergency surgery. And when our hospitals are overwhelmed you won't get the same level of care you could have done. So it's in all of our interests to take precautions to try and avoid a hugely rapid rate of infection. If you follow the numbers we are following Italy which isn't a surprise given the numbers of dumb people who don't give a shit so maybe it's futile.

I'm forced to change as I'm not letting my at risk parents collect the DCs from school anymore which means I have to work from home. I'm avoiding busy public spaces - eg soft play, restaurants, swimming, and will limit visitors too. Lots more handwashing.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Normalish. DDs will go to school, swimming and Scouts this week, hopefully next. I'm hopeful but realistic about Cub camp and DD s birthday party in 2 weeks.

But I saw my parents for probably the last time for the foreseeable future today- they live in Kent, I'm in the Midlands.
We haven't booked any activities for Easter or the cricket for the summer.
I'm avoiding taking DDs to shops/cafes as much as possible
Getting my home education plans and resources in place.

So outside it may appear normal, but there are little changes

[maddiemookins16mum]

We are reducing going out socially if we don’t have to but have School/work tomorrow as normal.

[DownstairsMixUp]

Carrying on as normal. Not cancelling anything till at least four weeks before it's planned and will judge them.

[Crystal1975]

Totally carrying on as normal here
Most people here (Lincolnshire) seem to be
Everyone turned up for baby groups last week etc
There’s still loo roll in the shops
No one seems massively concerned, obviously washing hands etc but that should be a normal thing to do anyway??
Also, as sad as it is that people are dying, it is the very old with other health conditions who would probably die from a bad case of flu etc - I don’t mean that to sound uncaring as it isn’t - my mum is in a high risk group

[CookPassBabtridge]

Carrying on as normal here as it seems everyone around me is.. schools open, workplaces open, shops full of stuff. Same amount of people on roads and walking around.
Then I come on here and feel a bit panicky..