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.

[Tulipstulips]

I went for lunch with a friend today. The restaurant was so quiet - usually it’s very hard to get a table if you haven’t prebooked but I’d say 3/4 of the tables were empty. Other than that, I’ve just been going to the supermarket and picking my child up from school.

[WeArnottamused]

We have 3 high risk in the house, taking notice of what’s going on in the rest of the world & self isolating, limiting outside contact as much as possible. Haven’t stock piled, just shopping when it’s quieter.

[winterinmadeira]

Im carrying on as normal until the advice changes and we are just being sensible Re hand washing etc etc. I need to go to work as am NHS.

[Aneley]

I am semi-isolating. Taking dog for a walk a bit earlier in the morning and a bit later in the evening when the park is almost empty. Shopping online as usual, not seeing friends. However, I do have a 3m old baby and a father with severe heart condition as well as two 90+yo grandmothers so I really have to do whatever I can to minimise risk to them.

[Conrad79]

normal for us so far

[Absolutepowercorrupts]

You could try checking the Government website, it's updated every day at 2pm.
Get facts, not bullshit

[Palavah]

No high risk individuals in the household. Going to continue as normal as I'd rather get it sooner than later when hospitals are busier. Plus 4 months of lockdown is a long time so I'm going to keep busy and out and about while I can.

Obviously travel is curtailed, and I am washing my hands more avidly than normal because I don't want to endanger people who might be higher risk or live with them but don't have the choice to stay at home.

[blue25]

We’re WFH from tomorrow and stopping social activities. Just going out for food shopping. I’m happy being at home. Not risking passing it on to my elderly relatives.

[starsparkle08]

I’ll be going out as usual . If people want to self isolate that is up to them and I completely understand why some people need to due to complex health needs / age etc
Everyone will come into contact with corona virus at some point it will just effect some more than others . Which is awful for those it will affect badly . It cannot mean thought the world grinds to a halt . We still need to live and even if at home people need to order groceries etc . Healthcare still is paramount in hospitals and care homes. Would people rather that they couldn’t get any food or access any healthcare ? Perhaps all care home residents should be sent home to family unable to meet their needs due to all staff self isolating . Mothers giving birth having no support and being left to their own devises at home as all midwives are self isolating . It really isn’t an option for everyone and quite frankly ridiculous. People expect everything as usual that they take for granted to carry on forgetting they are run by humans not robots .

[MinesaPinot]

We are carrying on as normal until instructions change. Both mine and DH work expect us in until we are told otherwise. We are going to dinner with friends in our village on Friday, again unless advice changes. Saw my 83 year old mum today and took her shopping over but am concerned I'd she is told to stay in. She doesn't have a computer so wouldn't be able to order online shopping and we can't always get to her. I've told her to take her trolley and go round to Lidl when it opens at 8 and there are no crowds. It's all very strange and even my laid back DH says it is 'concerning '.

[ohnononononono]

A bit of both.

I have some symptoms so am self isolating which feels dramatic and a bit odd. But in 7 days if all ok I wouldn't think twice about meeting friends and going to public places.

This will become the new normal for the next 4 or however many months, but equally if we stop living and supporting businesses things will be worse in a different way.

Seemingly in the minority on here but I think the herd immunity approach is sensible and the right one. Those who are able to need to carry on as normal as possible whilst protecting those who can't.

[RufustheLanglovingreindeer]

I still need to go to work

I still need to go to the shops

I still need to take my children to college etc

Not sure where the selfishness comes in...but ok

[I8toys]

Carrying on as normal. Went into London to see a play yesterday and Kings Cross and Covent Garden were quieter than usual.

[TheGinGenie]

I'm doing a mixture. We're still in work but I'm not really making any new social plans. Didn't have any holidays or anything booked anyway

[OnlyTheLangoftheTitBerg]

Nope, I'm being much more cautious than usual because although my underlying medical conditions are musculo-skeletal so I'm not at particular risk, in my family I'm surrounded by people who are very high risk and I'd never forgive myself if some misguided, "we're different and special" Blitz spirit contributed to their deaths. So I'm WFH all this week, making no unneccessary trips (I need to pick up a prescription tomorrow), have postponed Mother's Day lunch out which my mother is fine with and also a couple of social things with friends which would have meant going into the city centre, am getting all my shopping online and avoiding public transport as much as possible.

[Bloomburger]

Doing everything as per. I'm a fitness instructor and no one has cancelled classes or PT sessions, am still running, kids going to school and DH off to work tomorrow, half of his desk is working from home and they'll swap following week so are never in contact with each other.

BIL in Paris has advised us things will change as from tomorrow, boarders will be closed, schools and businesses shut and only essential travel will happen. He's a chick at the best of times though and not. Scientist so God knows where he's getting this info from. He's v v left wing so would probably be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of Boris tucking it all up!

[MeadowHay]

I wouldn't say I was in either gap. I already have GAD and am having a flare up with all this. Nevertheless I am still going about life pretty much as normal other than obsessively checking this topic and the Guardian live feed and also washing me and DD's hands a lot more often and trying not to touch my face. Tomorrow morning I will be getting the bus to work in my large open plan office as normal, would rather WFH but not allowed to.

[DustOffYourHighestHopes]

We are now avoiding restaurants, hotels, events, and cancelled Uk and foreign holidays for next couple of months. We have cancelled social events held at our own house.

We are still on necessary public transport for work, essential shops, school. I have at risk people in our close but not immediate family.

[Donkeytail]

I'm in Ireland so practising social distancing. Took the mutt out for a walk today and that will be all we do outside for the foreseeable, Both of us are working from home, the children have school work set to complete at home.

As someone in Ireland with the precautions we are taking it does seem quite bonkers seeing the difference in attitudes between us and those across the pond.

[zafferana]

Me - I am practising 'social distancing', but otherwise carrying on as normal.

[WhateverHappenedToBathPearls]

I'm still at work, but doing social distancing in other areas of life - avoiding shops, restaurants, public transport etc. Will be looking to move to home working in the next week or two, as soon as I can get management to agree.

[Jenala]

Many of the people who are merrily carrying on as normal (by which I mean attending crowded public events and spaces, socialising widely etc - I get that for lots of people work has to carry on as normal) will be the ones posting on here in 6 weeks about how terrible it is no one has dispensed their prescription or they can't get their uti treated, or a gp appointment for their child etc. And I'm sure they still won't clock that carrying on as normal is what allowed the system to be overwhelmed. It doesn't matter if you are healthy. We will all be affected by huge infection rates.

Plus there is a huge difference between self isolating and being cautious. It's not all or nothing. Go to the shops. Walk your dog. Let your kids run around a field. Walk on the beach. Just don't go be part of a tv studio audience, go to shows, invite 6 friends for dinner, have parties etc. It's not hard to grasp.

[N4ish]

Going on pretty much as normal with some extra hand washing and changing hand towels more often. Was in town for shopping and lunch today, lots of over 70’s in the John Lewis cafe!

[thenightsky]

My mate is sticking two fingers up at everyone who mentions CV. This is a woman with COPD and asthma and has been told her lung condition is life limiting. She's out in city centre pubs, tagging herself, getting pissed and posting 'fuck you' on FB to anyone who expresses concern for her.

She has actually told me to stop reading the news because 'its all bollocks and lies' and 'there's no such thing as coronavirus'.

[tentative3]

A bit of both I guess. We have been out this weekend but to get food and a few things for if/when we go into lockdown. I will have to go to work in a dirty, public facing environment so will be exposed for sure, but would like to go some way to minimising my chances outside of work from now on.