I haven't seen my parents since this whole thing started. My father has a compromised immune system (was only deemed to be in remission from cancer last year, has T2 diabetes, and no spleen due to a serious accident when he was 18) - he's also now over 70, so is in the elderly bracket as well as the vulnerable one. If he catches thos virus? He will die. It's as horrifically simple as that.
Because my son remained in school until they shut for the majority, we couldn't take the risk of him inadvertantly infecting his granddad. Whom he saw every day up until this, and who he considers a friend as well as a grandparent. They're very close. I'm also close to my father. It's unlikely that we'll see each other until all of this has gone away. That may, in all reality, be never again.
We've found other ways of keeping in touch, though. Listening to my son on the 'phone to his grandparents yesterday trying to talk them through setting up a Skype account, was... actually quite funny. We've also been 'e'mailing, and my son texts and calls my father at least once a day for a chat.
I'm also in the vulnerable bracket, but because I'm a lone parent, I'm having to be out in the world buying provisions (wouldn't hoard, even if I could afford to), for my family and our pets. Because we have a dog, my son and I're also walking her every other day (she's small and incredibly lazy). We avoid others as much as we humanely can. My 15 year old isn't out with his mates at all, and won't be. He understands the risks more than most of his peers, though, because he knows that if I catch this virus? I might not make it out the other end.
It's difficult staying inside, and not seeing friends. I get that. It's also really grating to be told what to do, when you're an adult. Believe me, I understand that, too. But unless everyone starts listening and paying attention to what is going on, and maintaining a social distance from others when they go out to fetch food or walk a dog, this isn't going to go away.
I'd like to be able to see my Dad again, before the year is out. I want my son to be back in full-time education, studying for his exams and seeing his friends/being a normal teenager. Quite frankly, I'd like to have my life back as it was before all of this. I'm doing what I can to ensure these things happen.
We all should be doing what we can to get our "pre-Coronavirus" lives back. Whatever it takes... we ought to be doing it. And if that means listening to the government's guidelines, and preventing them from becoming draconian laws... or behaving like sensible, rational, adults rather than petulant "I'm alright, fuck everyone else" idiots... tough. Get with the programme, please! For all of our sakes.