Were you scared at the start? Are you still scared now?

[Lou0808]

I'm trying my absolute hardest to try and adjust to this new "normal".

But so far I'm not doing very well.

I'd love to just go shopping but the thought of having to be constantly aware of keeping a 2M distance, being mindful of touching things or wearing a mask is just not my idea of fun. 😞

We drove past our local shopping centre yesterday and was really surprised at how full the car park was.

It's gone from people panic buying back in March, people saying how bad this was and how serious it is, to now parks, supermarkets and shopping centres being packed.

Are people not as scared of this anymore?
Do they feel like it's not as serious or as much of a threat?
Or are people just accepting that they have to live their lives with this threat around and are happy to do that?

I do have anxiety and OCD and I know they play a big part in How I feel.

But why am I still stuck to my feelings back in March whilst everyone else seems to be moving on and accepting this new way of life 😞

@duffeldaisy

It's gone in a U shape - I was very scared before lockdown because of reading global news, especially that coming out of Italy. It felt like no-one around seemed to get how serious it could be.

Then I felt better while isolating (not the isolating part - it's not been easy, I've lost some of my work, home-schooling's been tiring etc). but I felt like we were going to get numbers down to something manageable.

Now, I'm struggling with anxiety all over again because, just like before, it feels like a lot of people are acting like if they just go back to normal then this thing will go away. What has changed, apart from some improvements in treatment, from a couple of months ago? We still have a large number of cases, we've had tens of thousands of deaths, but that doesn't seem to be enough to concern some people. And I'm truly dreading it all flaring up again. So it's like the beginning all over again.

This is exactly how I feel...!!!!

I wasn’t too worried to start with and even said on here that we were continuing with plans to go to Harry P world at Easter.

I started to get a bit nervous around mid March so dh and I started working from home. I still ended up getting ill with the virus after my 12 year old dc brought it home just before lockdown.

I’m still suffering with reoccurring symptoms so I’m worried about the winter and picking up bugs which may affect my chest (mildly asthmatic). I keep thinking will these symptoms ever go away. I can live with it but is this my new normal?

Am also worried for elderly parents.

Going back to work worries me but no choice except to crack on.

I do worry about september with schools/nurserys being back.

I'm more scared now. Lockdown felt safe with everyone following the rules. Over the past few weeks people have pretty much been ignoring the rules which is worrying but now that we are officially coming out of it - I feel more afraid. It's not over yet.

Never been scared of the virus. I am more worried about the economy tbh.

Was worried for my husband due to health complications at the start but more on the insistence we abide by the rules.

Not really worried now. Stilll taking precautions but seeing family friends etc.

Are people not as scared of this anymore?
Do they feel like it's not as serious or as much of a threat?
Or are people just accepting that they have to live their lives with this threat around and are happy to do that?

A bit of all three for me. I was never "scared" of the virus, but when it first arrived and they said it had a 3-4% mortality rate, that asthmatics were more vulnerable, that they estimated 500,000 deaths I was cautious and took all the advised precautions, pulled DD out of school early etc.

Now we know a lot more about the virus. The mortality rate is FAR lower than originally suggested especially for people in my demographic and that of my children and parents. We have a better idea about containment and treatment, they have some positive news on a vaccine. The numbers in the community and in hospital are dropping rapidly. I am willing to take my chances with it for the chance of living a normal life.

The day they announced the lockdown, my DH was on his 4th day of being in the hospital because of a minor illness. That is what being immune-compromised can do. My dd has asthma and a vocal cord disorder that makes it hard for her to breath when she gets the tiniest cold.

I’m f@#%*ing terrified every single day.

I was concerned at the start. Had a real sense of anxiety around the time lockdown started and the couple of weeks after that. Have felt progressively less and less scared of the virus itself as time has passed as I have still been at work as normal, not caught it (or at any rate, not caught it and known about it) despite numerous colleagues having it, seen the news about how few people actually die, etc. If our circumstances were different I'm sure I'd be more worried but no one in our household is vulnerable.

I am worried about the medium to long term effects of lockdown though, very worried about that.

I was scared at the start. Im young and fit, I had the virus and honestly it was scary. I was coughing and coughing and then I couldnt vatch my breath, it hurt.

I am still scared, I have 3 grandparents in their 80s/90s. All fit and well bar their age before this, i am scared of them catching it, scared of how it will affect them mentally, scared if life will ever get back to normal for them. Scared of the fact that realistically I will put them at risk by seeing them.

Both my parents are teachers, they are not young, both have underlying health conditions which make them more at risk, yet before this had little to no impact on their life. I am scared about them getting back to school, I am also scared again how its affected them both mentally.

I am not scared of catching the virus but I am scared of the effects on my loved ones. I am scared how it will affect vunerable peoples lives.

I think I naively thought it would be more definitive when we ended. It is safe to come out now.

Also I had the virus 3 months ago and its still affecting me

How will this affect my mum? I am young and healthy, she might not die but I can see how she could be very ill. What if I get another illness while my lungs are damaged. What if its never safe for my parents/grandparents

For myself, no. Even though I am slightly higher risk. For family members yes. Particularly worry about DP as there is a good chance it would kill him if he got it. And there were loads of cases here in April. But we are pretty cautious so don't expect we will get it.

Interesting to read everyone's perspectives on this.

I think you can relax more and more as treatment options are developed and especially just down when numbers are probably the lowest they're going to be for a long time. I share your feeling that people aren't being quite rational in abandoning lockdown because we know the virus spreads quickly. There are lots of people who share your caution but I guess many folk need to live in the moment.

No and no.

Sometimes I wonder if I am odd as genuinely haven't given it much thought (while following social distancing rules until recently)

No and no. Dh and I are 60/61. He is an essential worker.
I have followed guidelines but don't wear a face mask in supermarkets.
I have hair appointment on July 6th and looking forward to eating in our local restaurant.

I was at first but not for my health, I was worried about the education for my children and cried alot when our school closed as I just knew they were being thrown under the bus.

Now, I'm still not worried about catching it. I wash my hands etc and feel that with more knowledge it's become more manageable.

I'm very worried about the economy. So many job losses, it's just awful. I'm so thankful our jobs have been perfectly safe throughout this (albeit massively more stressful!)

I was fairly sanguine to begin with, but I caught Covid in mid-March and was ill for weeks. It was vile - fever, shortness of breath, palpitations, exhaustion. I'm 44, white and was previously fit and healthy, normal BMI. 3 months down the line I still don't feel 100%. If people are happy to 'get back to normal' that's fine, but I'm staying home as much as possible as I do not want a rematch with this fucking illness.

I'm T1 Diabetic and have been through the whole range of feelings about Coronavirus. At the start i was a bit meh about it, I was on the vulnerable list but it's the only condition I have, i'm early 30's and fit enough to play sport at an international level, rarely get ill, probably October was my last cold. Then we went into lockdown and I felt really safe walking and was managing to continue my usual online deliveries for shopping (had them pre-Covid). The next step was losing the online deliveries as supermarkets prioritised the shielded, DP did one or two tesco trips then we managed to go onto click and collect.

Anxiety ramped up when it came out that I have 3.5x the risk and that a large proportion of those dying in hospital had diabetes. As a type 1 it's not something I can really do anything about other than try to carry on like I am, keep eating healthy and exercising. As this coincided a little with lockdown beginning to ease (unlimited exercise and the general startign of not caring about distancing by the people round here) I also found it harder and harder to get out and feel safe for a walk so I became very anxious, and now to almost all of my exercise indoors. I think a lot of people don't realise that it's still important to some of us to maintain social distancing. I don't really care if people go to each others gardens or whatever but please continue to maximise the distance from strangers on pathways!

Now with the latest announcement but wiht no updates to the vulnerable category or any real information as to why diabetics are more at risk, i'm feeling more anxious and pushed more and more indoors and into isolation when actually the reality may be that it is a bit safer to start getting out again.

I've been on furlough so at least I have not had to worry about work, but in July when the ability to part furlough comes in my team are going to do one day a week each though thankfully this can be done from home. I would probably have resigned if i had to go full time into the office at the moment!

I was at the beginning. Spent a lot of lockdown in our own little bubble, getting shopping by click and collect. I went back to work a few weeks ago and I'm still cautious and as careful as I can be, but I go into shops now and we try live life as "normal" as we can.

I was really really scared at the start. I have a few autoimmune conditions and I didn’t fancy my chances with it.

Then I caught the bloody thing. It was really nasty, worst virus I’ve ever had and I include glandular fever and viral meningitis in that, but I’m still here. I’m not fully recovered yet 3 months on, but still here.

I’m now nervous about the immunity thing because no one seems to know how long immunity lasts, and I really don’t know how I’d fare if I got it again. I most definitely don’t want to ever go through that again. But overall I don’t have that awful panic I felt at the beginning. I’m starting to see that if we have to live with the virus in our midst, I can do that. I can see how generations in the past did this, because at some point you have to get on and live your life. I’m still being very careful and will continue to be. However, if this experience has taught me anything it’s that sometimes, whatever you do, you’re just unlucky. All the panic in the world won’t change that.

Not scared at the beginning and even less scared now.

I'm scared at the possibility of losing a very well established business that has taken 30 years to grow, and 3 months to possibly ruin. I'm scared that my DHs heart issues have been left untreated for nearly 4 months.

The stats are that if you're under 45, your chance of dying of Covid is 1 in 67.000.

Sadly there seems to be a lot of people suffering from health anxiety these days, and this pandemic has given them authentication for their fear. And that fear is being spread further than the virus itself.

@PenelopePitstop49

Not scared at the beginning and even less scared now.

I'm scared at the possibility of losing a very well established business that has taken 30 years to grow, and 3 months to possibly ruin. I'm scared that my DHs heart issues have been left untreated for nearly 4 months.

The stats are that if you're under 45, your chance of dying of Covid is 1 in 67.000.

Sadly there seems to be a lot of people suffering from health anxiety these days, and this pandemic has given them authentication for their fear. And that fear is being spread further than the virus itself.

I suffer with health anxiety and OCD. Sometimes it's hard for me to tell if my fears are rational, or if they are fuelled by my anxieties / OCD.

I was cautious at the start. In February, we increased supplies into the house incase of quarentine/ illness as cases began to be picked up beyond China. We became more careful about where we went but still largely living as normal.

As the situation and knowledge has developed, my risk assessments have been revised. We are low risk, but don't want to catch it anyway, but statistically it is unlikely to be more than a temporary, unpleasant inconvenience. It could be worse, but there's always the risk of unpredicatable shit in life which is all the more reason to live while the going is good.

My family and I are more than ready to get some framework back to life. Our circumstances haven't had much substantial change since late March. Some concessions have to continue to restrict mass spreading, but months of social isolation is harming us. The DCs still won't have the opportunity for school before September. DH still isn't back in the office, but hopefully people will now stop being too shit scared to actually meet in sensible arrangements, and at least there will be a greater range of things to do to fill the vast void of time with a 7 and 9 year old. My 7 yo has gone from his usual sunny disposition to rude, angry and lethargic because he hasn't had enough social contact for 3 months.

We still have stocks high as there is still a risk, but it is very, very small at present, and hopefully should remain so.

I feel sick when I read about how the virus is progressing across the world. Grieving families destroying hospital wards in Pakistan, doctors with no PPE in Egypt, Texas absolutely rocketing in hospitalizations and now diverting covid patients to its Children’s Hospital (‘sorry, your child’s leukaemia treatment will have to wait...’).