Am I OTT or do other people just not care?!

[Lou0808]

Tonight on social media, I've seen several posts from "friends" (and by friends I mean Facebook friends, people from school who I've not actually seen or spoken to in a long time) who are having parties with absolutely zero social distancing.

One particular person has posted videos of people in her house, easily 20 people.
All doing karaoke, drinking shots, dancing.

Another post from a separate person is a picture being in a pub hugging three girls captioned "missed my besties"

A work colleague posted a picture of her young niece saying she's staying over at her house, again hugging her.

I don't mean to sound like the "fun" police. I know we've all desperately missed our friends and families, but the situation is never going to improve unless we follow the guidelines.

I have a 4 month old DD and I've love nothing more than for her to have a cuddle with my mum and her other grandparents, but I just wouldn't allow it.

I desperately miss my friends, I'd love to have them over and hug them, but I wouldn't do it.

Am I being over the top? Am I right for feeling pissed off at people just not following the rules?

I just feel like it's going to drag things out even longer if people just do as they please 😔

@AlecTrevelyan006

Apart from a few large gatherings in the large city centres I suspect everything went off quite smoothly. I very much doubt we’ll see a spike in a fortnight or so.

Quite. I've been wondering for a few days which would be the city of shame all over the Sunday newspapers.

You don't notice the majority of people who quietly get on with it.

I’ve seen a lot of this too. I think most of the way I feel about it is a little bit of jealously...I wish I had the guts to go out and do everything they are because I miss my friends and family! But I want to see what happens in the next week or so. I think a lot of people who are on furlough or working from home feel they’re safer to do these things? I dunno, that’s my theory anyway! I know a lot of people who have been breaking the “rules” throughout anyway so I wasn’t surprised.

Also so many people keep saying it’s ok for young people to go out but ever since the beginning of lockdown I have seen SO many elderly people out. With grandchildren, friends, drinking / eating ice cream on the beach in the hot weather, shopping with friends and family in town, and yesterday in the pubs! So please don’t blame it all on the younger generation.

I don’t think there is any point panicking if I’m honest. People have been flouting the rules from the beginning and they won’t stop now. You can only control how you look after yourself. I haven’t seen anyone Except for SD in the front garden hello and don’t plan to just yet. That’s what I can do to keep myself and my family safe, you need to concentrate on what you do for you and your family.

There are always going to be people who will misbehave, and it’s rubbish, but there is no point in getting stressed about what you can’t change, because there is nothing you can do about what other people do. We will get through this, and other countries look to be coming out of this the other side. Yes it’s been a nightmare from the start, but we just have to keep going. Xxx

@Bluesheep8

Well than surely that person who is off to tend to an elderly family member isn’t at the gathering? They have made the risk assessment and deemed it too risky. Hence my “low risk” comment.

Surely that was simple enough?

Both of our parents have been careful, they go out shopping each week, and DH dad has been at work.

Yes they follow SD rules but I'm cautious when it comes to them holding DD.

I'd hate to put her at any risk, she's only a baby.

We had my mum in our garden last week and she said herself she wouldn't feel comfortable holding DD.

DH mum is shielding so hasn't been leaving the house but she has been having her daughter (and daughters girlfriend) in her home. Her daughters girlfriend works in a care home so I've found that quite reckless, especially since she's shielding.
But that's just my opinion.

I personally think the repercussions of lock down are way way worse than covid 19.

I think my dead relative and her children would probably disagree with you.

Imo you are being way over the top. I personally think the repercussions of lock down are way way worse than covid 19.

The worst-case scenario consequences from either is massive. We won't ever truly know which is the worst though so that debate will never be resolved. What we do know however is that we have paid a heavy price for lockdown in order to slow the virus down. To throw away that significant investment by just opening the floodgates is madness IMO. Social distancing should not be a binary on-off affair. I would have preferred to have seen a much more measured relaxation. Instead we have people partying and going out to the pubs in their hordes, mile-long convoys of motorhomes travelling the length of the country and holidaymakers lining up to bounce all over Europe. If we don't end up back at square one very quickly I will be very surprised.

All that said, one of my guiding principles is not to waste energy on things I cannot change. I cannot change the government nor the mentality of those at its head. I cannot change the fact that a large percentage of the population, either through ignorance or selfishness, will rip the piss right out of any lifting of restrictions. So I'll carry on looking after myself and my loved ones as best I can and I'm not going to let things beyond my control worry me into a nervous breakdown.

The US has Trump and the highest number of people dying from Covid-19 and the U.K. has Bozo the clown and the highest numbers of people dying from Covid-19 in Europe

The UK has a death rate per 100,000 almost twice that of the USA.

Pubs down in Cornwall have been packed, little SD but some also chose not to open.
M5/A30 very busy with holiday makers.

I think we are playing a very dangerous game but time will tell, not a whitty fan but he is right when he says we are walking a very narrow path.

No. You're not being OTT. I was with my grandad when he was end of life and he had covid. If other people could have seen how he was, struggling to breathe, secretions on his chest that i could hear crackling when i was just sat by him then I dont think they would be at the pubs now.

Unfortunately after weeks of lockdown people have become too relaxed. People are netting up with people they wouldn’t have before lockdown 🤣 parties, crowds, gatherings.

I can’t see how what’s so hard with social distancing when meeting friends?

Maybe it’s because I’m not the type of person to hug or become too close to people 🤣

If I go see family or friends. I’ll happily sit at least 2 metres apart!

But yeah your not being ott. Let’s hope we don’t get a second wave!

Again why are their so many stupid people on here. The whole virus lockdown was a MASSIVE MISTAKE. Do people on here just believe the BBC, Sky, Government etc.narrative.
Common sense for sure is required but anyone that now believes that the lockdown was a good idea needs their head examined.
No one will admit it in the media or power because it’s going to bring the Country to its knees In the next few years but Social distancing is Scientifically proven to be totally and utterly pointless.

@user1471510720

Yes the whole world, from China to NZ to even the USA are having to or have locked down, only Brazil has chosen your path and that is going sooooooo well.

The argument that the less People social distance the longer we will stay in lock down doesn’t hold up imo. The more people catch it the less people the virus has as potential hosts so catching it and getting it over and done with also has its merits.

@spinningaround72

No. You're not being OTT. I was with my grandad when he was end of life and he had covid. If other people could have seen how he was, struggling to breathe, secretions on his chest that i could hear crackling when i was just sat by him then I dont think they would be at the pubs now.

So he died with it not of it didn't he? Be accurate . End of life means you will die. Fact. How many so called covid deaths ignored the fact the person was on way out anyway

Are people actually waiting for the government to decree that they are allowed to hug?

@FluffyKittensinabasket

Are people actually waiting for the government to decree that they are allowed to hug?

Probably thick as mince

@spinningaround72 I’m sorry for you loss but be aware that the crackling is normal at end of life and isn’t exclusively a covid thing, I have never seen someone die and not observed that happen.

OP, you have a 4-month old baby and I wouldn't be letting anyone anywhere near her. A young baby's immune system is not developed enough to deal with this.

I no longer watch the news very much and I take no notice of what other people are doing. I have to go to work, but aside from that, I am just concentrating on improving my house and keeping busy to pass the time away productively.

One of my relatives died of Covid. We couldn't go to her funeral and we are all very upset by her death. I have other friends who have had it and their illnesses range from nothing to being in and out of hospital over 2 months and still not able to make it through the day without collapsing with exhaustion. I think I have had it myself back in Feb when I was really ill.

Do your thing. Hold your own counsel. Don't let others influence you protecting your family. You could cave and go to one of these parties and you be the one to catch it and pass it onto your 4-month old.

Let them crack on.

@AlecTrevelyan006

Apart from a few large gatherings in the large city centres I suspect everything went off quite smoothly. I very much doubt we’ll see a spike in a fortnight or so.

I don't think last night specifically is the problem (although opening up on a Saturday was foolish and sends the wrong message). It's the every day aspect and as the days and weeks go by people will ignore the social distancing in pubs etc, after paying lip service to start with.

Imagine next weekend for example (or the one after) if it's a hot day. The weather put a lot of people off yesterday.

We have to live with the virus but only to the point that the hospitals aren't over exposed. You'll get Leicester's everywhere.

[quote Fruitsaladjelly]@spinningaround72 I’m sorry for you loss but be aware that the crackling is normal at end of life and isn’t exclusively a covid thing, I have never seen someone die and not observed that happen.[/quote]
Good point

Good job they are only Facebook friends and not real ones. You can apparently tell a lot about people by the friends they keep.

I am not worried about the pubs opening, about people not SD etc. NOT because it won't lead to more cases (who knows?), but because me worrying about it affects ME, and nothing else.

We are doing the equivalent of dipping a toe in the bath. A few weeks ago outdoor stuff was opened up a bit - no increase/second wave. Now opening up indoor stuff a bit - in a couple of weeks we will see whether to put the whole foot in, or draw back a bit.

For another metaphor - mum used to say "coal mines will always need canaries". I'm happy to let someone else take that role... and as we have seen from the pics on the news, some people are more than happy to take it on.

@spinningaround72

My father died 11 years ago.
He had crackling in his chest in weeks before he died
Cause of death - pneumonia

the situation is never going to improve unless we follow the guidelines

I don’t think this situation is going to improve properly until we have an effective treatment or vaccine. Following the guidelines by staying at home, is just buying time and ‘protecting the nhs’ and the vulnerable by slowing the spread. It will not eradicate the virus. I do think people are cautious as they are hoping the virus will slow to nothing, but our scientists (Whitty etc) have clearly said this will not happen in the UK.

I would rather go out and about now (enjoy the summer as Boris said) and hunker down for the winter when all the viruses and bugs start increasing. Mind you I behave in a pretty ‘covid secure‘ way.

*I look at the virus figures for the U.K. and feel so sad.

The US has Trump and the highest number of people dying from Covid-19 and the U.K. has Bozo the clown and the highest numbers of people dying from Covid-19 in Europe*

Trump (and the tyrant in Brazil) are a godsend for Boris and the government. It takes a lot of the heat off. Those two couldn't have possibly handled it worse and it can make people think "well at least we're not America".