Still in shock

[KayEngel]

Is it just me? I still can't quite believe what has happened and is still going to happen for the foreseeable. I've stopped going out, not because I'm worried about getting Covid, but because the whole face mask, social distancing, queuing, booking ahead, craziness is just too upsetting.

LostTrust what were you listening to?

Today a King’s researcher on R4 spoke about short-lived immunity for some but ended the interview on a more positive note suggesting a vaccine could still be yearly modelled peak immunity (only some people have short-lived type).

KayEngel I'm also realising that the news makes me feel worse and am trying to cut down. It's not easy as for some reason feel I should know as much as I can about what's going on in the world. But it's making me feel increasingly helpless (and not helping anyone else at all) so I'm really going to try to switch off..

Really wish we didn't have this shitty, racist, incompetent, government who could have just shut us down earlier & saved so many lives. Who could perhaps NOT prioritise opening pubs over schools. GOD I really hate them.

I understand people feeling strange, sad, upset etc. I live alone and have been pretty much housebound for over a year now. I can go 2-3 months a not see another person. Even before Covid-19 I felt like I am a big nothingness. This just made it worse.

None of my family lives nearby (2 over 3 hours one way and 2 live abroad). I have found it hard going because I still can't see any of my family, and probably won't for months.

I sit and think, if I caught Covid-19, I could die, and that would stop these awful feelings of worthlessness, loneliness to the point of pain and looking longingly at all my medications so I could gently fall asleep and never have another isolated day of pain missing my family, ever.

If you have a family member who is isolated like me, please knock on their door, take a flask of coffee and sit and have a catchup outside with them. You'll make life a bit more worthwhile. (said very sincerely).

That's one of the things that worries me. If there were, say, a terrorist atrocity or train crash in which eleven people died, it would be massive headline news. Yet we've been conditioned to think that that number of deaths is relatively trivial.

But statistically, it is. We have something like 40K deaths a month - well over a thousand a day - in this country. 11 is neither here nor there really.

LostTrust I'm so sorry to hear that you are feeling like that. What a horrible, difficult situation for you.

Just read on BBC they're going to tell us we have to wear masks in shops tomorrow

It says 'may' not must or 'have to'. So not definite.

I have had a coffee with a friend today in the park in glorious sun
I have dropped one child off at school
My other child off at a summer sorts camp
I’ve been to supermarket and John Lewis for some new bedding
I had the car cleaned
I collected some dry cleaning
And I had a pedi!
And arranged garden drinks with two friends for Saturday

Pretty normal here! And nice normal

Just read on BBC they're going to tell us we have to wear masks in shops tomorrow. My heart sank a little. So yes something is about to happen. For those asking.

Thank you for answering. I'm not that upset as only food shop However, I'm working and seeing people who I want to see (sensibly). My mood is okay at the moment.

LostTrust - so sorry to hear you feel like that. It must be very difficult for you.

@ravenmum it does seem comical the four hugs to survive - I think I’m a walking miracle too because I never get that many in normal situations! I only threw it in because for me, a hug would do me a world of good right now and in fact I just looked it up and it’s even more so clearly me and you are both walking miracles. I can have a laugh at these things, I’m not this dead serious person i promise

I’m probably at odds right now because I am surrounded by people taking the rules very literally. I haven’t resigned myself to being alone, however many of my friends are keeping distance and a couple have said I’ve been “too exposed” due to working in a school, and many family members have said the same. So many bubbles have been formed around me and I’m not in them. Several friends are shielding. So for me a sense of normality still hasn’t returned and it’s starting to hurt.

I do however like the fact that places are opening and am planning on taking myself out more. It’s actually nice to hear children playing in the park! It’s nice to actually talk to shop assistants / cafe workers again instead of everyone being “afraid” and silent (or rude)

Part of me does still wonder each day whether the world has been hoaxed / its been done on purpose / we’ve overreacted / we’ve underreacted / the worst is coming / we really don’t have to worry......they’ve certainly succeeded in taking over my head. Please feel free to knock it out of me!

I've seen a lot of positiveness come out of Lockdown.

My ds says it's his dream year: No school for 6 months, and he's able to do drama on Zoom, so he's very happy. That's perhaps by the by!

But amid the stories of fighting over loo roll, people coughing deliberately etc we have had 3000 people in our area volunteer to help, we have stories of people helping their neighbours having never really met them before, we've delivered many food parcels, and picked up prescriptions.

When I walk up the road, people have always been happy to say "hello" here, despite being a town in the SE but now people stop and talk. Is there a queue for Sainsbury's? Do you know anywhere with flour? Have you seen the potholes have been filled in? People are stepping up, wanting to be part of the community, wanting to know their neighbour. People are looking for things they can help with and often doing them without being asked.

A few people are wearing masks, but by no means everyone, and I haven't seen any judgement on people that are/are not. The queues outside shops are polite, and people chat while they're waiting.

If you look for the positives they are there. It's not normal (anyone else find you're watching TV and think "they shouldn't be doing that-2m please!" ? ) but it is a time which people will remember and that the world is changing. Let's make it a positive change not a negative one.

It says 'may' not must or 'have to'. So not definite.

It’s been heavily briefed - on most of the front pages. When it’s in both the Guardian and the Express with consistent details it’s more of a concerted official effort than hopeful rogue briefing.

£100 fine to be enforced by police not shop workers (thankfully).

At Keats NS isn't afraid to say 'thus us what's happening here!

Is that a typo, or is it meant to be a Scottish accent?? 😂

I live in Scotland. The mask wearing is shit but I get on with it. I won’t be making my six year old wear one any more (not that she is often in the shops these days). It’s just too much.

It has taken me a long time to get my head around all of this. How quickly our lives have been shut down.

I live in Scotland and I hate this bollocks.

It feels like a dream sometimes. I'm shielding so don't see anyone. Get up, WFH for 9hrs, finish work, cook, watch a bit of Netflix and go to bed
That's pretty much been it since March. If I start getting cabin fever I go for a drive
Even my meds are couriered to me, my hospital appointments by phone and I don't go to shops. So strange. Also the cat wants his house back to himself

@MarshaBradyo

LostTrust what were you listening to?

Today a King’s researcher on R4 spoke about short-lived immunity for some but ended the interview on a more positive note suggesting a vaccine could still be yearly modelled peak immunity (only some people have short-lived type).

Yes, it was the Kings research group, but not sure which radio station or TV channel (listen to all via my TV).

It was probably what you were listening to; I was fed up this morning so muted my TV for 20 minutes or so. It sounds like I should have listened to the end of the segment for the more positive end to the article.

Thank you for letting me know I'm now going to find it on iPlayer and listen again.

Genuine apologies if I have worried anyone, it was not my intention.

Well it is what it is. I kind of feel like its getting back to a kind of normal. The face mask thing is fine. I don't mind it. I just hate the way it steams up my glasses. That aside, it doesn't bother me.

I am from Scotland though and feel quite positive about things. Feel we are doing great here.

Been wearing a mask to shops for a few weeks now, as it seemed the right thing to do.

Yes, everything does feel weird, but we still can't just go back to normal, although we did get out for brunch yesterday and it was lovely.

My social media is half people going 'Oh my God I can't believe that things are so open' and half 'I can't believe he have to wear masks and everything's so weird', but c'est la vie at the moment. This is what they meant when they said we may have to maintain social distancing into late next year - not lockdown, but it is still distancing and spontanaiety is likely to be out for some time.

I'm hopeful that after this winter we will know a lot more, re: treatment, re: possibility of reinfection and so on, and that things will generally be on a definite improving trajectory from spring onwards. I suspect, barring a vaccine, there will not be a 'moment of freedom', more one day we'll get to and suddenly realise things have got back to normal gradually without us noticing.

@QueenCT

It feels like a dream sometimes. I'm shielding so don't see anyone. Get up, WFH for 9hrs, finish work, cook, watch a bit of Netflix and go to bed That's pretty much been it since March. If I start getting cabin fever I go for a drive Even my meds are couriered to me, my hospital appointments by phone and I don't go to shops. So strange. Also the cat wants his house back to himself

I really feel for you. You're in a similar situation to me, even with delivered prescriptions - I also have cats, 2 of them and they can make a sad day feel a bit more (can't think of an appropriate word...) bearable?

Do you feel that work from home is helping? Or making you feel more isolated?

I hope you are soon able to find others to meet up with, or invite home for a coffee. Take care

I've seen the evidence I need, have you?

Can you show me the evidence of masks not working?

www.scilit.net/article/158eca7a62919bdebe092a3826b3c321

www.scilit.net/article/b231ae010a3dc72ff35c341c054b2922

www.scilit.net/article/06d584c618ab046eb4318b3e7e23fc40

www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00818

www.preprints.org/manuscript/202004.0203/v3

@LostTrust it keeps me busy! I speak to people all day (sometimes 150-200 phone calls) but it's just all a bit.. meh
I know we can go for a walk but my appointment has been delayed due to covid (when I exercise at all I get hives) so I'm a bit stuck. Plus pouring rain isn't the most fun to go out in
Have a bubble but that depends on when they are free of course, and I'm not bubbling with my parents as they're too far away and also higher risk. Decided sensible to bubble with a low risk person who doesn't do pubs/shopping!