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.

I feel very weird at the minute. Everything's going back to normal, but it's not normal, and I have to arrange to go back to work and DC back to nursery but we've been shaken out of our usual routine to such an extent that the thought of getting back into it seems impossible.

After all the stress, drama, fear, worry and excitement I just want to lie down and sleep all day every day.

We are still waiting for confirmation about the nurseries. I’m hopeful that it could be next week or the week after.

[quote KayEngel]@RhubarbTea yes exactly the same with me. So for the rest of the summer, I've decided to stop watching the news, no reading online either including mumsnet. I can't take it anymore.[/quote]
@KayEngel
Think you’ve fallen at the first hurdle (no reading online including Mumsnet)!

The government think that by making masks compulsory in shops they are going to encourage people going out to spend but I think it’ll be the exact opposite. I for one will avoid shops like the plague. I don’t want to live in a world of emotionless zombies, once you take peoples mouths away you kill all the non verbal communication. Its so upsetting.

The Gov just seem all over the place. Like jellyfish in a tide.
I think we should be assessing the risks ourselves ( whilst obeying the law for sure). My common sense tells me wearing a mask in any situation indoors is probably wise and I’m glad that at least in shops, everyone will be doing it now.
It’s only like sneezing into a hanky after all, cuts the transmission rate.

Agree with the poster above, I think people will be put off non essential shopping because if the mask wearing and that will lead to more job cuts.

It’s the impact of all this stuff on the economy that worries me - many of my friends say they will book a restaurant/go shopping/drink in bars in a few months- thing is those things may disappear before those few months are up.

If only 11 people died of it today that means we are flattening the curve, because of all of us here saying how we have changed our lives, we are doing it for a good reason I think, and it seems to be working at the moment. Let's just keep up our efforts to keep adjusting to the new normal for now.

I’ve seen several people remove their masks if they’ve been choosing to wear them if they need to sneeze.

It is like a nightmare every morning I wake the dread comes over me and I remember it is real.

@Emeraldshamrock I have that feeling now and can't sleep.

[quote QueenCT]@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! [/quote]
It's good to hear work is keeping you busy. That is a lot of calls in a day so hope your employer is paying for those.

I can't imagine what it must be like to live with hives due to exercise or rain. I hope they can find a treatment that works for you as I imagine that can be pretty miserable thing to live with. I do understand about the hospital appointments,particularly when it is something physical to show them. I also struggle with rain - even that silly drizzle causes awful unbearable pain and swelling so I empathise with you there. Itching, I think, Is worse than pain. My GP is trying to arrange an urgent neurology appointment (followup, long term patient) and its proving to be impossible. It's frustrating but I know others are also struggling.

I hope things improve for you soon. Take care.

I am really unhappy with the situation - it is dystopian.

I hate the masks thing, and the hideous Facebook people who are sanctimonious hypochondriacs who want to get everyone to wear masks or stay in or not go for a meal. Where are the libertarians saying stop?!

Where are the people who actually calculate and accept reasonable risk?

I feel like I am going to wake up to a universal speed limit of 20mph and no-one allowed to buy more than one bottle of wine at time.

Life is full of risk. Let us accept a bit more of it before we all have PTSD.

I don’t want to live in a world of emotionless zombies, once you take peoples mouths away you kill all the non verbal communication. Its so upsetting.

I mean this with gentleness and kindness. You need to give yourself a little shake. Non-verbal communication is everywhere - tone of voice, eyes, eyebrows, hands, shoulders, posture. What happens between nose and chin is a tiny, tiny part of it. We may need to work a little harder and pay a little more attention. But it’s not everywhere - just in shops and on public transport.

I had lovely interactions with people yesterday. I worked a little harder to make up for the fact they couldn’t see me smile, we chatted, it was nice to have those moments. I wouldn’t have had them shut up at home, and I wouldn’t have had them if I’d decided that everyone I met was an ‘emotionless zombie.’

Yes, the whole situation is awful. But it’s not as irredeemable as you are convincing yourself.

@LostTrust inbound calls luckily and yes, it's all done via a laptop so no cost to me!

Had a meal out at the weekend and it was a really pleasant experience. No masks worn by anyone.

Agree with the poster above, I think people will be put off non essential shopping because if the mask wearing and that will lead to more job cuts.

I work in charity retail in Scotland, we reopened last Wednesday. Wed/Thur/Fri were okay but Saturday we were really, really busy with approx. 90-95% people wearing masks, happy to wait outside and using antibac as they entered. I had to queue outside Home Bargains as id was really busy too, again high mask compliance.

[quote QueenCT]@LostTrust inbound calls luckily and yes, it's all done via a laptop so no cost to me! [/quote]
That sounds perfect!

Do they want another employee? 🙂

I’ve avoided shop for four months (health issues). I’m so relieved face masks are finally mandatory so I can feel much safer to pick up an essential item or prescription

Think of those of us who have been stuck indoors waiting for this.

Other counties have been doing it for months. Most of us would be used to this by now if we’d adapted sooner

I do support some kind of way of helping those who can’t wear masks being penalised.

My mask protects you, yours protects others

It may stop someone being on a ventilator

Agree with the poster who says non verbal communication is about far more than the mouth. The eyes, favs and hands can play a huge part here.

Deep sea divers communicate with masks in very dangerous situations!

Deaf people who can’t lip read communicate

Blind people communicate

It’s not a huge ask

Face not favs

I don’t want to live in a world of emotionless zombies, once you take peoples mouths away you kill all the non verbal communication. Its so upsetting

Is that more or less upsetting than the novel virus that's been circulating for the last 4 months, confined us to our homes and killed over 40,000 people in this country?

I do get what you mean, I was asked to wear a mask to the doctors recently. I smiled at someone in the queue before realising they couldn't actually see me smiling. shit happens though and we were still able to have a conversation and convey the necessary emotions

I live in a place that has already mandated masks. We can finally leave our house because it is safer now. We have so many risk factors in our family and this is a chance for us to rejoin the world.

Now, I hate wearing the mask. I’m claustrophobic and I’m having panic attacks, but I will wear it because I know just how much it means to other people.

I don’t want to live in a world of emotionless zombies, once you take peoples mouths away you kill all the non verbal communication. Its so upsetting

I understand it’s all disconcerting and I feel quite unsettled by it all tonight, but really, it’s only in indoor public places, not outdoors or with your friends and family... Is it only the British (or some of them), and Deep South Americans (again, some of them) that are prone to these histrionics?

I find it hard some days but not for me, for my baby, I only took him to playgroup once, then lockdown happened. He has never been swimming, or to a play park. He has not been around any other babies or toddlers except that one time. Of course I’ve tried to compensate, got him a paddling pool, a swing for the garden and he has 4 much older siblings so things could be a lot worse. It just makes me so sad that nearly half of his first year has been affected by the coronavirus. He is also very delayed with his mobility and due to the coronavirus, he has not seen any professional about it in person, just pictures and two video calls. He cries when any of us wear our masks, we still do anyways but they frighten him and he tries to pull mine off.

When I think of all the new mums having given birth in lockdown, I feel sad for them too. I don’t think I would have coped as my little man wasn’t a happy baby for the first six months of his life, hence the one visit to playgroup.

Unmumsnetty hugs to all of you finding this hard.

@NailsNeedDoing

My friend travelled to London today to work as her boss required her to - she asked a woman opposite her to wear her mask and the woman called her a fucking cunt

No one deserves to be called a cunt by a stranger on a train, but your friend had no right to ask someone to wear a mask. There are exemptions and no one should have to explain themselves over something so personal to strangers.

How was the friend supposed to know the woman had an exemption. She might not have done anyway and just didn't want to wear it, in which case she should be called up on it.