For the ones who haven’t had the vaccine yet

[AnxietyDrivingMyLife]

And there is a few months to go are you worried about the relaxing of the rules? I’m worried as to how to protect myself..very worried I’ll catch it this time

Not worried at all.

I’ve only ever been worried about passing it on to other more vulnerable friends or neighbours. They’ve all been vaccinated now.

Yes, seriously anxious here and expecting to be told to go back to work and commuting on public transport soon.if necessary I'll go off sick with stress because i haven't gone above and beyond the rules for a year only to catch it now on a train.

By the way, why am I so anxious?because I had ME for around 10 years and it ruined my life, cannot and will not go back to that.

@Lemons1571

I think bustover means that she would like to pay for the vaccine once supplies and rollout are not limited. In the same way that she can get a fu jab from boots if she’s anxious about flu. Not that she wants to skip any queues.

She said she'd pay a 'decent amount' to be protected earlier. If she did mean paying £12.99 in Boots then that's accessible to most people. By a decent amount I thought she meant an amount an equally anxious, equally at risk low income person would not be able to afford.

No because I will still take the same precautions as previously - mask/distance/hand washing etc

@ElysiumFeels

By the way, why am I so anxious?because I had ME for around 10 years and it ruined my life, cannot and will not go back to that.

People who haven't experienced this don't understand. It's traumatic and exactly why I'm worried.

I think there’s been about 120,000 uk deaths

Of that based on figure of 12% deaths outside of group 1-4, (vaccine committee figure) - 14,400 have died in population of 67 million

So yes anyone outside of groups 1-4 who’s very worried is surely being overly anxious

@pastanred

It’s not the fear of dying. It’s the fear of being hospitalised and/or suffering with long term effects. Many people who fear catching it have (or live with someone who has) underlying health issues that already impact their lives negatively. They simply don’t want to risk adding to that.

Naturally healthy people with robust immune systems feel very different. Of course they do. But it’s not very helpful to tell people who have underlying health issues that they are being overly anxious. Asthmatics, for example, are at higher risk of hospitalisation/long term effects, but many of us are not being prioritised for the vaccine.

We are entitled to feel apprehensive when the narrative is very much “all vulnerable have been vaccinated now let’s get back to normal” when nothing has really changed for us.

I’m not concerned at all - I think I’m more concerned about my health if we perpetuate lockdown.

I understand some people are anxious, but Their right to be anxious doesn’t trump my right to lead the life I want to lead.

@ClaudiaWankleman I don’t think the rights of anxious people are trumping your rights, are they? As I understand it, the lockdowns were down to risk of number of people needing hospital treatment for COVID exceeding available hospital beds, not the feelings of anxious people.

47 yr old secondary school teacher. My dsis has long Covid and has done since April. Still very unwell. Believe me I'm very worried.

No but I've been out working in the community mixing with many different people every day since the start of the pandemic. Haven't caught covid yet, or if I have I didn't have any symptoms 🤷‍♀️.

@Pastanred i'm more worried about long covid- the risk of that is MUCH greater with an underlying condition. Plus being a menopausal woman. They are also at much higher risk of long covid. And as a teacher yourself you will know what short shrift long term health issues get in schools.

Nope, not caught it yet and I've only been a bit careful. I don't catch virus' often, maybe 1 a year.

If I get it, so be it, I'm low risk.

I'm concerned. Late 40s, overweight/obese.

One child already brought Covid back from secondary school, we managed to avoid it.
Schools were rife with cases, inc 6 self isolations between Sep to Dec.

Feels like a matter of time before my other child brings it back from their secondary, which also had around 20% of class infected.

Feel like sitting ducks with schools reopening, given high volume of cases in both schools last year.

@nordica

Well I definitely think my risk of catching the virus will be higher during the period between restrictions easing and me eventually getting vaccinated because other people will no longer be careful in public spaces or maintain social distance because either they've had their first jabs or they are like many on this thread who think it doesn't matter if anyone healthy and under 50 catches it anyway...

Well that is not quite accurate is it? Face masks and social distancing will still be happening and because more people getting vaccinated means less cases and less transmission then you are much less likely to catch it. If you are very worried then wear a mask and keep your distance.

@OrraBoralis I understand that I and anyone who is similarly worried can and most definitely will take all possible precautions. Unfortunately my precaution alone won’t be enough and the ones around me especially at work will be ones increasing the risk:
More people than chars in tiny meeting rooms breathing all over each other
Food being shared in meetings
Too many ‘virtue signalling’ lovey dovey events planned
No social distancing because ‘it’s all back to normal’ attitude

To name a few....

Too many ‘virtue signalling’ lovey dovey events planned

What do you mean by virtue signalling here? Why would events be virtue signalling or lovey doves?

@Takemebackto98 No, but there are a number of posters on MN who aren't in favour of easing of restrictions, regardless of the effect of the vaccine. They often make the point that vaccination doesn't mean untransmissible, that we will just be setting ourselves up for another lockdown, or that they just think it is too soon.

I don't think that anxiety about these potentials should mean that I shouldn't get some of my freedom back.

@Pastanred

I really think the group 6 people are over emphasising their risk

88% deaths occur early in groups 1-4 -
Not even group 5, never mind 6 and huge numbers are in group 6 so if it was a significant risk, we’d be seeing a greater % in these age groups and we are not

I’m mid 40s, teacher and not concerned at all and neither are my colleagues

That may be the case but unfortunately some of us group 6 have had Covid and been ill, and continue to have side affects several months on. It wasn't pleasant. Infact being rushed to hospital with a very real risk of heart attack or stroke happening , on my own with only a brief chance to wave goodbye to Dh will probably stay with me for a while tbh. As it happened I was okay on that front but it was very scary at the time, as was being in hospital alone. It's not been much fun having several weeks of work and months later still struggling with health issues developed since Covid.

I've now had my vaccine and feel much more reassured, rightly or wrongly.

I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone - and that was only a moderate case of Covid.

Oh and it was never anxiety about dying beforehand. I knew death was less likely for group 6. It was the being ill, being out of action for a while and not knowing the affects in my ongoing health - obviously in group 6 you already have health issues to deal with without more.

@MrBullinaChinaShop events at work, not events in general

The kind of events to say ‘we value you, work/life balance is important’etc but in reality that’s not the case

@Pastanred

I really think the group 6 people are over emphasising their risk

88% deaths occur early in groups 1-4 -
Not even group 5, never mind 6 and huge numbers are in group 6 so if it was a significant risk, we’d be seeing a greater % in these age groups and we are not

I’m mid 40s, teacher and not concerned at all and neither are my colleagues

I think it's a little unfair to say that about people in group 6. They have been put in that category, so for that fact alone, I would imagine it would make them more concerned because they have been told they are more at risk.

I'm also a teacher and have had my first vaccine, but I have some pretty concerned colleagues.

My worry about people who are not concerned - and I'm glad they're not because it's not a nice way to feel - is that some of them are really not bothered about the fact that their lack of care about the issue is adding to the anxieties of those that do.

I have a couple of colleagues who joked about not sanitising their hands, about letting the children not bother with it on entering their classrooms, saying to someone who was incredibly worried about getting it and passing it on to her CEV mother that they were going to go into her classroom and touch all her things 'ha ha ha don't be silly, it's just banter you're just paranoid'. They were both reported for flouting the covid procedures in place (one by a parent whose child had concerns) and one of them has been better since. The other one, ironically, went off 3 weeks ago with Covid.

You could obviously argue the reverse, that people who are worried are contributing negatively to the feelings of those who are not. I think that perhaps we all just have to remember that we are all dealing with this the best way we can and we should be respectful of the feelings of others, even if we don't agree with them.

Yes am worried. Not expecting anyone else to change what they do but I'll be limiting who I see and what I do.
Due to my unfortunate circumstances this past year, I've been shut in a house in a strange part of the UK (I'm not from here originally)alond. I've got very used to being "safe" and alone. Although I crave my old life and job back. Im actually a really bubbly social person, so this has been a huge adjustment. Fortunately I've savings to live off and hope a job in aviation will return but I'm in no rush for that before the vaccine.

The way I've forced to live my life this past year is the extreme level of staying at home, going out is a huge major step for me and scary.

I've had serious health problems in the past cancer and ME. I'm not vulnerable and no more entitled than any other 49 year old so don't expect any special treatment but my vaccine can't come fast enough for me.

ME destroyed my life for 8 years and it took 4 years after getting my cancer all clear to be able to live a normal life, feel well and go back to work full time. I'd really felt the past 4 years before the pandemic I was actually living a life again. I'm terrified of Long Covid and would probably kill myself than go through something like ME and my cancer recovery again. It's been such a huge uphill struggle I just can't face it all over again, so im taking it very slow and steady until I eventually get my vaccines.

I'm sick of being vilified for my caution. I'm not asking anyone else to stop. I'm just admitting I'm terrified but when I do, people get so defensive and nasty about being locked down etc.

@Pastanred

I really think the group 6 people are over emphasising their risk

88% deaths occur early in groups 1-4 -
Not even group 5, never mind 6 and huge numbers are in group 6 so if it was a significant risk, we’d be seeing a greater % in these age groups and we are not

I’m mid 40s, teacher and not concerned at all and neither are my colleagues

Are you more vulnerable to covid? Are you group 6, or in another group?

I'd have been far less concerned if I hadn't been classed as more vulnerable to be fair. Dh is that age group with no underlying health concerns and he's never been particularly concerned for himself. He was concerned about passing it on to me, his mum and the vulnerable elderly people he often deals with through his work.