Today this feels never ending

[RosieLemonade]

Yet another variant. Cases falling at a much slower pace and rising in 1/5 of the country. Feel like I'm stuck in mud. This month was meant to be so special for me and my family but instead just more of the same. Feel devoid of hope.

I’m naturally a bit of a news junkie but have been on a virtual news blackout of late and feel much better for it. Having been a loyal Guardian reader for years I’ve now given up on them completely, as they’ve been the worst offenders for misleading reporting and doom-mongering throughout the pandemic. Am also pretty much ignoring anything that refers to new variants, since as pps say these will always be with us.

I like to think I’ve always been fairly media savvy, but even I have had my eyes opened to the extent to which the ‘news’ we receive daily is actually very carefully calibrated, micro-managed propaganda.

Please don’t worry OP; things are getting better, and faster than many had predicted.

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/16a2bea8-457e-4d7d-9f5b-15b31ddd89c0

I’ve no idea why this isn’t headline news but have a read @RosieLemonade - TCells are looking extremely good & efficient against any new variants including the concerning ones! It’s amazing news & has boosted my spirits further 🙌🏼

How can I get on with my life when I can't go anywhere or see anyone

I don't know what you mean. I see people 2-3 times a day outside. OK I can't go on holiday but I can travel in the UK in a few weeks' time.

That is 2-3 times a week not day.

@poppycat10

That is 2-3 times a week not day.

Being able to meet friends like that is going to vary a lot though, isn't it? Not everyone has a social set up that fits rules on travel/number of people that can meet etc. People are still working so can't drop everything in the day to meet up and are tired enough by evening that sitting outdoors in the cold with a flask would not appeal ( not that anything other than exercise is legal until Monday anyway...) . My closest friend is a 25 minute drive. We both have 2 children of different ages, so would normally meet with another friend with kids to ensure all the children have a friend. My closest friends that I meet without kids are 45 minutes away in different directions.

If the op is struggling, hearing well I do this... So why can't you! isn't going to help them feel better.

If this experience makes the population more suspicious of what they read in the papers, that’ll be a good outcome.
Exactly this. This has been overdue since Tony Blair, the master of lies and spin, was in power.

I haven't believed anything the government says since he told us there were weapons of mass destruction; and now I shall believe even less, with this government's relentless campaign of lying and scaremongering. (I do believe the virus exists - but only just.)

And one difficulty with all this is that we are so BORED. If only we could do lots of things to distract ourselves, but Saint Boris has banned most of them, and is enjoying stringing us out, while he prolongs his extremely constipated shit on us from a great height, constantly dangling the threat of further U-turns.

A lot of it, today anyway, is to scare people into not packing out parks all weekend again.

@ThornAmongstRoses

I really wish they would stop announcing every new variant - what are they hoping to achieve by it?

More scaring us into submission?

Variants will be here forever....we don’t need to know every time they find another one.

I agree. I can only think it is to keep us scared and to keep people complying with the current restrictions.