'We've not been out since all this started'

[TheVampiresWife]

I heard this yesterday from someone DH works with (they're all wfh). A couple in their late 40s, no health issues with no vulnerabilities, fully vaccinated but 'you can't be too careful'.

They've not left the house apart from their vaccine appointments since the start of the first lockdown.

I understand how worrying it's all been for some people, particularly if you're vulnerable or have health anxiety. But it's so sad that people are this terrified. I wonder how they'll cope when restrictions end. The MH fallout from all this is going to be massive, isn't it?

They've literally not been outside their house in 18 months?

That's not healthy

What kind of life is that?

What about fresh air? Exercise?

My in-laws are like this. They are either scared or have started to really like the idea of being on their own. The kids have now pretty much stopped asking about them, and it's mainly for their sake that this makes me really sad.

I don't know any younger people like this but I'm sure they're around.

Last March at the start of it all our local community set up one of those assistance groups - people who would help you get your shopping, prescriptions, any other things you needed and couldn't/wouldn't do for yourself. It was very successful and widely used.

Massive fuss on the community pages last month when the volunteers were expressing the view that it was time to scale things back, that times had moved on and there really was no need for this sort of support on a wide scale. Lots of volunteers posting stories about being asked to get prescriptions/shopping for people who weren't clinically vulnerable or elderly, but just totally terrified to leave the house, ever.

My PIL were a bit like this but have got better since they have had both jabs. Between 9th February 2020 and January 2021 they left the house ONCE, when MIL had a hospital appointment. Everything was delivered. They don't exercise or go for walks ever, even in normal times, so spent the whole time in their house and garden. When they ventured out for their vaccinations they discovered that the world wasn't actually conspiring to kill them and that everything was actually quite normal.

Management of the pandemic and government messaging for much of the last 18 months has legitimised health anxiety as being “safe” and “sensible” instead of incredibly destructive. A lot of people will struggle.

@NothingIsWrong

People have got used to outsourcing their risk to those generally worse off than them. Those who can't afford to turn down crap pay and conditions to deliver stuff to the well off. It doesn't sit well with me at all, that attitude.

Very much this.

In my opinion they have lost their lives to covid anyway then

A stark and poignant way of putting it.

@KateTheEighth

They've literally not been outside their house in 18 months?

That's not healthy

What kind of life is that?

What about fresh air? Exercise?

I've no idea how they manage for exercise/fresh air - they live in a flat with no outside space. I do too and I remember how mind bending it was at the start of the first lockdown when I only went out for essential shopping. How they've coped for a year and a half is beyond me.

@Lostinacloud

In my opinion they have lost their lives to covid anyway then. Even though they are physically present, that’s not a full and fulfilling life. The stupid thing is that covid was most likely here in Nov/December 2019 which means that everyone was going about their business unaware for 4/5 months before lockdown. It’s the government’s fault people are so scared though and for that there is no excuse.

I agree with this too. Cowering inside your house/garden, never leaving, never seeing anyone or doing anything isn't living.

It's like a more comfortable version of being in prison.

I think that there is a small cohort that quite likes the quieter life and the absence of expectation to socialise. Which is their choice and perfectly fine unless there are children being affected.

@TheVampiresWife

I heard this yesterday from someone DH works with (they're all wfh). A couple in their late 40s, no health issues with no vulnerabilities, fully vaccinated but 'you can't be too careful'.

They've not left the house apart from their vaccine appointments since the start of the first lockdown.

I understand how worrying it's all been for some people, particularly if you're vulnerable or have health anxiety. But it's so sad that people are this terrified. I wonder how they'll cope when restrictions end. The MH fallout from all this is going to be massive, isn't it?

I know someone like this. he had various freelance posts and has given up the ones that didn't allow WFH. massive health anxiety now.

I really feel for people that have adopted this mentality. I also find them really annoying if they start preaching on

@GreenClock

I think that there is a small cohort that quite likes the quieter life and the absence of expectation to socialise. Which is their choice and perfectly fine unless there are children being affected.

But going for a walk in the sunshine with your DH isn't socialising. Getting fresh air and exercise isn't the same as going to the pub with hordes of people. I love the quieter life and intend in the future to only do the things I really want to do, socialising-wise. But I couldn't imagine not doing stuff like going to the coast on a summer afternoon or nipping to the shop!

We aren’t in the UK and went through quite severe lockdowns. First time I went out for my DD doctors appointment I was quite surprised by how many people were out and about (we had an appointment system for visiting supermarket, hospital etc - you had to download a QR code that would be checked before entry was allowed and that the police would check during stops).

I think people become so disconnected that they don’t really realise that for many people work outside continued and for the rest of us we were out asap after restrictions were eased.

Can’t imagine whats going on their heads, they must be pretty terrified.

It was obvious from the start, that the very long term fallout would be a massive increase in mental ill health and an increase in formerly treatable physical conditions going unchecked.

I felt very scared to even go for a walk this time last year; jumping into hedges if people passed by and having everything delivered. You really can’t live like that long term in my opinion. It’s a miserable existence.

I know a woman like this. She's also got serious MH issues and refuses to address them with a medical professional. It's sad but oh, well.

Some people are really loving this.

My aunt is like this. She wouldn’t even come to her sister’s (my mother’s) 80th celebrations.
She hasn’t seen any of her great grandchildren in 18 months.

Another friend is still insisting we meet up outdoors. She’s healthy. Double vaccinated. TBH I’m really really done with trudging round the park with her. I don’t want a picnic in the drizzle. But I don’t know when she will feel any less anxious.
It’s weird because before all this she led a hugely full life with the sort of risk I worried about (her job took her to war zones).

I know of one person like this, refusing point-blank to go back into work saying he can't risk being around people he knows have been socializing with other people / going to the shops or the gym.

He's mid-thirties with no health conditions.

He's become miserable, so scared of everything, and spends his life chastising people about how they're not being careful enough.

I've no idea how they manage for exercise/fresh air - they live in a flat with no outside space

That’s crazy. I hope they are taking vitamin D supplements!

I expected you to say they lived in a house with a big garden, or had home gym equipment - the people I know who haven’t left the house all have plenty of outside space within their property boundary, and were frankly pretty sedentary homebodies to start with (lots of hobbies that can be done solo at home, like knitting or painting).

I am shocked that people have been confining themselves to small flats for 18 months if not CEV.

Wow! I thought one of my friends was bad but at least she's been to the hairdressers! Although I think that's about the only place she has been indoors with other people. Also late 40s/early 50s and no underlying health conditions. They've had their food shopping delivered, not been in their offices yet, won't eat out or go to the gym etc until double vaccinated......they'll meet someone for a walk but ideally somewhere quiet.
Each to their own I guess but personally I can't live my life in such glorious isolation without serious impacts on my mental health.

I work with a woman like this. It's painful to watch. She's in her 30s, no health issues with 2 children. Not stepped foot outside since lockdown 1 apart from to get vaccinations. I don't get it.

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn

I work with a woman like this. It's painful to watch. She's in her 30s, no health issues with 2 children. Not stepped foot outside since lockdown 1 apart from to get vaccinations. I don't get it.

It wouldn't be my choice either, but I do "get" why people are living in this way.

The messaging from March 2020 has been stark - stay in, and if you go out you are risking death, or killing someone else. "Don't kill granny". Masked medics and a sombre voiceover asking if you're sure you've done everything you can to stop the spread. The current Scottish campaign is "i'm not giving in" about keeping going with restrictions.

People who were prone to nervousness already have been totally terrified, which was the intention of the government messaging. Scare them into staying at home.

We have friends like this too, the pair of them are beside of themselves with anxiety and have barely been out ,not even for walks.

I think if people are imposing craziness like this on their children then it’s tantamount to child abuse.

I also know a family with young children who have adopted this approach. They have not been beyond their garden gate. Ani vaccines as well so I have no idea what their plan is. I did point out that it is reasonably safe to be outside - the risk of catching in in the fresh air is very very small...but I could tell she wasn't swayed at all.

Feel so sorry for the children. I thought we had been/continue to be cautious but this is way beyond that.

They sound mentally unhinged. But I bet there are others like this. It's such a shame they have been reduced to this level of fear. They perhaps need counselling