What one moment will always stay with you from this?

[Ostryga]

Mine was realising panic shopping was everywhere, and that I needed to buy an entire food shop for Dd and I before lockdown.

I cried when I found a shop with chicken and milk.

The fear I felt of the virus at that time, and also not being able to make sure we had food is something I hope to never repeat.

Driving past the air port and seeing all the planes perfectly lined up, and staying like that each time I drove to work. Eerie.

Getting that text message to say dh and I were positive for covid

@hiptobeasquare

My two year olds birthday party was at the very start of Lockdown. It was just me ds 4 and dd 2. When we blew out the candles my four year old looked around and said, “where is everyone Mammy?”

Thats sad :( My 3 year old did the same on my birthday, a week into lockdown. "Mummy why is nobody coming to your party?"

@Arsebucket

The one moment that sticks out for me though is reading that people were putting their post in the oven to kill the virus.

Fear of a letter being contaminated with covid was bigger than the fear of their kitchen setting fire.

That’s when I took a long break from the internet. That was a step too far into craziness for me.

I'd come here to write the same thing.

The realisation that most people are selfish. That in a serious situation noone actually gives a flying about anyone else. Trolleys piled high with loo roll, pasta, rice etc. The dramatic depressing ads of empty playgrounds. The online hate, everyone turning on each other.

When not much was really known back in Feb/March at start of pandemic and there was v little testing I was very pregnant and DH became ill, lost sense of smell and taste. Realising he likely had Covid and being terrified he'd die and that I'd catch it and baby would be affected. That's the part I'll always remember how I felt.

Telling my teenagers that their Dad had died from Covid .

I remember all the people coming back from Italy over Feb half term, with no restrictions unless they were ysmptomatic, and thinking the government were making a big mistake. I had a friend from N Italy who was in contact with what was happening there, the horror in the hospitals, and I remember thinking the government know what is going to happen - and they are doing nothing to prevent it.

At that point I just felt so sad that the UK had to go through this crisis with such a dreadfully inadequate PM. That feeling has only got worse.

Closing up the shop I manage on a Monday evening, expecting to go back in the next day, and then not actually going back to it for 3 months.

Collecting my daughter from school and her coming out with a pack of books and equipment for the first round of home schooling. Such a strange feeling at the school gate that day.

The nastiness of people shocked me.

On our local Facebook group, one poster was berated for taking her 2 kids to the park, for a walk, at the same time.

Another elderly poster who said she just needed a rest was berated for sitting on a bench in the same park. She was told that it ( ie she was responsible for transmitting) could be transmitted via the bench.

Another poster criticised for not wiping down her shopping delivery.

When I think back, it's cringeworthy.

Good thread OP.
Once the first couple of weeks of the first lockdown were over and we had sorted out work etc (I was on mat leave, DH was furloughed) I remember having a lovely few weeks at home with blazing sunshine for weeks, completely peaceful, no cars or planes, relaxing in the garden every day, going for walks etc. I have never felt so fortunate given the awful circumstances.

@feelingdizzy

Telling my teenagers that their Dad had died from Covid .

Oh no

At the time I was in a very dark place. And the sense of relief when the schools closed was immense. (I am a teacher.)

I feel awful for the children but from a personal point of view it was a relief.

Non internet related ones ….

• I was pregnant, gave birth last August. I had to go to the hospital a lot and I was advised by midwives that when I got home, I should strip at the door, quarantine my shoes, maternity notes and phone case in a plastic bag for three days, and immediately shower and wash my hair as I would be covered in covid, from an almost deserted hospital.

I did that twice before I thought, hang on, am I really going to catch covid off my cardigan?

• Getting turfed out of hospital 12 hours after an elective section. dh thought I was having him on when i called to tell him to collect us. Thank christ it was my third one or I would have been terrified.

• The first time we ordered a take away. Pizza was left on the door step. Pizza was picked up when the delivery man was a safe distance away. Boxes brought in the kitchen and opened. Hands washed raw. Pizza pizza on plates. Boxes taken to recycling. Hands washed raw. Surfaces bleached. Rapidly cooling pizza then eaten. What a fucking palava.

@feelingdizzy

@Stuffin

Also the realisation that the some police forces will hard handed enforce guidance as law. That really has stayed with me and I do think it has eroded some trust.

Yes, our CC was the one that said about checking bags and then had to put out another message on Twitter that he didn't actually mean that but too late the damage was done, whenever I see anything about what our local police are doing I think of that.

I know I'm lucky but my strongest memories are the sunny days we had last spring where the DC and I spent hours together, playing in the garden, doing little projects, finding new places to walk, baking and really enjoying the enforced isolation. Usually we're so busy with clubs, parties, activities and sleepovers we have no time to just hang out. I really will always hang on to those memories. I still had to go to work pt as a keyworker throughout and my DC still went to school pt but the weekends and holidays were glorious.

My great auntie dying of covid and nobody being able to go to the funeral because we couldn't get there due to travel restrictions.

I don’t know why posters are cringing about wiping down shopping etc early in the pandemic. We really knew very little about the virus or its transmission, the pictures coming out of Italy were horrific and there were no effective treatments. It was very scary, quarantined post and wiping down shopping, meeting babies through windows etc wasn't ridiculous in those circumstances.

My heart goes out to all the posters who lost loved ones to Covid

Driving through central London at the beginning of the first lockdown and being the only car on the road, for the whole drive!!

Watching children cheer at school because in their head it was ‘fun’ that school was closing, while hiding awful anxious sense of doom from them.

Eating my way through my Brexit stash which had been accumulated slowly over many months previously meaning that we didn't have to worry about the panic buying or shortages. We only bought fresh food from the shops for about 3 months.

It was very satisfying after everyone had mocked the idea of stockpiles.

Brexit was the first time I'd stockpiled but I think I'll always have a decent stash now.

DH is a 'key worker' so for me it was being phoned by the head teacher of my kids secondary school to discuss whether they should go in or work from home. At that point my work was still insisting on us going in to the office. I had to negotiate earlier, shorter hours so I could be at home by lunchtime and do the dreaded home-schooling.
Luckily my work found some laptops and we got sent home but it was awful leaving them on their own every day until then.

@Tuscancat

If you are referring to my dig at shopping-bleachers, you might want to note that I said some people are still doing it to this very day. Not only in March 2020, but right now.

In my case, the individual concerned is clearly traumatised by the whole thing, and also has other pretty complex issues to deal with, but the original post I replied to was about 'people completely losing their minds', and this one certainly has. No amount of calm, rational discussion and signposting toward fact has any effect. They've gone full 'I Am Legend/Omega Man' and it's exasperating to watch.

I think the police over reach was the scariest thing for me. They were so ready to make up law and start harassing people - it’s really affected how I view them.

February 2020 we were on holiday in the canaries. I was so exhausted from long hours at work, caring for our toddler, and troubles in our marriage. I remember reading the news about people returning from abroad with COVID and being sent to quarantine centers in some countries. I secretly wished I would get it so I could be sent to quarantine and never see anyone again. Realized at the time this was a dangerous thought and something needed to change.

Shortly after that both dh and I got told not to go to work anymore and then were put on furlough. We had no childcare. We spent a year at home working on our family. Our finances got hit hard but it made me re-evaluate everything. I'm never working that much again - we had to cut back dramatically on spending for a year but whatever we were buying was not worth the mental strain of working like crazy.

I remember struggling to take my first 15 minute walk outside after having had covid (and supposedly recovered). I had to sit down on a bench because I just was drained and my dh had to help me home. I realized how naive I was at the start to wish that virus on anyone.

I remember my friend's child saying her first word after mama and dada. It was mask. That was a wow moment.