What's it like in London?

[Violet9]

My dh is planning on going to a reunion from his old workplace in October at a pub or bar in central London, I'm CV and it's the first time he's done anything like this since the pandemic started, first due to me shielding and since that ended just because of the risk where I'm CV and in rubbish health (different chronic conditions, a physical disability and poor immunity leave me mostly housebound, sometimes bedbound).

I'm getting pretty anxious about it the closer it gets, he'll obviously be in a public, likely busy place being a Friday night, with a large group of people (about 25) all evening, and he also needs to get on the train up to London for an hour then the tube and back again.

What's it like in London now? Have people pretty much gone back to how it was pre Covid with socialising? Do places get packed again and are people wearing masks on public transport? Clearly people in the pub won't be wearing masks if they're drinking and chatting, so that's worrying me with the risk of him catching Covid going up in that environment. We've both had our 2 AZ jabs but tbh I'm feeling less confident about protection with more and more double jabbed people catching Covid and still getting pretty ill.

We have a 9 year old dd with ASD and every day is unpredictable and a challenge, I worry about how we'd cope if either of us caught Covid because she's so dependent on me in every sense, but I do need help from my dh with her for certain things. When I'm unwell enough to be bedbound he has to step in and help her with things like showers and all hell breaks loose, so I dread the idea of not being able to care for her, or him being unwell with Covid and not being able to step in and help when I can't function properly. We have zero support from my toxic family, and his family live hours away and are elderly anyway with their own health problems. There's also the fear of how I'd end up long term if I got Covid, I already have a pretty tough time functioning to do the basics like showering, cooking, cleaning etc, every scrap of energy I have goes on caring for our dd due to her needs, because of my health there's nothing left over for myself after that. The thought of Covid and long Covid on top of everything else fills me with dread.

He's worked freelance from home since being made redundant literally a month before the first lockdown, work has been sporadic and money is tight, I'm unable to work and get disability benefits and feel utterly useless in that sense to our family. He sees this reunion as a chance to network and try to make some contacts for work, he said if it wasn't for that he wouldn't go and take the risk. Well that and what he's not saying - that he's been stuck with no "going out out" social life for over 18 months now because of me.

Any advice would be appreciated, is it really busy again now out in London and on public transport? What could we do to reduce the risks of him catching Covid going to this night out? He can't really wear a mask if they're drinking or social distance now can he?

Pretty much back to normal.

I was on the tube tne other day and about half of people were wearing face coverings. Same on tbe bus. It's not as mental as it once was, but it's getting there.

What's it like in London now?

Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes.The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

Busy very! Rates not high compared to the national level but while last summer felt very strange and empty in a usual busy abs vibrant city this year hasn’t at all. We went to the theatre last night abs very busy in town generally. There is some mask wearing particularly on tube where I would say at least half of people wear them and visitors have suggested to me it may be a bit higher than other areas of the country (but not sure on the facts in that) but yes busy, normal London now.

It’s pretty much back to normal. I would say 50-60% mask wearing on tubes. Could he take the hit and get a cab from the train station? Or a bus and open the window?

Not much can be done in a busy bar. Nobody will be wearing a mask. He just needs to practice good hygiene and hand washing.

Sounds strange but I heard on the radio and expert saying they use First Defence in a preventative way. So it coats the inside of the nose and may help prevent a virus taking hold. Obviously no extensive scientific studies have been done but it’s worth a shot when going to busy indoor crowded places. It won’t do any harm anyway.

I do think you’ll have to be supportive of him going though. It sounds important for his work.
The vaccines will offer some protection too.

I'd imagine it's like every other town or city!

Travelling on the tube/train/tram recently (in South London), most people are wearing masks. I went into town last week and the train was really empty - very unusual.

So as long as he observes all the appropriate protocols (mask-wearing, social distancing where possible, washing hands etc) then I'm sure he will be fine.

@DillonPanthersTexas

What's it like in London now?

Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes.The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

What a strange reply to someone who sounds really worried, bet OP is glad she asked for advice

Full of tourists. Everything busier than a ‘normal’ year (I feel anyway).

I thought it was funny @dillonpantherstexas

It's pretty much back to normal apart from most people still wear a mask on the tube
The last time I went to the supermarket I'd say only about a quarter of people were wearing masks.

@DillonPanthersTexas

What's it like in London now?

Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes.The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

In other words, normal.

I wouldn't be so worried about the train or the bus. He's far more likely to catch it from one of the gang of friends he's with. But statically the biggest chance is that he won't catch anything at all.

It is very busy, tube, restaurants, musical theatres are packed. Mentality seems to be make the most of anything you can experience… Lots of tourists on the tube too now. Not everyone on public transport is wearing a mask (usually about 60/70 per cent when I have used it). Trains slightly better.

The pub or bar will be the riskiest bit as people will be standing or sitting close to each other and chatting. Handwashing won't do much when aerosols and droplets are the main method of transmission. No different in London than anywhere else in a similar busy indoor setting, though.

Public transport is busier than earlier this year but it's easier to keep your distance, wear a good mask and the windows between carriages are usually open so ventilation is good.

This is such a hard one as can understand your concern completely but also see where your husband is coming from. It is almost back to normal in London with crowds and way less mask wearing. I have been fairly freaked out by covid but now feel like we need to do some stuff as life does need to go on (so had lunch in a restaurant today for example). Both times I went on summer holiday this year I was convinced we'd get sick but we didn't. I think yes you take a risk but probably the risk is lower then you'd think if that makes sense? That all said not sure I'd manage a busy pub just yet. I'm managing restaurants.

Really busy

Maybe I should change the title - I know I probably sound very provincial, we live in a small village and haven't really been part of the wider world for 18 months because of me

We had a few days in London last month, I would say 95% of people on the tube were wearing masks. We ate out, were in busy areas and didn't particularly take any precautions other than masks on transport, we were absolutely fine

We went early August and found that most people were wearing masks on the tube and various indoor places we visited (museums), although not in the usual restaurants/pubs type places obviously.

I wouldn’t say it was as busy as normal - travelling back at rush hour there were plenty of seats on my train. About you 75% mask compliance on my Trainline and about 50% on the tube. Restaurants & bars around Borough market were busy but not queuing for a table but the Tate Modern was weirdly quiet. I don’t think we have the international visitors we normally have but the hotels have been discounting to attract U.K. holiday makers.

And we both came back, after 5 days, Covid free.

I would say it’s not as busy as usual, will be even less so now schools are back.

I thought it was funny @dillonpantherstexas**

Cheers, tough audience here at times.

Was always a Ghostbusters fan.

Zone 2 here. Still wearing masks in shops and on transport. I'd say mask wearing at about 70% in general. I've been into centre of town lots recently and yes it's busy but people seem to be being sensible. As PP said, they're making most of renewed opps to experience stuff. Pubs I've been to lately people wear masks to move around/to bar/to loo but not at table. Hand sanitiser stations everywhere so you can easily keep clean.

For comparison, we went to visit family up north on the bank hol and not a single soul seemed to be wearing a mask - not in visitor attractions, shops, or pubs etc. We looked like paranoid weirdos in comparison to the general population!
So while I can see why you're concerned, I don't think London is any riskier than anywhere else - in fact much less so in my experience.

It is pretty much back to normal. Crowded.

There is a fair amount of covid around, often asymptomatic. DH caught it recently, probably on the tube or at the office, I know two other families who’ve had it, schools definitely have cases. However that’s probably the case in any large town at the moment and also in any school.

If you want to be sure of avoiding covid he’d better not go. But better not go anywhere else either…

Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes.The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

This. Don’t come.

London has the lowest rates for England’s regions, so if he’s to go to a bar anywhere in England probably best to do it in London

Lord knows how - it’s mobbed with tourists!