Are people no longer bothered by Covid….?

[Iwannabelikeyouohh]

Is anyone actually bothered about Covid?
From places I’ve been recently, everyone is just “normal”

I took my son to a toddler class this morning.

I walked in wearing my mask. Room full of 19 other adults and their toddlers.

Not one single adult had a mask on (expect me)
There was no distancing in the class.
It was as normal as normal can be.

I joined a new slimming class tonight.

Again I walked in wearing a mask. No one else had one on.
All chairs pushed up together, people sat close.

I don’t get it.

How can we go from distancing, mask wearing, avoiding people on walks (which is exactly what it was like) to nothing….

I mean, what do you expect? People can't live that way forever and it's an endemic disease now.

Plenty of people are fully vaccinated and low risk, so the make a risk-based choice.

Personally, my DH and I are still wearing masks in public places despite being fully vaccinated because I'm heavily pregnant and we don't even want a positive asymptomatic test right now. But we firmly realise that is our choice.

I never cared or followed the rules... still saw friends and family through all 3 lockdowns, I've holidayed, my kids stayed at school, I didn't wear a mask before and I don't now... had both vaccines as I wanted to go on holiday and that is literally the only reason.

I wore a mask out shopping last Monday, was definitely in the minority, started feeling unwell later that day and tested positive for Covid, as I see it I’m not just protecting myself but others!

Never been that bothered because I think life is risky and you can die at any time. I am amazed that for a lot of 'healthy' people that they have never considered that shit happens and they can die 'young' but then I shouldn't be that surprised given how many people don't have wills or life insurance because they think it will never happen to them.

So I only wore a mask because it was law but I didn't see the point so now it isn't law I am certainly not going to bother with them.

We all had it in January. It was horrible and I wish we hadn't been unlucky and caught it. It was caught through an outbreak at DH's work.

I'm now double jabbed with antibodies from my previous infection. I recently had very close contact with a child who turned out to have Covid but didn't catch it. (Thank goodness my protection held out).

I still distance as much as Police and wear a mask inside but I feel that I now need to get some of my normal life back. I was so careful over the lockdowns. We kept to all the rules but DHs job and 2 children in school where Covid is present seems a much greater day to day risk than some modest socialising to me.

No. I teach a class who are steadily testing positive each day. What can we do? I like it that it fels more normal.

Pubs are packed and nightclubs etc, I guess normality has to resume at some point.

Concerts and festivals are going ahead.

• Police = possible. (Thanks autocorrect).

Because people want their lives back 🙄

I've never been worried about Covid and I only wore a mask when I had too .

I do ‘care’ but I’ve done everything I can & now life goes on. I stuck fairly rigidly to the rules but I stopped being personally afraid of covid in about June last year when it became apparent it wasn’t affecting children & my age group were very unlikely to get seriously ill. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about passing it on.. my mum is ECV & I do worry about that. But she’s vaxxed & adamant she continued childcare of my young, school & nursery aged kids since about March this year. She sees them all the time, it’s her choice.

I don’t wear a mask unless I’m asked too. I hated them. & I’m not convinced my thin bit of cloth with gaps at the side really did much anyway.

Life is fully normal now really. I go out with friends to packed bars & restaurants. I go to toddler groups, soft play, baby classes. All running normally. We go to the splash park & trampoline park at the weekends. I spent my morning in a massive indoor shopping centre, including squashing myself in a lift of several people. I’d say I saw 10 masks & it was busy. We’ve got a weekend of children’s birthday parties coming up..

I’m vaxxed. My friends & family are vaxxed. The data is clear as day that vaccines are stopping 99% of serious illness. I’m sure we’ll catch it again this winter. I had it last December.. it was mild without a vaccine thankfully.

I wear one all day at work becauae i am expected to. All staff do.

I have a dc in secondary school it is going through the whole school. Pointless wearing a mask really when my ds will be the most likely person to give it to me

I work for the NHS, I'm double jabbed and having a booster next week. I take it seriously but at the same time, what else can we do? I feel that we have to get on with things because if not now, when? I'll wear a mask on public transport, or the theatre, or any shop where they'd like you to do it. I'm off to France soon, where I'll wear a mask and show my vaccine certificate and I absolutely have no problem with that. We just have to crack on now, I think.

I'm a teacher, I've quite a high chance of catching it, despite being double vaccinated. I wear a mask in enclosed crowded places, to protect others, but nowhere else. I'm enjoying socialising etc now though, while we can.

@Confitgras

In France (rural-ish Provence), everyone wears a mask indoors, all of the time. Many masks outdoors as well.

Many people I speak with find the UK inexplicable. More deaths than virtually anywhere else, and the most laissez-faire attitude to it.

And more people vaccinated than in France? (I don't know, it's a genuine question.)

Perhaps that would be the reason for the laissez faire attitude here. As well as the realisation that once COVID started spreading in schools this term, with no isolation for contacts anymore, then we've pretty much lost any control we had on the spread of it. So what's the point worrying too much about masks, really?

DH and I have both got COVID at the moment. We're both double-jabbed. I barely even know I have it. DH is suffering a bit more, with no appetite, he had a horrible fever and is sneezing a lot. Not sure if it's because he had Pfizer and I had AZ, or if I had my second jab only 4 weeks ago (and had done a private antibody test before that and knew I had antibodies anyway).

I've tested negative on all lateral flows, only got a PCR cos because DH's lateral flow came up strong positive (he'd tested because a workmate had said he was going for a PCR cos he'd lost taste and smell). So that's another thing - if the lateral flows are not very accurate (maybe in newer strains?) then it's going to be very hard to get the asymptomatic cases, isn't it? Or kids who only have a sniffle. They could be positive unknowingly and be going into school and spreading it.

So I kind of feel it's not something we have much proper control of anymore, and all we can do is get vaccinated and hope that the vaccinations can keep up with newer strains. All I'm hearing about is people catching it who are double jabbed, so the jabs certainly don't prevent you getting it, it perhaps makes people relax more about mask-wearing because they know in all likelihood it will be just like any other cold/flu type virus if they do get it.

I'm very bothered - I've spent most of this year fighting aggressive lymphoma and have just had a stem cell transplant. I've got the immune system of a baby and covid could easily kill me.

I've got two young children who are currently being homeschooled. Last year we didn't have a single case in their small primary school but now rates are spiralling in children it seems impossible to avoid. Our lives are rubbish as a consequence of us all having to shield to protect me but what choice do we have?

I have long covid, was fit now burning chest and heart issues. My friend's sister is the same and I know 3 other people but we honestly just seem to be unlucky. I will continue to wear a mask and distance from people for the foreseeable future as I know of a no of elderly people who died from it and I do it out of respect for them and because I think if you can help why wouldn't you? You can be safe and not be a recluse, you just pick your battles- I'm fine with a playground but wont be going near soft play etc for some time!

@junebirthdaygirl

I have Covid at the moment. Fully vaccinated but still got quite a dose. Flattened in bed for at least 5 days. Still tired and sleeping extra. Pretty much like a bad flu. Wasn't particularly careless but was getting on with life. Picked it up in a social setting along with at least 5 other people. Some got sicker than others. I was mostly concerned immediately that l had passed it on to someone vulnerable.

Can I ask out of interest, which jab did you have and when did you have your second one?

Working in schools, no one wears a mask, most people arnt vaccinated etc... Everyone is made to attend even if they have five positive cases at home... Yeah I'd say no one cares anymore.

Which is great, of course if vaccines work yes we need to move on.
I'd personally just be far happier keeping the caution until we can see how this winter plays out with vaccines wearing off?

I do still wear a mask in certain situations but also am trying to get back to some semblance of normality. I’m in a more vulnerable group and last year was very anxious about Covid, but I’m now double jabbed and I’m going to work as normal (I am a children’s social worker so I go in and out of schools, homes and court rooms etc) and I don’t wear my mask when I’m talking to children about their lives as it would be awful.

I expect I’ll catch it at some point but I’ve done what I can to mitigate the risk while still leading a normal life, so that’s good enough for me.

@RedskyThisNight

The people who are bothered by Covid are still mostly staying at home, or meeting small groups of friends in their houses where they know everyone has been vaccinated. So, if you're going to somewhere like a toddler group, you are self selecting people that are just getting on with things.

I think this is totally true. I've had long covid twice now and I still go for short walks outside but never inside other buildings, because of the effects of long covid is that I'm now even more prone to other bugs.

I think people who feel that they are safe from covid are back to normal, but those of us who are not safe, mostly know that we are not safe, and we are staying home.

I think we have kind of become a two-tier society in way.

We always wear masks. DH wears gloves too.
We shop early in a morning when the supermarkets are quiet.
We don't eat out/takeaway/
Flu jabs booked, hopefully 3rd jabs will follow soon.

DH has a heart condition.
I don't want to be a widow yet.

I wear a mask out and about because I work with children and we have had lots of cases so it is likely I will get it or be asymptomatic. I am more at risk of spreading it now than before as the cases in school are much higher now so I think its is wise for me to try and reduce that risk to others who I could spread it to.

I still wear a mask in shops etc. Although, I did go through a phase of forgetting one, so have been in shops without one, but not generally.

I haven't been vaccinated yet. Do have my first booked in a couple weeks.

I've been worried at times, especially at the start. I cried a lot during that time.

But I'm not really bothered now. And haven't been for a while. I will follow the rules, and wear the stupid mask. And, fine! I'll get the bloody vaccine. But I am so done with caring. I just want to live a normal life. I don't want to panic because my kid did a cough. And I'm not panicking because I'm scared of covid, I'm panicking because I don't want them to miss school, and for me to miss work, or for DP to.

The majority of adults are vaccinated. What else can we do? We can't exist in this weird half life.

I honestly think the constant testing and self isolating needs to stop now. If you are unwell, like properly unwell, not average cold symptoms, get the test or whatever. Just the same for any other illness that could make a vulnerable person (or anyone, really) seriously unwell.

I don't want to live my life in fear. Every second of everyday poses some kind of risk to your life. We can't hide from it, we just have to get on with it and hope for the best.

I wear a mask when necessary in shops, before sitting in a cafe, in doctors, in the playground. Not otherwise though everyone I know is vaccinated and is just getting on with life.

I have a very small social circle so really maybe 4 people I'm indoors with unmasked apart from immediate family. The number of deaths is creeping up though so I'm sure masks will make a comeback in winter.