Has everyone just accepted that it’s not an “if” but a “when”?

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Just that really. Me and DH are still trying to be relatively careful, we do meet up with people and do things but we are avoiding certain things eg not going to soft play with DDs this week as it would have been full of school kids. Our eldest goes to a childminder who has school age kids so she could very well catch it that way (or from the supermarket etc) but we need childcare to work. So basically we are not completely “hiding away” but we are thinking carefully and not taking risks when there’s no huge benefit.

Are we alone in this approach now? And is there any point? Part of me thinks we aren’t going to be able to avoid it forever so we may as well just get it and then we could get on with our lives. People I know who’ve had it are now just doing whatever they want (although I know you can get it twice) which sounds quite appealing.

For anyone interested, my reasons for still trying to avoid it despite being double jabbed are 1. I have a rare blood clotting condition so although I’m not CEV I am classed as being higher risk than average joe and 2. DD2 is only 6 months, she is EBF and hasn’t taken well to solids yet and has some allergies. I’m worried that if I get it now and feel totally wiped out that my supply will suffer and I’d be exhausted trying to breastfeed her while feeling really poorly etc.

I would be relieved to catch it at this point as a double jabbed 40 something my risk of serious illness is very low. But I see my parents who are in their late 70s regularly so still live in the fear of passing it on. So for that reason am still avoiding some things like the cinema. Still wear masks in car when giving teenage kids lifts to football games etc too

Yep for about a year. Both DH and I are teachers and both work at large schools. We have two DDs who are in primary and secondary (so 4 different schools in our household). DDs have already had Covid.
I have stopped worrying about it now. Currently having kitchen repainted and our painter/decorator actually said the other day 'Ill be back during first week of school to finish before one of you get Covid...'.

@ClafoutisSurprise

I took a while to accept this, but I do now. Avoiding Covid full stop was a priority previously - now it’s simply taking the usual precautions to avoid infectious illnesses. Not spending time near people coughing their guts up, washing hands, etc.

I don’t feel significantly different about Covid than I do the flu - after almost two years of no horrible colds or chest infections I’m dreading going back to any of it!

I was visiting relatives last week who are still monitoring numbers and worried about going anywhere unventilated. It felt like going back in time six months and I did find myself wondering when they’d ever be able to stop worrying about it. I think there comes a point for everyone where the risk must be accepted, but that will be different for us all.

Hospitals are not coping now with the level of cases. Even if you decide you don't care for yourself, avoiding unventilated places (and ventilating places you're in charge of) still makes sense from the point of view of reducing the general spread. There's personal risk acceptance, and acceptance of risks to the functioning of hospitals - different things that might need different behaviours.

It sounds like you have specific reasons for avoiding it until your dd is a bit older though op. So carry on being careful.

I accepted I wasn’t going to outrun it for ever at the end of the summer and it’s really liberating. I still wear a mask in crowded places though, but to protect other people rather than myself.

@nordica

And the when not if question is interesting because some people do seem to have natural immunity or are just lucky to not catch it. It's the same with other viruses too - I have never had noro virus and I'm nearly 40 so it must be more than just luck by now.

I first had norovirus after my 40th. Though it’s possible I had it as a child and I simply don’t remember.

The two most paranoid cautious families I know have both caught it. The entire family. 2 of my children had it after a summer residential but Fs1, me and DH avoided it. I'm expecting it sooner or later but not expecting it to be worse than most bad colds in terms of wiping me out and feeling awful, as I'm double jabbed.

It was always going to be impossibe to avoid coming into contact with Covid.

The measures we've undertaken were to slow the spread so as not to overwhelm the NHS. This has always been quite clear.

Never been bothered by the virus itself.. just the impact of lockdowns that have made life very hard..

Never worn a mask, rarely used hand sanitizer except in a hospital. Never done a PCR or LFT... still only know less than a handful of people who have tested positive & none of those were that poorly.

Especially if you have children. It's a free for all sadly

Absolutely not.
But I'm not in the UK. Where I am we are back at the stage where if anyone tests positive it's headline local news.

OP I have a blood clotting disorder too and as a result am on blood thinning medication. I've always been of the opinion that that probably makes me the same if not less risk than people without the condition.

With 2 teens in secondary, we had to accept this long ago. And we had Covid 3 weeks ago. Despite both teens having had one x Pfizer and us both having had 2 x AZ.

Personally, I would be careful until you can get your third jab. Even with 2 jabs we were both really ill for almost a fortnight.

I also work as a teacher and just had 14/31 off with covid at one time.
Still not caught it, but feel like a sitting duck waiting for my turn.

Apart from eating cake that someone has blown on I'm back to normal. I'm Double jabbed and had Covid and flu booster so I'm as protected as I'm every going to be.

We are half and half really. I took my dcs to soft play this week, but wore a mask. That's the only indoor thing we are doing this week, other than shopping. We've done things like mini golf and NT places, crafts at home etc.

We are doing indoor things every so often, but not as much as before.

Yes, but I have always felt somewhat that way.

I am CEV, though I haven't shielded. I'm not a big socialiser anyway and would normally prefer being at home reading my book to being out in crowded spaces a lot. Only an occasional pub and restaurant goer for things like birthdays and Christmas so I have carried on there when they have been open.

I do go and browse the shops if I want to and don't worry unduly about it. I also fairly quickly gave up following the government rules about not visiting family or mixing households because it became clear my Dad was dying (not Covid related). I would otherwise never have seen him alive again. I still go and visit my now widowed and increasingly disabled mother. I won't stop that again. Lesson learned there well and truly.

It probably helps somewhat that my children are now grown up and no longer at school.

I am double jabbed and will be having my winter Covid booster tomorrow lunchtime. I am living life pretty much as I did pre Covid.

I'm finding it really difficult now to gauge how risky it actually is. I'm still wearing a decent mask in any of the places they were previously mandated, out of consideration for others rather than fear for myself. I'm wfh, but DC are in primary school and nursery.

For a long time (including after various restrictions were legally lifted) I chose to be careful - again, out of consideration for others. I'm still going without a lot of things I'd like to do for myself, but I've deliberately chosen now to stop restricting my DCs' childhoods for this (so I'd go to soft play but wear a mask etc).

I haven't knowingly had it yet. I'm double jabbed, mid-thirties, no known health conditions. I don't really know if it's if or when.

We were careful in the run up to our wedding so we wouldn't have to cancel - and then caught it from a wedding guest on the day! 😂

So now I've had it (and it really was mild) I'm no longer bothered. I work in a secondary school, two kids in different schools and dh in and out of different work environments.

Don't think we will catch it again but who knows?

I was always fairly resigned to it as I have children at nursery, my husband is a teacher, I am an HCP. We have so far avoided it as far as I know, but goodness knows how

Basically. I’ve been living life as per 2019 since we were able too. And I’ve taken every opportunity to get back to relative normal as restrictions eased. I was in the first session of our favourite softplay when it re-opened 😂 we were all very excited!

I’ve got young kids in school & nursery and I flatly refuse to restrict their life or make them worried about germs. It’s been a compete joy to be back at birthday parties, softplay, swimming, gymnastics, play dates at friends houses! And back to eating out, drinks with friends, the theatre! This half term we’ve had a ball with 15 members of our family!

I have actually just had covid for the second time (pre-half term). It was worse second time round, I felt pretty shit for a couple weeks but I’d still rather have covid than a stomach bug anyyyy day! I wasn’t remotely concerned before the first time & I’m certainly not now. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m happy to take precautions such as wearing a mask, washing hands, being vaccinated (I am), testing regularly. But otherwise, life goes on really.

I know a fair few people who live alone or with a partner and wfh who are still pretty much shutting themselves away and only mixing with people in small groups, outdoors as much as possible.

I think if you work out the house and/or you have school children, then you will long ago have resigned yourself to the fact that you will get Covid sooner or later so you may as well get on with it.

I’m doing everything I did prior to Covid
Only wearing a mask if it’s a legal requirement so at a airport and on a plane .
I’ve had several holidays abroad
Been out to a busy nightclub a few times
I’ve booked a Christmas Day meal for 8 of us on Christmas Day
Been out for meals in busy restaurants
I’m double jabbed and still got COVID in August so I see no point in restricting myself unless I have to legally do so .
My husband and son feel the same and my son is off on holiday next week abroad

@Djifunrsn

With 2 teens in secondary, we had to accept this long ago. And we had Covid 3 weeks ago. Despite both teens having had one x Pfizer and us both having had 2 x AZ.

Personally, I would be careful until you can get your third jab. Even with 2 jabs we were both really ill for almost a fortnight.

I'd second this. Same situation in our house and I was ill for a good few weeks too.