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 have accepted that I will get it from work (teacher).

I restrict my activities (and e.g. wear a mask in crowded areas) not because I want to lower my risk from those I meet - school is so high risk that any other activity adds very little - but because of the risk I pose to others.

I came to the conclusion that it will be when not if back in September 2020.

On a personal level I am not worried about catching it at all.

I am amazed that (to my knowledge at least) none of us have caught it really.

Like a PP I’ve felt if was when not if about six months in. I haven’t thought about COVID much since the need to isolate was removed as I would stay at home if I was sick anyway so no different. It was the ridiculous restrictions - that no GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS even followed - that were worse than the virus.

The people I know who are still very cautious are, imo, mentally unwell. They are exhausting themselves and catastrophising. It’s sad to see.

Yes. I'm still being careful, I won't go back to the gym etc.
But it's going to get me at some point. I just hope I can cope with DD's meltdowns while I'm ill and she doesn't hurt me or her brother badly.

yes, and that 'when' was about 12 days ago... first four days were bearable, then around 6 days feeling truly atrocious and two days of getting slightly better - i'm around 80% back to normal now and back at work but still very tired.

It didn't kill me... there's a risk I may get long covid still but i'm hoping not - but if I do then que sera sera - you can't outrun this thing.

Lockdowns gave me the chance to get double vaxxed, no idea how bad I would have been without the vaccine, we have to learn to live with it now unforts.

@Geamhradh

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.

Where are you from? NZ by any chance?

Out of interest, why do you believe you can steer clear of Covid over the next decade or so...

Yes, although I've taken a good long look at my diet, activity levels etc and I am taking a few basic supplements where I feel my diet might still be lacking so I'm taking responsibility for the bits I can control.

Here's what's changed my mind recently. A number of friends and family have got really poorly with colds this last month. Not coronavurus as they got tests

And everyone around me has said the same thing:

"well, we're all more vulnerable to cold bugs now because of lockdowns last year, we didn't build up the normal immunity."

Now obviously, that's not a scientist expert opinion but it sounded plausible to me. And if lovkdowns have left us more vulnerable to the common cold then I'd rather just Get get on with life and hope that I am topping up my immunity naturally (as well as through vaccines)

I’ve worked in a school (non teaching) have 4 DC at two schools (primary and secondary) and tested positive on Wednesday. I’m double vaxxed, DH is triple because of his job, both secondary DC are vaccinated and one of them tested positive on a PCR after testing after my positive. So far they have negative lateral flows and no symptoms so it’s inconvenient rather than super concerning. I felt dreadful yesterday and was so grateful to be vaccinated.

It is definitely ‘when’ not ‘if’ but there isn’t another illness where we have to stay at home for 10 days. DC (+ve PCR -ve LF and no symptoms) is going to miss a swim gala, 4 days of school and a weekend residential. It’s shit and they are gutted. At some point we will need to remove restrictions even further.

I’m a SEN teacher which means our children don’t distance and climb over you kissing and sometimes licking you to show you affection. They also pull your mask off plus we have deaf children who need to see your face.

Anyway another few colleagues are off this week, we are a small school and we’ve had a steady trickle of staff and pupils off throughout.

I’ve never tested positive and I don’t know why, I’ve spent 6 hours in a room but someone who has tested positive several times. I’m either immune or it’s just a matter of time.

Why are people assuming they will get it at some point? Surely that type of thinking is only going to attract it?

For anyone with children at school I think it's now a "when". I wish they would bring forward the booster for over-50s but with two positive cases in our house it probably won't help us much.

I have changed my opinion in the last two weeks, and was actually tempted to keep one DC out of school for the last few days before half term as we had a holiday planned. That is what I would have done 12 months ago but I think the Govt. strategy is now to achieve herd immunity by a combination of vaccine and infection. The rest of the world must be watching closely.

Oh, and I suspect a lot of people aren't bothering with follow-up PCR tests anymore. When the entire friend group tests positive and you get a positive LFT there's not much point driving to a test site for confirmation. May explain why numbers are coming down this week.

Yes, I accepted it ages ago. Haven't been careful at all. I didn't actually catch Covid until August though surprisingly. As expected, it was just like a moderate cold. Not scared to get it again.

DDs both had it recently (caught from Primary school). One felt ill a few hours, the other had no symptoms.

It would be good if there was a way of breaking down the statistics into severity (asymptomatic/mild, manageable with OTC medication, medical help sought hospital treatment needed etc.

"For anyone with children at school I think it's now a "when""

I felt like it was "when" last September sent back into schools with no realistic prospect of social distancing and recommended not to wear masks.

The school I was at had an outbreak at the start of October. A third of teaching staff caught it around this time. Interestingly, it was teachers with y10 and year 11 kids who got it first and I caught it about a week and a half later most likely from covering their lessons albeit I will never know for sure. My asthma is much worse since and the fatigue lasted months. Regardless, I consider to have got away lightly.

At least now people have vaccines to tilt their odds in the favour.

@hugocat

Why are people assuming they will get it at some point? Surely that type of thinking is only going to attract it?

How would that work exactly?

Honestly? March 2020 for myself and immediate family and have always felt largely ambivalent about when.

I’m really hoping my grandparents can avoid though or that they come in contact with it ASAP as they’ve had boosters now.

Definitely ‘when’ not ‘if’. I’d prefer to get it when my jabs are still working really well though to limit the chances of getting it really, really badly.

Whereas I am living my life because I don’t care anymore!

It’s definitely “when” not “if” and I’m amazed we haven’t had it before now (DH secondary school teacher, I use public transport every day. DD in nursery, we go to soft play, restaurants etc) - but we still take sensible steps to try to avoid it, mainly because the idea of looking after a 3 year old while we’re poorly is not a nice one…

I've believed it's been a case of when not if since about a year ago really. But I am still being relatively cautious - mask wearing in shops (just a common courtesy to others). Avoiding highly populated indoor events - not been to the pub in months, missing a gig that I'd quite like to go to. But I do still do other things like indoor sports individually or in small groups.

The thing is though, it's not going to be a case of when once - unless we are offered very regular vaccinations (every 6 months) forever, then it's highly likely we'll keep getting it over and over during our lifetimes. The symptoms will get milder and milder with each infection, and it'll just become like the other 'common cold' viruses. We've never spent our lives trying to hide from regular colds - a couple of years ago the idea of social distancing, regular testing and self isolating would have been laughed at. You can't stop the spread of colds (or flu), and you'll never stop the spread of covid.

I think that the longer we can delay it the better, and the fewer times we catch it the better, especially while it is still being worked out what combinations of vaccines and boosters best work together, and new treatments are still being developed.

I am much less worried about the prospect of getting it, however, after 3 vaccinations myself, and now that everyone in the family is vaccinated to some degree.

We accepted this a long time ago, pretty much when DD went back into nursery from September 2020.

Still thankfully waiting on that when despite living life relatively normally. Nursery is by far the biggest risk so we took the decision to get on and enjoy doing nice outings again.

DH is CEV so we were v careful until he was vaccinated and with DS due in March we'll be careful again for a bit after that.

I’m still careful. I’m a healthcare professional & I’m clinically vulnerable. I’m not mentally ill & find your comments insulting. People are still dying ! Some people really need to be careful.