I know more people with covid now than at any point before

[AmIAJoke]

Including myself!

My work has half the staff out, 4 of my friends (in various locations from Manchester to Edinburgh) are positive and several of my sports club. These groups aren’t linked in any way. No one is seriously ill (thankfully) but most seem to be fairly unwell - minimum one week off work kind of ill. It’s been the worst bug I’ve had in many years.

It seems strange whilst there is almost zero talk in the media and yet so many in my life.

Is this is now? Regular repeating cycles of being unwell with covid now jabs are wearing off? I guess we just have to accept and be grateful it’s not making us seriously ill - but it’s no fun and I am worrying about long covid as I’m exhausted.

I have it at the moment and thankfully it has been pretty mild. Spent the day roaming my workplace telling everyone I had “just hay fever” before testing positive that evening. Thankfully no one seems to have picked it up off me!

Yes, we all have it (first time) and there is alot about. But Govt is turning blind eye, “nothing to see here, move on”, “it’s just a cold”.

”Besides, we now have treatments like antivirals”.
Well not for a 48 year old mum like me. Just lump it. So what if you get lung or neurological damage, it would be immoral to give you anti-virals on Day 1, so nay.

argh just tested positive just over a week after my DD. Been feeling pretty rough the last week or so, like a latent feeling, i guess it's just developed enough now to test positive, finally. Tired and a bit weepy / full of cold. It is definitely rife at the moment.

@Pambo81 just to clarify the case numbers were based on reported tests until the end of free testing. Since then it's based on statistical samples.
When I said the whole family have covid it's my neighbour who does the testing for ONS.
I'm hoping to avoid it again as was very ill last time, spent a week in hospital and three months recovering. Obviously most people are not that ill.

But what do you (or anyone) think can actually be done now?

Vaccines have helped massively in changing the picture. I agree AVs should be more widely available too. It should now be factored in it’s going to be a permanent drain on the NHS and budget should be increased to accommodate treatments/staffing etc.

But it’s so contagious now nothing can stop it spreading. The government are crap I agree but there’s no point in wasting money doing things that make no difference just for the sake of being seen to be doing something.

Maybe masks would make a difference if people wore decent masks properly but they don’t and that is what it is.

Nothing more can be done. It’s natural to want to control or stop shit things happening but sometimes we can’t.

Interesting article in The Sunday Times today, basically saying we're in another wave and apparently rates are comparable to end of April.

Two positives in there, though; first is that natural immunity post infection seems to be the best, so hopefully that's higher now, and the second, that if there is a big wave over the summer, that reduces the chance of a simultaneous covid/flu wave in the winter.

Have to say, whilst it's definitely back around here, there are far more issues from general bugs and chickenpox. I really hope my children have rebuilt the immunity to other stuff that they lost over the past two years.

I know of two families who all have it right now and a couple of Teachers at Dd3s school including her own. She is OK for now.

I agree. Two of my neighbours recently died with in a week of each other from 'covid pnuemonia. Both fully jabbed and boosted. 😡

Well that's 3 of dds year 3 cohort down after Tescher came in with COVID last week. Well those that we know of.

I agree OP and most of them on their second or third dose of it!

i agree OP thought being outdoors more and all fully vaccinated would mean less chance til the autumn but no.

I think it’s just finding all those who haven’t had it yet. Unless you’re one of the few who appear to have natural immunity. The more we catch it the more our immunity builds but it’s a miserable process. Plus the vaccines help. But it will be like this for the next few years unfortunately then will settle down a bit.

I read an article that said it wouldn’t be a bad thing if cases were high over the summer as you get a bit of a population immunity boost going in to winter. I know some people seem prone to getting it multiple times though. Others less so and do generate a good immune response.

@Delatron just caught it for second time in four months, fully vaxxed etc. It's less rough this time. I don't think you can escape getting it numerous times TBH, my immune system is usually great.

You're going to know more people with it than ever before. Restrictions have been removed, and people don't even have to isolate when they have it anymore.

Why would you think anything otherwise?

I tested positive today cough, headache, temperature, sore throat, foggy head...

Last tested positive 1st April.

87 DAYS ago.

Work in a healthcare setting. Can't afford this!

We went through this about a month ago and now seem to be out the other side and don't no anyone who is positive

I’ve noticed more people wearing masks in the shops the last few weeks.

I also know of several people who have had a worse infection this time, is it the vaccine wearing off or is the BA.5 strain more severe? Colleagues at work with bad hay fever symptoms, mouth ulcers, bad coughs, sneezing a lot yet still testing negative.

I have mentioned this on other threads before but what concerns me is what effects are repeated infections having on everyone including those of us who are testing negative but showing classic symptoms so likely to have it? It seems like it’s just a matter of time before a nasty variant comes along that causes significant damage, the fabled Disease X maybe?

Yes I think we’ll all keep getting it @catpoppet at least for the next few years. Also depends which strains you’ve had previously. Original Wuhan strain only offers 40% immunity to new strains but recent omicron is higher. Delta in the middle.

The thought of being more ill than normal over the next few years is frustrating but you have to hope that it will settle down. It will always be around but hopefully less severe/ frequent.

I’m on the fence about it ever settling down, so far it’s doing anything but that. It’s clearly not going away, reinfection is rife (remember when scientists and a lot on MN were adamant you had immunity after one infection?) and so far our only strategy is to ignore it which doesn’t seem to be working either.

The autumn could get very messy if we see a BA.6 or BA.7 that’s even worse still.

I think it’s a hope that it will settle down. It has to basically get round everyone as it’s a novel virus. So that takes a long time and then yes lots of reinfections.

I can’t see what other options there are really. But yes a new virus that we all get multiple times a year is pretty shit

I wonder if they can improve the vaccines to help with infection spread rather than severe disease.

87 days between positive tests ( 77 since I tested negative after the first time). Eighty seven... That is just not sustainable. Going back to wearing a mask all the time now, can't afford not to.

But a mask protects others so unless everyone goes back to mask wearing?

It’s really shit. I agree. I know someone who’s had it 4 times and had long covid the first time round. I work in close contact with people and I’m worried about this winter but more so flu and other bugs added in to the mix. This winter is going to be rough. I don’t think we’ve had a flu wave for 2 years?

Be great to have some more research. Is it just luck as to whether some people are less susceptible than others. Genetics? I agree it’s nothing to do with immune systems though.

My Dad is yet to have it , despite my Mum having it and not isolating from him. He looked after his grandkids when they had it. He’s the least healthy of all of us (on paper).

I think we will too. We don't currently have any effective mechanisms to prevent constant circulation and reinfection. Not a pleasant thought, obviously.

@Delatron I will again be wearing Ffp3 mask. Up to 98% effective for the user depending on fitting. Didn't have a hint of covid till we were told to stop. Handwashing/gloves, wiping surfaces, ventilation all still in place. Once seems unlucky... twice in such quick succession... hmmm .

I agree the only people I know who have had covid are double, triple whatever jabbed! I cant make any sense of it all?

We are a family of 3 unvaccinated (not anti vax before I get lynched) and none of us have had it!

Sure we will get it at some point.