It's all over isn't it?

[Bornslippery]

Just that really. Thankfully. Used to have a high temp twice a year and spent a few days in bed (few times knocked me for 6 and spent a week in bed as feeling so rubbish). So no change there for most. Seems it's normal again now. Been abroad twice this year and it feels no different than before.

People were anxious in 2020 because nobody knew how dangerous Covid would be.

Now that most people have had Covid and realised that it's a mild disease for most, the majority of people are more relaxed.

Seems the threat level has been downgraded today which does rather agree with OP's post: news.sky.com/story/covid-uks-alert-level-downgraded-from-level-3-to-2-12686197

It does feel over to me now. Not really a topic of conversation. No more test or vaccine checks when we went to France recently. Barely anyone masking either there or here.
Understandably the cost of living crises is taking up more headspace now.

I don't think it's over. Vaccines have helped hugely though and been a game changer. Hospitalisations in over 65s and under 18s for this year already supersede those from 2020 and 2021, with a dramatic increase in under 5s. c.2m with long covid. We also have the highest no deaths per million in G7 so far this year. So no, I don't think it's over, I just think we are normalising a lot of death, along with short and long term illness.

Tell me more - I’m going there next week. What do I need to know?

@nanny2012nanny that was for two reasons (1) the cheaper instant LFTs were to try to stop the spread so people could test even when they had no symptoms . It would not have been in anyway practical to use PCRs for this (2) people with symptoms were asked to do a PCR partly because this was more accurate but mainly so that the resulting test result could be compiled into the statistics .

There is a huge amount of misunderstanding about using LFTs with symptoms . Can't believe people still think think they don't work .

I do sort of know what you meant in your OP @Bornslippery

Up until last week I was certainly still aware of it . I still test when visiting my mum in a care home, and in fact she had it herself a few weeks back so I was really worried . But aside from that I certainly wasn't thinking about it all the time - going out as normal , have been on several holidays etc and only wear mask in care home or GPs. But I came down with it myself two weeks ago. First time. No idea where I caught it from - well I'm pretty sure it was on a day out, but my DH didn't catch it . I would say I had it fairly mildly but it's been dragging on , I still have symptoms, tiredness now so I am going to be a lot more mindful about precautions again in the next few weeks . I'm away on holiday at the end of September and I think I'll be back to face masks at the airport , on the plane - and at a gig I'm attending the week before.

Not all over but no one cares about it any more, thank goodness. More to worry about now. Personally I haven’t given a stuff about it for a long time, it’s old hat now.

I still use hand sanitiser when I go in public places- particularly the gym and public transport. And I always wash my hands before doing anything else after say, getting a parcel or post delivered and opening it. And I wash my hands more thoroughly now and probably slightly more often.

I'm not afraid of getting Covid, though I'd rather not have it again, it was not pleasant, and of course I can still get various colds, flu or Covid from airborne transmission but it does seem to help. I used to get a lot of colds when I went to the gym/classes regularly and now I don't.

Also it gives me more motivation to lose weight and keep it off and take better care of my mental and physical health. Not that I wasn't doing that in 2019 but the pandemic has made those things even more important so I give those things a higher priority.

Some of us still care about it, i have to

It will never be 'over' but it's certainly reached the status of an illness that the vast majority aren't too concerned about, among the people I know.

I don't know of anyone testing, wearing masks (except if required to in medical settings). I've only heard of a handful of confirmed cases in the last 4/5 months, though I suspect others have had it without realising.

I was really worried about my mum who is in her 80s getting Covid, or my aunty who is in her 70s and has a heart condition getting it. But now they've both had it mildly this spring and will be getting booster jabs again soon I'm not so worried for them.

The 'uncertainty' and worry about Covid has largely disappeared as most people tend to recover quickly!

Yes. The lockdown lovers have thankfully lost, although it doesn’t stop them trying - witness this thread.

Those of you saying you can't go out because you're vulnerable, what did you do pre COVID regarding other contagious illnesses that cannot be vaccinated against?

Life is normal for everyone, but when people are telling you that vulnerable people are still shielding until evushield comes out, you can’t say the vulnerable people you work with are fine so everyone is fine, you can’t gaslight people like that.
oh and more children are being diagnosed with diabetes now after their mild covid. Also all the NHS staff that are being sacked now after 2 years of sick leave for long covid and are all up shit creek. Oh and my DH who is going to lose his job due to long covid from micro clotting. But my experience isn’t anyone else’s and I wouldn’t assume it was the same as others are going through.

You’d probably read my post and think I was a lockdown lover. I am not and don’t want any more but think the government should have said it was airborne and recommended mask use earlier than ban people from meeting in their gardens but encourage them to the pub…… at the same time they were telling hospital staff to take off their masks and be the only country wearing surgical for its healthcare not FFP3. But you’ll peg anyone who believes in the seriousness of covid as a lockdown lover.

The same a pre covid like children with cancer treatment. Don’t go out much and avoid people coming round and ask people with a cold or any symptoms not to visit, and wear masks in hospital even pre covid. Not hard to imagine it’s shit for a lot of people. Also flu only occurs usually in winter, and people aren’t walking around with something in such a high concentration.

Yeah I work in a hospital. It’s not ‘over.’ It won’t ever be cos covid is going to stay and just keep evolving. We are going to keep catching it and some of us will be damaged health wise. You can’t compare it to anything else because it’s just on repeat. Flu season calms down but covid comes back for more.

Some of the restrictive measures are being paused while cases are lower so testing is paused for asymptomatic patients, mask wearing dialed down but still with contact with patients. Things will change again when numbers peak and we have covid filling beds/outbreaks on wards as not everyone is symptomatic. It still doesn’t feel back to normal or over to be honest. It’s a relentless illness.

I only recently caught covid despite working with it and it was a heavy cold type thing with extra flu like symptoms. Some I work with have had many weeks off and worse symptoms and are generally healthy people. It’s so unpredictable.

We do have to live with it and crack on if and we can but it’s not ‘over.’

I haven't seen any 'lockdown lovers' on this thread. Would you care to elaborate?

This thread has a surprisingly large number of posters disagreeing with the op. But maybe that was the op's purpose, given the title?

This. Beautifully put.

OP - you most certainly are being goady. Just because it doesn't affect you, doesn't mean it isn't a thing.

Sure. What’s your question?

No, I believe Covid is serious - and I’ve grieved for each of the four people I’ve lost from it. What I absolutely don’t believe is that we should have utterly fucked over the country and especially our young people for it. My only consolation is the lockdown lovers will be equally as cold this winter and for once won’t be able to nope out of it, relaxing in their gardens on furlough and baking banana bread. Hopefully some of them will realise what they’ve done, though I don’t expect it.

It was over for me and a lot of other people I know (including CEV) a long time ago. Now I look forward to the enquiries which show what utter madness we were subjected to and why ultimately it was totally pointless.

Yes this!