AIBU to be sick of people who think it's all back to normal?

[JanusTheFirst]

Woke to the news that my cousin died early this morning of Covid. No underlying conditions and she was vaccinated. But she was elderly. She hardly ever went out but must have picked it up on a rare outing to the local shop.

People are still dying and we should still be looking out for those vulnerable to this awful disease. It isn't all back to normal. My cousin is dead and she wouldn't be but for Covid.

I agree 100%. Of course it’s sad for those who love them, but past a certain point you’ve had your bite of the apple at life and are not entitled to society doing anything and everything to keep you alive, at any cost.

I'm very sorry for your loss, @JanusTheFirst
I am doing my bit by wearing FFP2 masks to protect myself & others. It's not difficult. Hugs..

We cannot test forever . It makes no sense to test for Covid but not test for flu. Both kill people and as awful as that is , we cannot spend millions on testing and isolating. Also , most of us would like to get back to normality with whatever shred of mental health we have left after the hysteria of lock downs. I’m very sorry for your loss but society getting back to normal is essential.

I'm sorry for your loss OP.

However, I think we need to acknowledge that the huge investment in stemming the tide of Covid (free testing, mandatory time off, furlough and so on) was only appropriate when it was a new virus that threatened to overwhelm all health provision.

That isn't the case any more and we simply haven't built a society where we have the resources to support everyone who is sick to take ample time off for it. To do that, the tax burden would have to be much higher than it is.

We made our choices and this is where we have landed.

I am doing my bit by wearing FFP2 masks to protect myself & others. It's not difficult

For you. You don't speak for others.

I've nursed dying people with COVID with limited PPE at the beginning of COVID in my ward. I've also nursed people plenty of people without COVID who sadly died. I've never caught the disease nearly 3 years out, me and my colleagues take some precautions but nearly everyone is over it mentally it's become something we live with. It's people who have WFH and not really seen it who are terrified and bang on.

It's back to normal for me and it has been for over a year. Unfortunately it's just another disease now that people can die from. I'm fairly pragmatic about death in general though, something is going to get us all at some point.

Your little mitigation of sometimes does not cover that the vast vast majority of the time it's not possible.

What you are talking about is not possible with current social, population and economic realities. Yes it would be lovely if we lived in a utopia where people could take time off for every sniffle and didn't ever do it unnecessarily, but in the real world people need to live and work and you are extremely, extremely privileged if you can afford to do what the op wants.

So yes, I stand by what I said and suggest you engage your brain outside your little bubble and count your lucky stars you are fortunate enough to have such a view.

Each death is the loss of a loved one and a tragedy for family and friends.

Unfortunately, the reality is that too few people died of Covid for it to make sense to the majority of the population.

At perhaps 4 people in a thousand dying, most people don't know anyone who knew anyone who died of Covid.

Without the pandemic round 1,300 people would die each day across England - most of us rarely have to attend funerals.

I have long-Covid symptoms from February 2020, thankfully the tinnitus went away but random breathlessness continues and no health care provider seems terribly interested. The misinformation and false certainty from those running the country have devastated public trust. Those partying had no fear because they were getting different messages from those dished out by Whitty and Vallance.

I don't know how we move forward as a society, a pile of false promises every five years while a PM can't last two months seems entirely unsustainable right now. Perhaps an opposition can offer something better, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Testing all the time turned out to be fairly pointless for the last variant of Covid anyway, that's why everyone gave up. Lots of asymptomatic transmission and it not showing up as quickly as the other couple of variants from earlier in the pandemic means that testing is not effective- you might only test positive on day 3/4/5 if at all. So, it's almost impossible to control the most recent form of Covid by testing, it's far too transmissible and presents in a different way taking time to build up enough virus to show positive with at home tests. Testing is not feasible as a way forward.

Dear OP
Sorry about your loss.
I am 100% with you.
Many of the crass comments here are disgusting.
I wore a mask and as did DH even beofre it was mandatory and still do. This is to protect others as most people with a degree of education will know.

There are many young and old that are very vulnerable to ifections and many people thinklook at the gov for orders. Sadly, just as many could not careless as I recall when the orders were to wear a mask and they could not give a flying...

She rarely went out to crowded places like supermarkets and cinemas, that's what I meant to say. She went for a walk most days and visited a local stately home for which she had a season ticket. We met up quite often. As she did other friends - but everyone tested to be on the safe side. I'm sorry if I made her sound like a recluse.

@MarysGirlChildWasLate4ChristmasDay

People understand when people must work to support their family, or if they can't afford the tests. They really do.

This is what I said a few posts up from the one you're quoting.

I am not extremely privileged.

You are working yourself up over a misconception/misunderstanding. I did not say what you think I did.

Please read. Please stop ranting at me.

I have to go to work if I have a cold , patients need looking after. If every HCP took time for a sniffle the healthcare system would be even more on its knees. I'm youngish but I've also seen plenty of death , so perhaps more blasé about mortality. I do know anything can potentially kill you when you get to a certain age , keeping well nourished and hydrated is so important for older people to fight off infections.

Very sorry for your loss. You are not been unreasonable. I am frustated also, covid is still here and causing damage.

I'm not the only one who thinks you are misinformed and contradictory.

Just because you put in little placatory soundbites doesn't make your argument logical, reasonable or practical.

But masks on the Ill person don’t work, as is being ably demonstrated in China where everyone wears a mask, and wears them properly.

People just want to stay in this gravy train forever. At the same time complaining about inflation, cost of living and energy prices. Only if they were smart enough to realise that they are paying for all theirs (and other people’s) ‘sick’ days and furlough sunshine now through their bills, mortgages and rent.

Because we are used to flu and we learned to live with it. Covid panicked us all initially but we now have to learn to live with it too. If we had put as much energy and resources into researching and treating flu, I think we probably would have long flu clinics.

Why is everyone discussing testing?! There's been loads of articles about how this current variant does not show up as quickly on home tests. So all testing and then visiting is polite and nice, but not a sure-fire way of telling if everyone around you has not got Covid.

All wearing FP2 masks and sitting outside would work, but few want to do that, most people want to see their friends faces and sit inside in the warm.

I have Long Covid although am much better after 6 months, and I don't want it again, but I can't live without seeing my friends for a coffee and being able to chat without face coverings on. I just can't.

I'm sorry about your relative- it sounds like she needed to get out and about too.

Like many other things in life 🤷🏼‍♀️

It was called post viral fatigue which is what long COVID is, a new fancy word for the same thing.

@Fifi00 Spot on.

Viruses are incredibly clever things and can cause a whole host of long term problems. It is nothing new.

I’m type 1 and was never on the shielding list, I was just in a higher bracket for the vaccine. Are you sure that’s right?