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Original poster

When was the moment you realised covid was serious?

596 replies

namechanged984630 · 07/08/2021 22:54

For me I think it was when it hit Italy, so early
March. Until then I really believed it'd be a storm in a tea cup like swine flu.

I remember certain songs I was listening to as I refreshed the news in early March that still give me the heebie jeebies even now.

And I remember taking my dog for a walk at some lakes a few miles away (so drove there) and wondering, on about the fifteenth of March, if it might be the last time for a while. When I was there an elderly man said to me that it was nice to get out to forget the state of the world, I'll always remember that.

I remember seeing the Wuhan hospital be built and only paying the vaguest amount of attention. So arrogant to think it wasn't a problem for us!

OP posts:
Tealwarrior · 08/08/2021 20:08

Coming home from a holiday in Italy and Switzerland and realizing that I had no ordinary cold, that I in actual fact had COVID. I was scared because we only had one or two cases here but the numbers in Italy were rising and it was awful. I thought I’d be next.

4 months later my Dr son in law brought it home from work and gave it to my daughter and her 3 week old baby and that’s when I knew what real terror was and that I’d die for both of them if they could be spared. Thankfully they were.

Tealwarrior · 08/08/2021 20:10

Sorry, I came home in mid feb.

traumatisednoodle · 08/08/2021 20:14

I can't remember when exactly but pictures from Wuhan ? end of Janiary - I said to DH this isn't going to be like SARs/ Swine flu/ Ebola I think really just the scale of it, number of patients seemed different from previous epidemics.

userxx · 08/08/2021 20:14

When some some berk was wearing a gas mask in Asda.

Roominmyhouse · 08/08/2021 20:15

We went to a gig at Alexandra palace on 6th March, we were all joking about hugging and being near each other but in reality could not believe it was still allowed to go ahead. But for me it was a couple of weeks later when I was handed a load of IT kit and told to go clear my desk and go home. I left the office thinking I’d be WFH for a few weeks/months but I’ve still not been back into the office to work. Only be in to clear the office as the building I worked in is now shut forever.

myhouseismadeofpaper · 08/08/2021 20:34

@JanglyBeads

When I started reading Worried about Coronavirus on MN, including links to what international scientists were saying - before Feb half term.

Lots of people thought I was panicking unnecessarily.....

I remember the thread. I had been following what was happening in China since january and couldn't understand why no one seemed to be concerned! Was a relief to find the thread on MN....I remember the majority of other MNers calling us unhinged etc..
myhouseismadeofpaper · 08/08/2021 20:41

@EmilyDickinson

For me it was the day Wuhan locked down, 23 January 2020 I think. I can’t remember a lock down ever happening before. To me it seemed clear that the Chinese government was terrified about how fast this virus could spread and how hard it was to stop. I started buying masks, hand sanitizer and extra food at the start of February knowing it would hit the U.K. soon. I’ve never prepped for anything before. I couldn’t understand why no one else, particularly the government seemed worried. I’m still angry that as a country we weren’t better prepared
Exactly the same!!!! The mind boggled.
surreygirl1987 · 08/08/2021 20:48

16th March, during the PM speech when pubs etc got told to close. I had gone out for a meal the previous night and we had joked about it being 'the last supper'. Realised the next day it was far from a joke. That day was also my final day in work - was pregnant at the time so told to stay home. Had no idea I'd return from mat leave still working from home!

PaperMonster · 08/08/2021 20:53

It just really hit me when my nine year old came out of school that last Friday and just burst into tears because her life was being turned upside down and it was scary. We hugged and cried at the school gate.

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 08/08/2021 21:01

@userxx

When some some berk was wearing a gas mask in Asda.
Classic! Full respect to that in person shopper! In there early days back in February and March 2020 I “only” wore a home made makeshift hazmat suit with mask and gloves but a full on gas mask short of a proper bio nuclear warfare or terrorist attack suit is top trumps in health and safety protocol. None of this are masks useful or necessary nonsense! Even after nearly two years a few people are wondering if all risk mitigation measures help? Yes every little thing helps - eg staying out of trouble helps most but other than that mix but do it with some risk mitigation measures even if constantly and accurately Covid negative tested. When it’s stop spreading and being contained is when we can all relax especially as living is better than dying with Covid. Let alone all those with long term post Covid disabilities etc.
BitterTits · 08/08/2021 21:01

On the day I read the news about Wuhan locking down. 24th Jan I think.

purplesequins · 08/08/2021 21:03

those of you who only realised in march, do you not read/hear/see any news?

not judging, just interested.

SoddingWeddings · 08/08/2021 21:15

@purplesequins Lots of people believed the UK government bullshit which heavily downplayed what was going on internationally right up to the last minute, and even the likelihood of it affecting the UK let alone overwhelming our economy, systems or healthcare.

Much blood is on tge hands

SoddingWeddings · 08/08/2021 21:16
  • much blood is on the hands of Boris Johnson who thought it was so unlikely to be an issue that he didn't bother to attend SAGE for weeks.
OrangeBananaFish · 08/08/2021 21:25

those of you who only realised in march, do you not read/hear/see any news?

No I'm just stupid

DrMaryMalone · 08/08/2021 21:30

When a work colleague fell ill a few days after returning from his home town in northern Italy which was outside the Red Zone at the time. He was then taken from his home to the hospital by health board staff in hazmat suits where he needed help breathing. He was the 5th confirmed case in his area.

Also trying and failing to source hand sanitiser for our office before we all started working from home.

EmilyDickinson · 08/08/2021 21:35

*those of you who only realised in march, do you not read/hear/see any news?

not judging, just interested.*

I think it was hard for most people to accept. Even my immediate family thought I was overreacting and certainly my work colleagues did. I was told that this country definitely wouldn’t lock down and schools definitely wouldn’t close just a couple of weeks before that happened. Even a medical professional told me that it was “just the flu”.

surreygirl1987 · 08/08/2021 21:41

@EmilyDickinson yes, this exactly. Who knew who to listen to? I didn't know what to believe and there were mixed messages coming from all areas, plus the suggestion that the media were sensationalising it. One moment I was scared, then the next moment a health professional was doing an interview on TV comparing it to the flu, or pointing out other diseases that people had initially panicked over.

I was on and off scared before March (actually think I had covid Feb to March) but only really appreciate how serious it was on March 16th. Actually, even then I don't think I fully grasped the enormity of it - I would never have expected a remote Christmas that year. I thought schools would be closed for maybe a couple of weeks, as a precaution. Nobody really knew just how serious it was I guess.

iloveicelollies · 08/08/2021 21:42

When was sent to work from home. Told to clear desk etc and take everything home. Not been back since.

CovidCorvid · 08/08/2021 21:46

@JanglyBeads

When I started reading Worried about Coronavirus on MN, including links to what international scientists were saying - before Feb half term.

Lots of people thought I was panicking unnecessarily.....

Same. People at work and friends of mine were laughing at me in early Feb. I was warning people to buy food, loo roll, masks. Even as I was buying such stuff (there was plenty of stock) I did wonder if I was over reacting.
purplesequins · 08/08/2021 21:48

thank you emily that makes sense.
there sure were (still are tbh) a lot of conflicting messages

Antsinyourpanta · 08/08/2021 21:51

those of you who only realised in march, do you not read/hear/see any news?

not judging, just interested

This does actually feel a bit superior/judgemental

There have been serious diseases that have been problems in other countries and not reached the same level here.

Swine flu, sars, mers , Zika, Ebola etc

Covid 19 was declared a pandemic on 11th March.
Congrats to all the MN who called it well before the WHO.

CovidCorvid · 08/08/2021 21:56

I remember asking mnhq in jan or feb if we could have a coronavirus board and being told there was no need for one. 😂😂🙈

Serena1977 · 08/08/2021 21:57

25th Feb. When a hotel in Tenerife was locked down.

OrangeBananaFish · 08/08/2021 21:57

Yeah what @Antsinyourpanta said.

While it's been nice reading this thread and remembering how it was back in early 2020, there is an air of superiority or maybe like I said I'm just stupid.