I've been with my partner for close to 2 years, we're both in our 30s and we spend 24/7 together because we're on a long-term trip and work online.
Of course we occasionally fight, but I've had nothing but the utmost respect for him as a human being, as a man, as a friend, and as a boyfriend until now.
Until the coronavirus pandemic hit us.
We are in a foreign country (he is British and I'm Italian) and he had to fly back to the UK to do some paperwork for a week. The UK government has been doing nothing to protect its citizens from the pandemic, but in my country people are dying left and right, so I've been trying to give him as much info and advice as possible.
He ignores it, goes out and parties hard anyway. I can't blame them 100% because I've seen first hand (from my country) that, when the government minimises things, people won't take it seriously either.
But then the government changes their mind and start telling people they should stay home. He still travels between cities to see other friends.
A few days later, he gets a temperature. He calls the NHS, they tell him to isolate, he misses his flight back to foreign country.
But he doesn't self-isolate. His friend (who's hosting him) invites his ex gf over !!!!!!!! so he has to get out. He goes out and has dinner with other friends.
Meanwhile I keep texting that this is all very wrong, he could very well have the virus even if his temperature only lasted 1 day.
Next thing I know, he starts insisting he'll travel back to foreign country ASAP, is denying he even ever got a temperature and says he had a "hot flush" instead, and he "knows he doesn't have the virus otherwise he wouldn't travel / the people he's seen don't have any symptoms".
Obviously the incubation period is 14 days, so that makes no sense. he cannot know whether he has or had it, since he didn't (and can't) get tested. And if he travels now, he risks spreading the virus around, including to the rural communities we are around now. Full of old people!!!
The more I've been advising against this reckless and irresponsible behaviour, the more he's been getting fed up with me telling him off. He ended up telling me to stop "bloody messaging him" because that was "non stop and driving him crazy". (first time he's ever been this rude to me)
I stopped messaging him completely and a few hours later he wrote that he was sorry, blabla whatever but never admitted he's being irresponsible, he keeps defending his position.
I literally am in disbelief at how someone I've been with 24/7 for close to 2 years and that I've always admired, loved and respected has become a complete idiot, mentally impaired over the course of 5 days.
I cried a lot yesterday, hired an online therapist that luckily could fit me in for 1 hour session and then just decided to get myself drunk (I never do) to forget for a few hours.
I am losing respect, day by day, and I don't know if my relationship can come out of this. How can I be with someone who's willingly spreading a virus among his family, friends and possibly people he'll come across while travelling. People might DIE as a result. It's f@@@@@g pandemic.
If I were reading this from the outside, I know what I would say. Dump him!
But I'm genuinely shocked, and can't piece the 2 personalities together.
Has anyone else been in a similar situation?