Sunday 9th March 2025 is Covid Day of Reflection.

Probably a good way of putting this thread to bed Jax.
Thank you. Sensibly said and I’ve got my annoyance off my chest now. It was a good space to vent on this anniversary date for me anyway.

Thanks all who posted.
It’s made interesting (and at times poignant) reading.
x

Hindsight is brilliant and I'm grateful I was never in a position having to make decisions that affected so many, I'm sure nobody ‘in power’ was waking up thinking how am I going to damage more people today.
It was an awful time and I struggled, my GP was very supportive even though I was one of many, I was glad my Mum died in September 2019 before it all happened.
If today brings comfort to some that’s a good thing.

I can only hope that when we have the next pandemic we as a country/world will be better prepared. The gov wont lie about our stores of PPE. We wont have a clown at the helm. The gov wont wont millions/billions on ineffective stuff marketed by greedy cronies.

Hopefully the hospitals and AE wont be already overcrowded with with current waiting lists. We wont be encouraged to clap and bang pots. We will know to protect the vulnerable. I could go on and on but its depressing.
Sympathies to those who are sad today including my previosuly active and vibrant DD who still struggles with long covid.
I expect many on here don't think that exists.

The website says

“An opportunity to come together to remember those who lost their lives since the pandemic and to honour the tireless work and acts of kindness showman…..”

Perhaps we were silly and ill advised and governed. Myself I’ll take a moment to miss those I lost and those who who helped me through at risk to themselves.

We were only allowed to travel 5 kms from home. Too bad if the shops were further away. At night helicopters would fly overhead watching for curfew breakers - you weren’t allowed out at night. The Handmaid’s Tale only worse.

I don’t think we need a special day to reflect on those times. Many carry the effects in their minds and hearts every day.

I know that psychologically the whole experience had an effect on me and I’m a resilient person, or was.
I felt ‘safe’ to just stay at home with my husband- when we were finally ‘released’ in 2021 it took me a long time to regain any confidence to go anywhere.

I recall at the start of it all standing in my kitchen and crying through fear of the unknown and fear of how it might affect my family and others.

I have relatives in the northwest and at 1 point my brother was literally locked down ( tier 4, remember the tiers?) with my mum who had Alzheimer’s. He rang me to say he wasn’t sure he’d cope for much longer.
All the support systems had been withdrawn like day care, and he cancelled the carers going in to help as-he was home from work and didn’t think it fair when they were overstretched as it was. He asked me to go up to help-but all the government advice at the time said I couldn’t because we were tier 1 and I would have had to drive through various counties in different tiers to get there. My name wasn’t Cummings and I abided by the rules, that was stupid, in hindsight. So I didn’t go.
Thankfully the weather was good so he could get out for a short walk every day, leaving mum with the tv on for company. Doing this saved his mental health I’m sure.We too have friends, relatives grandchildren who were affected by it all one way or another.

FGT I recall your walking up and down your apartment balcony daily as your only permitted exercise and your husband going to the shop across the road for provisions.

I found Gransnet at the time to be like a collective hug, we all posted when we could and ‘virtually’ looked out for one another- supporting and consoling in equal measure as the need arose and I’m grateful for that. We were in it together and didn’t feel as alone as we might have done without the forum.

Fingers in mouths.
I remember being in Málaga at the 6th week of lockdown and early May a birthday card arrived for Himself from our daughter. Cesar the gardener brought it up. I opened the door took the card and thanked him for it, putting it to one side for the birthday 5 days later.

Then, in the wee small hours I remember I panicked. “Did I wash my hands after handling that paper envelope?”.

Daft in hindsight but I was truly terrified. Had I put my fingers to my lips at all after holding that envelope or did I wash my hands? I couldn’t remember but I do remember lying there in the dark, scared.

Oh yes, washing our hands to 2 verses of ‘Happy Birthday’. I’d forgotten that. Probably the best advice at the time.

In fact my dear stepfather goes straight to the kitchen sink to wash his hands every time he arrives home. He’s 92y. As he said ‘touching outdoor door handles etc’ he likes to wash the germs off.

I should think nail biters should heed their actions when away from home! Even now.

We had to protect the vulnerable. Who knows how many more would have died. If nothing else, it highlighted how very important hand hygiene is in helping to prevent the spread of viral diseases. Unfortunately, this seems to have been forgotten by a lot of people.

But the saddest thing is still those who got seriously ill and could not be visited and the grief of those left behind to mourn in isolation.

When I had my heart attack, my husband was advised to say his goodbyes, as he would not be allowed to accompany me to hospital, nor visit me. I went in that ambulance, not knowing if I would ever see him or my family again. I was terrified of catching Covid in hospital.😪

However, I went in such a hurry, that I had nothing. I was in a ground floor room awaiting for a bed and realised I had my phone, but no charger. A kindly nurse phoned DH and gave him directions to the room from outside. She managed to prise open the window enough for him to pass the charger through. I was to far away to talk to him, but could see him through the glass. 😪

Lockdown has sadly produced a wave of dogs who were bought in haste when people had time for them and were never socialised properly because people had to walk them alone.

Rescues are full of dogs that have been cast aside now people have gone back to their normal working patterns. Many of these poor animals are hard to rehome as they have behavioural problems.

Redcar So sorry to hear about your loss. Loss during the lockdowns when we couldn't get together to comfort each other was so much harder to bear. .

harrigran this thread is best ‘not for you’.
💐

But the saddest thing is still those who got seriously ill and could not be visited and the grief of those left behind to mourn in isolation. It seems unbelievable now - but it was real

Indeed Grandmarderby10.
A friend in Yorkshire (early 80’s) had cause to ring for an ambulance for her very poorly husband of 60 years. As the paramedics put him onto the gurney, strapped him up and walked him down their path, she walked beside him, holding his dear hand, knowing this was the last she would ever see of him.
That was cruel. Not being allowed to sit with him in his final day.
She cries about it still on occasion. “Nothing to be done about it now”.

My very fit 88 year old wonderful Dad caught COVID in March 20 when so little was known about it.
We were not allowed to visit him in hospital. He died four days later, a young nurse, God bless her, holding his hand. . He was a well-known and popular gentleman and there would have been many wanting to pay last respects but only 4 of us were permitted at his funeral in Glasgow.
My sister's friend wrote his name on the wall in London. It was such a sad time.

I really don't want to be reminded of the worst years of my life. I lost five members of my family.
Yes I used to clean food packets with anti viral wipes after delivery. I moved heaven and earth to try and keep DH safe as he was vulnerable due to chemotherapy.

Oh yes, the sainted Jacinda Ardern in NZ. A piece of work wasn’t she?

Same Covid though.
I’m just illustrating on here the madness we suffered collectively during this time.
It is relevant to my OP.

For those struggling with this topic (and I can appreciate very much the tragedies that resulted directly from this time) please swerve my thread.

It will not be good for your mental health and for that alone I am very sorry.

But to never re-visit it?
Put our collective heads in the sand?

No thank you.
This must never be allowed to happen again. Lockdown did more damage than the virus. It makes me angry to look back and yes, I’m venting. I admit it. I’m finding it cathartic to howl (inwardly) about it. It was all so horrible.

I wonder what the history books will say, in the future?

I assumed (wrongly) that we were talking about the UK.

My DD, who lives in Australia, had different rules to us.

They limited travel there for quite a while after the pandemic.

When the restrictions were eased allowing us out, some of the Spanish rented out their little dogs to neighbours so they could exercise a dog (basically getting more time out of the building).
This too is true.
It was MUCH harsher than the UK and that was daft enough at times.

Only just read your last post FGT.

But you were in Spain, not here.

Different country, different rules.

Read my post above yours Calendargirl.
I know of what I speak.

Why on earth we weren’t allowed out into the fresh air beggars bluddy belief

We were never ‘not allowed out’ into the fresh air.

Limited to an hour’s walk or similar at one time, though who knew how long we were out I’m not sure.

That’s when many people acquired a dog, it gave them an excuse to get out, and we are still reaping the results of that, as many then found out owning a dog was definitely for life, and not just for Covid.

We are fortunate to have a pleasant garden, and could spend hours in it away from others. As I recall, it was a lovely warm spring which helped.

keepingquiet

I don't think we were ever told not to go outside and breathe the fresh air- in fact I remember being encouraged to do so. I had lots of meet-ups with people in parks and local woodland.

We were in Málaga. Lockdown worse than here. The airport was closed. We endured SEVEN WEEKS of not being allowed out of our tiny apartment. Little families too, with toddlers, all cooped up. We weren’t even allowed to walk in the gardens! Police were out in force on the road outside, checking ID cards. Only one person per household was allowed to the supermarket. Himself used to come home loaded for bear as he did out 80+ year old neighbour’s shopping because she was too frightened to go into the MaxiDia.

After 7 weeks the Andalusian government allowed us to leave our homes. But different age groups had different time zones. Seniors were allocated 10-11am and an hour at teatime. Little children could go out only one at a time with one adult.

That first Sunday I looked out of my front door, six floors up, and became emotional watching small children being allowed out for a walk - their first one in seven weeks. I kid you not.
I cried.
It was awful.

The unholy rush to evict infected elderly patients from hospital wards and into the care homes without testing is a disgraceful episode that, as usual, nobody in authority will be held to account for.

The care home I came to know, temporarily, had been strong-armed by the local authority to take patients in or (it was clumsily implied) there would be no more council contracts. And I had that from the horses mouth, the Matron‐Manager.