Do you ever feel this will never be over?

nona, I absolutely apologise from the bottom of my heart if I said something silly and insensitive.

I'm so sorry.

Nona4ever I am so sorry at your terrible loss. Please hang on in there - your family need you to still be in their lives. Xx

Last night my elderly father was taken into hospital with coronorvirus symptoms and now on oxygen. At 4.am this morning a lovely consultant contacted me to say he’s seriously ill. She was so lovely and kind. She told me to prepare my elderly mother whose currently staying with me as it’s best to be straight. I have phoned the hospital and each time the lovely loyal hard working staff have been so kind. We are fortunate that we have our wonderful drs and nurses who all have families but go each day into work to assist while this virus is rampaging through our country. I asked the consuktant will it end she said it will but the next week or so are going to be very difficult. Bless them all for what they do. Keep safe keep inside and hopefully we will come through.

Grandmafrench Thank you so much for the suggestion, I really appreciate it. I had a look but unfortunately they don’t have the colour I need - it’s a colour that matches part of the kitchen, the hallway and landing so I wanted to get the same paint again

Yes I’m feeling it too... some days worse than others. The hardest part is the distancing which started out as physically but now has moved into my emotions. Part of my family seems very removed from me physically and emotionally.
I have to pick myself up by practicing gratitude for what I do have.
It has to end sometime... if for nothing else the economy! Keep hope! Don’t ever give up!

Thank you Bridget I rang my neighbour who is a volunteer coastguard he has alerted the authorities. Hopefully they will be stopped. The police have had cars in the village moving people on. This is only Saturday I can't believe some people.

Twig14
Thinking of you, your dear father and mother.

Twig because I don’t know what to say to help during this horrible time you and your family are enduring.

I have never posted before and confess that I was so furious with the general tone of passivity that I hadn't read all responses but for * sake, just get a grip. some perspective and just a bit of backbone.

Welcome, Catcarolam.

Twig14 . I hope your dad pulls through.

Unless people keep to the rules it will carry on as at present.

House parties, groups on beaches, do these people not think the rules apply to them?

When those in power can't provide the correct PPE in the quantities required we can't expect it to come to an end quickly.

I agree that nothing will be the same as it was before. I always appreciated the life I had and appreciate it even more now. What I thought of as the simple things were the important things - a trip to the coast, a walk in the countryside, a day with my grandson, visiting my adult son. Can't do any of it at the moment and trying to be strong. But feeling quite low actually.

I'm going to stop feeling guilty that I haven't improved my Spanish or read War and Peace. I just live each day and survive. That will do me for now.

The actual virus won't just disappear around the world. Townships of South Africa, slums in India and favellas in South America will be incubators for the virus. I suspect that long after lockdown we'll still be very cautious. Long distance travel will be less likely as a leisure pursuit.

Twig how desperately worrying for you, I hope he will recover

Twig = I pray your father is on the road to recovery.

NeispurgeonO - whereas this virus is very easy to catch, it has a comparatively low mortality rate. Your idea of half the population dead is just not in any way correct. Yes, it is expected that over the next few months about 70 -80% of the popultion will get this virus some having virtually no symptoms, most having a week or wo ofbeing really unwell, at at home, A small minority needing hospital care and a proportion of them will die. But, even with the death rates as they are today, it nothng like your projections. You are scaring yourself, and your post may scare many others.
For those who have lost dear family members of friends from this, it will never completely go away. But neither does the ion-going death rates for cancer and such things like heart attacks, which take place day on day, year on year.
The current lockdown is to make at attempt to spread out the number of people catching the disease over several months, and thereby hoping to have enough hospital beds and Intensive care beds for those that require them.
Until such time as both a vaccine and a drug treatment is available, it will not fully 'over'. But that is likely to be 12-18 months, and slowly we will be released from lockdown, maybe for a few weeks then have to go back in for a further week or two. But normality - as we knew it before this is not on the horizon

Twig - I’m so sorry about yr poor father being so ill.((hug))

Sorry to hear your worrying news, Twig.

Small Caribbean islands face enormous problems if CV takes hold. They don't have the facilities to deal with a major outbreak.

Good to know a lot of people feel the same way. I don't think I ever want to go near people in shops or reastaurants again!

Greymar, Try and get yourself into some routine, it is not easy for anyone at the present time but I think it will pass if people stay home that way the virus will NOT be spreading further. Today I have helped my husband clean the patio ( a thing I have never done in our 52 years of marriage) I surprised him as I knew how to use the machine. I stick to what I normally do in the mornings (mundane tasks) and I find this helps .

Just would like to add my best wishes for your father Twig at this worrying time for you and your mum. This must be so tough for you both. I hope he pulls through. x

Urmstongran
Are you alluding to the AI project that google and china have been working on for a few years.

Twig my thoughts and prayers are with you.