Lockdown Over

We miss our family very much indeed. Not seeing them is the hardest part for us as well as not being able to help them when they need it the most. They are struggling with combining home schooling and their demanding jobs. We also miss human contact of all kinds. We live in a cul de sac of 4 houses. 9 occupants all together. Last Friday we all assembled in the sunshine in our front garden and on our drive. We sat well apart. Everyone brought their own chairs and tea or coffee. It was brilliant and we decided we would do this every week. We all felt better for it. Obviously there were no children involved. If you can set up something like this I would really recommend it.

I lost my DH in January and was doing ok until the lockdown. I’m aching to see my family and hug them but not until it’s safe to do so. Life is lonely but I am alive and well even at 74. We all need to stay safe and wait it out.

Agree we should 'Keep calm and carry on'. I'm one of many who do seem to pick things up easily and stay ill for weeks once something is resident. Now everyone is aware how infections spread, maybe people will wash hands, cover coughs and sneezes (can I even hope they will stay home when ill?). So perhaps the normal colds and 'flu will not spread quite as they did. One can but hope!

I think I will be very nervous of going out again. I have also heard a suggestion that the over 70s and those with health problems may be advised to stay away from others for the rest of the year which is a very depressing outlook! Let's hope the scientists come up with a vaccine soon, although a doctor on Saga said yesterday that vaccines are less effective on the elderly!!! We need something positive to look forward to but in the meantime we just have to keep smiling and keep in touch with our families often. I've started writing letters to two of my young grandsons who live 80 miles away, and am really enjoying that. So much nicer than emails! Stay safe everyone!

Thank you. Your words have really helped. I am the main breadwinner and I also have been feeling really worried. Thank you again.

This is the problem with lockdowns. People who have never had a problem with going out in their lives suddenly find that they're afraid. You have to force yourselves to do it. I have agoraphobia and I promise you that you don't want to be like me. I haven't left my home without my DH or my mam for 9 years. Not because there is something bad out there (I can be logical about it) but because being out on my own fills me with such panic and fear of who knows what. You don't want to get into the fear of who knows what. It's hell. You can't let these fears, albeit genuine atm, win.

We take risks every day of our lives. We drive or are passengers even though we have no control of what some idiot or drunken driver might do. We cross roads. We fly. We eat and drink. We do numerous possibly dangerous things every day. Yes we take precautions but we don't go OTT with our worries because these are normal everyday situations. Coronavirus has thrown us all out of our comfort zones and some of you have found a new, more restrictive comfort zone (like mine). You mustn't let yourselves stay in your new zone. It won't be easy for some but you must get back to your old comfort zone asap.

I actually do not think life will be as it was before.. ever. It will take a long time to gradually come out of the lockdown. I think many, who can, will carry on working from home anyway as it actually works well for them. It is not just about work though is it. We will view life differently We will really understand what is important in our life...probably not the things you thought were before. Our priorities will change. We are learning to live a more simple life... I think people will be better for this.

I’ve been shielding since 30th March and my husband is a frontline paramedic treating people with the virus during each shift. We have continued to live together but sleep in
separate rooms and try to “social distance” as best we can. It’s not ideal and it is scary but, like everyone else, we are just trying to make the best of it and keeping fingers crossed.

polnan - re your newspaper - some advice from one of those lovely doctor twins (can’t recall their names) : read the front/back page and immediately discard it and wash your hands as it’s the only part touched by human hand. The rest is put together via machinery.

Agree Annabel I've finally learnt the meaning of one day at the time. Also just wondering about too much sheltering, when we finally do get out will be like newborn babies!

My husband and I have both had the virus, he has asthma so I was very worried for him. He had a high temperature not much of a cough, a very bad headache for 4 days and extreme fatigue. I had a very much milder version, a cough, congestion, fatigue and then loss of smell and taste. We have both come through, even with my husband having asthma, so please do t worry too much, as other posters have said the vast majority have mild symptoms and sometimes don’t even know they’ve got it.

Hello BLUEMUM.
I have not seen you on here before.
I welcome your comments and agree wholeheartedly with your philosophy.
I am so sorry to hear that you lost your husband last year.
My best wishes to you and everyone here. Keep safe

Well I have never appreciated literally taking one day at a time, until now. I have enjoyed daily walks , watching the changes, blossom on trees, daffodils giving way to bluebells,and I can't believe how fascinating I find the garden birds, and the antics of squirrels. I am turning into my mother. The family whatsapp group make me feel more connected to all my family, some of whom live in America,and New Zealand.Each day is a gift, which worrying about the future can obscure. I feel that as a generation, especially we over 70s, we have our parents example of living through war, separation, rationing,hopefully their resilience is in our DNA and we can still be there for each other, and keep hope alive ?

Don't think we will one day just open our doors, go out and return to what we had before. Japan, an island such as we are is having a resurgence after very slightly lifting their tough restrictions. There will need to be a phased introduction of all levels of normality. Viruses do no go away, we learn to deal with them and possibly and hopefully via a vaccine for this one.

I went to Australia early January for three months and had to come home two weeks early because of the virus. I am in my late seventies and live on my own, sine my DH died last year. I have been self isolating since I got home and have not had, nor do I want, any visitors under the present conditions. I ache with longing to see my family, to talk to someone face to face, but consider this a very small price to pay to be one of the privileged ones who can stay home, arrange deliveries of all provisions from local shops, supporting our village trade, and keep safe. I am not going to spoil today worrying about what may happen when all this ends, I will just be so grateful I survived, and try to continue to look in the bright side. I have several hobbies, a large bungalow and garden to look after, am reasonably fit and healthy apart from osteo arthritis which does restrict what I can do some days, but I have learned to live with it. Thousands worse off than me, and even more thousands have not got this far, so let’s be thankful for each day we are safe, don’t pay too much attention to the negative media hype and face the future when it gets here, one day at a time xxx. Stay safe everyone xxxx

Am I alone in not being too worried about this?
I go to supermarket once a week- may pop in at other times shopping for older neighbours. Yes I wash my hands when I get in but that's it.
We are keeping to ourselves apart from daily walk when I do talk to others I see in road but not nearer than 6'. We go out into road to do the weekly 'clap' & talk to neighbours then & if they are passing our garden too- we have fairly large front gardens so not too close. Our road has had a couple of 'get togethers' where we all go out with our wine & nibbles & chairs & talk to neighbours from safe distance. We are having a big 'get together' next weekend where we will all sit on pavement outside ours homes so we can all see each other & chat from a safe distance..
The worst bit is the children- we live in a cul-de-sac & they are used to playing in the turning circle at the end - all together. It is difficult to explain to the little ones how they cannot play with their friends but their parents are doing a great job.
It is what it is & no point getting in a state about it. It doesn't help & only worries you.
Relax.

I wonder like DeedeeP if the illness I had in Jan and my husband had in Feb were possibly a strain of cv. We were both knocked out with it and it took at least 3 weeks before we felt better. Who knows ?
I also hope we wait a little before coming out of lockdown and see first what is happening in other countries who are "coming out". I dont fancy going back to commuting on crowded trains and using the underground without knowing the risks!

I am housebound any way but what worries me is that a neighbour of mine (who does phone me every day) was under the opinion that the virus could only be transmitted by bodily contact and was surprised that I cleaned everything when I had a delivery and cleaned door handles etc. How many more people are misinformed?

“Keep Calm and Carry On “ as the saying goes. I do agree with the comment about the news and journalists asking the same questions over and over again. It just helps to confuse and in some cases causes more stress and concern. We just need to do as we’re asked to ensure we get back to what is likely to be the the ‘new’ normal as soon as possible. Keep well.

I don't think somehow we need worry about that for awhile!
Hopefully the gov will watch Italy and France and respond accordingly, certainly a lot faster a response than when it started, much to late with the lockdown!
Please God they get the coming out right, it's going to be quite dangerous for awhile if they time it wrongly ,..
Just hope it's not returning every year, that really will put the mockers on life as we knew it
Take care ..

@washerwoman. I agree with hat you have said. I also believe that if our time is up then we will be gone even without this virus. We are both mid sixties, I have underlying medical problems but there is nothing to stop my DH bringing it home when he does the shopping. We also have the benefit of having income even if we dont work as my husband has a very good pension that pays out every month. Neither of us are too bothered about the end of lockdown as it is what it is and what will be will be, We just want to get back to work, never spent so long at home. The deaths are a tiny minority and because they are reported daily seem to be higher. We only listen or read news once a week now and that puts it all into perspective rather than the brain taking in figures every time they are broadcasted even if they are the same ones as a previous news. The brain doesnt process it like that it sees it as a new set of figures to digest. wouldn't it be great if there was a TV channel available to everyone with a TV and simultanious broadcast on radio for those without, dedicated to Covid-19 only, it would have a once daily update and everyone else would be banned from mentioning it at all, including the newspapers? We believe this is what should have happened from the outset and then there wouldnt be the panic there currently is. Anyway something to think about - How do we all know that the bad cold, flu that we had in December / January wasnt this virus? we dont. I had a terrible fluey cold on holiday in January as did my husband, started in the first week and was gone before we returned to the UK a month later.

Washerwoman - do you know how you caught the virus? I don't hear much about how people think they caught it. You may not actually know but you might have some idea how it happened or who you caught it from perhaps.

I'm shielding so haven't been out for 4 weeks with another 8 to go.

I dont think I will go anywhere near back to normal until a vaccine is found. I will probably go out for a drive with OH but will not be shopping or going to pubs, restaurants or cinemas.

I'm not sure I would get through a bad dose of covid

I can’t wait for it to be over and get out and about within reason I don’t carry this fear at all perhaps I m more pragmatic about my mortality I think we all need to start building up our immunity and stop being panicked by the constant drip drip of death notices I m not unrealistic I know how bad it is but jumping at your shadow won’t help, that’s no life
I don’t believe masks work if they did the Chinese wouldn’t have had such a bad time as they wear the darn things all the time

Oh how our PM made fun of the burka, egg on face there

oh Xrgran, it is that information that scares me... I can`t not read my daily delivered newspaper for 48 hours! I live alone no one visits, I don`t go out. self isolated, ie over 70 but no underlying..

so why should I have to keep cleaning things in my home?

me? I am scared that the lockdown is NOT going to be lifted. I can`t bear this shut in.. only half an hour, (for me first thing in the morning) exercise.. I need to get out, though I think it may be some time before I go to the events, ie. meetings at my church that I went to before. but I dearly, so very much want to see my family, I can go without hugging.. just to talk to be with them
actually to talk to someone face to face.. oh please... let that be soon let me OUT!