Is it just me?

JanT8. surely your husband is very vulnerable? Of you are having any difficulties do get in touch with your GP. They may have made a mistake in not adding him to the list.

Twig14. That is terrible to hear. I am so sorry for you and all your family. ?

Franbern. I agree. Unfortunately the toxic materials in aeroplane vapour trails have been analysed. But there are still people reporting crazy things so it's important to know your source and check their validity. Similarly with 5G, the concern of people who are campaigning to have it safety tested is that there are no tests to prove it is not harmful to people. Basically it is strong microwaves and one would expect that there would be safety regimens around it. Only 'nutters' say it causes the virus. However, some people have an argument that proposes it weakens the immunity and reduces health generally in those exposed to it therefore such people would logically be more prone to catch any disease going round.
I have no belief or view on the matter as I have no knowledge of this area. I remain an unbiased observer. However I will shoot down any dangerously frightening claims that are obviously scaremongering and untrue.

This sums up how a lot of people feel!

JanT8. I agree about 2nd spike. There has always been one as far as I can see from my internet research - luckily I have access to medical research papers so I'm not talking about 'fake news' on facebook! What actually makes me fearful is that so far the young have been spared the worst. I am so frightened that the second spike might have cleverly mutated to be more potent and to affect the young more. Ian Sample and Nicola Davies wrote a good article on 22 May in the Guardian, "Will Covid-19 mutate into a more dangerous virus?"

gingergirl - re masks, you have that the wrong way round,. Wearing a mask may help to prevent YOU passing on any infection to others, but has no effect in helping you not be infected.

I do wonder at people wearing these outside. If they have any sort of cough or cold or any other symptom, they should be self-isolating, and not going out at all. If they do not, then wearing one outside is pointless. Being outside has now been proven to be much better in preventing infection being passed.

Problem is there are so many myths, inaccuracies and half-truths about this virus. (Let along the extraordinary stupid and dangerous stories about 5G, birds, airoplane trails, etc. etc.), that people just make it up as they go along.

merlotgran. So you weren't serving Flash with Bleach cocktails to your guests then?

Did you see the tweets following the Trump Bleach gaff? People saying what their preferred tipple was. I said Boris preferred DOMestos,

I agree with Maw and many others. It is too early to relax the lockdown. We have lost 4 to this virus that includes my father. When I saw the photos taken on the beach at Durdle Door I just thought give it a few weeks and we will be back in lockdown. Sadly it’s the ones who flaunt the lockdown rules that will cause serious problems for others. This virus is definitely not just the Flu. It’s a killer.

We know several people who are medics and they’re all so sure that there’ll be a second spike, so no, apart from a walk some days, we’re going nowhere!!
Daughter came yesterday with her Thermos Coffee mug and we sat in the garden. She also came on Saturday to trim the back of my hair, but she was gloved and masked !
I can’t believe the number of people who seem to be taking the attitude, well it’s almost over now, it’s NOT !!
We’re not classed as vulnerable apart from the over 70 bit, but someone who keeps in touch with us through the Alzheimer’s Society is horrified that we haven’t been contacted, husband has Vascular Dementia, Parkinson’s and COPD, stroke 2 years ago.

It seems fine to "meet" people in gardens in this lovely weather but what happens when the weather changes. Will it still be feasible when the Autumn comes?

janeayressister. My sentiments entirely. We were kept inside by a regime of fear. The government has a group (Behavioural Insights Team) studying the psychological methods of making people change their behaviour without them realising that is what is happening. Creating and maintaining fear is the best way to make people do what you want them to do. Fear of a particular threat to all is best. As Henry Kissinger said (one wonders what they were planning, obviously someone said the people would object, but he had his answer to that, see upload) So 1. Have a threat, real or not (the virus may or may not have happened spontaneously, there are so many coincidences concerning it that I am sceptical.) 2. Say you, the Leaders, are going to beat the threat so long as everyone does as they are told.
It was obvious early on that the rules we followed because of fear of the power of the virus were not meaningful to the rule-makers. Why not? Because they had no fear of the virus changing due to their rules. They always knew more than we did. The statistics they gave out were always dubious. It is not possible to trust our government.
Again, my mind keeps thinking:

Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives.
I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and
I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that.
That's what's insane about it.
John Lennon

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MawB, it's always been 'them and us' especially around here with many ignoring the 'rules'. The 'all in it together' was just an illusion, cultivated deliberately to encourage us to comply. The government only expected 80% compliance anyway.

It doesn't really matter one jot what everyone else is doing. They risk being part of the next batch in ICU. Herd immunity (slowed down) is the name of the game, after all!

MawB. Dear Maw, I actually read the contents before looking to see who wrote the letter! Having read the headline in my emails I raced to read the text and found it so much described me and I was so much in tune with every sentiment.
Please do not feel you are entirely alone, I for one am in the same situation and there are so many more of us here on GN and further afield.
I was a little shocked when my children (several hours drive away) started texting and phoning me more during the lockdown. I kept saying "Well, actually it's the same as before for me except I've arranged to have my milk delivered at 3x the price. " I hardly ever went out and did not see anyone from one week to another except for late night forays to the coop for milk and veg. Late night because that guaranteed I could park outside and manage to walk in without too much excruciating pain.

I agree that between those of us who tried to keep the rules and reduce the virus spread by staying at home, there was a lovely camaraderie. I was so shocked at how suddenly we jumped rom stage 4 orange which was still very threatening to apparently stage 5! Without anything in between! But then nothing makes sense any more. Indeed it reminds me:

Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives.
I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and
I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that.
That's what's insane about it.
John Lennon

Please do not feel alone Maw or anyone else who is at home on their own. There are so many of us. We need to support one another.

Finally, having seen the pictures of the hoards on beaches and the mess, I am quite happy to avoid that!

No way am I going out and socialising, I have a medical condition and until results are showing a lot less cases and rates of spread are next to nothing I am staying put.
I do go out....... Drive my car into the next village and back thus keeping the battery charged, back in my village I stop at the cemetery to check on my darlings grave.

We have a large static caravan on our property which will be ideal when we end up having visitors for picnics in the garden. They'll be able to have their own washing and loo facilities and I'll be able to stock the fridge with drinks a few days in advance.

They'll then be able to use Flash with bleach to clean up when they leave.

All pretence has gone from it being a lockdown situation. It has been helped by Cummins and his hapless wife. She wrote an article about it it in the Spectator. Two fingers up to the rest of us and the NHS, of which my children are part of. They feel furious with them.
To think that these two powerful rich people hadn’t got one single friend to help them, not one. I believe that they have relatives in London.
Even if you swallow ‘ I drove to Barnard Castle to test my eyesight’ tale, how can anyone believe that she didn’t mention where they were in her Spectator article.accudently? It was devious and deliberate.
All pretence of a lockdown has been blown out of the water by them and others ( although they have resigned) behaviour.

I agree that we all need to be careful still despite the relaxation in the restrictions. My life consists of home and garden, walks in quite areas, a few distanced visits in gardens and 2 very quick food shops in the last 10 days. I’m lucky to have a delivery slot each week. I fully realise how lucky I am but this isn’t the life for me. Before my life was all about being with others and not spending much time at home. The lockdown has given me too much time to think and too much time for tedious activities such as housework which O would normally rush through. I’m sticking with what I know is right but it’s getting harder each day. In case of any misunderstanding I’m grateful everyday for my good fortune in keeping healthy and having a loving family and a pleasant home.

I have been fine. I have lived alone since my husband died three and a half years ago. I am used to going out quite a lot but, I am lucky in having a garden and a wonderful neighbour who has picked up a prescription for me. Thanks to Ocado, I have had no problems getting groceries. I keep busy sewing masks, reading and using phone, Zoom etc.

However, when we heard that we could have family visiting in the garden, keeping required distance, I ‘lost it’. The thought of my daughter and her partner driving a good hour to get here and then not being able to hug them, feed them or even give them a cup of tea, was too much. I have told them not to come. They do understand but, I am finding it difficult.

My sister, who lives in the same town and has also isolated, is planning to come over for ‘afternoon tea’ bringing her own supplies. Luckily, there is a loo just inside the front door. It is not used unless I have visitors so, if she gets desperate, I am sure she could safely use that. I need to remember to flush it and run the taps before she comes because of the Legionnaires disease. Anything else I need to worry about ??

Why is there not more of an acceptance that the lifting of the lockdown, virtually overnight, not supported by medical and scientific opinions, is designed to distract us from Cummings and the incompetence of the government in dealing with the virus. The none political advice is still stay indoors. Ignore the science at your peril a,d that of all that you hold dear

Fuseta just remember that the mask is supposed to protect you from others but not others from you! Good luck!

It is difficult to judge as we can't stay in lockdown forever. We are mostly staying at home and I walk regularly for exercise on local footpaths and generally do not meet a soul. Shopping makes me anxious as there are differences between the standard of care in each shop. We will continue to be cautious particularly when you see how certain members of the public behave. I miss family and the other activities I enjoy but at least the garden is well loved

I think we looked on the lockdown as a temporary hold, while the experts sorted out symptoms, treatment, testing etc. So it doesnt seem right to ease up when none of this has been done.
I must admit to selfishness too. We are lucky to have daughters and sons living nearby, and I am missing being able to call on them for help!

Life has to go on and we have to socially distance as best we can. I'm 75 and not classified as shielded but my wife is a lot younger than me and has been classified as shielded. I have been doing the shopping complete with mask, don't use gloves anymore just wash hands and wipe things down. The Liverpool Madrid match should have been stopped as also should the Cheltenham Festival. I think that community infection is now a lot lower than it was but it is still too high in Hospitals and Care Homes.

A point was made on Good Morning Britain that the top 3 countries for deaths are US, UK and Brazil. All 3 have poor political leadership, the US has hot spots in big cities but a low density of people in rural areas. The UK should have locked down earlier which the people would have accepted. Brexit or rather than ineptitude of the Brexiteers distncing from European best practice. Belatedly they are trying now and doing the right thing under the current circumstances.

I don't know how Primark in Liverpool will socially distance with the layout of the store. John Lewis and M&S may be better but not much. My local ALDI and Sainsburies seem to be working safely. Most smaller shops can restrict customers to a few in at a time so should manage.

I volunteer for the National Trust in a small property where social distancing is just not possible, I doubt they will open before next year.

Sorry you feel that way MawB ...I am also on my own but I can honestly say that my life has hardly changed at all …...I do much the same as every day ...walk along the beach (I live there, not travel to !)…..go to the shop ….do my office work......never see or speak to anyone except the man in the paper shop and maybe the supermarket check out person (unless I use the auto tills)…..use public transport as there is no option (mask, gloves, hand gel etc)…...the only thing that is different for me is not being able to have my coffee or lunch out …..can do now, in plastic cups which is a bonus as I like to sit and watch the sea with my drink ! I (or any of us for that matter) may have had it and been asymptomatic ...before lockdown, and could therefore have unknowingly passed it on or have only mild symptoms and maybe thought ah, a cold, or hay fever …...no one will ever know . The world has had to recover from viruses, pandemics (the bubonic plague etc) and it did and we survived ….it is really time to STOP panicking and get some semblance of normality back asap. The school next to me is open today (it never closed as it was taking children of essential workers) and it is being sensible ...children appear to have about 15 minutes each class for break, then the next class, etc etc …… two people where I live had died of cancer during the lockdown …. and I have a friend whose father is dying in a care home (NONE of them due to COVID 19) ...she was lucky in that she could see him with her mother ….so many people have died anyway, not of this illness, but of other illnesses or simply old age ….we must put it into perspective ….and decide if we are going to be sensible and adult. Life goes on no one is promised tomorrow.