Stop moaning and thank your lucky stars!

Agree with OP. We have not met with anyone since the first lockdown, it has been hard but we have come this far and are not stopping now. My anxiety and depression got very bad during the first lockdown. I have upset friends by refusing to meet over the Summer, but I am just too afraid to meet anyone at the moment. I dread to think what the infection rates will be like after Christmas.

Notinthemanual

I was invited into a bubble and reassured the couple were regularly tested. I said I'd think about it, not wanting to sound ungrateful. What I have been thinking is that tests are like snapshots. A person might be negative a that moment in time and then contract virus on the way home from the test centre.

If I'm wrong, please let me know (gently).

You sound apprehensive-

I hope that's gentle enough- ?

MaggieTulliver

Can’t believe the scaremongering crap on here. Yes Covid does wreak havoc because of the over-reaction to the danger it poses. It’s wrecking the economy, people’s livelihoods, our mental health and our descendants’ futures. The chances of dying from it are very small. So many people have decided now that they’ve had enough and will make their own decisions about how they live their lives.

Yes, self-centered individuals usually want to do what they want to do and do- That is true- They've no concern for "future" generations but do pretend to because that's how far they will stoop to do what they want to do "now"-

I was invited into a bubble and reassured the couple were regularly tested. I said I'd think about it, not wanting to sound ungrateful. What I have been thinking is that tests are like snapshots. A person might be negative a that moment in time and then contract virus on the way home from the test centre.

If I'm wrong, please let me know (gently).

Thank you for your wisdom. Health care providers know from day one there will be holiday schedules abbreviated or missed, yet chose to be with those that need them most. My family got creative over the years to accommodate my duties. Today’s providers are exhausted and mentally taxed with the constant flow of deaths. Their goal is to return patients to health. COVID makes this a difficult goal to meet. To see so many complain so bitterly about changes for a relatively brief time in their life is disheartening at best. Instead of beating on pots to show support, how about putting the greater good first?

Lilypops, don't go.

Lilypops Only you can make a decision for yourself, but if I were in your shoes, I would consider very carefully whether the people you're going to meet are likely to be Covid-free. Do they work? Are there any students or school age children involved? Have they been socialising? Even though you're both healthy, your ages mean that if you get infected, you're both at high risk. You really need to do everything you can to avoid being infected.

DH and I will be staying at home this Christmas, just the 2 of us. I have upset a close member of my family by politely declining an invitation to spend Christmas with them, as we have done in previous years, but didn’t feel comfortable about us all spending the day together. Just because Boris says we can, doesn’t mean we should! I think Boris has said that 3 households (of a limited number of people, I think) can get together between 23/27 December because some people would be “breaking the rules” if he didn’t allow this. I do genuinely feel for people who are desperate to spend Christmas with their families (especially if they haven’t got together for months anyway), but DH and I personally don’t want to take the risk. COVID itself won’t be taking a holiday - a big spike will no doubt be coming in the New Year following Christmas get togethers. Let’s all hope for a happy and healthy 2021.

PollyDolly,

You are so right

Kamiso Thinking of you and hope you feel better soon.

Lucca

MaggieTulliver

Can’t believe the scaremongering crap on here. Yes Covid does wreak havoc because of the over-reaction to the danger it poses. It’s wrecking the economy, people’s livelihoods, our mental health and our descendants’ futures. The chances of dying from it are very small. So many people have decided now that they’ve had enough and will make their own decisions about how they live their lives.

What would you like to happen ? No masks?, no distancing !
No restrictions ?
Have you heard of long COVID !
How are the NHS supposed to cope?
So awful that people have these head in the sand views.

These COVID deniers are a danger to society and should be made to work on the COVID wards - that would really be an infringement of their “rights”. They are deliberately flouting the rules out of pure selfishness and couldn’t care less about the NHS staff they are putting in danger.

I really hope that what goes around comes around is true.

I am awaiting a COVID test and have never felt so ill in my life.

Absolutely agree with you. Fed up with all these people who ignore the pandemic. Someone today said this was a violation ofhis human rights....you dont get human rights when your 6ft under!

Thankyou Miss A and Hetty , I will sleep on it and have a chat with DD tomorrow, DH is as healthy as one can be at 86 and doesn’t have any serious health problems.

MaggieTulliver

Can’t believe the scaremongering crap on here. Yes Covid does wreak havoc because of the over-reaction to the danger it poses. It’s wrecking the economy, people’s livelihoods, our mental health and our descendants’ futures. The chances of dying from it are very small. So many people have decided now that they’ve had enough and will make their own decisions about how they live their lives.

What would you like to happen ? No masks?, no distancing !
No restrictions ?
Have you heard of long COVID !
How are the NHS supposed to cope?
So awful that people have these head in the sand views.

Lilypops, you can always change your mind. Remember that you'd be saving your DD much anxiety too.

I thought it was very nice to be invited and would probably have felt upset if I wasn't. However, I do feel so relieved that I declined.

I wouldn't like to advise, but if I felt impelled to, I would say err on the side of caution, I suppose.

Is your husband relatively healthy?

Can’t believe the scaremongering crap on here. Yes Covid does wreak havoc because of the over-reaction to the danger it poses. It’s wrecking the economy, people’s livelihoods, our mental health and our descendants’ futures. The chances of dying from it are very small. So many people have decided now that they’ve had enough and will make their own decisions about how they live their lives.

One DD had the test I meant !!

Only one DH had a test two weeks ago which was negative,
My GD will have finished school well before Boxing Day as children can be carriers ,
I am just thinking maybe we should have said no

PollyDolly Thank you for your very sensible post. I too was not brave enough to say what you did .

Would your family consider all having a test before you go?
There again, it does seem a bit of faffing around just for one visit.

I think I have made a wrong decision , I am 73 DH is 86. I have asthma and angina so have been sensible, not mixing and only going for essential food shopping when needed, I have online shopping delivered ,
We made the decision to stay at home on Christmas Day just the two of us and enjoy just chilling and staying safe in our own home and not visiting my family and Gdd,s.
My DH has asked us to go on Boxing Day under the three households can meet rule. We are all in tier Two, we said yes as they have a big house where we can stay two metres apart ,
Now , I am thinking should we go , My DD have been so concerned about us staying safe , they have only visited us twice and stayed outside talking in the path ,
Should we go , we are so close to hopefully coming through this COVID 19. It would be an awful thing if either of us got ill
Sorry for the long post.

Full Fact on suicide deaths during the pandemic:

fullfact.org/online/suicide-coronavirus-deaths/

Callistemon

Lucretzia is correct in that suicide rates have gone up.
Whether or not this is due to the threat of COVID is not known but social isolation could play a part.

With the impact of the pandemic this year taking a huge toll on people’s mental wellbeing, we should be even more concerned,” said the charity’s chief executive, Ruth Sutherland.
Samaritans

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/01/male-suicide-rate-england-wales-covid-19

No, she's not correct. The Guardian's article is about suicides in 2019. There's an average five month delay before suicide deaths are registered.

Well said, PollyDolly. Entirely agree with you. We will be on our own this Christmas. No point in rocking the boat now when we have been keeping ourselves to ourselves since March. Also agree that Christmas is over-hyped by the media. Gets on my nerves, too. It's only a few days for goodness sake. I've just said elsewhere that Boris would have done better to say 'no mixing over Christmas'. This personal choice is all very well but it is causing a lot of angst within families.