Has 'Good morning' acquired a new meaning in these pandemic times?

The simple answer to your question EP is No. As has been said, the post was all about you and it triggered numerous concerns for your wellbeing. It was not a post inviting discussion. As a lot of people have been concerned about you it would be good to hear whether you have taken any steps towards getting vaccinated because to remain unvaccinated, unless one has a medical condition rendering vaccination inadvisable, is simply not acceptable. But I suspect you will remain silent on the matter, as usual if anyone asks you a question. No-one expects you to go clubbing, surfing or undertake any of the activities you mention. Your sarcasm does you a disservice. People simply want you to get vaccinated and be able to live without the level of fear you display.

I have music on in the background.

This popped up.

A sign of the times in which we live.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUGZpZbPVSA

But please enjoy the music.

The majority of those who are hospitalised with Covid have not been vaccinated yet.
That could include you.
It is ok to be sensible. My teenage grandchildren both have Covid, so naturally I am not going anywhere near them, in fact i have avoided the family to a large extent as one works in a supermarket. But at least she has been vaccinated.

I understand coming on here for human interaction. That’s fine. So do I but I prefer real life.

It was not sarcasm, I am genuinely wondering what people who are suggesting that I should go out and do things are suggesting.

What are they suggesting a man in the seventies who through circumstances felt the need reluctantly to give up driving should go out and do?

It just seems to me that clichés are trotted out with no detail of what they realistically mean in my circumstances, even if there were no pandemic.

ElderlyPerson
Yes, 94 deaths are a tragedy to every family and friend who loved that person.
But I prefer to focus on the 65,999,06 people who didn’t die.
That’s taking the population at 66,000,000
But then I’m a glass full person.

ElderlyPerson
Why not make a start at your local library. There you will/ might see local stuff that’s going on.
I was at my library a few weeks ago and saw one of our great local bands were playing in the park this Sunday.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRdBtDiH5mY

As I posted elsewhere, over 10,000 deaths a week in England and Wales in the week ended 31 July 2021 and only 4% involved Covid which doesn't even mean it was the primary cause of death. Double-vaccination gives you a 96% effective against hospitalisation even if you do catch it.

Cabbie21

The majority of those who are hospitalised with Covid have not been vaccinated yet.
That could include you.
It is ok to be sensible. My teenage grandchildren both have Covid, so naturally I am not going anywhere near them, in fact i have avoided the family to a large extent as one works in a supermarket. But at least she has been vaccinated.

I understand coming on here for human interaction. That’s fine. So do I but I prefer real life.

Yes it could include me.

It might have included me in January or February if I had been in a taxi for two journeys of at least 20 minutes. But it might not have.

So two risk possibilities. I chose the one that I thought best at the time, when the scenario was to stick it out to June.

Then along came the blood clot issue. First we were assured it was not a problem. Then they could not say for sure it wasn't. Then it was.

Some of the medical people behind podiums whom I had previously trusted started supporting removing all the legal restrictions seeming to accept that cases would rise.

I honestly do not know what to think now.

So I have taken it a day at a time and now it is well into August.

Yes, it could include me.

The pandemic has disrupted life for many people, spoiled it for many too.

Have your vaccines. They will give you 96% protection against being hospitalised if you were to catch Covid. The tiny number of people who developed clots after having AZ were almost all women under the age of 60. That isn't you but if it still worries you, ask for Pfizer. Watch Professor Sarah Gilbert's Rosalind Franklin lecture about the development of ChAdOx1 (AZ) on You Tube. There really is nothing to fear. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about the logistics.

EP I refer you up thread to my reply to mistymoocake. Those dying of COVID are far outnumbered by those dying from heart disease and dementia, and if you had added up all the separate cancers listed in the ONS document, that disease would also be far more prevalent as a cause of death than COVID.

And, of course, most of the 94 deaths, sad though they are, will be the deaths of people who were not vaccinated against COVID. The blood clots that caused concern were very few and of a rare form of blood clot, you are far more lkely to die of COVID, not being vaccinated, than get a blood clot if you are.

But I suspect that, although not Anti-vaxxer, in the accepted sense, you do not subscribe to the irrational arguments brought up by the extremists. I do think that you are resisitant to the idea of having the vaccine because you think that safely locked up in your little castle, provided with everything you need, without going outside the garden gate, you can avoid COVID without it. An exercise in hubris.

But. at your age, other illnesses can quickly strike you down; a heart attack, stroke, or other acute illness, when, like it or not you will need to be rushed to hospital and then, with no vaccine, you will be greatly at risk from COVID.

Since the COVID lockdowns began, two of my immediate family have been in that position. My DH had a heart attack in November and was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night, complications meant he was in hospital for eight weeks. Thankfully, he had volunteered for the Astra-Zeneca drug trials last summer, and, although we could not be sure of it at the time, he had received the vaccine not the placebo and was therefore protected by the vaccine from getting COVID while he was in hospital.

Our daughter was also taken ill suddenly, but although she avoided being an inpatient, she had to visit various medical facilities for treatment - before vaccination, thankfully she stayed COVID free.

So it does not follow that your little castle is that secure. It is only as secure as you not getting any other medical problem and at our age, that cannot be relied on, as my DH showed.

Yes.

EP, in reply to your post regarding side effects of the vaccine, these are extremely rare and you are far more likely to die from covid as a result of an unexpected hospital admission. If you ask your GP about this I have no doubt you will receive good professional advice. The possibility of rare side effects didn’t deter me as, having asthma, I knew there was a high risk of covid being fatal for me. The day after the first vaccination I ached a bit, which I gather is pretty normal. No after effects at all with the second. This has been the experience of everyone I’ve spoken to. Your friend may have suffered more than others due to her diabetes, I have no idea, but again your doctor would be pleased to give all the reassurance you need..
As to what you might do - well that’s a bit difficult without knowing the sort of area you live in. I live in a very rural area with no public transport, no shop or other facilities, but the village has a good community spirit and there are various clubs - art, local history, exercise, gardening etc, local fetes where help is always needed, and though I drive friendly neighbours would always give lifts if needed. If you live in a town or city then there must be a wealth of interesting things on offer. Your local library would doubtless have lots of information. What did you enjoy doing before the pandemic?
If you haven’t ever really been one for going out and interacting in person, and I get the impression that might be the case, there’s still so much to do via the computer as we are doing right now, and I recall you started a popular thread on that. Have you ever thought of having pen friends? A lot of people do including a friend of mine in her 90s. However, if you are able to simply go out for a stroll and say a friendly hello to people you see that would do you good mentally and physically. A friendly word can mean such a lot to the recipient and makes the speaker feel good too!

This thread is not a discussion as you intended and although you complain it has gone off track, you are also guilty of doing this.

So many on here, including myself, have offered you kind and constructive help with your concerns. I've suggested twice that you ring the surgery and ask for a home visit or at least discuss your concerns with them.

Many are trying to help you get what you wanted: a home visit for the vaccination.
You say that you are not anti vaccine so will you ring the surgery again?

My Dh is in his mid-70’s. Today he’s been to the optician to drop something off for repair, to a Gregg’s for coffee and to a supermarket to help me with a large shop for family who are coming to stay this weekend. He, like me, (in fact like all my family) is double vaxxed, we wore masks and kept a safe distance from others.

These are the normal things that all the 70+’s we know are now doing. My dh would feel he was simply existing until the grim reaper called if he never went out and didn’t take part in life.

Elderly Person, I am surprised that you have not conducted any of your posts in the French language; it might have been a lot more educational and interesting.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

EP please just get the vaccine. Covid is much, much worse than any side effects from the vaccine. Then if you prefer to carry on as you are, fine, it’s your choice. But the vaccine will protect you if you become ill and are hospitalised for any other reason. My elderly mother caught Covid in hospital after a fall. She wasn’t vaccinated then because the vaccine programme hadn’t started, but rest assured, she is fully vaccinated now. She then passed on Covid to my husband and myself, and my dose was serious, leading to me being hospitalised. We’re all double vaccinated now. So should you be.

I can’t see the problem - better ‘good morning’ than to be completely ignored. If you don’t like it, don’t be too visible in your garden.

Aepgirl

I can’t see the problem - better ‘good morning’ than to be completely ignored. If you don’t like it, don’t be too visible in your garden.

Well there isn't a problem.

I am delighted that the people had the courtesy and consideration to become stationary and say 'Good morning' to attract attention to their presence in these pandemic times rather than just walk up to or walk close by an elderly man.

I was simply relating what happened and was wondering if this has become a widespread way of doing things in this time of social distancing.

Please enjoy some happy music.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ozXj5dxmS4

EP, these people were just giving you a friendly greeting as they would anyway, not alerting you to their presence. Now, please can you put our minds at rest - have you phoned your GP to ask about getting vaccinated yet?

I was simply relating what happened and was wondering if this has become a widespread way of doing things in this time of social distancing

On thinking this over, I have come to the conclusion that some people are friendly and greet others in the street, some do not. I don’t really see a lot of difference from pre-pandemic , good manners will always remain just that.
Let’s not overthink things but be grateful for politeness and consideration. .

Agreed Mawbe. I've recently qualified for my concessionary bus pass so I'm using buses more often than I did. These are busy city services not rural routes (although some of the independently operated routes head off into the countryside). The majority of passengers greet the driver in some way depending on the time of day and almost all thank the driver when alighting. Just good manners.

EP. You are posting elsewhere and continue to post here (this morning) without replying to questions from other posters. I am trying hard to understand why you choose to ignore some posters.

Germanshepherdsmum has asked again: Have you spoke to your surgery?

muse

*EP*. You are posting elsewhere and continue to post here (this morning) without replying to questions from other posters. I am trying hard to understand why you choose to ignore some posters.

Germanshepherdsmum has asked again: Have you spoke to your surgery?

It is surely not hard to understand. I am not posting about any medical consultations I have on a public forum.

I answered the lady earlier to reply to her comment.

This thread has gone in an entirely different direction than was my intention.

So it probably best if the thread is just left to go inactive.

Here is a link to a music video. Please enjoy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwDN2f8F2_M

muse

*EP*. You are posting elsewhere and continue to post here (this morning) without replying to questions from other posters. I am trying hard to understand why you choose to ignore some posters.

Germanshepherdsmum has asked again: Have you spoke to your surgery?

It is nobody's business whether he has spoken to his surgery.