Covid becoming just another bug

Not a fan of the Tory government but I do feel this pandemic has been the making of some of them, like the war. Even Matt Hancock was starting to turn more human. That's probably why he had to go. ;) Seriously I doubt any party was up to managing this properly.

I hope they vax everyone that they can, kids included, otherwise Christmas will never be the same. I go out very seldom but when I do I avoid places teens hang out. I have an 80+ mother to consider.

Harris27

Was in Aldi yesterday and felt conspicuous by me wearing mine! But I’m still going too. No one had them on.

I had the opposite today, went in to Lidl to grab a loaf and forgot my mask. Everyone else had one on, I felt very very naughty.

I think he’s a haunted man. Unlike Johnson et al he has a conscience.

I saw Chris Whitty the other day - he looked as if he had lost a lot of weight or borrowed someone else's suit. I think he has had a very tough Covid.

PippaZ

MaizieD

Biscuitmuncher

All you mask lovers, what good did they actually do?

Without them case numbers would be considerably higher with the consequent increase in deaths and incidence of long covid.

Now I'll reverse your silly question and ask you what harm do they do?

This very considered answer.

And you are so polite Maizie.

And sneezing is the latest covid symptom. Given that a sneeze often happens too fast to enable a handkerchief to be found and put over the face it makes sense to wear a mask. Also I really don’t want to catch flu.

I thought at the beginning that some people would have natural immunity and that the also virus would become less lethal. That’s why I shut myself away. It never crossed my mind that it would take so long, though. A rare case of me being overly optimistic. Speaking to a neighbour this morning, she caught covid from her son. And yet her husband didn’t catch it from either of them. We had remarked that, unlike us, they did seem happy to have visitors inside their house. I think I’m still going to be meeting people outside until I ( hopefully) get a booster jab. By the way, what’s happened to Whitty et al? Are they no longer advising us. Is anyone advising us on anything or are we just now supposed to work things out for ourself? The latest symptom seems to be sneezing. Given that people are no longer wearing masks inside shops and we’ve all seen diagrams of how far droplets can go if someone sneezes, there’s no way that we won’t all be exposed to the virus. We’re having to have bits of work done on the house. Someone came yesterday and was wearing a mask. I actually asked the shop that’s sending someone out next week if their workman would be wearing a mask. It’s the first time I’ve plucked up the courage to do that! I know it isn’t but I guess my British reserve makes me feel that I’m being rude by doing so!

MaizieD

Biscuitmuncher

All you mask lovers, what good did they actually do?

Without them case numbers would be considerably higher with the consequent increase in deaths and incidence of long covid.

Now I'll reverse your silly question and ask you what harm do they do?

This very considered answer.

And you are so polite Maizie.

Blossoming

They hide my wonky face.

A mask, sunhat and dark glasses takes a few years off you.

Does anyone like wearing them? We do because it is the sensible option. I admit to feeling rather panicky and breathless wearing one at first but I've got used to them now.

Whitewave I think it is inevitable because it's not going to go away despite high levels of vaccination in some countries.

i live slap bang where babs758 mentioned
last year we had the lowest rates in the country by a long shot and a very compliant, elderly, population in terms of the wearing of masks [and the vaccine uptake]
summer 2021 descends on our shores, tourists, festival goers, no one with masks. i believe we consequently now have the highetst rates in the country.

maddyone

I’m going on holiday to Zakinthos in two weeks, hopefully.

Have a lovely holiday

Cabbie21 I feel the same. Totally wrong.

Yes Rosie they didn’t promise us we won’t catch it, just that it would protect us from serious illnesses and hospital admission, and for that I’m grateful. In my case it was mainly a fluey feeling with a dry cough. Waiting for the booster jab as I obviously need it.

Lots of mask wearing where I live and local infection rates are quite low.

Coincidence?

Biscuitmuncher wrote:
"All you mask lovers, what good did they actually do?"

What good does it do to hold a hanky or tissue in front of yout mouth and nose when you sneeze and cough?

BlueSky

I wore masks, done the hand sanitising, didn’t mix, washed the groceries, double jabbed, and still caught it!

That was really bad luck hope all well now
The vaccine is proving very beneficial in preventing serious illness and worse I have friends who caught it after double vaccination but were absolutely fine no worse than a mild cold and one only knew she had it when picked up by lateral flow
We do have to remember many catch this virus vaccinated or not and still avoid hospital or any serious effects

lemsip

BlueSky and you survived because you had the jabs! you could have died without the jabs.

And yet before the vaccine, recovery rate was well over 90%.

You are right of course lemsip! Just feel hard done by, I haven’t heard of anybody else, and they do mix with family and friends. Perhaps I’ve been over cautious!

I feel awkward about boosters while some many countries have not yet had the chance of even a first vaccination for most, though i hope it will be given to the most vulnerable in UK eg those with compromised immune systems.

I am still taking a lot of precautions eg mask wearing, avoiding crowded places, but it is hard to know what is safe or risky. My choirs are restarting, with social distancing, but i am still not spending much time indoors with family with teenage grandchildren. Yesterday I sang in the church choir for a wedding where nobody, other than the church officials, was wearing a mask.

BlueSky and you survived because you had the jabs! you could have died without the jabs.

I wore masks, done the hand sanitising, didn’t mix, washed the groceries, double jabbed, and still caught it!

I think a lot of people will be a bit alarmed at the scientists’ view that the majority of people will catch the virus at some point, even though it is likely.

Short of completely putting our lives on hold, we must accept that, and just hope that the vaccines continue to protect us against serious illness if we are unlucky enough to catch covid in the future.

I will be relieved when I hear that the boosters are definitely being rolled out for our age group, ideally as was the plan originally, to be administered with the flu jab.

Nearly three weeks ago I went on my first outing with grandchildren to an entertainment venue for bowling, used my mask while entering, not while playing again used while leaving. Then we went off to M&S for clothes, stopped for lunch in M&S cafe again I used mask, only removed while eating. Three days later I came down with something, not a cold (probably flue) as I have felt rotten and am still not over it. Have done two Covid test, both negative, Think I have now given it to OH as he started with same symptoms on Friday, has done Covid test, again negative. I have had nothing, not even a sniffle throughout the Covid crisis & lock down so first time out something was out to get me! Biscuitmuncher your reply is ridiculous, masks do help to stop transmission of many germs, colds, flue & Covid.

I have had two brief holidays in Devon. Luckily the three hotels I stayed in were good on the regulations as were the restaurants I went to. Exmouth and Exeter very crowded but lucky with the weather so could eat and drink outside. I am not looking forward to the winter or working in a place with modern windows that just tilt and don’t fully open - and lots of students about! . Time to stock up in vitamin D again. I really hope we don’t have another lockdown. Last winter was so depressing.

But it has been lovely to socialise and see good friends after 18 months. We have been cheering each other up over wine and silly conversations. Better than medicine sometimes :-)

I wear a perspex face shield. Not as suffocating as a mask and you can wear your lipstick and smile at people.

I’m going on holiday to Zakinthos in two weeks, hopefully.