PM Press Conference. Anyone else feeling despair?

Yes, very down at the moment. Have a relative seriously ill in hospital with Covid which brings everything home. I think that short term, it's very difficult to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. I never thought that it would go on for so long.

Pammie1

I appreciate that this may sound a little bit ‘conspiracy theory’ but does anyone feel that there’s something we’re not being told about Omicron ? I don’t remember this amount of caution centred around the emergence of Delta. With Omicron we’re being told to ‘wait and see’ when all the data is in, but in the meantime the booster campaign is being stepped up, masks have been reintroduced, travel restrictions imposed and self isolating mandatory on return to the UK, even if vaccinated. Now there’s reports of people cancelling plans based on a comment from a medic, about mixing not being sensible until things are clearer. I just get the feeling that something is different.

I know what you mean about it sounding 'a little bit conspiracy theory', but my own theory is that the government was already quite scared about the rising covid numbers before Omicron was detected, starting to fear that the hospitals (already struggling if reports on ambulance waiting times are anything to go by) might well be totally overwhelmed by Christmas.

The trouble is, they've said so many times that they don't intend to reintroduce the restrictions on what we can do, that they desperately didn't want to lose face by backtracking on that

I think that they might have pounced on Omicron as a get-out-of-jail-free card that gives them the perfect excuse to reintroduce measures that were already needed!

I sympathise with people who have lost family and friends and those very vulnerable people who had to isolate, often alone.
However, thinking back to when cold and 'flu nearly disappeared when rules were stricter and how hospitals n ambulances are now struggling with outcome of relaxation I have no sympathy whatsoever with anti-vaxers and anti'maskers who have blood on their hands. Is it so hard?? This will all end similarly to the Spanish 'flu but we can help in tbe meantime.
Winter is a rough time anyway so some mood swings will get to us but we are so lucky with our NHS free vax etc. Not perfect but excellent

My vulnerable DGS has covid and is recovering OK atm. I'm feeling elated as the whole family thought he would end up on ventilation due to his asthma and lung conditions. He's on antibiotics due to GP phone diagnosis of tonsillitis before PCR positive test, and always has steroid inhaler so perhaps that's helped. He had 1 vaccination 2 weeks ago. At least DD and DSiL haven't caught it.
Yes it's going on and on but less people are dying so that's positive and Pfizer say there vaccination works against the new varient in the press today. Hopefully this varient will be mild for everyone.

The government has to play safe doesn’t it?
They were presented with the initial facts that a new variant had been found with a lot of mutations, so obviously the first thought would be to wonder if the vaccines would still protect us, and might the new variant be more dangerous.

Whatever they had done would have been wrong to some people. They haven’t over-reacted, and reintroducing the wearing of face mask in some situations is such a small price to pay surely?

We will know more about what we are dealing with in about a couple of weeks, so until then we just need to adhere to the advice and otherwise just get on with our lives.

We are learning to live with a rather indeterminate process which requires patience and acting calmly. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. There are a lot of bright scientists working toward solutions and I hope politicians (especially some backbench, intellectually-challenged MPs) don't mess up. It's a pity far too many politicians lack a science education.

You hit the nail on the head with your post because I think you feel the same as most folk. We are all weary and desperate to get back to a proper normality.

You are not alone. Look after yourself.

Josianne

Yes, annie61, normally I am an optimistic and upbeat person, but even I am feeling low. One activity after another being cancelled, my choir's concert on Dec. 18th and now my lovely GS's school nativity for the second year running. He will never get to be a Wiseman with his parents' proudly watching and for that I cried today. In fact I feel I am more likely to be an angel or a star in heaven before this is over.
But tomorrow is another day and all we can do is make the best of it.

I can identify with how you ( and others, including the OP) are feeling. Just when we thought it was safe to ‘go back in the water’ along comes another shark.
Josi am glad to see you are confident of where you will be heading in the future.I may be heading for the ‘other place’..and I don’t mean Cambridge.?

I think the current precautions and restrictions etc will continue in varying degrees for many years to come (even generations perhaps), unless they find a way of stopping the virus from mutating. It doesn't surprise me and it doesn't really bother me. Wearing masks, distancing and sanitizing etc is not a big deal and just necessary for the moment. Socialising, eating out, travelling, mixing with family and friends will be done as and when we can do it safely. We may miss out on lots of events and occasions etc, that's just unfortunate. It is what it is.

What does bother me is the number of people still refusing to be vaccinated, or even denying that Covid even exists! They are the ones perpetuating the spread of the virus and putting others at risk because of their selfishness. If we ever want to be free of this virus everyone must be vaccinated in every country around the world. Impossible? Maybe. But this is the 21st century and it should be possible.

I make no apologies for my opinions about this, but I'll dive for cover now....!

It’s already put the kybosh on our planned far-flung family meet up next week, since two of the parties will have returned from holidays abroad too soon beforehand.

I’m resigned, not despairing - just hoping we can rearrange for later before Christmas - not much good afterwards since it’s a present swop too.

TBH I’d have felt it a lot more this time last year, when none of us had had even one jab.

Happysexagenarian

I think the current precautions and restrictions etc will continue in varying degrees for many years to come (even generations perhaps), unless they find a way of stopping the virus from mutating. It doesn't surprise me and it doesn't really bother me. Wearing masks, distancing and sanitizing etc is not a big deal and just necessary for the moment. Socialising, eating out, travelling, mixing with family and friends will be done as and when we can do it safely. We may miss out on lots of events and occasions etc, that's just unfortunate. It is what it is.

What does bother me is the number of people still refusing to be vaccinated, or even denying that Covid even exists! They are the ones perpetuating the spread of the virus and putting others at risk because of their selfishness. If we ever want to be free of this virus everyone must be vaccinated in every country around the world. Impossible? Maybe. But this is the 21st century and it should be possible.

I make no apologies for my opinions about this, but I'll dive for cover now....!

Well I'm sure that's cheered us all up.

Anybody got the energy to refute all this? No? Me neither.

growstuff

I apologise if I've offended people

Why? Why apologise - and then re-iterate what you've already said?

I'm not offended, I am irritated by the assumption that someone else's problems don't warrant any sympathy - and in fact require condemnation - because they don't measure up on a subjective ruler which approves or disapproves their concerns.

Individual response and resilience is a variable. What might upset one person will not necessarily bother another. There is no principle that says anyone must first consider everyone or anyone else's problems before worrying about their own.

... and most people do - as I did when I recently received news that upset me - sit down and count their blessings. I "got over it" - but not because someone else haughtily told me to.

I do feel a bit down going into another winter with no social life in view because I feel I have to shield myself. Also the endless vaccinations and the fear of what they may be doing to my already damaged immune system. I find it helpful to remind myself that others are suffering and have suffered. . And to be grateful for the good things I do have. Feeling hopeless and despairing reduces resilience. Feeling joyful is an act of resistance.

It is annnoying certainly that new mutations of the virus keep cropping up, but I honestly don't think there is any reason to despair.

We know now what to do to avoid infection to a far greater extent than we did when the pandemic started.

There are vaccines and treatment that are proving effective and scientists are working on developing new ant better ones

Working from home and not travelling so far by car or plane may not suit everyone, but it has been shown to benefit the environment, which can only be a good thing.

I am sorry so many of you feel despair, but we are better off now than at the beginning of the pandemic, when we had no vaccines, no knowledge of how dangerous the illness was, and precious little knowledge of how to combat it.

Feeling desperate too, I dont mind wearing masks and keeping distance from people the one worrying thing for me at present is I am hoping with all my heart that I can get to the UK on Sunday next, and be able to come home again in a few weeks, before Boris does another U turn.
I really desperately need to get to the UK I just want it to be Sunday!I am sure I will feel fine when I reach the shores of England (even if I am flying)

I feel this too, but I think we need to accept it and adapt our lifestyles accordingly. If wearing a mask prevents the kind of sickness I heard from my SIL and BIL this morning, then I would gladly wear my mask from now to eternity! As anti vaxxers they are now bitterly regretting not having the vaccines. This terrible virus cannot be underestimated, but as Whitewave2 says, there are worse things being endured across the world, so is it such a big ask? Keep those upper lips nice and stiff!!

Surely the reality for most of us is somewhere between the dismissal of our concerns by Growstuff as first world problems and the pollyannaish attitude of Urmstongran with her everything will be ok folks ?

I agree that cancellation of a carol concert is of little consequence compared to a poor soul crossing the channel in a dinghy, but I can have sympathy for the asylum seeker, feel anger at those who demonise said asylum seeker, and still feel sympathy for friends who are no unable to attend their GC's carol concert.

I agree with you, Happysexagenarian. It is what it is.
I do not despair.

I agree that cancellation of a carol concert is of little consequence compared to a poor soul crossing the channel in a dinghy, but I can have sympathy for the asylum seeker, feel anger at those who demonise said asylum seeker, and still feel sympathy for friends who are no unable to attend their GC's carol concert.

... I've just come off Facebook after arguing with a bunch of hateful racists blathering on about the RNLI being a "migrant taxi service"... the "let 'em all drown" brigade. Appalling and depressing.

But I can still feel sympathy for annie61 We live our lives and we are sometimes low and sad. Doesn't mean we don't feel and hurt for those suffering more severe problems.

It’s never going away, short of a miracle of science. It’s always going to be with us now in some form. How the Chinese haven’t been brought to task over it I just don’t know. So I think we need to look for the positives, such as our family and friends being safe and well. Think long and hard about what is important now and focus on that. It’s a brave new world. We’re here so let’s look to the future and take time to appreciate what we do have, and not wallow in unhappiness. Life is too short for that xxx

Call me selfish but I fell very cheated with this whole pandemic thing. I've spent my entire adult life working and was finally able (well I just opted out and ran from stressful corporate world) to retire late 2019. Then all heck breaks loose, after raising 4 children alone and suffering a lot of mental and some physical heartaches darn right I feel despair, cheated etc etc etc. Yes, I pray for the world and everyone in it but the only life I can think about now that I'm older is my own. Over the years I've donated to every charity I could afford, done every PTA, you name it I've always been a giver and still am. I don't watch the news much, it's just too depressing, I believe feeling despair right now is normal for anyone. Sure I have my "life is great, this too shall pass, blah blah blah" moments but I feel cheated and despair without watching the news. I don't want to hear how much worse it could be and about all others far worse off than me, I want a break, just for maybe a year, I'm a good person, neighbor and friend to the friendless Yada Yada Yada....yes I'm pretty mad about the state of everything too. Work and struggle all my adult life now living in a screwed up hateful world...yikes! This forum is designed to get it off your chest not social media to voice your opinion on someone else's comment, so keep your thoughts to yourself, let folks say what they're going through and leave them alone. If your life is so great get off this platform, let people get it off their chest...yepper I'm feeling despair how can you get away from it...

Oldnproud

Pammie1

I appreciate that this may sound a little bit ‘conspiracy theory’ but does anyone feel that there’s something we’re not being told about Omicron ? I don’t remember this amount of caution centred around the emergence of Delta. With Omicron we’re being told to ‘wait and see’ when all the data is in, but in the meantime the booster campaign is being stepped up, masks have been reintroduced, travel restrictions imposed and self isolating mandatory on return to the UK, even if vaccinated. Now there’s reports of people cancelling plans based on a comment from a medic, about mixing not being sensible until things are clearer. I just get the feeling that something is different.

I know what you mean about it sounding 'a little bit conspiracy theory', but my own theory is that the government was already quite scared about the rising covid numbers before Omicron was detected, starting to fear that the hospitals (already struggling if reports on ambulance waiting times are anything to go by) might well be totally overwhelmed by Christmas.

The trouble is, they've said so many times that they don't intend to reintroduce the restrictions on what we can do, that they desperately didn't want to lose face by backtracking on that

I think that they might have pounced on Omicron as a get-out-of-jail-free card that gives them the perfect excuse to reintroduce measures that were already needed!

I thought maybe there was something we weren’t being told, but I think this makes more sense. It’s not that they’re keeping something from us, it’s that they’re using Omicron to reintroduce measures that are needed but they know will be unpopular. Just hoping at this stage, that Christmas won’t be cancelled again.

I totally agree, who wants to hear who has it worse, there will always be someone who is better or worse off than you...being a little selfish and finally thinking about yourself for once is not such a terrible thing...it's okay to have down feelings we are human

I haven’t seen any family now for close on two years, my only trips out in that time have been to hospital appointments which if I’m honest scared me witless at the time.
My Doctor was quite honest with me and said if you get it you’ll probably die vaccine or no vaccine as you have so many comorbidities. So I was resolved to it.

My first taste of Covid was my cruise March 2019 which I couldn’t cancel as no insurer would cover it as a good reason, even though I was insured as it was ‘going to be nothing to worry about’. I got to Poole went on board and stayed there for two days before being sent home. The ship never sailed. I spent that year trying to get my money back as the company went bust. Finally after some 60 letters I did.

I should have known then it was the shape of things to come!

I’d actually applied through Heritage Lottery late 2018 to do a presentation and a series of living history displays on the First World War called a Land Fit for Heroes, including the Spanish Flu, Suffragettes, Trade Unions and Disability, Equality and Diversity.
I was brought up by my grandmother who lost half her family through the Spanish Flu, so I had some knowledge of it first hand from her accounts on how they wore scarves around their faces and ‘Stoved’ children’s books to try and hamper the infection. I researched it thoroughly, and what she said was true.

Obviously, due to lockdowns and lack of venues and audiences, our projects didn’t go ahead, it’s just sitting here waiting.
Was I Psychic or what?

Am I totally disillusioned by all the ‘bad luck ‘ and isolation, not entirely but Im not far off that point.

The whole world has a dose of madness and it’s catching!

As a very dear friend said to me recently, ‘We are living in the ‘Last Days’…and she could very well be right.

Who knows and even more worrying is …..who cares?

Yes I am despairing too. I was diagnosed with incurable cancer in February. This has been the worst time to have be diagnosed because there have been literally no services for cancer sufferers. I have seen the oncologist twice, the other times have been phone calls. All the support which would have been there are not due to covid. I can't even get financial support to employ someone to help because you cannot apply for carers allowance for yourself! Its all very drpressing, saying that i am still able to do my voluntary job part time and have wonderful family support. Thank goodness!