Am I being too cautious about covid?

DH is CEV (but the second lot notified early last year, not the original lot) but we've both had all our jabs including the second booster so at 81 (him) and 76 (me) we are not wasting any more of what's left of our lives by hiding away.

Nor are we being stupid, but rather are living as we did before lockdown; so we're going to our U3A events, meeting friends, going to the cinema and theatre, eating out on occasion and just generally getting on with it.

I've not had my second booster yet, though DH (dodgy heart and 75) has had his. He no longer wears a mask in shops or on public transport, but I do.
Despite masks I've had two awful viruses in the past three months, presumably caught from grandchildren.

Yes too cautious. I'm fully vaccinated and still caught covid about 6 weeks ago. It was nothing to worry about. A bit like a nasty cold. I've been abroad twice and didn't get covid there. I got it while hanging around the house.

I’m 78, am CEV, immunosuppressed due to steroids and have had four vaccinations, including two boosters. I cannot wear a mask due to breathlessness and have been paranoid about catching covid. However, I have been venturing out and about for the last few months but avoiding crowded indoor spaces. I agreed to go with my granddaughter to the cinema a couple of weeks ago to see Downton Abbey. We went to a morning screening and the cinema was half empty. We were in booked seats and at the time of booking there was nobody else in the row, but then a couple came and sat next to us. He was coughing and snoring and at one point even tried to hold my hand! Two days later we both tested positive so we’re pretty certain we caught it in the cinema.
My symptoms amounted to a few bouts of sneezing, a slight sore throat, and a short lived mild headache. Because I’m CEV and reported my positive test result I was immediately contacted by the nhs who delivered a course of anti viral meds and an oximeter for me to take my oxygen readings every day. A respiratory care person phoned me daily for my readings and to check how I was feeling. I was very impressed by the care I received.
So, I was lucky but my experience has reassured me that just because you’re older and have health problems doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be really ill.

I’m still being cautious as I’m on chemotherapy, virtually all my friends who are carrying on regardless have caught covid despite being fully vaccinated…..a mild illness for all luckily but it’s definitely still out there….

Personally I have been living life as normal. I am 65 and a nurse and have been working as a vaccinator for the last year and a half so have had face to face contact with thousands of people over that time. I m fully vaccinated and wear a mask when in the supermarket but apart from that it’s business as usual. Theatre, holidays, we need to move on but continue taking precautions to protect each other as best we can but get on with living life xx

We've stopped wearing a masks and do everything we did pre-Covid. We did despite being careful get Covid late March '22 having kept clear until then. Had all the jabs but still off colour for a few days. Stocked up on tests which we use sparingly and only if we think we may have caught the virus.

Life is for living and can never be totally risk free.

Hubby and I were very cautious, wearing masks everywhere. Didn’t travel whenever people started, we decided our first holiday abroad was going to be April this year, (which used to be an annual trip with friends). By this time, my Mum and Dad in their 70s had already been on 2 flights and 3 cruises (all separate trips). Another cruise had to be cancelled as they caught Covid on one of them.
We both thought they were mad, but then in January or February this year we both had flu, despite us having all Covid jabs and a flu jab, we were really ill for over 2 weeks but multiple tests showed negative for Covid. After getting over that we decided that all the isolation etc wasn’t worth it for us as we missing out on our lives. We booked a flight for Hubby’s birthday in March. A week before we flew, we caught Covid. It was so mild compared to the flu we’d had, I wish we’d just got on with things earlier. The way I see it (for us), I feel like I put my life on hold, for no reason. I accept that we were lucky with our cases of Covid, fortunate that the test we did for Covid 5 days after the initial positive test, came back negative 2 days before we flew out for our first trip abroad after 2 years. We’re now on our 3rd holiday in 3 months (2 of which were rescheduled several times and this one was supposed to be for a milestone birthday in October 2020). I’m glad that we’re catching up on what we missed but ironically, it was the flu that made us rethink our caution but yes we’re still wearing masks on the underground and buses and I have a hand sanitiser attached to my handbag which is getting filled regularly.

Unless you have any really serious health conditions, I think you are being a little bit over cautious. You are certainly not old. I am 67 and my DH 69. We are both back at work. I travel by bus as I don't drive.. we have been to the theatre a few times. We are going to Holland via ferry in July though I really wouldn't fancy flying just yet ( I loathe airports at the best of times, do that is no hardship). I did have Covid a few weeks ago, but I have honestly had worse colds.
Having said all that, we are each responsible for our own health and wellbeing and you must do whatever you think is best for you. Maybe challenge yourself to do one more thing every week. Good luck

I had COVID two years ago at the age of 54 and it left me with heart failure. Despite having had both vaccines and the booster I have had COVID twice this year. The first time wasn’t too bad. The second time was worse and straight after I had a chest infection and Cellulitis because my immune system was so weakened. Prior to my getting COVID the first time I never went to the GP and I took no medication whatsoever. Now my health is totally compromised and even though I am quite an optimistic person I don’t think I will ever regain my former health. So no, I completely understand your caution.

I think it is good to stay careful. My father in his mid 80's has just gone into hospital with covid. He had his 4th booster 4 weeks ago and wears mask in shops and on transport. He has been vomiting, sneezing etc and lungs very painful with the awful coughing and not being able to wee properly. I would rather be seen as paranoid than play Russian roulette with how covid might affect me. I had cardiac issues following 2nd Astra.

Dh and i still wear a mask when shopping and the looks we have had has been unbelievable,as if were potty.
But we won`t stop.

No, you're not being too cautious but you would be safer to have both boosters. Some cause fewer reactions than others but your genes determines that.

Check which vaccines you had before and remember whether it was both or only one that caused your reaction problems. If you can identify the make of the problem vaccines, ask to have one of the others. There are 3 - AstrZenica, Pfizer and Moderna. The more different ones you can have, the safer you are.

Also, make sure you have the flu vaccine as this does seem to help, though it cannot protect you as well as the vaccines made for covid.

Good luck, enjoy the sun and meeting more people, in the open air if you can. Try family pic-nics in the garden / park, perhaps? Marydoll is an inspiration!

Or even voilà.

I think that most people are being a bit too blase (I wish someone could let me into the secret of doing accents..)

MaizieD if you press the ‘e’ key down gently for a second you will be offered a smorgasbord of choices (same for each letter). You can then select accordingly. Voilá!
?

Here in Italy, we are all still wearing FFP2 masks in shops etc., and on public transport. All shop staff still wearing them too.

Both my husband and I have avoided it so far, but my son-in-law in England nearly died from Covid (before the vaccines came along)and is still not 1% over a year later. My sister in England went to France on a coach tour this March (she is 80) and was quite indignant shortly after her return home to find she'd got it. Probably the re-cycled air on the coach.

Candelle I fully understand how you feel and why, but saying COVID is a killer, begs the question that many illnesses were killers when they first attacked humans: small pox, AIDS, were killers when we first met them, but overtime drug treatments and vaccinations have in one case eliminated the disease and in the other case reduced it to something where once diagnosed, you may need to take pills for the rest of your life, but it is unlikely to kill you.

COVID in its initial stages had a very high mortality, but over the two years, many drug treatments, vaccinations etc have been developed and continue to be developed so that it is no longer as dangererous disease as it was 2 years ago.

I am not suggesting we throw caution to the winds and anyone with an impaired immune system, must indeed prtotect themselves from infection whether COVID, flu or any other such disease. But we need to keep a balance and realise that COVID, while still a threat, is nowhere near being the threat it was two years ago because we have vaccinations that drastically reduce our chances of getting the diease and many drug treatments that can stop the disease being severe and to aod recovery. We must adjust our fear of the disease to be in poportion to the risk it now is.

Candelle, I have multiple comorbidies, including immunsuppression, not just a couple of conditions.
My infusion from start to finish, including waiting to see if I had a reaction, took two hours. I too was anxious, as I have multiple drug allergies. It was painless and no big deal.
I did have horrible side effects, a few days later. Although I felt awful, it was worth it to stay out out of ICU.

Covid certainly hasn't gone away and I am still extremely cautious.
However, I refuse to catastrophise, nor live in fear for the rest of my life. I have had a fair number of close encounters with death, it totally changes your whole perspective.
My family and friends are also cautious, for which I am thankful.
At last, I feel some joy in my life.

I am immunocompromised and didn't see friends throughout the winter, eat in restaurants, travel on public transport etc.

All of the people I speak to say I should stop 'worrying' and treat life as normal. I don't worry! I feel it's fine for them (and I don't tell them what to do!) but if I caught Covid I'd have to have an infusion in hospital and with several health problems, there's no predicting how I would cope. Surely, it's prudent, for example, to wear a mask when around others and overall be sensible.

I have had four vaccinations and the likelihood is that I would be fine but I would rather not take a risk. Everyone is at liberty to make their own mind up as to their path through Covid.

I think the general public has forgotten that Covid is a killer, that some end up with Long Covid and crawl around for months.

You take your way and I'll take mine - hopefully this will burn out... soon....

I too have more or less gone back to 'normal'. I've been jabbed but not yet had the extra booster that older people are getting. I tend to keep a short distance from people in shops and the library. We are distanced in my exercise classes but only one person wears a mask now.

I've more or less gone back to normal. I still carry a mask with me but only wear it if I think people are getting too close, such as in a queue.
Both DH and I fully jabbed, with DH having had his 4th jab. We are 69 and 75 but both with health issues.
So far we've avoided it, and as the numbers appear to be going down, we hope (fingers crossed) to avoid it altogether.

I don't think the OP is being too cautious at all.

I think that most people are being a bit too blase (I wish someone could let me into the secret of doing accents..) about a disease that isn't stopped by vaccination and can be caught more than once, has the potential to mutate into a more lethal variant (there's a new 'variant of concern' just off the blocks already), can damage internal organs, cause long term damage which can be life changing, which is still occupying a significant part of our overstretched health services and which is causing economic disruption because so many people are ill with it (more flights cancelled yesterday I note).

I'm being cautious, too.

Self-catering. I hate auto-correct.

Time with the grandchildren was one of the risks we decided was worth it. I would not lightly have given that up for anyone, to be honest.

Could you rent a small sale-catering place near to them and combine seeing them with a bit of a break, to give you some time and space to think about next steps?

That's all very interesting to hear, thank you.
I'm quite happy with the quiet life, normally, but I miss the small amount of social contact I used to have.
I also haven't seen my grandchildren in all this time. They don't live near me.