Chelsea Flower show and Covid

That’s what I thought.

I met with 3 friends for coffee today. We hugged, we sat round the table for a couple of hours. We never spoke or thought about Covid.

It is with us, we have to live with it, we cannot continually be fearful.

We do understand that for those who are immuno-compromised or vulnerable, that Covid is very scary and it must be yet another major issue you have to deal with. But the rest of the country must get back to normal working/living etc at some point.

There may yet be another strain of the virus appearing and causing problems, but we will have to deal with that as it happens.

wildswan16

I met with 3 friends for coffee today. We hugged, we sat round the table for a couple of hours. We never spoke or thought about Covid.

It is with us, we have to live with it, we cannot continually be fearful.

We do understand that for those who are immuno-compromised or vulnerable, that Covid is very scary and it must be yet another major issue you have to deal with. But the rest of the country must get back to normal working/living etc at some point.

There may yet be another strain of the virus appearing and causing problems, but we will have to deal with that as it happens.

Well, yes but I'm sure that you didn't make a point of going to each table and hug a random person.

I have never been one for hugging random people before Covid so not likely to start now.
Life is now returning to normal for most I have been doing normal activities now for the last year and I don’t avoid any social gatherings as being reasonably fit and healthy I don’t feel the need. I only know one person who is still avoiding social contact.

Three weeks ago DH and I were in the security queues at a nearby airport. There were 2 lines one for being for fast track. I did feel slightly uncomfortable and commented to DH. It seems crazy to be huddled together in a narrow corridor when not that longer ago it would have been the last thing we would have done. Madness.

Hugging aside, I’ve been to Chelsea on a wet, chilly day so of course the marquees were absolutely heaving, not to mention warm and steamy.

We’ve both had it mildly and I don’t really think about COVID any more, but if there happened to be any about, I should think Chelsea on a wet day - like one or two recently in the area - would be a good way for it to spread.

We don't have to hug people. I'm not sure where that came from. I find it very uncomfortable, especially these days.

I'm still wearing masks in shops but probably in the minority. Stopped wearing them to collect DGC from school/nursery as outside in playground for school and nursery minimising amount of adults through keeping different pick up times for children. Still testing if I'm meeting people. Both DDs still testing for work and DD2 still has to wear mask at work NHS.

I am and have always been a hugger I missed hugs with friends and family so much during lockdowns.

So pleased to be able to return and give hugs once more ❤️

I spoke to my ex last week and he said everyone he knew was just living normally again but he also said that people do still give people more space so I think it’s important that we do adapt to a new normal and hugging and kissing are a no no.

Personal choice MayBee70 we only have to act in a way that we feel comfortable with.

But the rest of the country must get back to normal working/living etc at some point.

.... and continuing to spread it around. Let's hope no new variant pops up.

Covid in various strains has been around for decades but not brought to the attention of the public until 2020. Flu been around for hundreds of years we deal with it annually. We all need to live our own lives as we see fit and enjoy life as much as is possible and Chelsea is certainly enjoyable and gorgeous. No-one can live in a bubble of 'what if' all the time. We all die sometime, that's evolution.

We cannot continually live as if we are in the midst of Covid but have to accept I think that there might be another strain and we will have into reintroduce strict measures. In the meantime it seems a pity that having all but lost two years by being very careful we can’t just get on with life, doing the things we have missed. If some people are not comfortable with this then they can restrict their lives but that seems a waste of life unless you are medically vulnerable.

Sparklefizz

^But the rest of the country must get back to normal working/living etc at some point.^

.... and continuing to spread it around. Let's hope no new variant pops up.

A new variant may pop up or then again it may not
Hospitalisation and death numbers continue to fall
Thankfully the country is now getting back to normal living

Agree GrannyGravy13! Look at the figures for COVID - dropping like a stone! It has become a super-infectious, but mild or symptomless cold, just like the other coronavirus infections which are endemic. This was always going to be the fate of COVID: to become endemic. Mutant strains can only compete against circulating ones if they are more infectious; to be more infectious the virus cannot make you very ill, or you will take to your bed and not mix with others. That is a dead end for a respiratory virus. Those who are immune-compromised e.g. having chemo will want to avoid it, but everyone else can be confident they are very unlikely to be very ill. Our immune systems are like orchestras with many different instruments, and they need to practise to be proficient, so get out there and give them a chance to do their thing! We deal with hundreds of thousands of potential pathogens every day and rarely become ill. However. as GG said - it's personal choice: if you have health anxiety you will stay in - don't condemn everyone else.

People seem to think that "living with the virus" means going back to living the way we did before the virus. It doesn't. We should still take precautions and wear masks in some situations e.g. large crowds in confined spaces. But sadly most people don't realise this which means the rest of us have to avoid those situations.

Since I no longer have to be extra careful since DH died I am slowly accepting life going back to normal and not wearing a mask. I have though become aware of lots of friends who have contracted Covid in the past month even though fully vaccinated. One 71 year old with no health issues is really ill with it.

Airports are the covid spreaders just back from majorca we travelled from Manchester airport they tell you to be there 3 hours before your checkin no problems at security when we got to the departure lounges it was a nightmare nowhere to sit queues everywhere and the tally is constantly saying keep your distance etc it was impossible needless to say we both caught covid

Surely cases appear to be dropping because people aren't testing?

I'm like Kate and never liked hugs, except for close family and thought one good thing about covid was seeing the end of unwanted hugs.
Now they're back - worse than before - how do you avoid them? I've tried holding my hands out and even saying "I'm not a hugger" but I'm a small person and often get forcibly crushed into an ever bigger hug.
Its an invasion of my space! and I hate it!

I know of people , similarly, 4All we know

ExDancer

I'm like Kate and never liked hugs, except for close family and thought one good thing about covid was seeing the end of unwanted hugs.
Now they're back - worse than before - how do you avoid them? I've tried holding my hands out and even saying "I'm not a hugger" but I'm a small person and often get forcibly crushed into an ever bigger hug.
Its an invasion of my space! and I hate it!

I've tried holding my hands out and even saying "I'm not a hugger" but I'm a small person and often get forcibly crushed into an ever bigger hug.
Its an invasion of my space! and I hate it!

ExDancer, it strikes me that it isn't just an invasion of your space but tantamount to an assault if you don't like it and you have said no. Surely, no means no. I am afraid I would not be accepting of that. I am not a natural hugger but I tolerate it but you soon get the sense of who hugs and who doesn't. I have a group of friends where 2 of them just don't like it and we all respect that without having to say anything.

Daisymae were people at the flower show "hugging random people"? I've never been a hugger, other than close family, although I'm slightly less uncomfortable hugging people I do know, these days, e.g. my son-in-law's parents. Surely no one goes round hugging random people unless they're a bit weird? I'm pretty sure GG13 wouldn't dream of it!