Chelsea Flower show and Covid

I agree. In the uk we didn’t used to do hugs or air kissing when meeting up, it was generally a European thing. The upside of Covid is no hugging which I liked unless it was immediate family.

My hubby is vulnerable following a kidney transplant last May, but having both had Covid (me twice!) despite fully isolating and taking precautions for 2 years and having all the vaccinations available, we have decided that as he has been given a new lease of life, we will not waste it hiding away from our friends and families and being constantly careful. The stress of that was not doing us any good. We have therefore decided that we will abandon our masks and go on holiday and take our chances. We will still be a bit careful in crowded situations, obviously but we will no longer let it rule what remains of our lives.

People aren't living with Covid they are pretending it doesn't exist Well it does and it is still a threat to the vulnerable

I had Omicron a few weeks ago and it certainly was not 'mild' - a very unpleasant bout but at least I've now got T cells. It's clear oldies are going to need a booster in the autumn. Johnson would like us all to carry on as though it didn't exist but I think some caution is wise.

For me, the upside of covid is having an excuse to avoid unwanted hugs. A friend of ours gets very sulky when I reject his hugs - I’d been looking for an excuse for years.

The numbers dropping means nothing at all as people are not getting tested with PCRs as they used to& many are not reporting the LFTs when they have symptoms. The death rates are still high, too many have dropped mitigations too soon and the elderly & medically vulnerable are dying. We really must take covid seriously.

Over a million have long covid, the BoE has noted there are many out of the work force through illness. There are high rates of heart damage in women showing up months after often a mild infection & the hepatitis in children is likely linked to reinfections with covid. Liver biopsies have shown it.

I have Long Covid and I would be horrified if someone hugged me, although previously I loved hugs. No one knows if they are asymptomatic & a hug to someone vunerable can be deadly. An 80 year old friend, living alone who has shielded herself well for over 2 years had family with children turn up at her door this weekend. She was horrified, crying in despair, and glad to see them. There is a lot of selfishness out there.

We know the BA.4 and BA.5 are spreading and probably overtaking BA.2 this weekend. We have no idea how severe they are but we do know it this variant by passes the vaccines. The medically vulnerable have had their 'letters' telling them what to do if they get infected, and of course to warn them omicron is still spreading. It has over 12 symptoms, listed on NHS site. Re infection weakens people and over 119,000 children have long covid, from re infections.

It really is nothing like other virus we know about, it's was never spreading until late 2019. A new coronavirus is still surprising virologists and reseachers. We really should be wearing masks indoors and ensuring adequate ventilation everywhere. The virus is airborne, can remain in a room for four hours.

Plus try and make sure our children are safe from infection. There's no such thing as 'herd immunity' with covid19. So many are very poorly with long covid and other organ damage to start being relaxed, as until people learn to 'live with masks and testing' which is 'living with covid' we will have this increasing numbers of sick people leaving our economy.

I met with a couple of friends that I haven’t seen since pre covid. We hugged and had a meal together. Next day both she and her husband tested positive for covid. I was scared however I did not get it. My hugging days are over though too risky

Hugging strangers, def no. My friend has just had it, having swerved it up until now, despite having been vaccinated with one booster as well - she was really ill (she was shocked at how ill she felt) so definitely one to avoid…. you may not get it “mildly”!

My son-in-law has Covid for third time. He’s a special needs teacher…. you cannot get these kids he teaches to understand the consequences of masks /hygiene/ non hugging…. they just dont understand. He’s now prepared to be constantly in the firing line for Covid …. of course he’s now passed it on to 15 yr old grandson ( second time ) and only a matter of time before 10 year old granddaughter gets it!! It’s here… we have to learn to live with it…or all curl up in foetal position and forget how to live right! Your choice!

My daughter and her partner, mid-thirties, caught Covid a month ago. She was taken aback by just how poorly they were, her in particular, and she’s still having little re-lapses of symptoms if she over-does any physical activity. They are both fully vaccinated, thank goodness. She needs to talk a lot in her job, and still struggles with a very sore throat at times. A long walk last week made her feel wiped out. Take care, folks!

skunkhair63

My daughter and her partner, mid-thirties, caught Covid a month ago. She was taken aback by just how poorly they were, her in particular, and she’s still having little re-lapses of symptoms if she over-does any physical activity. They are both fully vaccinated, thank goodness. She needs to talk a lot in her job, and still struggles with a very sore throat at times. A long walk last week made her feel wiped out. Take care, folks!

Flu can do that!

Unfortunately, we now have a society of two halves. One can be free, easy and forget Covid - the rest of us, due to our own or close families health, have to mask, and sanitise to avoid getting Covid from the other half!