Pandemic personal consequences

[kabbes]

I’m not seeing what’s inconsistent about this lodger’s views in this regard, even if their anti-vax position itself is questionable.

They now have somebody staying in their house that has come from elsewhere (whether that be Jamaica or York is not really the point). The lodger is not vaccinated and they know that this makes them vulnerable to infection. As such, it makes sense for them to take measures to protect themself.

I think people get mixed up between “anti-vaccine” and “COVID denier”. Somebody might be very well aware of how dangerous COVID is and yet have worries about taking a vaccine that outweigh their worries about COVID. They might be willing to gamble that they can ride out the rest of the coronavirus pandemic by hiding from it and take advantage down the road of everybody else having been vaccinated. It’s selfish and it is a dubious reading of relative risks but it’s not inconsistent.

 

[Ms Ordinary]

Yes, I had a long conversation yesterday with a colleague who hasn't yet had his first jab (has been offered about 4 times!) & he was quite honest about being simply more afraid of the one-in-a-whatever dying from a blood clot, than of catching Covid. (He is a new parent, & afraid of leaving his child fatherless, I don't claim that's a rational assessment of the risks, but that is his actual fear)

But he's also worried that once everyone else has been vaccinated, he'll be more at risk of catching Covid since other people will be more likely to be symptomless carriers. So I think he'll get it eventually.

However, some of the other anti-vaxxers at work are pro-Brexit, Covid-denying, 'don't take my freedom' whiners - if one them wore a mask to meet someone who'd flown in from Jamaica, I'd just put it down to basic racism, which is my prejudiced assumption about Boudicca's lodger.

In all cases, probably the answer is better education in critical thinking & assessment of risk (I include myself in needing that...)

 

[May Kasahara]

I've put on half a stone, that's a direct consequence of working in close proximity to the kitchen cupboards Need to get back in the office more, and away from the crisps.

 

[elbows]

I think people get mixed up between “anti-vaccine” and “COVID denier”. Somebody might be very well aware of how dangerous COVID is and yet have worries about taking a vaccine that outweigh their worries about COVID. They might be willing to gamble that they can ride out the rest of the coronavirus pandemic by hiding from it and take advantage down the road of everybody else having been vaccinated. It’s selfish and it is a dubious reading of relative risks but it’s not inconsistent.

Yes and there are other variations on that theme. For example I can hide from infection to a very high standard, developed a tentative preference for certain vaccine types above others, wanted to wait for more data, wanted to see if the UK government changed the advice about which ages get AZ vaccine, wanted to avoid having to go for a jab whilst suffering from hayfever symptoms, and was somewhat afraid of catching Covid whilst going for vaccination so I wanted to aim to have it at a time of low prevalence of the virus. But I knew my position would be flexible and subject to some whims and counter factors, so in the end the combined result of these factors only resulted in a delay of a few weeks in me trying to book a jab. I didnt even make strong attempts to choose which vaccine I had, eg I didnt reach out to GP etc to try to get my way, I used the same system as everyone else and just got lucky by chance of timing (I couldnt get a local slot on the system for some days and then when I finally managed to get one, it happened to be the same day they started letting under 40s book).

And the context of my fears about catching it at the vaccination centre (or on the journey) was that I've hardly left the house at all during the entire pandemic, so even though the risk was not that high, it was by far the biggest risk I took during the whole pandemic so far. I'll have to make a similar judgement when it comes to my 2nd jab, eg if it coincides with a high rate of infections due to another big wave, I will suffer stress due to an ugly dilemma.

 

[MickiQ]

I've put on half a stone, that's a direct consequence of working in close proximity to the kitchen cupboards Need to get back in the office more, and away from the crisps.

I've lost over a stone during lockdown despite not having been the gym in well over a year. Since I don't go into the office anymore I don't wander past the canteen whilst they're serving breakfast and get dragged in against my will by the smell of bacon.

 

[May Kasahara]

Whereas I just don't think about it (food, snacking, hunger) when I'm at work, really.

 

[Boudicca]

I’m not seeing what’s inconsistent about this lodger’s views in this regard, even if their anti-vax position itself is questionable.

They now have somebody staying in their house that has come from elsewhere (whether that be Jamaica or York is not really the point). The lodger is not vaccinated and they know that this makes them vulnerable to infection. As such, it makes sense for them to take measures to protect themself.

I think people get mixed up between “anti-vaccine” and “COVID denier”. Somebody might be very well aware of how dangerous COVID is and yet have worries about taking a vaccine that outweigh their worries about COVID. They might be willing to gamble that they can ride out the rest of the coronavirus pandemic by hiding from it and take advantage down the road of everybody else having been vaccinated. It’s selfish and it is a dubious reading of relative risks but it’s not inconsistent.

I don't think I said it was inconsistent, it was more about the consequences which she has brought upon herself. I'm also annoyed at the passive aggressive wearing of the mask rather than having a conversation about it, which I tried to have before he arrived. But she is in a difficult position as we are both aware that if we tackle the subject head on, I will tell her what I really think and she will have to leave. She has a job interview today which would require relocation, so here's hoping.

I have always welcomed visitors to my house and I feel she's going to put a real damper on my summer if she is still here.

 

[BoatieBird]

Whereas I just don't think about it (food, snacking, hunger) when I'm at work, really.

Oh, I think about it plenty whether I'm at work or not
But I always took my (healthy) food for the day into work and it was easy to avoid snacking, it's a lot more difficult to avoid at home.
I'm making a concerted effort to get back into the 'snacks/treats only at weekends' mind set atm, and it seems to be working.

 

[kabbes]

I don't think I said it was inconsistent,

Others did, though

 

[Elpenor]

Regretting have a hotel booking for mid July with a 28 day cancellation policy for a mates birthday party. I’d cancel and rebook but to get a 3 day cancellation policy is now in excess of £100 :-(

 

[Boudicca]

I've mentioned that my friend is quarantining at my house. He gave them my number as his UK mobile was not switched on at the time.

They are calling him every day from a call centre in India. Once his mobile was up and running, he asked to switch the number but they said he would have to start the whole quarantine process from scratch if he did that.

I've been home for the first 4 days, but I was out and about yesterday and this morning and didn't catch their calls.

This afternoon I was driving back in my new car having very recently connected the Bluetooth to my mobile. The phone rang, I panicked and then thought 'oh, I can answer it via the display. I pushed the button and the display said 'the caller has been notified that you are driving'

 

[Artaxerxes]

Whereas I just don't think about it (food, snacking, hunger) when I'm at work, really.

I've put on half a stone, that's a direct consequence of working in close proximity to the kitchen cupboards Need to get back in the office more, and away from the crisps.

Depends so much on how busy you get during the day. Even in the office I was a boredom snacker.

 

[andysays]

I've mentioned that my friend is quarantining at my house. He gave them my number as his UK mobile was not switched on at the time.

They are calling him every day from a call centre in India. Once his mobile was up and running, he asked to switch the number but they said he would have to start the whole quarantine process from scratch if he did that.

I've been home for the first 4 days, but I was out and about yesterday and this morning and didn't catch their calls.

This afternoon I was driving back in my new car having very recently connected the Bluetooth to my mobile. The phone rang, I panicked and then thought 'oh, I can answer it via the display. I pushed the button and the display said 'the caller has been notified that you are driving'

If someone is quarantining at your house, does that mean you should be quarantining as well?

 

[prunus]

If someone is quarantining at your house, does that mean you should be quarantining as well?

No, unless you or they start showing symptoms/get a positive test.

 

[pseudonarcissus]

I've mentioned that my friend is quarantining at my house. He gave them my number as his UK mobile was not switched on at the time.

They are calling him every day from a call centre in India. Once his mobile was up and running, he asked to switch the number but they said he would have to start the whole quarantine process from scratch if he did that.

I've been home for the first 4 days, but I was out and about yesterday and this morning and didn't catch their calls.

This afternoon I was driving back in my new car having very recently connected the Bluetooth to my mobile. The phone rang, I panicked and then thought 'oh, I can answer it via the display. I pushed the button and the display said 'the caller has been notified that you are driving'

Boudicca's doorstep when she got home....

 

[BillRiver]

I'll have to make a similar judgement when it comes to my 2nd jab, eg if it coincides with a high rate of infections due to another big wave, I will suffer stress due to an ugly dilemma.

Did you feel at risk of exposure in the vaccination centre itself? Or is your concern more about the journey there? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts re this and your experience of going in for your first jab.

 

[elbows]

Did you feel at risk of exposure in the vaccination centre itself? Or is your concern more about the journey there? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts re this and your experience of going in for your first jab.

Well I didnt feel too highly at risk this time because the level of infection is pretty low and I dont have any journey-related risk. My concern is a broader one that will pop up whenever rates of infection in general are high, so a future concern maybe, maybe not, depends what things are like by then.

The vaccination centre risk was largely down to all the unknowns due to not having seen what the setup was like before and people I know not having used that particular centre.

It was a bit surreal because the place I used is at a cinema. And obviously cinemas were allowed to reopen recently so they've now got this one split, part of it is for the vaccines and other parts are showing films again. Separate entrances though, thankfully.

The initial queuing area and the place of actual vaccination featured a very impressive through-draft when I was there, and the high degree of ventilation helped my sense of risk quite a lot. However before and after the vaccination they directed us to go and sit in some actual cinema screening rooms. People were placed very far apart, and the ceilings were high, but the air felt very still compared to the drafty main area. When sitting in the screen room they were using for post-vaccination 15 mins wait for reactions, noise from one of the other screens where films were being show was audible through the wall! Gazing at an empty screen was also a bit of a weird experience.

 

[BillRiver]

Well I didnt feel too highly at risk this time because the level of infection is pretty low and I dont have any jurney-related risk. My concern is a broader one that will pop up whenever rates of infection in general are high, so a future concern maybe, maybe not, depends what things are like by then.

The vaccination centre risk was largely down to all the unknowns due to not having seen what the setup was like before and people I know not having used that particular centre.

It was a bit surreal because the place I used is at a cinema. And obviously cinemas were allowed to reopen recently so they've not got this one split, part of it is for the vaccines and other parts are showing films again. Separate entrances though, thankfully.

The initial queuing area and the place of actual vaccination featured a very impressive through-draft when I was there, and the high degree of ventilation helped my sense of risk quite a lot. However before and after the vaccination they directed us to go and sit in some actual cinema screening rooms. People were placed very far apart, and the ceilings were high, but the air felt very still compared to the drafty main area. When sitting in the screen room they were using for post-vaccination 15 mins wait for reactions, noise from one of the other screens where films were being show was audible through the wall! Gazing at an empty screen was also a bit of a weird experience.

Wow! That does sound surreal. And really interesting, thanks.

 

[Boudicca]

Boudicca's doorstep when she got home....

View attachment 270257

Yes, I am now expecting that knock on the door, but the weather has been so crap, he hasn't even wanted to leave the house....

 

[andysays]

No, unless you or they start showing symptoms/get a positive test.

Thanks, that makes sense.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Me and Mrs Frank have managed to book vaccines 10 minutes apart for next week

 

[Dogsauce]

They don’t let you sit up the front and ‘drive’ the DLR anymore as the area is cordoned off for staff. It’s like I brought the kids all the way to London for nothing. Fuck COVID.

 

[Elpenor]

They don’t let you sit up the front and ‘drive’ the DLR anymore as the area is cordoned off for staff. It’s like I brought the kids all the way to London for nothing. Fuck COVID.

A candidate for the “worse than Hitler” thread

 

[Johnny Doe]

Me and Mrs Frank have managed to book vaccines 10 minutes apart for next week

I think it's meant to 12 weeks apart mate. Boom-tish!

 

[LDC]

Was in work today (out of hours acute medicine) and we were in the highest crisis level possible with 550 patients waiting for consultations. (Usually it's anywhere from 20-300 or so.) Also heard from a friend in Bristol who works as a paramedic and they were also on crisis level this weekend which made the news. Just don't know how this can continue, it's a slowly collapsing system...

 

[LDC]

Over a glass of red wine in the bath started constructing a 'Pyramid of Crisis' image in my head to explain this.... Rock 'n' roll night time activity.

 

[Edie]

Was in work today (out of hours acute medicine) and we were in the highest crisis level possible with 550 patients waiting for consultations. (Usually it's anywhere from 20-300 or so.) Also heard from a friend in Bristol who works as a paramedic and they were also on crisis level this weekend which made the news. Just don't know how this can continue, it's a slowly collapsing system...

Urgh I know it’s pointless to sympathise cos it’s like every shift, but sorry that sounds grim.

Much of the NHS, especially primary & acute, is not fit for purpose any longer (but also mental health services, and actually also many elective surgical specialties with their years long waiting lists). We’re just kind of pretending it is. I don’t know what will happen. It’s terrifying and people seem oblivious.

 

[klang]

Last night I was dreaming that I was home in mainland Europe and my family met my son for the very first time. Today has been a difficult day for me. It's tough.

 

[zora]

Last night I was dreaming that I was home in mainland Europe and my family met my son for the very first time. Today has been a difficult day for me. It's tough.

It's getting quite tough now, the continued uncertainty over travel, isn't it.
I was quite easily able to do a year and a bit without seeing my folks in person, but now it's getting a bit long...
Can only imagine what it's like for you with your little one. Hugs!

 

[klang]

It's getting quite tough now, the continued uncertainty over travel, isn't it.
I was quite easily able to do a year and a bit without seeing my folks in person, but now it's getting a bit long...
Can only imagine what it's like for you with your little one. Hugs!

Hating that Yoyo-effect. One place sort of ok, whilst the other place doing badly. Then things switch around, rinse and repeat. With politics as they are this is gonna drag on for quite a while.
Would have loved to spend time over there with him....but simply can't afford to quarantine.