Pandemic personal consequences

[Elpenor]

I think all you can reasonably do is look after yourself, take precautions with masks and tests, and keep environments ventilated.

in the absence of rules, it’s about doing what your conscience is comfortable with

 

[HoratioCuthbert]

Cheers Still wearing a mask in indoor spaces here anyway, although it's not required any more. I'd seen the travel one already and it basically just says yes I'm allowed to travel from England to Scotland - it's more whether it's the sensible / "right" thing to do iyswim.

It's totally fine but if you are going to place that is rural AF I would try your best to avoid being in public indoor places where you are unmasked for huge lengths of time. Rural places are low risk meaning it does make a positive difference- but also NHS services can be scarce which is why making even a small positive difference can be important. Some still freak out about tourists round these parts but of course others welcome the income. As long as you being sensible there's no reason why not!

 

[iona]

It's totally fine but if you are going to place that is rural AF I would try your best to avoid being in public indoor places where you are unmasked for huge lengths of time. Rural places are low risk meaning it does make a positive difference- but also NHS services can be scarce which is why making even a small positive difference can be important. Some still freak out about tourists round these parts but of course others welcome the income. As long as you being sensible there's no reason why not!

If I do go I'll be in Glasgow so not especially rural

 

[HoratioCuthbert]

If I do go I'll be in Glasgow so not especially rural

Enjoy yourself when you get there! We are planning to go down there to see King Creosote in 2022, can't wait

 

[iona]

Actually the whole rural/urban thing being a mindfuck in general has been a pandemic personal consequence for me. I live in central Brighton - soon as I step out the front door there's people everywhere getting in my personal space, and signs up all the the place and a massive vaccination centre five minutes down the road. Had a few medical appointments in London recently and the tube was so packed you couldn't get on, mix of mask-wearers and people coughing in your face. Most days I work out in the countryside though, it's not proper back-of-beyond the way parts of Scotland are but my Monday commute is just a load of empty fields and I often don't see more than one person for maybe ten minutes all day. Even now, I still sometimes forget that covid is a thing until I'm heading back home and I see other people with masks on or I go to say hi to someone and they back away in horror.

 

[Maggot]

A couple I know who live in Rome were due to visit next week. Because they have been jabbed, they're allowed to visit without quarantine. But as they were jabbed abroad, it's not recognised in this country, and if they're pinged they still have to isolate for 10 days. As you don't have to provide a negative test before coming here, apparently lots of people are arriving and then testing positive which means people on the same flight are getting pinged and having to quarantine. They have decided to cancel the trip as the risk is too great. Am really pissed off as I was haven't seen them for 2 years and was really looking forward to it. These rules suck.

 

[hegley]

If I do go I'll be in Glasgow so not especially rural

bear in mind COP26 is on the first two weeks of November - everyone up here already fretting about the travel chaos.

 

[High Voltage]

A big personal consequence for me, having had 6+months of furlough has been to highlight exactly how much I hate working

So much so

That December 3rd will be may last day of work (hopefully) - I'm taking early retirement (along with the Saintly Mrs Voltz who will also be retiring early)

I am counting down the days . . . and there ain't that many thank goodness

 

[two sheds]

Neighbour resisted it for years but is absolutely loving it. Good luck

 

[Looby]

I’ve got the fear this week. Team day Friday with colleagues in my car, whole team in a hot room all day.

Then party Saturday night with lots of drinking, dancing and hugging.

It’s the biggest risk I’ve taken since the beginning and it felt too much afterwards.
I’ve had a cough since but I suspect that’s because I smoked on Saturday.
I’ve had negative LFTs and a PCR this week but there seems to be an issue in the south west with testing so not sure whether to trust that.

Urgh.

 

[elbows]

The testing issue that was in the news wont apply to tests done thing week as they removed the lab that was causing the problem.

 

[Looby]

The testing issue that was in the news wont apply to tests done thing week as they removed the lab that was causing the problem.

That’s good to know, thanks.

 

[scalyboy]

Personal consequences: I consider I’ve been very fortunate with the pandemic, given what’s happened to others - a couple of neighbours’ parents deaths, a colleague with long Covid, people furloughed, made redundant…

The biggest impacts on me have been (1) WFH which seemed to induce quite severe depression (seems to be lifting now touch wood, maybe cos GP prescribed an SNRI and/or cos I’ve partially returned to the office).

And (2) huge backlog in the availability of getting a date for a driving test; failed in June and the earliest available next date was end of November.

So I consider I’ve been very minimally affected by Covid. The depression was pretty bad tbh but that may have happened anyway.

I think the most profound effect or change the ‘demic has had on me is that I’ve been reluctantly forced to conclude that a large section of the population (or at least those of London) are either selfish or stupid. It’s still mandatory to wear masks on Tubes and buses in London - but only around 50% of people do (buses are worse, and it depends what time of day).

It’s no longer being enforced (it hardly ever was anyway) so the conclusion I’ve come to is a huge amount of people don’t give a fuck about their fellow Londoners and will only comply if they think there’s a chance of getting caught.

Then there’s the signs on shop windows saying please no more than 4 people at a time and please wear masks. Again I’d say around 50% ignore this.

As well as the government’s abysmal handling of the pandemic, I reckon people’s selfishness is a contributory factor towards this country now having one of the highest infection rates.

And yet you can bet these people who can’t be arsed to wear a bit of cloth over their face for 10 minutes will be the first to complain if more restrictions are introduced, with the more lunatic amongst them wittering on about tyranny.

I hate thinking this way about my fellow Londoners, yet the evidence is out there every day - many people are quite selfish.They’re not being asked to go without food for a week, just wear a mask.

Did Thatcher partially achieve her ‘no such thing as society’ dystopia?

 

[Aladdin]

March 2020 to now...been cocooned with parents and sister.

I dont see this changing any time soon.
20 months of not leaving the house except for medical appointments and two trips to the seaside when covid numbers were very low...

Now the country has opened up. Cases are increasing exponentially.
250 ICU beds in the entire country and 90 occupied by covid Patients.

Its more dangerous than ever for my cocooned family. And all the government can do is debate about fucking nightclubs and whether people in them can dance closer than the social distance without masks.

Sorry but what the fuck is wrong with people? We are heading for absolute disaster in hospitals here...and people are whinging about fucking night clubbing?

 

[scalyboy]

Totally agree.

If I sounded more rant-y than usual, it’s because I was feeling mildly unwell when I went to bed last night, and have just woken up and done a lateral flow test, with a positive result.

I won’t know for sure until I do a PCR test which I’ve ordered.

But I have been very careful over the last 20 months, disinfecting post and shopping, frequently washing my hands, sanitiser with me wherever I go etc - as I’m in a vulnerable group.

So the odds are I’ve been infected by someone coughing on the tube or bus. Which is annoying …

 

[scalyboy]

Sugar Kane I’m sorry you’ve had to be cocooned indoors for so long, that’s bloody awful. At least I’ve been able to go out once the 2020 shielding period finished. Do you have support from friends / neighbours who get food and medicine for you all?

 

[Aladdin]

Sugar Kane I’m sorry you’ve had to be cocooned indoors for so long, that’s bloody awful. At least I’ve been able to go out once the 2020 shielding period finished. Do you have support from friends / neighbours who get food / medicine for you?

I order food deliveries online...and the pharmacist delivers meds to me.

We are ok. Its just when I look back and see how long this has been going on for that I get a bit down.
Usually I just get on with it here. Working from home helps keep me sane...lol...and that is saying something..considering how work has caused me so much hassle in the past. Working from homes has been very different to working on site.
I keep as busy as possible.
And there is a lot to do with the octogenarians and taking care of my sister.

I am just afraid of getting really very depressed. Managed to pull myself out of a black hole recently..just about.

Thanks for your concern.

 

[Aladdin]

Totally agree.

If I sounded more rant-y than usual, it’s because I was feeling mildly unwell when I went to bed last night, and have just woken up and done a lateral flow test, with a positive result.

I won’t know for sure until I do a PCR test which I’ve ordered.

But I have been very careful over the last 18 months, disinfecting post and shopping, frequently washing my hands, sanitiser with me wherever I go etc - as I’m in a vulnerable group.

So the odds are I’ve been infected by someone coughing on the tube or bus. Which is annoying …

Hoping you'll be ok and kick covids ass..

 

[scalyboy]

Hoping you'll be ok and kick covids ass..

Thank you! Luckily I had the 3rd booster jab 10 days ago, so hopefully that will do its thing in minimising the effects. Have you had the booster yet? Are you able to have the vaccine?

 

[Aladdin]

Thank you! Luckily I had the 3rd booster jab 10 days ago, so hopefully that will do its thing in minimising the effects. Have you had the booster yet? Are you able to have the vaccine?

I'm still waiting for mine and hearing about people getting called for it who have told me they dont know why theyre being called...

Its crazy.

 

[rubbershoes]

The testing issue that was in the news wont apply to tests done thing week as they removed the lab that was causing the problem.

I had a text from test and trace about a PCR I'd done in September. There may be an issue with the result but as it's more then ten days ago I don't need to do anything.

What it doesn't say is whether the original (negative) result was wrong. I'm guessing that either they can't retest the sample, or that they choose not to. But it would be better if they said which.

 

[scalyboy]

I'm still waiting for mine and hearing about people getting called for it who have told me they dont know why theyre being called...

Its crazy.

It is crazy. How come I get offered it almost 6 months to the day after my second jab (not that I'm complaining, you understand), but you - who've had to cocoon for 20 months - are still waiting? Madness

 

[Aladdin]

It is crazy. How come I get offered it almost 6 months to the day after my second jab (not that I'm complaining, you understand), but you - who've had to cocoon for 20 months - are still waiting? Madness

I got on to the gp again and also the GI nurses.
The nurses in the hospital that's 100km away say my name is definitely on a spread sheet.
That's helpful...and I just got an email from the gp to say she has put my name forward to the local vacc centre.

Some bit of progress.

I'm not holding my breath...

 

[ddraig]

A mate has just got covid, from an event on the weekend they tried to get me to go to
They haven't been jabbed which i'd feared their excuse is that the person they caught off was double jabbed (so it makes no difference) ffs

 

[scalyboy]

I got on to the gp again and also the GI nurses.
The nurses in the hospital that's 100km away say my name is definitely on a spread sheet.
That's helpful...and I just got an email from the gp to say she has put my name forward to the local vacc centre.

Some bit of progress.

I'm not holding my breath...

FFS, it really shouldn't be difficult for them.

This might sound odd, but if it doesn't get sorted in the next week or two, would you consider getting your local MP involved?
I'd never vote for my one in a thousand years, but in the past she's proved very helpful in getting my abysmal housing association to stop ignoring repair requests and erroneous service charges, they seem to be genuinely scared of her.

 

[Sue]

FFS, it really shouldn't be difficult for them.

This might sound odd, but if it doesn't get sorted in the next week or two, would you consider getting your local MP involved?
I'd never vote for my one in a thousand years, but in the past she's proved very helpful in getting my abysmal housing association to stop ignoring repair requests and erroneous service charges, they seem to be genuinely scared of her.

Sugar Kane's in Ireland so assume the whole roll out etc is being handled differently there. I mean in England, it varies a lot according to where you are and it's different again in Scotland and Wales and NI and is no doubt different again according to where you live in each of those countries.

 

[cupid_stunt]

FFS, it really shouldn't be difficult for them.

This might sound odd, but if it doesn't get sorted in the next week or two, would you consider getting your local MP involved?
I'd never vote for my one in a thousand years, but in the past she's proved very helpful in getting my abysmal housing association to stop ignoring repair requests and erroneous service charges, they seem to be genuinely scared of her.

Sugar Kane lives in Ireland, so it would be her local TD, but certainly something to consider, although hopefully now she has a referral to a local vac centre, it will be resolved soon.

 

[Aladdin]

FFS, it really shouldn't be difficult for them.

This might sound odd, but if it doesn't get sorted in the next week or two, would you consider getting your local MP involved?
I'd never vote for my one in a thousand years, but in the past she's proved very helpful in getting my abysmal housing association to stop ignoring repair requests and erroneous service charges, they seem to be genuinely scared of her.

Sugar Kane's in Ireland so assume the whole roll out etc is being handled differently there. I mean in England, it varies a lot according to where you are and it's different again in Scotland and Wales and NI and is no doubt different again according to where you live in each of those countries.

Sugar Kane lives in Ireland, so it would be her local TD, but certainly something to consider, although hopefully now she has a referral to a local vac centre, it will be resolved soon.

Yes..its a bit different.
Hospitals create the extra vaccine list and even though I am half a mile from a hospital, my records are in another hospital 100km away.

The gp has passed my name on to a vacc centre today so hopefully that will move things forward...
I was chatting with a colleague who is 66 yrs and was called for 3rd jab and has no idea why...she went and took it anyway.

I hope its sorted in the next week..

 

[cupid_stunt]

Finally I got around to calling the GP over my covid induced depression, most impressed with the service, number 3 in the queue on the phone, answered in under 5 minutes, explained why I was calling, told I would get a call-back 'soon'.

Under an hour later, I am talking to their specialist mental health nurse for about 15 minutes, prescription issued for SSRI anti-depressants direct to my chosen pharmacy, which I'll pick-up in the morning.

Given the option of a referral for counselling to the local NHS service, waiting list about 6 months, or the GP's in house counsellor, waiting list 3 weeks - well, that was a no brainer, wasn't it?

Having finally reached out, I am feeling so much brighter already.

I've been trying to dig myself out of this hole for months, I can't believe I've left it so bloody long, what a twat.

 

[existentialist]

Finally I got around to calling the GP over my covid induced depression, most impressed with the service, number 3 in the queue on the phone, answered in under 5 minutes, explained why I was calling, told I would get a call-back 'soon'.

Under an hour later, I am talking to their specialist mental health nurse for about 15 minutes, prescription issued for SSRI anti-depressants direct to my chosen pharmacy, which I'll pick-up in the morning.

Given the option of a referral for counselling to the local NHS service, waiting list about 6 months, or the GP's in house counsellor, waiting list 3 weeks - well, that was a no brainer, wasn't it?

Having finally reached out, I am feeling so much brighter already.

I've been trying to dig myself out of this hole for months, I can't believe I've left it so bloody long, what a twat.

3 weeks isn't a bad turnaround at all. I have quite a lot of my team (including me) on short hours, mainly due to burnout - even counsellors aren't immune to Covid blues.