To what extent are you still taking C19 precautions and has your lifestyle been permanently changed by the pandemic (April 2023)?

[tim]

I recently bought a box of facemasks as public transport has got more crowded and the level of coughing and sneezing sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable. I also fling windows open more and avoid, if possible, sitting next to people on the bus and DLR. Aside from that, I'm teaching classes (EFL) that are back to the size they were in the "before times" and I never work from home. However, for a lot of people, particularly office workers, who I know work patterns seem to have changed permanently. This is a boon for most but has drawbacks for some. I couldn't stand spending my working week at home jumping from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting.

I also know some for whom life seems, for health reasons, life seems unlikely to return to normal soon. This includes a very young relative who has virtually stopped attending school. The terrible effects of the pandemic on those who spent critical childhood years in isolation probably need a separate thread.

Anyway, three years on, how are your lives and the lives of those you love?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I no longer take any covid precautions at all, and haven't for a while.

 

[muscovyduck]

Oh this is complicated. I made a lot of lifestyle changes. Job changes, living situation, that sort of thing. So I can't really say I'm taking more precautions but I can't really relate to life before.

I do continue to avoid businesses and people who showed themselves up at the time. I have kept up the habit of washing my hands as soon as I walk in the front door of my home or at work. I won't hang around somewhere people are coughing/sneezing/doing something gross the same way I used to. I ventilate my house when I have visitors and eventually bought one of those air purifiers to see me through having visitors this winter. And to be fair yes I do avoid super busy public spaces, packed trains, that sort of thing

 

[iona]

I have half a box of masks left that recently I've only worn on demos, and I still use the plastic tray thing from lateral flow tests to skin up on. That's about it tbh.

 

[tim]

Yes, handwashing has become a more complex ritual, although Idon't time it by singing God Save the King whilst doing it. I've also only had one cold in the past three years, which is probably the resulyt of being even more stand-offish than I was before.

 

[oryx]

I still wear a mask on public transport unless it's a virtually empty train or bus or tube.

Still wash hands a lot, more than I did pre-pandemic.

Going to the cinema on Good Friday, for the first time since January 2020.

Other than that, life pretty much back to normal.

ETA iona's post has just reminded me that I still test if I have any possible symptoms.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yes, handwashing has become a more complex ritual, although Idon't time it by singing God Save the King whilst doing it. I've also only had one cold in the past three years, which is probably the resulyt of being even more stand-offish than I was before.

Flu (which I never get) plus three colds in the last six months (no covid - had that before). I think I've more than caught up on the two years without even a sniffle.

 

[muscovyduck]

One lasting effect I noticed on me and a lot of other people around me is that we are more aggressively exercising our ability to simply disengage and walk away from stuff. Like moving away from someone coughing even though its rude or ignoring pressure to go back into the office. I think it got trained into us around Feb/March 2020 that you have to be brave and draw a line because no one else is going to do it for you, and we learned the various strategies on how to enforce that

 

[iona]

I've only had a cough (or any type of cold/flu thing) once since covid started and I got tested then because I was on a vaccine trial. Not sure I'd bother testing now unless it was required for something but I'd avoid stuff like going to the gym while I was ill, though I already did before tbf. Staying off work isn't really a thing working outdoors and mostly alone - even at the height of covid I did a couple of big planting jobs that we couldn't afford to reschedule and someone who'd tested positive just came in their own van and stayed downwind on the other side of the site (after checking first with everyone else who'd be there).

 

[krtek a houby]

Still wearing my masks when out. We wore masks at work and all the customers did, too. Sadly, it never really picked up again and we finished up for good this week. Gutted.

 

[xenon]

I am less tolerant of noisy shouty environments. Although maybe this was on the cards anyway. I wasn’t that keen on them before. Also I use hand sanitiser a lot more. I mean I used to use it a fair bit but since buying large containers of alcohol-based hand sanitiser, for refills, I am profligate.
Very glad to dispense with masks.

 

[petee]

i always carry a mask and wear it in close quarters. i just flew there and back from ireland and i was not at all the only one on the plane wearing one.

 

[8ball]

I wear a mask when in clinical areas at the hospital. I also avoid crowded public transport and have had the advised jabs.

Outside of the hospital I rarely see people wearing masks.

The lockdowns and consequences of them have had a greatly more deleterious effect on my health than the virus itself, which I have so far avoided.

A lot of things are shitter than they were pre-Covid.

 

[krtek a houby]

i always carry a mask and wear it in close quarters. i just flew there and back from ireland and i was not at all the only one on the plane wearing one.

Was amazed to see most people maskless in Dublin last summer! But in fairness, nobody gave us grief for being masked.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I was able to start a job working (mostly) remotely just over a year ago - office is about 70 miles away and i'd probably not have gone for it if moving house in a hurry had been necessary. current job was something i went for in a bit of a hurry to get out of something i'd only been at a short time and was showing signs of being an impending disaster.

But feels faintly weird now that I don't really have 'an office' any more and probably won't have again.

I don't do the mask thing very often now (a few acquaintances have had some hassle from twats for wearing masks in public) - as far as the tests show i've not had covid yet (might have had it once very early on, and / or might have had it in autumn 2021 but my LFT test went to the lab that was giving dodgy negative results), but i've had a few lowish level bugs this winter. i still do test before going and visiting mum-tat (she's mid 80s and not in the greatest of health)

 

[petee]

Was amazed to see most people maskless in Dublin last summer! But in fairness, nobody gave us grief for being masked.

that's good, i was a smidge worried that someone on the plane might start in, and being the way i am i would have made an issue out of it. but not a peep or a sideways look even. e2a none of the air stewards or ground crew were masked.

 

[krtek a houby]

that's good, i was a smidge worried that someone on the plane might start in, and being the way i am i would have made an issue out of it. but not a peep or a sideways look even.

Plane over nearly everyone apart from the Japanese were maskless. Found it very uncomfortable.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

One lasting effect I noticed on me and a lot of other people around me is that we are more aggressively exercising our ability to simply disengage and walk away from stuff. Like moving away from someone coughing even though its rude or ignoring pressure to go back into the office. I think it got trained into us around Feb/March 2020 that you have to be brave and draw a line because no one else is going to do it for you, and we learned the various strategies on how to enforce that

I walked out of a gig last night because of a fucking idiot coughing irresponsibly. In between the support act and the main act people were just standing around, the small venue (I'm not very good at guessing these things, but maybe 500-1,000 capacity?) wasn't tooooooo crowded, also we were in the back half, which had people a bit spread out, busy but not jam-packed. But a tall guy in front of me turned his head back over his shoulder towards me and coughed. I mean, he clearly had something going on in his head that told him not to cough violently on the people to either side of him, so he coughed behind him, towards me. Grrrrr! So I'm hoping I don't catch it again.

I'd avoided catching Covid-19 all through the pandemic until about last November, when I was in a minicab on my way to a friend's (non-Covid-19-related) funeral and the driver was coughing, and I caught it then, from him - I live alone and hadn't come into close contact with anyone else with it. Can't remember exactly, think I'd forgotten to grab a mask, I usually have them in my bag/coat pockets.

I usually wear a mask on buses, trains, etc., because you're often sitting right next to someone. Don't usually wear them indoors now in eg restaurants, shops, bars or cinemas, etc., because I'm standing or sitting further apart from random strangers.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Yes, handwashing has become a more complex ritual, although Idon't time it by singing God Save the King whilst doing it. I've also only had one cold in the past three years, which is probably the resulyt of being even more stand-offish than I was before.

Oh, yeah, still wash my hands properly with hand wash. I also still carry out little bottles of antibacterial hand gel and use it a lot, like OCD-levels a lot.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I wear a mask when in clinical areas at the hospital. I also avoid crowded public transport and have had the advised jabs.

Outside of the hospital I rarely see people wearing masks.

The lockdowns and consequences of them have had a greatly more deleterious effect on my health than the virus itself, which I have so far avoided.

A lot of things are shitter than they were pre-Covid.

I was in hospital overnight recently after having a procedure under GA, and I was surprised that generally speaking the staff were no longer wearing masks. I mean, they were when I went down to theatre, but on admission to the ward, and back in the ward afterwards, nope.

 

[8ball]

I was in hospital overnight recently after having a procedure under GA, and I was surprised that generally speaking the staff were no longer wearing masks. I mean, they were when I went down to theatre, but on admission to the ward, and back in the ward afterwards, nope.

I had one recently too. The staff weren’t wearing masks either (except in OT, obv, as with you).

I think I had to wear the mask on admission until the LFT came through.

 

[krtek a houby]

Our local hospital, not only mandatory for all, but the type of mask you wear. We have to don the disposable masks when attending.

 

[8ball]

Our local hospital, not only mandatory for all, but the type of mask you wear. We have to don the disposable masks when attending.

It’s a bit odd that it varies from place to place (assuming you’re in the UK).

 

[Spymaster]

I've only ever done the minimum required, and by that I don't mean 'required by law', but required by people around me.

I still have a couple of face masks in my bag somewhere, just incase someone gets silly on the tube, but I'd have to root around to find them. I travel to Kenya, once a month and they still have bonkers covid rules there.

Workwise, Covid has been a revelation. We closed 2 of our offices (no redundancies; everyone went to WFH), saving around 6 grand a month, and after a diabolically shit 2021 (although supported by Govt subsidies), last year had the most productive season since 2005.

I've loved WFH with Mrs Spy for 2 years. Hearing her doing her stuff has made me, by osmosis, a better person, and realise just how fucking awesome she is at her job. She kicks serious arse, and for over 20 years I had no idea how good she is.

In return, I’ve taught her how to bag dog-shit without gagging, and she and the hound, who had a questionable relationship previously, have become inseperable.

Onwards and upwards!

 

[krtek a houby]

It’s a bit odd that it varies from place to place (assuming you’re in the UK).

Japan. And even though the government here has relaxed the restrictions, most folks still be wearing the masks. Apart from some elderly geezers and some fellow foreigners.

 

[maomao]

I haven't worn a mask for quite a long time. Covid changed my job permanently (as in redundancy and career change) but apart from that things are normal. I even only took one day off work when I had covid (though add on strike day and weekend and I was symptomless when I went back).

 

[cupid_stunt]

I can't even remember when everything returned to normal for me, I think it was around this time last year, the only exception was the requirement to wear masks in both Worthing hospital and the community hospital, two different trusts, where mother spent 5-6months over the winter period. That was mandatory for all staff & visitors, but not patients.

She was transferred to a care home about 4 weeks ago, and no staff, residents nor visitors wear them.

 

[rubbershoes]

Wfh all the time and I test myself if I get symptoms, but nothing else.

I haven't been on any crowded public transport since 2020 so don't know how I'd dealt with that

 

[ElizabethofYork]

I haven't worn a mask for ages. I don't use public transport and don't even think about mask wearing when out and about any more.

My job is now permanently hybrid - 3 days from home and 2 in the office, which i love. Makes life much easier and gives me much more flexibility. I think Zoom and Teams will continue to be used for work meetings in future. Much less travelling and expense.

 

[Steel Icarus]

Having been very anxious about Covid I'm not really any more. It's hard to know if my almost-total withdrawal from anything social is down to separate MH stuff, although of course everything is intertwined.

I've just stopped giving a fuck whether I get it, with the caveat I carry sanitizer everywhere and a mask in case. I moved office at work for three days when a colleague came in poorly with it. Was in an auditorium Friday night in an audience of 1200 plus loads of dancers and I didn't even take a mask.

I know I still expect people to follow the old guidelines to test and isolate if necessary out of a sort of moral obligation not to make others ill but while a few I guess will - I will if I get it again - most people don't now.