Here in the UK, there’s still a lot of noise about Covid-19: booster vaccinations, testing, winter surge, the spectre of another Lockdown, the potential to cancel Christmas for a second year, masking-up and on and on.
While no longer the headline news, it’s there, affecting life as we used to know it and it’s making me anxious.
The Brainy One and I have both received our booster jab, but there is still no requirement for The Boy to receive a second dose. I’d feel happier if he received a second dose (especially as it appears that the UK is out of step with most of the rest of the world on this).
We’re continuing to stay mostly at home, both in our working and non-working lives. Work and/or school meetings are conducted over Zoom or MS Teams.
Having read about the effectiveness of mask wearing, I’m now double masking when I’m on public transport, which isn’t that often.
I haven’t rejoined the gym. We’re lucky that we have the space for me to continue with online Step classes.
I’m having my hair cut regularly but I’ve yet to venture back to the nail salon.
I’m restless for overseas travel. We have nothing booked for next year, but I am still planning for a holiday to Canada with friends in the summer. We also still have a ticket for the Euro Tunnel that needs to be used.
We’ve all been back to the cinema, but not to the theatre. I do, however, have tickets to To Kill a Mockingbird scheduled for March 2022 (it’s been rescheduled twice).
Even though we held a successful party for The Brainy One’s birthday indoors at the local pub (no positive tests reported afterwards 🙂 ), we’re still tending to meet friends and family either outdoors or in establishments with outdoor space.
How is your Covid-19 world looking?
This West London Life 
How timely is your post about Life with COVID.
I attended a Zoom meeting last night, conducted by our regional health board & a lot of the focus was on (1) vaccinating, now approved, kids between 5-11 yrs of age. Our 12 yrs & up receive two doses, our 70+ receive 3 doses (booster). (2) Christmas gatherings.
On the panel were two doctors & mental health counselor. All 3 agreed that in Ontario, it won’t be Christmas as usual; gather indoors only if everyone is FULLY vaccinated but if not, masks need to be worn as much as possible. Limit the numbers, keep windows open if there’s a mix of vaccination status, including those 5-11, who won’t be fully vaccinated in time for Christmas. Thankfully in Ontario masks are still mandated in all public spaces.
For me COVID feels like walking down an alley & you know something is lurking behind you & every time you turn, no matter how quickly, you only catch a glimpse of a shadow, no matter how fast or slow you walk, it is always behind you. Makes enjoying the views of the alley very difficult as you (me) cannot relax enough to see the details, the vibrancy of colour.
In the last 21 months my anxiety & feelings of loneliness have increased 10 fold. But still, I remind myself of the many blessings; safe at home, not stuck at home; Zoom (including the foibles), vaccines freely available, mostly like minded friends (about vaccines & masking); lots of options to keep the cupboards full; a steady income. All shall be well …
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You have described living with Covid perfectly! And you’re correct, plenty to be positive about.
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Isn’t it interesting to see how people are reacting differently to the state of ‘living with Covid’. I’m still wearing a mask whenever I am in a shop, although I know it is primarily to keep others safe from me potentially carrying it, but I still feel like it is a layer of protection for me as well.
We enjoyed our get together for Rosie’s birthday but still tried to keep as safe as we could. Paul and I are boostered now and so is our son in law. Rachel and Jon are double vaccinated, and our daughter in law has now had her first vaccine. We are still doing our monthly PCR for the Office for National Statistics, and the monthly blood test which confirms that we still have antibodies. We have a few social events coming up, but have chosen to meet friends at lunchtimes which are always less busy, plus our friends are all being as careful as we are.
I listen to the news about the increase in cases in Europe but feel that while another lockdown would never surprise me here, we are in a better place in that our vaccination levels are much higher here. We are tentatively planning the Christmas we should have had last year, but at the back of my mind I am constantly thinking that we could have the rug pulled from under our feet like we did last year so am trying hard not to get too excited about it!
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I’m having the same thoughts about Christmas plans, trying to not get too excited!
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Our Covid cases are going up pretty significantly here in El Paso, Texas. We had 600 new cases on Monday and 400 yesterday. I think the cases are generally milder. But it is still worrisome. My 11 year old and 5 year old granddaughters have gotten their first vaccine. And my husband and I have our boosters on board.
We are all wearing masks everywhere. But enjoying a lot more freedom in going out this holiday season over last.
I am just exhausted with this virus, though.
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You’re not alone in feeling exhausted by the virus – it’s there all the time, isn’t it, affecting every decision we make.
Good to hear that your young grand daughters have received their first dose. I have my fingers crossed for a change in the UK policy re a second dose for those under 16.
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I am getting increasingly anxious about the complacency of the general public – they think COVID has gone away and seem oblivious to rising infection levels. I had my first visit to a theatre a week ago, I won’t be repeating it any time soon. The performance had been rescheduled three times (Christmas present in 2019!) so we went – nobody on the train had masks on, except us, and the carriages were surprisingly crowded for a Sunday night, too. At the theatre there were signs and announcements that the management preferred patrons to wear masks but, again, we were in the minority as only a handful of people complied. I felt extremely uncomfortable which knocked the gloss off my enjoyment of the performance.
As a family, we have agreed to skip Christmas again this year even though we haven’t all been together since 2019, I would not be comfortable with my immune-suppressed son travelling a long distance by train and we have to keep safe as my youngest daughter is due to get married on the 2nd of January, in Wales, so I am having sleepless nights in case we get hit by a late lockdown. I can feel myself getting mentally exhausted by the combination of doom-laden news bulletins (I’ve had to stop watching or reading the news) and the careless attitude of people in the shops. To keep my sanity, I have been meeting up with friends but we meet in places where we can sit outside or certainly in well-ventilated spaces, but with the cold snap coming I can’t see us huddled outside in a pub garden in a fierce gale!
I know that this will pass, eventually, but sometimes I struggle to keep cheerful.
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Goodness, the behaviour of others can really raise the anxiety levels!
Loads of people here in London seem to travel on the Tube without wearing a mask (currently a condition of travel) and go unchallenged by TfL staff and other travellers (myself included).
Fingers crossed for your daughter’s winter wedding. That’s a lovely time of year to get married – still Christmassy without Christmas being in the way. 🙂
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We’ve had out boosters and are having quite a few family visits here these last two months of the year. But, we’re still masking and mostly staying home.
All the teens & preteens we know (friends & family) that got the vaccine have had two doses and are in school with no mask requirements.
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I’m still keen for the 12-15 year group to be authorised for a second dose … fingers crossed! 🙂
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