We are going to start seeing family and friends, observing the latest rules and staying out in the open air as much as possible. Apart from food I doubt whether I shall be going shopping for non-essentials, probably because I don't need anything at the moment and if I do, will shop online. I will be going to the hairdresser though as soon as she opens as mine is a sole trader and she will take what precautions she can. We will be watching the statistics carefully and making up our own mind what the risk is likely to be but we are not afraid and will not cower at home, unwilling to take any risks at all.
We might just be lucky but after 3 months, we only know of two remotely connected people who have had the virus and they had the misfortune to live in London. I come from a very large family whose members number over 100 and who live all over the country. We also belong to a large car club but again to date have not heard of any members being affected.
The country cannot afford everyone to stay at home for much longer or we will be bankrupt and then there will be no NHS or financial safety net for anybody.
Maybe I too have been lucky. We also have family all over the country and many in different parts of the world including France,Germany and New York City. So far we know of no cases.Most have been working the entire time due to their type of job. My parents are 86 and 90 and they may never see or hug their children and grandchildren again which worries them more than the risk of the virus. Personally I will not be going on a bus or visiting a pub anytime soon. When I visit my Mum (I take her groceries,prescriptions etc) we have a system in place to avoid risk as much as possible. Her cleaner is coming back next week as the house needs a going over. She needs to go to the hospital soon about her hearing aids and I will have to go with her in a taxi. Of course there is a risk of contamination but we cannot stay holed up forever. The lockdown has saved some but there have been more suicides,the young have pent up energy but no outlet be it school,job,pub,football,youth club and as a result we have had more vandalism and arson attacks round here. People get bored so they push the boundaries,it is inevitable. If we just use our common sense in our own situations,although never 100% safe,we will get through.
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
If there is a second wave we might wish we'd done the first lockdown better, and the economic consequences could dwarf what has happened so far. Remember it's not about you and your attitude to risk, it's about the risk to the whole of society.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
The guidelines I saw today say other members of the household don’t need to self isolate and I think the scenario you suggest @Dovefromabove is unrealistic. I don’t honestly believe that is how most people self isolate, where would my fiancé sleep? On the sofa for 2 weeks on the off chance that I may or may not be infected?? Bearing in mind that I could return to work then be asked to do the whole thing again? Indefinitely?
My pharmacy handles over 1000 items daily so I think putting that burden on other businesses would be unfeasible, always assuming the other businesses are not similarly affected? I am sure the virus will be considerate enough to only affect one branch at a time.
I know that I am thinking worse case scenario as nobody in the company has been taken ill so far but it’s an example of the ridiculously inefficient way the government is dealing with this crisis. “Let’s put all the responsibility onto the public and think up stupid rules that obviously don’t apply to us!”
Now that the rules are relaxed slightly I am going to visit a friend on Friday, who lives alone (assuming we both remain symptom-free). I will take my own food and we'll have a picnic in her garden, 2m apart. She has a 2nd loo so I will use that if I need to, and clean taps, door handles, whatever else I touch. We would love to book ourselves in to visit Harlow Carr but it would mean separate cars which goes against the grain environmentally, so we'll hold off on that for a while and see how things develop.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
If there is a second wave we might wish we'd done the first lockdown better, and the economic consequences could dwarf what has happened so far. Remember it's not about you and your attitude to risk, it's about the risk to the whole of society.
Even if we locked everyone up indefinitely there has to come a time when we venture out,we cannot survive otherwise. The lockdown itself may have prevented some deaths from Covid-19 but how many other deaths have happened because of the lockdown and will continue into the future from mental illness,untreated or un-diagnosed diseases.Child and spousal abuse.There could be mass unemployment,homelessness,financial ruin and the consequences of that to deal with as is the problem of how we and future generations will pay for all the protection. In the end it probably is about you and your attitude to risk and the risk to the whole of society.
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
@pansyface that must have been truly horrible for you and I honestly feel you have done what was best for you. It angers me that because of the incompetence of the government, the mixed messages and wishy washy way this has all been managed that you may feel you are still,after so many weeks , not safe. I , and all my colleagues have been trying our very best to support vulnerable patients and of course I would self isolate if I became ill but as others have said this needs to end at some point as the human cost of the lockdown has been devastating to so many already and it will get worse. Solitary confinement is a punishment for a reason we are social creatures and I worry about all the problems we are creating for future generations.
Spent 24 days of this month there and managed to avoid catching COVID.
Of course now I can apparently stop shielding and merrily start going out and aboiut from tomorrow - no thanks, I'm afraid I don't trust other people to stick to the distancing rules. Not based on what I see out of the window...
Like Pansy says, I'd rather die of boredom than die for real...
@pansyface My OH received a letter from the government/ Oncologist saying much the same thing. I was told I couldn't go out at all either. Neither of us have been further than our back garden since around the 16th March. They have now said we can out for a walk together from tomorrow. If we do it won't be far or for long. We are very lucky to live somewhere rural. As much as I feel a bit stir crazy now, I'm not that bothered about going anywhere either. It will be sometime yet before I go anywhere near a shop of any sort. I don't want to have been staying indoors all this time for nothing. This will be baby steps for us.
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We also have family all over the country and many in different parts of the world including France,Germany and New York City.
So far we know of no cases.Most have been working the entire time due to their type of job.
My parents are 86 and 90 and they may never see or hug their children and grandchildren again which worries them more than the risk of the virus.
Personally I will not be going on a bus or visiting a pub anytime soon.
When I visit my Mum (I take her groceries,prescriptions etc) we have a system in place to avoid risk as much as possible.
Her cleaner is coming back next week as the house needs a going over.
She needs to go to the hospital soon about her hearing aids and I will have to go with her in a taxi.
Of course there is a risk of contamination but we cannot stay holed up forever.
The lockdown has saved some but there have been more suicides,the young have pent up energy but no outlet be it school,job,pub,football,youth club and as a result we have had more vandalism and arson attacks round here.
People get bored so they push the boundaries,it is inevitable.
If we just use our common sense in our own situations,although never 100% safe,we will get through.
The lockdown itself may have prevented some deaths from Covid-19 but how many other deaths have happened because of the lockdown and will continue into the future from mental illness,untreated or un-diagnosed diseases.Child and spousal abuse.There could be mass unemployment,homelessness,financial ruin and the consequences of that to deal with as is the problem of how we and future generations will pay for all the protection.
In the end it probably is about you and your attitude to risk and the risk to the whole of society.
washy way this has all been managed that you may feel you are still,after so many weeks , not safe.
I , and all my colleagues have been trying our very best to support vulnerable patients and of course I would self isolate if I became ill but as others have said this needs to end at some point as the human cost of the lockdown has been devastating to so many already and it will get worse. Solitary confinement is a punishment for a reason we are social creatures and I worry about all the problems we are creating for future generations.
Spent 24 days of this month there and managed to avoid catching COVID.
Of course now I can apparently stop shielding and merrily start going out and aboiut from tomorrow - no thanks, I'm afraid I don't trust other people to stick to the distancing rules. Not based on what I see out of the window...
Like Pansy says, I'd rather die of boredom than die for real...
They have now said we can out for a walk together from tomorrow. If we do it won't be far or for long. We are very lucky to live somewhere rural. As much as I feel a bit stir crazy now, I'm not that bothered about going anywhere either. It will be sometime yet before I go anywhere near a shop of any sort. I don't want to have been staying indoors all this time for nothing. This will be baby steps for us.
Glad your home from hospital, no I don't blame you.......id stay safe indoors too.