@Former Member posted:Not at all surprised but very sorry to hear that.
It was always going to happen once they took away all the precautions Roxan ….personally I think that even though I understand businesses etc needed to open up , I think they should have kept compulsory mask wearing….and free testing .
@slimfern posted:Couldn't agree more Kaytee
BIL has just gotten over having the virus, he's in his late 60's and fully stabbed ...he said the isolation was worse than the illness itself.
SIL….is over 75 and had a cold for two days, but was driving herself nuts not being able to go out….luckily she was negative after 5 days and didn’t pass it on to her OH either
@Baz posted:I’d agree with both of you if my husband was still alive , or if I had family close by …. as it is I’m totally alone …which makes *being brave* very , very hard . Plus at my age , if I did end up in hospital , I’d be classed as vulnerable , and given the current care shortages I’d probably end up stuck there for ages ….it took me long enough to *break out* last time !
I’m not blaming you for being careful Baz, your circumstances show that is necessary, you don’t have. To be brave, just please don’t scare yourself rigid🥰🥰🥰🥰
My husband had a heart op. a few months ago, so we'll continue being cautious for a while yet, if not forever!
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:My husband had a heart op. a few months ago, so we'll continue being cautious for a while yet, if not forever!
Mum's birthday soon so had to pop into some shop or other so tried ASDA as it's massive and might be better to spread out a bit.
Mistake - it was bedlam - you'd think it was panic shopping, it was packed and no one was wearing a mask - not one person, not staff, not customers ... except me. if they get COVID I have little sympathy, why is it so difficult to pop on a mask for everyone's safety?
Madness
@Saint posted:Mum's birthday soon so had to pop into some shop or other so tried ASDA as it's massive and might be better to spread out a bit.
Mistake - it was bedlam - you'd think it was panic shopping, it was packed and no one was wearing a mask - not one person, not staff, not customers ... except me. if they get COVID I have little sympathy, why is it so difficult to pop on a mask for everyone's safety?
Madness
That sounds horrendous Renton 
I truly can’t understand peoples aversion to mask wearing …..it’s such a simple thing to do ….maybe they should look at the stats for hospitalisations and deaths .
And now I have a sore throat - if it's not gone by Tues I'm going for a thingy test
Still have sore throat, no other symptoms though, Mum ok, hmmm
@Saint posted:Mum's birthday soon so had to pop into some shop or other so tried ASDA as it's massive and might be better to spread out a bit.
Mistake - it was bedlam - you'd think it was panic shopping, it was packed and no one was wearing a mask - not one person, not staff, not customers ... except me. if they get COVID I have little sympathy, why is it so difficult to pop on a mask for everyone's safety?
Madness
Unfortunately a lot of people STILL think mask wearing was primarily for THE WEARER'S protection!
Social distancing scrapped in NHS waiting rooms in England:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61154106
@El Loro posted:Social distancing scrapped in NHS waiting rooms in England:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61154106
I read that this morning El….can’t say I agree with it though .
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Unfortunately a lot of people STILL think mask wearing was primarily for THE WEARER'S protection!
Exactly EFFT .
And people are making a big thing about the fact the number of cases seem to be falling ….what they seem to be ignoring is that people are no longer bothering to test themselves , so of course it looks like that!
@Former Member posted:Just crazy. Doesn’t cost anything, creates a situation where vulnerable people won’t want to go to the doctors. Like you said Baz numbers are rubbish if people aren’t getting tested, but the numbers of deaths are very high so it’s clearly still there. Both my siblings have just caught it and feel horrible.
I hope they feel better soon Roxan .
@Former Member posted:Just crazy. Doesn’t cost anything, creates a situation where vulnerable people won’t want to go to the doctors. Like you said Baz numbers are rubbish if people aren’t getting tested, but the numbers of deaths are very high so it’s clearly still there. Both my siblings have just caught it and feel horrible.
I hope your siblings recovery very soon Roxan
Our neighbour died recently and we suspect it was from COVID - she barely altered her lifestyle, still went out every day and shopped for food, never delivered and often went with her friend across the road. She was at least 80yrs old.
She'd go shopping with her friend who passed our door as i was parking the car so she stopped for a chat, I'd noticed she hadn't been around for a few weeks. She said she'd had COVID for 13days and it was horrendous, spending all her time sleeping but was ok now - she's over 80yrs too and lives with her son who has also been infected. Yet there she was walking around, no mask and had obviously been somewhere.
Some people don't seem to learn or want to restrict their activities _ I've barely left the house in 3yrs and I'm still terrified
@Saint posted:Our neighbour died recently and we suspect it was from COVID - she barely altered her lifestyle, still went out every day and shopped for food, never delivered and often went with her friend across the road. She was at least 80yrs old.
She'd go shopping with her friend who passed our door as i was parking the car so she stopped for a chat, I'd noticed she hadn't been around for a few weeks. She said she'd had COVID for 13days and it was horrendous, spending all her time sleeping but was ok now - she's over 80yrs too and lives with her son who has also been infected. Yet there she was walking around, no mask and had obviously been somewhere.
Some people don't seem to learn or want to restrict their activities _ I've barely left the house in 3yrs and I'm still terrified
I don’t blame people for wanting to carry on as normal, but the trouble is their carrying on normal can have a knock on effect on the rest of us ! Like you Renton , apart from my walks , I’ve been on * virtual house arrest * for the last two years . I’ve only been in the local shop a couple of times …and wore my mask on both occasions . I had plucked up the courage and considered catching a bus into town a couple of months ago , then they removed all the restrictions , so I knocked that idea on the head !
@Former Member posted:KN95 masks, the price for a pack of 40 has varied from $10 to $75 depending on demand. It’s really disgusting how much they have gouged us during the pandemic. Have no plans to stop wearing masks for the foreseeable future. I notice that despite official covid numbers have dropped right down, deaths are running higher than they have been since January 2021. This is far from over.
Hi Roxan I don’t blame you .They are saying cases have dropped here too….but seeing as no one seems to be testing any more ! And like you say , the numbers of hospitalisations and deaths are still quite high .
@Former Member posted:KN95 masks, the price for a pack of 40 has varied from $10 to $75 depending on demand. It’s really disgusting how much they have gouged us during the pandemic. Have no plans to stop wearing masks for the foreseeable future. I notice that despite official covid numbers have dropped right down, deaths are running higher than they have been since January 2021. This is far from over.
Profiteering, in a word
Got the bus the other day to get money and vote. No-one on the bus wearing a mask (except me) Got my money them walked round to the polling station where no-one was wearing a mask, though they did have perspex screens between the staff and the voters
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Got the bus the other day to get money and vote. No-one on the bus wearing a mask (except me) Got my money them walked round to the polling station where no-one was wearing a mask, though they did have perspex screens between the staff and the voters
No masks, no Perspex partitions at my polling station. I was the only one with a mask on 😡
@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:Got the bus the other day to get money and vote. No-one on the bus wearing a mask (except me) Got my money them walked round to the polling station where no-one was wearing a mask, though they did have perspex screens between the staff and the voters
@Moonie posted:
No masks, no Perspex partitions at my polling station. I was the only one with a mask on 😡
After two years plus having steamed up glasses I have joined practically everyone down here and ditched the mask.Supermarkets have ditched screens , as has every other business…..anyway, as my husband ditched his as soon as he could and I have him gadding about as normal , it’s a waste of time me taking precautions.
however, if I do come across a mask wearer,I give them a wide berth….it’s only polite
@Former Member posted:Don’t mean to single anyone out, but where is the Dunkirk spirit? Where is the care for community? Why have we lost the care for each other in such a small space of time? Try wearing a mask in 95 degree heat and complain! Try wearing one in the ICU and complain!
whilst I do still wear a mask when I'm going into shops etc, I think it's unreasonable to expect people to have to maintain an 'abnormal' existence if they don't have to. I mean, let's face it, this virus is not going away (unless it gets bored and chooses to) and whilst there are so many that refuse to be vaccinated, (making it even more unlikely), giving each other a wide berth is probably the best we can expect....so Thank you Kaytee for the courtesy.
As for community care...I see plenty of it happening...but it will never be enough...not in today's society...sorry to say.
@Former Member posted:For two years vulnerable people have been isolated. If this is ever going to change we need to care for each other. Not to mention the pandemic is being fueled by lack of precaution. A mask is the least we can do, and steamed up glasses are a small sacrifice if it means vulnerable people can start to emerge from hiding.
Deaths in the uk are the highest they have been since Christmas 2020 and it is the vulnerable who are suffering. Again.
@slimfern posted:In case you hadn't noticed, it's not the 1940's anymore Roxan, and I suspect that most of the modern youth wouldn't even know what the heck you are talking about.
And whilst I do still wear a mask when I'm going into shops etc, I think it's unreasonable to expect people to have to maintain an 'abnormal' existence if they don't have to. I mean, let's face it, this virus is not going away (unless it gets bored and chooses to) and whilst there are so many that refuse to be vaccinated, (making it even more unlikely), giving each other a wide berth is probably the best we can expect....so Thank you Kaytee for the courtesy.
As for community care...I see plenty of it happening...but it will never be enough...not in today's society...sorry to say.
I can see both sides of the argument . For those with no existing vulnerabilities it must seem like over cautiousness , and a pain in the butt . However , for those who are vulnerable , or looking after those who are vulnerable , the world has changed beyond recognition. Yes, we have to learn to live with this bliddy virus , but with the greatest respect that’s easy to say, but for some of us it’s not so easy to do .I’m not physically vulnerable …except because of my age …but I suffer from chronic anxiety (and have done for years ) …which means that the pandemic has been a nightmare . And I can only imagine what it is like for those with serious pre-existing conditions. I guess we will all eventually get used to the status quo , however a little patience may be needed , cos it may take some of us longer than others .
@Former Member posted:I have no wish to cause friction on a lovely forum like this.
Masks do not protect the wearer, they protect others from us hence my comment about caring for each other. That said, @Kaytee I did not intend to single you out so sorry if it came across that way. I also truly appreciate that you wore a mask for so long even when most people had stopped.
Will not be commenting again given the differing opinions.
Awww Roxan ….you are more than entitled to your opinion …as are we all ….and I totally understand , given the medical problems you have to deal with , why you are so concerned .
Opine away Roxan. Dunno why they've ditched them myself
Said without being patronizing or condescending. Just wow.
@Former Member posted:I have no wish to cause friction on a lovely forum like this.
Masks do not protect the wearer, they protect others from us hence my comment about caring for each other. That said, @Kaytee I did not intend to single you out so sorry if it came across that way. I also truly appreciate that you wore a mask for so long even when most people had stopped.
Will not be commenting again given the differing opinions.
No worries Roxan….we are all entitled to our own viewpoints🥰.……my husband is the vulnerable one, but he’s returned to normal, so I may as well too. Having been out and about myself now, weekend away and meals out without any ill effects….I’ll take things as they come. I would never tell someone to do as I do and will always show care for others. So comment away, it’s your right❤️❤️❤️
The pandemic has certainly revealed a more selfish society, non compliance is shocking in the face of millions of deaths and probably fuelled by conflicting evidence and advice. I don't care if the mask helps me or helps others I just know if there's something floating in the air and i have a mask on I stand a better chance of not getting something nasty than if i had no mask on at all. Even if it's a slim chance it's worth it cos it could just save my life, so I'm keeping the mask on for a long long time.
And @Former Member just cos we disagree does not make us enemies so feel free to put your point across, that's what forums are all about 
@Saint posted:The pandemic has certainly revealed a more selfish society, non compliance is shocking in the face of millions of deaths and probably fuelled by conflicting evidence and advice. I don't care if the mask helps me or helps others I just know if there's something floating in the air and i have a mask on I stand a better chance of not getting something nasty than if i had no mask on at all. Even if it's a slim chance it's worth it cos it could just save my life, so I'm keeping the mask on for a long long time.
And @Former Member just cos we disagree does not make us enemies so feel free to put your point across, that's what forums are all about
I would echo that 
@Saint posted:The pandemic has certainly revealed a more selfish society, non compliance is shocking in the face of millions of deaths and probably fuelled by conflicting evidence and advice. I don't care if the mask helps me or helps others I just know if there's something floating in the air and i have a mask on I stand a better chance of not getting something nasty than if i had no mask on at all. Even if it's a slim chance it's worth it cos it could just save my life, so I'm keeping the mask on for a long long time.
And @Former Member just cos we disagree does not make us enemies so feel free to put your point across, that's what forums are all about
That’s how I feel too Renton ….on all counts
Just seen a news bulletin ....there are now 20 cases of monkey pox in uk ....with more cases not only in Europe , but in the US and Canada .....and the government is ordering smallpox vaccine…..I hope I’m overreacting , but this is sounding eerily familiar ! WHO is apparently convening an emergency meeting to discuss the spread ….let’s hope they are overreacting as well .
@Baz posted:Just seen a news bulletin ....there are now 20 cases of monkey pox in uk ....with more cases not only in Europe , but in the US and Canada .....and the government is ordering smallpox vaccine…..I hope I’m overreacting , but this is sounding eerily familiar !
It's an ugly looking disease that's for sure 
https://www.newscientist.com/a...ng-you-need-to-know/
@slimfern posted:It's an ugly looking disease that's for sure
https://www.newscientist.com/a...ng-you-need-to-know/
Yes, it is Slim…..and so many of the things they’ve been saying …eg downplaying it initially , but gradually seeing it increase ….seem to be mirroring the early days of covid .
Monkey pox aside . . . urghh, are we becoming the vermin we so ruthlessly exterminate?
I called our GP to get a 'call-back' appointment over the phone and was told I was too late as all the appointments had gone due to "so many of the doctors being off sick".
Quite alarming when you think about it
