How is the corona virus affecting you?

LissaC said:
A good side effect of mask wearing and all the other anti Covid measures in Portugal: flu cases are almost non existent this year. The % of flu cases per 100,000 inhabitants was 0% between the last weeks of November and the first week of December.
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They're reporting that here as well.

Another good side-effect of masks - I can walk around the shops silently mouthing "f***ing a***ole," and "stupid d****ead" at all the other shoppers who annoy me and no one's the wiser!

I'm going to have to be very careful if we ever get back to no masks.
 
TastyReuben said:
They're reporting that here as well.

Another good side-effect of masks - I can walk around the shops silently mouthing "f***ing a***ole," and "stupid d****ead" at all the other shoppers who annoy me and no one's the wiser!

I'm going to have to be very careful if we ever get back to no masks.
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Oh yeah, masks have been really good for hiding my resting b**** face too!
 
TastyReuben said:
They're reporting that here as well.

Another good side-effect of masks - I can walk around the shops silently mouthing "f***ing a***ole," and "stupid d****ead" at all the other shoppers who annoy me and no one's the wiser!

I'm going to have to be very careful if we ever get back to no masks.
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I sometimes find myself gurning underneath my mask. That will definitely have to stop!
 
Morning Glory said:
The other way of looking at it (with which I don't agree) is that if we impose severe restrictions over Christmas, people won't adhere to them anyway.
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That's very questionable logic. I'm sure some wouldn't comply, but most would, and I think many would welcome the removal of the expectation of having to mix with family when they really rather wouldn't.
 
flyinglentris said:
They've just started distributing the Pfizer Vaccine in the USA. It'll be interesting to see how they monitor results and what those results will be. Watch for results of unwanted side effects.
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Wife was told headache, fever, fatigue and a few others for a couple days. Shots 3 weeks apart vaccine becomes effective 3 weeks later.
 
I'm conflicted about Christmas if they change the rules.

As it stands currently, my parents and my sister are coming to stay with us. My parents are the highest risk amongst the 5 of us due to age but are not classed as high risk due to any health issues. But they are intelligent enough to make their own health decisions. In preparation for Christmas hubby and I have been continuing to behave as if we were still in lockdown: only going out for essential shopping only, no meeting up with people, not going to pubs or restaurants etc

Its my sister who worries me the most. She has had a difficult time over the past couple of years and this year due to her job she's had to cope with pretty much all of the Covid-related worries without any support system. Her mental health is pretty fragile at times and I know for a fact that she is just hanging on and counting down the days until we can get together - I simply don't think she would cope being on her own for Christmas. Due to where she lives she is probably at the highest of catching the virus of anyone on my immediate family (though she's managed to successfully avoid it so far despite having to regularly travel on public transport and fly on planes - so she's obviously doing something right) but she's also at the highest risk of danger from her mental health.

So, I'm conflicted as to what is the "best" thing to do if the rules are changed. Probably the least-worst option would be for my parents to stay at their home and just my sister to join us - even if its technically against the rules. Yes Covid is a risk and we are taking it very seriously, but its not the only risk facing people and sometimes the other risks are higher.

So personally I'm hoping that the rules don't change - I know its selfish of me to feel this way. And probably shortsighted. But I only have one sister and I don't want to lose her.
 
MrsDangermouse said:
I'm conflicted about Christmas if they change the rules.

As it stands currently, my parents and my sister are coming to stay with us. My parents are the highest risk amongst the 5 of us due to age but are not classed as high risk due to any health issues. But they are intelligent enough to make their own health decisions. In preparation for Christmas hubby and I have been continuing to behave as if we were still in lockdown: only going out for essential shopping only, no meeting up with people, not going to pubs or restaurants etc

Its my sister who worries me the most. She has had a difficult time over the past couple of years and this year due to her job she's had to cope with pretty much all of the Covid-related worries without any support system. Her mental health is pretty fragile at times and I know for a fact that she is just hanging on and counting down the days until we can get together - I simply don't think she would cope being on her own for Christmas. Due to where she lives she is probably at the highest of catching the virus of anyone on my immediate family (though she's managed to successfully avoid it so far despite having to regularly travel on public transport and fly on planes - so she's obviously doing something right) but she's also at the highest risk of danger from her mental health.

So, I'm conflicted as to what is the "best" thing to do if the rules are changed. Probably the least-worst option would be for my parents to stay at their home and just my sister to join us - even if its technically against the rules. Yes Covid is a risk and we are taking it very seriously, but its not the only risk facing people and sometimes the other risks are higher.

So personally I'm hoping that the rules don't change - I know its selfish of me to feel this way. And probably shortsighted. But I only have one sister and I don't want to lose her.
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It's not selfish to want to see your family around the holidays.

And, you are correct in that people aren't paying attention to the mental health risks we are facing due to the quarantines.

I hope you get to see your family and everyone remains safe and well.
 
mjd that is a really good point...the situation we are in takes a huge toll on our mental health, for a variety of reasons, social isolation being one of them. In fact many studies show that loneliness negatively affects longevity and quality of life. And while young people find ways to stay connected virtually (it's not the same as actually meeting but well, that's life) a lot of older people can't do that. And while for most young people this pandemic will "only" take them 1 year or 2 of life we have decades ahead of us, older people don't...

My 72 year old grandma was still working until the beginning of the pandemic and only stopped working March this year. While she has a very difficult temper she's always been incredibly smart and energetic. I've noticed a marked cognitive decline in her this year. She's become very confused and forgetful, keep forgetting things, her listening deteriorated badly and she even started falling on the street and injuring herself at home in weird ways (not too often but she wasn't like this). Me and my aunt talk with her everyday and we visit her once or twice a week, and she keeps in touch with neighbours and family members on the phone and through Facebook. One thing she does, and that she probably shouldn't do, is visiting neighbours in their home, or letting them visit her at home. I don't know how often she does this but everytime I visit her I hear a story about how she visited X or went to Y's house to get something. I know she's putting herself at risk but at her age, and considering the decline she's having just from not having a job, I feel it's important for her to have these moments with other people, I'm sure she would be incredibly depressed if she had to sit home alone everyday. Depression and loneliness are real threats, even during this pandemic.
 
epicuric said:
I sometimes find myself gurning underneath my mask. That will definitely have to stop!
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As Catherine mused to me when she came out of the Co-op last week: "One small advantage of wearing a mask is that you can mumble obscenities at idiots without looking too much of a loon."
 
LissaC said:
mjd that is a really good point...the situation we are in takes a huge toll on our mental health, for a variety of reasons, social isolation being one of them. In fact many studies show that loneliness negatively affects longevity and quality of life. And while young people find ways to stay connected virtually (it's not the same as actually meeting but well, that's life) a lot of older people can't do that. And while for most young people this pandemic will "only" take them 1 year or 2 of life we have decades ahead of us, older people don't...

My 72 year old grandma was still working until the beginning of the pandemic and only stopped working March this year. While she has a very difficult temper she's always been incredibly smart and energetic. I've noticed a marked cognitive decline in her this year. She's become very confused and forgetful, keep forgetting things, her listening deteriorated badly and she even started falling on the street and injuring herself at home in weird ways (not too often but she wasn't like this). Me and my aunt talk with her everyday and we visit her once or twice a week, and she keeps in touch with neighbours and family members on the phone and through Facebook. One thing she does, and that she probably shouldn't do, is visiting neighbours in their home, or letting them visit her at home. I don't know how often she does this but everytime I visit her I hear a story about how she visited X or went to Y's house to get something. I know she's putting herself at risk but at her age, and considering the decline she's having just from not having a job, I feel it's important for her to have these moments with other people, I'm sure she would be incredibly depressed if she had to sit home alone everyday. Depression and loneliness are real threats, even during this pandemic.
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Depression and loneliness are very common especially around the holidays. I know an elderly woman who is driving herself crazy because she cannot go out and gossip with her neighbor friends as management has closed all the common areas in her building. She goes every week to get her hair done and makes up maintenance issues just to get the maintenance guy to come 'round. She gets upset when he tells her that he isn't allowed in her apartment unless it's a maintenance emergency. Then, she also complains about having to learn how to text or use Facebook as a way to stay connected with people. <shrugs>

I'm sorry your grandma has declined so much since this all started. Her experiences are the kind of thing I worry about when people have basically been thrown into a situation for which they could not have been prepared. It's one thing to quarantine for a few days or even weeks but we've been at this for close to a year now. That's difficult by anyone's standards. I think that's why so many people, like your grandma, take the risks to see others despite the rules and recommendations.

What good is staying safe physically if one is struggling emotionally from its impact? I believe we will hear more stories about people just giving up on following the rules and taking their chances no matter the cost. I just hope it's not too great a price to pay.
 
LissaC said:
I've noticed a marked cognitive decline in her this year. She's become very confused and forgetful, keep forgetting things, her listening deteriorated badly and she even started falling on the street and injuring herself at home in weird ways (not too often but she wasn't like this). Me and my aunt talk with her everyday and we visit her once or twice a week, and she keeps in touch with neighbours and family members on the phone and through Facebook. One thing she does, and that she probably shouldn't do, is visiting neighbours in their home, or letting them visit her at home.
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Maybe bear in mind that this may not be due to isolation and giving up work. My partner is 69 and has fairly early stage dementia. It took me a long time to realise and get a diagnosis because (in his case) it got confused with drinking too much. The first symptoms began about 4 years ago. Now its becoming much more marked. Since lockdown I've been able to control his drinking so that it is now at modest level and in some ways he has improved - but he is constantly forgetting words and can't remember great chunks of his past. I'm only saying all this because for a long time I thought it was the fact he was drinking to much that made him appear forgetful and confused. So it may not be that the cause of your grandmother's decline is stopping work.
 
Morning Glory said:
Maybe bear in mind that this may not be due to isolation and giving up work. My partner is 69 and has fairly early stage dementia. It took me a long time to realise and get a diagnosis because (in his case) it got confused with drinking too much. The first symptoms began about 4 years ago. Now its becoming much more marked. Since lockdown I've been able to control his drinking so that it is now at modest level and in some ways he has improved - but he is constantly forgetting words and can't remember great chunks of his past. I'm only saying all this because for a long time I thought it was the fact he was drinking to much that made him appear forgetful and confused. So it may not be that the cause of your grandmother's decline is stopping work.
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My grandmothers' mother had Alzheimer's and that's always a fear on her mind. But the fact that this happened at the same time as her dismiss from work makes me think it's related. Hopefully it's just that.
 
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The whole pandemic mindset is definitely affecting my parents, both 82. They do go out every day, weather permitting, but even when they go out, it's having to remember masks, it's having to see people in masks, it's not being able to sit and gab with people over a meal, or even see people's faces, it's seeing the daily death toll and all the other pandemic news that's really affecting them.

My dad is mild-medium dementia-tized, he more or less lives in the moment, so it's not as bad for him, but my mom is a sensitive person in the best of times, and she's completely devastated by what's going on. Everything is a reminder to her that there's a pandemic going on - masks everywhere, new procedures at the doctors', not able to see her kids (except for one who checks up on them)...her mental health is pretty much shot.

I call her about once a week or so, and it's the most depressing time of the week for me. All she talks about is "pandemic this, Covid that, so-and-so died, I have to sit in the car and wait to be called in, nobody's at the diner anymore, and oh lord all these people dying alone, I never thought I'd live to see this and I just don't care if I live another day or not," and by then she's gone from sniffling to crying to bawling, and talking to my siblings, that's how all their phone calls and checkups go.
 
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