PM Press Conference. Anyone else feeling despair?

I would find it helpful to learn from others of ways in which to help relieve anxiety and panic.

clair1966

Still not playing the governments games here. I have no confidence in their abilities and even less in their agendas. I will wait until they have stopped using the British public as Guinee pigs and have a proven effective vaccine before I will even think about having one. I know personally two people who have died from heart problems brought on by the vaccine and have no intention of becoming number three. My husband as been fully vaccinated and we both had confirmed cases of covid. My husband was seriously ill in bed for two weeks, I did not have to spend anymore time in bed than normal.

My partner and myself have both had Covid twice. The first time we were both so ill we only narrowly escaped admission to hospital. The second time, both fully vaccinated, it was much milder. The vaccines aren’t meant to stop transmission - that’s never been the claim - but they DO keep people out of hospital because the infection is much milder than it may otherwise have been. Surely that’s the point - how much more provenly effective do you want ? Rather than taking the position that we’re being used as guinea pigs, I would rather be grateful that we’re in a country where the vaccine has been so easily accessible and that so many people have done the responsible thing.

It may or may not help but my daughter became very low with the misery in the news and decided she would not listen to news bulletins or read any. She said it made a big difference

clair1966

Still not playing the governments games here. I have no confidence in their abilities and even less in their agendas. I will wait until they have stopped using the British public as Guinee pigs and have a proven effective vaccine before I will even think about having one. I know personally two people who have died from heart problems brought on by the vaccine and have no intention of becoming number three. My husband as been fully vaccinated and we both had confirmed cases of covid. My husband was seriously ill in bed for two weeks, I did not have to spend anymore time in bed than normal.

Really? How much proof do you actually want?

www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.47.2101021

It might go on for a while and we might need boosters every year and masks may become 2nd nature and hand sanitising ( although why washing hands wasn’t a thing anyway, I don’t know)
But if that’s what it takes to keep more people alive then it’s not a very big ask really and having had no power or heat or hot food or drinks for a few days and no phone for longer , now all back on, it kind of put things in perspective, thousands of people in Scotland are still without power, heat and some no water, wearing a mask and washing hands is a very minor inconvenience

there are a few anti-viral medicines in development so we'll be able to stop covid before it takes a hold. Like an anti-biotic kills bacteria so an anti-viral is available to do the same, hopefully without the long term problems of the virus getting immune to it. Google monupiravir for details, it stops the virus reproducing in the body so it won't matter how many mutations there are, it can be stopped from doing harm. I'm sure its just the 1st of many

'*There are no limits to compassion*. I feel desperately saddened by the awful situation that ended with 27 people dead in the Channel, and the situation that ended with a little girl killed by other children, but that doesn’t mean I have a lack of compassion for Gransnetters (and others) whose lives have been turned upside down by Covid, or indeed by other circumstances. To be compassionate towards others is a natural human response and should never be rationed.'

Well said. I volunteer for charities helping the homeless and refugees, and support many more desperate causes, but it doesn't mean that I don't have compassion for everyone (and every creature!) suffering.

We are stuck with covid so have to accept and learn to live with it. I am thankful that I have been vaccinated and have all my family. I am counting my blessings. I am happy to wear a mask...I actually haven't stopped.

It can be hard to find a light in the Covid veil of darkness. But it is possible. Be kind to yourself, do things that you enjoy, be it watching films or reading, having a fragrant bath. Watch some comedy. Listen to some music. Learn a new skill. For example I am learning German and British Sign Language. Not German sign language, just German! You can learn pretty much anything on YouTube these days. Try some mindfulness. Just be proactive- you will probably have to force yourself initially but it will be well worth it.

well, yes, I am fed up with it all

however, I do tell myself that life has changed... now we have to accept that life has and is changing, and the sooner we accept that,, (huh!) and adapt, then , well... we move on...

Still not playing the governments games here. I have no confidence in their abilities and even less in their agendas. I will wait until they have stopped using the British public as Guinee pigs and have a proven effective vaccine before I will even think about having one. I know personally two people who have died from heart problems brought on by the vaccine and have no intention of becoming number three. My husband as been fully vaccinated and we both had confirmed cases of covid. My husband was seriously ill in bed for two weeks, I did not have to spend anymore time in bed than normal.

It's a very depressing thought but I fear this disease will be with us for years. But at least we can be with our loved ones this Christmas.

I feel exactly the same Annie61. Fed up with it all. Masks give me spots and itchy rash under chin. Have to wear it at work too. Thought we were almost out of the woods and could go overseas on holiday but doesnt look like it again. Just hope pubs and restaurants and other activities don't close again otherwise it's just work work and more work !

Being 70 I feel like the funny of life has gone now when we retired we planned our next few years, going on holidays was the top of our list now there's little to look forward to other than booster jabs pcr tests and face masks

I have to say I was already low as I lost a friend to Covid at the weekend, whst confused me is that some media presenters are saying Covid has gone and yet I know of so many people who have it and are really poorly even with all the jabs , which makes me think how bad they would have it without them , it is much worse this year than last

I appreciate that this may sound a little bit ‘conspiracy theory’ but does anyone feel that there’s something we’re not being told about Omicron ? I don’t remember this amount of caution centred around the emergence of Delta. With Omicron we’re being told to ‘wait and see’ when all the data is in, but in the meantime the booster campaign is being stepped up, masks have been reintroduced, travel restrictions imposed and self isolating mandatory on return to the UK, even if vaccinated. Now there’s reports of people cancelling plans based on a comment from a medic, about mixing not being sensible until things are clearer. I just get the feeling that something is different.

It bothers me that the government might not let things go for the purpose of projecting yet more doom and gloom for every single variant that turns up with the 'possibility' we might get another wave. There could be loads of them in the pipeline because that's what viruses do - they mutate continually. Will it never end?

I have read that this new variant is actually very mild compared to the original Covid we had to deal with.

I'm the type of person who believes in dealing with something tangible in front of you rather than worrying about endless possibilities in the future which may or may not materialise.

I am just beginning to feel a hint of despair, but I refuse to sink into a pit of misery. We are, unfortunately, going to have to live with this dreaded virus. It is two years since I have been able to visit my only (step) son and fabulous dil in Australia, there was a glimmer of hope I could go early in the new year, but that looks impossible again now with this new variant. My gas engineer was coming yesterday to service my heating system but his son tested positive, so they are isolating now! I don’t know anyone who has not been affected in some way and although I am not a pessimist, I really do fear another lockdown just as soon as Christmas is over, so make the most of it!

True Calistemon. Some didn’t and some won’t survive Covid. All we can do is try to hold the line.

Am I in despair about the news of this new variant? No, is the simple answer.
The news from South Africa where it originated is that it could well produce a milder illness than the Delta strain, as the Omicron variant has not caused an increase in deaths there.

Dr.Angelique Coetzee, writing in yesterday’s Mail says that no one in SA has been hospitalised with it, nor has anyone there been seriously ill with it.
I have read though that SA has a mostly young population which of course is relevant, but the message seems to be positive so far.

Obviously it’s early days and our government has stated that it will take two to three weeks before we know for sure, but the early signs are most definitely positive aren’t they?

I remember reading a while back that experience has shown that viruses have a habit of mutating into a much milder form, and this may be what we are seeing here.

Our parents survived 5years of war

Not all of them did.

We have no choice but to hang in there. Nonetheless feeling despair and anxiety are all par for the course. We have to shake it off the best we can and try to boost each other’s morale. At present one dd has 1 out of 3 positive lateral tests and is off for a PCR, the other is the only teacher in her primary school who hasn’t had Covid and now her teaching assistant has it. A foreign delivery driver thrust his phone in my face for me to talk to someone as his English is so poor. Now dh keeps worrying about it which makes me worse. I have got my Sudoku’s out, my go to, for calming me in seriously worrying situations of which I’ve had a few.

So try to keep calm. Our parents survived 5years of war. We may feel like we can’t but we can do this. I have survived things I never thought I would. Others have survived things far worse. The human capacity for survival is amazing.

Nobody's feelings should be dismissed its often the small stuff that trip us up
Sometimes just the exercise of writing and expressing those feelings can be helpful and to realise you are not alone
Not a lot in life phases me even ruddy Covid but i have good people around me to share any worries with and have learnt the art of not worrying about things or people I can do nothing about It is actually imperative to my wellbeing to keep an even keel

Excellent sentiments, maddyone

I hope it won't be too long before families kept apart by Covid will be reunited.

Shelflife be as kind to yourself as you can
Lucca I hadn’t realised that Australia had gone back to essential travel only, I’m sorry about that for you and others here on Gransnet (and those not on Gransnet) who were hoping to finally see their families after all this time. My daughter and family only left for New Zealand in May (they were admitted as essential workers) but it feels so long ago, and I miss them so much that I haven’t got words to explain. She has told us that New Zealand is now working towards opening up, and we were looking at travelling out there in May possibly, but now we don’t know how things will work out or if we’ll be able to go at all.
Hetty

There are no limits to compassion. I feel desperately saddened by the awful situation that ended with 27 people dead in the Channel, and the situation that ended with a little girl killed by other children, but that doesn’t mean I have a lack of compassion for Gransnetters (and others) whose lives have been turned upside down by Covid, or indeed by other circumstances. To be compassionate towards others is a natural human response and should never be rationed.