It's how long since?

[Blaze]

A couple of members of our music group have been infected at different times, but as we were all masked, none of us caught it from them.

I heard yesterday that Macron is not ruling out bringing back obligatory mask wearing though he doesn't want children to have to wear them inside. Most of those still wearing masks in public places round here seem to be "older". Medical places insist on masks and pharmacies ask people to wear them.

We still wear them inside public areas as much out of courtesy for the staff working there as for ourselves. But as Bayleaf says, it's more likely to be at events where people are eating/drinking and thus unmasked.

[Char]

G/daughter keeps having to take tests because someone at school has come down with it - whether we've had it or not I don't know, I've had a bloody horrible cold for the last week, but it's probably just a cold and I won't know any different unless I get tested.
I wonder how many people are walking around with it without realising.

[Blaze]

The doctor down at the vax centre this morning said he had a routine PCR test recently and found he was positive. He had had no symptoms whatsoever and 3 days later tested negative. He said he had no idea how he was infected nor how many people he himself could have infected.
It makes me wonder how many other people have had the virus without knowing ... oups, just realised that Char wrote the same thing

[niemeyjt]

Well as I said before, for at least two days I had symptoms but tests were negative. Now I am symptomless, but still positive. I am told that after 48 hours without symptoms I can go out (with a mask) even if positive.

[Doug]

Friends in our commune, both in their 70s, owners of local vineyard have both gone down with it, both fully vaxed, one has been quite ill other just slight flu like symptoms for a couple of days.
Schools here have a lot, plus flu and the cherry on the cake is that gastric flu is rampant in schools here as well.
Although we had covid way back at christmad 2019 we still believe that we have long covid, not bad but a nuisance.
Now had my 4th jab, expect to need one like the flu one for the rest of my life.

[Pathca]

Flu is definitely rearing it’s head in the UK

[RobertArthur]

It's how long since? Two years ago we went down south, to Malaga, to visit friends. Monday March 9, picture perfect, only Madrid and Barcelona in the corona danger zone. The incredible sweet smell of orange blossoms, for the first time in my life, almost paradise now. Wouldn't it be nice: opening your windows early in the morning, breakfast, coffee and this smell, what do you need more? Day three: in the local newspaper they mentioned the first two corona patients, university employees back from a weekend, one visited Madrid and the other Valencia. Not too much to worry about we thought. We saw the bridge construction techniques of the Romans in Cordoba and our last trip was to Ronda, on a Saturday. Returning to Malaga our guide in the tourist bus asked our attention: this evening an announcement by our Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, probably a lock down, please listen.

Sunday morning empty boulevards, red barrier tape, empty streets, shops, bars, restaurants already closed, no one to be seen, only oranges.

Monday, departure, hotel closed the doors around 12.00 AM, to Malaga Airport in an almost empty train, about six tourists. Not too many passengers trying to board the last planes flying back to other European cities. Suddenly guys of a special cleaning unit made their appearance. It's getting serious now....In a week's time a change from very sunny to a rather dark picture.

Only two years ago? Hard to believe, must have been another century, ages ago. We got jab #4 this afternoon. After receiving #1, First easterday last year, I thought: there is already a bright light at the end of this covid tunnel. Next year: everything back to normal. Sweet dreams of yesterday I'm afraid.

[Bayleaf]

Hospital admissions are up - hardly surprising. Caught a clip of SW England news, and they were at a Cornish hospital - it is as bad now as it was two years ago, but felt worse because more staff were off sick. Less people on ventilators, but still too many in with Covid, and the knock-on effect was more delays to operations etc. Plus, they were dealing with people coming in, ill, and refusing to wear masks because it wasn't obligatory anymore!

It's always been about reducing the strain on hospital staff, but too many people forget that - and put their "need" to travel/holiday/socialise above all else. I doubt many hospital staff have had much time to do any of that over the last two years.

So, those of us who still try to be careful are even more at risk now!

Rant over!!

[Pathca]

Welcome to my world
A sadly very accurate description there @Bayleaf

[niemeyjt]

Add to the mix Partygate - and the feeling "Why should we do anything when BoJo and Co don't?" - treating masks etc as a State mandate rather than an act of self-preservation.

Any UK Lockdown 3 (or is it 4) will be very different - and much harder to enforce.