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We have been a ‘shielding’ family and are now taking tentative steps back into the world. We have not been to a shop, surviving on a weekly supermarket delivery, or anywhere for that matter for four months, we have not even had a takeaway or home delivery. This has been a time filled with stress, worry, sleeplessness and anxiety. School aged children to educate, 24/7 caring for a severely disabled 13yr old and a home based key worker in the family. We are exhausted.
As things ease and the world opens up how are you all finding the transition? We are still very guarded, keeping exaggerated distances from everyone, not venturing to pubs, a cafe, shops or anywhere that is inside.
We seem to have crossed that ‘tipping point’ where integration back into society is not as simple as it should be. Baby steps – we will get there.
I hope you are all as healthy as you can be, physically and mentally.
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Whilst not sheilding, my wife did not go out at all until a trip to the Apple store on Sunday, prompted by her iPad Pro’s USB charge port packing up.
She is blind, so we saddled up the guide dog and set off from the disabled parking bay (12 spaces, I got the last one, 3 of the rest with badges..grr). It was pretty busy in the shopping centre and quite a few folk with no masks (*whole families, not just one or two) or with them pulled down (pull up to go into shop, down everywhere else inc. inside the shopping centre…*sigh*), but I didn’t tell my anxious wife that.
She found the whole thing very stressful, stressed in that there are one way systems in operation in all the shops/doors etc that she couldn’t see; that distancing must be followed, but her dog doesn’t know that; that queues are all over and you can’t just walk into a shop – again, dog doesn’t know that. We tried popping into TK Maxx but her poor guide dog was freaked out by the hazard tape all over the place and was very very wary of people approaching wearing masks. Not a success.
On a positive note, iPad out of warranty, but after mentioning consumer rights and “of satisfactory quality” she’s getting a new one next week. Only problem is she must go back to get it…
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.
As far as we are concerned until there is a working vaccine we are only leaving the house when we have to. We’re lucky enough to be on the vulnerable list with Tesco so food shopping has not been an issue. I go to the Pharmacy wearing a mask, GP surgery masks have always been compulsory and recently due to the car change coming up had to go to a dealership, again wearing a mask. The only other time is to walk the dog which I do in the very early hours of the morning when no one is around.
No one comes around and we don’t visit anyone.
My guide dog William is very confused by the whole thing too, although too express his dislike he knocked a one way down which was amusing
We’ve been shielding since March, my wife hasn’t left the house, except for blood tests, apart from that I’ve only been out for a couple of visits to the local vet with an ill dog.
I have seen very little mask use on my travels, or social distancing, and most people seem to be carrying on as usual.In fact my social media is full of people in pubs and enjoying holidays.
They seem to have forgotten about the virus, and us, so we will continue to be extremely careful until a vaccine turns up.Madam T is on govt’s extremely vulnerable list. She’s had pneumonia twice in last few years and covid 19 would almost definitely kill her. Thus, we have shielded seriously. Not gone out to supermarkets or visiting relatives or had any guests in house. Only contacts with others has been in local butchers (social distanced, two-minute visit, once a week, having phoned order in advance) and distanced deliveries from supermarkets. Booking the latter was, and remains, very difficult. Despite being on the govt list, it took two months to get on the “easy” slot-booking list. Even now, have to stay up to midnight to get a booking at Tesco or Waitrose (slots fill up by 15mins past 12!).
Will not risk any “back-to-normal” concessions until death-rate in England is at zero for at least six weeks and a vaccine is available. Bloody inconvenient because we both have new medical issues which require attention. But going anywhere near ANY medical facility is just not on.
Am totally stressed out by HOW we are going to get true, reliable statistics about issues that matter. Can’t believe anything released by government – that’s IF you can find any actual hard data. (try it – Google “england coronavirus deaths” and see if you can find numbers). NHS is even worse – they are falsifying data about infection-rate so they don’t look so bad. Same is true of politicians, Boris in particular: starting to go back-to-normal when we still have hundreds of covid 19 deaths every week defies belief.
Suspect will still be shielding until next Spring at earliest.
I filled the car on March 15th. We started Shielding on March 17th. Since Lock-down ‘lifted’ I have been out a few times for drives, but never left the car or interacted with anyone while I was out. Three weeks ago DH (masked and gloved) went to the P.O. for me to send a parcel, and he refilled the car for me while he was out (new mask and new gloves). He’s also walked over to the post box a couple of times.
That’s it. Groceries get delivered. Anything else we need gets delivered, with 28 hr quarantine when possible. Much hand-washing is involved after every contact. Haven’t seen my Mum, sister or brothers since the end of February – we do talk on the ‘phone, of course!
Meet the New ‘Normal’ – same as the Old ‘Normal’.
My only trips outside are :- To feed the vampires: Go to Hospital:
Joss
Current car: BMW X2 sDrive 20i M Sport 5dr Step Auto In metallic Portimão Blue. 04:10:2025
Previous car:Peugeot 308 GT Premium 1.2 Pure tech Petrol.After initial stress and delay, the supermarket deliveries are working well. Wife’s weekly blood test a risk – had one admin staff go down with COVID scary for her as on a cocktail of immunity suppressors. Having got on the vulnerable list myself, the same health centre wrote saying I was now off the list in the same week that my consultant wrote that it is essential that I remain vulnerable. Headless chickens that run PHE and Buffoons in Downing Street. One visit to Vw to order otherwise not going near a shop. Have seen pregnant shielded daughter and granddaughter but no one else. Other daughter banned as teacher. Beach is 5 mins so we drive and watch the non conforming complacent beach goers in our sealed Touran and like others above expect to be still shielding next year. Not a mask in sight. There is little common sense evident at any level in our ill disciplined country. Scary as Florida, Texas and Arizona have found out.
It,s been hard will find it hard to get back out there. On 18 June picked up new car disaster but that is another story. Have done 80 miles in car so far 10 of them coming back from dealership . Phoned doctor yesterday told to get myself up to A E NONE COVID Told him no thanks just send out antibiotics which he has bless him Hoping they will work. As for car its like a go -cart in a good way ! Please stay safe.
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