How are you all dealing with coronavirus and the restrictions many of us have to live

Today, I had to go to the library to pick up some holds. On my way in, a guy was coming out of the library. As has become my custom I tried to get out of the way, to maintain distance. We both had masks on, so I shouldn't really have needed to do that, but it's my habit and this is one of my first trips back "into the wild." He started shaking his head, like I was some sort of weirdo. I felt a combination of embarrassment and intense anger. While I understand the implications of the various recommendations and mask wearing and whatnot, this has just become my way of dealing with people who are too close to me. Mostly, because I seem to be one of the few who understands social distance. I'm not phobic about it, it's just automatic now. I'm better and calmer now, but wow, did I want to go off. I don't know that I'll be getting anything more from the library for a very long while though. Electronic offerings are plentiful.

@rechu that makes perfect sense to me that you are reacting against this lack of agency in your life. Absolute sense.

Over here I think many reactions have happened as a result of restrictions this last year. Even mask refusniks and anti lockdown protesters were reacting I believe even though I do not share their views. It's affected us all in different ways.

The vaccine is your choice. If you refuse how long do you envisage you may have to wait for another type to be offered?

To me his reaction was plain rude and disrespectful. Keeping distance is as much respect as anything.

I can understand you feeling angry, he was rude to you and there was no need. Hope you'll not be put off getting out and about because of this oaf.

I was at a local drug store in line to purchase an item and I felt someone in my personal space. I turned around and I was virtually nose to nose with a lady not wearing a mask. I’ve been vaccinated but I was irritated at the sheer ignorance of that woman and the defiance on her face. I moved as far away as the counter would allow me, purchased my item and left. I wonder about the behavior of some people during this pandemic.

Well, I guess my agonizing over the vaccine can be put off for a bit. The vaccine locations are running out of stock. It's being reported that they had to stop vaccinations in some areas completely. My municipality announced they are only doing second doses for the moment, so who knows when I will be eligible anyways. Of course people are crowding in at these places, yelling at staff. It looks like a perfect COVID transmission situation. Most footage is of more "rough" areas of Santiago, I guess you could say. Maybe things are a bit calmer out here. But, it just put me off the whole idea of going even more. It will be vigilant with self care and keeping an eye on the vaccine deliveries for the time being.

Yesterday the Health Minister said there were no problems with stock. Now people in the areas with no stock are being told to try and find a place outside of their community to get it. That's just going to cause more controversy, and then you have the issue of more people on public transportation to do so.

@Discombobulated - I was reading the US should be able to start exporting vaccines in May. We have contracts with Pfizer for about 10 million and only about 500,000 have arrived. That's my biggest hope. Maybe in late May or early June. There is speculation that by July there might be enough stock to be able to go to a private clinic and purchase what you want. I haven't heard the latest information on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine negotiations. There's an order for I think 5 million AstraZeneca vaccines, but with what's going on in Europe, who knows what will happen with those. There's an order for 1.8 million of CanSino, but as is the case with Sinovac, there are no phase three studies so I don't have much trust in it. It was approved for emergency use, but they've shown they will approve anything here.

Today, since the pandemic began, I got on a bus for the first time. With all those problems with vaccines, I can’t stand why we relaxed the measures. People never ended up to get on the bus. I wonder why? When we still haven’t a certain security because vaccination is not going on at the rate we expected.
When I saw the bus driver picked up one person after another, I can’t believe it.

I think the masks give a false sense of security, because even when you wear a mask, you have to keep distance.

I didn’t see the moment to get off the bus, to be honest.

We took a quick trip to see the university our son will attend. We thought it was important to see it before committing to it sight unseen, and then his maybe hating it. We had to sleep in a hotel room. I was shocked the hotel did not take any covid safety measures at all! We did our best to keep washing hands and wearing our masks...but I’m sure we were exposed to plenty germs. Fingers crossed we don’t get sick. I hope the trip was worth it. He is happy with what he saw and is looking forward to attending in the fall.

Yes, it’s like the lottery. The virus is so extremely contagious that the measures in hotels and any space have to be very rigorous.

I used to enjoy staying in hotels before this but I too am wary of the risk.

I did a trial with a major hotel chain years ago for room attendant (cleaner!) they were given a maximum of 15 mins per room and this was a full change over between clients. I can't imagine they are any better now as time is money.

Think I'd be bringing my own cleaning equipment with me! Lol.

Hahahaha! Your own cleaning equipment? lol!

I refused to touch the tv remote! Lol. I was only touching knobs with my sleeve, I’d put my arm over my face in the elevators to cover up any air, and even hold my breath! I am very aware of the transfer of germs; like you touch a door, then your phone, then eventually your nose, for example. But, now the CDC is saying it’s more about airborne germs than surface germs. That’s a relief to me. If we managed to have done this trip and not get sick, then it is not incredibly easy to get sick...also, a relief to those of us with immense anxiety about it. BTW- We’ve had our first shot for the vaccine!

15 minutes per room?? I think I will bring my own cleaning supplies and bedding too! I had coffee in a coffee shop today. The only other time I have been in a restaurant type space indoors was last summer, meeting up with the same person. Seems like we've been kind of daring, buses, hotels, coffee shops!

This is what someone that also participates in a forum for expats here had to say that expresses so much what I am feeling. They just issued one study trying to figure out what sort of efficacy the Sinovac is having here and it did not seem very complete or well done at all. The findings were vague, apart form 54% efficacy. Anyways, his thoughts were:

"I think my bigger bone to pick here goes way beyond this one crappy study.

It is the complicity if the University of Chile, Ministry of Health, the government, The Colegio Médico (Medical Association) and the frigging media to carefully tiptoe around asking even mildly obvious questions about the Sinovac vaccine. Never mind any serious questions about the science.

This vaccine is over a year old, administered to millions of people around the world, and there is not one credible study anywhere? Really?

Even this group of scientists today that was calling on the government to publish daily case reports on who got what vaccine and how many of those people were contracting the virus, being hospitalized, etc (which I agree with), were, in their own passive aggressive Chilean cultural way, being super careful to not rock the boat."

Here we are told by the clown show government we all need to get the vaccine, blah blah, blah, but we are not getting the information we need to make an informed decision. And this government does nothing to inspire confidence. They just want people to go get their vaccines so they can pat themselves on the back for their successful vaccination campaign.

It was just mentioned in Forbes that the president and his family saw their net worth increase by US$300 million while small businesses are failing left and right due to the lockdowns and restrictions on what can be bought. They are getting almost no help. It's really sad.


The government is trying to clarify what can be sold and not and has backpedaled on some items, but stores are, not surprisingly, being very cautious. My husband went to the grocery store yesterday and they had blocked off items like hand and body cream. I guess there was a concern they could be considered cosmetics. It is so ridiculous. Of course, the government says, we should be able to handle it because it's only for 15 days, but they love extending these measures so it could be more.

Last night I hit a low point because my husband was trying to convince me to just go get Sinovac since they have stock again. He's worried about being called back to work and bringing it home and getting me sick. I just don't see him going back to work any time soon Even in November when cases were so much lower, they never went back. It turned into an argument and I got kind of upset. We almost never argue.


I had the idea to try and contact a pulmonologist I used to see where I lived to see if maybe he'd give me a certificate giving some reason to get Pfizer. Unfortunately, it would have to be by telemedicine and the clinic where he works doesn't let you choose a doctor for a telemedicine appointment. You get whoever they assign you. I don't think it would be too easy to convince someone I don't know at all. I can't find his e-mail either. I need to get creative with this, and soon.

So, yeah, I'm feeling like absolute crap today. Anxious, stressed and hopeless.

Nothing insightfull to add.... I'm just SO ready to start living again :/ but there's talk about a stricter lockdown *again* I can't do this much longer.

@rechu it's not surprising you and your husband both became frustrated with disagreement about how you should proceed with the vaccine. You both essentially want the same thing - you to be as safe as is possible, but have different ideas about how best to achieve that.

Neither of you are wrong and both of you have valid reasoning. It's a tough call. Add to that you're both so worn out with everything - hand cream cordoned off, really!

It's a tough call. Sending hugs to you.

Sending hugs to you too!

Here the big news is finally the UK government released the verdict that there is a causal link with the AZ vaccine and rare blood clots. Its really small numbers but these were real people who died, they were young people. The upshot is under 30s are going to be offered another vaccine once they are eligible hopefully other vaccines will be available.

Actually I had a pretty heated discussion with my husband about it. He is of the opinion (like many) it's a small number, and more people will be saved by vaccines than harmed. He's right. But if infection rates are low younger people are less likely to catch or get seriously ill so the risk benefit balance is not quite so favourable.

I won't let it stop me when my time comes to get mine but I am glad the authorities are taking note and responding in some way by changing strategy with under 30s.

I notice my husband is very rational 'number' based in how he reasons. I admit I am more personal in that if I hear a number of people died from these clots I feel so terribly sad for those people, their families. Although of course it's small numbers next to those who died of covid.

It's horrible. I'm glad we have vaccines but it's still horrible.

@Discombobulated, I agree 100% with your comment. There is no easy answer and I guess I am the embodiment of the saying "between a rock and a hard place" right now.

People are so gullible. The last few days, new cases are down. The Health Ministry essentially has really played down the number of tests being done, focusing more on positive test numbers. The online news sites also lead with that, you have to read more closely to see the number of tests. Usually Tuesday and Wednesday are lower because that is when the Ministry gets the weekend numbers and fewer people are tested on weekends. This week it was especially notable, I assume due to Easter. Typically they are doing 70-80,000 tests a day during the week. Yesterday, I guess it must have been Sunday's test results because there were only 30,000 tests informed. The positivity was higher than it had been for a while, 15%. If they had done 70,000 tests with that positivity rate, we are talking about 10,500 new cases. Not good at all. Really you need to compare weekly numbers due to the daily fluctuations. Still in the comments to the article, people are saying, that's great news, the vaccines and quarantines are working, we're turning the corner on this.

Well, this is interesting, I was just reading and article here comparing the different vaccines and it said that the Head of Clinical Studies of our Public Health Institute recommended that people with allergic vaccine reactions should not get Sinovac. I'm wondering if I could go to the one place in my area that is offering Pfizer and show them this and say I am concerned about getting Sinovac. Maybe that would work? I think my chances may be better later in the day since they could have shots they need to use up. I could say it happened some years back in the US so I don't have any documentation.

Is it a crazy idea? I told my husband and he didn't shoot it down, he said it actually might work. Supposedly we are getting more Pfizer and AstraZeneca in the next weeks. I am thinking to go a few days after we get shipments and try my plan. If not, well then I may have to just go with the Sinovac as much as I don't like the idea. I think that is the best compromise. Maybe at least Sinocrap will keep me out of the hospital. Who knows? I feel like I need to try to get what I want, at least. Yes, I am extremely stubborn! I am thinking all the chronic patients, teachers, etc. that were prioritized for Pfizer have been vaccinated already, although they may need second doses for some of them. Between that and more doses, that might mean Pfizer will become easier to get pretty soon.

@rechu, I’m by your side and I totally understand your reticence to be vaccinated with Cinovac. I understand your frustration.

@Discombobulated, your husband is thinking with a cold head but I understand you because it’s something to consider when there’s this probability for low that it can be that you get as a side effect a blood stroke with the vaccine. Here, there have been contradictions between the message conveyed and the measures that it has been taken with AztraZeneca vaccine.
My neighbour’s wife received the first shot of AztraZenace and she was feeling under the weather for two days but luckily, she recovered and now she’s fine.

@BreakForTheLight, dear, I’m happy to know that you are feeling well with the Spring arrival. It must be hard to cope with Germany winter. I wish Germany soon vaccinate people and you can all enjoy a better Summer there.

On my part, I don’t expect to be vaccinated soon. And I’m ok with it. I want elderly people in my country to be vaccinated as soon as possible. And the groups of risk but the thing is going very slow because we are not receiving enough vaccines.
It’s obvious that there’s being a problem with the vaccines providers and the European Community.
This is how life is. Gold is always at leads.
But, I can’t complain. I’m in the Old Europe. There are areas that are struggling much more than us.