[Rose76]

Yesterday, I heard someone on the radio say that COVID 19 will probably be with us for years. Today I googled that. I found a string of articles from very, very reputable sources saying exactly that!

Basically, I'ld already figured that myself. However, reading a bunch of confirmation of that got me anxious and depressed. Now I clearly see that I will live in fear of this virus for the rest of my life.

I know we all die eventually. I'm reasonably okay with that. Nine months ago, I watched my boyfriend due of respiratory failure, due to lung cancer. That intensified a fear I've had all my life of not being able to breathe. I'm hoping that, when I go, it won't be due to respiratory failure. (That's actually a pretty common way to die, since lots of old people die from pneumonia.) Thinking about this today has got me into a bad state of mind.

My psych diagnosis is recurrent major depression with anxiety. Most of my life I've functioned okay. Right now, though, my mental state is getting distressed - all due to worrying about COVID being a threat to me.

We're all in the same boat, as far as being threatened by COVID. I'm interested in hearing how any of you cope with any anxiety you have about COVID. How much do you limit contact with others outside your household? I'm getting very afraid of being around other people. I live alone. The isolation is getting to me. I'm afraid I will never again feel safe outside my apartment.

I'm afraid that this fear will haunt me, even after I get the vaccine. Am I unusual? I think my anxiety is getting unhealthy.

[buddha1too]

COVID should be a concern...it's the people who think it's a hoax that really scare the hell out of me! I'm extremely cautious since I haven't received the vaccine yet. Once I receive the vaccine I'll continue to exercise caution by wearing a mask until I'm sure the pandemic has really ebbed.

While I've read the same things about COVID being around for the forseeable future, it's really not that uncommon for viruses. After all, influenza is still with us, & the strains continue to mutate each year. Flu shots are only 40-60% effective, but getting them reduces the severity of symptoms. There's a good chance we'll need booster shots for COVID in a fashion similar to the way they design flu shots. We may still get symptoms, but vaccines will reduce fatalities to a large extent.

In my opinion, the mental health issues that accompany all this isolation pose as great a risk to us as the virus. I double mask, social distance, use hand sanitizer & wash my hands regularly. There's not much more I can do. I limit my exposure to others...especially if they're nutjobs who think this situation is a hoax! I should be getting the vaccine in a month or two, so I can see an end to near total isolation in sight. I hope you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, too.

I can understand the fact that your boyfriend's death has really driven the respiratory nature of COVID home for you, as well as increasing your sense of isolation. I was with my aunt when she died in January; that had a big impact on me. I can still hear the death rattle right before she stopped breathing. Not a pleasant sound...kind of like drowning in your own body. I sympathize with your grief & fear. I hope you heal soon.

No. Your anxiety right now is very real & understandable. Try to keep in mind that this situation is temporary. We may have to get used to a "new normal" after this, but I believe the isolation will come to an end soon. Try to hang in there...easier said than done, though. Take care.

[unaluna]

Well, i was already getting sick from going to family parties and not being able to escape old ladies slobbering all over me, so i am happy for at least THAT part of the new normal. Also, i live in a a diverse university town so it is several years that i have become accustomed to seeing people wearing masks.

Things change.

[rechu]

Well, I haven't had much choice. Last year we had 132 days of a very strict lockdown. We had a short period of fewer restrictions. Then in December we were sent back to the dreaded phase 2 which is weekend lockdowns. You work from home all week and barely can go out and then you are stuck at home all weekend with only 2 hours to go out with only essential businesses open. There was one fleeting week where we got to phase 3 in January and they promptly sent us back to phase 2. It is horrible. I am married, so I have contact with my husband, but that is it. March 3rd marked one year since the first case here. I haven't seen good friends since February 2020.


It has taken a severe toll on my mental health, my husband's and many other people I know. I feel fortunate that at least we live in a house, with a yard, not an apartment. An apartment without even a balcony would be worse. I'm not coping well, I admit and my usual strategies for anxiety don't seem to help as this drags on.


The main vaccine being used in my country is of low efficacy and research from Brazil is showing it's even less effective against the Brazilian variant. I have been reading with only a 50% efficacy rate (which the Brazilian studies showed on this vaccine before the Brazilian variant showed up) it is going to be very hard to get to herd immunity. Basically you would need to have another 20% of the population get sick and develop antibodies. Although, that might not help with the new variants. I was reading that some people are getting reinfected with them.


I am last priority for the vaccine and I am not even sure if I should get the crappy one that is on offer when it's my turn or wait until something better arrives. We have other ones on order, but richer countries are grabbing up all the supply for now. That is an additional source of anxiety. If I get the vaccine on offer, I will not feel safe since I still have almost a 50% chance of getting the virus.

I am not sure if the lockdowns that we have had even help. There are currently cities that have been in quarantine for 2 months and the active cases have barely budged. Maybe another approach is needed. At one point the government said that lockdowns would not last for more than 4 weeks, but quickly retracted that promise.


You are definitely not alone in how you are feeling.

[divine1966]

It’s very hard

For me the most depressing and anxiety inducing is inability to travel. I don’t necessarily mean leisure travel, although that upsets me too, but I mainly mean travel to see family, primarily overseas. At least here in the country you can travel even if it’s dangerous. Not being able to go overseas or go and get stuck is extremely depressing and scary for me. I don’t know how much longer I can handle it. If it goes on for years it could effect many aspects of my and my family life

As about exposure. I don’t limit exposure to people within state guidelines. I always work in person so I didn’t feel it made any sense to limit myself in free time.

My dad is 83 and has not been limiting himself either although he should. The only thing he never did since covid hit is eating out. That he drew a line at.

[Rose76]

Thanks for these well thought out and well-written responses. I see that I do have company in how I view this threat to health and to life.

The USA hasn't done the best job of dealing with the pandemic, but I believe I am lucky not to live in a poor country, where the resources are way less. I've read that Brazil does not have a very good healthcare infrastructure, which is contributing to that country's failure to cope with COVID-19. I agree with those saying we better lend financial support to such countries. While COVID remains a threat anywhere, it is a threat everywhere. We very well may have our lives changed for years to come.

I don't like living with this kind of threat hanging over me, but I guess I'll just have to adjust to this new reality. In bygone days, our predecessors lived with health threats that were serious. My younger sister had scarlet fever when we were kids. I remember the doctor coming to our house. She recovered okay. Not all kids did. Even today, there is no sure-fire prophylaxis. There is no vaccine for scarlet fever. It usually can be successfully treated with antibiotics, as it is bacterial. Dealing with a virus can be trickier.

Over time, maybe we'll just get used to living with this threat. I expect to be wearing masks in the winter for the rest of my life.

[divine1966]

Oh yeah all these scary things. We had outbreak of diphtheria in the mid 1990s. 1994 I think? Dang it was scary. We had to do some kind of booster vaccine, not sure what it was. I remember vaccine got me really sick. My grandpa’s brother died of diphtheria right before WW2 contracting it from a patient, he was a doctor. Who’d think we’d have it come around at the end of 20th century! Yes I remember we had some cases of scarlet fever too. And we all had mumps, we had no vaccine for it. I remember when I had it. It’s not deadly but still dangerous. Amazing how medicine is evolving.

So I guess it’s a positive that nowadays we have ways to make diseases manageable and many of them preventable. Guess it could be worse. Hang in there everybody. Hopefully better times are ahead of us

[Mountaindewed]

I think it will be with us for a long time but not as bad. I have heard the Johnson and Johnson vaccine will really help with things. And yes we will need to get shots every year but we do that with the flu shot too. Masks may be a thing for a long time. Especially on airplanes and at concerts and other large events. But people in parts of the world have been wearing masks for a long time. I do think things will get better. I really do. I try not to watch a lot of the news or read it much.

[divine1966]

I heard Johnson and Johnson is not as effective. Not sure who to believe.

My daughter just had 1st doze of astra zenica, totally by accident, there was a leftover and a slot available in her GP’s clinic at the end of the day and he called his patients who can show up regardless of age, he had to fill in the slot and give it to someone. They said second dose might be as long as 3 months after first one. Weird. I thought it’s not more than a month

I think problem and a huge source of stress and anxiety is lack of information or conflicting information. Lack of clarity on all fronts is bothersome.

I agree with mountaindewed about not watching news as it’s upsetting. But then not knowing what’s going on is upsetting too

[rechu]

I'd take Johnson & Johnson any day over the crap they are pushing on us here. Unfortunately the negotiations between my government and J&J are currently stalled.

The J&J trials show less efficacy than Moderna and Pfizer, but I have read that part of that may be due because it was trialed when the new variants were already appearing. That wasn't the case with the first vaccines to be approved.

Very true your point about conflicting information. Our government is constantly flip flopping on Covid policies and it just breeds confusion and eventually distrust.

[Rose76]

The coronavirus is here to stay — here’s what that means

Here's a recent article that talks about the staying power of COVID - 19.

[divine1966]

Originally Posted by Rose76

The coronavirus is here to stay — here’s what that means

Here's a recent article that talks about the staying power of COVID - 19.

That kind of makes sense. Flu never went away but we don’t live in constant fear of it because it’s mostly manageable. I mean it’s still risky but we learn to adapt. It’s possible same will happen with covid

[Rose76]

Yes, some researchers expect COVID19 may evolve into something less threatening that what it is now. Some say that could take "decades." For now, COVID is still scarey. Plenty of not-very-old, otherwise healthy people have died from it . . . and are in ICUs, dying, as we speak. I go to the stores for groceries, but that's it. I'm afraid to even go get my hair cut.

The stress of isolation is really getting to me. I guess I could just decide to allow myself a bit more risk taking. Fear stops me.

Maybe, by April, a lot more people will be vaccinated, and the sickness rate may go down significantly. So maybe I just can do what I'm doing for another month and then loosen up a bit.

A friend of mine, who lives alone, tells me that she has felt kind of bad that I don't let her visit me or go anywhere with her. When I shop, I ask if she needs anything. If she does, I drop it off at her door. I say hello, and I leave right away. She now understands I'm just being cautious. We chat a few times a week on the phone. I chat with close relatives on the phone. But it's not enough contact. I'm getting depressed in a listless kind of way. It's getting to where I feel this is very unhealthy. I should go walking for exercise, but I don't. It's too boring. I had gone to a gym with another friend many months ago, but I decided that was too risky. Recently it was in the news about a COVID outbreak at some gym. I feel like I'll start cracking up soon, if I don't find a meaningful way to connect with the world outside my apartment. I don't know what to do.

[hvert]

I felt like I was going crazy after staying at home for the past year with very little human interaction. Cabin fever combined with pandemic fatigue got to me. I signed up for an in person art class. If people can spend all day working with the public without catching it, then a three hour class probably won't kill me. I am in my 40s so not at high risk of dying but I worry about long term effects or giving it to my husband who is more at risk. Everyone in the class has a mask but people stand closer than six feet. We're not doing anything that makes us breathe heavy so hopefully it will be okay.


I also struggle with knowing where to draw the lines. Someone invited me to their house for tea and I said no, I was only meeting outdoors. Am I overcautious? I'm also cutting my own hair and have not eaten at a restaurant since last January. It is hard to imagine going out to eat ever again.

I have been wondering lately what price we have paid for all of these lock downs. Drug overdoses have skyrocketed where I live. At the same time, I am annoyed to see the state rolling back all the restrictions before everyone is vaccinated. The younger generation just seems to get shafted whichever way they turn.

[Rose76]

Yes, hvert, we do some things not because it's completely safe, but because we may need to take on some risk, if we want to maintain our sanity. Your art class is a calculated risk. The governments role through the CDC is going to evolve away from giving us stern directives on what to do and not do. It will move more toward helping us appreciate risk and using our own risk analysis to make decisions. Risks should not be exaggerated, but neither should we blow off the risk that is inherent in all social contact.

A thing that really concerns me is the longterm damage to lung tissue that this virus seems to do. They are finding evidence that a large number of COVID survivors have that damage. Imagine not smoking all your life and then, after a bout of COVID, finding out that your lungs are as messed up as if you had been a heavy smoker for years. You may not have died of COVID, but your life expectancy is probably shortened. Also your stamina probably never goes back to what it was, which diminishes the quality of life you'll experience, after a bout of COVID. I don't think they are highlighting those realities enough.

[rechu]

@Rose76 - I was reading an article that some of the long Covid symptoms are showing up in people that tested positive and were asymptomatic while positive. In some cases, it happens a few months later - brain fog, extreme fatigue, respiratory problems. There is so much we don't know. It's scary.

[AzulOscuro]

I’ve being going through a hard depression during last year and of course, the thing that it’s happening with covid-19 had a lot to do with my breakdown.
I’m not particularly worried about accomplish distance security measures since I tend to relate to very few people. But in the same as you, I’m worry about that in the future we will go on having this virus in our lives and have to vaccinate every year. I’m scared of it mutating into more dangerous types, tbh.

[RoxanneToto]

I’ve had my first vaccination, but I’m still nervous when I go to shops, especially when people don’t respect social distancing. How hard is it, really, to stand 2 meters from the person in front for a few minutes?? I only go when I need something, or I’m getting something for residents at work - and I know which shops are relatively “safe” for me (e.g. never seem to have many customers in at once). But it still leaves me feeling on edge at times.
I’m also worried about how the virus might evolve in future, hopefully it will be like flu and become more manageable.
I honestly wonder how anyone can think it’s a hoax? If there wasn’t anything happening... what else, or who, has convinced so many countries to go into lockdown at around the same time, and basically torpedo their own economies?

[AzulOscuro]

I guess people who thinks it’s a hoax it’s because they think it all began on purpose, not because they deny there are people dying or having a hard time.

You know conspiracy theories as always. I don’t buy them though.

[Nammu]

My nervousness is actually increasing because of all the states that have prematurely dropped mask requirements and opened up 100%. the variants are out there and more virulent than ever. It’s going to be some time before the general population can get vaccinated. It’s like the last act of a horror film. There’s a bit of cooling off, relaxing but the killer is still out there. The cops got the wrong person.

....cue music

[Rose76]

The posts here show me that some in the American population do fully appreciate the extent of the threat COVID poses. I don't think we are being alarmists. We expect the threat to diminish eventually, but we foresee that we will continue to be threatened at some level way into the future. We see that states may be exacerbating the threat by ending precautions too soon. We know lots of our fellow citizens would like to believe what they want to believe. That's unsafe for everyone.

A lady at a grocery store got talking to me the other day. Her mask was around her neck. She said that "masks don't work." She further said that these COVID precautions are just an attempt to convert our nation into a "socialist" country. She didn't make a lot of sense. We started off talking about how Walmart is pushing it's own store brand and offering less name brand product on shelves. She said that was all part of turning our country "socialist."

Obviously, she has no idea what socialism is. Apparently, she equates any trend she doesn't like with socialism. I wish I had asked her where she gets her information from. She seemed to be parroting off stuff that had been fed to her. She seemed to have no capacity for thinking for herself. It reminded me of how the capital rioters sounded. There are an awful lot of Americans on that wavelength. We are really in a war against ignorance. I think we're losing this war. We're losing it in Texas. What's scarey to me is that my health is being threatened by other people's ignorance. And we have leaders - like the Texas governor - who want their constituents to be ignorant. You know, like telling them the power failure was due to "windmills freezing up." He darn sure knows better than that. I'm seeing where ignorance is one of the most dangerous things in the world. Furthermore, it's a hard thing to correct. It seems as though the ignorant like being ignorant. You can't tell anything to people who are willfully ignorant.

I guess there's 2 kinds of ignorance: There's innocent ignorance, which can be corrected with information. Then there's this willful ignorance of people who really don't want to know truth. They've invested so heavily in certain beliefs that they can't stand having those dumb ideas challenged.

[Nammu]

Agree 100% Rose. The willful ignorance is going to be the undoing of our democracy. Have lived in Texas for decades I can tell you there’s a lot of people who disagree with those in power but they keep that power by gerrymandering and corruption. Of course I lived in Austin the blue eye of Texas.

It doesn’t help the other countries are pushing disinformation via the internet. Those who are willing to parrot that disinformation are a huge threat.

[divine1966]

There is a huge anti-intellectualism, anti-science, anti-education and anti-logic movement in the US. Just look at the conspiracies blooming. Some of the ignorant beliefs are so bizarre it’s hard to imagine someone could believe such thing.

Yes ignorance is very dangerous. Especially when paired up with anger. And there are always those in power who want to keep general public ignorant and angry.

[AzulOscuro]

Guys, I have even seen in my country a group of covid deniers who counted even with members of the Police.

I think each country has its own bunch of assholes LMAO. Don’t think it’s an idiosyncracy of the States. And you know what happen in these cases, the internet makes easier the transmission of everything, even stupidity.

[Rose76]

I get the impression that these willfully ignorant types are basically unhappy and bored with their own lives. They want to blame someone. They want fellowship with some kind of network. So they hook on to the fringe right. That immediately gives them a sense of belonging. When they get together with others of that ilk, they immediately have something to talk about. They enjoy learning "the talk" of the fringe because it's easy to learn. They want to sound knowledgeable, even though they don't know much about anything.

They have a way of making conversation by just parroting off stuff, which is so much easier than building a knowledge base about anything. Thinking for yourself is actually a lot of work. If you want to hang out with star-gazers, you have to actually learn something about astronomy . . . if you want to join the conversation at the local sky watchers club. That's true of joining most any group with a specialized interest. Such groups are a way to get social gratification, but there are dues to pay. You have to become educated about something. That's too much mental labor for a lot of people. Adopting conspiracy theories is a lazy man's way of having something to talk about. You don't have to engage in any rigorous thinking. In fact, it's preferable that you don't. Leave that to the "intellectuals," whom you prefer to scorn, as divine1966 points out. Such a person is so smart (in their own estimation) that they don't have "study" anything too hard. They're not going to be fooled by any scientists. Remember Sen. Cruz said that the believers in election fraud "know instinctively" that there is something wrong with the election process. That was a very revealing thing for Cruz to say. He lauds those who don't need a bunch of supporting facts, such as the courts require to entertain a challenge to election results. No siree. They are so smart in their "instincts" that they can just smell when something's off. They don't get fooled like the rest of us do by carefully reasoned opinions. They see through all that with their razor sharp minds.

Skepticism is a fundamental virtue of the scientific. They require evidence. The Qanon crowd turns that on it's head. They prefer to be always skeptical of facts, like the historian's claim that about 6 million Jews died in a holocaust. They're not going to be "taken in" by stuff like that. Doubting what is commonly accepted is their badge of being uncommonly smart. They recognize that advanced thinkers often reject common knowledge - like Gallileo rejecting that the world is flat. That's the category they see themselves in. They have found a shortcut to being smart - just reject stuff with no need to prove why. Your fellow members of your cult will congratulate you for it. You just know when stuff is fishy. Of course, what you doubt is always what the cult leaders tell you to doubt. They actually are the consumate followers. We belong to one of the many species in nature where a group derives its cohesiveness by dominant individuals exploiting the reality that an awful lot of people yearn to follow. When those follower types are mentally lazy, they get attracted to a movement that requires little commitment of mental effort. Your fellows in the cult will embrace you for parroting off the easily learned talking points. The lady I met at the store was a dope and very boring to talk with. Still, no doubt, she's got a circle of buddies. This is her solution to her loneliness. The willfully ignorant strike me as trying to remedy the loneliness that comes from not really having much to say, until they get furnished with easy to remember talking points.