How are you all dealing with coronavirus and the restrictions... #2

I know everyone is in the same boat, but ocassionally I get the feeling that I'm the only one whose life is completely on hold. I guess part of it is also living alone.

And vaccinations going so slow here, still not knowing when I will get mine. Scared that I will miss out on summer again. That I'll have to spend my birthday stuck here in the city, won't get to go home when I have 2 weeks off. I know it's not the end of the world but.....

I'm exhausted. Still haven't had a good night's sleep in months and not had any time off work besides weekends and bank holidays. I need a break but I can't deal with sitting at home with nothing to do.

Living alone probably does make it worse. I at least have my husband around, but we are not having any picnic here either. I just realized that we recently passed May 16th. May 16th was when lockdown started in my area last year, "just for a short time to flatten the curve of hospital admissions." It lasted 132 days or 4.3 months. Now we are going to hit two months of the second lockdown tomorrow. The Health Ministry has even said things like they know that longer lockdowns lose their efficacy and had indicated that they wouldn't use lockdowns for more than four weeks. They lie. When asked about this in press conferences, they just evade. All they talk about is the successful vaccination campaign, but where are the results? I read a good comment on a news article saying that instead of just repeating numbers, they Health Ministry needs to give us some real answers about why their promised improvements from the vaccinations have yet to be seen, of the serious cases, how many people were fully vaccinated, what vaccine did they receive, etc. The problem is there is no discussion. Reporters sometimes ask in press conferences but are never given straight answers.

Something I have noticed is that the president and Health Minister have stopped with the positive pep talk about herd immunity, light at the end of the tunnel or that we would see improvements in deaths/hospitalizations in late March, early April, mid-April, late April, mid-May etc. Do they no longer believe it or do they realize that no one else believes them? Or maybe it is both. I wonder.

I am sleeping poorly as well. It's part the anxiety from my situation, but also we bought a mattress that didn't turn out to be very good. Then I have a little dog named Helmut that insists on using my shoulder as a pillow. I ordered a mattress topper that is supposed to help with the mattress situation. It's cheaper than replacing the mattress and I don't have to figure out how to dispose of the old one in the middle of lockdown. It arrives tomorrow. I may try a herbal sleep aid again too.

Thanks @rechu it's interesting to read your opinion on the elections - I'm so glad to 'know' you on here!

Well there's a bit of a development here in that our area has been named as one of 5 areas of concern because of the Indian variant. Of all things they have been testing sewage water which is apparently an accurate method of tracing outbreaks. Cases are still low but they've nearly doubled in a week. It really does seem this Indian variant is more contagious and of course we are now socialising more.

One of the outcomes of this is I may get my 2nd vaccine a bit earlier than expected as they want more people fully dosed as quick as possible.

Funnily enough I just read a report saying the 3 month spacing of doses results in a higher level of antibodies rather than the 3 week spacing. But they're now shortening it to 8 weeks because of the new variant.

I really enjoyed my afternoon indoors at my parents house and my niece was there too - they've all been fully vaccinated and my niece had even taken a lateral flow test the night before! So we went maskless which felt good! Tbh I think I'm going to keep it pretty small scale, close family only indoors for quite a while until things are clearer!

Apparently the Indian variant is now also spreading in Germany good news: the third wave seems to be broken. Bad news: Indian variant. It feels like it never ends :/

I read that the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines are also effective against the Indian variant. But what about AZ? Isn't that the most used in the UK?

Sounds like a lovely afternoon!

There's some plans for going back to the office on rotation from July on. But I don't think my company is going to offer vaccinations to its employees (larger companies in Germany will). So I doubt everyone will be vaccinated by then or even have had their first shot.

I think my former company was planning on offering vaccinations to its employees *sigh*

I read that the WHO said all vaccines have an effect against the Indian variant which is good news - although I would imagine it will vary from vaccine to vaccine.

Of the people hospitalised with the Indian variant in the last few weeks, many were either unvaccinated (through choice) or had only 1 dose. Apparently some areas have had many people who did not realise how important it was to return for their 2nd but also of course we have this big 3 month spacing between doses.

Ah that sucks your former employer is offering doses to employees. Hoping you can get yours soon if they are taking priority off. It seems Germany are vaccinating in a very different way to UK. We are still strictly age based, and over 35s only so far. I feel so sorry for the young who are waiting so long.

Do you have to have vaccination before you return to your office?

Things are going “better”. 66 This is the people who died today in Spain because of Covid-19. The lower rate since the pandemia.
All seems good news here today (except for the families of these 66 deceased people, of course) Finally the vaccinations are having the effect on the decrease of numbers at any level: deaths and contagions.

My partner will receive his shot tomorrow evening. I’m so happy for him.

Definitively people who live alone are finding a plus of difficulty along this pandemia. And it’s even worse if you are an avoidant or has social phobia. This leave you few space to count with a certain social net.
That’s the reason why I put this thread here.

It’s obvious that this pandemia have affected much more to some kind of people. First, the elderly ones and then, people who have any kind of mental distress.
I do really can’t figure how my sister and my brother-in-law got to manage with my nephew (who has Asperger’s syndrome) while the lockdown took place.

I remember my sister told me that they went to do a little of exercise by going up and down the block stairs.
I admire them so much for what they have done. I do really admire what parents have done during this pandemia. It’s not easy.

That's some good news, AzulOscuro. The last few days the deaths were low, but that always happens earlier in the week when they report the statistics from the weekend, there's always a bit of a lag with reports. Most people wait until the weekdays to report a death. Today I'd be willing to bet we will hit over 100 again.

I was reading that in the Philippines, the government has told vaccination centers not to announce what vaccine they will be using on a given day. Like here, it's mainly Sinovac. They have gotten some AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna. Anyways, people were flooding the vaccination centers that announced they were giving Pfizer and Moderna. I guess no one there wants Sinovac either!

Well, I guess the government gave up on us. We move out of lockdown to phase 2 on Monday, despite having more active cases now than before lockdown started.

Thanks dear for your concern.
Oh! lol! Is it true? They don’t say the vaccine they are giving to the population? Wow! It’s so unfair and disrespectful.

More active cases, @rechu?

@AzulOscuro - https://twitter.com/CristianGarrid/s...32240037912576

Oh that is good news indeed.

It's only a few states in Germany that have lifted priority so far. Most of them are still going by only priority groups - older people and people with underlying health conditions. But they are planning on ending priority country-wide next month. That would make it free for all. Which brings another issue for my social anxiety if I have to go and call around to try and get an appointment myself, competing with half the city for my vaccination Personally I think it would be much better if they stuck to a time line and sent out invitations to people when it's their turn. Or let people make an appointment online but for now the vaccination centres are still open only to people in priority groups.

There is this stereotype of Germany being super efficient but having lived in this country for almost 9 years now ( has it really been that long??) I can tell you that is very much NOT correct.

I don't think being vaccinated will be a requirement for going back to the office, but apparantly the thinking behind it was that by that time, most people will have had their shots. Gotta admire their optimism Personally I really don't feel like going into the office when we're still having to deal with masks and 1,5 m distance and stickers saying "you can sit here" or big red crosses where you can't sit

They find out when they get to the vaccination center and can refuse if they don't want what is on offer. There were just too many problems with people crowding vaccination centers using Pfizer and Moderna that it won't be announced beforehand.


Here too, the government says you can't pick and choose. You get what is on offer except for certain priority groups that were promised Pfizer. Well, I chose no when they wanted give my Sinovac. Then when I went back there was only Pfizer for first doses .

This isn’t good thinking but I’m worried about getting back to normal. I think it’s just my own anxiety’s and how accustomed I’ve been to staying inside for 15 months. I’m not having anxiety about Covid getting bad, but this back to normalcy is freaking me out a bit and I don’t know how to explain it.

Does anyone else feel scared getting back to normal like this?

I felt a bit strange and still do tbh. I am okay with some things (seeing people I love and trust) but I still don't feel okay with crowds and indoor restaurants or even public transport.

Do you think it's because we got so used to perceiving danger that we are still stuck in that mode?

It helps me to take things at my own pace, no rush, at this time.

Well, I just saw an interview with our mayor. He said that he's been pressuring the Health Ministry for the last few weeks to move us out of lockdown because it was very clear that it wasn't having any effect and they weren't getting enough assistance from the federal government for enforcement. As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

As @Discombobulated said, take little by little. At your own pace.
Changes take a time.
I don’t know how I’m gonna feel or do it. I will tell you when I get vaccinated. But, I guess it will be a process.

What are you more worried about?

Oh yay, another mutation in France! Hope it stays there.

Apparently there's now talk in Germany of reserving the Pfizer vaccin for 12-17 year olds. They'd better not skip out on my age group to give teens priority

I hope they don’t. It would be the last straw.

I also have these moments of doubt. As they are talking now about the researches doing on younger population, I think...hey, don’t forget of me.