The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

monnagran

Don't usually post here, though often read with interest.

I view of recent posts I would like to throw in my twopenneth.
I am certainly in the over 70s group.  In fact I am in the over 80s group....Oh the horror.  I am also supremely healthy and having lived a very full and interesting life don't fancy a slow and undignified decline in the future.  Hence, if it all came to an end tomorrow I wouldn't be unduly upset.
However, I wouldn't dream of trying to find reasons or excuses for not following the government's guidelines.  For myself I am not bothered.  I wouldn't think twice about shopping, seeing my lovely family, walking where and when I pleased, or exercising my right not to be inconvenienced in any way.

BUT, and it is the biggest BUT ever, I would never be able to forgive myself if I, however unwittingly, passed on this horrible virus to someone else.

I suppose in the end it comes down to intelligence, social conscience and your own moral code.

Nargleblast

Absolutely, dandy-candy. We all have the right to choose, but with rights also come responsibilities. We have to make sure whatever we do in exercising our rights does not cause harm to others. That means in this case avoiding contact with other humans outside our homes as much as possible, allowing for the fact that some people still have to go out to work.

littlemoney

The point I was trying to make is that for those of us are following the government guidelines but also live on their own with no family to talk to or anyone even  interested in how they are,  then the  situation is hell. Something which maybe difficult for others not in that situation to fully understand. Hopefully a positive of the current situation it may make those lucky enough to have  a family, who care enough to keep in contact, to appreciate them more.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

FIL (in his 60s) is very against vaccines. Mind you, he also believes that seeing an image or representation of elephants is a curse as some wooden ones in the house made his father too ill to work for years (from symptoms that fit the bill perfectly for Psoriatic Arthritis). He benefits from everybody around him ignoring his magical thinking and getting vaccinated now they are old enough to respond to his 'Do you KNOW what's in those things?' with 'Yes. That's why we have them'. Fortunately, the meningitis outbreak in the village didn't kill his son. It killed his son's best friend, though. 

If he wishes to put his faith in the miraculous powers of bananas and his inherent sense of superiority to anybody else, that's up to him. However, he does not get to endanger anyone who is too young, immunocompromised or is just waiting for their vaccination appointment in the process. Which means he would be refused entry to a number of places - with good reason. He makes a choice to be infected, he doesn't get to choose to infect others.



Anyhow, people like him are becoming useful. The second batch of people to be infected are apparently about to be released - the chosen ones appear to be those who could be in contact with children in Year 5/6, 10 and 12. Six weeks to infect/spread, six weeks where everybody is off school for the summer, already for the peak to be reached before the start of Flu Season.

In baldly practical terms, it's a controlled cull. Exposing some of the herd to the disease, a smaller number of weaker ones get taken out in the process, fewer to deal with later. Or if you don't like that terminology, they've picked who is in the first advance parties into No Man's Land whilst the majority of the troops are still behind the lines. The people who choose not to have vaccines when they are available are comfortably back at HQ, happily declaring that bulletproof vests are a bad idea as they make you die of head shots.

-taff

I think there are lots of initiatives out there for anyone who is lonely. You have to adjust to your circumstances and it also depends on what kind of person you are. If you are happy in your own company, understand technology which invites you to participate, have hobbies, or a pet, or something to occupy your time that doesn't involve watching news all day then you are more likely to cope. You could sit on your doorstep and wave to people [ unless you live in a flat of course]. They could also volunteer their services to help locally, there is always something that anyone can do, everyone has some kind of skill that can be useful.

I'm countering your point by pointing out that there are ways and means of connecting with people and the situation you describe above is something the virus has no bearing on really. If they had contact with other people, not necessarily family before this lockdown, there are ways of connecting with them now.

I remember something I heard, no idea where, but to the effect that as Greek people get older, their social network expands. Here, in the UK, it contracts and that's do to with attitudes. For every lonely person, there's one that has adjusted and taken advantage of everything they possibly can. Lonlieness is not just covid induced.

herlig

It's all relative to a person's expectations and, to a greater extent, their personality.

My thoughts go with the Child Carers, the children and adults locked in with addicts and abusers. Any bit of security and stability has gone for them. If releasing the lockdown slightly means the over 70 and clinically recognised as being vulnerable stay put but children can go to school then I can begin to see that there's a delicate balance at play.  Once we lose sight of the heart wrenching feelings we're all experiencing, selfishness creeps in and that balance starts to tip into winners and losers. Once the human race starts to think they might be on the losing side the thought processes involved in unfairness quickly turn into bitterness and then society is in a whole different ball game. 

The isolation for people living alone must be awful, truly awful if they're used to the outside world being their crux to happiness, but hell? I'd reserve that word for different cross sections of our society. 

greenbee

herlig said:

It's all relative to a person's expectations and, to a greater extent, their personality.

My thoughts go with the Child Carers, the children and adults locked in with addicts and abusers. Any bit of security and stability has gone for them. If releasing the lockdown slightly means the over 70 and clinically recognised as being vulnerable stay put but children can go to school then I can begin to see that there's a delicate balance at play.  Once we lose sight of the heart wrenching feelings we're all experiencing, selfishness creeps in and that balance starts to tip into winners and losers. Once the human race starts to think they might be on the losing side the thought processes involved in unfairness quickly turn into bitterness and then society is in a whole different ball game. 

The isolation for people living alone must be awful, truly awful if they're used to the outside world being their crux to happiness, but hell? I'd reserve that word for different cross sections of our society. 

I've been in isolation since the beginning of March when I developed symptoms. I've had the odd chat with people dropping off supplies, and spoke to the postman on Friday... I'm lucky to still be working, and TBH between that and all the 'extra' phone calls, zoom calls, messages etc I sometimes feel as if I have no time to myself! What quiet time I do have, I'm really appreciating and taking the time to enjoy the garden and deal with small, annoying tasks that have been hanging over me for ages (not that I'm making much progress). As an aside, I'm fit and healthy with no underlying conditions, and although I've had the virus 'mildly' it hasn't been much fun. You might find this worth a read: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/01/lingering-and-painful-long-and-unclear-road-to-coronavirus-recovery-long-lasting-symptoms

My mum has also said that she's finding time just disappears by the time she's had home-school chat with the grandchildren, her friends have rung, her deliveries have been dropped off (and she's sanitised the shopping), friends going for walks have come through the garden to check whether she needs anything and have a chat at a safe distance, the gardener has been and had to be supervised out of the window... She misses family, and company at meals/in the evenings, but is still managing to stay connected.

Si_Clist

Gosh, there's some sensible stuff being talked on here of late - and a welcome paucity of general whinging, misinformation and allusions to conspiracy theories.

Blue_Doggy

The effects of the lockdown/self isolation/solitary confinement, however one prefers to call it, are going to be different for everyone. I have access to technology, which is frequently touted as the solution to loneliness, but in my experience it is a poor substitute. Friends phone, or mostly email, phone is better. I haven’t had a face-to-face conversation since 17th March.

 

I am delighted for those who are enjoying the experience, it would be nice if they could find compassion (I don’t ask for understanding) for those who aren’t. 

 

There are little local groups set up to fetch shopping or whathaveyou, but I’d feel a fraud using them, as there’s nothing wrong with me, and the resource is better kept for those who need it.

[Deleted User]

Glad to see you're back and functioning again Greenbee, been quite a haul for you hasn't it? thank goodness for technology though as without being able to make and take phone calls and use skype and face time it WOULD be a solitary existence and onerous and trying.  We talk to both daughters every day, HWK has a friend in his late 80s down in Hampshire who rings us every day too, usually to tell us where the local traffic queues are or about the weather but he gets a chat and if we don't get a call from him, we ring him to make sure he's OK. We make a point of trying to at least 'see' our nearest neighbours every day and just keep a finger on the local pulse.  Our saving feature as I've said before is being able to get out and walk every day, we do see people when we're out and about but everyone is good about giving space and crossing roads to the other side or finding gaps in hedgerows if it's on a country path but we all speak to each other when we pass, and somehow the world seems a friendlier place than it was when we all had access to each other in unlimited ways.  People in houses we pass will call 'hello' and their dogs get called off if they bark as we pass, it seems to me that we are all a little more aware of other people and are all beginning to value our communities slightly more than we have in the past.