How has COVID-19 affected you personally?

[Andrew Swales]

Research I have seen seems to indicate the actual time in the air is reasonably safe. This appears to be because of the design of the ventilation systems of modern jet aircraft. Time in airports less so, but as has been said, probably safer than your average supermarket. I actually think an aircraft would be safer than a ferry.

Research by whom - the aircraft or tourism industries..? The ventilation systems of modern aircraft can filter out much, but this requires fresh air which is very cold. Whilst theoretically possible, in practice cabin air is re-circulated to save energy and costs. How else can they offer a ticket to Europe for less than £20?
I strongly disagree ref the aircraft/ferry comparison. An air-flight to Europe from the UK would involve a flight of around an hour of very close confinement with hundreds of strangers, but half a day queueing and jostling in crowded indoor departure/arrival buildings. The same journey by ferry and road would probably take longer, but most of it, including the departure/passport/ticket/queueing would be done in the privacy of your own car, and the crossing itself could be outdoors on the deck in the open. I cannot see how the latter is possibly less safe than the former.

The real question is whether your intended destination wants to let you in. You would have absolutely no chance of going to Australia, for instance. That will continue to be an issue until the effectiveness of vaccines is established and a vaccine passport implemented. Qantas plans to restart international flights in late October, which in my mind is a reasonable indicator.

Absolutely, and I think given the variation in Europe, the list would be longer than just Australia.
European countries have been shown to be very quick to abandon the central principle of free movement of goods and people, and slap movement restrictions on their own borders.

 

[Andrew Swales]

My feeling is that I feel much more likely to pick something up from each hour I spend in the supermarket with hundreds of different people moving about and crossing each other's paths at close range than from the same theoretical hour sat on a plane (or indeed, sat at separate tables in a pub/restaurant) with the same few people in 'range' and with far more strongly policed (and policeable) rules. Planes (and airports) themselves certainly don't concern me more than any other public venue.

They would me...!
The big difference is that all of the people you are mixing with in the pub or the supermarket are at least likely to be locals, and you will personally be able to control your social distancing.
On an aeroplane you cant, and the people you are forced to mix with (both in the air and on the ground) are from anywhere in the World, literally.

 

[Maguari]

This is very dependent on stupidly low (and un-sustainable) international flight prices.
How can it cost less than £20 to fly to Spain, yet it costs £120 to fill up my car..?

Partly, I guess, because a car doesn't carry 200 people each paying £20 - but still, yes, you're not wrong. The low price of short-haul flights has always felt unsustainable to me, but it has weathered every storm so far - we'll see if it weathers this one. Anyone who's ever tried to book short notice, however, will find certain flights in particular rocket to ten times the price for the last few seats - I suspect that the business model depends on the poor sods with no choice but to book those few expensive seats heavily subsidising everyone else so the airline can have cheap headline (i.e. early booking, non-refundable) prices.

They would me...!
The big difference is that all of the people you are mixing with in the pub or the supermarket are at least likely to be locals, and you will personally be able to control your social distancing.
On an aeroplane you cant, and the people you are forced to mix with (both in the air and on the ground) are from anywhere in the World, literally.

But once in an aeroplane you're not facing anyone face to face at all for the time you're on there, and mask use can be strictly regulated - and the air replacement is far more efficient than in a shop. Plus people are far more accepting of ID and conditions of travel at an airport than they will be for (say) vaccine passports for the pub (which I suspect is a dead-in-the-water idea as a compulsory measure, given the across-the-spectrum distaste among MPs), so it would be possible to require vaccination or a negative test to fly. Neither is a guarantee of safety of course, but 100% safety isn't a thing anyway. Some of it will always be what personally makes you feel safe though - to me, even a slightly higher density of people literally strapped down in forward-facing seats that rise above face-height feels safer than a chaos of people milling about trying to pick things up from in front of each other.

The only major mark against planes for infection to my mind is, as you, say, that you're mixing with people from further away, and even that is really an uncontrollable unknown, not an automatic higher risk - that is, I think it probably has a greater effect on whether you feel safe than on whether you actually are safe.

All that said, I definitely agree that I would feel the ferry was 'safer' than a plane, particularly for a daytime crossing where you can just hang out on the deck all the way if you choose. The 'going back to your car' bit would be pretty unpleasant though, I suspect, but probably no more than the departure gate of an airport.

(My comments, for clarity, assume that vaccination programmes keep going at at least their current rate, so that by midsummer the countries we're talking about have decent levels of their population vaccinated and we have basically every adult done with at least one dose our side)


As a complete aside, the one change for the worse I've noticed since the vaccination programme here took off is that social distancing in supermarkets has definitely deteriorated the last month or so! My mum suggested it was the fault of "older people who haven't been in there for a year, haven't learnt the new etiquette, and are fearless because they've had the vaccine"..! I couldn't possibly comment...

 

[Andrew Swales]

Partly, I guess, because a car doesn't carry 200 people each paying £20 - but still, yes, you're not wrong. The low price of short-haul flights has always felt unsustainable to me, but it has weathered every storm so far - we'll see if it weathers this one. Anyone who's ever tried to book short notice, however, will find certain flights in particular rocket to ten times the price for the last few seats - I suspect that the business model depends on the poor sods with no choice but to book those few expensive seats heavily subsidising everyone else so the airline can have cheap headline (i.e. early booking, non-refundable) prices.

I'm sure you're right, ref the business model.
I have never used them, but wonder if either the prices are a 'come-on' which evaporates at or before checkout, or compulsory extras are added later (?). There have been a stream of budget airlines from Freddie Laker onwards, many/most of which have not been sustainable in their own right. But they are indirectly and unfairly subsidised by lack of taxation on airline fuel.

But once in an aeroplane you're not facing anyone face to face at all for the time you're on there, and mask use can be strictly regulated - and the air replacement is far more efficient than in a shop. Plus people are far more accepting of ID and conditions of travel at an airport than they will be for (say) vaccine passports for the pub (which I suspect is a dead-in-the-water idea as a compulsory measure, given the across-the-spectrum distaste among MPs), so it would be possible to require vaccination or a negative test to fly. Neither is a guarantee of safety of course, but 100% safety isn't a thing anyway. Some of it will always be what personally makes you feel safe though - to me, even a slightly higher density of people literally strapped down in forward-facing seats that rise above face-height feels safer than a chaos of people milling about trying to pick things up from in front of each other.

The only major mark against planes for infection to my mind is, as you, say, that you're mixing with people from further away, and even that is really an uncontrollable unknown, not an automatic higher risk - that is, I think it probably has a greater effect on whether you feel safe than on whether you actually are safe.

All that said, I definitely agree that I would feel the ferry was 'safer' than a plane, particularly for a daytime crossing where you can just hang out on the deck all the way if you choose. The 'going back to your car' bit would be pretty unpleasant though, I suspect, but probably no more than the departure gate of an airport.

(My comments, for clarity, assume that vaccination programmes keep going at at least their current rate, so that by midsummer the countries we're talking about have decent levels of their population vaccinated and we have basically every adult done with at least one dose our side)


As a complete aside, the one change for the worse I've noticed since the vaccination programme here took off is that social distancing in supermarkets has definitely deteriorated the last month or so! My mum suggested it was the fault of "older people who haven't been in there for a year, haven't learnt the new etiquette, and are fearless because they've had the vaccine"..! I couldn't possibly comment...

Mmmm....
My personal problem with aeroplanes, the sense of claustrophobia and lack of personal control perhaps colours my opinion. Ferries are (just about) tolerable, just about...
The point about what feels safe, as opposed to what is physically safe is very valid, I'm sure.
I'll take your word for the supermarket behaviour as I'm no expert. Certainly this lockdown has been nothing like the first; roads are busy, town centres full of people. Whole sectors of society ignore it, which leads to (largely big city based) hot-spots.
Presumably the vaccination programme must be beginning to keep a lid on it, otherwise given behaviour the figures would be out of control again.
Come 12th April we should (hopefully) be able to make some direct and informed comparisons!

 

[Maguari]

I'm sure you're right, ref the business model.
I have never used them, but wonder if either the prices are a 'come-on' which evaporates at or before checkout, or compulsory extras are added later (?). There have been a stream of budget airlines from Freddie Laker onwards, many/most of which have not been sustainable in their own right. But they are indirectly and unfairly subsidised by lack of taxation on airline fuel.

Oh, there are always extras (if you plan on travelling with anything larger than a laptop case, anyway!). They tend to be officially optional, but they increasingly include quite basic things like even a carry-on bag big enough for a couple of changes of clothes.

I'll take your word for the supermarket behaviour as I'm no expert. Certainly this lockdown has been nothing like the first; roads are busy, town centres full of people. Whole sectors of society ignore it, which leads to (largely big city based) hot-spots.

Some of it's ignoring, undoubtedly; some of it's just that more things kept going this time because they had had time to work out ways to operate.

At my work our customers are mostly retail and hospitality chains - in the first lockdown everything that wasn't on the 'essential' list (supermarkets, banks, pet shops etc) immediately shut down completely because the rules were strict and no-one had alternative processes ready. As lockdown went on, restaurants started to be able to open takeaway, delivery, and drive through, and shops started to be able to open for click-and-collect (not too tricky - basically set up a desk at or just outside the entrance and send someone inside for stuff you've ordered online when you come for it). When lockdowns 2 and 3 came along these things stayed permitted and so a lot more of our customers have been trading to some degree - fast food, clothes stores etc may not be open for eat in or for browsing, but there are often staff in the stores and you can go and pick things up there. This is turn has kept their suppliers like us more busy than the first time - before the store was effectively mothballed for months - this time it's got humans in it who want things working. This will be some of the traffic you're seeing - more shop and restaurant staff going in, more customers on the way to pick things up, more suppliers making deliveries. Lockdown is a blunt instrument and Lockdown 1 was the bluntest of all - the later ones have been a a bit more nuanced to let a few more things keep going.

Now, you can make a moral argument that just because they can open click-and-collect that doesn't mean they should or they have to, but frankly with such limited trading these last 12 months it's hard to blame any business for doing it if they can make it pay.

 

[MRJ]

Research by whom - the aircraft or tourism industries..? The ventilation systems of modern aircraft can filter out much, but this requires fresh air which is very cold. Whilst theoretically possible, in practice cabin air is re-circulated to save energy and costs. How else can they offer a ticket to Europe for less than £20?
I strongly disagree ref the aircraft/ferry comparison. An air-flight to Europe from the UK would involve a flight of around an hour of very close confinement with hundreds of strangers, but half a day queueing and jostling in crowded indoor departure/arrival buildings. The same journey by ferry and road would probably take longer, but most of it, including the departure/passport/ticket/queueing would be done in the privacy of your own car, and the crossing itself could be outdoors on the deck in the open. I cannot see how the latter is possibly less safe than the former.

Absolutely, and I think given the variation in Europe, the list would be longer than just Australia.
European countries have been shown to be very quick to abandon the central principle of free movement of goods and people, and slap movement restrictions on their own borders.

I think perhaps your expressed dislike for air travel is reflected in this post. The research I've seen shows no recorded transmission of COVID aboard jet airliners. As I understand it an aircraft ventilation system pushes air down from the ceiling and then it recycles through the floor. Droplets containing the virus are effectively pushed to the feet of the person expelling them. This is aided by the fact most people in the plane are sitting quietly and are not engaged in activities like singing, which is a huge spreader (why church services have proved to be major spreading events), Likewise fans in restaurants that push air across a room aid spreading even in "socially distanced" facilities. Droplets that make it into the plane ventilation system then go through biological scrubbers that destroy the virus. But as you and I have both said, airports are a potential danger.

I'd agree that a car trip followed by a short ferry trip, especially if spent on deck, would be a minimal danger. I was thinking more of the terrible mess on cruise ships at the beginning of all this.

I don't want to appear argumentative on this, however I guess my business is a lot more dependent on international tourism than yours is, so I do follow all of this very closely.

 

[MRJ]

Australia is in a stronger position to limit international travel, physically at least; but economically it is as dependent on the foreign tourist dollar as most, and more so than many, other countries.


This is all very true.


This is very dependent on stupidly low (and un-sustainable) international flight prices.
How can it cost less than £20 to fly to Spain, yet it costs £120 to fill up my car..?



Given the variation in the way the disease is being handled country by country, I would not be so sure...

What interested me was how little closure of borders there appeared to be in Europe. It seemed to me that whatever gains occurred in one place were soon overcome by transmission from somewhere else. In Australia there extended border closures between states, which successfully kept the virus out of most vulnerable Aboriginal communities, for instance. In fact there was a border closure last week when there was a community outbreak in Brisbane. People arriving in Melbourne from Brisbane were hauled off to quarantine hotel. Last year, Melbourne was effectively sealed off the rural and provincial areas of Victoria for almost three months, and kept in constant lockdown during this time. Before you say that is easy for you because of population size, Melbourne is a city of 5 million people with a metro area greater than London.

Re flight costs I have no idea how the economics work but for myself I can't stand low cost airlines and avoid them whenever I can.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Pre Covid, mainland Europe had become very used to being 'borderless' - a line on a map and a sign saying 'Douane' was about all you see at speed from your car window.
From what my kids tell me, state borders in Aus are much more heavily controlled in 'normal' times, especially for anything agricultural? The EU was well on its way to forming a United States of Europe (referring to countries as states' in fact) under the central ethos of free movement of goods and people. So I think Australians will be much more used to border controls that Europeans, save those of us old enough to remember what it was like pre-EU.

 

[Andrew Swales]

Oh, there are always extras (if you plan on travelling with anything larger than a laptop case, anyway!). They tend to be officially optional, but they increasingly include quite basic things like even a carry-on bag big enough for a couple of changes of clothes.



Some of it's ignoring, undoubtedly; some of it's just that more things kept going this time because they had had time to work out ways to operate.

At my work our customers are mostly retail and hospitality chains - in the first lockdown everything that wasn't on the 'essential' list (supermarkets, banks, pet shops etc) immediately shut down completely because the rules were strict and no-one had alternative processes ready. As lockdown went on, restaurants started to be able to open takeaway, delivery, and drive through, and shops started to be able to open for click-and-collect (not too tricky - basically set up a desk at or just outside the entrance and send someone inside for stuff you've ordered online when you come for it). When lockdowns 2 and 3 came along these things stayed permitted and so a lot more of our customers have been trading to some degree - fast food, clothes stores etc may not be open for eat in or for browsing, but there are often staff in the stores and you can go and pick things up there. This is turn has kept their suppliers like us more busy than the first time - before the store was effectively mothballed for months - this time it's got humans in it who want things working. This will be some of the traffic you're seeing - more shop and restaurant staff going in, more customers on the way to pick things up, more suppliers making deliveries. Lockdown is a blunt instrument and Lockdown 1 was the bluntest of all - the later ones have been a a bit more nuanced to let a few more things keep going.

Now, you can make a moral argument that just because they can open click-and-collect that doesn't mean they should or they have to, but frankly with such limited trading these last 12 months it's hard to blame any business for doing it if they can make it pay.

To briefly follow up on his subject. Today was a glorious Easter Sunday, 20 C and unbroken sunshine from an unbroken blue sky. We spent much of the day dealing with a continuous stream of cars arriving expecting we were open. Of the four I dealt with personally, the two who engaged' in conversation (at a suitable distance through a car window) on being told the Country was in Covid lockdown, both independently answered
'Is it? - we didn't know...'

 

[Maguari]

To briefly follow op on his subject. Today was a glorious Easter Sunday, 20 C and unbroken sunshine from an unbroken blue sky. We spent much of the day dealing with a continuous stream of cars arriving expecting we were open. Of the four I dealt with personally, the two who engaged' in conversation (at a suitable distance through a car window) on being told the Country was in Covid lockdown, both independently answered
'Is it? - we didn't know...'

Wow. To be fair, that is a genuinely impressive level of separation from reality..!

It was a lovely day here too. Would have been a perfect day for places like yours to be open.

 

[Andrew Swales]

I think perhaps your expressed dislike for air travel is reflected in this post. The research I've seen shows no recorded transmission of COVID aboard jet airliners. As I understand it an aircraft ventilation system pushes air down from the ceiling and then it recycles through the floor. Droplets containing the virus are effectively pushed to the feet of the person expelling them. This is aided by the fact most people in the plane are sitting quietly and are not engaged in activities like singing, which is a huge spreader (why church services have proved to be major spreading events), Likewise fans in restaurants that push air across a room aid spreading even in "socially distanced" facilities. Droplets that make it into the plane ventilation system then go through biological scrubbers that destroy the virus. But as you and I have both said, airports are a potential danger.

I'd agree that a car trip followed by a short ferry trip, especially if spent on deck, would be a minimal danger. I was thinking more of the terrible mess on cruise ships at the beginning of all this.

I don't want to appear argumentative on this, however I guess my business is a lot more dependent on international tourism than yours is, so I do follow all of this very closely.

Another Mmm... I'm afraid.
Just because a business does not depend on a certain sector does not prevent one from taking an active interest in it.
However much you defend air-travel our experience is the opposite. Several of our staff, friends and family are (were) regular long-distance travellers on a variety of major air-lines, to countries as far afield as the US, Chile, China and Australia. It has become a standing joke that a few days after arriving back almost everyone will come down with something contracted on the plane. I asked today at coffee-break and no-one could remember a medium to long haul trip when someone did not return with some type of virus.
Whilst I dont doubt that what you say is theoretically true, the reality is often different.
I could go on to add that you would be likely to put a positive 'spin' on this as your business is more dependent on this sector than mine is, but I wont...

 

[MRJ]

Pre Covid, mainland Europe had become very used to being 'borderless' - a line on a map and a sign saying 'Douane' was about all you see at speed from your car window.
From what my kids tell me, state borders in Aus are much more heavily controlled in 'normal' times, especially for anything agricultural? The EU was well on its way to forming a United States of Europe (referring to countries as states' in fact) under the central ethos of free movement of goods and people. So I think Australians will be much more used to border controls that Europeans, save those of us old enough to remember what it was like pre-EU.

Not really. A polite request to “bin” any fruit you are carrying against police roadblocks, permits and 14 day quarantine periods. Maybe Australia and New Zealand are the only democracies with the social cohesion that allows them to carry out such measures. Actually thinking about it, it is possibly because Australians are used to personally responding to natural disasters so doing what is needed is not an alien concept.

 

[MRJ]

Whilst I dont doubt that what you say is theoretically true, the reality is often different.
I could go on to add that you would be likely to put a positive 'spin' on this as your business is more dependent on this sector than mine is, but I wont...

And yet I think you just did...

Nice antidotal accounts. You don't think perhaps factors like jetlag exaggerated minor colds etc. that could have been picked up anywhere?

Actually as far as our business goes it would be great if everybody just stopped flying round the country for their holidays. Melbourne looses out when it comes to interstate tourism and in any case visiting wildlife parks is something people tend to do when at home not when interstate on holidays (at least not in Melbourne).

Far more important to us is the international market, and that won't open until most people in this country are vaccinated. Even then anybody coming from overseas will have to be vaccinated, so the progress of vaccination programs is of far more interest to me. The UK seems to be doing well on that front, so congratulations.

 

[Julio C Castro]

I truly hope you all are faring better now compared to last year or even the beginning of the year. I’m sorry for posting again but this the closest community of people I know and I always like engaging on here. I mentioned before that one of my family members hasn’t been doing well with complications from COVID and been informed that for the past few weeks a few more elderly members are also experiencing such horrible symptoms on top of their current illnesses.

My most sick family member hasn’t had any consciousness for the past 3 months, need to be intubated through tracheotomy as my dad was told by my cousins. My cousins have had the talk with the doctors about what to do with her regarding her status and want to continue to hold out hope. While my dad, who’s sibling is the sick person, is acting tough, I can see the anxiety build in him and truly have sadness and fear. I know the machismo is a big part of his culture especially where he grew up in Mexico and very sparring will show emotions other than rage.

He even stopped trying to call my cousins as to not keep pestering them about the status of my aunt and not remind them that she may not make it or are just holding out for a miracle. It’s hard to be there for my dad when he won’t let us try to talk to him seriously and not feel as if it’s not okay to share your emotions. But I do try and I hate even asking him about how my aunt is because I am doing the thing that may bother him the most or just hurt him even more.

My dad is almost immune compromised and had been fortunate to be fully vaccinated, all but my mother are vaccinated in my home and she’s awaiting her turn for the sign up. I know vaccines can be a touchy issue but I do feel that the good of the vaccine outweighs the bad in my opinion and it’s something I try to remind my close family members to do. Coming from a rural Mexican family background, trust in medicine or doctors is not something that mixes well with my family despite having many illnesses that need medical attention.

If any of you ever need someone to vent to, talk about anything, or just need a buddy, please feel free to message me. I may not be the best speaker but promise to listen to you and do all I can to comprehend your situation. No one should have to feel like an island all to themselves and know that we all have a purpose on this planet. Please take care of yourselves and I wish you all the strength and perseverance to push on through the dark times.

 

[Arizona Docent]

A new article provides welcome news for Americans like me who already have already booked a plane ticket to Europe (mine is for September). The EU is expected to vote tomorrow to approve unrestricted travel for vaccinated Americans (and yes I am vaccinated).
Americans set to learn if they will be allowed to fly to Europe (msn.com)

As for the discussion of safety on a confined airplane, the prices were so low when I bought the sale ticket last October that I was able to upgrade to business class, so my personal concerns are minimal. (I am slightly more concerned about a domestic trip to California next month on Southwest, where I expect full flights in their coach-only cabins).

 

[KevinB]

I apologize if this is inappropriate venting, but I need to get these things off my liver somewhere.

Now that we appear to be heading towards a new phase in the Covid-19 pandemic, if not towards a "post-Covid" era, with ever larger degrees of normalization, I am struggling with dealing again and/or to larger degrees with crowding, noise, people not respecting the remaining Covid-19 rules and in general nuisance behavior. I'm especially having a hard time dealing with crowding and nuisance behavior and noise when it relates to children (i.e. children running around away from their parents) or school groups, and those things have really been upsetting me lately. It seems like the isolation due to Covid has increased my difficulties in dealing with such situations.

I had prevented to have some issues with dealing with certain things again towards the "end" of Covid, but I had not expected it to become so much of a struggle.

During my recent zoo visits I had a couple of "breakdown" moments where I just had to stop and sit down for a bit to calm down and regain my senses, and there were a few incidents where I got angry with and got rather unfriendly towards some people, something which I very much regret doing, but failed to prevent at the time.

I absolutely do not want to give up on visiting zoos as it matters so much to me (I thought about it briefly, but quickly realized I would not be able to cope with it), but this cannot continue because of how it makes me feel and as it could end pretty badly for me, and right now I just don't know what I could or should to do to prevent further incidents and to deal better with nuisances.

I want to give myself more chances with zoo visits, and I have some planned already that I want to go as well as possible, so I have to find some solutions for my struggles as soon as possible.

I will be taking this up with my therapist (whom I am seeing for mental health issues related to autism spectrum disorder), but if anyone has any ideas that could help me, I would welcome them very much.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I apologize if this is inappropriate venting, but I need to get these things off my liver somewhere.

Now that we appear to be heading towards a new phase in the Covid-19 pandemic, if not towards a "post-Covid" era, with ever larger degrees of normalization, I am struggling with dealing again and/or to larger degrees with crowding, noise, people not respecting the remaining Covid-19 rules and in general nuisance behavior. I'm especially having a hard time dealing with crowding and nuisance behavior and noise when it relates to children (i.e. children running around away from their parents) or school groups, and those things have really been upsetting me lately. It seems like the isolation due to Covid has increased my difficulties in dealing with such situations.

I had prevented to have some issues with dealing with certain things again towards the "end" of Covid, but I had not expected it to become so much of a struggle.

During my recent zoo visits I had a couple of "breakdown" moments where I just had to stop and sit down for a bit to calm down and regain my senses, and there were a few incidents where I got angry with and got rather unfriendly towards some people, something which I very much regret doing, but failed to prevent at the time.

I absolutely do not want to give up on visiting zoos as it matters so much to me (I thought about it briefly, but quickly realized I would not be able to cope with it), but this cannot continue because of how it makes me feel and as it could end pretty badly for me, and right now I just don't know what I could or should to do to prevent further incidents and to deal better with nuisances.

I want to give myself more chances with zoo visits, and I have some planned already that I want to go as well as possible, so I have to find some solutions for my struggles as soon as possible.

I will be taking this up with my therapist (whom I am seeing for mental health issues related to autism spectrum disorder), but if anyone has any ideas that could help me, I would welcome them very much.

Well I can't give you any advice about autism as I don't know very much about that condition so it is probably best to discuss that with your therapist.

However, some of the things you are describing sound similar to a generalized social anxiety disorder which is a very complex condition and has a lot of different treatments but this is probably too much to go into in this thread.

I think one thing that could really help you is just having the knowledge that you are not alone in experiencing this and actually a lot of people are currently going through this sort of struggle.

I saw this article a couple of months back that you might find interesting to read :

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/24/awkward-social-pandemic-return/

 

[Zooplantman]

I apologize if this is inappropriate venting, but I need to get these things off my liver somewhere.

Now that we appear to be heading towards a new phase in the Covid-19 pandemic, if not towards a "post-Covid" era, with ever larger degrees of normalization, I am struggling with dealing again and/or to larger degrees with crowding, noise, people not respecting the remaining Covid-19 rules and in general nuisance behavior. I'm especially having a hard time dealing with crowding and nuisance behavior and noise when it relates to children (i.e. children running around away from their parents) or school groups, and those things have really been upsetting me lately. It seems like the isolation due to Covid has increased my difficulties in dealing with such situations.

I had prevented to have some issues with dealing with certain things again towards the "end" of Covid, but I had not expected it to become so much of a struggle.

During my recent zoo visits I had a couple of "breakdown" moments where I just had to stop and sit down for a bit to calm down and regain my senses, and there were a few incidents where I got angry with and got rather unfriendly towards some people, something which I very much regret doing, but failed to prevent at the time.

I absolutely do not want to give up on visiting zoos as it matters so much to me (I thought about it briefly, but quickly realized I would not be able to cope with it), but this cannot continue because of how it makes me feel and as it could end pretty badly for me, and right now I just don't know what I could or should to do to prevent further incidents and to deal better with nuisances.

I want to give myself more chances with zoo visits, and I have some planned already that I want to go as well as possible, so I have to find some solutions for my struggles as soon as possible.

I will be taking this up with my therapist (whom I am seeing for mental health issues related to autism spectrum disorder), but if anyone has any ideas that could help me, I would welcome them very much.

I and many people I know are finding the "return to normal" very disquieting. We seem, here in the USA and in my region where vaccinations approach 70% of adults, to be in a weird gray area of neither here nor there in the pandemic. The return of traffic, commuters, pedestrians without masks feel to me like something from the Twilight Zone show. How are any of us supposed to feel?

Sounds like you are handling your own experience of this exceptionally well.

 

[KevinB]

I and many people I know are finding the "return to normal" very disquieting. We seem, here in the USA and in my region where vaccinations approach 70% of adults, to be in a weird gray area of neither here nor there in the pandemic. The return of traffic, commuters, pedestrians without masks feel to me like something from the Twilight Zone show. How are any of us supposed to feel?

Sounds like you are handling your own experience of this exceptionally well.

I would not call having frustrated/stress breakdowns and incidents of angry yelling at other visitors, then having to sit down as I'm shaking on my legs from stress "handling things well" at all. Especially since I seem to be unable to prevent or control these situations right now.

 

[Zooplantman]

I would not call having frustrated/stress breakdowns and incidents of angry yelling at other visitors, then having to sit down as I'm shaking on my legs from stress "handling things well" at all. Especially since I seem to be unable to prevent or control these situations right now.

OK so you are not one to be a child daycare worker
That doesn't mean you are not handling it well. You recognize when you need to step back, sit down and calm down and you do it. You recognize that it is overwhelming and you are considering moderating your visits. Doing ell is not about perfect composure, especially in 2021. "Doing well" is about not hurting yourself or others.