There have been a number of conversations recently with friends and colleagues about our level of comfort for the next normal, and it is becoming more apparent that our comfort levels are all based on our own personal experiences. The one thing that has surprised a couple of people is that I have said that I would get on a flight. This sounds crazy from somebody who’s been shielding right? Well, if I break it down, as to how my brain figures out flying is safe, it’s not so nuts.
CEV are told to avoid unvaccinated people, being indoors with a large number of households for prolonged periods of time and to keep breathing as much fresh air as we can.
Looking back, being told that you have to shield and that you can’t even go to Tesco’s certainly does have an impact on how you see the world and how you behave and it has led me to do my own research about what I want to do so I can evaluate how safe it is to do it.
The biggest thing that we are all feeling has been the isolation and loneliness from lockdown’s, shielders’ are no different , in fact we may have had a little bit worse. So we’re all thinking about our mental health and what we want to do now that the rules have been lifted. This is where we have to be sensible and create our own agendas that we are comfortable with.
Would I go into Tesco? (other supermarkets are available)
I was put on the priority delivery list due to being CEV, and still use the home delivery. At a push I will go into a supermarket – I’ll move quickly, I’ll avoid people, I’ll touch only what I’m putting in my basket, and I will get out of there. This is the because I don’t know who else is in the store with me, nobody checks into a supermarket with their App, so there is no traceability, and quite frankly I really don’t like shopping ha ha ha.
Would I go into a gas station?
Well I’ve managed to avoid this for ages but the other day I just was not going to be able to coast home so I did fill the car up, pop my mask on and went in to pay. I followed the traffic light system into the store, unlike a couple who walked in when it was red, neither of them masked [before the 19th of July] and when stood in the queue one of them was about 30 centimetres behind me and coughing all over my back … I can control myself but I simply cannot control other people. *shudders*
Will I go back to the office?
I will, but I will not lie, I am a little nervous about this. The main risks with COVID and transmission involve the duration of time that you are around people and being indoors. So if I have whizzed around Tesco, or popped in to the gas station, or met up with a group of double vaxxed friends I’ve been managing my risk. Going back to the office means I’m with people for chunks of time, but atleast in the office there is traceability with the app and from simply knowing who is there in the room. We are starting off slowly and we have lots of office protocol to ensure the safety of everybody which is fantastic, however I am still nervous so have had honest chats with my boss who is going above and beyond, and suspect I will keep my temporary walling up for quite some time (I may even make like a teenager and put posters up to brighten it up ha!)
Would I go to a hotel?
Yes. Mainly because once in a hotel , or self catering accommodation, your room is your own. If you go to a hotel simply use the do not disturb sign and ask that there are no room cleans during your stay. This ensures that it is only you and your immediate party in the room. When moving about the hotel you’re likely to be passing people, again this reduces any transmission risk. Plus go somewhere super exciting with lots of outdoors that you can enjoy. We went up to the Lake District and stayed in self catering accommodation, and we walked and walked and walked… We barely saw a soul on our travels and absolutely loved it. The only time we saw people in larger numbers was when we stopped off to grab some fish and chips on the beach on the way home in Blackpool. It was June and still quite busy, busier than we expected. Walking on the promenade, with lots of fresh air, we both wore masks. I have no issue wearing a mask, it is of no hardship to me, and if it helps others and helps myself I am definitely a pro masker.
Would I get a tattoo?
Ha ha ha I put this one in because somebody spoke to me about this the other day. They couldn’t figure out why I would not hug people but I would get a tattoo. Mainly my concerns around hugs have been about having close face to face contact and my brain “sees” the breath lingering around heads and shoulders once you’ve had a hug. And if you’re hugging somebody you’re likely very good friends so you’re in close proximity, so I would rather be in close proximity to somebody for two hours and keep my 2 metre distance than have a quick hug and then feel like I need to back off and go and have a shower or that I’d put them at risk. A tattoo parlour on the other hand is incredibly clean, both parties were wearing masks and face protection, (the tattooist had a full shield on), and I was able to face the other way with the windows open for 10 to 15 minutes.
Would I have people over to stay?
Yes, but I would ask you to do a test, even if double vaccinated. The one thing the UK has managed to excel at is our vaccine roll out and the opportunity to do two tests a week from home. This has been an absolute game changer for us, it means that we feel more confident seeing people knowing that we can test and know where we are, and for them to test and know where they are.
Whenever we have gone to see people since home kits were made available, and let’s be honest it’s not been that many people at this stage, we’ve always done a test the night before and I cannot see why I would not continue to do this. If you do want to come over and stay, and this was the hard bit, I needed to feel like I could trust people had been safe, so we just didn’t bother. Everybody’s entitled to do whatever they want, especially now that the rules have been lifted, and I don’t judge anybody for what they do, however I do have to be sensible and think how comfortable am I, and what is the risk that there may be some nasty COVID lurking. Enter the home tests… total game changer! I don’t go far and still do them twice a week!
The husbands boss is in hospital with COVID, he was shielding like me, he has taken every precaution he can like me, he knew that being double vaccinated meant that if he did get sick it would likely be mild. But it isn’t and he is really poorly and this scares the life out of me.
Would I fly?
Yes.
I know…but think about it, it is SO safe to fly nowadays!
I would go on holiday if it meant I was driving somewhere, or flying. I would avoid the use of trains. Flying during COVID is actually much safer than any other form of public transport mainly down to the fact that the air is so clean with over 99% of COVID particles being eradicated every 3 minutes. I did a little video of the flights we took last year, and this was pre vaccine.
Anybody in an airport these days getting onto a plane will either be double vaccinated or have a negative PCR test which is much more reliable than a home test. All of the staff in an airport have to be double vaccinated or negative. So you’re in a pretty safe area and moving through all wearing masks. I think it’s brilliant that our airports and main airlines have chosen to keep mask wearing, it makes such a difference. When on a flight you are all facing the same way, you are all traceable, and transmission is massively controlled with the air system on a plane. Depending on where you go to obviously depends on your plans… We have some DIY to do to a property that we rent out in the Balearics, so if we’re not inside doing that will actually be outside in the fresh air , or under the sea , pretty low risk of covert there.
I wrote this blog about our flying experience last year, it can only be safer this year! Flying in a COVID world
We will have to balance what we think is safe with what we want to do and we have been kept isolated for so long that finally we are all talking about our mental health. For our own mental health we need to make plans but we are looking forward to. We are inherently social creatures and we have missed out so much during this pandemic. We can only make the decisions that are right for us, and we cannot judge other people for what they do or they do not do.
So if I don’t come for dinner with you and 15 other people, don’t take it personally I’m just mitigating my risk. If I get on a plane for 2 hours I’ve calculated the risks as much as someone who goes to a festival with thousands of other people – I wish you the best of times and send me pictures because you need fun and to do what is right for you and you will have done your own risk assessment, and goodness knows we NEED TO SMILE!
So let’s hope the sun peeks out again and we can all spend time outside in the fresh air (or at the least with the windows open) with those we love with those who make us laugh with those who make our heart feel happy
Good luck and count down to having a Christmas this year!
Dx
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