How much back to "pre-COVID normal" are you?

[kenny]

How much back to "pre-COVID normal" are you?

For this poll define "pre-COVID" however you wish.

Feel free to be honest because I've set up this poll so all votes are private.

(Edit: Ignore the 40$ choice . PS poll choices cannot be edited, even before the 45-minute deadline)

 

[Demon]

I voted 90% only because I'm still getting boosters, and because I always check worldometers to keep an eye on what covid stats are in CO.

 

[dk168]

I am still concerned about Covid, as the recent spell of cases in UK highlighted the continual risks of emerging variants of concern etc...

England has confirmed over 50s will be given a 4th dose of vaccine, possibly at the same time as the annual flu jab - one arm flu the other Covid.

People in my social circles have caught it, all fully up to date with their vaccinations.

It is definitely not 100% back to pre-Covid normal!

DK

 

[Begonia]

Not much at all. We rarely get together with folks (and then only outside), don't eat in restaurants or see movies, I'm masking whenever I'm inside and around people, avoid crowds and aren't travelling by plane. The 7th wave is upon us where I live, it's frightening as h*ll. No back to normal, rather a new reality.

 

[Ally T]

I voted 80%. School has been fully back to normal with no bubbles etc since last Sept. I wear my mask for all my daughters hospital appointments, but that is literally it. We are fully socialising again (indoors & out), going to concerts (saw Ed Sheran last month at the Manchester Etihad Stadium without a mask in sight) & had a fabulous & long awaited trip to the Caribbean over the Easter holidays. We are off to London in a couple of weeks & then out to Cyprus for 3 weeks in August.

Many people are catching it around me now for the first time, including family, but mostly seem to be just a couple of days with a sore throat & occasional headache. The vaccines seem to be doing exactly what they should: not preventing it, but lessening illness considerably.

 

[Gussie]

I chose 90%. I live relatively normal. I mask only if required, usually only in medical offices. The only family member I don't see very often is compromised but I have even seen her a few times (no hugs!). With that said, I am currently positive for covid and isolating for 5 days. I suspect I was exposed in the ER when I took my daughter in for an injury last week. The timing is spot on. I have had 2 shots and 2 boosters and this is my 2nd time to have covid. I am very grateful that both times the symptoms have been mild. I think at this point covid is here to stay and is similar to a cold/flu. I don't mean that as a flippant "just a cold". I know that the virus can be deadly for some people. But I don't think it is going away.

 

[MamaBee]

I voted 30% because I still wear a mask everywhere inside a store, etc. The 30% reflects going to doctor’s appointments and grocery shopping with mask on during less busy hours. I also see my immediate family in my home. That includes my mom from her nursing home and my sons, DIL and grandchildren. If we want to go out to eat which doesn’t happen unless we are on vacation..we eat outdoors. That only happened for one week..

 

[Ceilimom]

My husband has MDS, had it for over 7 years. We have had very few outside get togethers.
My husband received a stem cell transplant on the 12 th of July at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. He is currently an inpatient in the hospital due severe side affects. It’ll be months before we will hopefully go back home in Virginia. The next 6-9 months he will be completely vulnerable to any infection. So we won’t be going anywhere, see our children or grandchildren in person.
Life remains as solitary as if nothing has changed.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

well i am goimg to work
but that's all
the groceries get delivered and we go nowhere we don't have to

this thing aint over yet kids

 

[canuk-gal]

My husband has MDS, had it for over 7 years. We have had very few outside get togethers.
My husband received a stem cell transplant on the 12 th of July at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. He is currently an inpatient in the hospital due severe side affects. It’ll be months before we will hopefully go back home in Virginia. The next 6-9 months he will be completely vulnerable to any infection. So we won’t be going anywhere, see our children or grandchildren in person.
Life remains as solitary as if nothing has changed.

Healing vibes across the miles.......

 

[RetroQT]

I’m in Florida and the lockdown/required masking has been over for at least a year. It’s been almost 2 years since we have experienced the daily height of the impact on daily living.

My husband got Covid in October 2020, but thankfully the kids and I didn’t and no one has had it since. I am unvaccinated due to medical issues (which is supported by my doctor).

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

90%

I wear a mask on public transport because the government makes me but that's about it.

We've been dining out ever since we emerged from lockdown last year. Have friends over all the time. Went to a large wedding. Kid goes to a bunch of activities and goes to school maskless.

Hubby caught Covid from his business trip to the US and survived it just fine. I refused to isolate from him and did not catch it at all (took several RATs and PCRs that were all negative) despite living under a Covid cloud and having only two original doses.

In my social circles everyone has moved on I think.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Have been back to relative normalcy for awhile now. I am vaccinated and boosted. I do avoid large crowds but it only takes one person to infect you. I don’t relish the thought of getting COVID but like @Gussie, I don’t see this being over anytime soon. You have to balance out how long you want to give up living vs. how long you might live if you get COVID. I worked all through COVID shutdown with just a few people and we were all masked. Always wore a mask outside of the house but after the vaccine became available, I felt more freedom. Still masked but not so panicked. Now the rates are going up and there is yet another variant to contend with so it is concerning. I think the mental toll of all of this is concerning as well. We are all still dealing with the shortages, etc. of the shutdown. People have to go to work, jobs have to be performed and everyone can’t just hole up in their homes indefinitely. The government can’t support everyone. Sad state of affairs - I feel for all of us and the choices we have to make every day!

 

[Gussie]

Have been back to relative normalcy for awhile now. I am vaccinated and boosted. I do avoid large crowds but it only takes one person to infect you. I don’t relish the thought of getting COVID but like @Gussie, I don’t see this being over anytime soon. You have to balance out how long you want to give up living vs. how long you might live if you get COVID. I worked all through COVID shutdown with just a few people and we were all masked. Always wore a mask outside of the house but after the vaccine became available, I felt more freedom. Still masked but not so panicked. Now the rates are going up and there is yet another variant to contend with so it is concerning. I think the mental toll of all of this is concerning as well. We are all still dealing with the shortages, etc. of the shutdown. People have to go to work, jobs have to be performed and everyone can’t just hole up in their homes indefinitely. The government can’t support everyone. Sad state of affairs - I feel for all of us and the choices we have to make every day!

MGR, you always state things so eloquently. This is my sentiment exactly.

My mother who is in her mid-70s said those exact words, "I'm not going to hole up the rest of my life". It's all about risk assessment at this point.

 

[MamaBee]

My husband has MDS, had it for over 7 years. We have had very few outside get togethers.
My husband received a stem cell transplant on the 12 th of July at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. He is currently an inpatient in the hospital due severe side affects. It’ll be months before we will hopefully go back home in Virginia. The next 6-9 months he will be completely vulnerable to any infection. So we won’t be going anywhere, see our children or grandchildren in person.
Life remains as solitary as if nothing has changed.

I hope the stem cell transplant is successful..and he’s home soon.

 

[kenny]

I voted zero.

Why?
1. It's not over.
2. I'm old with those medical conditions.
3. The latest COVID mutations are getting more, not less, resistant to the vaccines & boosters.

While, as an introvert, I'm thrilled it's easier to avoid all unpleasant and undesired socializing and all work-related socialization/parties, I AM getting tired of the mask.

 

[Lookinagain]

I said 20%. When Covid first hit, I didn't go anywhere. Had groceries delivered and basically stayed home and worked 100% remote. Saw one or two people outdoors a few times. Now I go to the grocery store and other places like Home Depot, always still wear a mask. I go into to my office about once a week and once in there, since there is limited staff, I have been maskless. But case count is rising so I'll probably wear a mask when I go in the next time. I haven't travelled at all, and I miss it so much as I used to travel like crazy. My daughter comes into the house, and for a while my housekeeper came, until Omicron hit and then I put her on pause. And she has moved out of state, so that's over. I go to the dentist and the vet, but I've done that all along. So I'd say 20% back to normal, but that's about it. I watch the case count and when things look good around here I do a few more things, then step back when the case count gets high again.

 

[Ceilimom]

I hope the stem cell transplant is successful..and he’s home soon.

Mama Bee thank you- it’s early days and he is experiencing so many reactions

 

[MamaBee]

I said 20%. When Covid first hit, I didn't go anywhere. Had groceries delivered and basically stayed home and worked 100% remote. Saw one or two people outdoors a few times. Now I go to the grocery store and other places like Home Depot, always still wear a mask. I go into to my office about once a week and once in there, since there is limited staff, I have been maskless. But case count is rising so I'll probably wear a mask when I go in the next time. I haven't travelled at all, and I miss it so much as I used to travel like crazy. My daughter comes into the house, and for a while my housekeeper came, until Omicron hit and then I put her on pause. And she has moved out of state, so that's over. I go to the dentist and the vet, but I've done that all along. So I'd say 20% back to normal, but that's about it. I watch the case count and when things look good around here I do a few more things, then step back when the case count gets high again.

I’m the same @Lookinagain..I do see my grandchildren who are five and two. They’re little virus machines so it’s a risk. That’s the only thing that I do which is pretty risky. I don’t see them often..but when we do it’s maskless in their home. I signed up for the alerts to my phone when Covid cases increase a level in our counties in Pennsylvania and Maryland. I will actually drive to a lower risk county to do grocery shopping if it gets higher. I wear my mask even in the low risk level counties.

 

[Snowdrop13]

There’s still a lot of covid around me, and although everyone has been ok with it, it’s not a mild illness with these two new variants. I’ve been to a concert (indoors, 5000+ people) and not caught it and we’ve had some meals out too. I guess we‘re at 80% of normal. I don’t anticipate going abroad until next summer.

 

[kenny]

Really the only thing I truly miss about my pre-COVID life is swimming laps at my gym.
Fortunately I signed a contract that locks the monthly pmt at $14 ... for life.

I guess I could swim in the Pacific Ocean for free, but I'm at high risk for skin cancer.
Zillions of people swim & surf there, but I'd be concerned about pollution from river runoff and sharks.

 

[Gloria27]

Covid has been out of my mind ever since I had it, I stopped being afraid or thinking about it after that.

 

[missy]

Nope not back anywhere close. Still wearing masks anywhere we go indoors.
Still not socializing but for brief outdoor encounters at a far distance.
Not visiting anyone indoors.
Still just running essential errands and going to doctor appointments as necessary.

The only "normal" pre Covid activity we enjoy is cycling by the sea. Which we do every chance we get. So I answered 20% just for that. Last year we cycled almost 10K miles. That was not possible pre Covid so even that normal activity has changed (for the greater distance and better) due to Covid. The only outdoor activity that has improved since Covid.




Nothing beats cycling by the sea. Unencumbered by worries and just being free.
Getting away from it all and just feeling blissful.
Living during this pandemic and still being happy and at peace.

 

[missy]

My husband has MDS, had it for over 7 years. We have had very few outside get togethers.
My husband received a stem cell transplant on the 12 th of July at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. He is currently an inpatient in the hospital due severe side affects. It’ll be months before we will hopefully go back home in Virginia. The next 6-9 months he will be completely vulnerable to any infection. So we won’t be going anywhere, see our children or grandchildren in person.
Life remains as solitary as if nothing has changed.

Sending you bucketloads of healing vibes and well wishes.

 

[Tonks]

Nope not back anywhere close. Still wearing masks anywhere we go indoors.
Still not socializing but for brief outdoor encounters at a far distance.
Not visiting anyone indoors.
Still just running essential errands and going to doctor appointments as necessary.

The only "normal" pre Covid activity we enjoy is cycling by the sea. Which we do every chance we get. So I answered 20% just for that. Last year we cycled almost 10K miles. That was not possible pre Covid so even that normal activity has changed (for the greater distance and better) due to Covid. The only outdoor activity that has improved since Covid.




Nothing beats cycling by the sea. Unencumbered by worries and just being free.
Getting away from it all and just feeling blissful.
Living during this pandemic and still being happy and at peace.

We’re very much in the same boat. Not back to any kind of normal. Transmission is high *everywhere* (If you look at the correct map it has been bright red across the US for months). I’m high risk. And even if I were not high risk, with all the information coming out about Long Covid, I feel an obligation to protect myself and to protect my children from permanent health issues, even if acute infection is mild. Some of my autoimmune issues mimic Long Covid symptoms, and I think people really underestimate what it means to live with that. I absolutely want to prioritize avoiding any long term health issues stemming from even mild or asymptomatic infection.

So I mask. N95 indoors always. Air purifiers always running at home. We do not eat indoors with others. As most people have dropped all precautions, that has unfortunately impacted our ability to be in certain spaces.

 

[diamondringlover]

I still worry about it, especially since my oldest son is dealing with long haulers covid, I wear my mask everywhere, I do go into local restaurants only (I live in a small town) I tend to not want to go around some family members because several of them are unvaccinated.....I hate living like this....

 

[MamaBee]

I still worry about it, especially since my oldest son is dealing with long haulers covid, I wear my mask everywhere, I do go into local restaurants only (I live in a small town) I tend to not want to go around some family members because several of them are unvaccinated.....I hate living like this....

I’m sorry your son is still dealing with long haulers syndrome. I hope he gets better soon.
I hate living like this too.

 

[pearlsngems]

I'd say 10%. We are high-risk so have to be extra careful.

• Shopping: I've resumed shopping in stores but always wear an N95 (Airgami.) If Covid numbers don't soar, we plan to attend a large indoor gem show in MA next month, but will be masked the entire time. We'll bring a bag lunch and go outside to eat it.
• Restaurants: only where we can get outdoor seating.
• Work: Daughter wears N95 at work; hubby was doing the same but has just retired (yay!)
• Family get-togethers: My husband's cousins + spouses (all seniors) like to get together once a year, but we haven't done this since 2019. This month we'll finally get together again-- outdoors-- and the one member who is unvaxxed will wear a mask when she is not eating.

Things we still don't do:
• No indoor activities where people are sitting together for an extended time or singing is going on-- cinema, concerts, religious services, etc.
• No travel by buses, trains or planes.
• No use of the YMCA; I'd want to use the pool but can't do that while masked. Sweating on the exercise bikes while masked also doesn't appeal to me.

It is hard to imagine having to forego all these things indefinitely, but serious illness / death / long covid are even less appealing.

 

[stracci2000]

I chose 80%.
I'm mostly back to normal. No mask except for doctors office, because it is mandatory in medical settings.
However, I will resist getting on an airplane anytime soon.

 

[kenny]

I've read the air in the airplane itself is much safer to breath (COVID-wise) than the air in airline terminals.
Apparently commercial jets have extremely good filtering, whereas terminals don't.

But obviously to get to the plane we must spend time in the terminals, often these days lots of time.