Can I ask you all how this - the general way the whole Covid "thing" - is making you all feel? I'm talking more psychologically than physically.
I'll kick it off with this contribution:
We are both in our early 70's and reasonably fit but Mrs J did have Flue "A" (confirmed by a test - not Covid) back at the beginning of the year which went on to pneumonia and took her into intensive care isolation on a ventilator and near death. I also had the flue (own doctor's diagnosis) but fought it off at home. I'll leave out how deeply distressing that whole episode was. In addition we had a member of the immediate family suffer a serious psychological illness which hospitalized her for some weeks. In fact she's only just really getting back to being near her "old self" in recent weeks. Then there's Covid and all us "oldies" are being told if we catch it we're probably going to die horribly or get "long Covid" and be significantly disabled as a result?
We've pretty much cut ourselves off from physical contact with anyone and we go to the supermarket at times when it's quiet wearing our masks and, sometimes, plastic gloves. The most risky thing we do is childminding - which Nicola allows here in Scotland - for our youngest boy's family. Our daughter and her family are managing to weather this storm well (and in fact are part of a voluntary covid monitoring scheme so being tested weekly) as is our older boy and his family, largely because his wife works from home so childcare is no problem. My younger boy however has his own, one man, sign writing business. Which, pre covid, was doing nicely but is now picking up almost no business so he's driving a Tesco van so his wife is also working. They can't do this and look after the children at the same time. Childminders fees are too expensive so we and the other granny (no granddad now) share most of it with one day at the childminder. Without us doing this they will go under.
I find my mood swinging wildly between feeling so happy that none of us in our extended family, even my sister who lives in the US, have so far contracted the Covid and being able to see the two youngest grandchildren when we do the childminding and deepest despair and unhappiness at not seeing the other 3 grandchildren or my kids and feeling terrified by what might happen to Mrs J - after the last episode - if she were to catch it.
Early mornings, during that half asleep/half awake time are the worst. I'm on the emotional equivalent to the Blackpool big dipper (and that frightened me enough). Can't seem to see a way to get off! Glad to say though, I'm a long way from throwing myself off the north bridge yet!
Stay safe and my best wishes to you all
Jock