Anyone been shopping yet?

Jamie H said:

but not a certainty that hospital treatment will be needed

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Especially if you don't have medical insurance and hospital treatment would cost you thousands of dollars you don't have.

And there has been a proportion of the 122,000 covid 19 deaths in the USA of people dying in their homes or on the streets in the case of the homeless after not seeking proper medical care or being unable to.

Yes and have been since it started,just one shop a week

JohnEGreen said:

Especially if you don't have medical insurance and hospital treatment would cost you thousands of dollars you don't have.

And there has been a proportion of the 122,000 covid 19 deaths in the USA of people dying in their homes or on the streets in the case of the homeless after not seeking proper medical care or being unable to.

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Yea to be fair outcomes in america are skewed in a lot of ways by what patients can and cannot afford. Think the study did say those not requiring admission did have good outcomes however but loads of nuances in the study around weight and age and other comorbidities etc.

But point taken some of the stats in the US are going to be a lot worse due to the most needy not being able to afford medical care. Which is horrendous

After self-isolating since March and only going out for walks in the countryside, my wife and I are throwing caution to the wind and venturing into the danger zone. My wife is keen to get her long delayed annual mammogram and I need a haircut, neither are available on-line from Amazon or Sainsbury's, who have between them supplied all our needs up to now. So, tomorrow I take my wife to the hospital and on the 7th July I have a booking at the barber's. Wish us luck, as it all seems rather strange and reckless.

Mr_Pot said:

After self-isolating since March and only going out for walks in the countryside, my wife and I are throwing caution to the wind and venturing into the danger zone. My wife is keen to get her long delayed annual mammogram and I need a haircut, neither are available on-line from Amazon or Sainsbury's, who have between them supplied all our needs up to now. So, tomorrow I take my wife to the hospital and on the 7th July I have a booking at the barber's. Wish us luck, as it all seems rather strange and reckless.

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Good luck, to you both, though Amazon was where I got my hair clippers a mammogram as you say is beyond them.

Yes, we have had to as only managed to get 4 online delivery shops, always unavailable.

I have shopped at least once a week. For myself, my 90 year old FIL and special needs BIL. I've tried to keep my distance the whole time, others haven't been so considerate! I've not used a mask or gloves but used lots of hand sanitiser ensuring my trolley had a good wipe.

I've also gone out for regular daily exercise, parks, promenade and streets in general. Lots of people around as I live in a busy town.

I was very poorly with covid-19 symptoms from 26th November onwards.

For info:

Came in waves. Felt I was getting better, then BOOM I got worse. This happened 3 times.

Fever/hot/cold/chills
Couldn't breath all the way in
Persistent cough (my post on fb actually say 'a cough that would kill a horse)
Wheezy as! (Post says 'like I smoke 100 a day)
Headache rated 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 ( I hardly ever get them)
Nausea
Lack of appetite (lost 5lbs)
Tired

Hubby and son poorly too but i was hit hardest by far.

So as soon as i could get the antibody test I did (May). It came back positive as you can see. I was delighted as I felt i had immunity (although this isn't definite). I had a fear of ending up in hospital and this gave me at least some peace of mind ( rightly or wrongly) and i shopped without worrying but still keeping up safety measures.

Re the test. This confirms I had it (test is supposed to be very accurate especially re positive results but no test is 100%) but not when so it maybe that I've had it asymptomatically since November (dispute about when it actually arrived in the uk). Who knows.

My son and hubby tested negative but the reason for this i believe is to do with t-cells. Many who tested postive with covid-19 swabs are now testing negative for antibodies (and i have this first hand from the medical company dealing with these in my home town).

We are learning something new about this virus every day.

I went to our local pharmacy to pick up meds yesterday morning. It was just the second time I’ve ventured out to a pharmacy since lockdown began, and it felt great to be just a little more human, to chat from behind the FFP3 and the sunglasses, and exchange news with the assistant, who was at school with our younger daughter. We’re 70+, and I’ve had T1 for fifty years now, and I know that my cardiovascular system’s not as spritely as it was as I’m prone to Heat Stress. So we’ve been more careful, deciding to wait until there’s been time to process the knowledge gained about the virus, and the risks we may jointly have, before venturing out more. It was very very frustrating not to be able to get many online slots at the outset, but there are, understandably, more available now as it seems everyone’s more relaxed about the chances of getting COVID-19. As I said in a previous post, we have a lovely neighbour, a GP, who offered to shop for us as soon as Lockdown was declared. She has access to information about findings, and uncertainties, that we ourselves don’t, so we’re happy to be led by her.
We’ve taken Boris’s imprecations to go and have a drink at a bar and get together with a (?) number of people with a generous pinch of salt, preferring to watch what’s happening in other places and to listen to our neighbour, Whitty and Valance.
I confess I’m just a little annoyed by people who tell us we’re being led by fear, or that our mental health is more important than stemming COVID cases: if we don’t retain a body and brain to live in, we don’t have a mental state to keep healthy.

I was out shopping today. I went to the same 2 adjacent shops I have been visiting intermittently since April. What was noticeable was the virtually total relaxation in rules and control. No one at door monitoring numbers inside, most people in groups browsing, children running around, even a couple of wheelchair users with obvious breathing issues. No one, other than me, seemed to be aware of who was around or nearby or who waited to let someone pass. Very few face coverings.
It felt 'normal' like covid had never come.
I'm not sure we should be that relaxed yet.
I purchased my 3 needed items and left quickly. No lingering or browsing for me just yet.

Door staff in PPE inhibit me from entering a non-essential store ..to buy an item I don't need.

I walk on by the coffee outlet I used to go to ..as I'd have to pay contactlessly, which opens me up to theft and fraud.

Treat me like a ✻disease vector✻ ..and I will vote with my feet and money.

Not been shopping yet (except for that one emergency garden centre trip 10 days after it opened back up).
But we have been out with the dogs regularly, and over the last 2 weeks we have had 3 (yes 3!) takeaway cuppas while out.
On one of these, I managed to pick up a virus.
Not covid (I was tested), but it was a sore throat, stuffy yet dry back of nose, plus headache and generally feeling 'off'.

So while I am very relieved not to have to go through the whole Covid Experience, I am somewhat miffed that I picked up a virus from one of 3 paper cups of takeaway hot drinks, while stringently socially distancing and obeying all the anti-Covid rules.

Useful reminder to me that there is more than just one virus around.

There is also, of course, the v slim possibility that Mr B brought my bug home asymptomatically from work, but that would have less drama and resentment for me to get behind.

I keep threatening to go up to the local shop but Keiran get's agitated when I say it so I don't go I can't remember what the inside of a supermarket looks like it's been so long but in a few weeks we are going to have to cope with the end of shielding one way or another.

JohnEGreen said:

I keep threatening to go up to the local shop but Keiran get's agitated when I say it so I don't go I can't remember what the inside of a supermarket looks like it's been so long but in a few weeks we are going to have to cope with the end of shielding one way or another.

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No more food boxes (we call them our "Boris boxes") but the letter said that the supermarket priority delivery slots would remain. We now get most of what we order, though it was only around half or less at the outset. That should be feasible. I shall be staying indoors as before. Why change anything? Look at what is happening as the US lifts lockdowns.

As well as click and collect I did manage my first indoor payment yesterday for a while at a petrol station. My brother in law was working there so was for some reason a tad happier with that. Wore gloves on pump, contactless payment and didn't bother with the receipt! Fortunately no-one else was in the shop. Felt quite strange to be honest!

Some shops don't help you out though. Wanted something from Argos and thought their delivery fee was a bit steep so Live Chatted them and asked if the local Argos located in my local Sainsbury could somehow have my order at the click and collect outside point when I collect my weekly Sainsbury delivery. Not much to ask I thought, pay online have it there but nope "Nah we can't do that was a reply!" Don't really help themselves do they.

My main worry though bar returning to work in September is tomorrow. Got some dodgy wiring that needs an electrician and obviously he needs to come into the house. I'll stay well away but it's an odd feeling worrying about such a usual normal occurrence.

Had my hair cut this morning. It was the first time I have done any inside "shopping" since the lockdown started. The barbers were wearing visors and there was nominal hand washing and distancing but I can't help thinking it will all get rather slack as time goes on, as this was only the third day of opening.

Mr_Pot said:

Had my hair cut this morning. It was the first time I have done any inside "shopping" since the lockdown started. The barbers were wearing visors and there was nominal hand washing and distancing but I can't help thinking it will all get rather slack as time goes on, as this was only the third day of opening.

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My hubby went to his barbers yesterday. It was appointment only, which it normally isn't when he goes. He had been asked to wait outside until called in, but the door was open and he was waved straight in. Normally 3 chairs and 3 hairdressers. The middle chair was out of use and the other 2 were at either end of the room. The staff were wearing masks and face visors. He was obliged to wear a mask or couldn't enter, and as soon as he entered some alcohol sanitiser was given to him to use before he sat down. Job done, contactless card payment. The only thing he touched (accidentally) was the arm of his chair as he got up.

I have an appointment at my hairdresser next week. I know they will be careful because they already started the sanitising of hands and all the chairs, plus distancing, before they were locked down.

I went to a garden centre today, wearing an FFP3 mask and a disposable coveting mask, latex gloves and sunnies. There was a one way system, good spacing signs at the checkout and a very carefully arranged system of contactless payment. Just about everyone kept 2m apart, except for one couple who were so engrossed in deciding which item to buy, balancing the two on an entirely different product, that they forgot that they were keeping others away. They apologised once they realised.
I found the whole process of taking a bag to put the used gloves and mask in, and wiping the car key with sanitiser, wondering how to get heavy purchases from the car to the garden without risk etc etc a little daunting but doable.
I don’t really want to visit other shops until the ‘numbers’ decrease in this general location; it’s hard, though, to find out what the ‘numbers‘ are for this locality. Very frustrating!
About 40% of the other shoppers at the garden centre were wearing masks.

Bluetit1802 said:

My hubby went to his barbers yesterday. It was appointment only, which it normally isn't when he goes. He had been asked to wait outside until called in, but the door was open and he was waved straight in. Normally 3 chairs and 3 hairdressers. The middle chair was out of use and the other 2 were at either end of the room. The staff were wearing masks and face visors. He was obliged to wear a mask or couldn't enter, and as soon as he entered some alcohol sanitiser was given to him to use before he sat down. Job done, contactless card payment. The only thing he touched (accidentally) was the arm of his chair as he got up.

I have an appointment at my hairdresser next week. I know they will be careful because they already started the sanitising of hands and all the chairs, plus distancing, before they were locked down.

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Sounds like they were taking it much more seriously at your husband's barber's. No requirement for a mask at my place and no empty chairs. Incidentally how do they cut around your ears if you are wearing a mask?

Mr_Pot said:

Sounds like they were taking it much more seriously at your husband's barber's. No requirement for a mask at my place and no empty chairs. Incidentally how do they cut around your ears if you are wearing a mask?

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And do they use a brush to fan all the hair away as they usually do?! I'm sticking for a while with the do it yourself clippers. Saves money and with my pretty awful DIY effort people tend to steer clear of me anyway with one look at my hair!!

One of the worst must be Dentists or Opticians, I'm over due a check up for both but they both get pretty close especially the optician with his light thingy! That must also beg the question about yearly retinopathy scans as they also get in pretty close too!

Max68 said:

As well as click and collect I did manage my first indoor payment yesterday for a while at a petrol station. My brother in law was working there so was for some reason a tad happier with that. Wore gloves on pump, contactless payment and didn't bother with the receipt! Fortunately no-one else was in the shop. Felt quite strange to be honest!

Some shops don't help you out though. Wanted something from Argos and thought their delivery fee was a bit steep so Live Chatted them and asked if the local Argos located in my local Sainsbury could somehow have my order at the click and collect outside point when I collect my weekly Sainsbury delivery. Not much to ask I thought, pay online have it there but nope "Nah we can't do that was a reply!" Don't really help themselves do they.

My main worry though bar returning to work in September is tomorrow. Got some dodgy wiring that needs an electrician and obviously he needs to come into the house. I'll stay well away but it's an odd feeling worrying about such a usual normal occurrence.

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I had this problem a few days ago with a plumber.Ask him in advance to wear a mask. If he doesn't bring one give him one. Open all the windows.Prop all internal doors open so he doesn't have to touch the knobs. Disinfect the stair rail after him. Pay direct to his bank if possible.