Hi mmMkitty, Thank you - I see what you mean and it does make sense. You didn't mess up at all and there is no need to apologise. I appreciate all the trouble you have gone to to help me to understand. What you say makes sense... but somehow my fear keeps telling me that I am in danger... I try to do the suggested things of mask wearing (even outside) social distancing and I am vaccinated. Sometimes all I hear are the negative things for eg how people who are vaccinated get covid and are really sick, how Europe cases are skyrocketing even with their vaccinations ... so I fear that this will happen to me too. Tomorrow I have an in person Drs appointment and I am not feeling good when I think of it. But I will go and hope that I don't feel anxious all day. Thank you again for your explanation. I will try to think of this when I become afraid of being anywhere near people. I hope that things are going ok with you :)))))

Hi Kitty and all

COVID has certainly shaken up our friendships i.e. feelings around doing the lions share of the work, feeling reaching out and being supportive of others but this not being reciprocated, feeling can't express how really feel and ask for support as "everyone is going through a hard time" etc.

You make good points regarding getting people to meet up virtually. Despite all the wonderful resources provided by Zoom and other common video conferencing platforms (videos, screen shots, instructions) some weren't willing to click on that link and give it a go. Or the "I'm all Zoomed out" excuse.

As you say hopefully now that things are opening up more online activities and group will start doing face to face activities again.

I tend to target local activities to make it easy to catch up i.e. a 10 mins trip up the street for the 30 minute coffee rather than a 90 mins journey either way for which has to end up being a longer visit to make the travel time worthwhile and thus the catchup doesn't happen.

I see some talk around the vaccinated and those who are deciding not to be vaccinated. It has become such a divisive issue. Also varying preferences around activities people feel safe or unsafe doing.

I'm happy to see unvaccinated people, and with their LGA/5kms zone need to travel to their LGA, but they have to also respect my needing to keep within current health guidelines. Current health orders in NSW state only vaccinated people have the new freedoms and unvaccinated need to remain under lockdown conditions meaning no visitors to the home, restricted to 5 kms from home or within local LGA, only allowed to go into essential services and only allowed to undertake exercise or recreation with one other person. The vaccinated are also bound to not visit/have visit unvaccinated people and only gather in groups of 2 outdoors. For example I'd be happy to suggest to an unvaccinated friend I come up and see them at an outdoors picnic place/beach close to a takeaway Cafe (being considered an essential service to purchase a meal and coffee) as that's within the health orders. However I need to feel confident that the confines of my situation is respected i.e. no pressure to just meet at their place, pop back to their place etc.

For those who are happy to come in contact with unvaccinated people legally how are you finding navigating the situation.

I am really struggling with the recent events/protests in Melbourne. It feels very unsafe because these people are encouraging people to break the rules and go out even if infected putting all of us at risk. I feel as if I can no longer go anywhere without putting myself or my hsb at risk. I can't get the medical treatment I need nor can my Hsb since the hospitals need to be so careful of covid. On Tuesday I had a specialist appointment by phone. it had been put off several times since Sep but the doctor said there was no point even talking to me as he could do nothing over the phone so we need to wait until he's allowed to see me in person. This problem should have been fixed 6 mths ago but ongoing outbreaks and restrictions ave stopped proper treatment. I no longer want to be here. Ther is no hope for me or my family. I am constantly on edge trying to manage my own pain and my hsbs serious health issues. Nothing will ever get better with people continuing toput everyone at risk.

Hi Elizabeth CP,  That sounds really difficult for you and your family. It is a really challenging time with the community opening up and uncertainty with what all that is happening. Please know that you can reach out to our Beyond Blue Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service to talk about this on 1800 512 348, or via webchat here: coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au  We're here for anyone who needs some support with their mental health and wellbeing during this time, and our counsellors would be happy to hear from you and talk it through.   

Kind regards,
Sophie M

HI Elizabeth,

I'm so sorry to read you and your husband are having your health impacted by Corona Virus issues. It is such a huge situation to try to understand all around the world, the impact on our health can be detrimental to wellness.

I hope you are able to find answers, help, care and the attention you both need at this time.

Saw a news clip today and apparently a lot European are heading back into lock downs and may well be right through Christmas. Also the UK , still getting 40k cases a day , the equivalent to us getting 10k a day.

God l thought it was all over os , apart from the UK.

rx

Thanks Dools & Sophie, I appreciated your thoughtful posts. I'm still feeling really down and unsure how to change. The ongoing stress from covid lockdowns and the ongoing divisive situation has left me too depleted to even try to help myself. I can't express how bad I feel there is no escape

Hi Elizabeth CP,

The knock-on impacts upon people's lives have been so awful, but I do get really angry when I know some people would have other people, ('cause they don't think anything will happen to themselves) suffering as a result of reckless behaviour & careless attitudes. I'm sort of stunned, really, how much some people will suffer because the hospital system is so under stress, & people can't get treatment they've already waited months or even years for, only to wait longer ...One of my own neighbours has had his scheduled treatments cancelled three times. & he's not a well man at all.

I don't know what we are supposed to do while people are out there protesting their rights over the rights others have to be able to live & move in society & to get health care, without feeling they & their familwill be at greater risk, ..so, I'm rambling a bit, I'm cranky about it, I would like to ask them, what about your rights & the rights of your hubby, when do your needs matter enough for some people to get the vaccines, (provided they can(, & not be adding to the already overburdened social systems, which, remember, support them too?!

I am just so sorry, Elizabeth & hubby. I can only hope my virtual hugs mean something. Not enough, I know.

mmMekitty

Hi mmMekitty,

Yes some people forget about the social contract. It's not just about them but about not harming other people.

Getting vaccinated helps protect others and our health care system.

I wish this was being talked about more on the media, that it's not just about protecting yourself.

I'm sorry for people having their surgery postponed.

I hope you are keeping OK there. 🙂

My thoughts go out to you all.

Here in S.A. we have been relatively Covid free. The borders are now opening and media is telling us to expect an influx of Covid cases here in S.A. Is this going to actually happen or are people just assuming, afraid, concerned, or do they want to cause others stress. I don't know! Time will tell.

My husband can hardly walk with his bad knees. He can't even get in to see a specialist let alone have any idea which year he may receive surgery. Our hospitals are struggling now , who knows how they will cope if Covid cases rise requiring hospitalisation.

May we all keep well and strong!

l don't understand why hospitals wuld be struggling anywhere let alone SA with no cases there.

But even Sydney and Melb , our cases are nothing compared to anywhere OS , never have been right through this. Even countries half our population like Greece, Sweden , have had 100's of 1000s of cases and they're coping. As usual they seem to be so full of it here , always crapping on about how good we are.

rx

Hi randomx

I haven't checked the hospital situation in either of those countries but Greece has just banned unvaccinated people from indoor areas due to a surge in cases and Sweden is expected to have a surge and is also clamping down.

On the news this morning they were saying Austria has brought in a nation wide lockdown partly due to low vaccination rates with cases surging again.

I don't think things are that great in areas heading into winter.

Hi Hanna.

Yeah seen a few clips this last wk to Europe taking a new hit lately. Wasn't saying things were great just talking about them hospital wise and still coping with yet 100s of 1000s more cases than us. Yet listen to ours.

And as l said. SA , how could they even have a waiting list for dools hub , certainly not bc of covid anyway they don't even have any.

I can’t be the only one who is fully vaccinated through choice but also needed to be to keep my job. I have grown up children and my husband and I coming up to retirement years not too far in the future. My life has been made almost unbearable because my husband won’t get vaccinated, won’t even consider the idea. He’s one of these conspiracy people who believe the vaccination has a chip in it, that the government are trying to control us. This means we won’t be able to travel together, go to restaurants, bars etc… I am beyond upset, and now my oldest daughter won’t visit because my husband is unvaccinated. My husband says he doesn’t care if he is in a hospital bed very sick or dying and his own two children who are still young can’t visit or see him. I live in a rural town in Qld and our hospital has one ventilator for 14.000 people. My husband also has a pacemaker so I see him as vulnerable. To think he is adamant and will NOT get vaccinated with the “poison “ is crippling me. I don’t see a happy future for us ahead. My staff Xmas party is next weekend and he cannot go. I have cried, got angry even pleaded but I cannot get through to him.

I would love to hear from anyone else in the same situation as me 😞

I am sorry you are struggling there. I think you really need to respect your husbands choice. As challenging as it is for you during this time.

 I mean no disrespect 

Hello Charlz

Welcome to the forums and good on you for taking the time to post too!

I am sorry that your husband doesnt understand even with his health issues...This is sad as you are doing everything possible to keep everyone healthy by being vaccinated yourself

Its only my humble opinion Charlz.....Your husband is scared and doesnt understand

My sister also thinks the same way...unfortunately she is looking after our 91 year old mum..

I feel your pain and anguish

Paul

Hi randomx

I haven't checked the situation of the hospitals in Europe but I know the lockdown in Austria is because their health system is so pressured.

I have a friend who is in charge of operating theatres in a major teaching hospital in Australia and they are being very cautious about how many cases they have as they have to keep potential covid patients in mind. I haven't asked about it in any detail.

I know from working in the hospital system myself that it's on a terribly tight budget and desperately needs more government funding.

The government wants people to go to private hospitals to save it money.

Cheers 🙂

Thankyou Blondguy for understanding. My husband could loose his job (our livelihood), loose his children (won’t visit cause he’s unvaccinated), loose his social interaction with people and loose his wife because of the limitations put on us to be able to do things as a couple.
I have a friend who is pregnant and doesn’t want the vaccine, this I understand.
Sorry to hear your sister doesn’t want to be vaccinated, did you wish to share her reasons? I worry so much for the unvaccinated because I know family members of friends who contracted it and how sick they got.

I was just talking to a friend who was telling me her 45 year old sister in the UK caught covid while fully vaccinated from having a meal in a pub. Six months later she's still very fatigued and has no taste or smell but at least she didn't need to be hospitalised.

Here in S.A. we are just starting to become more serious about the double covid vaccine business.

We took the cat to the vet yesterday. We arrived to find a note outside stating you needed a double covid vaccine to enter, then only one person allowed in the consult room.

Thankfully we have our details on our phones. I was told I could not join in the consult. Fair enough. Then a couple went into a different consult room together and both had their masks under their chins!

I asked the reception what was going on, why could I not join my distraught husband with our sick cat when two people were very obviously in with their cat and the vet. She didn't have an answer.

Rules need to be the same for everyone!

I'm in Vic and went to the Vet on Monday. When I arrived I had to ring them and the Vet came and got my cat then dropped her back. Then the nurse came out so I could pay with my card. So we aren't allowed in at all.

Hello all! I'm new to this forum, but have been reading through and finding the chat and advice really helpful. I'm in SA and starting to feel really anxious about the new cases coming in. I'm double vaxxed and have no problem with masks it's covering my perimenopausal acne :-D
I'm so worried about getting sick and passing it on to my elderly parents. I'm worried about them (and my partner) catching it and nag them about being careful. I've been anxious since Feb last year for family overseas. Most of them have now had covid but are ok. I miss them though. I've become so cautious and anxious and so quick to anger with everything that's going on. I used to be so adventurous and had fun and curiosity about life and people. I have no idea how to find 'joy' again. I'm stuck in a cycle of refreshing the ABC covid blog and feeling like my life and my enjoyment of the world are on hold. Everything feels so 'grief-y' (if that makes sense). Any advice of concrete action i can take to manage my worries?

Hello Charlz,

Recently I heard on ABC Coronacast, firstly people need to seek advice from their own GP, or other specialist, if thye have any concerns, but generally, it has become clear that the Vaccines are okay for pregnant women, & having them may give the baby some immunity too. You know, the way whatever the mother takes in filters through to baby, to greater or lesser degree. I'm no expert, so, your friend ought to go see her own doctors.

I have read the other things you wrote, & it must be so frustrating & sad for you & other members of the family, to see your husband take this stand If he can imagine himself in hospital with a ventilator, & how much care he might need if he became seriously ill, (& I doubt he has a accurate picture in mind), doesn't he also consider it may be you, or anyone else, or does he not value his well-being enough to take a risk & have the vaccine, & more likely not have to put anyone through the physically difficult & emotionally draining care he'd need if he got seriously ill from being infected while unvaccinated? How can he see that for you to lose him is not the better option?.

I too, find this distressing to think of people finding these conspiracy theories with no basis in fact, & believing them over what evidence there is for the safety & efficacy of the vaccines. Risking not only their lives, but the lives & relationships all around them. To think he thinks literally losing everything so long as he does not get a vaccine with an imagined chip in it? As if the government dones't have enough data on us all already! They don't need to put chips in vaccines.

Yes, it gets me cranky, so sorry if I went on a bit...

mmMekitty

Hello Minou, & a warm welcome to you.

I think your reaction to this pandemic is perfectly understandable. Many people share your concerns, your anxieties, & are frightened too.

If I could make one suggestion, first, don't continuously update the ABC's blog, or even take more time than is necessary to 'catch up' on any important changes.

I was checking more myself, but now, because the QGov website has made the info I want more difficult to find, I am really only listening to Coronacast, & some news in the morning, but when they begin to repeat the same news,,I stop. Otherwise it does become confusing & potentially, (for a while it was awfully sos) overwhelming & distressing.

We gotta be doing other things. Many feel their lives, in part or in full, have been on hold. Now is the time to recall our lives, & things we have not done & get out again, with care, true. For our own mental health is being impacted, yours to a fair degree, & this is leaving you little time or space for anything else.

I'd like to ask if you have spoken to your GP, a counsellor or therapist about the real psychological effects you are experiencing? I think it could help you a lot to talk to someone.

You could also call BB's own counselling service on: 1300 22 36 46.

mmMekitty

Thanks for taking the time to respond, mmMekitty.
I'm going to try to limit the time I spend reading the continuous updates. I check the ABC blog because (maybe like the QGov website!) the SA gov website is so slow to update with info. Also, my mother doesn't check-in anywhere she goes (she's not against it - she doesn't have a smartphone and physically signing the paper sign-ins is too much of a hassle). She told me yesterday that it's ok, because I can tell her if she's been anywhere that comes up on the contact tracing list. So I feel pressure to keep updated, because noone else in my family is up to date. Anyway - I'll try to limit it to just a few times a day.

I think you're right that I should try to speak to someone about the broader impacts of all of this that I'm feeling. Thanks for the encouragement. I went to my GP a few years ago because I think I was depressed (I was so sad for no reason) - she referred me to a counsellor who wasn't much help and I didn't go back. It then resolved on its own, but every couple of months I feel sad for no reason or overwhelmed by things like the pandemic or things at work.

Hi Minou,

I've noticed it seems quite common for people seeking counselling or therapy to have to meet a few different people before they find one who they can, firstly, have a s sense they can have a rapport with, & so feel comfortable communicating with, & then have confidence in enough to trust. I suppose it boils down to having a feeling they can help, & you can talk to about anything at all.

You can go back to your GP & explain what your experience with that counsellor is & ask if you can see someone else.

I understand how difficult all the changes are for elderly people & as not having a smart phone is becoming more & more unusual, more people seem to expect everyone to be comfortable with the latest technology, & so the check-in is more complicated. When you are out with them, can you add their check-in details to your own? The Qld Check-in app allows users enter the details of other people, to a list of 'frequent guests' so they be can checked in , using the one phone.from one phone.

My helper does this for me because I can't see to aim my phone at the QR Code. I'd personally prefer to do my own Check-in for myself, but it just is so much more convenient for her to add me to her own Check-in.

She keeps notes in a diary, of where she is going with her clients, what doing & when as well. I think this is a great idea, too. If ever there are questions concerning a place I have been with her, then she can also check her diary.

My concern is having information about changes to restrictions becoming available to me, & for how long, especially about mask wearing, or enclosed environments & social distancing, because I can't wear a mask, & I feel uncomfortable in crowded places, unsure about being able to maintain the social distances guidelines, because of my vision impairment.

I'm super cautious about it, not liking the idea of getting so sick I end up in hospital, or if I was to become infected & infect other people. I agree that's a valid concern for you, with regards to your elder relatives.

That's why Check-in is important. If there is a place & certain times when someone infected has been discovered to have been, the check-in details are gathered, whether from the QR Code data or from written sources, they can be notified. This doesn't mean we can all totally relax. Some people don't check-in & that slows down the tracking & tracing process.

More folks 2X Vaccinated the better for all.

This virus can't continue to dominate our lives.

mmMekitty

I'm still being reasonably cautious. There is a new strain of covid from South Africa (where I don't think we've done much to help poor people get vaccinated, and so the virus has been able to mutate) and deaths in Germany from covid since the start of the pandemic are just over 100,000 people, which is terrible. They have a low rate of vaccination. I think they are now making it mandatory.

So it's reasonable to take sensible precautions if you're vulnerable and very good reason to get vaccinated.

From what little I've seen today(ABC Online & News 24), , they do not know much about this new strain, 'Omicron', whether it is actually more transmissible or not, more severe or not, or even if the vaccines we have will or won't be as protective against this strain either.

Thus far there are no cases of COVID-19 Omicron verified within Australia.

The people infected inthose countries in southern Africa, they have noted, a large number of them are not vaccinated.But that doesn't surprise me, because a large porportion of people in Africaa are not vaccinated anyway.

Travel bans have been announced for the following countries:

South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, The Seychelles, Malawi and Mozambique.

(As listed on ABC Online tonight.)

IfIf you or someone you know may be effected by the latest restrictions & travel bans, please seek advice from Government sources.

& that's about it. Except it makes me feel somewhat on alert, not flashing lights & klaxons, but thinking I will be checking for updates a little more. (grumble, grumble) & more of that trying to not think of a pink rhinoceros. & too many days ahead, too.

mmMekitty

l don't believe it.l needed stuff for work at Bunnings today , guard at the door says you can't come in unless you have your certificate and we want it on paper not the ph app.

Just wth, and the won't even except the ph app , whatever that is. 18 mths of this and our Bunnings has been open right through bar for 1 wk , and now you can't get in without an "on paper" certificate. That's it , they've lost my custom, no thanks , the over kill is ridiculous it's only Bunnings. Went over to the other guys walked straight in , my future supplier from here on.

rx