Well so far 2022 has been a bit odd actually. I caught covid and self isolating in our caravan meant I missed the last few days of my mum being in the country and wasn't able to support my younger daughter who rightly was anxious about going back to school in her GCSE year. Just my lucky my youngest tested positive a couple of days later so I actually did 12 days in the caravan helping him with his school work. No lounging around watching TV or catching up on my reading sadly.
I tested positive right up to day 10 and was very much looking forward to a rescheduled dinner with my husband at my friends' house at the end of last week. We literally had coats and hats on and a bag with wine and chocolates parked by the front door when we decided the considerate thing to do was to take a lateral flow test before seeing our friends, as our esteemed and not at all shady leader suggests.
Imagine our dismay when my husband's test came up with a faint line. We repeated the test but once again, there was the line of doom. With immense sadness I removed my coat and hat and set about filling in the online forms which ask you about 400 times who you've licked in the last four years so test and trace can send them Christmas cards.
Because we still have children who have so far avoided being plague rats, one of whom has a heart condition, we banished the despondent husband to the plague van caravan on the driveway where he seems to have enjoyed limitless sport on TV and no nagging about DIY etc. He has very mild symptoms and thankfully it doesn't seem to have affected his already damaged lungs. (Fingers crossed). No thanks to NHS 111 who assured us they would refer him for antivirals which HAVE to be taken within 48 hours of a positive LFT/PCR. Day 5 and we still haven't heard back and hubby decided he didn't want me to go all rottweiler on them despite my misgivings.
So health wise, not terrible news. It's so BORING though and although I'm glad our consecutive infections avoided any important dates it still seems a long time since life was anywhere near normal.
And now I hear Boris is abandoning self isolation pretty soon anyway and you wonder why you bothered. It's true, our illnesses have been mild and hopefully in future people will have the common sense to NOT go into work/the supermarket/anywhere when they feel ill with something which is patently contagious. I don't want your covid, flu or even your bad cold. Be courteous and self isolate while you are still sneaking, coughing and generally riddled with lurgy.
Many cultures have been wearing masks for years and I often spotted mask wearing tourists in London and wondered what they were protecting themselves from. Turns out they were mainly protecting others from their germs. Wouldn't it be nice if we followed their example.
Now I am looking forward to a swift return to whatever normal looks like for us in 2022. I plan to see friends, hopefully go abroad and spend time with my gorgeous new grandson.
What are you looking forward to this year?