[Ekua]

I hate seeing my kids in masks too Podmom. Our parents couldn't even come to our Christmas show - we recorded it and sent them the video. So sad.

I think you are being sensible JJ. It's just not worth it I don't think. But restrictions etc are not the answer....people are not going to stick by them when they don't really seem to work....

[JournalingJedi]

Last day of holiday break….saw only my dad. Several people we know have Covid now and are all vaccinated. It’s everywhere. So far we are good. Just binge watching tv shows . Didn’t even go out for post holiday shopping sales….did it all online…..

Did see a movie, but that was the only place we went. Good news is we didn’t use hardly any gas in our car this entire holiday…..very odd indeed.

[aubie_ocean]

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have been safe and well!

Yeah its spreading like wild fire here in Ontario. Everyone pretty much has covid, it's just a matter of time of when we'll get it, not if anymore.

Our hospitals are not only having a hard time with beds, but no doctors or nurses because they're all sick. So back on lock down we go.

[podmom]

Hi there all

Gosh here is hoping and praying next Christmas is batter! When this first started with 2 weeks to slow the spread good thing we had no idea how it would go would have been too scary and hard.

Praying many of the experts have it right and the Omicron will burn out the virus by infecting so many....of us all unfortunately since even boosted are catching it...I'm hunkered down in OC.... seeing no one but my brother and sis in law...mostly just brother until I hopefully visit Emily and her little ones next week. Seeing Liz and kids will be risky, so I have to stay away from them till I see Emily because of baby Sloan.

s all around

[Ekua]

It's been a nightmare....as wonderful as my trip home was i'm not sure I would have gone if i'd known everything was about to kick off!

Thailand changed the rules for coming back mid holiday, pretty much my whole family got Covid part from me, flights got changed, expensive pcr tests for pre departure (can't use the NHS ones for that!), worried about seeing people because I wouldn't be able to get back etc etc. My last week was so stressful I need a holiday to recover from it!

[JournalingJedi]

Oh Ekua
Glad you did get back, but agree the stress must have been awful! I felt bad for all the people stuck everywhere. One man was on the news that he and his wife were vaccinated, boosted, tested negative and then as they boarded their flight home from a Caribbean island they tested positive….and are now quarantined in a hotel for who knows how long far from home. Ugh…..

We just bought the Board game, Risk, to keep the kids occupied. Not going anywhere for a while

[Ekua]

Thank you JJ!

It's jus a bit crazy. I understand if you have symptoms you should get medical help, a test, isolate but making people stay home with no symptom is just being ridiculous. Businesses et can't survive with so many people off. And this strain seem so much more mild for the majority.

[JournalingJedi]

It’s crazy how many I know who have been or who are currently on quarantine who do not have any symptoms …….this is the oddest senario. I also saw on the news this morning a statistic that no one in the US who has omicron is on a ventilator and the deaths are still delta related…..

[Ekua]

Yes I think the seriously ill/death numbers are so very low compared to the last variant. That's the number we need to be looking at, not the big scary '300,000 new cases a day!' when for most it's not really serious.

And funny how the flu/bad colds have completely disappeared...

[JournalingJedi]

Apparently everyone here with mild cold symptoms , especially a runny nose, is Covid positive……

[podmom]

s Ekua glad you made it back!

Well Liz called me today and said she has covid it was just a matter of time. I was supposed to go there this week and watch Anna Lee and Grace while Liz Tommy and Walter went skiing with friends. Kids had off school. Last minute Liz texted Grace had been exposed at school to a boy that went home sick. Lots of texting back and forth with her and Emily and me. Ultimately, we decided for me not to do it. I did drive there Friday and delivered the cake I had made and saw Grace and Anna Lee outside for as long as we could take it in the cold. I even wore a mask outside which I never do. Good thing I didn't do it or I would have it by now probably which would keep me from going to Emily's Tuesday. God willing, we all stay healthy a bit longer so I can go.

[aubie_ocean]

Glad you made it back Ekua! That sounded stressful though.

Sorry to hear Podmom about Emily. Yeah it is just a matter of time. I feel so rundown from the holidays on top of all the stress at work, I'm bound to get sick.

We have rapid tests so when we feel rundown we do a test...it's been negative so I'm hoping it is and we're just not getting false negative. We just have been getting headaches and sneezing but the weather here have also just been insane up and down.

[Ekua]

Oh no Podmom sorry about Liz. Hope she’s doing okay! It seems like this variant is so contagious (and thankfully) mild for most, that it’s almost inevitable we’ll get it!

I think all this testing needs to stop. All this shutting schools because of one case, taking tests, having to do online. I am so stressed by it. I can’t take much more.

[JournalingJedi]

The testing has to stop…. A friend of mine who had Covid (mild ) back around Christmas is still sometimes testiing positive and she’s fine. I am so glad I’m not an Olympian having to travel to China right now….

[Ekua]

Yeah apparently you can test positive up to 90 days!

It’s crazy - here if one person gets it whole schools close down. This can’t go on. I’m losing my mind.