Continuing Difficult Times

[Gardian]

Just spoke with friends in the UK via email.

He has ‘gone down’ with Covid in the last few days. Happily, not feeling great, but generally OK. They’ve done all the responsible things re self quarantine.

Their best guess is that going to a concert in C London a week or so ago was the culprit. Tube travel + cheek by jowell at the concert with non mask wearing attendees.

Anyway ....... it’s less than perfect, isn’t it?

We’re desperate to return to the UK at Christmas / NY, but have more than a sneaking suspicion that if the infection rate in the UK carries on the way it is, France will say ......., “NON”.

In truth, nobody is going to be able to come out with any better info, but I just thought that I’d try to add to the depression !

[Kong]

I despair at the recent developments in the UK, Abandoning safeguards for fear of unpopularity and declaring getting back to normal when infection rates rocket. It's madness.

[Gardengirl]

Gardian, sorry to read about your friend, hope recovery will be swift.

We haven’t used public transport or been anywhere crowded, have only been in our son’s house once, with windows and doors open and he and his family only live round the corner from us.

I also despair about what is happening here in the UK - it sometimes feels as though the government is on Covid’s side against the people.

We haven’t been to our place in France for 21 months now - we left in December 2019 intending to return about 3 weeks later as usual.

A visit planned for later this month has had to be postponed due to medical problems. I’m also concerned that the UK will be shut out of France and wider Europe by the time we can travel.

[NormanH]

In fairness, it is possible that there are many more tests being done in the UK than here in France which would lead to higher figures for positive cases.

[Gardian]

Almost certainly true Norman.

As many have said, you don’t really know which set of numbers to believe.

The ‘good news’, after my excessively gloomy thread last night, is that people (such as our friend) are not becoming as ill (generally) as they did earlier in all this.

The big problem remains the uncertainty. Very, very difficult to make, let alone finalise any plans for visits FR - UK, or vice versa. We can’t even blame it on Brexit.

Anyway ........ the world isn’t coming to an end, and we’ll make our return to the UK at Christmas unless Macron or Johnson stop us. Won’t book anything until the last minute though!

[Théière]

The numbers in England are remaining reasonable flat, it is Scotland that makes the UK figures look bad. Cases have not risen as was expected after mask wearing and social gatherings were allowed except in Scotland.

Gardian your friend now has a better immunity going forward than from a 3rd jab, jabs only recognise the spike protein whereas actually catching a bit of covid will train the immune system to all 28 of the proteins in covid so a much earlier response from the bodies immune system means less chance of it being overwhelmed also better protection from variants which may or may not be worse symptoms wise.

Yes Norman, test less report less totally agree there isnt a correlation between the no of tests to the number of cases.

I am now enjoying France after 13months of staying away ans its good for the soul and wellbeing.