View Full Version : What does YOUR COVID bubble look like?
In my little bubble, people wear masks. DH and I social distance ourselves from our neighbors. We don't even entertain the thought of vacations. I haven't been to a restaurant in a year. I turn down work that hints I might have to go to NJ. We talk about the vaccine and how hopeful we are that someday relatively soon--maybe months from now--we will get back to some semblance of normal life, although we will probably still wear masks in certain circumstances.
But I'm shocked at other bubbles I've heard about. Full, jam-packed planes on the way to Florida. No masks, indoor dining. Business open, maybe some restrictions, but nothing that impacts the ability for people to go out and have fun.
It reminds me that this country is far from monolithic. We are made up of many "countries"--maybe 50 of them. Attitudes and behaviors of people--getting the same newspapers, listening to the same news, under the same leadership--completely different.
What does your bubble look like?
ApatheticNoMore
3-3-21, 7:13pm
Like clinical depression.
I have not seen anyone indoors unmasked in a year but bf (so yea take issue with my pod >8)). I have not visited with anyone INDOORS but bf masks or not - but yea sometimes one has to go indoors. No vacations, no eating in restaurants, no hair cuts (even bf cuts his own hair now), no gym membership. Some businesses are open, it doesn't mean it's a good idea to go to all of them.
- My Dad, 80 years old, who just moved in with me Monday, +4 days after his second COVID vaccination. He arrived nursing his just-repaired broken hip, and the last stages of his cancer treatment, and has a clean bill of health from his doctor, all his shots, and is housebroken.
- My relationship-interest, who is getting their first COVID vaccination today, who is a schoolteacher and has been teaching remotely for the past year due to the pandemic.
- Their two children, who live at their house, one of whom is a firefighter (and fully vaccinated), the other a college student (remote-only at present.)
- I go for walks with my neighbor around the street-trail in our neighborhood, we each stay on the opposite side of the road on the trail on each side, probably 25 feet apart, and generally the wind is in a favorable direction to prevent any cross-contamination. She's 78 and has had both doses of the vaccine.
- I go to outdoors distanced dinner parties a few times a month at a friend's home here. Everyone has their own table, about 20 feet away from each other table on their deck, and each table comes up to retrieve their family-style serving platters from a common table set outside their kitchen window. There are exterior propane heaters to keep this moderately warm during our winter here. Everyone has developed a firm speaking voice.
Nobody else gets within 15 feet or so of me unless I've following COVID PPE protocols. I try to never be downwind from someone else. I avoid enclosed spaces as much as possible, even with PPE on.
The handful of times I've had to take the ferry to the mainland this past year, I've remained inside my vehicle and not gone up to the passenger area, which is mostly-closed anyways.
A dull routine of going to work 5 days a week and not much else. I do go for essential services like car repairs.
The only people we see outside of each other are local son and daughter-in-law and two granddaughters. Have not seen my son and grandson in 18 months now; not seen my son in Oregon in 2 years.
When we see my son's family, we cannot see anyone else--we cannot get together with his in-laws, for example. Limited to under 8 people.
I see my mother in assisted living on compassionate care visits, wearing a mask, allowed only in her room, cannot interact with anyone else. Am allowed 20 minutes a visit, and my husband cannot come in to see her; nor can my son.
Everyone masked here for everything else. Am way overdue on dental and medical visits, waiting to get the vaccine to go to the doctor. Waiting for vaccine to travel to see grandson. Cut own hair, no gym, no library, no swimming, no restaurants.
iris lilies
3-3-21, 8:15pm
We mask up for going to stores. I won’t say we go often but I won’t say that we never go either. We go when necessary. Because we’re doing two renovations, we have to go places to conduct business. I always try to stand far away from people when masked.
Since Covid hit one year ago I’ve eaten inside restaurants three times. All of those times were a mistake and I regretted it, and those times were in hot wewtjer nefore the big covid spikes hit here.
I get take out a few times per month from restaurants—-I called in my order, pay for it via phone, and then pop in to get it.
I do let an occasional person inside my house, that probably happens once every six weeks.
what socializing we do, we do outdoors. Now that nice weather is back we will do more. DH walks with friends in the morning. I will plan outings on patio dining soon, a couple of them. The long hard winter is over and i am happy to see some people but am not desperate to socialize.
I went to one dental cleaning the spring but canceled the fall one. In a few months I’ll make an appointment. I’m not too worried about dental stuff. I just today made an appointment for when I was Covid-safe to see myndoctor.
No one comes in our home. If I see someone, I space 7d before I see someone else.
Restaurants: we have a few we'll go to now/then. Wear mask in. All staff wear masks. Distancing among guests. I've observed thorough cleaning in the 3 places we will go.
Have attended 2 small gatherings with those who I know are cautious. (under 10 people). Then to be safe, I quarantined 14d to assure no one else was at risk from me.
The only people I've met in a restaurant are other RNs who I know are being super cautious as I am. We each have felt comfortable with what we've observed of employees in the few places we've gone.
Just DH and myself. Now have 2nd vaccine and over 10 days have elapsed. DS and GD are here visiting (last saw them 6 months ago) We have only seen neighbors outside and talked from a distance. Have not eaten out since last March. Recently ordered 2nd carryout. Don't plan on eating at restaurants anytime soon. Will get haircuts Monday and I may go to the gym for classes (I have to research the protocol first). Have been grocery shopping every 3 weeks wearing a double mask during senior hours. May actually start looking around when I go shopping instead of run in and run out. Thinking of planning a summer getaway to a national park ... depends on what is going on at the time.
We've had a skeleton of a social life for the past year. We instituted "driveway drinking" with 2-3 neighbor couples every Friday for happy hour. Outside, a good distance apart. Been ongoing for a year Keeps us all sane. We bring our own chairs, beverage, glasses. It's brought us closer together...when it's cool, we have a fire pit.
We have occasional dinners with one other couple in their or our home. We know that they are very cautious, as are we. We dine at separate tables.
I have been grocery shopping weekly during non-busy times. Masked, of course, wash hands a lot.
We cook at home, rarely do take out.
Our main entertainment is home-based or outdoors for walks, cycling....
All in all, we're doing okay. Get first vaccine shot tomorrow--yippee!
Just DH and I for way too long now. We will stop and chat with neighbors on the street from a distance. Book and garden club are no more. Take out about every two weeks. Have gotten back into the routine grocery and library (now open) visits but get in and get out. The other day I waltzed into the library front door without my mask on as I guess I lost my mind momentarily. A man inside barked at me to leave immediately and I felt so ashamed but returned to the car to get mine. I like to walk through the neighborhood sans mask for the fresh air and exercise but always keep a good distance from others. Many other walkers are wearing masks; seems like being outside away from others shouldn't really require one. Life has gotten so weird in only a years time.
I had routine patio/backyard gatherings without masks, but social distancing, until the cold weather hit. Since then I've had a couple indoor meetings with family without masks when we'd loosely self-quarantine before hand, but have temporarily lost the live-and-in-person personal social group. That should start again soon. I've been getting haircuts, early morning grocery shopping, routine physical, and a few minimal excursions to places like Home Depot. I have zoom meetings with friends every week or two and stay in touch with emails and phone. I've not been in a restaurant or take out for over a year, which other than the social element is no big loss, and have had a few workmen with masks in the house for plumbing problems and computer issues. That's about it. I've turned down several social gathering that I thought were not prudent, even when offered expensive scotch.
Teacher Terry
3-4-21, 1:38am
Last winter our bubble was my husband, son living with us and we saw my oldest son and his wife outside, distanced with masks. No doctor appointments, haircuts, groceries delivered, etc. When June came my son that was living with us went back to work and our bubble expanded to include 3 of my friends. We occasionally ate outside at restaurants. Fall came with higher cases and we all locked down again. Now with vaccines we wear masks but have resumed normal activities.
Social connections have shrunk remarkably. Saw my grandson, wife, baby briefly for Baby’s 1st birthday last early June. Had lunch outdoors with my daughter just a month ago for her birthday, first time I’ve seen her in a year. See neighbors and exchange pleasantries at a distance occasionally. Church service, classes and meetings on line only. Three cousins via group text- I really miss our get togethers!
Really the only person in my bubble is my friend who was diagnosed with a nasty blood cancer in mid October and is in treatment. She lives just a few doors away from me; I’ve done all of her grocery shopping and pharmacy pickups for a year now, and I take her to most of her medical appointments. I’ve felt somewhat vulnerable sitting in the waiting area at the lab that she must visit weekly. She is unable to walk very far, so I go fetch a wheelchair, wipe it down, and take her in. They require us to wear their paper masks, that don’t fit snuggly on the sides, and have a peculiar chemical odor, prompting many people to hold them off of their faces while they wait. Ugh.
I spend late afternoon and evenings with her, making dinner, feeding cats and dogs, cleaning up dinner, collecting mail, etc. then we watch TV and chat, she naps, I exercise my tablet. She needs in-person company, otherwise, she says, “my mind goes places I don’t want it to be.” I’m very grateful for the time we spend together.
I wear a glove to pump gas and try to be at the gas station at non-busy times. We’ve had take-out food 4 or 5 times in a year. I have 2 high school students that I work with online, a total of 10-12 hours a week. I’ve visited the plant nursery a few times, it’s mostly outdoors and I’m there mid day and mid week when there a few other customers.
I am so ready for a “normal” summer! I get my second vaccine on March 22. Two weeks after that, I’ll get my first haircut in 15 months!
early morning
3-4-21, 6:05am
Our bubble, besides myself, consists of DH and DD, who lives with us. She works at a museum one day a week, and I go with her and volunteer at the same time/place. It is a large space with not many vistors and we require masks and social distancing. We met with other close family for special occasions over the summer, outside and spaced, and they are frequently at the museum (we are all actively involved members) on weekends, masked and spaced like the other visitors. I've had one haircut, one dental appointment, and no dr. visits since last March. We shop as little as possible - groceries mostly, about every 3 - 4 weeks. We visit gas station, drive-throughs, curb-side pickups as needed/wanted. We have had little interactions outside of these things. I do miss family gatherings, and the ability to call in repair people, but other than that, this has not been all that awful for us (we just aren't people-people!) I do feel badly for people who thrive on social interactions, even if I don't really understand them, lol.
Simplemind
3-4-21, 12:31pm
It is just the two of us. DS stops by every few weeks or so for a quickie distanced masked check in. We go for a 3-5 mile walk every day and rarely run into anybody. We carry masks in case we do. We have done some take out but have not gone into any restaurants. We get groceries delivered. We may go to a variety store for something needed if grocery delivery or Amazon doesn't have it. Since the gym is closed we have some exercise equipment here to go along with the daily walks. Spring is right around the corner so our entertainment is going to be the awakening yard and gardens and all we have to do to get them in shape. When not doing that we Netflix, play board games, read, paint and write. The dogs and their insistence on interaction and play keep us pretty entertained. Sitting here waiting on our vaccines. I'm waiting on the J&J and DH will take whatever he can get.
It's DW and me and our DS/DSiL and the three grandchildren. We've been assured that the revolving door on their house from earlier in the pandemic has been replaced and that nobody gets through the new one. Oh, DSiL's DM (enough initials??) is an exception to that rule (she has had COVID-19). Around everyone else -- members of my family, neighbors, friends -- we mask up and maintain some distance, for their protection as well as ours.
Next Wednesday marks two weeks since we got our second vaccine shots. We have had people in the house -- tradespeople, friends, family, all masked, no handshaking or hugs, no sharing food or utensils. We went to a friend's home two weeks ago and walked around his property sans masks but at least 8-10 feet apart, even when we enjoyed some adult beverages. We will go to stores but they're targeted runs (no pun intended): inside for phoned-in order pickup or right the the appropriate aisle, to a cash register, then out the door again. We anticipate we'll be masking up for several more months, but as it gets warmer (50-55 degrees) we may take out some patio furniture and the outdoor fireplace and get together outside again. tbh I see the vaccine as more of an insurance policy than a get-out-of-jail-free card. And just because we've been lucky enough to get it earlier than our situations otherwise would warrant, there's no need to make anyone unvaccinated uncomfortable by taking off our masks and getting in their faces.
Workmates (3-4 people a day), + DH. Grandson once/wk who comes to work at my workplace for his spec ed adult transition program. That's it. DH does all grocery shopping. We've gone to ONE restaurant in a year and I felt weird the whole time.
I looked up pods. This is when people socialize with others outside their household maskless etc as if they lived together. There is no fixed pod size. I would like to create a pod with 7.674 billion people. That way I can be free. Here I have been missing out on all this social activity. So I am casting about for pod members. Who is interested in my podcast?
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