Sorry... but surely COVID has exacerbated issues for some? Those who have lost loved ones or their jobs? Those who see no end in sight - regarding this pandemic and are feeling trapped? What about those who cannot afford professional help or do not know how to seek it?

I also worry about the elderly and youth who have been isolated. This current situation does not bode well regarding their mental well-being. I personally think the mental health issues due to COVID will plague society for a long time... Sad but true...

Some people will not admit there is an issue, and will not, or refuse to- seek advice/counselling.

I worry about teenagers who have one parent who has been and is continuing to be, über anxious and unable to release the noose of previous rules re contact with others.

I agree. I also think that when we are still busy adjusting to the relatively new reality, it is probably difficult to imagine what the stress can do to others or longterm in the future.

At the end of the day ( as far as those who have or have not been badly affected by the pandemic ) there will always
be those for whom if its not affected them personally and no loved ones or nearest and dearest have suffered or
snuffed it due to Covid - then there will always be attitude of what's all the fuss about ? - time to move on etc, etc.

Then there's the others who's nearest and dearest did end up in intensive care, maybe denied access to them
in the final moments of their life; went onto their funeral but was limited in giving a proper funeral service due to covid
restrictions on numbers, with many close friends and relatives being told to stay at home rather than give
them a proper sendoff.
I'm sure there's an untold number of children who have lost their parents or grandparents, or if they are older maybe
lost their brothers and sisters thanks to the pandemic and will just have to soldier on without them.

__________________
Surely the time has come for Boris to 'circle the wagons' for a bit of herd immunity ?

I have to admit that I have always struggled with social anxiety ... when everything was still open and the numbers were exploding back in October, I had to leave the house one weekend to go to the pharmacy. That anxiety came back in full force that led to an almost panic attack. The city was way too crowded and it was too much for me to handle at that time. I called my therapist and we developed good coping mechanisms for how I was feeling, I haven't had a problem leaving the house since.

People are resilient ... I have faith that those of us who have been lucky to maintain our health and haven't lost loved ones, will move on from this quite well. For those who haven't been so fortunate, I am sure there will be adequate support.

No clue how is the status in CH, but in Berlin mental health practitioners are overbooked since COVID started, almost constantly - people are losing jobs, then isolation - so far those are the biggest reasons for seeking help.
Info is from the autumn last year, can't imagine how much worse is now...

Berlin is basically under the curfew now, while CH is opening restaurants' terraces. And if I see correctly, number of incidence is roughly similar.

I think one of the problems we folks have is when the government makes some decisions that just don't seem like backed by anything... And especially when it goes back and forth.

Don't know how it's in CH, here there are basically rules who 'lives and who not' from the perspective which business is allowed to work, and which not. And that changes on monthly basis. Many many folks had to capitulate, but not under the corona but under such decisions which may or might not have reasonable sense....

In Croatia, they're even worse, rules relaxation for elections and big funerals (corrupted major died from too much cocaine and viagra it seems) and such, like yeah, virus will wait in front of the doors... And on top of that, two big earthquakes hit capital city and one other...

I think virus itself isn't THAT horrible (it is bad, especially through consequences like lifelong damaged lungs and such if that part hit you), but how various countries are handling it IS horrible, and from such actions we'll probably have the most damage in mental and other wellbeing of many many fellow citizens.
Especially for folks who live in one country but have family/friends in another countries, and they couldn't visit or are comparing the insanity around it.

I think hard core introverts who aren't connected to family/friends that much have the best chances to handle all this and go relatively unscathed... But for everyone else, it's just a matter of degree how it impacted them.

It kept my nose warm during colder days and I didn't felt stupid for wearing nose protector I never dared to wear one before corona....

Read this phrase attributed to Napoleon in other context yesterday, but it may apply to the topic of this thread:

From this perspective....we're screwed. Take Switzerland with 25% foreigners with diverse, truly diverse, backgrounds. Someone can see the current events like a curious detour in the road, others like one more catastrophe in an unending series of exhausting challenges that started with the first personal memory.

Also, this perspective may help to understand why people with no apparent problems in the present is suffering. So, sorry for saying 1st world problems which may be the present conditions. It's dumb considering everyone has a past which is there with us at all times

The problem is most people can't be realistic at judging themselves, the least competent people at a subject, may think they are experts as they don't even realise how bad they are. You see this particularly with skiing & especially entry level ski instructors who bitch how difficult the French qualifications are, those people if they were French would not be allowed to teach skiing in France.

Yes, I think we are very resilient. I'm curious how we'll remember this time. I wouldn't be surprised if many folks will see it in a lighter tone in a few years.

Maybe people will remember it the same way the Brits remember 'The Blitz' during the Second World War
except this time they will be waxing lyrical about how 'we all sheltered', while working from home
and stopped up all night watching Amazon Prime & Netflix in the lockdowns during one of the many
1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Covid waves and yet still lived to tell the tale.

Not to mention being glued to the telly during those all important Coronavirus briefings from number 10
in the evening; presented by the PM Boris, Matt Hancock, Professor Chris ( next slide please ) Whitty
not to mention the indispensable JvT that has kept us all in awe !

Yes we will be boring the many generations to come about The Great Covid Pandemic of the 2020's.

__________________
Surely the time has come for Boris to 'circle the wagons' for a bit of herd immunity ?

Maybe some will remember the time they have spent with their families...with all its ups and downs. Or taking online courses, reorganising their homes, having time for a hobby.
Or trying to figure out how the whole miserable world out there has survived.... Which type are you? It seems some people here are inclined to see only doom and gloom as far as others are concerned.

I'll remember the COVID-induced lockdown as one of the happiest times of the last decade, I had no family upsets and it was one of the best periods for relaxing and self-development that I can remember.

That's what OH says. I think I'll personally remember well the anxiety though. And the worries for close members of my family and friends. And admiration for my kids who are my brave little heroes.

I thought you were an only child & you live in a different country to your parents! I am curious how you were managing to have family upsets in the first place.

Dyeing mattress upsets.

Yup, some element of worry was indeed there but in the end as long as everyone stayed (mostly) sane and healthy then it's all good.

With the accent on mostly....

Yes so relaxed that we will have to look at buying new sofas when this is all over due to the deep imprints
made during the lockdowns.

I think in the past, well of Europe at least, wars and upheavals were pretty common in history. There is probably no time from the end of the Pax Romana up to the end of WW2 that you could have lived your full lifespan without living through at least two wars, in addition to the wars there would have been plagues and natural disasters etc that would have have been far more significant and deadly then than they are today. Plus of course poor healthcare, social and working conditions, democratic and legal rights etc etc.

If you were born in say 1945 and are 75 today, you are one of a very priviledged generation whose greatest challenges in life were probably passing exams at school, getting a job and paying the mortgage.

I think we have to some extent forgotten how tough our ancestors had it. We have come to take the good times for granted and maybe grown a little too soft in the underbelly.

What we have today is still way preferable to what was happening back them.