after the first wave: a brief overview of coronavirus in the UK

I have been wanting to write about the current situation with coronavirus in the UK as a follow up to my previous post, A Nightingale Nurse. Something serious and poignant perhaps would do. Or maybe an upbeat overview of what I’ve been doing to stay active and focused, creative and carefree. I fear neither of those posts are what you’ll be reading today. Today is just a general overview of what the pandemic has been like in the UK thus far.

The last 5 months have left me weary in most aspects of my life. It seems a pandemic can’t really be boxed up and compartmentalized – it affects everything. Only now have I felt as if I could let my guard down a bit. Perhaps this is why exhaustion has hit, it always seems to be the way. It’s probably the worst time to relax, though. Forgive me for being bleak, but a second wave could start at any time. And I don’t really have the strength at present to entertain the possibility.

The Pandemic Today

Today it could be said that the UK has the spread of coronavirus under control. We had a peak, a descent, and numbers are stabilizing at around 500-700 cases and 60 deaths per day. The vast majority of these are in England, and within England there are isolated outbreaks in specific regions. Currently, there are a few cities which are being watched closely or are being put under geographic specific lockdown measures.

If you’re interested in seeing the present data, click here for more info.

I admit, so far it hasn’t been nearly as bad as I had prepared myself for. But I find I’m better able to cope when I prepare myself for the absolute worst. At the height of it, I was ready to be morphed into an ICU nurse overnight to take care of patients in what I would think of as an army hospital. We were told we would see a lot of death. Some of my colleagues did – I’m really thankful I didn’t.

How We Got Here

The first phases of lockdown had an air of Blitz Mentality about them. British resilience and social solidarity were talked about on the news and comparisons were drawn. People really seemed to be taking the lockdown rules seriously, at least in Norwich. Hardly anyone was outside and those who were had obvious objectives like getting groceries or sorting essential business with the bank.

As businesses closed, messages of support for NHS staff and key workers were appearing in windows of stores and homes. I’ve even seen a number of them on village welcome signs, too. On Thursdays you could hear your neighbors outside clapping and shouting in support of the NHS. It was heartwarming… at least the first couple of times.

Unease underpinned everything, but there was also some comfort in the collective experience. A sense of all of us doing our part and working together for the greater good. There was still hope that after a few months of strict lockdown, things could potentially get back to “normal”.

How Life Changed For Me

The initial lockdown rules were to “Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives”. Vague in some ways, but quite clear in others. If you were an essential worker you went to work, and if not you worked from home. Everyone could go out once a day for groceries/necessities and exercise.

Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives.

As an essential worker, I suppose my routine didn’t change much, besides the obvious addition of wearing masks all the time. I have been going to work, coming home, getting groceries once a week. Only once was I required to quarantine for 7 days after having a mild temperature. You can read more about my experience as a nurse at the beginning of the pandemic here: A Nightingale Nurse.

The biggest change has been not using public transport. The bus has been my main mode of transportation since moving here. After the beginning of lockdown on March 23^rd I haven’t used any public transport. It’s still running, but my boyfriend and I decided very early on that one of the only things we could do to reduce our collective exposure was to have him take me into work and pick me up. For 4 solid months he’s been waking up ridiculously early with me to take me in and waiting patiently for me in the parking lot at the end of the day. He most certainly deserves some sort of medal.

The Lockdown Crumbles

Unfortunately, any collective sense of responsibility the country possessed ceased to exist after Dominic Cummings’ visit to Barnard Castle. His nonessential, 520 mile roundtrip journey to Durham from London made headlines for days as did his outing to Barnard Castle to “check his eyesight”.

People called for his resignation (or termination) from his post as the Prime Minister’s Senior Advisor. He was, at the end of the day, breaking the rules he himself helped put into place. It was ridiculous, he made feeble excuses, the public saw right through them and we lost faith in the lockdown as a result.

For those of you outside the UK, this article in The Guardian is an overview of the Cummings debacle and why it sparked so much controversy.

Easing of Lockdown

At the start of June, just one week after Dominic Cummings checked his eyesight, the lockdown measures began easing. To be honest, it felt a little early… a bit rushed. We had been told we would need to wait for a track and trace system to be in place before it was safe to lift any part of lockdown. I believe economic pressures and the desire to move the narrative away from Dominic Cummings had more to do with the decision than anything.

Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives.

Since then the restrictions have been much more vague. The official government line switched to “Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives”. Many memes were made about this and other more obvious U-turns of the UK government. To be honest, it’s not entirely clear what we can and can’t do. From what I can gather, people are generally doing what they believe is appropriate which obviously varies widely between individuals.

Current Restrictions

Masks were mandatory on public transport since the beginning and they have recently been made mandatory in shops. Travel restrictions are still in place for international travel and quarantine has been talked about for people coming from certain countries. As an American, I’m still unsure what restrictions other countries may place on me due to my nationality instead of looking at my residency in the UK.

On the whole, I don’t mind the masks. They give me a sense of control, which is helpful at a time when most things are well out of our control. I already have to wear them for 10 hours at work, so wearing them when I choose to go outside for short trips seems reasonable. If they help, then it’s no real bother, except the resulting mask acne. I would welcome any tips for making that go away.

Traveling Again

We have been trying to be sensible while we start to venture out again. Our trips are mostly within Norfolk, but occasionally we’ll go farther to chase our dream of buying a narrowboat and exploring the waterways of England. As a side note, it seems the market for narrowboats and caravans is moving very swiftly. Either it’s because of a backlog due to 3 months of inactivity or people are changing their thoughts about what vacations will look like in the future. Staycations may be the new norm for some time.

What’s Next?

Unfortunately, I feel the handle the government has at present is only a loose grip. Second waves are starting in many countries now and I fear a lot of people in the UK seem to have relaxed. With any luck the government has reflected on the handling of the virus so far and will be able to react much more quickly and decisively if cases begin to rise. I want to be hopeful, but we will just have to wait and see.

Norfolk, however, is conveniently out of the way – no one comes through to get anywhere else. This may have been inconvenient before the pandemic, but it is rather helpful now. There are also plenty of little villages on the coast and in the Broads which can be explored as day trips. Taking advantage of this seems appropriate.

I don’t see how it would be possible to plan any international travel for the rest of 2020. Not when I have a job that requires me to return and a visa that carries with it certain expectations that I must meet. Travel insurance is a real worry as well. A policy that would cover you at the time you purchase a trip may not cover you if the government decides to advise against travel to your destination. We will all have to be much more aware of little details like this going forward.

As always, I hope all of you are staying safe and well. I really enjoy hearing from you, so please take a minute to leave a comment.

---