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What has your recent experience been as these opportunities arise in the face of COVID? How does the potential for danger in even mundane social gatherings aff

What has your recent experience been as these opportunities arise in the face of COVID? How does the potential for danger in even mundane social gatherings affect your decision now? In the last 18 months I came to the same conclusion as you and started socializing more, but then COVID happened and then quarantine and while the rest of my office rushes back to doing team lunches and whatnot, I find myself hesitating. I know the value, but I recognize there's a risk. edit: LOL someone downvoted this post. Was there something offensive in my question? Something incorrect or illogical? Did I mislead or misconstrue or say something needlessly political?

berdario 6y ago
I wish there were actually opportunities in my life. My office is still closed, I tried to have a reunion with university mates in my home country (I always meet them when I travel back to my birthplace), but 3 out of 4 of them bailed out. I tried to reach out to other friends, but (except one or two) they are also opting out of meeting anyone for the foreseeable future. I'd obviously try to play it safe: meet the others at a distance, wearing masks, etc. It seems that most people who are shying away from meeting friends are those who cohabitate, which makes it even more frustrating to those of us who aren't :/
- cheschire 6y ago
  I had a similar situation, but the reunion-esque meetup functioned adequately over slack instead. It's definitely not the same, but we figured everyone sitting 1.5 meters apart at a bar isn't the same either and also not very conducive to socializing.
- smoe 6y ago
  What I started doing during the 5 month lockdown in Bogotá is going for extended walks every day and convinced friends/coworkers and some dates to join. Less risk than meeting indoors and free so it is easier for those who lost their job or have reduced salary to do something. That said, many people I would meet on a regular basis before, I haven't seen in person since it started. E.g. because they moved out of the citg for the time being or are taking care of their parents and don't want to take risk. With those we started having semi regular group videocalls just chatting to a glass of wine or beer. Not ideal but it did had the upside to connect more to people living elsewhere I interacted less with before the Pandemic.
dannyw 6y ago
I think you should consider the actual quantified risk to you and the community. For someone living alone for example and going to work drinks with 5 people, your risk of contracting COVID is very small. Your chance of developing serious complications from COVID is also very small. Your chance of spreading COVID to others, should you isolate once you develop symptoms, is also small. I highly recommend you research the actual numbers from WHO, CDC, papers, etc. You might find it surprising how little risk it poses to people our age. Multiply these all together and you will probably realise that COVID is not so concerning that you should forgo all social outings for.
- gjm11 6y ago
  > people our age So far as I can see, cheschire didn't say anything to indicate their age. Careful with those assumptions!
  - throwanem 6y ago
    Assuming that youth and health are sovereign against bad COVID outcomes sure is an assumption, too.
    - bumby 6y ago
      Isn’t that a statistically valid assumption for reduced risk at the population level?
      - markrages 6y ago
        Do you consider spreading to other more vulnerable people as a bad COVID outcome?
        necovek 6y ago
        GP comment says "for someone living alone" which I would consider an answer to your question.
implements 6y ago
Looks like a good and pertinent question to me. I’m seeing one old friend for a socially distanced outdoor walk / catch-up because I’ve decided the risk is outweighed by the duty to support people who might need it, and as the top OP says life is about connection, not just satisfying wants.
mikem170 6y ago
I've been getting together with friends and family more the last couple/few months. Outdoors and indoors. A couple/few larger gatherings. There have been no problems. Most of us our in our 40s and 50s - some older, some younger. We don't sneeze or cough on each other. It is assumed that someone feeling sick would stay home. Our family is more careful around gram, she's 92. I'm personally not of the belief that covid is the end of the world. A lot of people agree with me. I know of one person that refuses to leave the house. I understand that this person is more afraid of the virus than most people. I wouldn't want to do unnecessarily do anything to make a person who feels that way uncomfortable. But I'm also not going to live in a bubble for their peace of mind. The rest of us feel pretty strongly that respiratory pandemics are part of life and can't be stopped by lockdowns, despite all of the fear-mongering headlines and anecdotes. Let me know when covid-19 is worse per-capita than the 1968 or 1957 flu seasons.
- tshaddox 6y ago
  In the United States, 100,000 people died in the 1968 flu season, and the US population was about 200 million. There have been 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, and the US population is 328 million.
oceanplexian 6y ago
> How does the potential for danger in even mundane social gatherings affect your decision now? I assess the risk with the same way I assessed the combined cumulative risk of the last 4-5 Flu Seasons. In that it didn't affect my behavior or choices in any way whatsoever. The problem is while I'd like to socialize and get back to normal, unelected health department officials have decided to make socialization illegal.
m463 6y ago
you can always think of it this way: https://xkcd.com/2346/ https://xkcd.com/2346/ (meet people outdoors?)

berdario 6y ago

I wish there were actually opportunities in my life. My office is still closed, I tried to have a reunion with university mates in my home country (I always meet them when I travel back to my birthplace), but 3 out of 4 of them bailed out. I tried to reach out to other friends, but (except one or two) they are also opting out of meeting anyone for the foreseeable future. I'd obviously try to play it safe: meet the others at a distance, wearing masks, etc. It seems that most people who are shying away from meeting friends are those who cohabitate, which makes it even more frustrating to those of us who aren't :/

cheschire 6y ago
I had a similar situation, but the reunion-esque meetup functioned adequately over slack instead. It's definitely not the same, but we figured everyone sitting 1.5 meters apart at a bar isn't the same either and also not very conducive to socializing.
smoe 6y ago
What I started doing during the 5 month lockdown in Bogotá is going for extended walks every day and convinced friends/coworkers and some dates to join. Less risk than meeting indoors and free so it is easier for those who lost their job or have reduced salary to do something. That said, many people I would meet on a regular basis before, I haven't seen in person since it started. E.g. because they moved out of the citg for the time being or are taking care of their parents and don't want to take risk. With those we started having semi regular group videocalls just chatting to a glass of wine or beer. Not ideal but it did had the upside to connect more to people living elsewhere I interacted less with before the Pandemic.

dannyw 6y ago

I think you should consider the actual quantified risk to you and the community. For someone living alone for example and going to work drinks with 5 people, your risk of contracting COVID is very small. Your chance of developing serious complications from COVID is also very small. Your chance of spreading COVID to others, should you isolate once you develop symptoms, is also small. I highly recommend you research the actual numbers from WHO, CDC, papers, etc. You might find it surprising how little risk it poses to people our age. Multiply these all together and you will probably realise that COVID is not so concerning that you should forgo all social outings for.

gjm11 6y ago
> people our age So far as I can see, cheschire didn't say anything to indicate their age. Careful with those assumptions!
- throwanem 6y ago
  Assuming that youth and health are sovereign against bad COVID outcomes sure is an assumption, too.
  - bumby 6y ago
    Isn’t that a statistically valid assumption for reduced risk at the population level?
    - markrages 6y ago
      Do you consider spreading to other more vulnerable people as a bad COVID outcome?
      - necovek 6y ago
        GP comment says "for someone living alone" which I would consider an answer to your question.

implements 6y ago

Looks like a good and pertinent question to me. I’m seeing one old friend for a socially distanced outdoor walk / catch-up because I’ve decided the risk is outweighed by the duty to support people who might need it, and as the top OP says life is about connection, not just satisfying wants.

mikem170 6y ago

I've been getting together with friends and family more the last couple/few months. Outdoors and indoors. A couple/few larger gatherings. There have been no problems. Most of us our in our 40s and 50s - some older, some younger. We don't sneeze or cough on each other. It is assumed that someone feeling sick would stay home. Our family is more careful around gram, she's 92. I'm personally not of the belief that covid is the end of the world. A lot of people agree with me. I know of one person that refuses to leave the house. I understand that this person is more afraid of the virus than most people. I wouldn't want to do unnecessarily do anything to make a person who feels that way uncomfortable. But I'm also not going to live in a bubble for their peace of mind. The rest of us feel pretty strongly that respiratory pandemics are part of life and can't be stopped by lockdowns, despite all of the fear-mongering headlines and anecdotes. Let me know when covid-19 is worse per-capita than the 1968 or 1957 flu seasons.

tshaddox 6y ago
In the United States, 100,000 people died in the 1968 flu season, and the US population was about 200 million. There have been 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, and the US population is 328 million.

oceanplexian 6y ago

> How does the potential for danger in even mundane social gatherings affect your decision now? I assess the risk with the same way I assessed the combined cumulative risk of the last 4-5 Flu Seasons. In that it didn't affect my behavior or choices in any way whatsoever. The problem is while I'd like to socialize and get back to normal, unelected health department officials have decided to make socialization illegal.

m463 6y ago

you can always think of it this way: https://xkcd.com/2346/ https://xkcd.com/2346/ (meet people outdoors?)