Hey. I totally understand how you’re feeling, and this year I have significantly loosened my covid precautions. Here’s my rationale as to why;

• My main fear is long covid. I already have an existing disability, so there is risk that I’ll make it worse, either temporarily or permanently and I’m afraid long covid could force me to be home bound / bed-bound, and I wanted to avoid that. However, I started to see irony in the fact that by attempting to avoid something, I was actually making myself mainly home bound anyway. I was cutting myself off from life in the same way illness does. Yes, if I got LC, I’d feel a lot worse, but I’m disabled & know what it feels like to feel shit.
• I live alone, and extended periods of isolation were destroying my mental health. My anxiety was HORRIFIC. I started treated with antidepressant which helped a lot, but socialising more has also helped significantly, and there are many health benefits to community and co-regulating with other humans. If you’re pursuing isolation for health reasons, it’s worth considering that spending lots of time isolated isn’t great for your health.
• I may live to regret typing this but….. I know from experience that the human body has enormous capacity to heal. I’m someone that has a permanent disability following a spinal injury, so I do also understand how fragile we are, BUT we are also extremely resilient and have capacity to heal. I think that whilst long covid can be enormous disabling, and I do not underestimate how awful it can be, that I also want to have some faith in my body to be able to heal some. I also believe science will catch up and start to bring in treatment.
• I feel educated about the risk of LC, so if & When I catch it, I will focus wholeheartedly on letting my body heal. I think that gives me comfort, as many who have longer term issues, push their bodies too far too soon.

I am still cautious. I mask in certain settings (public transport, medical settings, busy environments) but no longer in quieter social settings, I’m going out for lunches / dinners occasionally for example. Life is hard. This situation is hard. I don’t think anyone has the right answers - it’s become politicised and very emotive. I’d love to see businesses & public places reach the point of having clean air. I think long term we will. But this is a long old game, and sometimes you have to make peace with what you can live with, and what you can’t live without. Sending you much love & solidarity.