I feel as we have all been so protected for so long, we are now picking up the bugs more easily.
It takes a long time to build a strong immune system but only takes a short time to undo it.
And we are still in the middle of flu season which adds to the woes.
Hopefully, you’ll feel well enough to get out today and enjoy a beer and Sunday lunch somewhere nice 
Meanwhile I suppose that the virus is often transmitted by kids (school, kindergarten etc)
I have heard a lot about this way of infection.
But never got severe, neither kids nor parents.
I think thats correct Franz, at leastbin my personal experience of family and friends.
Children are inherently dirty and unhygienic sonoce one has the virus it spreads quickly amoung a close group and extends out from there.
We are certain we got Covid from Charlie and our syptoms are mild. But to add, we only had our booster 4-6weeks ago, so we are still benefitting from the maximum protection of that.
Friends who are certain theh have caught Covid from their kids had mild symptoms. Others who dont come in contact with kids, who assume they caught Covid from an adult, have siffered badly - several days in bed and many days suffering after that.
And that is good!
Kids from the real countryside playing in mud and dirt are much better protected than those who are washed with “disinfectants” daily. 
They got a much better immune system being in contact with everything!
Thats correct Franz.
Antibac hand gel is the curse of modern times.
But thats the marketing people selling you the idea clean is good.
Of course, clean is good to a point.
But as i say to parents of my age, when we were kids we would be out playing in the garden all day and no doubts getting all sorts of muck in our mouths and probably not washing our hands properly before we eat.
I recal picking vegatables and fruit from dads garden and eating them, muck and all!
Never did me any harm.
Some people now are so concerned about “germs” its stops kids being kids. Then we have a new generation of people who get sick more easily and suffers more, which has an impact all round.
True!!!
But even knowing this I will not go in pharmaceutic shares so much! 
When I was a kid (long time ago 
) we were out in the woods the whole day.
A little bit of washing was enough, hands and face and may be really dirty knees.
Once a week we fired a kettle and the family was taking a bath.
But the water was changed after each person.
Our neighbors did not with 5 kids.
One filling of the tube for all,.
I see them standing like the organ pipes -> One out, the next one in!
Nobody can imagine how funny this was.
Sometimes I helped to wash the kids, when neighbor’s wife was out of home and
her husband, named Franz like me, 
had to do that job.
Hair washing of the girls was always a little difficult,
but I promised to read a fairytale so it was better -> no tears.
This would be a good song for hair washing!
That was our life on the countryside in the 1950/60-is!
I never hid from the world for that reason, I knew trying to hide from one big bug would invite others later. Got to get it eventually anyway and better to get before everyone else so not in middle of a backlog. I would never advocate that for others which is why I did their shopping and chores.
Those who said they’d never take the vaccine I told them to advocate everyone else to get it as they’d better surrounding themselves with as many vaccinated possible. So I was baffled by anti-vac anti-lockdown as those views are diametrically opposite.
I had a cold for 24 hours Thursday, then fine. Yesterday walked through fields to the river and then into town, 14 miles 4.5h walking. Feet sore.
I do wonder if I had hidden from the world like many others if a 24 hours cold would become a week.
I’m wondering why I never test positive, did I have it multiple times already??? Or luck??? Only began frequent testing last months once they were free and get kits easily. Before home self testing was an option I was tested before many NHS visits associated with broken limbs, and when a nurse does the testing you get your ears cleaned out as they push right up.
Good on you for staying in while positive and hope you’re well soon.
You are a fellow who is always around outside and not one who will ever hide. 
Same as me, I have no fears.
I avoid public service if possible and walk and take the bike.
I dont visit night clubs and pubs, have been in those locations enough.
Our house is big enough so nobody feels narrowed.
Thats very important.
Funny I started here in München with 1 room.-> toilet next floor.
Then I rented a flat with my girlfriend.
This was 110sqm.
We had no furniture so I came in touch with flea markets and dealers of used furniture.
The next flat I bought was 107sqm.
Was cheep in those days, though the sum for me was gigantic.
Now we live in a house which should be about 200sqm.
We need private space and as long we can afford we will keep it.
BTW the house is “donated” to the kids
Could be the same in UK to avoid inheritance taxes 
I think you’re correct there @professor well, all your poihts above are
Its the right thing to do for other who might suffer more than me.
Its been tough, going from 4 to 5 session of outside exercise a week to light indoor activity.
I excerise for my mind as much much as my body. So being indoors and feeling well enough to go out has strangely been quite draining.
For fully vaccinated, if your symptoms are mild it’s statistically more probably a coincidence, you have a cold and happen at same time to have or recently had COVID. It’s only if you get seriously ill is it more causal, for the fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated it’s the opposite.
There’s a UK mass volunteer service been running called ZOE which has app based symptoms tracking and test results tracking.
This is probably why the dates of test results don’t match days of symptoms as they are not causally bound.
But as we’re all different it’s best to play safe.
If you’re bored at home but feeling a little tired, I’d recommend playing this next to bed, if your mind is alert it’s interesting but the voice can also put you to sleep.
Some of the episodes directly relate to the present experience. There’s still the abiogenesis problem to solve, in that DNA needs amino acids which need proteins which need RNA which needs DNA. So probably first life was RNA and so first life was very like viruses, and first DNA based life was bacteria which evolved via sharing RNA via viruses. That is, we may never have existed without viruses.
Another question we can discuss about.
Prices for energy.
Meanwhile it seems the prices for energy are really exploding worldwide.
I pay here :
ca 28 cent brutto for 1 kwh electricity and ca 6 cent brutto for 1kwh natural gas.
The great problem is here in Germany, that many consumers had contracts with so called " cheap suppliers" and now got cancelled by these suppliers or these suppliers got bankrupt.
Those consumers have to change to the “normal tariffs” of the primary care providers which are taking a fortune in this situation.
eg 40 cent electricity cent 15 cent natural gas, brutto
How is the situation in your country?
Not totally sure but I know gas prices are getting really high as of late near me and I also know the news talked about some areas complaining about increase of price of electric and heating so I would assume that means the prices are going up but not totally sure
The cost of energy in the UK is also spiraling.
Many suppliers are not taking new customers or allowing a change from one supplier to another becuase there are no savings to be had right now.
Talking about gas prices, I’m paying around $3.35-$3.45 per gallon where I live 
Gasoline is about 1.80 - 2.00 Euros per liter here.
An US gallon is about 3,8 liter.
So the price for a gallon would be here 6,84 Euros.
The same here.
But the “primary suppliers” have to take over those customers, so they charge
them horror prices.
Weird situation.
But on the other hand about 50% of these prices are taxes.
And I dont know if UK has to import natural gas such a lot as we have to do here in Germany.
The pipeline Northstream 2 is ready but will not be opened by political and tactical reasons.
Its more than a shame.
You all see here : I am doing my very best!
Windy storm coming tomorrow. Preparing for that.
Energy prices - you cannot alter supply, you can alter demand. Personally I keep heating off and only turn it on just before going in shower and just layer up clothing to the conditions. Most of my clothing is 10-15 years old and just mix and match to the weather. So long as it doesn’t get below -35C I’ll be fine.
So expensive! Too bad I can’t bike to/for work
Sounds like “green” 
Their philosophy is : Normal people should use bikes while they are driving SUVs.
I known you dont!
I am still dreaming of a donkey cart!
(There is space in the garden for a donkey)
I can import the donkey and the cart from Portugal,.
