How to cope with fear of covid when nobody wears masks anymore?

[darlene85]

I've moved to another city after two years of complete and I mean complete isolation and I am pretty sure I'll catch covid soon. I am the only person who wears mask whenever I go. Me and some very old people but very few of them. I am really scared. I've received the forth dose last week but I am still convinced that I will die, that nothing will save me or at least end up in a hospital. My health isn't greatest, I am still obese (now that I made a life change I will try to work on that) and have Hashimoto and who knows what else, maybe diabetes. I knew a man with autoimmune diseases who died last month from covid, he wasn't vaccinated because doctors told him not do to it but I hear more stories about vaccinated people who die anyway and I am very scared. I think I made a mistake going to another city and looking for a job in office rather then at home (there are very few remote jobs after covid era) because it will cost me my life. I should have lost some weight before that step, because obese people die most and I can't shake that thought.
Covid isn't news anymore, everyone seem so relaxed and I can't live like that.

[NoraB]

Covid isn't news anymore, everyone seem so relaxed and I can't live like that.

It's been the news for two years, Darlene. There was always going to come a time when we had to learn to live with Covid, as we have done with other viruses throughout history.

You are protecting yourself by getting vaccinated and wearing a mask. (You can only control what you do, not what other people do.)

What are you doing about your health anxiety?

[darlene85]

But I can't wear a mask at the office, that's the problem. I don't think it's HA, because of my obesity, the risk is real. I've read that people who had feared more often died from covid than those who were relaxed. I don't know if it's true but I feel awful. I postponed therapy because I don't like online psychoterapy but maybe I should give it a try...

[BlueIris]

The vast majority of obese people survive, though.

I certainly did, it was no worse than a cold.

[pulisa]

I would agree with Blue, Darlene..I know someone who has just had Covid who is in the at risk group and he was absolutely fine. So was his 92 year old mother who has heart failure. The Omicron variant plus the vaccination programme has made all the differance. You can always find scary stories online from random people. No way of knowing how factual they really are.

[darlene85]

Thank you all. I'll try to calm down.

[Lencoboy]

Covid isn't news anymore, everyone seem so relaxed and I can't live like that.

AFAIK, there isn't really that much for the media to report on Covid ATM, especially as for most people it's now no longer the big killer virus it once was (at least not with the Omicrons so far).

Though I suppose the cases are bound to start edging up a bit once again now kids have returned to school, etc, but will hopefully only have a negligible impact, if at all.