Remember COVID-19? That teeny-tiny virus that has managed to wreak havoc across the entire globe, killing as of today 6.68 million people world-wide, with 658 million cases registered? Yeah, that started 3 years ago this month.
Thankfully, it’s (more or less) under control because of regular vaccinations, keeping up hygiene standards, and just plain old physical distancing in public spaces. But it’s still surreal to think of all the lockdowns, work from home, living in the unknown and the like that have happened in just a few years.
This hits even harder for those who lost loved ones, or at the very least made some regretful decisions right before or during the dawn of the pandemic. Folks online have been sharing their regrets after someone on Reddit asked in hindsight, what decision bit people in the [butt] during the pandemic?
And folks answered. And then Bored Panda compiled this lovely list of the best responses from the now-viral thread. And then you scrolled down to check it out, upvote, comment, all that jazz and then you left your own regretful decisions in the comment section below.
And then we all read them and showed support for you.
More Info: Reddit
#1
Allowing anti-scientific nutjobs to get a hold of the narrative
147points
#2
Adopting a pet while obeying stay at home order. A lot of people did this out of loneliness and being home 24/7. Afterwards people go back to work pet is suddenly alone 8-12* hours a day and then the shelters are refilled to beyond capacity and now these sweet babies are being put down to relieve the overcrowding problem a lot of shelters were facing.
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145points
#3
Thinking that everyone was on the same page and we could all end this together quickly
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139points
#4
The amount of children who were forced to stay inside with their abusers. For some reason, a lot of people don’t consider that side of things.
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134points
#5
Forcing “essential workers” to continue to show up every single day and do the whole job they signed up for with little or even no hazard pay. Worse, laying people off without any consideration for the obvious upcoming boom in homelessness.
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128points
#6
Closing outdoor spaces at the same time as schools. I’m sorry, the PARK is closed? Hiking trails are closed? National parks are closed? WHY?!
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125points
#8
I heard a terrifying statistic that domestic abuse reports dropped during covid… it’s terrifying because victims were isolated from their friends/family and trapped with their abuser, so there was no one to report on their behalf.
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122points
#10
All those idiots that bought pallets of hand sanitizer and toilet paper to sell at a markup and then were left without sales and still have those pallets in their garages.
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86points
#11
Buying a pet they couldn't afford to keep once the pandemic ended. Lots of animals are in shelters or euthanized due to it.
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79points
#12
How is no one saying putting infected old people in old folks homes with healthy people and keeping them in there
71points
#13
Encouraging retirement for older employees, ESPECIALLY airline pilots
A big reason theres been so many issues with travel in 2022 is because back during peak pandemic, a huge chunk of pilots were pushed to retire
Now travels back at pre-pandemic highs and airlines are looking around like "F**k... whos gonna fly the planes???"
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70points
#15
Not getting adult braces. Never imagined masks for 3 years long, I could’ve had perfectly straight pearly teeth by now
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69points
#16
Believing it when they said “don’t worry, it’s only two weeks to flatten the curve.”
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62points
#17
Only taking one pack of toilet paper, one pack of antibacterial wipes, one bottle of hand sanitizer, and one can of Lysol. To make sure everyone else would have some.
The day before all hell broke loose.
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59points
#18
My friend found an above ground pool on clearance for $199 at Lowe’s right as the pandemic was starting. She texted me about it saying there were several left and I should hurry and go get one. I was too cheap to go buy one. I regretted that decision every day for the next year.
52points
#19
Paying $300 more a month in rent to be closer to my job and never stepping foot in the office.
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52points
#20
A bunch of people in my area decided to buy houses in rural areas under the assumption they'll be working from home forever. Now a lot of workplaces are hybrid or fully back in person and they're all stuck with long commutes and less wealthy people in rural areas are being priced out.
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47points