The Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented event that saw millions sadly lose their lives and health. However, there were some parts that we can look back on with some sort of warped joy
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This month marks the five-year anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown – where many tragically lost their lives and the rest of us went a bit bonkers.
While the NHS was being overloaded with plagued patients and care homes crippled with untested Covid pensioners, rules were being implemented by the government in an attempt to stop the spread.
And when we thought the country and the world had already suffered enough, Boris Johnson then washed his hands to the tune of happy birthday.
There’s many things we’d like to remove from our minds from that period of time, mainly Matt Hancock’s lurid workplace affair. But what about the things so bizarre we’d like to look back on with a weird sense of nostalgia?
Here, we take a look at some of the five craziest things that happened during the first few months of our ‘new world’ – from thongs for face masks to Wembley Stadium lasagne-gate…
Zoom parties
Ah yes, the rebirth of the all important video call. Skype made chatting through your laptop a thing, but you can’t think of Covid without envisioning a ‘Zoom’ party.
It’s true, you can’t get much more dystopian than having a party via your computer or phone screen in the midst of a pandemic, right?
Remember the days where plans actually got out of the group chat and into digital soirées or hours long quizzes on the likes of Zoom and Houseparty.
Tracking firm Apptopia revealed that Zoom was downloaded a huge 2.13million times around the world on March 23, the day that the first lockdown was announced in the UK, up from 56,000 a day two months earlier.
This resulted in awkward work meetings, rowdy council spats and boozy quizzes with your mates. The video call quickly replaced the pub as we downed booze in front of pixelated versions of our friends and family. It was all very much something you’d watch in a Black Mirror episode.
But, the good thing about it was that if you had enough of whoever you were ‘Zooming’ with you could end the call and blame it on your Wi-Fi and not wanting to get back home to your wife!
Wembley Stadium lasagne conspiracy
The world was in shock when word of a possible impending pandemic was threatening to wipe out humankind. So, anything put on the internet quickly became believable – even though it was utterly bonkers.
And talking of utterly bonkers, remember when the UK went mad over the Wembley Stadium being the host to one big massive lasagne that was going to feed the nation?
Humongous layers of carbs, cheese and meat were allegedly being concocted in the iconic venue before being chopped up and served to hungry Brits with little drones.
In this day in age, anything could be true so the rumour spread like wildfire on social media. But the Wembley Stadium lasagne was not to be.
So, how on earth did it all start? Well, it all started when Londoner Billy McLean, then 29, who worked in software sales, made a joke in his football Whatsapp group amongst mates.
However, Billy’s silly lasagne conspiracy quickly went from banter to the voice note being heard by thousands of Brits within hours. Not before long, Wembley Stadium lasagne gate was born!
Jamie’s joke that started mass meaty misinformation went as follows: “My sister, her boyfriend’s brother works for the Ministry of Defence and one of the things that they’re doing to prepare…is building a massive lasagne. At the moment, as we speak, they’re building the massive lasagne sheets.”
He continued: “They’re putting the underground heating at Wembley on, that’s going to bake the lasagne, and then they’re putting the roof across and that’s going to recreate the oven, and then what they’re going to do is lift it up with drones and cut off little portions and drop it off to people’s houses.”
Honestly, we wished this happened.
Thongs for face masks
There was a period of time where people wore underwear on their faces. This wasn’t a bid to start a saucy new sidegig, or the local pervert’s sick idea of fun.
Fuelled by fear and a lack of blue medical facemasks that were said to be the barrier to catching Covid, people turned to other means to protect their respiratory systems.
And that took, um, a bit of innovation. That innovation came in the form of covering their mouths and noses with thongs. Whether it be a black lacy pair or a Union Jack emblazoned G-String, men and women were making the most out of the undies drawer in the battle of Covid.
Now, it’s pretty much certain that wearing a pair of knickers over the face wouldn’t stop you getting infected with Covid, but, it certainly caused quite a few giggles in a very morbid time.
Toilet roll mania
Just before lockdown commenced, February and the beginning of March were plagued with supermarket toilet roll mania. As word continued to grow that Covid could pose a huge threat to the UK, as it was to the rest of the world, people panicked about the months ahead.
While some decided to stock pile on food, others felt that hogging enough toilet to wipe the bums of a small colony was the best bet to keep their family-of-five safe.
People were seen with supermarket trollies full to the brim of packs of bog paper, which wiped the shelves clean of any of the sanitary product.
The panic buying got so bad that shops had to introduce a limit on how many packets of bog roll could be bought in a single purchase.
At the same time, some newsagents decided to inflate the prices of toilet paper due to the sheer demand of the product. Piers Morgan even chimed into toilet roll gate where he shared a picture of nine-pack toilet rolls being flogged for £18.99 and 4-packs being sold for £14.99.
The essential item started to reappear in supermarkets in the summer of 2020 as normal. However, ahead of growing cases and the threat of lockdown number two, sales of toilet rolls soared again by 23% in the middle of September.
It’s good to know that at least in the apocalypse everyone still wants to have a squeaky clean bum.
Wetherspoons queues
If queuing for a club was bad enough for your immune system and ego then imagine the hit we all took when we were ordered to line up just to get into Wetherspoons.
The budget boozer is usually a watering hole you can easily walk – or stumble – into. But, that all changed when we got out of our first lockdown in July 2020.
Sticking to the rules at the time, punters had to queue – and socially distance – outside of ‘Spoons in hopes to have a pint that wasn’t consumed in front of their TV or back garden for the first time for months.
Some pub-goers had to queue up for hours to get a table in the boozers that were operating with a outdoor seating only policy at the time.
Of course, Wetherspoons were not alone with these rules – but they certainly saw unprecedented demand. The Wetherspoons’ Imperial Pub in Exeter saw queues around two hours to get a chance for a coveted table.
According to the official UK Government website: “Most lockdown restrictions were lifted on 4 July 2020. Most hospitality businesses were permitted to reopen. New health and safety guidance on operating businesses “Covid securely” was published.
“Gatherings up to thirty people were legally permitted, although the Government was still recommending people avoid gatherings larger than six.”
But, we all know how that turned out come September…we’re still not clear if a scotch egg constitutes a substantial meal.