I’ve got a mild case of ‘Omicron envy’ – have you?

I’ve known loads of people who have had the thing twice by now – but my lateral flow tests have so far all proved negative, writes Jenny Eclair

The cinema was at about 50 per cent capacity, with people spacing themselves sensibly around the available seating (Getty)

Here’s a weird new thing – “Omicron envy”. I’ve got it and I suspect some of you may have it too. I’m talking about those of us who feel fit and well enough to withstand the new variant (rather than those who would be very adversely affected by it) and are slightly miffed that we haven’t managed to catch a nice mild dose of it by now.

As a freelancer who was off work anyway over the festive break, it could have tied in nicely with staying home and doing sod all. As it happened, I was also recovering from a spine operation and already in bed for hours on end, so it would have been convenient to have killed two birds with one stone.

But so far, I have remained Covid (in whatever variety) free. Despite knowing loads of people who have had the thing twice by now, my lateral flow tests have so far all proved negative, and I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to have a cold.