I was stuck in Uganda for over two years with quite a lot of restrictions - including for large periods of being unable to drive as the govt didn't want people taking COVID to parts of the country where they couldn't cope due to limited health systems.

Early in the pandemic and before the vaccine, I did lose quite a few colleagues and friends - hospitals in Uganda were overrun and COVID killed a great many people. They had some health issues before COVID hit them - RIP Stella Ogwong, James Kaboggoza and Frank Masiko.

Some batshit crazy evangelical churches adopted the conspiracy theory that Bill Gates was using the vaccine to control
everyone and denied COVID existed, all the while people were dropping dead. Some of those 'pastors' are no longer with us (still too many though), but conspiracy theories remain - bizarrely David Icke is popular in Uganda.

Personally, I was very lucky as everyday I would walk (6k) to meet my daughter and we would head to a sports club which I was/am a member and, although officially closed, had a skeleton staff to maintain the place and they allowed me in. I would work from there, use the small gym, play tennis and swim with my daughter. I would buy food for the staff there. Restaurants were closed for sit down meals but you could order a delivery and 'boda boda' drivers (motorbike taxis) would deliver food. That time spent with my daughter (who was 12 and 13 at the time) was really precious.

I suppose everyone has their own COVID lockdown story and I hope people share them. It was a strange strange time.