For many people, news that we're in the middle of yet another pre-Christmas COVID wave is - after the same thing three years running - a blip not worth worrying about.
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But Clare Williams will never have that luxury.
The Fairy Meadow mum-of-four is in remission from a serious and aggressive cancer that nearly took her life last year, which means she and her family are constantly vigilant against the virus.
"I am considered to be immunocompromised, so I'm one of those people that COVID could be quite serious for," she said.
At the end of 2021, Ms Williams woke up one morning unable to breathe.
Within hours of arriving at emergency, her life turned upside down as she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive cancer which develops in blood cells in the bone marrow.
As her body shut down, she was put into a coma for three months missing Christmas, her own birthday, as well one of her step-daughter and fiance's birthdays, and even their planned wedding.
While she is now in remission and getting stronger, it has been a long road to recovery - and when she did get COVID a year ago she was rushed straight to hospital.
"They admitted me straight away for an IV antiviral treatment, and I was in the hospital for about eight days," she said.
"I did require oxygen therapy for about 48 hours, but aside from that I experienced all the normal symptoms because I was treated so quickly."
Now wary of catching it again - and hyper-vigilant about testing so that she can receive treatment as quickly as possible - COVID is a big part of her family's life.
"We've got four kids who are all out and about we're trying to ensure that they live their lives as normal as possible, but there's a lot of health education and health discussions that happen at home every day," she said.
"For example, my son always tries to sit near the open window when he's in his classroom, it's just being aware of ventilation, and we did have a family holiday recently and I masked up on the plane.
"If we're going to a crowded place, or a place where there's not going to be great ventilation then I wear a mask, and hand washing is always the first thing the kids do as soon as they all come home from school."
Pre-Chrismas COVID wave kicks off for third year running
According to the latest NSW Health figures, COVID-19 activity increased across all indicators in the past fortnight, with case numbers, hospitals figures and sewerage monitoring results rising.
With natural immunity and vaccination levels providing protection against serious disease, this is expected to be the smallest Omicron wave so far.
However, older people and those vulnerable to serious disease are recommended to get vaccinated.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has even fallen victim to the rising case numbers, posting on November 27 that he returned a positive rapid antigen test and would be isolating.
Cases are picking up again as Christmas nears has meant little change for Ms Williams, who says she will keep being as vigilant as always.
"I feel fine about it, because I now see it as my personal responsibility to monitor my own risk," she said.
However she did ask that people still take care not to spread germs when they know they are sick.
"Please stay home if you're sick and try to be conscious of people who could be seriously affected, even though it might not make you very sick," she said.
"And if people are getting together, it's just a good idea to have it outside - which might mean that people who are immunocompromised can still come."
For another Fairy Meadow resident Nick Triantafillou, the latest COVID wave caught up with him last week and caused him to miss a work conference overseas.
The IT worker, who is among 200 people worldwide been bestowed with the coveted title of Amazon Cloud Hero, was due to fly of Las Vegas on Friday for an annual conference with colleagues from around the globe.
However, when he came down with COVID's telltale scratchy throat and fever a few days before his flight and then tested positive, he made the disappointing decision not to go.
"There are no rules about not travelling or isolating anymore, but I didn't want to affect other people and I'm also not a very good flyer so I knew I wouldn't have the energy to get through a 15 hour flight and then a conference while I was feeling sick," he said.
"Some people were telling me 'it's fine, it's just a cold' and other people were telling me that if my oxygen dropped on the plane it could be really bad - so I just decided not to risk it."
Mr Triantafillou, who is behind the spectacular Christmas lights display on Brian Street in Fairy Meadow, said there were some silver linings to catching the virus now and not closer to the festive season.
"I'm hoping to get most of my flights back so I'm not too out-of-pocket, and at least having had COVID now and not later we'll hopefully be immune for Christmas, when we'll have a few hundred people outside our house every day," he said.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
