Main Coronavirus / Covid-19 Discussion Thread

[seagullwedgee]

The care she has received from Royal Papworth for her lung condition for the last 8 years has been truly exceptional and world beating class. The care from our local GP and hospital throughout the covid period has been excellent too. And to receive a pro-active contact saying “the moment you ever test positive for covid, just call this number, and we will get you assessed and started on molnupiravir same day” is so reassuring. We feel truly fortunate and humbled for her to be treated so incredibly well, when the organisation is under such enormous stress.

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

Perhaps I can comment, not from a knowledge perspective, but from an immuno-compromised perspective. My Missus has been on oral chemo for 8 years for a rare interstitial lung disease. We shielded religiously from March 2020 until October 2021. It was tough, but necessary. Over Xmas 21 we took some controlled but calculated risks, and she kept ok. Last week, for the first time in 2 years, we got a train to London and went to a theatre matinée. It was Pugh, but we conquered it. Bottom line, she is immune-compromised but she is triple jabbed, about to be booked in for 4th. she was a senior nursing professional, and she has been contacted by NHS contacted proactively to advise that antiviral drugs are available to get the same day she tests positive. And the severity of variants suffered now is significantly less. And at some point life has to go,on, and for us, that point is now.

That's really good news for you and her that she has been able to take that step. I guess her nursing experience may have an effect on her Outlook and understanding of the current situation. Clearly not everyone has the same feeling!

Yes, life has to be lived, but people like those in the article shouldn't just be dismissed as if they are being a bit silly! They clearly feel the risks are too great for them, and for a previous poster to say that the risks are no greater now than pre-Covid is rather jumping the gun!

Get the numbers of hospitalisations and deaths down to the level of last summer, then I think it will be safe to say the risk has been reduced to an acceptable level for all...

I hope your wife continues to stay fit and healthy, good luck going forward.

 

[Rugrat]

how did immune compromised cope with general, endemic respiratory disease before then?

Perhaps there weren't several million people in circulation with a highly infectious condition?

 

[seagullwedgee]

Thank you FBF, much appreciated.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

we need to desensitise to covid. with vaccine and the weaker omicron dominant, the disease is now little different to other virus and disease. it isnt the risk it was two years ago and we need to adjust to that. how did immune compromised cope with general, endemic respiratory disease before then?

The answer is that we have to continually assess risk. A major element of that assessment is the level of infection and so there is a massive difference between a rate of 1 in 20 people and 1 in 1000. The reality is that for people with blood cancer like me the risk of death or serious illness from Covid remains very high because many of us do not respond to vaccines which on top of an already poorly functioning immune system means we cannot fight the virus. I don’t want us to hold back the rest of society but I object to the implication that we are over-reacting.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Some might find this interesting

https://youtu.be/25-iJKPA1CA

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

The answer is that we have to continually assess risk. A major element of that assessment is the level of infection and so there is a massive difference between a rate of 1 in 20 people and 1 in 1000. The reality is that for people with blood cancer like me the risk of death or serious illness from Covid remains very high because many of us do not respond to vaccines which on top of an already poorly functioning immune system means we cannot fight the virus. I don’t want us to hold back the rest of society but I object to the implication that we are over-reacting.

Thank you for giving that very personal point of view. As someone caring for someone who was classified as CEV it is very difficult to listen (read) some of these posts.

For someone actually living this on a daily basis it must tear at your guts when you hear comments with such a lack of empathy or understanding as to how people may feel...

Good luck for the future, and stay safe.

 

[beorhthelm]

The answer is that we have to continually assess risk. A major element of that assessment is the level of infection and so there is a massive difference between a rate of 1 in 20 people and 1 in 1000. The reality is that for people with blood cancer like me the risk of death or serious illness from Covid remains very high because many of us do not respond to vaccines which on top of an already poorly functioning immune system means we cannot fight the virus. I don’t want us to hold back the rest of society but I object to the implication that we are over-reacting.

appreciate your point of view.

 

[dazzer6666]

Perhaps I can comment, not from a knowledge perspective, but from an immuno-compromised perspective. My Missus has been on oral chemo for 8 years for a rare interstitial lung disease. We shielded religiously from March 2020 until October 2021. It was tough, but necessary. Over Xmas 21 we took some controlled but calculated risks, and she kept ok. Last week, for the first time in 2 years, we got a train to London and went to a theatre matinée. It was Pugh, but we conquered it. Bottom line, she is immune-compromised but she is triple jabbed, about to be booked in for 4th. she was a senior nursing professional, and she has been contacted by NHS contacted proactively to advise that antiviral drugs are available to get the same day she tests positive. And the severity of variants suffered now is significantly less. And at some point life has to go,on, and for us, that point is now.

Good to hear, and that you've been able to experience at least some form of 'normality'. Was talking to my daughter at the weekend about similar - she's a senior research nurse working with CEV patients (highly immuno-compromised palliative cancer patients participating in a stage 1 clinical trial) and she referenced the immediate availability of antiviral drugs as she has access to them for her subjects if needed. One other impact of all this to bear in mind is that she has pretty much had no social life at all herself for the last year whilst working on the trial as she feels she needs to do all she can to limit the risk of transmission to her cohort of patients - luckily in her case she's not exactly a socialite anyway but there is a consequential impact on the healthcare professionals dealing with the CEV.

 

[e77]

Encouraging: Pfizer and BioNTech start trials of new Omicron-specific jab

 

[sydney]

Good to hear, and that you've been able to experience at least some form of 'normality'. Was talking to my daughter at the weekend about similar - she's a senior research nurse working with CEV patients (highly immuno-compromised palliative cancer patients participating in a stage 1 clinical trial) and she referenced the immediate availability of antiviral drugs as she has access to them for her subjects if needed. One other impact of all this to bear in mind is that she has pretty much had no social life at all herself for the last year whilst working on the trial as she feels she needs to do all she can to limit the risk of transmission to her cohort of patients - luckily in her case she's not exactly a socialite anyway but there is a consequential impact on the healthcare professionals dealing with the CEV.

great post and i wish you and your daughter all the best ......wife and eldest daughter are nurses 100% committed , they are special people and really deserve our respect because without them ....we are fuct.

 

[seagullwedgee]

Good to hear, and that you've been able to experience at least some form of 'normality'. Was talking to my daughter at the weekend about similar - she's a senior research nurse working with CEV patients (highly immuno-compromised palliative cancer patients participating in a stage 1 clinical trial) and she referenced the immediate availability of antiviral drugs as she has access to them for her subjects if needed. One other impact of all this to bear in mind is that she has pretty much had no social life at all herself for the last year whilst working on the trial as she feels she needs to do all she can to limit the risk of transmission to her cohort of patients - luckily in her case she's not exactly a socialite anyway but there is a consequential impact on the healthcare professionals dealing with the CEV.

Your daughter is a credit to you, a credit to the nation, and a genuine hero. If I could find a way to nominate her for an award, or support an award, for this incredibly valuable work, then indeed I would.

 

[worthingseagull123]

The day before meltdowns from the Sanctimonious moaning about others not wearing masks in stores.

Twitter will be fun tomorrow

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

'Covid restrictions on adult social care will be eased in England from Monday, the government has announced.

There will be no limit on the number of visitors allowed at care homes, self-isolation periods will be cut and care homes will only have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 days, not 28.

The change is the latest rolling back of Plan B curbs in England.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60151596

Anyone else think this is a step too far in easing restrictions? No limit on the number of visitors. Really? People in care homes tend to be elderly and frail. They can't so easily fight off this 'milder' variant as most of the rest of us. How is inviting omicron into their care home considered to be a good thing? Don't this government ever learn?

 

[e77]

The day before meltdowns from the Sanctimonious moaning about others not wearing masks in stores.

Twitter will be fun tomorrow

The fact you take joy about people having concerns about restrictions being lifted says more about you than anybody else.

 

[beorhthelm]

'Covid restrictions on adult social care will be eased in England from Monday, the government has announced.

There will be no limit on the number of visitors allowed at care homes, self-isolation periods will be cut and care homes will only have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 days, not 28.

The change is the latest rolling back of Plan B curbs in England.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60151596

Anyone else think this is a step too far in easing restrictions? No limit on the number of visitors. Really? People in care homes tend to be elderly and frail. They can't so easily fight off this 'milder' variant as most of the rest of us. How is inviting omicron into their care home considered to be a good thing? Don't this government ever learn?

it means no statutory limits. carehomes can still control access, not going to see hordes of people descending on carehomes. upto carehomes and visitors to be sensible, as we would expect going to such places (i.e. dont go if you have a sniffle).

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

it means no statutory limits. carehomes can still control access, not going to see hordes of people descending on carehomes. upto carehomes and visitors to be sensible, as we would expect going to such places (i.e. dont go if you have a sniffle).

Hopefully care homes will insist on lateral flow tests being taken by visitors prior to visiting. The tests aren't perfect by any means, but they might cut down the risk posed by asymptomatic visitors

 

[LamieRobertson]

Hopefully care homes will insist on lateral flow tests being taken by visitors prior to visiting. The tests aren't perfect by any means, but they might cut down the risk posed by asymptomatic visitors

Now that’s a calmer approach …I’m betting those residents (most probably vaccinated..we know the staff will have been) will be looking forward to seeing loved ones

 

[dsr-burnley]

'Covid restrictions on adult social care will be eased in England from Monday, the government has announced.

There will be no limit on the number of visitors allowed at care homes, self-isolation periods will be cut and care homes will only have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 days, not 28.

The change is the latest rolling back of Plan B curbs in England.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60151596

Anyone else think this is a step too far in easing restrictions? No limit on the number of visitors. Really? People in care homes tend to be elderly and frail. They can't so easily fight off this 'milder' variant as most of the rest of us. How is inviting omicron into their care home considered to be a good thing? Don't this government ever learn?

On the other hand, for a lot of dementia patients, it could certainly be argued that it's better to have several daily visitors in a short remaining life than sitting alone and confused for a longer time.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

On the other hand, for a lot of dementia patients, it could certainly be argued that it's better to have several daily visitors in a short remaining life than sitting alone and confused for a longer time.

For sure. Tho that shouldn't mean just removing the barriers that currently (possibly) prevent omicron sweeping through an entire care home. We've been there once before no?