Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Scott Steiner]

8 minutes ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

Sorry for your situation and of course for your loss.  My sister's funeral is next week in quite a remote part of Scotland.  Her husband and sons are trying to arrange a live stream from the church.   She was a lot older than me, so most of the family and  her friends are also much older and most live quite far from the venue so few would be able to attend, covid or no covid. 

It was a long-term problem that eventually got her, not the virus. 

Sorry to hear about your sister.

A livestream was set up for when the wife's gran died during a previous lockdown and it was good to have the next best thing.  I'm glad we have such technology now.

Hope the funeral goes well.

[Busta Nut]

10 hours ago, The Real Saints said:

It's my dad's funeral on Friday and a fair amount of close family friends who originally confirmed they'd be attending are now saying they're too scared to show up. These are people who have been vaccinated twice and received the booster as well. I find it quite sad really. 

My condolences, sorry to hear that. 

[Salt n Vinegar]

France now placing a border across the Channel... To stop travel from the UK to France for tourism, family meet ups etc. Only "essential" reasons acceptable for entry for UK folk, French/EU citizens still ok. 

[Left Back]

6 minutes ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

France now placing a border across the Channel... To stop travel from the UK to France for tourism, family meet ups etc. Only "essential" reasons acceptable for entry for UK folk, French/EU citizens still ok. 

Omicron obviously respects the sanctity of an EU passport.  It's a clever little bleeder.

[Lisa Cuddy]

11 hours ago, red23 said:

So im curious, any chance we can have a poll so we can see how "bad" it really is? are some of us just ignorant?

It would be:

1. Do you know someone who has directly died from covid
2. Do you know someone who has become seriously ill from covid
3. Neither of above.

I’ve worked in 2 care homes since the start of the outbreak- I’m back working in the original one now. I’ve worked through 2 outbreaks. 
 

First was April 2020. We were taking people from hospital that hadn’t been tested. Sure enough, in my unit alone we lost, I think, 12 people to suspected or confirmed COVID. One was apparently tested post mortem and confirmed positive - one of the untested that had arrived from hospital. Once we were able to start testing residents, we had a few confirmed but all asymptomatic. That’s not including cases in other units in the home. Out of 5 units, 2 have never had a single case of COVID. Staff wise, I couldn’t tell you how many tested positive, seemed to be new ones every day for ages. Two staff that I’m aware of were hospitalised. A handful of them are still suffering effects now - mostly changes to sense of smell. It does amuse me a bit that our fire marshall smells burning everywhere she goes now, though her partner died so we don’t mention that.  We’ve had no other cases in residents since that outbreak. 
 

Moved to another home November 2020. Idiot staff weren’t taking precautions seriously. Going out drinking in each other’s homes, tinder dates, the gym. Just before Christmas we got a total of 22 positive tests returned among staff and residents in one day and they just kept coming. I worked 6 days from Christmas to new year. 3 died on Boxing Day alone, with more following in the days after. Again, no staff died but one was on oxygen in hospital. The less said about that home the better to be honest while the care inspectorate do their thing, but I no longer work there and I’ve moved back to the old place.

I’ve had a PCR every week and minimum 2 LFTs since they were available and I’ve never had COVID. 

[101]

16 minutes ago, Salt n Vinegar said:

France now placing a border across the Channel... To stop travel from the UK to France for tourism, family meet ups etc. Only "essential" reasons acceptable for entry for UK folk, French/EU citizens still ok. 

Suprised family meetings aren't deemed essential.

But France have basically spent the last year ripping the pish out the Tories who said you couldn't control your own borders in the EU by locking us out with numbing regularity.

[Ron Aldo]

So im curious, any chance we can have a poll so we can see how "bad" it really is? are some of us just ignorant?
It would be:

1. Do you know someone who has directly died from covid
2. Do you know someone who has become seriously ill from covid
3. Neither of above.

My gran and my sister both had Covid in October.

My sister didn't know she had it. She was pregnant and went to hospital to give birth. When they tested her the result came back positive but she had no symptoms.

My gran had it around the same time as my sister. To make matters worse, my granpa had passed away a few days prior (non Covid related). Fortunately we were able to arrange for the funeral to take place after my gran's isolation period which meant she was able to go. She doesn't keep the best of health herself but had a bit of a cough which cleared up after a few days.

[RH33]

9 minutes ago, Lisa Cuddy said:

I’ve worked in 2 care homes since the start of the outbreak- I’m back working in the original one now. I’ve worked through 2 outbreaks. 
 

First was April 2020. We were taking people from hospital that hadn’t been tested. Sure enough, in my unit alone we lost, I think, 12 people to suspected or confirmed COVID. One was apparently tested post mortem and confirmed positive - one of the untested that had arrived from hospital. Once we were able to start testing residents, we had a few confirmed but all asymptomatic. That’s not including cases in other units in the home. Out of 5 units, 2 have never had a single case of COVID. Staff wise, I couldn’t tell you how many tested positive, seemed to be new ones every day for ages. Two staff that I’m aware of were hospitalised. A handful of them are still suffering effects now - mostly changes to sense of smell. It does amuse me a bit that our fire marshall smells burning everywhere she goes now, though her partner died so we don’t mention that.  We’ve had no other cases in residents since that outbreak. 
 

Moved to another home November 2020. Idiot staff weren’t taking precautions seriously. Going out drinking in each other’s homes, tinder dates, the gym. Just before Christmas we got a total of 22 positive tests returned among staff and residents in one day and they just kept coming. I worked 6 days from Christmas to new year. 3 died on Boxing Day alone, with more following in the days after. Again, no staff died but one was on oxygen in hospital. The less said about that home the better to be honest while the care inspectorate do their thing, but I no longer work there and I’ve moved back to the old place.

I’ve had a PCR every week and minimum 2 LFTs since they were available and I’ve never had COVID. 

My Granny is in a care home and I have to say they have impressed us. They first closed to visitors in February 2020 before any directives came out. They managed for an entire year not to have a single case. I know the Highlands were far less impacted anyway but still a remarkable effort.

My granny, 98 at the time was asymptomatic positive and in that outbreak I think they lost a handful. 

Any sign of increase in the local community and they've closed to visitors straight away. But have called families, had zoom annual meetings etc. There's been so much bad press about care homes that I think the ones who've done well get forgotten about.

[Aladdin]

Don't know anyone that has died personally but I am aware of colleagues of friends etc.

Only know of a couple of people that would class as seriously ill, both in their 30s and unvaccinated.  One was off work for 4 weeks and just missed being admitted to hospital, the other was pregnant, caught COVID and ended up in ICU.  Both ok now.

[Gaz]

12 hours ago, red23 said:

So im curious, any chance we can have a poll so we can see how "bad" it really is? are some of us just ignorant?

It would be:

1. Do you know someone who has directly died from covid
2. Do you know someone who has become seriously ill from covid
3. Neither of above.

1) Yes, a friend of my in-laws.
2) Yes, several colleagues of mine have had it and were quite badly affected.

[Jacksgranda]

13 minutes ago, RH33 said:

My Granny is in a care home and I have to say they have impressed us. They first closed to visitors in February 2020 before any directives came out. They managed for an entire year not to have a single case. I know the Highlands were far less impacted anyway but still a remarkable effort.

My granny, 98 at the time was asymptomatic positive and in that outbreak I think they lost a handful. 

Any sign of increase in the local community and they've closed to visitors straight away. But have called families, had zoom annual meetings etc. There's been so much bad press about care homes that I think the ones who've done well get forgotten about.

Good news isn't news

[scottsdad]

This tweet has since been deleted. 

[scottsdad]

29 minutes ago, Lisa Cuddy said:

I’ve worked in 2 care homes since the start of the outbreak- I’m back working in the original one now. I’ve worked through 2 outbreaks. 
 

First was April 2020. We were taking people from hospital that hadn’t been tested. Sure enough, in my unit alone we lost, I think, 12 people to suspected or confirmed COVID. One was apparently tested post mortem and confirmed positive - one of the untested that had arrived from hospital. Once we were able to start testing residents, we had a few confirmed but all asymptomatic. That’s not including cases in other units in the home. Out of 5 units, 2 have never had a single case of COVID. Staff wise, I couldn’t tell you how many tested positive, seemed to be new ones every day for ages. Two staff that I’m aware of were hospitalised. A handful of them are still suffering effects now - mostly changes to sense of smell. It does amuse me a bit that our fire marshall smells burning everywhere she goes now, though her partner died so we don’t mention that.  We’ve had no other cases in residents since that outbreak. 
 

Moved to another home November 2020. Idiot staff weren’t taking precautions seriously. Going out drinking in each other’s homes, tinder dates, the gym. Just before Christmas we got a total of 22 positive tests returned among staff and residents in one day and they just kept coming. I worked 6 days from Christmas to new year. 3 died on Boxing Day alone, with more following in the days after. Again, no staff died but one was on oxygen in hospital. The less said about that home the better to be honest while the care inspectorate do their thing, but I no longer work there and I’ve moved back to the old place.

I’ve had a PCR every week and minimum 2 LFTs since they were available and I’ve never had COVID. 

Very much on the front line. I couldn't do the job you do; care staff are utterly underpaid and underappreciated. 

[Lisa Cuddy]

3 minutes ago, RH33 said:

My Granny is in a care home and I have to say they have impressed us. They first closed to visitors in February 2020 before any directives came out. They managed for an entire year not to have a single case. I know the Highlands were far less impacted anyway but still a remarkable effort.

My granny, 98 at the time was asymptomatic positive and in that outbreak I think they lost a handful. 

Any sign of increase in the local community and they've closed to visitors straight away. But have called families, had zoom annual meetings etc. There's been so much bad press about care homes that I think the ones who've done well get forgotten about.

It’s true that the homes that did so well have been completely ignored in the media. 
 

The drama Help that was on was brilliantly done for the most part. We were told that we would be taking new admissions throughout as we had to relieve pressure on hospitals. We were told testing was unnecessary as we’d be isolating them from admission. We were told 7 days initially and stuck to it where we could. In those with cognitive impairment that were independently mobile, that was fucking impossible. Then we were told 7 days wasn’t enough and it should be 14 - except those untested were out of isolation by then and it was too late. Our home DID have plenty of stocks of PPE so we had no issues on that score. But it was so early in the pandemic that advice was changing constantly and it was just so hard to keep up with guidance at times. 
 

There was plenty in that drama that was exactly that - drama - but there was much more that hit really hard for me. I thought I’d taken much of it in my stride - I didn’t go to pubs and out with others often anyway so that part of my life didn’t change at all. I went to work, where I’ve mostly done palliative care anywhere so death and dying wasn’t new to me.  Watching Help though brought back so much of the early days of outbreak that I’d blanked out. The exhaustion, constant anxiety, working with the bear minimum of staffing, never being off the phone to scared relatives just desperate to know how their mum or dad were, not being able to get routine medicines, let alone specialist stuff. It was all just so fucking horrible. Anyone thinking of getting into therapy I’d recommend specialising in medical professionals, because in the next couple of years, Ooft. 

[Lisa Cuddy]

3 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Very much on the front line. I couldn't do the job you do; care staff are utterly underpaid and underappreciated. 

I’m a nurse, rather than a carer, but the care staff in my first/current home and a handful in the other one are my heroes. I get to give out meds and do paperwork all day and get on the floor when I can or there’s an emergency to deal with. Those carers that walk in the door at 7.30 and are on their feet until 20.30, that seem to have this endless supply of enthusiasm and compassion, well I couldn’t overstate my appreciation for them. They’re incredible people. I couldn’t do my job without them. 

[LondonHMFC]

10 hours ago, Ad Lib said:

In London it feels like everyone's testing positive at the moment especially those in their 20s and 30s. Ruining folks' Christmas plans as they're all having to self-isolate up to or beyond 25th from now. Thankfully I LFD-ed negative every day this week and am on the train north tomorrow.

I got my booster on Monday afternoon. Weirdly the pharmacy said we were getting Pfizer, and that's what I saw on the screen, but the NHS England app says I got Moderna's booster...

We had our work party on Friday in town with other offices, must have been around 500-600 there. Since then over a quarter of the office have tested positive and we are now all WFH until January. 

As you said it seems loads of folk seem to be testing positive, especially in that age range. One of my mates is a cab driver, and up until last week he was raking it in. He said the past week has been the worst it has been since the first lockdown. Little to no trade at all. 

[Glennie]

indy sage doomsday cultist wants a 'circuit breaker' for 'safer mixing' just incase

'safer mixing' 

 

[Michael W]

I've know quite a few people that have had it. Only know a couple of people (outside the UK) that had it in 2020, but a lot of people I worked with that were in their 20s got it in June/July this year.

One of my friends caught it at a wedding. His wife didn't, but two of his kids did. All were fine. Unfortunately, one of the bridesmaids at said wedding wasn't so fortunate and ended up in ICU. She was unvaccinated (chose not to as pregnant, which to be fair I totally understand) but  also had gestational diabetes.  Thankfully she is now fine and so is her baby, but it was looking pretty grim from what I heard. 

Kind've strange how it has been. Until June I barely knew anyone that had had it, which seemed out of step given the amount of infections there had been. Maybe a reflrction that I'd spent the time workimg from home and most the people I knew were in the same position. We're now at around 16% of the total population having had a confirmed infection, so most will I imagine know several people that have had it. 

[Billy Jean King]

We had our work party on Friday in town with other offices, must have been around 500-600 there. Since then over a quarter of the office have tested positive and we are now all WFH until January. 
As you said it seems loads of folk seem to be testing positive, especially in that age range. One of my mates is a cab driver, and up until last week he was raking it in. He said the past week has been the worst it has been since the first lockdown. Little to no trade at all. 

The fear of even being a contact with the change to the isolation rules virtually guaranteed that the 10 days before Christmas were going to see the vast majority of folk hunkering down to avoid having to isolate and thus wasting Christmas day. Even more so for those with elderly or vulnerable relatives / friends coming.

[101]

39 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

This tweet has since been deleted. 

What a complete idiot, how do these people make it through their local party selection process let alone the public vote.