Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

[Puddy_Tat]

just "improve" with bugger all staff and bugger all money

bunch of cunts

 

[Puddy_Tat]

on the covid track, i'm down to my last couple of LFT tests that came free - I tend only to do them before going to visit aged mum-tat which is tending to be about once a month at the moment.

realise i'm going to have to buy more - where's good / not a big rip-off?

 

[mx wcfc]

on the covid track, i'm down to my last couple of LFT tests that came free - I tend only to do them before going to visit aged mum-tat which is tending to be about once a month at the moment.

realise i'm going to have to buy more - where's good / not a big rip-off?

Yeah, me too.

I had a cough/runny nose thing last week, and "mum mx" was in hospital.

Two free tests used (both negative). three left I think.

(need to check whether M-i-L being 91 means she can get free ones)

 

[elbows]

Drakeford has been a dick.

Covid inquiry: Mark Drakeford accused of 'shameful' remarks

Mark Drakeford criticised for saying "the world has moved on" after questions on Wales-only inquiry.

www.bbc.co.uk

By the way, the covid bereaved relative in Wales that is quoted later in this article involves a hospital-acquired case.

 

[elbows]

More in this series of woe:

 

[elbows]

This weeks NHS England data reveals that they've stopped publishing one of the figures that people were using to get a sense of how many hospital-acquired infections were happening!

 

[StoneRoad]

This weeks NHS England data reveals that they've stopped publishing one of the figures that people were using to get a sense of how many hospital-acquired infections were happening!

Because "they" want us to think & behave as if it is all over ... and rely on vaccinations for the most vulnerable.
An attitude which stinks, but thankfully, we do have those vaccinations.

 

[elbows]

Well there is still data that will demonstrate the existence of this wave and generate headlines. And there is still other hospital data which will show the strain they are being placed under again.

But I dont think they liked the headlines about the percentage week on week growth in hospital-acquired infections, especially given the context of certain measures having been relaxed in hospitals in recent months, including the abandoning of routine asymptomatic testing. And so one number in particular has suddenly vanished from the scene.

 

[elbows]

England daily hospital covid admissions/diagnoses. Data goes up to October 3rd.



England covid-positive patients in hospital beds. Split by the usual 'for covid' and 'with covid'. Data goes up to October 4th.



Made using data from Statistics » COVID-19 Hospital Activity

 

[elbows]

Daily Covid admissions/diagnoses in England, by region, where the patient is listed as being admitted from a care home. I've never been sure how well this data does at actually capturing the full care home admissions picture so I only post it a few times a year, but here it is anyway. Data goes up to 3rd October and is from the same website as mentioned in previous post.



Daily Covid admissions/diagnoses per region of England and overall. Data goes up to October 3rd, same source.

 

[Chilli.s]

An attitude which stinks, but thankfully, we do have those vaccinations.

I have been unable to arrange them for myself, housebound mother and Alzheimer's dad to have at their house, the only viable option.

 

[elbows]

I'll be watching to see if there is any ramping up of warnings in future beyond the sort of stuff being said right now. The following already marks an evolution of the message compared to what was being said for much of this year, with more emphasis being placed on avoiding the elderly if sick, presumably because the hospitalisation figures in these older age groups are already causing concern.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, said the latest increases were "concerning", and that cases and hospitalisation rates were at their "highest level in months".
With outbreaks on the rise, she asked people to help protect the most vulnerable.

"If you are unwell, it is particularly important to avoid contact with elderly people or those who are more likely to have severe disease because of their ongoing health conditions.

"If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, wearing a face covering will also help stop infections spreading," she said.

Covid: Protect elderly from rising virus levels in UK

With cases on the up, people who feel unwell are advised to avoid vulnerable relatives as a precaution.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[SpookyFrank]

on the covid track, i'm down to my last couple of LFT tests that came free - I tend only to do them before going to visit aged mum-tat which is tending to be about once a month at the moment.

realise i'm going to have to buy more - where's good / not a big rip-off?

I've still got tons, PM me and I'll send you a box.

 

[two sheds]

I have been unable to arrange them for myself, housebound mother and Alzheimer's dad to have at their house, the only viable option.

Where are you? NHS does seem to help with them although I'm not sure whether it still holds:

Coronavirus » Making the universal offer of vaccination to JCVI cohorts 1-4 ahead of February 15, and additional funding for vaccination of housebound patients

www.england.nhs.uk

 

[Chilli.s]

Where are you? NHS does seem to help with them although I'm not sure whether it still holds:

Coronavirus » Making the universal offer of vaccination to JCVI cohorts 1-4 ahead of February 15, and additional funding for vaccination of housebound patients

www.england.nhs.uk

they seem far more overwhelmed here compared to down south

 

[StoneRoad]

Northumberland, they seem far more overwhelmed up here compared to down south

I think it varies a lot, depending on how good the local set-up is at coping with jag campaigns ...

I'm in SW Northumberland, but quite a rural area, about 20 miles from the local market town.
I think our local health centre was involved in some home visits, although I had most of my jags at the "Mart" in Hexham.
They were on the ball with the flu jags this year.

 

[friedaweed]

I've still got tons, PM me and I'll send you a box.

I can normally get my hands on some if anyone is stuck too.

 

[Chilli.s]

I think it varies a lot, depending on how good the local set-up is at coping with jag campaigns ...

I'm in SW Northumberland, but quite a rural area, about 20 miles from the local market town.
I think our local health centre was involved in some home visits, although I had most of my jags at the "Mart" in Hexham.
They were on the ball with the flu jags this year.

 

[elbows]

One of the entirely unsurprising effects of the 'its all over' mood music is that its contributed to relatively poor uptake of the latest boosters, and so now there is enough concern that we can start to see some sporadic changes to the mood music. Perhaps these messages will start to become more continuous, I dont know yet.

So there was a piece on the main BBC news, albeit somewhat understated and with the sense of urgency not helped by the ONS portion of the segment continuing to be describe a picture that is rather behind the times with its descriptions of a new wave. Including the somewhat ludicrous idea that they dont want to clearly call it out as a major new wave until their survey shows a similar picture in other UK nations as seen in England. The hospital graph shown next in that segment showed a wave that is further along in its progress than the ONS described, but the BBC continue to take the edge off that by indulging in the usual narrative about what a large proportion of those patients arent being treated primarily for covid, and how not too many serious cases have been seen so far.

The Mirrors front page is much more dramatic:



Not that 'its all over' mood music and lack of prominent enough covid stories are the only cause of this. Some people who havent come forwards probably caught the virus this year and ended up being somewhat reassured by the experience, not that I would treat that as a reliable guide as to the severity of future infections if I were them. And some probably put too much weight in the whole 'Omicron is mild' thing in general. And some may have been let down by the system not being proactive enough or suffering from inconvenient logistics problems in making the vaccine available to them at the right time in the right place.

I expect the concerns of the establishment about this are well-founded and so there will be more noise about this in the coming weeks. Though it remains to be seen quite how big a problem it causes, due to all the other variables that will affect how bad this autumn and winters wave(s) get if they cant get vaccine uptake to a high level this time. Even if everything had been handled well on the communications front, its expected that uptake of vaccines in each subsequent campaign would not hit the levels seen for the first few doses, but so far the drop this time has been much too steep for comfort.

 

[two sheds]

I wonder will Truss will be against recommending to people that they get the vaccine because it's nanny state and she's all for individual choice.

 

[Thesaint]

Given the PMs workload right now, covid isn't on her immediate radar I doubt. Ukraine, nukes, gas prices, imminent recession, dropping pound, potential back bencher revolt etc. Equally other worries about everyday life will push covid to the back of the public's minds.

Although boosters are offered to over 50s, there are more 50 somethings than 90 somethings and a healthy 50 year old has little to fear from covid compare to an 90+ so the low uptake stats don't tell the whole story but do fit a trend since 2021. Also many people at the start were effectively told it would it would stop them getting covid and have lost faith in the messaging and voting with their feet.

 

[_Russ_]

"Although boosters are offered to over 50s, there are more 50 somethings than 90 somethings and a healthy 50 year old has little to fear from covid compare to an 90+ so the low uptake stats don't tell the whole story"

OK, the start of that sentence is stating the bleeding obvious, but im struggling with what actual point are you making?

 

[CH1]

I'm thinking of deferring my 2nd booster until HMG decide to regulate GB News and Mark Steyn

GB News faces Ofcom investigation over host’s Covid booster claims

Mark Steyn’s misleading claim that jab was killing Britons was based on ‘inaccurate reading’ of report, says Full Fact

www.theguardian.com

My best friend (sort of) went to the £15 million Ackerman Palace of Community Health in SW9 today for the injection and now claims he is too weak to get out of bed.
I think there's a lot of hysteria about this disease still. BTW the staff administering the injection actually told him he should take paracetamol and will be affected for 2 days.
He's 73 and was fit as a fiddle before the injection.
For my part I've got cold symptoms - sore throat, chest infection, yellow to brown phlegm etc. Been going on for a couple of days.
Not wishing to grace King's A &E I await developments - but I'm sure a Covid Booster won't help.

AND ANOTHER THING - this Brain Fog everyone had got.
It's depression isn't it?
Depression caused by financial worries, nuclear worries, inability to relate to people due to excessive posting online.
All sorts of things. I first BRAIN FOG in February 1973 when I was locked into a degree course at University and realised I was going to fail and I didn't know what the hell to do.

As it happened I did what many did at the time - furn on, tune in and drop out. Worked for me - but only until the next next crisis around 1981.
Go with the flow mates - even if it's a lateral flow. And yes I might need a free test, in case I'm refused admission to "Mary's House" next time I visit to see my friend with dementia.

 

[elbows]

It is ignorant to attribute all reports of brain fog to a single cause. Some people get persistent brain fog as a result of long covid. Some people get brain fog for a while after covid infection but it gradually wears off. There are real physical reasons for this. Some people may get it as a result of depression too, but thats not the whole story.

As for hysteria, Im not sure thats a useful concept either. There are a range of reactions to this pandemic, some are proportionate and sometimes some are not. The large number of deaths were very real. The ongoing strain on the NHS is very real. The need for people to live relatively normal lives is very real. There are balances to be struck, and such balances vary over time and are related to individual circumstances and the bigger picture. Extremes are unwelcome but are appropriate under certain circumstances.

 

[elbows]

Although boosters are offered to over 50s, there are more 50 somethings than 90 somethings and a healthy 50 year old has little to fear from covid compare to an 90+ so the low uptake stats don't tell the whole story but do fit a trend since 2021. Also many people at the start were effectively told it would it would stop them getting covid and have lost faith in the messaging and voting with their feet.

Some more detailed breakdowns are available by age group from sources including the weekly covid reports at National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2022 to 2023 season

Here are some examples of data from the most recent report. There are others in the report but posting every single chart and table would be a bit much.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I'm far from a covid denier, but think the mirror's line is slightly misleading - 50-64's haven't generally been offered the autumn 2022 booster yet...

 

[CH1]

It is ignorant to attribute all reports of brain fog to a single cause. Some people get persistent brain fog as a result of long covid. Some people get brain fog for a while after covid infection but it gradually wears off. There are real physical reasons for this. Some people may get it as a result of depression too, but thats not the whole story.

As for hysteria, Im not sure thats a useful concept either. There are a range of reactions to this pandemic, some are proportionate and sometimes some are not. The large number of deaths were very real. The ongoing strain on the NHS is very real. The need for people to live relatively normal lives is very real. There are balances to be struck, and such balances vary over time and are related to individual circumstances and the bigger picture. Extremes are unwelcome but are appropriate under certain circumstances.

Well obviously I am ignorant. I am trying to project my own sense of extreme loss of control onto people saying they have brain fog. And I am not a doctor.

But its a bit like ME, which is not so prevalent now as it once was. Various people (as reported in the press, and one I new personally) were pretty pissed off to have their ME treated with anti depressants - they had a wonderful new diagnosis, a glorious creation once pejoratively called "Yuppy Flu". And they needed it to be untreatable, or at the very least treated by some special means, not generally available to the population at large.

I think its a bit much to predicate a situation where a virus causes brain fog IN SOME PEOPLE, but not generally. Its actually a self-defining illness that cannot be defined.

 

[elbows]

Thats a narrow and inappropriate take on ME too.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

Well obviously I am ignorant. I am trying to project my own sense of extreme loss of control onto people saying they have brain fog. And I am not a doctor.

But its a bit like ME, which is not so prevalent now as it once was. Various people (as reported in the press, and one I new personally) were pretty pissed off to have their ME treated with anti depressants - they had a wonderful new diagnosis, a glorious creation once pejoratively called "Yuppy Flu". And they needed it to be untreatable, or at the very least treated by some special means, not generally available to the population at large.

I think its a bit much to predicate a situation where a virus causes brain fog IN SOME PEOPLE, but not generally. Its actually a self-defining illness that cannot be defined.

Do you seriously think that a virus will have identical effects on everybody? If it is attacking the immune system, for instance, the people will have inevitable genetic variability, different immune systems because of different histories of infection, different uptake of different vaccines, different life histories and nutritional histories etc. Why expect similarity? As for yuppie flu, you sound like the Daily Mail.

 

[BristolEcho]

Well obviously I am ignorant. I am trying to project my own sense of extreme loss of control onto people saying they have brain fog. And I am not a doctor.

But its a bit like ME, which is not so prevalent now as it once was. Various people (as reported in the press, and one I new personally) were pretty pissed off to have their ME treated with anti depressants - they had a wonderful new diagnosis, a glorious creation once pejoratively called "Yuppy Flu". And they needed it to be untreatable, or at the very least treated by some special means, not generally available to the population at large.

I think its a bit much to predicate a situation where a virus causes brain fog IN SOME PEOPLE, but not generally. Its actually a self-defining illness that cannot be defined.

My partner has ME. ME is just as prevalent, and yes a lot of people's long covid will may be ME. The research is still ongoing. Are you trying to say that people with ME don't want treatment?