General Coronavirus (COVID-19) chat

[prunus]

How reliable are LFTs for omicron infections? My wife has had fever (38.5C), sore throat, runny/blocked nose, faintness, etc since Friday, but an LFT test yesterday showed no line. Just wondering if that can be considered definitive or if it’s still possibly omicron, as she hasn’t had a covid vaccine shot in about a year?

Pretty much as reliable as they are for detecting other variants, ie not bad, but not perfect. I’d certainly try a couple more tests before relying on a negative result.

That said, there are plenty of other viruses out there that can give those symptoms, especially at the moment, and ime if one has strong symptoms (of covid) (and so likely plenty of virus) one can get a positive result on lfts by just spitting on them, so the chances are the circumstances you describe are something else.

 

[MrCurry]

Pretty much as reliable as they are for detecting other variants, ie not bad, but not perfect. I’d certainly try a couple more tests before relying on a negative result.

That said, there are plenty of other viruses out there that can give those symptoms, especially at the moment, and ime if one has strong symptoms (of covid) (and so likely plenty of virus) one can get a positive result on lfts by just spitting on them, so the chances are the circumstances you describe are something else.

Thanks. I didn’t realise it at the time of posting the above, but she’s been doing another one this morning and that’s come back positive, which renders my question irrelevant.

 

[Aladdin]

One of the big hospitals here put out an sos to drs & nurses & hospital staff to turn into work and cut short breaks / holidays due to a major internal incident.

Basically huge numbers in the A&E dept. They're rerouting non critical patients by ambulances to smaller hospitals and asking that people not attend A&E unless they are heart patients or stroke or critically ill.

They've moved patients out of beds to minor hospitals if they are non critical care but have no place to go.

Huge increase in covid plus flu and rsv cases ending up in A&E.

Scary.

 

[Aladdin]

One of the big hospitals here put out an sos to drs & nurses & hospital staff to turn into work and cut short breaks / holidays due to a major internal incident.

Basically huge numbers in the A&E dept. They're rerouting non critical patients by ambulances to smaller hospitals and asking that people not attend A&E unless they are heart patients or stroke or critically ill.

They've moved patients out of beds to minor hospitals if they are non critical care but have no place to go.

Huge increase in covid plus flu and rsv cases ending up in A&E.

Scary.

The hospital literally sent out an SOS text to all staff to turn in to work to assist with extremely high numbers in A&E and moving patients already in hospital to other hospitals or home or nursing homes if well enough to move.
All outpatients appointments are cancelled.
It's crazy.

 

[moochedit]

BBC News - Tory MP suspended over Covid vaccine comments

Tory MP suspended over Covid vaccine comments

MP Andrew Bridgen suspended by Conservative party for spreading misinformation about Covid vaccine, chief whip says

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Karl Masks]

Wasn't expecting Bridgen to go down that rabbit hole so far so fast.

Still, one less (sort of) Tory. For now.

Weird

 

[elbows]

Well the 2022 deaths picture got rather grim, so anyone who started down the anti-vax rabbit hole and ended up in an echo chamber would have been tempted to accelerate quickly to ever increasing levels of absurdity recently.

There are a whole bunch of reasons why the overall deaths in 2022 got bad, not least various effects of the virus itself. And so those whose dislike of various policies etc led them to consistently downplay the impact of the virus were always likely to blow a gasket at this point and seek to sloppily place the blame elsewhere. Some try to blame the lockdowns rather than the virus, but its harder to get emotive momentum going with that angle these days due to the lack of ongoing restrictions, so they are tempted to make it all about the vaccines instead.

 

[moochedit]

Wasn't expecting Bridgen to go down that rabbit hole so far so fast.

Still, one less (sort of) Tory. For now.

Weird

A career on gb news awaits

 

[toblerone3]

Is this the study which he was touting in his comments?

 

[Karl Masks]

I thought Malhotra was a bit above the cranks, but I guess not. He's certainly not as bad as some of them (Ivor Cummins, for instance)

EDIT - yes he is

 

[brogdale]

Why are the anti-vax/lockdown brigade suddenly getting all worked up about the 77th Brigade?

 

[two sheds]

What does the secretive 77th Brigade do?

ukdefencejournal.org.uk

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Why are the anti-vax/lockdown brigade suddenly getting all worked up about the 77th Brigade?

7 times 7 is 49, add 1, you get 50 remove the nought and here is your 5G staring you right in the face
debunk this

 

[two sheds]

7 times 7 is 49, add 1, you get 50

the 50 states of the USA

 

[iona]

7 times 7 is 49, add 1, you get 50 remove the nought and here is your 5G staring you right in the face
debunk this

7+7=14
1+4=5 (G)

Wake up sheeple!!1

 

[Aladdin]

Does anyone know how antibody tests work and whether an antibody test would show if you had had covid or how your vaccine wa protecting you?

 

[moochedit]

Does anyone know how antibody tests work and whether an antibody test would show if you had had covid or how your vaccine wa protecting you?

Never had one myself but i believe they do show if you have had it and can tell the difference between antibodys from vaccines and antibodys from actual infection.

 

[Aladdin]

Never had one myself but i believe they do show if you have had it and can tell the difference between antibodys from vaccines and antibodys from actual infection.

That'd be great.
I must look into getting one if only to shoe how much my vaccine might be protecting me.

Anyone know how long are the bivalent vaccines lasting.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Does anyone know how antibody tests work and whether an antibody test would show if you had had covid or how your vaccine wa protecting you?

The one I bought could tell the difference - not sure if you have to be a UK resident to use this service (it's run by an NHS Trust). It's cheaper to go for the combination test at £64.

Our Tests

monitormyhealth.org.uk

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Got a spring booster today. Feel like I have been punched in the arm. New formula.
They said it had mutated and the vaccine needed to be different.
I think today was mostly for the over 75s none of which were wearing masks. Only me and the younger folks seemed to care. Everyone was supposed to be vulnerable . . . plus it was a GP surgery.

 

[Aladdin]

I got called for jab 7 by the gp.
But consultant says hold off for 6 months because its looking like habs 4 and 5 kicked off autoimmune flares and jab 6 (bivalent) really messed up my liver.

 

[nagapie]

I've not read the COVID threads in a while but I'm in my sixth month of last having a vaccine and I want another. I'm a carer. If I show up for one, I've subverted the system and booked, will they send me away? And have the vaccines been updated?

 

[Sue]

I've not read the COVID threads in a while but I'm in my sixth month of last having a vaccine and I want another. I'm a carer. If I show up for one, I've subverted the system and booked, will they send me away? And have the vaccines been updated?

Had one a few weeks ago. They did check why I was there -- seemed they were only giving them if you were older or immunosuppressed. I got Pfizer and the vaccinator said they'd updated it to add new strains or whatever.

 

[nagapie]

Had one a few weeks ago. They did check why I was there -- seemed they were only giving them if you were older or immunosuppressed. I got Pfizer and the vaccinator said they'd updated it to add new strains or whatever.

How long between this one and your last?

 

[Sue]

How long between this one and your last?

Seven months maybe?

 

[T & P]

Considering that Spain had some of the very strictest lockdown restrictions and general outdoor safety rules when the pandemic first broke out, I was absolutely amazed when I learned this week during a trip to see the family that if you test positive nowadays, you’re actually expected to continue showing up at work unless you feel sick

 

[Raheem]

Considering that Spain had some of the very strictest lockdown restrictions and general outdoor safety rules when the pandemic first broke out, I was absolutely amazed when I learned this week during a trip to see the family that if you test positive nowadays, you’re actually expected to continue showing up at work unless you feel sick

That's officially the same as the UK, I think.

 

[T & P]

That's officially the same as the UK, I think.

Really? Didn’t know that. At my work we’re still demanding one stays away even if feeling fine until negative.

 

[Raheem]

Really? Didn’t know that. At my work we’re still demanding one stays away even if feeling fine until negative.

That will be your works policy, but I think the official guidance is now basically nothing, just treat it like any other illness.

 

[Aladdin]

I got signed off work permanently due to ill health..
I've not been vaccinated since Nov last year because the consultant said its highly likely that the vaccines kicked off my autoimmune liver disease which tried to kill me.

Work contacted me about a retirement party..I explained that I couldn't attend something like that. Now some retired staff who are friends of mine want to throw me a retirement do..one of them phoned me last night asking about different locations etc. I had to really spell it out to her but she didnt understand. She then mentioned having a party in her own house.
I ended up having to tell her no agajn and could sense she felt hurt. Its as if she didnt believe me

Fuck it. I wish people could understand...