Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[Tizer]

Whyperion, your post above, of Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:54 pm, is very long and rambling and therefore isn't going to be read by others. I suggest you keep posts shorter and concise. Thank you.

[Tizer]

`Regulator refuses to approve mass daily Covid testing at English schools' Guardian
`Boris Johnson’s plans to test millions of schoolchildren for coronavirus every week appear to be in disarray after the UK regulator refused to formally approve the daily testing of pupils in England, the Guardian has learned. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) told the government on Tuesday it had not authorised the daily use of 30-minute tests due to concerns that they give people false reassurance if they test negative. This could lead to pupils staying in school and potentially spreading the virus when they should be self-isolating..'.

[plaques]

Whyperion, your post above, of Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:54 pm, is very long and rambling and therefore isn't going to be read by others. I suggest you keep posts shorter and concise. Thank you.

W, often raises some good points but at times they need untangling from some of the asides that are mentioned within the main object of the post. I always find I have similar problems when I'm writing on the hoof. Its easy to think that someone is sat in the chair opposite and is contributing to the debate. OG is not a university debating room or a Booker prize contest and I think we would all like to see more people to say their piece even to the point where they may disagree with my posts. More is better than none.

On the vaccine numbers game. I know some people have had the double vaccine course but yesterday was the first time I've seen numbers put to it.
The number covered is reported at 400,000. Lets hope they can cover the front liners and the vulnerable with one shot before we start doubling up on folk like myself.

[PanBiker]

One thing I have noticed on the vaccine roll out is that if say there are spare doses available from a batch when all easily available patients in the first 4 groups have been vaccinated. The government is saying that they have to put the brakes on until other areas catch up rather than continue with the spare vaccines down the list so to speak. This seems madness to me. OK, so you cant get to all in the first four groups without a lot of bother. Surely it is better to distribute the remainder vaccine of that particular batch to any available arms and then return to the others with the next batch. The roll out is a race against time and the more folk who have the first shot of the vaccine the better. There should be no slowing down or stopping if there is a shortage of patients in the first target groups for whatever reason.

[Whyperion]

`Regulator refuses to approve mass daily Covid testing at English schools' Guardian
`Boris Johnson’s plans to test millions of schoolchildren for coronavirus every week appear to be in disarray after the UK regulator refused to formally approve the daily testing of pupils in England, the Guardian has learned. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) told the government on Tuesday it had not authorised the daily use of 30-minute tests due to concerns that they give people false reassurance if they test negative. This could lead to pupils staying in school and potentially spreading the virus when they should be self-isolating..'.

The point of the tests for someone WHO DOES NOT SHOW SYMPTOMS is to indicate if they have Covid ( because people who show symptoms should be isolating anyway and have the other test ). See BBC More or Less on the Stats and impacts of False Negatives in a random pool of people compared with false negatives in a pool of suspect persons. Even those whom test negative from not showing symptoms should carry on the abatement, distancing and so on required guidelines.

[Whyperion]

Whyperion, your post above, of Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:54 pm, is very long and rambling and therefore isn't going to be read by others. I suggest you keep posts shorter and concise. Thank you.

Trump tried that with twitter posts, look what happened with that.

[plaques]

[Stanley]

Ian, dead right. Too much management. Let the people on the ground get on with it!

[Tizer]

I notice in today's news: `The UK's aviation sector "urgently" needs more government support if it is to survive another long period of travel curbs, industry groups say.' I don't feel very sympathetic when British Airways owner IAG was given millions of bail out money from our taxes then went out to buy another airline. It's still in the process but has waited until it could knock the acquisition of Spanish airline Air Europa down to €300m-€400m. This is reminiscent of the `credit crunch' bail outs in 2007/8 when companies took the money then gave their CEOs big bonuses.

[PanBiker]

Our Jack says he slept for the first time since Monday last night, fever has kept him awake.

[Marilyn]

Sleep is a great healer Panbiker...and I am glad your Jack is at better ease...good news.
One holiday I spent in UK had week long rentals here and there....and I was so ill at one place that I spent 5 days unable to get off the couch except for a glass of water or to visit the loo. I lay there, praying to have the strength to throw my unpacked bags back in the car and move on at the end of the week. I also lost all sense of taste and smell ( I remember that distinctly). Everything I tried to eat tasted like cardboard. In the end I did not bother eating, just kept up the water. Not a good week in a holiday spot. I don’t think I even slept in the bed!

[Tizer]

I'm glad to hear Jack's had a good sleep. My relative in her 80s has now lost her sense of taste and smell but is otherwise OK, and so is daughter. They're hoping they've got whatever genetic bit allowed my dad to reach 90 with almost never having any real illness (except for a bout of Bell's palsy). Unfortunately my health takes after my mother who had the sorts of things I now have!

[Stanley]

I have had my third identical letter from Matt Hancock and Robert Jenrick urging me to stay in the house and shield strictly. Meanwhile, in another letter.....
I had another invitation to travel to Manchester for a jab.... Same response. I am told to shield and not to travel then advised to do a 56 mile round trip. I'll wait until I can walk for it.

[plaques]

Post by Whyperion » 14 Jan 2021, 12:06

I am not sure of adding the lock down overweight as being a good thing as in a buffer. Or not good as excess weight seems to provide either something for the virus to feed on, or a means of slowing down the bodies responses.
........................
Sorry for being a bit tardy with my reply its been known for some time that obese people suffer more from covid than thin ones. The explanation appears to be that body fat isn't a dormant lump of tissue but has a purpose in controlling your overall metabolism. The hormones it produces act as inflammatory markers for the virus. ....

“If there is too much body fat, this person will have more inflammatory markers. Since the way that coronavirus works is to trigger inflammation, often obese people will experience a much stronger inflammation leading to complications.”

The suggestion is that with more fat the more inflammation there may be. The report also goes on to say that in a number of cases the fat presses on the lungs making breathing more difficult.

Too late to take action in the current pandemic but if as suggested this is an ongoing for ever problem then lose some weight.

Covid / Obesity

[Tizer]

There is also the problem that obese bodies are heavier and simply more difficult for medical staff to deal with and obesity also can lead to sleep apnoea.

I have to admit to being surprised that Taunton Racecourse is included in this list of ten. We're usually forgotten out here! I'm still hoping I can get the vaccination at our surgery - it's 10 minutes walk from here. Stanley, I hope your surgery orders you in soon - perhaps they're leaving you until later because they've got you listed as `fit as a butcher's dog'!
`Covid: 10 new mass vaccination centres to open in England' LINK

[PanBiker]

Our surgery is a bit poky for delivering the Covid vaccine as it is just a warren of linked converted cottages no real space for anyone to sit down socially distanced after the jab for the 15 mins required. I reckon Colne may still be the best option in their shiny Medical Centre.


In our forest, Jemma's results came back inconclusive for her Covid test. Jack said last night was touch and go as to whether they rang for an ambulance as she had difficulty breathing for a while. She has done another test and we have suggested in no uncertain terms that if there is a repeat of inability to breath she should let the hospital decide if she needs oxygen. Jack says overall that her symptoms are worse than his.

[Tizer]

Does your surgery have a car park where they could set up a big tent? David Whipp might have one handy somewhere from his Barlick beach activities! Our local hospital has set up marquees in it's car park for things like testing and vaccination so that it leaves the internal hospital space for medical care and procedures. I think our surgery will use its big waiting room and people will have to queue outside or in their cars. At least it's now stated that there's no need for the 15 minute wait after the jab (they must have read your post, Ian!)

[PanBiker]

Car Park is big enough for about three cars. If they have waived the 15 minute obs rule then it would work fine. They could run two separate lines as they did this last time for the socially distanced flu jab.

I saw a news item and was shocked on how much time consuming preparation was required for the Phizer vaccine. It has to be thawed then slowly shaken ten times, then it has to be diluted and then carefully shaken ten time again. The Astra Zeneca one is a lot more convenient and easier to handle and distribute.

[Tizer]

If they have waived the 15 minute obs rule...

I thought I'd heard on the radio it was waived in order to allow the smaller surgeries and pharmacies etc to vaccinate but I can't find anything stating that on google. The nearest is this from an official web site:
`It is recommended that individuals are observed for a minimum of 15 minutes following administration of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.There is no requirement for 15 minutes observation following the AstraZeneca vaccine.However, as fainting can occur following vaccination, all those vaccinated with either COVID-19 should either be driven by someone else or should not drive for 15 minutes after vaccination.'

[Whyperion]

Car Park is big enough for about three cars. If they have waived the 15 minute obs rule then it would work fine. They could run two separate lines as they did this last time for the socially distanced flu jab.

I saw a news item and was shocked on how much time consuming preparation was required for the Phizer vaccine. It has to be thawed then slowly shaken ten times, then it has to be diluted and then carefully shaken ten time again. The Astra Zeneca one is a lot more convenient and easier to handle and distribute.

Almost sounds like one of those mythical cauldren preparations. Personally I would have kept it for use in hospitals, medical, police military etc staff,maybe care homes too.

[Whyperion]

I notice in today's news: `The UK's aviation sector "urgently" needs more government support if it is to survive another long period of travel curbs, industry groups say.' I don't feel very sympathetic when British Airways owner IAG was given millions of bail out money from our taxes then went out to buy another airline. It's still in the process but has waited until it could knock the acquisition of Spanish airline Air Europa down to €300m-€400m. This is reminiscent of the `credit crunch' bail outs in 2007/8 when companies took the money then gave their CEOs big bonuses.

Some thought that Eurostar may be deserving of Support (I understand it is now part private , part french government). The problem with a lot of the assets is they deteriorate through time as much as in use.

[Stanley]

I have to go to the surgery tomorrow for a blood sample to be taken for the Diabetes programme so I can enquire of the nurse what the state of the wicket is.....

[plaques]

This may be one of those Casandra moments or total rubbish. The vaccination programme is picking up momentum with promises to hit all the target dates by late september. Except for the odd bits of administrative nonsense I think we can declare it a success. The vaccine is free to everyone through the bulk purchases made by the government with supplies being used as they are available. Now back to Casandra, as more different vaccine makers hit the market place there may be a time when there is a surplus available to the highest bidder. Private health care may then step in to vaccinate those who are prepared to pay. This is no different to the private hospital arrangements that we have at the moment. A corollary to this is to outsource the current programme to these 'for profit' organisations

PS, Don't tell Tony Blair.

[Tizer]

At present the official statement is: `The COVID-19 vaccination is only available through the NHS to eligible groups and it is a free vaccination.' If it were to be offered privately to individuals in exchange for payment then I expect whoever is offering it would need to negotiate with the vaccine manufacturers. So far they have been selling it to health services on a `cost only' basis.

[PanBiker]

Results are in and it is confirmed on the second test that Jemma has Covid. Jack says her breathing has stabilised but it is loud.