Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[PanBiker]

Contrasted then just for good measure as well as the rest. All mine are contrasted but MRI rather than CAT. It's the dye that gives better resolution on the images. They use MRI for very detailed scrutiny.

[PanBiker]

I got a letter this morning from the NHS inviting me to book an appointment for a Covid jab. Or I can wait for my GP surgery to contact me which according to the letter should not be very long. All the information supplied indicates that they have now moved on to the over 65 group. Having said that, Sally has not received a letter and she has had a compromised immune system since her cancer treatment nearly 30 years ago now! That was the reason I qualified for my flu jab long before I reached the clinically vulnerable age simply because we co-habit.

I will check out the link they sent and see what is available and where.

[PanBiker]

Well, that was a bit of a trial. I went online and found that even though Sally has not received a letter she still qualifies on age alone. So, I first booked an appointment for her for both vaccinations. Next Saturday for the first and the 8th May for the second. Both in Burnley. I then did the same for myself and got more or less the same slots for myself, within 5 minutes or so on both days, ideal or so I thought.

On confirming the appointments it said that one of the times was no longer available for me so I had to book again. Problem was the system does not tell you which of the appointments is in error so you have to book both again.

Round two I was offered 10 minutes later in both cases, still no good, book again.... I ended up repeating the booking process 8 times and finally got it to give me the first dose in a slot 40 minutes later than Sally and on the second dose 30 minutes later. Probably due to the sheer number of people booking at the same time.

The booking system has no provision to book appointments for two people more or less at the same time. This seems a major flaw to me as we will not be the only couple who need to attend at the same sessions. Not quite joined up thinking with the booking system.

[Wendyf]

Whereabouts in Burnley Ian? Blackburn or Bradford were the closest options when I got my letter.

[plaques]

PanBiker, did it tell you which venue you would get your vaccination. The normal one is St Peter's centre. I'm not sure of the parking arrangements at St Peter's but you access it through the tunnel from Church St, there used to be a charge for the sports centre usage but this may have been waved for the vaccinations. The TK Max opposite is 2 hour parking and fines for overstaying.
There was talk of opening another venue on Charter Walk shopping centre off St James St. but all the free parking for this is some distance away. Not a good idea unless you walk down from Sainbury's 3 hour allowance.

[Big Kev]

I must be moving up the list, I'm 60 in just over a week. Paulette is already (I'm always reminding her I married an older woman) so hopefully we'll get invited at the same time.

Research results are in.

20210213_120943.jpg

[PanBiker]

There was talk of opening another venue on Charter Walk shopping centre off St James St. but all the free parking for this is some distance away. Not a good idea unless you walk down from Sainbury's 3 hour allowance.

It's referenced as Burnley Centre, Units 30 -32 The Mall. Google Maps has it in the shopping centre looks like it's somewhere near Specsavers. I think there are plenty of vacant commercial units in there.

With the deficiency in the online booking system for couples I might ring them up and see if we can get a tandem deal.

[PanBiker]

I must be moving up the list, I'm 60 in just over a week. Paulette is already (I'm always reminding her I married an older woman) so hopefully we'll get invited at the same time.

I think you still have to do the online booking job Kev so you may run into the same problem I did.

[Big Kev]

I must be moving up the list, I'm 60 in just over a week. Paulette is already (I'm always reminding her I married an older woman) so hopefully we'll get invited at the same time.

I think you still have to do the online booking job Kev so you may run into the same problem I did.

Probably. I'll see what happens.

[plaques]

PanBiker. The Mall, Charter Walk. I think the new venue is on the corner of the Mall and Fleet St. (Fleet St was an old street before the area was demolished)

Kev, Good news, but always being the sceptic I wonder what the real purpose of this test is? A random selection from different age ranges will give some statistics about the background prevalence of the coronavirus but the survey is probably more important in assessing people attitude to the covid threat and how they are reacting to the media warnings.

[Tizer]

Mrs Tiz got her letter yesterday and booked her two appointments, the first for a week tomorrow. We both had one appointment already gone when we got to the end of the booking process but it was easy to go back and book a different time. You have to go through it fast otherwise someone gets there before you - a bit like bidding on Ebay!

China aren't helping polish their own image by this...
`Covid-19 pandemic: China 'refused to give data' to WHO team' LINK

[PanBiker]

I finally got a successful booking by using two separate tabs for myself and Sally, still ended up 40 and 30 minutes apart though.

[Stanley]

When I had my jab they told me I would be informed when the next one was.

[PanBiker]

With the online booking system you are told to book both appointments at the same time. It calculates the earliest date that you can have the second dose.

[Big Kev]

You'd have thought he would have known better? The mayor of Blackburn and Darwen has been fined £200 for breachng Covid restrictions
Lancashire Telegraph

[plaques]

Mrs P's MORI swab test came back negative, collected friday morning result monday morning 11.15. Not bad going. This means I'm negative too. Of course its only a snapshot in time the 'Thing' is still out there waiting to pounce.

[Stanley]

Of course its only a snapshot in time the 'Thing' is still out there waiting to pounce"
Healthy attitude Ken, pity the mayor and those idiots in Parliament shouting for 'freedom' can't understand that. Good luck with the fight!

[Tizer]

It will be interesting to see if all early `repeat' infections turn out to be due to a different covid variant...
`Covid: Ardrossan care worker caught virus twice and fears it could happen again' LINK

[Tripps]

Well that's cheered me up no end. . . (ironic) Just when I learned yesterday that the Pfizer in Israel has 94% success after two injections, and dreamed of a haircut.

[Tizer]

Take heart, Tripps, these double infections appear to be very rare and may be due to some other confounding factor. Focus on getting your haircut!

[Stanley]

Or buy some clippers online and give yourself a buzz cut David.....

[Tizer]

This sounds like a step too far, we'll all be queuing up for a test!
`Covid: Seven symptoms should trigger virus test, study says' LINK

[Stanley]

I had to do a bit of digging this morning to find why the re-classification of over a million people as 'shielders' was a good thing. This Covid is complicated!
I'm listening to a scientist being interrogated by a news presenter who is ferreting after an earlier date to end lock down. Why don't the scientists just refuse to speculate?

[Big Kev]

Sounds sensible to me but I reckon there'll be a bit of backlash...

Businesses are seeking 'no jab, no job' contracts to force employees to get vaccines

ITV News

[Stanley]

It's complicated isn't it Kev, I can think of good reasons why vaccinations should be expected but I can see why some would be disadvantaged. Thankfully I don't have to worry because eventually I'll be fully jabbed!
MD in Private Eye is very forthright this week on vaccination, well worth reading. (Mind you I'm getting even more fed up with Covid than I was of Brexit....)