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General => The Stay Safe Board => Topic started by: Greensleeves on Thursday 22 October 20 22:52 BST (UK)
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It seems likely that when my daughter was seriously ill in hospital in Feb/March she contracted the virus and I, in turn, picked it up when she came home, but at that time I was too busy coping with her illness to worry about what was happening to me. However, we were isolating so not in contact with anyone else for most of the time. But because of lung capacity problems, went to GPs yesterday for bloods and to hospital today for chest x-ray & it seems that there were many cases on the ward where my daughter was. So now a new and different adventure. What a strange world we are living in currently. Stay safe everyone x
GS
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I am now wondering whether GS shared it with me! After her daughter came out of hospital and just before she was due to have her operation in March, I went to Wales to support them. I stayed in a cottage and we were very careful about distancing, no hugs or anything. Then came lockdown and I headed home and the operation was cancelled.
Two days later GS started coughing, and I started a few days after that. I had one day of feeling shivery, but felt okay apart from the cough which lasted about 3 weeks. At the time I just thought it was a normal cough, as neither GS nor I had any reason to think otherwise, as no one had mentioned to GS’s daughter that there had been covid in her ward. That was before there was any testing anyway. If I had it, it was mildly, but I doubt if I’ll ever know unless they develop an antibody test.
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The thing about covid is that it is far more contagious than normal flu or other similar infections. The good news is that my daughter seems to be recovering well and with no (hopefuiiy) covid aftermath. And what a relief that my dear friend (thanks, RC for the intro) Jan seems not to be carrying any covid baggage. So now I'm waiting for the results of tests but feeling fairly stoic.
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I’m pleased to hear that your daughter is doing well in recovery... you’ve both certainly been through difficult times not helped by Covid!
Sorry to hear that you’re still suffering possible after affects from what ever you had earlier in the year and you too groom.... if you did contract it then it sounds as if it was fairly mild....
Both my OH and I had what felt a bit like flu for about a week and a cough that came and went in about three weeks in late February.... so you do have to wonder where that sprung from and went! It’s a pity there aren’t tests to see if you’ve had it however mild a form it might have been...
Take care and stay safe..
Caroline
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Makes you wonder, especially in the very early days, if a lot of people had it and shrugged it off as a normal winter ailment. It's only now, after GS has spoken to her doctor and been told it sounds very likely that she did have it, that it even crossed my mind that my cough was anything other than just that. As you say, it would be nice to know.
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Stay safe you two and M :)
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Stay safe you two and M :)
Hear, hear! Sounds pretty hit and miss if you can't have tests to tell politively if you've had it or not - just think you could be carrying wonderful antibodies - or not!
Stay well - hope you are feeling better soon GS. Hope the tests can shed some light on what you are experiencing.
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Another Hear, Hear from me to you three ...
Quite a concern really though, and in retrospect thankfully severity was not as significant at the time, while having to cope with more than enough already!
Testing here in NZ has come across a few 'historic cases' which test as weak positives, so that may be the case with many others who have been in some contact as well and asymptomatic or thought flu symptoms or a bit of a cold. Some of those here have come through the quarantine 14 day isolation facilities and so are outside the infection period expected, our numbers include all those along with those tested and confirmed and a few not tested or confirmed but suspected. Advice though to get a test even with slight symptoms or possibility of contact in affected places.
( virtual global hugs ) mare
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Stay safe you two and M :)
Another hear hear from me. :-*
Hope you don't have to wait too long for the results GS.
Cheers
KHP
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The antibody test exists although not 100% accurate, my daughter had one requested by her doctor as part of a blood test for something else
When I had a routine blood test recently I asked the nurse for one but she said it could only be authorised by a doctor so I didn't bother him for it.
Greensleeves - as if you haven't had enough to deal with this year! Best wishes to you all.
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Antibody tests are available privately. The most accurate is the Abbott test (which uses a blood sample).
I had Covid in March and tested positive for antibodies over 4 months later.
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My husband and I had a cough with aches and other cold symptoms back in February, so due to the general news reports we stopped attending cinemas and theatre among other gatherings from 6 March, but we still have no idea if we have any degree of immunity to covid.
It seems outrageous now that people who needed to be in hospital were on wards mixed with covid patients. I hope you daughter is making good progress GS, and that your lung problems are alleviated soon.
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How can anyone know if they have or have had Covid if you aren't being tested? . . . . unless you start showing antibodies . . . and by then it is a bit late. It all seems a little bit like guesswork.
On what do they base the daily numbers of infections, deaths etc. Just asking - politely.
Seems a bit odd to me.
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This is the problem, a lot of people may have had it without realising. Back in March, when GS may have had it and kindly shared it with me ;D we wouldn't have been tested anyway, as they were only testing those who were admitted to hospital. If I had it, it was only mildly. My immune system is pretty good, I rarely get colds - I put it down to over 35 years of being coughed and sneezed over by the children I taught. ;D
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Doctors and other experts seem to be recommending taking vitamin D to aid your immune system. Might be worth trying - can't see it doing any harm, especially at this time of the year when there's so little sunlight.
It seems to me that the important statistic isn't how many cases they unearth but how many hospitalisations there are, and Greensleeves' story at the start of this thread would seem to confirm what I've read - that a lot of the covid cases are people already in hospital for other reasons contacting the virus whilst there. That's alarming.
Going back to lack of winter sun, I was looking at ads in the weekend paper for those SAD lamps which are supposed to do something to substitute for sunlight (not sure I understand how), They weren't that expensive. Has anyone used one?
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May I wish all here the very best, whether you had C-19 or not, and trust that you will continue to recover. Virtual hug.
BBC R4 Inside Science (programme and podcast) this week discusses the possibility of contracting C-19 again, after initial recovery.
They can't at present say how many people may be able to catch it again, but it does appear that even if you know from a test that you've definitely had it, it's important not to regard yourself as immune.
Sigh. Onwards and upwards and wash your hands, wear masks etc
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How can anyone know if they have or have had Covid if you aren't being tested? . . . . unless you start showing antibodies . . . and by then it is a bit late. It all seems a little bit like guesswork.
On what do they base the daily numbers of infections, deaths etc. Just asking - politely.
Seems a bit odd to me.
Sorry folks - I didn't make myself clear - (Australian turn of phrase.)
I wasn't doubting GS, Jan or moogle's illness. All the very best to you three and I hope you are all feeling recovered soon.
I really was questioning how the UK can know who has had the virus, who has recovered, and all the other numbers, and how the Gov't is keeping the tally. Just very interested to know how other countries do things.
(We've been told to get tested at the slightest sign of anything, hence my initial query.)
Very best wishes to all of you in UK at the moment as the horrible illness takes hold again.
(Hope I am not digging myself in deeper. Not my intention. :-\ :)
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How absolutely rotten to have had such an awful experience, Greensleeves ( and daughter), and poor Groom. As if you'd not had enough to worry about this year, one way and another. My very best wishes to you all for improved health, and good recovery. My mother always said people usually emerged from hospitals more ill than when they went in - perhaps she had something there?.
I'm a bit of a vit C & D fan, felt those helped me survive students' germs over the years.
TY
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Speaking from an entirely personal perspective, it seems to me the English government does not have a vested interest in listening to the independent scientific view, and consequently they actually do not have the faintest idea about the levels of covid in the English community, and they care even less.
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Doctors and other experts seem to be recommending taking vitamin D to aid your immune system. Might be worth trying - can't see it doing any harm, especially at this time of the year when there's so little sunlight.
It seems to me that the important statistic isn't how many cases they unearth but how many hospitalisations there are, and Greensleeves' story at the start of this thread would seem to confirm what I've read - that a lot of the covid cases are people already in hospital for other reasons contacting the virus whilst there. That's alarming.
Going back to lack of winter sun, I was looking at ads in the weekend paper for those SAD lamps which are supposed to do something to substitute for sunlight (not sure I understand how), They weren't that expensive. Has anyone used one?
My husband uses one when light levels are low as he has Seasonal Affective Disorder It does help with energy levels
Kay
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I have been an advocate for Vit D as a stimulant for the immune system and prophylactic against, in particular, respiratory infections since the start - have contributed to a few threads about it - and I think it should be given/prescribed to all especially those who don't get exposed to light for long enough depending on whether they can/do spend any/enough time outside. IMO residents of nursing/care homes & BAME populations should all take it. It is possible to overdose on Vit D; so I can't advocate it being added to, say, flour as anyone like me who takes in on prescription would get too much.
I would suggest you find out from the lamp manufacturers whether the light emitted stimulates Vit D production, jillruss.
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Thanks everyone for your good wishes, kind thoughts and suggestions. We too have read about the possibility of Vit D being effective and have been taking it for about a month now. I know that in the northern hemisphere it's said that nearly all of us suffer from some degree of Vit D deficiency in the winter months, so it does make sense.
I must say I am glad that I live in Wales where our Welsh government has handled things very different to the national govt in Westminster. As 'health' is devolved to our Senedd (Welsh parliament) it means that Wales can go its own way and set its own rules. No doubt Westminster will get its own back in due course, as it has with Manchester.
Hope everyone is staying safe and well. We've gone into lockdown tonight for nearly three weeks. It was almost with a sense of relief that I closed the door when we shut the shop and came home this afternoon.
Love and hugs to you all and keep safe,
GS
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... but we still have no idea if we have any degree of immunity to covid.
IgG antibodies appear in the blood as the Covid-19 infection decreases in the body.
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Scientists feel they have the first evidence of reinfections ...
Genomic evidence for Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2: a case study
by R L Tillett · Cited by 1
12 Oct 2020 — "All individuals, whether previously diagnosed with COVID-19 or not, should take identical precautions to avoid infection with SARS-CoV-2." ...
"The degree of protective immunity conferred by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently unknown. As such, the possibility of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 is not well understood. We describe an investigation of two instances of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the same individual."
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30764-7/fulltext
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https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-presenting-genomic-evidence-for-a-case-of-re-infection-with-covid-19-in-the-us/
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Similar theme article published same date
The Lancet 12th October 2020
What reinfections mean for COVID-19
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30783-0/fulltext
Best wishes all, Mark
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It is interesting about the reinfections as this was noticed in China in the earlier part of the year, when people were recovering, testing negative, and then subsequently testing a weak positive again. At that time scientists were unsure whether this was a reinfection, or whether it was the body's reaction to viral debris left behind. No doubt the research will have advanced considerably since then.
The importance of this, of course, is that any attempts at achieving herd immunity are doomed to failure if catching the virus does not give any degree of lasting immunity. In the UK serious mistakes were made early on when a 'herd immunity' approach was advocated by Imperial College London and the government initially based its strategy on this. However, the model they were using to plot the likely course of the disease through the population was based on viral pneumonia, which did not act in the same way. Once this was understood, there was a sudden re-think because the new calculations revealed tens of thousands would die every month if nothing was done to halt the spread of covid-19. Hence the hurried announcement of lockdown at the end of March in a desperate bid to stop the surging cases becoming totally out of control.
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Greensleeves QUOTE:
"Once this was understood, there was a sudden re-think because the new calculations revealed tens of thousands would die every month if nothing was done to halt the spread of covid-19. Hence the hurried announcement of lockdown at the end of March in a desperate bid to stop the surging cases becoming totally out of control."
And now we have a repeat in the UK, but while 3 out of 4 nations are taking suitable precautions, it won't help them because England is not, and no travel ban.
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This mornings Radio Scotland reported findings of the old BCG jag as being found effective against Corona both as a treatment & preventative . Trials are ongoing!
Skoosh.
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This mornings Radio Scotland reported findings of the old BCG jag as being found effective against Corona both as a treatment & preventative . Trials are ongoing!
Skoosh.
So would that mean that all of us who lined up at school to have the jab should be immune? If that's the case they would mean almost everyone wouldn't it?
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That question was mentioned and booster needed. Currently being used in Greece with good results.
Skoosh.
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Speaking from an entirely personal perspective, it seems to me the English government does not have a vested interest in listening to the independent scientific view, and consequently they actually do not have the faintest idea about the levels of covid in the English community, and they care even less.
There are definitely members of the community in England who are too selfish to do the decent thing :-
2 days ago — McDonald's workers blast bosses for acting too slowly over covid case ... Two Bristol McDonald's workers have claimed they were told to self-isolate a ... "People have been coughing all week but none of them got sent home."
Today: 7 hours ago — A McDonald's employee in Hull who "couldn't stop coughing" at work has tested positive for coronavirus. ..
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Speaking from an entirely personal perspective, it seems to me the English government does not have a vested interest in listening to the independent scientific view, and consequently they actually do not have the faintest idea about the levels of covid in the English community, and they care even less.
I'm amazed anyone still thinks that the government cares. To them, its an exercise in power, playing god - call it what you will. In England, of course, its also an opportunity to give millions to their cronies, many of whom will 'reward' them at a later date. by donating to their party funds. In Scotland, it seems to me to be another stick their leader is using to batter her people into submission to independence. There is almost always a hidden goal.
Covid is way down the list of causes of recent deaths in the UK, behind the flu.
You can obey all these stupid, petty 'rules' if you like (and if you can understand them from one week to the next) but I'm not going to be manipulated by idiots who can't tell up from down. I shall continue to act sensibly, avoid crowds (which I always do anyway) and get on with living my life.
Oh, and if I want a new pair of socks, I won't go to Wales - I'll order them online! Did you even think of that option, Mr Drakeford?
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Hate to shatter your delusions but the Scottish Government are battering nobody to independence. Scotland has been dragged out of the EU against the votes of the people, every county having voted remain and so the pro Indy intentions now are almost 60%. The campaign hasn't even started yet & the election is in May. Bring it on!
You might be better addressing your outrage to the scandal of English kids going to bed hungry in the holidays while ours & the Welsh kids get fed.
Skoosh.
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Hate to shatter your delusions but the Scottish Government are battering nobody to independence. Scotland has been dragged out of the EU against the votes of the people, every county having voted remain and so the pro Indy intentions now are almost 60%. The campaign hasn't even started yet & the election is in May. Bring it on!
You might be better addressing your outrage to the scandal of English kids going to bed hungry in the holidays while ours & the Welsh kids get fed.
Skoosh.
You'll never convince me that everything your leader does isn't to promote her independence obsession. I've no axe to grind over Scottish independence - if I was Scottish, I might well vote for it myself. My point was her manipulating the situation, not her reasons for doing so.
As for your second point - cheap shot! Of course, I was dismayed at the result of the vote over feeding children during half term. Its yet another example of the government having no idea of what's going on in the country, and caring less.
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Nothing cheap about hungry weans, the vote in the Commons was supported by the dying breed of Scottish Tory MP's supporting the government's denial of dinners for English kids, yet the Scottish Government feeds ours. Not to boost independence but because the case is undeniable.
Nicola Sturgeon has barely mentioned Indy since March as she's busy with something called Corona. Some party activists are not pleased at this as they want Indy yesterday.
Campaigning will start soon enough and with voting intentions amongst the under 35 year olds at nearly 75% it's steady as she goes. To echo Napoleon, never interrupt the enemy when they're making a mistake, and there has been no shortage of them, ;D
Skoosh.
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Its as well to remember that most English people actually like the Scots and Scotland. I've visited a number of times and find the people very friendly and the countryside breath-taking.
So, please, don't bunch us all together with the Tories - I'm from the North and, believe me, we'd love Home Rule.
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Being a quarter from the Black Country I don't have any prob's with my English cousins except to wind them up occasionally! ;D
A disgrace to read in todays Guardian that local kids at Durham Uni' are being discriminated against for their accents & perceived poverty & called chavs & dirty northerners & worse. Several have packed in their intended career path and gone home.
Skoosh.
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And I have a 2x great grandfather and grandmother who were both Scottish (from Aberdeen and Perth respectively). I've never really been able to work out what percentage Scots that makes me. Their daughter (my gt grandmother) was born in England but of Scottish parents.
One was a Campbell - I watched Neil Oliver's Blood of the Clans last night. We were a bloodthirsty lot!!
Durham Uni believes itself to be 3rd in importance behind Oxford and Cambridge so I'm not surprised they're taking in a majority of people who consider themselves a cut above.
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I was ill last December, wasn't flu or a very bad cold but whatever it was it was similar to Covid, was it covid I ask myself, I may never know, didn't go to the Drs , thought I had some sort of virus, but quite out of the blue last week I had a letter to take part in an antibody test, awaiting instructions
LM