Covid-19

[FiveO'Clock]

That's an absolute nightmare, Bramble. I hope D is OK.

[Froozy]

Bramble, that’s horrendous. This is the kind of thing that I don’t think people think about when they hear hospitals are being overwhelmed. They just think it’s a bit squeezy.

I received this from BPAS earlier asking for support for an amendment to ensure abortion is available over the next few weeks/months. It’s a link to email your MP asking them to support the amendment.

Obviously it’s vital now but I also wonder if it might be a small step towards ending the two doctor rule. Anyway, please click and send. I got the email at 7am today so I guess the 12 hour timeframe means it will be tabled this evening.

I’ve had a follow up from BPAS about this. There is a Government consultation for continuing telemedicine for both England and Wales. Link here. The consultation closes on 26th Feb.

[Kenickie]

My area is down to 136 per 100k which is down from 220 last week, so nearly halving each time. This has cheered me up a bit.

84 per 100k now.

That's awful, Bramble.

Someone I went to school with, her mum had a stroke, so was rushed to hospital and my friend couldn't see her, and her mum couldn't speak on the phone because of the stroke. Then she (the mum) got pneumonia, and now Covid. I can't even imagine.

[Loralei]

Oh Bramble, that sounds heartbreaking. And I agree it's not what people think of when we hear about the NHS being overwhelmed.

My friend has been told that her dad should be ok if he doesn't deteriorate over the next 48 hours. He seems to have picked up a bit; he's still on oxygen but his sats are ok with it, and the symptoms of what was probably a simultaneous UTI (including confusion) have improved. If I've understood correctly they've got him on antibiotics, antivirals and steroids. He doesn't speak English, which is really tough whe he can't have visitors, but they've promised that my friend can go in if ever they don't have any Polish speakers on the ward. So far there has always been a Polish speaking nurse or HCA on shift.

[Lily]

Ken, your poor friend!

Lora, how is your friend's dad doing?

Captain Tom has the bloody thing. Oh God.

[Annabella]

I am sad about Captain Tom

[Shoe]

My parents have spent the weekend with my niece, in a childcare bubble, and now we've found out my niece's other gran has tested positive. She's the childcare bubble at my niece's mum's house. So now my brother, mum and dad have all been exposed as well as the family at the other end.

[Lily]

GAH - fingers crossed that they swerve it and that her other gran is ok.

[Loralei]

Lora, how is your friend's dad doing?

Not good; after a fairly stable weekend it looks like he's deteriorating. He's having a CT scan now (he had a stroke last year so they need to check nothing neurological is also presenting) but it seems likely they're going to have to ventilate him.

[Shoe]

I'm sorry Lora. That's sad news.

[sally maclennane]

That is tough for your friend, Lora.

I see Johnson is saying he's "optimistic" about Sumner holidays He never learns, does he? He always has to be the good guy who's going to "save Christmas/Easter/summer holidays".

[Pippedydeadeye]

I’m sorry Lora. I hope he gets better.

Did you guys see that Captain Tom went to Barbados over Christmas?!

[sally maclennane]

I saw something about Barbados but I thought it was his family, I didn't realise it was him too!

[Lily]

It doesn't sound like he got it from there, as they are v rigid on tests & so forth.

[Rebel Pebble]

I don't imagine he got it there but it could be one more reason why he hasn't had the vaccine yet.

They said he hadn't been given it in the last few weeks because of the pneumonia but given his age he should/could have been in the very first cohort to get it, back in December. Except if he was out of the country when the invite went out.

[Lola]

Does it matter if he went to Barbados? He is 100 after all.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I guess it doesn’t really make any difference, but was it when the rest of us were going nowhere. I’m not outraged, just raising an eyebrow.

[ParisGal]

There was bad weather here over the weekend, and a lot of trains had to be cancelled, and everyone they were interviewing was saying they wouldn't be able to get back from their weekends away. It's legal to go away, but with a 6pm curfew every day, who nips down to Bordeau to see friends?

[Derek Nimmo]

Maybe they're going to see family. Or are taking advantage of a change of scenery during the day. Or have a second home down there. I don't think it's that odd!

From data published on the 28th Jan (and tracing figures up to the 22nd Jan), my area came down 40% in terms of infections from the week before. I do wonder how much is a result of the end of Christmas mixing, vrs lockdown, but I guess that's fairly impossible to measure.

[ParisGal]

I don't mean I can't understand why they want to, I'm just surprised people are happy to spend several hours on a train, then at someone else's house (or a self-catering holiday let) in times of plague. It's still nice to see friends and family of course, but given current infection rates (and that we were allowed to do what we wanted for Christmas), I was suprised to see so many people travelling cross-country.