Coronavirus

[Jaded'n'faded]

I heard on the Beeb that a nursing home in the US is now in lockdown (50 residents) because a care worker is infected.

Also, they are saying that the disease has been 'loose' in Seattle for weeks...

 

[Dimpsy]

I heard on the Beeb that a nursing home in the US is now in lockdown (50 residents) because a care worker is infected.

Also, they are saying that the disease has been 'loose' in Seattle for weeks...

My boss holidayed in America through late January / early February and she said that cases were being reported then.

 

[Lynmax]

I think all of us who look after a pwd living on their own will admit to being worried. My mum now has a daily visit from either one of her family or a Carer from an agency every day to cook her a hot meal. Without these visits she could die as she can no longer use the cooker, been disconnected for safety reasons, nor the microwave and forget to eat regularly. She is able to pop out to the local shop even though she tends to buy biscuits, chocolate and bread but if the shop had to shut, she would be in difficulties if we could not visit and do her shopping.

Luckily she does not need to take essential medication, she does have breast cancer and takes a daily dose of oestrogen but a few days missed is not life threatening.

If I had to self isolate or became ill, I would get very bored on my own but I could probably manage, although I do not keep two weeks of food in my house but I guess I would not starve as i! But my anxiety levels, a problem for me at the best of times, would go through the roof if I nor my siblings could not visit mum.

But I don't think there is anything I can do except hope that the virus is contained fairly soon.n

Gosh, am I being too pessimistic?

 

[margherita]

Gosh, am I being too pessimistic?

I am Italian and live in Piedmont, in northern Italy, where most infections are reported.
I have been living in the country for some years ( since I retired and had to move out of Milan) and it is the first time I have been pleased with it.
As you know we are the European country with most infections ( 2,000) and more than fifty deaths .
I am starting to be scared and pessimistic.
I have decided to avoid crowded places, which means I only go to the supermarket, usually after lunch, when there are fewer customers.
There is not much else I can do.

 

[Izzy]

Such a worry for you @margherita. I hope you both stay well.

 

[Lawson58]

At my local supermarket this morning there were a few signs of some panic buying but the only thing I noticed with empty shelves was toilet paper and hand sanitizers. I still don't understand why a really good hand wash with soap and water won't do the job for most of us. I know that sometimes it isn't possible so a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the handbag or pocket is handy.

I put my hand on my face at the checkout and the cashier reminded me not to do that. That made me realize that people who do jobs where they are constantly dealing with a steady stream of people are at far greater risk than lots of people like us.

My dad always use to say that 'Worry is a wasted emotion as it achieves nothing.' He use to often explain to me that being concerned was healthy and having plans in place was good but worrying on its own was a pathway to stress. So I am concerned for all those who are suffering but I refuse to worry about either of us and there's not much I can do about my family.

When things change around me then I will step up to the mark and do what needs to be done which is nothing new for any of us as carers. Until then, I will be sensible and stay alert to the current situation.

 

[marionq]

At my local supermarket this morning there were a few signs of some panic buying but the only thing I noticed with empty shelves was toilet paper and hand sanitizers. I still don't understand why a really good hand wash with soap and water won't do the job for most of us. I know that sometimes it isn't possible so a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the handbag or pocket is handy.

I put my hand on my face at the checkout and the cashier reminded me not to do that. That made me realize that people who do jobs where they are constantly dealing with a steady stream of people are at far greater risk than lots of people like us.

My dad always use to say that 'Worry is a wasted emotion as it achieves nothing.' He use to often explain to me that being concerned was healthy and having plans in place was good but worrying on its own was a pathway to stress. So I am concerned for all those who are suffering but I refuse to worry about either of us and there's not much I can do about my family.

When things change around me then I will step up to the mark and do what needs to be done which is nothing new for any of us as carers. Until then, I will be sensible and stay alert to the current situation.

That all sounds very good advice to me @Lawson58. My daughter briskly assured us all it was no more than a dose of flu and as we were healthy we could all cope. Since my daughters know everything I will go along with her and go about my business without worrying.

I did hesitate at Buchanan Street underground station on Friday when the carriages were jam packed as it pulled in. However most passengers got off and I continued my journey in a half empty carriage. I may be relaxed but I’m still cautious.

 

[Countryboy]

When you read this I think we should be worried this not just flu " don'y belive all the government information"

Li Wenliang: Coronavirus kills Chinese whistleblower doctor
7 February 202

A Chinese doctor who tried to issue the first warning about the deadly coronavirus outbreak has died, the hospital treating him has said.

Li Wenliang contracted the virus while working at Wuhan Central Hospital.
He had sent out a warning to fellow medics on 30 December but police told him to stop "making false comments".

 

[Agzy]

The company I work for have today ordered sanitiser and sanitiser bottle holders. The supplier I spoke to said there is a black market in sanitiser at the moment, everyone wants to get hold of it. Masks with a carbon filter have been out of stock for months, but it seems as if this country is waking up to the seriousness of the situation.

I must admit to feeling anxious about mum (PWD) and OH not in the best of health. I'll have to 'self-quarantine' them from me, as I'm the one still going out to work!

Sanitisers must contain alcohol to be effective against this virus.

 

[imthedaughter]

Yes, I saw that although am not too enamoured by the advice to use your sleeve if you don't have a tissue. It's bad enough having to be squashed up against people who are sniffing and spluttering on the tube on a daily basis but if they start wiping their noses on their sleeves too it's not going to be good. ?

Mum's care home have some warning posters up but aren't doing anything differently at the moment. I guess you could also get in a stock of tissues and hand sanitiser for the carers to use?

I think it's rather than using their hands, then touching everything ?

 

[Lawson58]

That all sounds very good advice to me @Lawson58. My daughter briskly assured us all it was no more than a dose of flu and as we were healthy we could all cope. Since my daughters know everything I will go along with her and go about my business without worrying.

I did hesitate at Buchanan Street underground station on Friday when the carriages were jam packed as it pulled in. However most passengers got off and I continued my journey in a half empty carriage. I may be relaxed but I’m still cautious.

And I was thinking about going to Melbourne later this week to see if I could find something to wear to my daughter's wedding but a man who came into Avalon Airport today was taken to hospital for testing. So I might change my mind now.

 

[esmeralda]

My husband is very dependent on double-up carer visits twice a day and the situation is worrying. I've thought about whether I could cope by myself but as he's unable to do the least thing for himself, including not being able to move I don't think it will be an option.
Should the virus really take hold I will offer to be the 'second' carer to keep the number of people coming in as low as possible. Good idea to ask carers to wash their hands when they arrive and leave and I started that a couple of days ago. I think they should wash their hands more often rather than depending on alcohol gel anyway. I've bought vitamin C capsules (from natural sources) and Zinc which are both said to reduce the severity and duration of colds and flu. May not work, but worth a try. It's also worth making sure that rooms are well aired by opening windows and should either of us become ill I will move out to another bedroom. I think the Chinese doctor who died despite the fact he was relatively young, did so because he had so much exposure to the virus

 

[margherita]

Such a worry for you @margherita. I hope you both stay well.

Thank you , @Izzy .
I suppose your planned journey to Italy has been annulled or, at least, put off until a better period.

 

[Izzy]

Thank you , @Izzy .
I suppose your planned journey to Italy has been annulled or, at least, put off until a better period.

That isn’t until October and the company has made no contact with me as yet. I’d imagine they are waiting to see how things progress.

 

[nitram]

Yesterday an 'ex Italy' case was found in Bury.
Today two locally infected people have been found.

Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with three cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Greater Manchester. Two of the cases are residents of Bury.

As a result of contact tracing we know the new Bury cases announced today are known contacts of the previously confirmed case from Bury.

The third case is a resident of Bolton which is not linked to the two cases in Bury announced today. The Bolton resident became infected whilst in Italy.

It would be interesting to know what level of symptoms, if any, the two contact traced people were displaying.

 

[margherita]

It would be interesting to know what level of symptoms, if any, the two contact traced people were displaying.

I might be wrong and I am not sure I can use the right words in English, but it seems there are people who are contagious even though they have not developed covid-19 or they have no symptoms, which is quite worrying

 

[nitram]

it seems there are people who are contagious even though they have not developed covid-19 or they have no symptoms, which is quite worrying

Yes
I believe that people in the incubation period can be both asymptomatic and infective.

Another aspect that can make quite a difference to the spread is whether the positive contacts were family members with a lot of exposure or other people with limited exposure. Nothing has been said about this.

 

[Beate]

I'll fly to the most affected state in Germany tomorrow. I'll probably be hauled off the flight and quarantined on my return! ?

 

[jugglingmum]

it seems there are people who are contagious even though they have not developed covid-19 or they have no symptoms

I think this is the case with many illnesses, just we don't think about it.

My son had mumps in the summer (he'd had all the injections - but they are only 60% or so affective) and the stuff I read said a third of those who get mumps show no symptoms.

 

[Jaded'n'faded]

I think it would do a lot to allay people's fears if they had a few people on the TV who had recovered and could say, 'I had covid-19, it was just like a dose of flu or bad cough, it only lasted xx days and I'm completely better now.'

So far I haven't seen that.

Cases are up to 53 today, but how do we know? Presumably this figure comes from people who have reported themselves and have subsequently been tested. Anyone who doesn't fancy being carted off to hospital and has a 'flu-like illness' is probably staying in bed, self-medicating and not telling anyone. (And I think that's what I would do.) There are rumours (unconfirmed yet!) of the virus already being 'loose' in the community in various areas.

And who decided on the 14 day incubation period? This seems a bit arbitrary. Viruses have varying incubation periods, often up to 28 days and more. The guests at the Tenerife hotel who are now back here have been told to self-isolate for an extra week because a Brit has now been diagnosed - much later than the given 14 days. There are also instances of people getting the virus, recovering, then getting it a second time, so there is no guaranteed immunity once you've had it as there is with some viruses. (Sorry to bang on about these things - I'm actually a bit of a virus geek and have been interested in the subject for years. There are some facinating documentaries on You Tube for anyone else who is...)

So I think a lot more research is needed. This is a new virus and therefore no one has immunity, unlike seasonal flu and similar things.

I'm actually more worried about the economic implications. A global recession seems unavoidable
And of course, the self-employed (like me), part-timers and zero hours contract workers will just have to suck up the financial loss because we don't have the luxury of sick pay.