Coronavirus

Kay111

Registered User
Sep 19, 2019
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Hello all, sorry for the radio silence up til now. Have been busy caring for dad and the past couple of months have just gone in the blink of an eye.

Is anyone else wondering if, as carers, there's anything they can be doing to help lower the risk of coronavirus?

I'm not panicking but am the kind of person who would rather be proactive as that stops me from worrying. I wondered if care homes are doing anything differently or if there's been advice anywhere for carers of people with compromised immune systems? Dad is being cared for at home but has different carers coming in, and also I'm conscious I could easily catch something and pass it on to him.

Thank you :)
 

karaokePete

Registered User
Jul 23, 2017
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N Ireland
Something similar t standard NHS guidelines for Flu are being suggested in reports that I have seen.

Here's a link to the NHS site general advice. Obviously the seasonal Flu shot won't be effective and it may be a long time before a vaccine becomes available
 

karaokePete

Registered User
Jul 23, 2017
6,534
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N Ireland
This is the latest from the BBC
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Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
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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?
 

Dimpsy

Registered User
Sep 2, 2019
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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!
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
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Just spotted this article about advice given to home carers in Sheffield yesterday:

Public Health England says carers shouldn’t wear face masks.

A Public Health spokesman added: “It remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected. The best way to reduce any risk of infection for anyone is good hygiene and avoiding direct or close contact, within two metres, with any potentially infected person.

“Currently there is no evidence of transmission of coronavirus in the UK, there is no need to do anything differently in any care setting at present.”


 

Kay111

Registered User
Sep 19, 2019
283
0
Thanks everyone - I wasn't sure what I was expecting I could have done extra but at least it's good to know I'm not missing anything obvious. We haven't asked our carers to wash their hands as soon as they arrive but I guess now would be a good time to ask that.

So weird that Public Health England have actively said carers shouldn't wear masks though?! Is that because it somehow makes it worse somehow? Or is it just a cost thing?!

@Louise7 - I know what you mean. I'm trying to avoid the tube at rush hour at the moment.

@Dimpsy it's ok to feel anxious. It's an unknown and it's not like we haven't all already got enough to worry about with our PWDs. All we can do is stay vigilant and do our best I suppose.
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
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So weird that Public Health England have actively said carers shouldn't wear masks though?! Is that because it somehow makes it worse somehow? Or is it just a cost thing?!

The paper face masks are not considered very effective as they keep bacteria/germs in - they're apparently better for those who already have the virus, to prevent spreading it, rather than preventative for those who don't have it. The respirator type mask is considered better if there is a necessity for one but the media isn't helping to keep things in perspective by constantly showing pictures of people wearing masks.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
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London
First, the face masks don't do very much, and second would you want to be cared for by staff with masks on their faces? I can see how this could be very frightening for people.

Also, I'm wondering how antibacterial hand gel is going to help against a virus...
 

Hazara8

Registered User
Apr 6, 2015
697
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First, the face masks don't do very much, and second would you want to be cared for by staff with masks on their faces? I can see how this could be very frightening for people.

Also, I'm wondering how antibacterial hand gel is going to help against a virus...
The old order midwifery regime - boiling water and plain soap - is a very good standby. A few leading viroligists adhere to this over gels etc., Also close proximity seems to be a major factor here. Frankly, l was brought up to wash hands before eating and to use handkerchiefs tissues properly when suffering a common cold. People can be remarkably casual about all of that ( not washing hands after the lavatory etc)
Nobody makes light of any infection of course, but neither is it helpful when media or elsewhere promote a sense of danger and alarm when it is uncalled for. The national figures for common "flu" in respect of serious outcome would probably shock people. But because it occurs every Winter in its varied " benign" forms, there is an acceptance of same. Listen to those who know and who spend their waking hours dealing with these things and heed sensible advice.
 

Kay111

Registered User
Sep 19, 2019
283
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Ah, So it's not that it doesn't actively do harm medically, it's just that face masks don't do anything. It was just a weird way to phrase it, that they SHOULDN'T wear it. As opposed that there's no benefit. That's why I was questioning it.

I've only been following the Beeb and WHO tweets so hopefully that should be a good source of info. All I wanted to know if there was any extra official guidance in place for carers. Looks like there isn't really.
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
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Ah, So it's not that it doesn't actively do harm medically, it's just that face masks don't do anything. It was just a weird way to phrase it, that they SHOULDN'T wear it.

The phrasing seems to be down to the local newspaper reporter's interpretation. The actual advice from Public Health England states:

Face masks for the general public are not recommended to protect from infection, as there is no evidence of benefit from their use outside healthcare environments.

Employees are not recommended to wear facemasks (also known as surgical masks or respirators) to protect against the virus. Facemasks are only recommended to be worn by symptomatic individuals (advised by a healthcare worker) to reduce the risk of transmitting the infection to other people.

PHE recommends that the best way to reduce any risk of infection is good hygiene and avoiding direct or close contact (closer than 2 metres) with any potentially infected person.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-covid-19

I did consider wearing one on the tube to guarantee a seat during rush hour ........
 

Linbrusco

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
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Auckland...... New Zealand
We have had our first confirmed Coronavirus case in New Zealand.
A NZ citizen who was in Iran, stopping over in Bali, back home was unwell a day after arriving back. Is now in isolation in hospital and his family are in quarantine at their home. They are trying to inform all people that would have been on the same flight.
People are going mad at supermarkets trying to stock up on food, water, & essentials.

My Mum is in care and Management are keeping a close eye on the situation.

My husband and I are meant to be going overseas end of April for a much needed holiday
 

Dimpsy

Registered User
Sep 2, 2019
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My Auntie Eileen died of flu in the early 1950s (before I was born, but how special to include her name in 2020). She was a healthy young woman, married for just six weeks before catching influenza.
Please, take all the precautions we can.
 

Canadian Joanne

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Apr 8, 2005
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Toronto, Canada
I do think the media is blowing things out of proportion. The yearly deaths from influenza every year vary between 291,000 and 646,00 worldwide and yet no one seems to be bothered by that. Indeed there are people who refuse to get the flu jab for whatever reason. My dreaded aunt doesn't and she did get flu one year and was horribly ill for 3 weeks. Covid -19 has a very long way to go before it reaches those statistics.

I think a lot of it is because this is a new disease. I well remember the hysteria about SARS and only 775 people died worldwide. I get particularly upset because 500,000 children die every year from malaria but nobody seems to worry about that either.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
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London
Only a few people died of Sars because it made people violently ill very fast, which meant they could be isolated quickly and not infect many others. The mortality rate on Sars of people who got it was actually very high, higher than on Covid 19. The problem now is that people showing no symptoms can infect others which makes it almost uncontainable. This virus is very dangerous for the elderly and people with underlying health conditions like myself.

 
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Kay111

Registered User
Sep 19, 2019
283
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I'm sorry to hear of your aunt @Dimpsy . I can understand why your family might be more anxious than most.

I respect your opinion @Canadian Joanne and I do agree that panic and blowing things out of proportion isnt what we need. But please understand the SARs "hysteria" was very real for some people. My family lived in Hong Kong at the time and numbers of deaths were minimised because of all the proactive steps that people were taking. One of the reasons why coronavirus hasn't spread much more than it might have done is because China has taken really big steps to contain it as far as possible.

I've seen a lot of jokey posts on social media and my worry is it will go too far that way where healthy people will just see it as mild and because they dont want to be seen as causing panic they dont take all the precautions, and then unknowingly spread it to those with compromised immunity.

Sorry if that reply comes across as pointed, it's not meant to be and I genuinely wish I could convey tone on here ?

@Linbrusco i hope you can get away. Fingers crossed.
 

Louise7

Volunteer Host
Mar 25, 2016
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I've seen a lot of jokey posts on social media and my worry is it will go too far that way where healthy people will just see it as mild and because they dont want to be seen as causing panic they dont take all the precautions, and then unknowingly spread it to those with compromised immunity.

I think that depending on the source of the case reported in the news last night things might change. Currently all those in the UK with the virus contracted it abroad and have been subject to quarantine. The new case is apparently a person who has not been abroad to a country where there have been outbreaks or in close contact with anyone who has been so if that turns out to be the case then current precautions may be changed. Unfortunately there is always a possibility that some won't follow precautions regardless so all we can do is continue to adhere to the precautions ourselves and hope that the majority of people will follow health/government advice rather than be swayed by jokey posts on social media.
 

Jaded'n'faded

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Jan 23, 2019
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High Peak
I think that depending on the source of the case reported in the news last night things might change. Currently all those in the UK with the virus contracted it abroad and have been subject to quarantine. The new case is apparently a person who has not been abroad to a country where there have been outbreaks or in close contact with anyone who has been so if that turns out to be the case then current precautions may be changed. Unfortunately there is always a possibility that some won't follow precautions regardless so all we can do is continue to adhere to the precautions ourselves and hope that the majority of people will follow health/government advice rather than be swayed by jokey posts on social media.
I agree this marks a change and it (person to person transmission) is happening now in many other countries. (You have to feel for Germany - a couple diagnosed there had spent the previous 10 days touring the country, unknowingly infecting people everywhere they went...) I think it is unlikely to be contained now. We live in such a connected world now and add to that the problem of people spreading the infection before symptoms show, I think further spread is now inevitable.

I heard a really stupid pundit on the Beeb yesterday, discussing what happens when people have to self-isolate. She blithely suggested people could just work from home! How does that work if you are a plumber, builder, delivery driver, sales assistant, dinner lady, etc? This got me thinking about how things will work if there are widespread lockdowns. If a care company gets a case, they won't be able to send any of their carers out. Where does that leave anyone who relies on care at home? And if people in an area are ordered to stay home, what will families who usually visit their loved ones everyday do? It's not as if SS will be able to step in as they won't be able to travel either.

And the most important statistic I've heard is not the actual death rate but that 1 in 10 people become sick enough to require hospital treatment. Obviously we don't have that many hopital places. Or half that number. Or a quarter. Or the staff/drugs to look after/treat them.

They used to say pneumonia was 'the old man's friend' because often it would hasten death, thus avoiding prolonged suffering. Perhaps this year Covid-19 will do the same thing...
 

Palerider

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Aug 9, 2015
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I think once containment is broken it only becomes a matter of time before it spreads. I'm dreading it because if I am exposed at work I will be isolated or even the hospital on lock down -which means I won't be able to do the many things I need to do at the moment.

Waiting to see the outcome of the COBRA meeting on Monday, I think they will instigate tough measures.