Another lockdown

RE: Another lockdown

Selena Carnell — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 10:47:30 GMT

Very true Sal, a friend works in a mortuary and she said a large number of deaths are being labelled as Covid, when actually it was underlying conditions like cancer as you say.

My mum has COPD, emphysema, and atrial fibrillation. My Dad has been smoking for years and although not diagnosed with anything i except he also had COPD, and I have a 98 yr old Grandad, so Covid could easily wipe out my family.

Personally I wouldn't be first in the queue for a vaccine either!

RE: Another lockdown

Sal the 1st — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 02:09:44 GMT

[quote userid="2368" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32086/another-lockdown/176633#176633"]its not going to go away is it?[/quote]

nope it isn't. The original lockdown was never designed to stop people catching it - it was to prevent the hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with cases, ie people caught it, and hopefully got over it. In the absence of a vaccine this was supposed to help develop a herd immunity. As far as I can see this new lockdown (which most people seem to be ignoring) was called after predicted figures of 4.000 people a day being admitted to hospital - we didn't even hit those figures the first time around. I'm not denying this virus can be lethal but then so can many other diseases at this time of year. Somewhere along the line the aim changed from managing the number of cases going through the hospitals to preventing people from getting it at all?

Its beginning to get a bit like Brexit - hanging around like a bad smell on the landing for gawd knows how long and we are just prolonging it. And before anybody starts calling me heartless I have an elderly mother in poor health- if she gets it she won't make it, a niece with a pre existing condition who would definitely struggle if she got it and myself an immune system that has been absolutely hammered over the years with various treatments - and I still think in the interests of everybody else and the economy we should now just crack on, open things up - and what will be will be.

We can't put whole nations and economies on hold without causing serious damage (more than we already have) waiting for a cure that may never happen. I have lost two people I know this year who were in hospice care - they were both terminal, they were both expected to die but because they contracted covid from hospital stays they both appear in the covid deaths figures, even tho it was cancer and not covid that finished them. Its like because we can't boast the lowest figures for infection in this country somebody is taking a sick pride in boasting we have the highest figures by finding ways of adding to them.

RE: Another lockdown

Selena Carnell — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 13:27:27 GMT

concerned but we are not furloughing anyone this time, we are too busy its insane really, and the increase in puppy vaccines!! its crazy.

monday was a night mare with people wanting boosters that afternoon.. um no.. you can come in at the end of the week. still carpark consulting in the cold and dark, luckily boss has fixed the car park lighting!

My kids are at school for this lockdown and already a confirmed case in my sons year 11, so the whole year group os off for 14 days! yet more disruption to his education, which won't be considered when he takes exams.

I also think we have to get on with things, its not going to go away is it?

RE: Another lockdown

Sal the 1st — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 15:54:12 GMT

[quote userid="2100" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-veterinary-practice/32086/another-lockdown/176629#176629"]My money is on testing being the most effective solution. [/quote]

my money would be too if it ever gets sorted.

Track and trace sorry but its a chuffing disaster. Won't even work with some phones or in some areas, and definitely wont with mine because its too old. I dont have a phone contract and spend roughly a tenner a year on calls and texts - virtually no signal in the village so that isn't ever going to change.

If by chance you do get it to work and you are unlucky enough to be a contact this is what you can expect - Somebody I know had 18 calls in a day to tell them they had been in contact with a single person and should isolate. They thanked them profusely as they were only 4 days out of the previous isolation and guess what every day for the next 10 days they had a similar number of calls saying the same. I thought she was exaggerating but when you ask around nope this is common - so exactly how much time, effort and money is being wasted calling up people repeatedly who are already isolating? and it isn't just locally

https://metro.co.uk/2020/09/29/sick-mum-blocks-test-and-trace-number-after-being-bombarded-with-calls-13345069/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54559228

RE: Another lockdown

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 08:07:11 GMT

molladog Idiot government? You might be right, but the problem with this is that we've all become armchair experts, and we all judge with the benefit of hindsight.

My view - as one of the leading epidemiologists in this building (n=3) - is that we should spend money on those at greatest risk. In other words, let the young live normally, and protect the elderly. More than that, spend lots of money on making their lives more fun in isolation - finding ways to let them see their families, even if they can't hug them for the time being.

That's all very well and good, except - as someone pointed out to me the other day - how do you help those people who live in multigenerational households?

As Sir Patrick Bed-Vallance said the other day, there are no good solutions, only bad ones.

My money is on testing being the most effective solution. Not track and trace (because how on earth do you find the 80% who are asymptomatic), but a quick test that gives you a result inside 15 mins or one hour or whatever, which then allows you to take much better informed decisions about what you are going to do that day.

Therapeutics also seem to have legs. I think the death rate has already dropped dramatically since the early days, what with better understanding of how to treat this thing and with what.

The vaccine, though, all seems all very Punch and Judy at the moment. One day the headline is "Vaccine on the way", then the next day: "Oh no its not".

Looks like it'll be Christmas-by-Zoom this year.

RE: Another lockdown

Sal the 1st — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 20:18:42 GMT

not too far behind you age wise. I just can't see any point in lockdown lite its neither here nor there and it aint going to make a deal of difference. I feel there has been some really dodgy advice not just given but followed. but lets face it its not the first time. Pity all that Tamiflu that was stockpiled in 2014/15 on exaggerated claims of efficacy went out of date without being used might have been a bit useful now - if it worked? , and forgive me if I am just a teensy weensy bit suspicious about all the vaccine hype and the suggestion that there should be compulsory vaccination when I read that the govt Chief Scientific Officer just happens to have a shed load of shares in one of the companies developing a vaccine - funny that and its not like he is the only one https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/scientific_advisers_is_their_pos

Here is an example how daft some of this stuff is. I use public transport. The bus I use is a 16 seater - so immediately before I travel into work in the morning that bus has taken 16 little cherubs to school ie it is at full capacity no empty seats - so after it has deposited/dropped off/ejected the little darlings had a quick squirt of something antiviral, and a quick flick over with a j cloth it comes to pick me up for work but now it can only carry max 3 people and it is full - and I know I am big but i'm not that bloody big!. When it comes to going home time the driver picks up just 4 school children 2 of which will get off in my village but I can't use the same bus as them so once the driver has dropped them home they have to turn around, quick squirt again, pick me up and then back to the village they have just left

RE: Another lockdown

molladog — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 09:24:57 GMT

I tend to agree.......although I am in the over 60 bracket so really peed off with how the goverment have 'not' handled this.

RE: Another lockdown

Sal the 1st — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 09:19:10 GMT

we had our chance we wasted it - my view now is open everything up and accept that some people wont make it

RE: Another lockdown

molladog — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 08:47:32 GMT

Agree Sal, especially as the infection rate will not drop enough while the idiot government keep the schools and universities open so it is a total waste of time !!

RE: Another lockdown

Sal the 1st — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 08:40:57 GMT

so what do I get for a million circuits of the car park in search of the illusive clients - got to be worth a VC at least (and no I don't mean Victoria Cross) and I am way beyond Very Cross. I am already a VPON with clasp and oak leaves (Very Pissed Off Nurse)

RE: Another lockdown

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 09:34:10 GMT