Chat about Novel Coronavirus - 2019-nCoV - COVID-19

Yes that needed saying

Anyone else seem to spend those additional two hours working?

Been working my arse off this week. Being self-employed I should be glad, but sitting indoors writing boring shite about stuff that seems even less important than normal is a bit grating when I could be in the garden getting some rayz. And before anyone asks, I've tried working in the garden but the glare is too much for my poor little laptop screen, and trying to work with only one screen is a PITA as I have to keep flipping between the documents I'm wibbling about and the document containing the wibble I'm wibbling.

Oh, and I've Checked My Privilege and can confirm that I am indeed very privileged and that other people are in a much worse position and I shouldn't be moaning. Still, no-one's perfect.

Still, no-one's perfect.

I've looked in the mirror.
You're wrong.

I've looked in the mirror.
You're wrong.

Swoon. So swoon.

I had a chat with my partner about the theory Covid has been around for longer.

He doubt this, as he would expect to see
1: A peak in ICU beds use for respiratory issues as people would have infected each other much earlier (we would be earlier on the curve) based on the assumption the virus was as serious and as spreadable then
2: Reasonable test coverage based on the assumption that the NHS will test people for common issues in ICU beds...which means there'd be a spike coinciding with test results that don't match the common suspects

I don't know for sure if 1/2 are publicly reported. Well maybe I am bored later today and will go on a search chase.

Please could I ask for some advice?
My mum works in a GP surgery as a medical secretary. She's still required to go to work, despite the fact that there is very little work to do - which to be clear she is fine with (although would prefer to be busy)
However, she is surrounded by colleagues who just don't seem to understand/care about the seriousness of the situation (which is frankly baffling given the sector that she works in). The practice manager and all other admin staff have a gung ho attitude saying things like 'It won't get me' 'If we stick together we'll be fine' and 'We're NHS we don't get sick'
They make cups of tea huddled together and chat in the small kitchen in the surgery and go on group walks to the supermarket at lunch.
My mum has only worked there for 6weeks or so but is totally uncomfortable with the situation. She was asked yesterday why she brought her own flask of tea in. When she said she didn't want to be in the kitchen as it wasn't possible to maintain a safe distance they all laughed at her.
In addition, one of her colleagues has just been sent home with a cough and a temperature. They have wiped her desk with an anti-bac wipe and are just cracking on.
She doesn't know what to do and I don't know how to advise her.

She's 59, fairly healthy and lives on her own after my dad died two years ago.

Any suggestions? Thanks so much

EDIT - My Dad essentially died from flu so this is also hugely difficult for her and she's terrified.

Report it up the chain to the GP practitioners? My little brother's a senior partner in a GP practice in London, and I know he'd go absolutely batshit if anyone working in his practice was taking such a lackadaisical/dumbfuck approach to social distancing when he's working so hard to suppress C19 spread. If the GPs who own the practice aren't aware of this then then need to be, and if they're not bothered then frankly I'd be tempted to GTFO if that's their approach to employee safety.

meanwhile...

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Relevance? That was nearly a month ago back in the Good Old Days.

ha. my bad caught a glimpse of it on the news just now... not the sort of sport I follow, really.

1: A peak in ICU beds use for respiratory issues as people would have infected each other much earlier (we would be earlier on the curve) based on the assumption the virus was as serious and as spreadable then

Could have happened, just under the radar, as influenza.

2: Reasonable test coverage based on the assumption that the NHS will test people for common issues in ICU beds...which means there'd be a spike coinciding with test results that don't match the common suspects

You only find what you test for, and the people in the ICUs often having multiple conditions you just pick the one that's the most obvious.

But yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if it's been around a while, but then I wouldn't be surprised if it hasn't.

Meanwhile #2, "Queues are being introduced at ticket gates" on the Tube to prevent the spread of C19 on the tube trains.

I'm not sure they've entirely thought this through properly.

Thanks :)

But you'd expect at least a big spike like with a serious influenza outbreak I guess?

But would that not mean the ICU admissions AND death rate would have shown earlier, and kept high, unlike with the flu, assuming all countries follow roughly the same peak?

Though as you say the problem is that people often don't get one thing (especially not as covid19 has it in for you especially if you are already ill) so that may make it just impossible to answer this way.

It is hard to say, I guess if China discovered it early December, it is possible some travelers have dragged it in the already. But it is also all speculation.

I guess if they revisit and autopsy 'pneumonia' deaths in December they might see some hits for Covid, but I guess the Government won't have much of an appetite to admit they were even slower off the mark than they were to start testing in earnest and identifying possible contact.

Yep three of my colleagues had an unidentified illness between the end of Dec mid Jan. All had the same type of symptoms which looking at what we know about the Coronavirus certainly points to them having it or a strain of something like Covid

But you'd expect at least a big spike like with a serious influenza outbreak I guess?

Influenza bitch slaps us every year. In terms of those who end up in ICU, Covid pretty much seems to go after the same people. Except children.

Disclaimer I probably don't know what I'm talking about, IANAE etc.

Fucking hell that sounds shit.

I’d escalate it and if nothing changes I’d move on. With that kinda history I don’t think I’d be able to stick around.

Easier said and done though when it’s your income

Yeah and as I said, she's new and she's not what you'd call outgoing - more of the suffer in silence type. However like I said, she's terrified. Lots of tears and random bleaching of door handles at home to try to make herself feel better.
I think she needs to escalate it. One major issue is that her line manager and HR lead are two of the worst offenders. I don't think she really has a relationship with the GPs.
It's fucking heartbreaking that I can't even go and give her a hug

certainly points to them having it or a strain of something like Covid

But that vagueness is precisely the problem. The symptoms are varied and very similar to lots of other common seasonal illnesses.

Call me a sceptic but

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If she's suffering that much and there's not much work she should just say she's developed a fever/cough and is self-isolating per guidelines.

In two weeks I guarantee her colleagues will either have it or be shitting themselves too.

Yeah I was considering that too but wanted to see what the response was here without suggesting it. Cheers

Day 3 of housemate confined to the spare room, I’d say it’s highly likely as he’s got it as has all the symtpoms, feels like a waiting game to see if I and the other 2 who live here get symptoms, not fun for someone who is a hypochondriac at the best of times. On the plus side I’m a scientist so it’s an interesting experiment.

It sounds an amusing thing to do in an office - I'm not sure what a suspected case at a GP's would mean to the service there? Would they have to self isolate (so close the practice)?

He said there's already been a suspected case and they just wiped their desk down with an antibac wipe?