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

Sounds similiar to my GP experience last week, two members of the surgery tried to resolve over the phone and when it was clear they needed to see me in person, I had to wait outside in the car, text them car reg and that I am outside, they came out in PPE, escorted me in, got me to use alchol gel on my hands and put on a mask they provided in the reception entrance and then straight to the GP's room and then escorted me out the building, no waiting around indoors or without a mask on. Was a really reassuring experience.

How does all this work for folks who don't have a car?

You can stand outside. Won't be ideal in February but so far that's how our local health centre is doing it.

And @ExTra - I'd go with relative confidence. You're not going to be in the area set aside for CV19 treatment or suspected cases and I look at hospitals as the last bastion of people who are still appropriately aware of the dangers and are legislating appropriately.

Let’s hope this is a thing of the past in Feb... or am I being too hopeful?

Colour me pessimistic - but no chance.

Did you not have a mask on? Sorry not judging at all but I wouldn’t want to use a mask that someone else has handled unless it’s factory sealed single use. I am a bit OCD with cleanliness...

I took my daughter to her orthodontist appointment at Guy's a week ago. It had been due the first week of lockdown but that was cancelled, they are finally seeing patients again although not at the usual frequency the treatment really needs.

The hospital was overflowing with hand sanitizer, loads of space to queue for lifts[1] and people managing the queues, unusual routes opened up on the ground floor to create a one way system, two thirds of the seats in the waiting room marked as do not sit here, screens for reception staff, etc. It all seemed well organized and felt fine.

[1] I'm not a fan of lifts at anytime but my teenage daughter wasn't impressed when we walked up to the 2nd floor on the first visit. The staircase isn't wide enough to pass someone with more than about 10cm distance so probably best avoided for now.

Same here to be honest. ☹️

Slightly change of subject, you have reminded to fire an email to Lidl about my Friday trip, I was forced to push pass 2 children at check out, as their mum only had cash, so as the 3 people in front of us. When I politely pointed out there isn’t room and I can’t just push pass the kids and indeed other customers (who didn’t have their faces covered), the staff started mouthing off. I was then directed to the 1st check out next to their computer and she was shouting out orders to the queue generally at my direction without a mask. She was less than 1m next to me.

Guess if I can survive supermarkets, I can survive hospitals?

They were in a dispenser and you went to the dispenser after you had been to the wash hand station. I am sure they wouldn't of had issue however if you were wearing your own.

@rhb I normally walk to the surgery but as they said wait in the car park and it was raining I drove. I expect I would of had to stand outside under an umbrella if not in the car as the door to the surgery were locked.

FWIW I've had 2 procedures over the past 4 weeks in the foot clinic of Lewisham hozzie. It looked to me like I was the only patient there. Everyone I encountered was masked up / gloved to within an inch of their lives.

Most people in shops DGAF as far as I can tell. The hospital felt very different.

Gave blood today (which in a dedicated building at St Georges Hospital in Tooting).

Texted in advance to wear a mask if possible and not arrive early. Triage upon arrival, kept 2m away from everything whilst they asked if I'd had any symptoms within the last 28 days, any contact with anyone who is known to have it, or living with anyone currently self-isolating.

After that it was a bit more relaxed. About half of the donors had masks on and 3/4 of the nursing staff had masks. Nurse doing the screening and blood drop test didn't wear a mask and wasn't fussed when I asked whether I should put mine back on (I'd taken it off to drink the 500ml electrolyte drink they give you before donating).

One staff member in mask/gloves/gown wiping down cupboard/door handles and other things that people touch regularly. She probably did 3 circuits in the hour I was in there.

But generally I was surprised how little PPE was in use in a hospital environment.

No they don’t in shops! People still touch everything, pick up a piece of cake of fruit from the shelves and eat while they shop. I wouldn’t normally do it, let along now.

I guess in hospitals they are more scared of us then us of them?

I thought at least face coverings are now compulsory?

The general rule is that all NHS staff wear a surgical mask while in the hospital buildings. Non clinical staff too. Patients can wear their own face coverings or wear a surgical face mask given to them at the door.

Staff can take the mask off for eating and drinking. There are areas that have been risk assessed as being Covid Secure so if working there a mask is not mandatory. Visitors to a covid secure area need a mask and you put on a mask if you are working there and leave.

The expectation is that these are offices and labs where patients never go and any occupants are miles apart and there is enough airflow.

The expectation is that if it was an NHS building then everyone should have been wearing a mask / face covering.

Cheers all the reassurance, guess it’s more mask and gloves time ahead then.

Yes, currently at A&E and it’s well managed and small.

currently at A&E

Hope you're okay!

Texted in advance to wear a mask

Interesting. When I donated a couple of months ago they didn't want masks as they wanted to be able to see the faces of donors to make sure you looked okay. The main difference was no biscuit area at the end, instead they bought some to you which is rubbish for greedy people like me.

500ml electrolyte drink they give you before donating

Fancy! In Edgware we get water.

Are you OK? What’s happened?

They don't like it when I close my eyes (those big reclining bucket seats are comfy) as they want to know I'm ok, although they generally leave me alone if I remember to keep opening and closing my hand and swapping my legs around. I generally need to do this as my low resting heart rate generally means the machine pings because of a low flow rate otherwise.

Biscuit area at the end was there as normal. I sat there with 3 other donors (and the nurse dishing out drinks) and there was no way to keep 2m from everyone.

The electrolyte tablet was a new thing last time I donated in March, dunno about before that as I had a year off donating due to other medication.

I thought at least face coverings are now compulsory?

Nope, only on public transport. Exact texts were:-

To protect staff and donors at this time we ask that, if possible, you wear a face covering when coming to donate and wash your hands before arrival.

You may be asked to wait outside the venue on arrival today, to help maintain social distancing. To avoid delay please arrive at your booked time, not earlier.

They also sent this link in an earlier one: https://my.blood.co.uk/KnowledgeBase/Index/coronavirus

Nothing serious, got something embedded in my eye.

Agree with everyone; risk in hospital is far less than your local Tesco.

Independent SAGE says govt must release underlying evidence so public & businesses can make own risk assessments on reducing 2m social distancing

https://twitter.com/independentsage/status/1274727763786809344?s=21

1 Attachment