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

Assume this has been posted but search didn't return it:

https://www.wired.com/story/the-teeny-tiny-scientific-screwup-that-helped-covid-kill/

My partner said the last flu jab from 2020 wasn't too bad, other times he feels off 1-2 days. Weird one, but perhaps worth taking it again? He gets it due to asthma as well.

Oops sorry, I wasn’t very clear. I had the flu in 1999/2000 and it was unbelievably bad. It didn’t affect my asthma so much - my airways were ok, but my lungs felt like they were full of water. What was worse was the all-over pain, inability to sleep while exhausted and nightmares/hallucinations. I learnt then why so many people die from it.

Anyway, that encouraged me to get the jab, but after three years of getting it, and feeling shitty for a week - albeit nothing compared to actual flu - I gave up on it for a while.

Nowadays my company brings in a nurse each year and administers a clinic, so it felt like I’d be really foolish to refuse it when I don’t even have to book it and go somewhere. And all the times I’ve done it this time around, I’ve been totally fine.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/18/nurse-who-cared-for-boris-johnson-resigns-over-lack-of-respect-for-nhs-workers?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

That's awesome your company has a flu jab service :)

I don't think I ever had the flu, even a mild case is pretty crap.

We always said as students that's unless you have to crawl out of bed to drink / go to toilet and then collapse back into bed for several days on end, it was a cold, not the flu.

@J0nathan Did you feel more social pre getting ill - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20816312/ (nothing to do with covid) https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/darwins-subterranean-world/201801/does-the-flu-trick-people-being-sociable yeah I know psycologytoday but the studies it links to.

@JWestland Isn't it said that you only get flu once in life?, or is that an urban myth?

Weren't there two nurses that were heralded as heroes, both Forin one, from Portugal and one from New Zealand? My comment is based on would these people have been allowed to stay in this country under the new conservative immigration rules?

Good read

From memory the Pfizer jab is 0.3 ml and the AZ 0.5 ml which in injection terms is a small amount to stick into an arm muscle. Unlucky to get a haematoma or if too high then can bleed from the membrane surrounding the bone.

Flu viruses mutate fast, so to me it seem unlikely you get it once.

Yes the nurse who quit is born in New Zealand.

Right no immigration expert, NHS nurses are probably on the shortage list for more relaxed rules.

Mainland EU nurses stopped coming to the UK due to Brexit. Not really that interesting anymore with NHS work being busy, visa payments etc.

Interesting. Going a bit too far back in time to have reliable memory really. I was out staying/partying 27-29 Dec at various friends’ houses as had been planned already. I guess I picked it up on 27th, started feeling rough those couple of days before NYE and certainly couldn’t entertain leaving my bed, let alone the house for NYE itself. It was literally the millennium bug.

Isn't it said that you only get flu once in life?, or is that an urban myth?

No, I’ve had full flu 3 times.

Last time might have been a very early Covid case but I’ll never know.

Right no immigration expert, NHS nurses are probably on the shortage list for more relaxed rules.

Yeah https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56936400

This sounds less than pleasant

Do not google mucormycosis

+1.

Horrendous.

@tb Ah! You git. You know I'm going to have to now.....

Can someone explain how Day 2 and Day 8 tests are conducted at labs but at the same time, coming from an Amber country you're supposed to Quarantine for 10 days. If you're in quarantine for 10 days how the fuck are you able to get to a clinic? Doesn't that defeat purpose of quarantine?

ie. https://doctap.co.uk/covid-19-day2-and-8-tests/

"Where your testing provider conducts the day 2 and day 8 tests at a testing facility you may leave the house for your test. Where your tests are delivered and self-administered, if there is no one in your household or bubble who can post the test for processing, you may leave the premises to post your test. If you have to leave the premises, you should follow the guidance on the How to travel to the place where you’re quarantining section of this page."

Ok, well that seems kinda mental.

Doesn't that defeat purpose of quarantine?

Don't forget the golden rule of the UK isn't doing things properly.

My tests got mailed to me, along with return envelopes. Still had to go to a postbox of course, which felt ridiculous. I got lost and ended having to walk quite a bit too.

Yeah, you can do 'at home' tests but a lot of places on the list are showing 'in clinic' options and I'm like "what the fuck, how do you get to a clinic while you're in quarantine? That's literally the opposite of quarantine".

Anyone have any recommendation for a PCR test for travel (Portuguese friend travelling home) that isn't a scam and has a quick turnaround time?

Lewis Grove Pharmacy in Lewisham does a fit to travel service with a next day turnaround. I've heard good reports.

I've also used Concepto clinic with good results https://conceptoclinic.co.uk/pcr-travel-test-24-hrs

Top comms as ever by the GOV, rather than communicate this they just updated the website and assume people will somehow know, no more tiers though, yeh