General Chat

I agree with you Joy, probably another jab with the flu one. However they have said the vaccination doesn't stop you getting the Omicron version, I think it does help in that if you develop the virus it is not so bad. But even that seems inconsistent. I was lucky in that I felt fine (I still took 10 days to test negative though). But I actually forgot to report mine so the numbers can't be believed really.

Getting the figures for Covid rates is a bit more scientific than relying on people reporting their lft results. The method is explained on the ONS website under Covid Infection Survey. Have a look at www.ons.gov.uk

I’ve recently read reports that Germany are considering the mandatory wearing of masks next winter. Maybe a good idea because I’ve also read reports of Australia having one of its worst flu seasons and we follow Australia……..

Well I heard today my best friend and her husband have both tested positive for Covid.They were supposed to be going to sons Graduation in Glasgow next week and now cant go. So sad and he got his degree with honours, their only son.

Its a cruel virus, for those who have lost loved ones and for those affected by it like my friends and many others.

Florence in the hebrides

Some work situations still require employees to test.
One person I know generally works from home, but on the rare occasion that they have a team meeting, all are required to test and be negative before they meet as a group.

Another person I know is part of an ongoing ONS study and has had regular doorstep visits for testing since early in the pandemic and in addition now has blood tests to check antibodies. They have had 3 vaccines.
They have a job which required face to face working throughout.
They have been covid free all that time.
Midweek they received the latest PCR negative result from ONS test.
Saturday they tested as required for work and got a faint line positive on lft.
They are required by work to stay off for at least 5 days, then I think 2 negative results are needed before they return.

Variants are out there.
Our area figures have increased a lot..... and the numbers not reporting results would increase that still further.

It doesn’t matter how many jabs you have had you CAN still get covid. The jabs are not vaccines as we knew them. As I said earlier the new variants can infect even if you have had covid recently.

If I had an event or holiday coming up where there would be lots of people. I want to know if I am free of the virus and not likely to pass it on. I don’t want to be responsible for causing anyone to become seriously ill.

Luckily for some there are others that take care not to pass it on. I try not to associate with those I don’t trust to be open about having covid or take lots of risks.

My friend is a care worker and her husband a plumber. Both test regularly as they are in peoples homes and do not want to unknowingly pass it on. Her husband developed a cold and felt unwell on Friday and tested positive..She tested positive today.

It would be extremely selfish even if she felt well to go to the graduation. In anycase she has to report her test result.

As a nation, i dont think we have ever had any virus that has killed so many and spread so quick. Vaccines like MMR, small pox, Diptheria all prevent you from catching these diseases. The Covid vaccines can only lessen your degree of illness should you catch it.

Those of us who are elderly or in a higher risk group(asthmatics for example) still have to be very careful not to catch it even if you have had the jags. The thought of catching Covid terrifies me because of my Asthma and how it could affect me.

I still dettol wipe all my shopping down when Tesco deliver it and leave it to stand a couple of hours before putting it away.

When winter comes this year, be warned it will be worse than ever with Covid with the new variants.

Florence in the hebrides

There are lots of people out there who do not like medications/ vaccines but decided to accept the jab. Just as there are many out there who are grateful for it, knowing that they can still get the virus but more commonly to a. Lesser degree than those who contracted it early.

Whilst I have never gone as far as disinfecting my shopping I am extremely grateful to those who unselfishly have had the jab. By doing so they have protected themselves and also me and the refuseniks.

The vaccine wasn't rushed out as many think, it was basically one they already had for SARS which they've been working on for many years now. It's lucky they had the SARS ones already otherwise we'd probably still be sitting at home in quartine waiting for the "vaccine". It's also unheard of before for literally the whole world to fund and research a vaccine at the same time, usually, half or more of research time is taken up trying to get funding.
I will test before going somewhere I know others will be at indoors to ensure I'm not carrying anything just in case. My daughter didn't go to her own graduation last week as there was no masking policy, and in the days since she's been proven right as many have gone down with covid! Better safe than sorry.
If you've had covid before you can still get a new variant and I believe there are two new variants doing the rounds right now which accounts for the steep rise in numbers for Europe and the UK and the States. Many of these people already had covid and were vaccinated.
Everybody has to live by their own feel-good standards and let everyone else do what they feel good at doing without any comment....no one is right or wrong live and let live...hopefully.

Thank you Caroline. You are absolutely right. So I shall try and ‘bite my tongue’ (behind my mask) :-D

The Covid vaccine works the same way as the flu jab. Every year we get a flu vaccine which protects us from the previous years' strains, but will not help with the new ones that appear each year.

Personally I'd rather be protected from some than none!

Round here masks are still required in all medical settings and also in Boots. The supermarkets have notices up asking you to observe social distancing. When I go there are usually few others there, but quite a lot are still wearing masks.

I find the masks allow me to stick my tongue out at people without them always knowing...told that to kindergarten kids when masks were first introduced and it's amazing how many kids liked wearing them after that :-D

I do think some people I see in the stores not masked are crazy but as I say each to their own, I do my bit to protect them at least :-P

I read somewhere, when the restrictions were first lifted and hospital numbers began to rise, that 85% of admissions were people who were either unvaccinated or had been admitted for something else and found to have Covid when tested.

My daughter works part-time at a local children's hospital, at one point literally every child/family turning up was covid positive whether they knew it or not and they certainly weren't all there for covid symptoms.