Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Anjalli]

Today is a holiday so i went and got my 2nd booster shot, so far do not feel any pain or fever or anything like that....yet.

[Boatbuilder]

Fingers crossed you won't, Anjali.

[Jack400]

Indeed, I read on my calendar that today was a bank holiday - whoops my mistake - it is in Scotland, but not in England!

[Anjalli]

Fingers crossed you won't, Anjali.

Thank you John, I am ok....just a little bit of tenderness around the needle prick area. Glad that is over and done with.

[Anjalli]

Indeed, I read on my calendar that today was a bank holiday - whoops my mistake - it is in Scotland, but not in England!

I am sorry, I meant in Toronto, Canada. I am from there and it was a holiday yesterday.

[Boodi 2]

Glad to hear all is well Anjali !

[Anjalli]

Thank you Boodi 2

[Chrissie777]

I heard that COVID-19 is on the rise again.

[Boatbuilder]

That seems to be the case, Chrissie. Cases here in England almost doubled in the four weeks to the 12th September, although not necessarily 'high' at just under 12,000 in the last week, compared to just over 6,000 four weeks earlier. I actually report the local cases - mostly East Suffolk but also the other four areas of Suffolk - on a website each week, so I am always up-to-date with what is happening here in England. In the past nine months I've also been involved in a couple of online 'Microsoft Teams' meetings with researchers at the UKHSA, the governemt body that actually compiles the data that I use for my weekly reporting, to discuss future similar reporting for other viruses.

Yesterday, I was able to book my next Covid jab, along with with my flu one, for the beginning of October.

[Katharine]

Is there any information available about whether Covid this year is any worse than the colds that normally seem to start circulating once the schools go back?

I know at least 3 people who have nasty colds at the moment, but maybe it's Covid? Don't think it's even crossed their minds to test.

[Boodi 2]

Yes, unfortunately it seems to be on the increase again, although not as bad as previous outbreaks. When I asked my GP about a booster 'jab she said that she could give me one if I wished, but advised me against it as she believed that after three vaccinations plus Covid itself I should be fairly immune. I wonder if my husband's GP will have a different view?

[Boatbuilder]

Katharine, the latest report I have seen is by the English version of the Spanish publication EL PAÍS, five days ago, and it seems to indicate at this stage that the latest variant is no more severe than anything previous: https://english.elpais.com/internationa ... -wave.html

My daughter in Lancashire had a bad cold about a week ago - strangely enough coinciding with her son's return to school, although she never said that he or anyone else in the house had one, so I doubt they did. She did a couple of Covid tests herself over a few days but they proved to be negative. She did, however, stay off work for a few days as being a hairdresser she is in close contact with people.

Monique, has your husband also previously had Covid? If so, as you say, it will be interesting to know what his GP recommends. Is he with a different practise?

[Boodi 2]

Yes John, my husband has previously had Covid (unfortunately I infected him in June last year!) and has also had three vaccinations (in his case three Biontech ones, while I had two Biontech and one Moderna 'jab). Oddly enough he was far worse with Covid than I was...I recovered fully within about five days, while he took several weeks to get over it. He attends a different practice to me, so it will be interesting to hear what his GP recommends.

[Hannah]

Cases are going up in Germany too though no one knows the real numbers as there is almost no (official) testing. So one can't really compare the numbers to those one year ago.

Several people around me have Covid now or have had it recently - most of them felt pretty ill. Certainly not just a bit of a cough and a running nose like with a common cold. My brother probably* has it right now and hopes to be back at work tomorrow after three weeks of sick time. He's still very short of breath and gets tired very quickly. He's never had anything like that except for one occasion that might well have been Covid a year or two ago too.
(* The doctor did one test at the first day that was negative. But the doctor thinks it is Covid because of the way things evolved. Also there's research saying that antigen test are often falsely negative.)

I'm planning to get the updated shot though I might have to pay for it myself. It is recommended for people over 60 years and some younger ones with certain diagnoses. The recommendation says "psychiatric illnesses" and I'm diagnosed with depression but my last shot was in December and they want a gap of 12 months. I'd like to get the shot a bit earlier than that.

I've never had Covid and I'd like to keep it like that. I know too many people who are suffering from long term effects (some are "only" still exhausted quickly a year or two after infection, one only started part time work again after almost two years, one can't do anything anymore and needs her parents to care for her son).

[Boatbuilder]

The cases here might be far higher than what are being reported, for similar reasons to what you say, Hannah. It's not mandatory to report the results of any tests people do themselves. I hope your brother recovers quickly from his bout with no long-term effects.

So far I have had six Covid jabs The first two in February and May 2021 were Astra Zenica. The next in November 2021 was Pfizer, followed by two Moderna in June and September 2022. The sixth one was last April and was 'Sonofi Pasteur', which I had never heard of before. I wonder what this next one will be?

I would be interested to know what your husband's GP recommends, Monique.

Incidentally, my great-granddaughter who was only born in early June caught Covid in hospital when she went in for a couple of nights for something else in mid-late July. She was OK with it and no problems.