COVID - 19

[forestfan]

A man in Germany has apparently received 217 Covid vaccine jabs (not in line with any sort of medical advice!) He’s seemingly had no ill-effects, though…

[Spinynorman]

Ex work colleague from many years ago recently passed away from complications after getting covid. No underlying health problems and only 42 years of age. It can still be a nasty one if you get it.

[wahine]

Yes don't take Covid too cheaply, I've just had it for the second time and knocked me a bit (I blame it for my poor fantasy form )
I am also meeting/seeing a lot of Long Covid in some people with continuing poor health - we just don't know how long reaching "having had" Covid, will be for the future.

[forestfan]

It also saw off the world’s last man in an iron lung recently, though he probably was on the vulnerable list to be fair…

If they’re still not offering jabs to those outside the priority groups even on a commercial basis, though (many have not been eligible for one for a couple of years now), surely the proportion of severe cases will climb again, even if overall numbers are probably more settled barring a virulent new strain.

[murf]

They offered free jabs to the vulnerable and those over a certain age (60? 65?) at the start of this last winter in the UK. To be fair the chances of being unlucky, outside those groups, and dying is very minimal. The costs of commercial jabs would be stupidly high and would probably put off any providers (specialist clinics in London?). Are enough vaccines available to do that and not put the world's vulnerable at risk?

Think it is considered on a par with (proper) flu which also kills.

Not sure they really understand 'long covid' though.

[forestfan]

You can pay for a flu jab at any age though, still not the case with Covid ones (though heard suggestions they may be available on that basis by next winter - potentially more expensive though due to storage requirements).

Long Covid seems to have many different manifestations, some of which may be similar to other post-viral syndromes. Seems to have had the worst impact on those who caught it early on with no existing immunity, whereas now everyone’s caught it before and/or had a vaccine at some stage, hard to tell how many new cases are emerging and how much it’s contributing to the number of long-term sick etc. Obviously the virus is now established as endemic but hasn’t replaced others like flu which we already had, so surely that just means a less healthy population overall, other things being equal?

[unc.si.]

Took my wife to get her covid jab today (she's eligible for a free jab). They did Covid and flu and asked me if I wanted them as well, so we're both fully jabbed up for the winter.

[Spinynorman]

Excellent.

We go for our flu jabs in a weeks time and apparently covid jabs may be an option.

[unc.si.]

Excellent.

We go for our flu jabs in a weeks time and apparently covid jabs may be an option.

Neither of us are eligible by age but the pharmacist just asked if I was a carer. I did explain that I wasn't a registered paid carer but did care for her and he said thats fine. He was pretty relaxed about it.
I guess he'll be getting paid for each jab so as long as there's a sensible reason its all good, and living with a vulnerable person is a pretty good reason.

did your missus ever get her hip sorted out?

[Spinynorman]

Excellent.

We go for our flu jabs in a weeks time and apparently covid jabs may be an option.

Neither of us are eligible by age but the pharmacist just asked if I was a carer. I did explain that I wasn't a registered paid carer but did care for her and he said thats fine. He was pretty relaxed about it.
I guess he'll be getting paid for each jab so as long as there's a sensible reason its all good, and living with a vulnerable person is a pretty good reason.

did your missus ever get her hip sorted out?

She did thanks. Luckily we were able to go private in the end otherwise the wait was another two years, possibly more. Her mobility is far from 100% and she still needs walking aids but the pain is very much improved. I hope all is going as well as possible with both of you.

[Oxford NZ]

Will be having the 7th ani covid jab tomorrow, as far as I know both me and Mrs O have not had covid, just the occasional cold like symptoms and tested negative for the virus.
We both qualify for free vaccinations in NZ, and, have had no bad reactions to the vaccine so happy to continue

[unc.si.]

Excellent.

We go for our flu jabs in a weeks time and apparently covid jabs may be an option.

Neither of us are eligible by age but the pharmacist just asked if I was a carer. I did explain that I wasn't a registered paid carer but did care for her and he said thats fine. He was pretty relaxed about it.
I guess he'll be getting paid for each jab so as long as there's a sensible reason its all good, and living with a vulnerable person is a pretty good reason.

did your missus ever get her hip sorted out?

She did thanks. Luckily we were able to go private in the end otherwise the wait was another two years, possibly more. Her mobility is far from 100% and she still needs walking aids but the pain is very much improved. I hope all is going as well as possible with both of you.

Glad it went well. Different circumstances but I forget about mine most of the time (until I go through airport scanners ). Crazy that its such a long wait on the NHS, but the NHS is basically broken (despite the best efforts of the staff). Wife doing great. No more sepsis and nights in ITU since she had kidney stones removed, and she can walk pretty well now. Very slow and needs a stick, but its all progress. She can move a couple of fingers now as well so hopefully she might learn to use her hand again one day.
Ironically I'm spending more time in hospital then her now! Nothing too serious - they just take a pint of blood out of me once a week to get Iron levels down. I'm thinking of getting some leeches It has meant that I've had a good mid life MOT though. Liver scan, ECG, Echogram, blood tests for everything. Clean bill of health apart from too much Iron. Mainly just have to avoid getting too close to scrapyards

[unc.si.]

Will be having the 7th ani covid jab tomorrow, as far as I know both me and Mrs O have not had covid, just the occasional cold like symptoms and tested negative for the virus.
We both qualify for free vaccinations in NZ, and, have had no bad reactions to the vaccine so happy to continue

7th anniversary?
I did feel a bit crap for 24 hours after the jabs. More so than with previous ones tbh, but just needed a couple of paracetamol and it was OK. Preferable to getting covid again anyway.

[Jester]

We had our sixth CV19 jab last week (two, three months apart in 2021 then boosters in late 2021, 22, 23 & this year)
Neither of us tested positive until July this year when we finally succumbed.
I've never had a bad reaction but MrsJ is usually poorly for a couple of days - not so this year however.
We had our flu jabs today, so fingers crossed both are OK tomorrow!


Can't believe the waiting list for a new hip is two years plus - that's dreadful. I had to wait a full year just to see a specialist - I think they partly hope we'll get better whilst we wait for appointments!! It's feels almost criminal that one can pay to get done much more quickly - by the same surgeon. I guess eventually we'll go the same way as in the U.S.
Things appear to be better in Scotland, for doctor appointments and for routine surgeries. Can't just be fewer people that makes the difference can it?

[unc.si.]

Once my hip got so bad that I couldn't walk more than 10 minutes without having to stop to let the pain go down I got referred, seen by the consultant in a week and had the op 4 weeks later. Same surgeon that was treating NHS patients (in a private hospital due to lack of beds in the 2 local NHS hospitals) who had been waiting for 18 months+

my wife was in hospital for 4 months after a stroke, and then back in a few times with sepsis, and apart from the two ITU wards she was in all the wards were chronically understaffed.
Social care no better, in fact when my wife was discharged there were 400 beds (of about 3,500 in the 2 hospitals in that NHS trust) blocked by people who didn't need to be there but either couldn't get a bed in a care home or couldn't get a care package from the LA to go home. Even those who could go home often didn't get discharged for several days as there were no discharge co-ordinators left due to cut backs so the discharge procedures just didn't work properly. Meanwhile people couldn't get admitted and were being treated in ambulances and on corridors because those beds weren't available.

I can't fault any of the staff, who treated my wife with incredible care and dedication, and saved her life 4 or 5 times, but the NHS as a whole just doesn't function properly.

[Jester]

I don't understand why one person gets seen quickly and another has to wait years - that's plain wrong. Is it because some folk make more fuss than others? If both people need a new hip they are both in the same boat aren't they, or are there 'scales of need'

Having said that, given the choice of waiting months/years or paying for a faster service I think I would pay - what are we talking £3-4k?



People taking up beds because there's no one available to discharge them....? Ridiculous!

[Spinynorman]

Having said that, given the choice of waiting months/years or paying for a faster service I think I would pay - what are we talking £3-4k?

No doubt it varies but unfortunately you would have to more than treble that.

[unc.si.]

Yes, hip replacement 12k to 15k
In America you’d be talking $100k

[Jester]

WOW!

[Oxford NZ]

Will be having the 7th ani covid jab tomorrow, as far as I know both me and Mrs O have not had covid, just the occasional cold like symptoms and tested negative for the virus.
We both qualify for free vaccinations in NZ, and, have had no bad reactions to the vaccine so happy to continue

7th anniversary?
I did feel a bit crap for 24 hours after the jabs. More so than with previous ones tbh, but just needed a couple of paracetamol and it was OK. Preferable to getting covid again anyway.

Not sure where the ani bit came in, maybe typo for anti, we get the boosters every 6 months atm so not annual.
My arm was sore when I got up this morning but OK now with no other adverse reactions

[murf]

Too young again for a booster (covid or flu) so I am just left as cannon fodder.....

2 years to wait for a hip replacement? Better get myself on the list now the way mine is going. One of my neighbours has had 4 over the years (2 each side) and has been told he can't have any more as nothing left to fix into - as a 91 year old ex fell runner he has probably pushed them hard.

My Mum managed to jump the queue twice by breaking her hips, maybe that is the way to go???

[blahblah]

Got both booked in for Saturday. It seems like all the Vampires at my GPs are on overtime to give us something back

I think the age limit here is down to 56

[murf]

Got both booked in for Saturday. It seems like all the Vampires at my GPs are on overtime to give us something back

I think the age limit here is down to 56

65 - covid and flu (unless other issues)

[Jester]

Neither of us had any reaction to the CV19 jab last weekend but both are feeling rough after yesterday's FLU jab.....

Not sure why it has this effect as they don't give you a dose of the bug as many used to think - or do they?!!

[blahblah]

Neither of us had any reaction to the CV19 jab last weekend but both are feeling rough after yesterday's FLU jab.....

Not sure why it has this effect as they don't give you a dose of the bug as many used to think - or do they?!!

[unc.si.]

Think most flu jabs are still inactivated virus, ie flu virus grown in SPF chicken eggs then inactivated (killed).

Recombinant/ DNA flu vaccines not widely available yet

[blahblah]

Chicken eggs

[unc.si.]

Chicken eggs

Proven to be very safe and effective so no massive need to change (except for people allergic to eggs) but will move towards dna vaccines in time. The virus is centrifuged out of the harvested eggs, purified and concentrated so there’s no trace of eggs in the vaccine.
Some vaccines still use live attenuated virus (ie live virus but weakened, too low a dose to cause the virus) but not many I don’t think, and not flu vaccines.

[unc.si.]

I worked with a vaccine manufacturing company for a few years. I wasn’t on the science side (my role was investment), but spent a lot of time with the scientists. Fascinating stuff. Amusing and scary at the same time seeing all the unsubstantiated bollocks being written about vaccines during covid

[blahblah]

Too much detail