SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)



Good explanation on reliability of results from tests with imperfect specificity (e.g. antigen tests). Something that still regularly blows my tiny mind.

Mind you, incidence of omicron is so insanely high right now I don’t think false positives should be much of a concern.
 
Wife works in a secure psychiatric hospital as a teacher and every single ward is 'red' meaning atleast one of the children has covid. They have been bubbled up and will be one teacher per ward teaching the negative kids, but we've started making plans for when she inevitably tests positive. Oh joy
 
I guess with the current case numbers, my previous question is even more relevant. Why the hell are we testing for infectious RNA instead of infectious virus? Loads of people probably off work when they don't need to be.
 
I think isolation period for critical workers will be reduced to two LFT negatives regardless of days on from positive test
 
Pogue Mahone said:


Definitive/excellent omicron thread.

tl;dr. Definitely a lot less likely to put you on a ventilator but will probably still put hospitals deeply into the weeds. Oh and get vaccinated. Don’t be a tit.
Click to expand...


I watched a press conference from our provincial government the other day. Our premier said similar, basically only about 1% of people who catch the Omnicron variant will end up in hospital but so many people will get it that that 1% becomes a very large number and this is the big concern.
 
Dr. Dwayne said:
I watched a press conference from our provincial government the other day. Our premier said similar, basically only about 1% of people who catch the Omnicron variant will end up in hospital but so many people will get it that that 1% becomes a very large number and this is the big concern.
Click to expand...

You have basically summed up what the whole covid pandemic has been since day 1 :lol:
 
Bosws87 said:
You have basically summed up what the whole covid pandemic has been since day 1 :lol:
Click to expand...

Not quite as the original covid and delta variants weren't as infective but tended to be more severe than Omicron (i.e. people on ventilators and ICUs being overwhelmed). So far Omicron hospital stays are short and involve use of oxygen therapy but no ventilators. The big concern is a hospitlas being completely overwhelmed, not just ICUs.
 
Dr. Dwayne said:
Not quite as the original covid and delta variants weren't as infective but tended to be more severe than Omicron (i.e. people on ventilators and ICUs being overwhelmed). So far Omicron hospital stays are short and involve use of oxygen therapy but no ventilators. The big concern is a hospitlas being completely overwhelmed, not just ICUs.
Click to expand...
Not to be picky but “no ventilators” is incorrect. Some people do still end up in ICU and on ventilators, but thankfully at a lower rate than previous waves.
 
Godfather said:
It does make absolute sense and is actually one of the ground rules of every society. And it's not about mere interest. It's about endangering others with what some might call freedom. We wear masks during this time because it helps protect the most vulnerable in the society. Same goes with he vaccination. Now if some entitled prats think this is unbearable which results in full ICUs then the vaccination needs to be mandatory.
Click to expand...

Anustart89 said:
Someone’s right to kill me (willingly or accidentally) does not take precedence over my right to not be killed by someone’s carelessness or idiocy. Pretty many of the laws that we have are designed to protect people from being harmed rather than protecting people’s freedom to do harm. This would be no different if there was a variant out there where we had data supporting the fact that being vaccinated reduced risk of transmission.
Click to expand...

What are you guys are saying is not opposed to what I said. What I'm saying is that freedom for any one individual impacts the freedom of other individuals (ie: if you are free to stand in spot X, then I may not be free to stand in spot X, because you are already there). Therefore, as you've rightly pointed out, societies tend to limit freedoms so that an individual who would like to murder people doesn't have the ability to do so (at least, not without forfeiting their freedom). My point is that protecting people from harm, and allowing people freedom, are two sides of the same coin, and the proper question is how to balance these interests. I think masks are a pretty reasonable balancing act; they're a low impact behaviour that can significantly reduce harm to the very specific segments of society that face a genuine threat from Covid (although, masks seem a bit less useful with Omicron's crazy contagiousness).

That balancing act requires a consideration of costs and benefits. And yes, there are significant costs to lockdowns, mandatory vaccinations, vaccine passports and other such measures. All I was pointing out is that there is a balancing act involved here; it's not as simple as "protect the vulnerable to covid and feck whatever other effects that has". Measures to contain the spread of covid have beneficial effects, namely curtailing deaths/severe illness from covid, but they have very significant harmful effects as well.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Would you rather home school your kids?
Click to expand...
I would actually for a common sense period of 2-3 weeks after which I reckon we will be over the peak. (Truth be told my youngest one came on much more through 1 to 1homeschooling in the first lockdown than he did in the classroom)

I know that doesn’t suit everyone who’s desperate to get out to work but for me it’s common sense. I see they are saying again “kids no more likely..” like in the last few waves but anecdotal evidence all around us tells us that is bollox at this point with this variant. Plus they are rolling out vaccines for 5 and up. So something has changed otherwise they wouldn’t do that
 
so I tested positive about 15 days ago

symptoms were pretty rough at its worst but I finally tested negative about 6 days ago

however I still have a cough and just feel knackered all the time - last two days Ive spent mostly in bed

Is this normal?

I do have an autoimmune disease which I take medication for which could explain a longer than normal recovery period
 






But yeah, absolutely no metrics to show the NHS is being overwhelmed by Covid! Keep on with bullshit Plan B and sleepwalk through another wave...
 
Q:

You're triple jabbed, and you had Omicron 1 month ago, and recovered. Coud you could still catch it again 2 weeks later?
 
Tarrou said:
so I tested positive about 15 days ago

symptoms were pretty rough at its worst but I finally tested negative about 6 days ago

however I still have a cough and just feel knackered all the time - last two days Ive spent mostly in bed

Is this normal?

I do have an autoimmune disease which I take medication for which could explain a longer than normal recovery period
Click to expand...

Completely normal. Even much less nasty viral illnesses can leave you wiped for a few weeks afterwards. 15 days after testing positive is nothing really. You’ll need to keep up the R&R for a while longer.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Completely normal. Even much less nasty viral illnesses can leave you wiped for a few weeks afterwards. 15 days after testing positive is nothing really. You’ll need to keep up the R&R for a while longer.
Click to expand...

I had mononucleosis twice. After the second time that fecker laid me out for at least 6 months, if not more.

I also used to have an out of control dust allergy that would make any cold turn into at least 8 weeks of congestion in my head then chest. Fun times.
 
Dr. Dwayne said:
I had mononucleosis twice. After the second time that fecker laid me out for at least 6 months, if not more.

I also used to have an out of control dust allergy that would make any cold turn into at least 8 weeks of congestion in my head then chest. Fun times.
Click to expand...
My wife has a similar dust allergy. She also seems to get a problem swallowing which is scary for her triggered we think by allergies. She’s had a the camera up her nose, down her throat etc and found nothing but we think it’s caused by an allergy so curious how you fixed yours
 


What’s all this about then? Not that I agree or even know anything about Robert Malone but I keep seeing it pop up on Twitter
 
golden_blunder said:
My wife has a similar dust allergy. She also seems to get a problem swallowing which is scary for her triggered we think by allergies. She’s had a the camera up her nose, down her throat etc and found nothing but we think it’s caused by an allergy so curious how you fixed yours
Click to expand...

I have a dust allergy (and probably some other stuff that isn't captured on the standard tests because it's somewhat seasonal which is weird for dust) that used to leave me with red and itchy eyes and cold-like symptoms pretty much constantly. Sometimes heavy swelling etc.

I use a nasal spray containing fluticasone propionate, looks like British brands are Flixonase, Avamys and Nasofan. For me it's been a miracle cure, I have no symptoms at all anymore as long as I use it regularly. I get mine perscribed by my doctor, looks like you can buy it over the counter as well. Might be worth looking into if you haven't tried it already.

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/fluticasone-nasal-spray-and-drops/
 
calodo2003 said:
Why aren't these everywhere?

Click to expand...


UCSD is the region's largest and best medical research university, thus assuming it is free to students and staff knowing their results are proprietary for UCSD medical researchers only.

Using one and returning it to sanctioned university test collection labs/areas.
 
WR said:


What’s all this about then? Not that I agree or even know anything about Robert Malone but I keep seeing it pop up on Twitter
Click to expand...


its likely just bollocks, it got aired on Spotify to his millions of viewers and its still there now
 
golden_blunder said:
My wife has a similar dust allergy. She also seems to get a problem swallowing which is scary for her triggered we think by allergies. She’s had a the camera up her nose, down her throat etc and found nothing but we think it’s caused by an allergy so curious how you fixed yours
Click to expand...

Get her to an allergy specialist and they can test for all sorts of allergies. When I went for my paper wasp incident a large proportion of people were being treated for household mold allergies.
 
Last edited:
calodo2003 said:
Why aren't these everywhere?

Click to expand...


We have vending machines for ART kits here, for people who were received alerts for potential exposure.
Quite useful.
Also have vending machines that dispense masks given out by the government
 
So my brother tested positive on an antigen last Friday and PCR on Saturday, I feel like shit but haven't had any positive antigen tests yet, me feeling like shit could be half down to my partial insomnia for the last few weeks.
Also if I have had it should I get a booster anyway.

For the Irish Langer's here what do I have to do to get paid for the week by social welfare when in isolating
 
Jericholyte2 said:






But yeah, absolutely no metrics to show the NHS is being overwhelmed by Covid! Keep on with bullshit Plan B and sleepwalk through another wave...
Click to expand...


It’s also bullshit to pretend this isn’t where the NHS is every winter with chronic under investment. Ironically what’s causing the issues isn’t the fact we don’t have restrictions, it’s because of the restrictions we do have and isolation periods that’s impacting staff numbers.

If we went into full lock down with mandatory 14 day contact isolation that came with it then things would be far worse
 
stw2022 said:
It’s also bullshit to pretend this isn’t where the NHS is every winter with chronic under investment. Ironically what’s causing the issues isn’t the fact we don’t have restrictions, it’s because of the restrictions we do have and isolation periods that’s impacting staff numbers.

If we went into full lock down with mandatory 14 day contact isolation that came with it then things would be far worse
Click to expand...

That makes absolutely zero sense!

The ‘restrictions’ we have in place haven’t stopped cases and hospitalisations from rising, and have allowed the virus to spread to more and more staff. Of course case numbers are as high or as sever as last Jan but if you have 30-40% staff absence then these increases will cripple the workers who are in.

This is nowhere near the ‘norm’ for winter pressures, hospitals are talking about 12/20/30 plus hour waits at A&E and 10hr waits for ambulances even with emergency cases! This is crippling workers and our so-called leadership is blind to it because the 1922 club is pressuring him to “not stamp on our fweedum”.

Whilst ICU cases may not be spiking, Covid cases mean Covid wards which mean less space for ‘general’ wards. Hospital staff are being burnt out and care is being compromised (I think it’s now 16 NHS trusts that have declared critical crises) and peopleare dying because of this purely political decision that he has made.

A 6-8 week lockdown would reduce contacts, reducing cases and hospitalisations, allowing staff to clear and discharge patients, brining pressures down to more reasonable levels, but that would also mean starting furlough and compensating businesses again, which they just don’t want to do.
 
Jericholyte2 said:
A 6-8 week lockdown would reduce contacts, reducing cases and hospitalisations, allowing staff to clear and discharge patients, brining pressures down to more reasonable levels, but that would also mean starting furlough and compensating businesses again, which they just don’t want to do.
Click to expand...
Given the doubling rate that you can get with Omicron, the odds are you get to the end of that 6-8 week lockdowns and are back where we are now, a fortnight later. So in March - still in the living indoors, too cold for open windows etc and still with a potential flu season to run alongside. We'd also be 6 months past the start of the booster campaign - potentially with the over 70s back in the waning immunity camp.

We can flatten the peak, but in terms of population immunity levels - right now is probably as good as it gets. At least in terms of reducing deaths and disabling disease.

Which does mean that the limiting factor is the impact on the workforce. With community rates so high, it's inevitable that large numbers of key staff will have covid, or will be looking after (and isolating with) someone at home with covid. That's got to have massive impact on the remaining staff - in terms of extra hours but also additional stress, and dislocation.

I don't think there's an easy way out on this. I honestly think the gamble is that we crash the NHS for a month versus we cripple it for several months. I'm not sure which one would be most destructive in terms of unnecessary deaths, disability and pain caused - neither option sounds good. Though I admit most people I know (including the old, the vulnerable and the ones waiting in pain for elective surgery) would say - let's go for the quick, nasty one rather than dragging it out for months.

For NHS staff - and others, including the carehome workers and the family caregivers who covid positive but "not that sick" patients need to go home to - it's going to be a long dark start to 2022.

I just don't see that a lockdown offers enough of an advantage right now, compared to what it already happening, to make it an obviously better option - even leaving aside the financial impact.
 
Volumiza said:
Sorry to derail but what was this?
Click to expand...

I'm anaphalactic to paper wasps or rather I was.

1Common%20paper%20wasp%20nest.jpg


I have always had a slightly bad swelling reaction to wasps in general. However a few years ago I was driving a 4x4 along the beach on Fraser Island QLD when wasp the size of a sparrow came through the air vent and stung me on the arm. It looked looked like I had half a golf ball under the skin for a few days but I didn't think anything of it.

A few weeks later I was moving the lawn on a hot day and after putting g the mower back in the garage I also put a ladder back in that I'd left out earlier.

I must have bumped a paper wasp nest as I put the ladder back (they love garge entrances and the eves of houses). I got stung about 20 times on the shoulder and they are far worse than European wasps. I squished most of them while swearing vigorously. I then went inside to get bug spray tobfinish them off. I sprayed the nest and legged it to avoid getting stung again and after a few steps felt a bit light headed. I sat down on the steps and then got back up azfew mins later when I felt fine. I then felt far from fine and as I went unconscious I managed to roll down the lemon my side.

The next thing I remember was fighting to stand up despite the best efforts of the paramedics.

My wife and son were out at the shops so I lay on the lawn for an unknown length of time in extreme heat and direct sunlight. My son's mate from across the road saw me, came over and prodded me with his foot and then ran over to tell his folks. Initially his folks didn't believe him as he had a rep for tall tales but eventually they came out and rang an ambulance.

As the ambulance arrived my wife and son arrived home and my wife though I'd had a heart attack as a work colleagues so husband had dropped dead at 50 axfew days earlier.

After the paramedics got me in to the ambulance they gave me plasma and I recovered fast. I got checked out at the hospital and was discharged soon after but not before my wife posted a picture of me asleep in emergency on Facebook :-)

The hospital told me it was dehydration combined with getting stung on the virus nerve so I had a good night's sleep and carried on

A couple of weeks later my wife was telling the story to a neighbour who she met on the commuter train in to Sydney. The neighbour was a nurse at a hospital allergy centre and immediately thought I had experienced an anaphalactic event and I should get tested.

Long story short, I was seriously anaphalactic to the point the next time might have been fatal and had 6 months of immunotherapy treatment and now carry an epipen.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.