Covid again

[mandydandy]

I'm immune suppressed because of a chronic condition. I have covid again so I will get an antiviral treatment . However, right now I feel awful. High temperature, sore chest, coughing up my lungs, aching.
Official line at my work is don't test but I have to because of my other condition. Not looking forward to the return to work meeting. My boss is very supportive but those higher up just want rid of me. I'm hardworking and dedicated to my job but this kind of thing has me floored. I'm only off if I really, really have to be. I've had no sick days for the last 12 months but I was previously off long term and very ill.
Can anyone cheer me up this morning?

Not hugely

It's utterly shit for the 1.2 million or so people in this situation.

Boris's "let them die" approach is still remarkably popular, and of course it extends to "sack them as sick leave is inconvenient" tends to prevail over "how to we ensure inclusion for colleagues"

So on that cheery note, I shall send virtual chicken soup, tell you to avoid all news reports on the covid enquiry, and lose yourself in a good book, or if your concentration is shot, then a box set

Or the "classic" re-broadcasts of soap operas

Or just the Christmas channels that are beginning to appear (I watched Jamie make his notorious "simple" gravy last night. (OTOH, perhaps it's not too early to get the sprouts on)

The nhs antiviral line were fab. They had me sorted out with meds delivered by 10am. Only 1.5hrs after I phoned them.

Hey - what NHS anti-viral line?

The old system had been dismantled and I thought you had to go via hospital consultant, GP or 111. Have they snuck back a new dedicated line without widely publicising it?

Yes I contacted the gp who gave me another phone number to ring. They checked my eligibility then got it organised.

When I had it recently I went via 119. Less good, although still had anti virals within 24hrs. But they did say as winter was coming (this was beginning of Oct) a new number was being launched.

Yes @mandydandy - I thought it had to be via GP (or hospital unit, or 111) these days. The previous central service has been dismantled, and AFAIL there is no anti-virals line any more.

Interesting that 119 still does it though - I thought that had ended in March too
(and they keep promising better systems for the critically vulnerable, but still managing to say one thing but do another). I hadn't spotted there were plans for a new number - have you any more info on that? @YokoOnosBigHat

But aside from that, how are you getting on mandy ?

Your boss is an arse, hope you are better soon.

@nether basically I was told by my GP to phone 119 and ignore whatever the options said and just keep pressing options until I could speak to a real person. They then had a doctor from Barts phone me to prescribe... not sure if that's because everyone gets prescribed via Barts or because I'm relatively close to Barts (in London but it's not my local hospital or anything like).

The person I spoke to at 119 said they were launching a new way of doing it for winter. I had cause to phone 119 three times over the course of the illness and spoke to the same man all three times, so I suspect that he's the only person working there or one of very few!