Friend fighting for life

[Katyjane12]

My friend, healthy 38 year old man, has had a fever of over 40 degrees since Sunday and very sick but could not be admitted to hospital because temperature was not at 41. Wednesday morning was struggling to breathe - his wife called an ambulance - it took 5 hours to get to him. Central London. The paramedics said is likely covid but because his oxygen was ok they still wouldn't take him to hospital. He nearly died last night - the ambulance finally took him to hospital early this morning and he is now in ICU under general anaesthetic hooked up to machines and fighting for his life. This is a healthy young man. Please please isolate - this thing is very real and randomly lethal.

We've agreed to pay our childminder for as long as we can but I think because other parents aren't agreeing to do it, she may close anyway or reduce the number of kids she is able to look after (she has an assistant but may not have enough keyworker kids to keep her on).

We have asked her to provide us with details of the absolute minimum she needs to stay open. Once we know that we can try and see if other parents are willing to contribute but for now, we've said take it on a week by week basis. The lack of guidance from Councils and the Government aren't helpful

Very sad news.

Please remember also, people do get very sick with other pneumonia and bronchitis also. Not just this

This is so sad OP. Please keep up updated how he's doing, what a scary time for them.

Another poster said on another thread that if people could actually see the virus jumping from one person to another they'd change their behaviour. At the moment it's very out of sight, out of mind, and that won't change until this shite government start leading from the front.

A school local to me closed because the head came down with corona virus symptoms. Large school as its nursery, infants, juniors.

They wouldn't test for corona as not enough symptoms, I'm guessing the head stayed isolated but the kids will have been mingling, out in the community etc. The school reopened. Two days later the head teacher was in intensive care. God knows how many people those kids have infected. Not to mention the staff........ The last text update text sent from the school was them asking to pray for her.

People are being handed death sentences in the UK because they aren't being tested. And that is wrong.

So sorry to hear this OP, your poor friend.

We've agreed to pay our childminder for as long as we can but I think because other parents aren't agreeing to do it, she may close anyway or reduce the number of kids she is able to look after (she has an assistant but may not have enough keyworker kids to keep her on).

Depending on the ages of the children in her care just how is she planning to keep them 2 metres apart from both staff and each other?

I hope your friend makes a full and swift recovery

The problem is that until nonchalant people (whether it's denial/ignorance/wilfully fucking stupidity) see someone in their circle becoming ill, they will not follow the guidelines (clearly they should be rules not guidelines but that's a whole other thread). Unfortunately by then it will be too late, for them and everyone else.

I am in a vulnerable group (lung issues) and on Monday I started with a headache and a bad cough literally out of nowhere. Of course there is no testing available but my GP has confirmed they believe it's CV and now I have pneumonia. It literally took hours from being reasonably well to struggling to breath, and Tuesday and Wednesday I have felt worse than I've ever felt in my whole life. I really thought I could die. I still can't even get myself out of bed/to the bathroom without help (so so much for isolating from DH!) The GP says I should be prepared to feel even worse before I get better and hospital will be the last resort. It is absolutely terrifying, for my DH and DC as well as me. Obviously they are on two weeks isolation and I am very scared of being alone and seriously ill in hospital and unable to see them. I am scared I have passed it to DH relying on him for care or to my DC earlier without knowing. I am scared I will not be able to breathe and DH and DC won't be able to get any medical help and how afraid they will be.

It's literally taking me ages to type as my arms feel like they're made out of water - people need to know what this is like and what is going to happen to people they love. People need to change their behaviour but it will literally take the deaths of people they know for some people to realise this is reality and not a hypothetical situation.

What a terrible experience for your friend. The only way to stop it happening to many more people is to lockdown NOW!!

I'm truly saddened by the number of people who are not taking this seriously. Of all ages. How many deaths will it take? I just don't get it.

I think people will find its the younger generation taking this seriously. When I had to get some provisions for my disabled dd the shops and streets were full of elderly people.......one had 2 people helping her walk ((who could have gone to the bloody shop)) It was almost like they were being defiant 😳

I agree London needs to be shut down. People are still not taking this seriously, it’s not “just a cold”, 100,000+ people have died from this worldwide, it wasn’t “just a cold” for them.

10,000 people have died worldwide. Not 100,000.

9 million people die of starvation every year, so I do think some perspective is needed.

In the NE and I ventured into the city centre on errands for the first time in a fortnight. Expected it to be as quiet. It looked completely normal. Frighteningly so. I actually heard people proclaiming "Oh, it's not as bad as they're saying." I am not going back out except for walks in the large unpopulated park across the street. I was stupid to run errands, I know.

The first step of social breakdown is people turning on each other ....... judging by mumsnet today that's already happening .....

CVRD I do hope things feel better soon, I saw someone on another thread mention a technique called pursed lip breathing (if you google) which helps people with lung conditions get more oxygen - maybe it will help. Kind thoughts

Refuse I’ve seen people argue more about bf and ff and eating grapes in the supermarket I wouldn’t use mn as a barometer.

I agree, perspective is required, how many people have died of cancer, heart attacks, car crashes, the list goes on.

I agree this is a terrible and new virus, but there have been much worse illness ravaging around taking lives and ruining those of others for millenia.

Stay strong, wish you all the best!

Underlying health condition doesn't mean that you are in and out of hospital or living with carers. You could have recovered from cancer. You may have had pneumonia 3 years ago. You may have diabetes. All of these people don't deserve to die.

It's the 60 somethings I have the biggest gripe with. Higher death rate than the over 80's (presumably because they are carrying on business as usual). My mother in law thinks she is both invincible and crucial to the world and is oblivious to the fact she is spreading it around going to work (non essential role that could be carried out at home), supermarket etc etc. It's just a bad cold apparently. Unless you actually catch it. Most over 50's have something that could be called an underlying heAlth condition.

OP, so sorry for your friend, it maybe a small comfort to know I'm sending your first post to some elderly friends who are quite sure they'll be fine and anyway they've got a good surgery. We’re early 80's, isolation is a pain but the alternative is much worse. More importantly it ensures the NHS won’t have use up resources for us.

I agree, perspective is required, how many people have died of cancer, heart attacks, car crashes, the list goes on.
But this is something we can actively help stop. A short sharp action. Now.

People saying perspective are you ok with needing care and not getting it?

Boris needs to step up right now and go forward with the lockdown, if not for the whole country, at least for London.

The problem is that if he only shuts London then lots of people will leave to stay with family etc outside of London and end up spreading it more.
See Bob Geldof on breakfast tv the other day as an example. He said the it was important to isolate etc and then in the next breath said that he had one of his children, their children and and husband staying and another child, partner and children coming to stay from London in the next few days.

About 30 or more secondary age school kids were gathering in the local park today. They had some music and I'm sure loads of fun....

I'm so sorry for your friend op and also @CVRD that sounds absolutely hideous for you and terrifying too. What lung issues do you have? Really hope you're over the worst of it soon, please take care

It makes me so angry that people are not taking this seriously :(

I know there are the anxiety health worrying
But also people with a cold
But it’s not cold/flu symptoms
It Coronavirus symptoms

What worries me is like your friend
How bad is bad!!!! It’s terrifying when you can’t breathe that effort needed to get air into your lungs
It’s bad enough with chest infection

There needs to be a better system of priority
Not just stay in isolation
What about when you can’t breath
How long do you go
Until it’s to late and you end up in icu
Not to say, there’s a bed in your area left
Very frightening indeed

Thank you Petronius - I hope people will share his story and it might stop some going out.

The only update I've had is that he's critical - I don't know how that is different to being in the ICU?

Happy, I don't know the details of why the ambulance took 5 hours but even once they got there they said they suspected that it was covid but because at that time his O2 was ok they didn't take him to hospital, even though he was struggling to breathe. That was on Wednesday and it was only this morning they finally took him in.