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.

What's the point in a ward full of unwell people you can't treat? If you want an NHS which can admit for monitoring purposes then the time to write to your MP was about 5 years ago.

"how many people have died of cancer, heart attacks, car crashes, the list goes on."

None of those are infectious and rising at an exponential rate

None of them rose from a few cases in China in early January to over ¼ million cases now

Before this crisis, the NHS was barely coping with its ordinary patient workload
but no health system in the world could cope once the epidemic gets out of control in their country

We see the terrible choices having to be made by doctors in Italy,
how the total death rate from all causes has increased 80% in the Lombardy region

Italy's healthcare system was better resourced - more doctors, hospital beds, ICU beds etc - than the NHS,
but the politicians hesitated a couple of weeks before implementing lockdowns, so the virus got out of control

I wish the "it's only flu" crowd would listen to this story and that of other young people ending up in ICU on a ventalator. I don't think they can bury their heads in the sand any deeper.
Best wishes and get well vibes sent you your friend OP.

My elderly neighbour had a stroke recently and the ambulance took 3 hrs to get to her - thankfully they got her in quickly when they did and she is doing Ok now, not good the time taken is it.

I hope the man recovers soon.

I very much hope he pulls through OP.
I have read that early intervention and support means fewer people end up needing intensive care, yet hospitals here and in Italy are only taking people when they are critically ill.

Also agree there are people of all ages not taking this seriously.

@Katyjane12

So sorry to hear this, hoping you will get good news soon of improvement. I don't know how long it usually takes to see improvement but hoping reassuring news comes to your friend's family soon.

I am not sure people have realised that if the rate of serious illness among younger people will amount to many many cases. According to imperial college report data percentage of cases in the following age groups needing hospitalisation are -
0-9, 0.1%
10-19, 0.3%
20-29, 1.2%
30-39, 3.2%
40-49, 4.9 %

If many people get it which they certainly will, those figures are going to amount to a lot of people.

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.

But then London isn't "shut" is it.

The people would will leave already have based on rumour. So all downside of spreading and no upside of social distancing.

@Lovemusic33

'100,000+ people have died from this worldwide'

No, it's 10,000+ though obviously that's bad enough.

256,000 recorded cases worldwide and an 80% recovery rate.

Absolutely horrifying story in the OP - a consequence of the deliberate destruction of our NHS.

Poor, poor man and family.

DS came home from uni. yesterday is self isolating from us, yet old school friends at different unis are still out partying.

I too wish Boris would get on with a lockdown.

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

That's Mumsnet every day of the week...

Thanks for that katyjane, I do hope your friend recovers, he sounds dreadfully ill.

I'm self isolating and sanitising after unwrapping things. You're right, we can't be too careful.

A colleague lost a family member...one of the rising statistics earlier this week.

But then London isn't "shut" is it.

How could they stop people leaving London. Let’s say Johnson called for a lockdown from 6pm. I’m willing to bet there would be people piling into their cars and off out to family/holiday homes as quick as they could. And who could stop them? How could people be prevented from leaving?

How could they stop people leaving London

You probably don't want to know. What do you think we give soldiers guns for ? They're not fashion accessories.

a "lockdown" is just that. No one in. No one out. Otherwise it's just an early bank holiday.

reports from China were that the army were checking everyones front door daily to ensure the tape seal hadn't been broken. That's "lockdown".

When you realise exactly what it entails, you might have some sympathy with not wanting to be the PM that bought it in.

Not sure if anyone saw the story from the Isle of Man where a man was arrested today for not self isolating ? That's lockdown.

You could probably stop a lot of London escaping after lockdown announcement if you shut north-south circular and M25 with army patrolling exits and entry. You could just let emergency vehicles and deliveries on and off.

‘Otherwise it’s just an early bank holiday’

Haha

You could probably stop a lot of London escaping after lockdown announcement if you shut north-south circular and M25 with army patrolling exits and entry. You could just let emergency vehicles and deliveries on and off.

I would hope that our armed forces have pretty good plans for how they'd enforce a lockdown, based on the fact the rumours have been flying for days. I would also hope that technology would reduce the need to see armed soldiers pounding our streets. Although the most useful tool will be to simply scan Facebook for all the "We're gonna bust out of here" posts from morons.

I'm so sorry. I hope your friend gets the treatment he needs and pulls through.

You probably don't want to know. What do you think we give soldiers guns for ? They're not fashion accessories.

Don’t be so daft. Firstly, would there be soldiers on every single road out of London? Secondly, if they did shoot someone there would be riots, lockdown be damned.

reports from China were that the army were checking everyones front door daily to ensure the tape seal hadn't been broken. That's "lockdown".

No, that's one version of lockdown.

Nowhere else has been that strict. Europe is in "lockdown" but people are still allowed to go to work, to walk their dogs and to go out and buy food and medicine.

Really sorry about your friend Katyjane12. It’s really awful. Would you be able to put this into context? I hope you don’t mind me asking, but could your friend have any underlying conditions that you might not be aware of?

Don’t be so daft. Firstly, would there be soldiers on every single road out of London? Secondly, if they did shoot someone there would be riots, lockdown be damned.

You missed my point about technology.

Also the army shoots people. It's their job. They did it in Northern Ireland, and they'd do it here.

Millennial here - also asthmatic and pregnant and mum to a very wheezy toddler. I’ve been self isolating for the last 2 weeks. It’s morons in every age group but don’t target just one!