Worried About Coronavirus- thread 38

[TheStarryNight]

New thread

[Reastie]

According to LBC Boris is doing briefing later today.

[TheStarryNight]

Guardian article: Coronavirus scientists caution against reopening schools

Study finds children may be as infectious as adults – but Unicef warns closures put vulnerable pupils at risk

Scientists have cautioned against the reopening of schools after new findings suggested children could be as infectious as adults.

The study, from the team of leading German virologist Christian Drosten, found that even though children tend to have far milder symptoms, those infected appear to have the same levels of circulating virus in their body as adults. This suggests schools and nurseries could act as hubs of Covid-19 transmission if current restrictions were lifted....

[woodencoffeetable]

Study finds children may be as infectious as adults

no shit, sherlok...

[Derbygerbil]

@woodencoffeetable

Various recent studies in Switzerland and Holland have found the opposite, with Swiss even going so far as saying that kids can safely give their grandparents a hug, so it’s not blindingly obvious.

[UtterlyPerfectCartoonGiraffe]

My ds has also been offered testing via the Zoe/covid19 app. I’m not sure if it would pick up a positive now as it’s been 5 weeks since his symptoms started - but now I’ve read the report RedToothBrush posted I’m thinking if he was positive then he might still be positive now

And I have to try and get on the mythical “home test kit” list as my nearest drive through centre is 51 miles away. Having said that I am really really grateful that through this app they’ve been able to expand the list to people with certain symptoms. It’s a huge help.

[StormsDontLastForever]

Not sure if this is the correct thread, apologies if not!

For around 2 weeks now I have been ill, feeling sick, being sick, headache, exhausted, body aches and just no energy overall. Doctor put it down to kidney infection and I was given anti bi otics 2 weeks ago, finished them but then started to feel worse, again doctor prescribed more anti bi otics and asked me to hand a sample in. Last few days I have felt at my worst, temp is 35.6 phoned today for my results and told my urine is clear? So must be something else? Have family members suggesting it may be coronavirus although I'm unsure. Has anyone had similar symptoms and tested either positive or negative? Thanks

[pocketem]

All of the supposed "reinfections" in South Korea were found to be false positives:

South Korea’s infectious disease experts said Thursday that dead virus fragments were the likely cause of over 260 people here testing positive again for the novel coronavirus days and even weeks after marking full recoveries.

Oh Myoung-don, who leads the central clinical committee for emerging disease control, said the committee members found little reason to believe that those cases could be COVID-19 reinfections or reactivations.

The tests detected the ribonucleic acid of the dead virus,” said Oh, a Seoul National University hospital doctor, at a press conference Thursday held at the National Medical Center.

He went on to explain that in PCR tests, or polymerase chain reaction tests, used for COVID-19 diagnosis, genetic materials of the virus amplify during testing, whether it is from a live virus or just from fragments of dead virus cells that can take months to clear from recovered patients.
The PCR tests cannot distinguish whether the virus is alive or dead, he added, and this can lead to false positives.

The committee’s findings confirmed an earlier assessment from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that repeat patients appear to have little or no contagiousness. The KCDC cited results of virus culture tests that all failed to find live virus in recovered patients.

Korea today announced no new domestic cases of coronavirus infection.

[TheStarryNight]

CNN article: Where did it go wrong for the UK on coronavirus?

Very illuminating footage from inside the ICU at University Hospital, Coventry at the beginning of the article

Analysis by Luke McGee and Mick Krever, CNN
Updated 1202 GMT (2002 HKT) April 30, 2020

The British government is on the brink of missing a crucial target in its fight against coronavirus.

A headline-grabbing aim of conducting 100,000 daily Covid-19 tests by the end of April is unlikely to be achieved, with the government saying that only 52,429 had been carried out on Tuesday, two days before the deadline. Capacity is available for about 73,000, Downing Street says. Government sources argue, with some justification, that the target up from about 10,000 a day at the beginning of the month was always incredibly ambitious, and the fact that capacity has been expanded so quickly is a huge achievement.

But, critics say, that only serves to illustrate the inadequacies of Britain's testing regime in the first place.

The missed testing target is not the only failing. The UK is on track to have one of the highest coronavirus death tolls in Europe, with more than 26,000 deaths recorded by Wednesday. Its patchwork of care homes for the elderly has been ravaged by the disease...

[StrawberryJam200]

@StormsDontLastForever sorry to hear you're poorly. I'd say it might be Covid19 but might not, just from my personal experience and reading round. I am no medic or scientist.

You'd probably find that the best threads to post on would be the My Lungs are Burning or 40 + threads. Many accounts on those of people's symptoms. There have been numerous shorter threads too.

Hope you start to recover soon.

[pocketem]

NHS England announces it will restart non-covid urgent work, aiming to return to pre-COVID levels of activity within 6 weeks. Particularly prioritized are cardiac PCI and stroke thrombolectomy, and cancer services should be fully operational. Some elective surgery and procedures will restart as operating theatres are converted back from makeshift ICUs. GPs and outpatient clinic providers are being encouraged to continue using digital/video consultations first line as part of a long term change in practice given the success over the past month, with face to face consultations only offered if there is a clinical need for hands on examination or diagnostics.

[TheStarryNight]

Cartoon from El Pais, El Roto cartoon, April 29, 2020

“It would be good to widen the distance between the rich and the poor to avoid contagions.” “We‘re working on it.”

[HeIenaDove]

www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/woman-cornwall-told-shes-not-4089958?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Woman from Cornwall told she's not allowed her coronavirus test results
Her family had registered for the tests after her partner started showing covid-19 symptoms


A woman from Cornwall says she feels violated after getting a government provided coronavrius test - but was then told she is not allowed to have the results.

The lady from the Helston area - who did not want to be identified - said she wanted people to know that keyworkers would not be able to get their test results.

Her family had registered for the tests after her partner started showing covid-19 symptoms - as her daughter works in a supermarket they were eligible for the tests.

They drove to Plymouth barracks on Monday where they underwent the swab tests while sat in their car.

Once the swabs were taken they were given cards and told that they would need to register them online the same day or they would expire.

On their return home they attempted to register online but kept receiving error messages so called the helpline listed on the document

The lady explained: “We called it and after an hour of being passed from pillar to post we got through and the operator couldn’t understand why we were getting an error message.

“Then she said “hang on a minute, are you a keyworker or a frontline worker?” I explained that my daughter was a keyworker and she said “you will never receive your results”.

“I lost my s* to this poor, poor woman on the phone I said this can’t be right. Then I said to her that this is the government getting their 100,000 tests done - she didn’t reply.”

She added: “At no point when my daughter registered or on any of the information we were given did it state that we would not get our results.

“I feel I have been violated. When I was on the phone my partner took the phone and spoke to the operator and asked that as we would not get our results if all our information and our swabs could be removed - they said no. If we are not allowed the results then why should the government have that information?

The woman said she wanted to make sure that other people are aware that if they are keyworkers they will not get their test results


Why should any other person be subject to this? The Government has taken swabs from us, they have our email addresses, our mobile numbers - it’s just not right.

“We have been watching over the last three months as the government just makes it up as they go along and now they have this testing just so they can stand in their press conferences and say they have reached their target.”

The Department of Health and Social Care has been asked to comment but has not yet responded.

[MurrayTheMonk]

Meanwhile in the care home despite being told by the government yesterday we could all be tested, visibly symptomatic or not, staff or service user, we erm, STILL can't get tested... unless we are severely symptomatic.
I fucking give up.

[TheStarryNight]

Sadly, not surprised by that @MurrayTheMonk

[pocketem]

Even in our local care homes which had real difficulty getting anybody tested, the situation has improved. We get tests on demand now. Where is the hold up in your care home? Is the gp not ordering them or is there no test availability

[MarshaBradyo]

I suppose we’ll be hearing about the plan next week.

Masks sound like they’ll be part of it.

Keeping R0 down which is good, but hard.

[Keepdistance]

Masks are good.
Protect against surface contamination
Help protect vulnerable and shielding
Because realistically how many can stay in for a year?
Obviously they have health conditions so many will need to have medical/dental appointments at least.
(My dad already had to have a tooth removed and a dentist is high risk)
As per that other thread the delivery people unfortunately dont always get the no contact right.
Covers the asymptomatic and the fact people are coming in from abroad infected.

[Humphriescushion]

Oh i am so sorry to hear that Monk. This government has so much to answer to.

[MurrayTheMonk]

The GP doesn't even accept that they have to order them. They haven't been told that in our area. The county swab email address given to me by the Local authority said they would do only those who are symptomatic. The website for ordering your own crashed again this morning. But one member of staff got through and she was offered a test on the 12th May at a test centre 43 miles away. She doesn't drive. 🤷🏽‍♀️

-Message edited by MNHQ to remove identifying image

[TheStarryNight]

Guardian article: Danes and Czechs say easing lockdowns has produced no surge

Locks like those who locked down fast made the right call- they’ve able to ease subsequently without a substantial second wave so far.

Interesting to note Czechia “peaked” at around 20 deaths a day. They also adopted masks quickly.

[ClaraMumsnet]

@MurrayTheMonk We're just letting you know we edited your post to remove the image. Identifying info was still legible and we'd hate for anyone's privacy to be compromised. Feel free to repost it making sure the information isn't identifying.

[MurrayTheMonk]

Thankyou-posted the wrong one-I'm a wolly 🙈

[TheStarryNight]

New York Times article: Can Estrogen and Other Sex Hormones Help Men Survive Covid-19?

As the novel coronavirus swept through communities around the world, preying disproportionately on the poor and the vulnerable, one disadvantaged group has demonstrated a remarkable resistance. Women, whether from China, Italy or the U.S., have been less likely to become acutely ill — and far more likely to survive.

Which has made doctors wonder: Could hormones produced in greater quantities by women be at work?

Now scientists on two coasts, acting quickly on their hunches in an effort to save men’s lives, are testing the hypothesis. The two clinical trials will each dose men with the sex hormones for limited durations.

Last week, doctors on Long Island in New York started treating Covid-19 patients with estrogen in an effort to increase their immune systems, and next week, physicians in Los Angeles will start treating male patients with another hormone that is predominantly found in women, progesterone, which has anti-inflammatory properties and can potentially prevent harmful overreactions of the immune system.

[Lougle]

DD3 (11) has developed a 'hot feeling throat', mildly achy legs and she's off her food, all at about 6 PM. She had paracetamol and an hour later, her temperature was 39.2°c.

DH works for 4 schools in a rural area. He informed his Head Teachers that we need to isolate for 14 days, and one said 'you can get everyone in your household tested so you know for sure.'

Reading the test portal, it's only DD3 that can be tested, as DH doesn't have symptoms (nor anyone else in the house).

If the test came back negative, I think we would still have to finish the 14 days isolation because false negatives are possible?

[SummerSazz]

@StormsDontLastForever have you reported symptoms on the Zoe/COVID19 app? Sounds like someone down thread was offered a test off the back of this?