How are things in London?

[Frozenintime]

Anyone in London area?

We are in the Midlands and things seem to be getting worse in the hospitals here now, huge queues of ambulances and some non frontline colleagues being drafted in to help on the wards. I'm guessing the situation in London hospitals is now being replicated in other areas as was predicted?

So sorry to hear this ICU Nurse

“ICUNurse Sat 16-Jan-21 21:38:07
Out on the street everything is as normal, people are acting as if nothing is happening. Things are closed of course and masks in shops and on public transport, but other than that you wouldn’t know anything is happening. I work in ICU in a central London teaching hospital and the situation is absolutely dire. Not just in ICU actually but on the wards as well. It’s much, much worse than the first wave and actually beyond my worst nightmares. The fact is quite simply that if you need Intensive care now, (for covid or any other reason) you will not receive good care. You may survive, due to the exceptional efforts of NHS staff but the nurse looking after you will either be looking after multiple other critically ill patients or alternatively may have no ICU experience at all.

I’m so fearful for the coming weeks, my patients and the mental health of myself and my colleagues.”

Interesting reading that some people think things are like normal, I wonder if it’s different in different boroughs, we are in Camden and it is much quieter than before Christmas though maybe not quite as quiet as first lockdown. Regents Park and Primrose Hill were very busy when the rain stopped today but this is unsurprising really, there’s nothing else to do except go there for some fresh air and exercise. Lots more people than before are wearing masks outside and the vast majority wearing them inside.

Re the City - DH had to get the tube on Thursday morning, this was the platform at Moorgate at 9.30am

All areas across the UK are seeing falling case rates except the North West so I highly doubt the hellish London situation is about to be repeated across the UK.

Especially as London rates are falling from 1117 per 100,000 (1718 in Barking and Dagenham ) whereas Midlands rates are falling from 500ish per 100,000

Are the tubes running with normal frequency?

I live on the outskirts of London. Both of my parents have Covid. One is in hospital on oxygen and one is home alone. Parent in hospital has been in for over a week, told me that the hospital A&E is like a horror film with loads of doctors and nurses running around but not managing the sheer volume of patients. I was told early on that ventilation is not an option because of age. Parent got last bed in the ward and on and only thanks to the amazing work of the team looking after him, he seems to be recovering. Parent at home is struggling to do anything but isn’t “ill enough” to need hospital treatment.
Everyone I know has had at least one family member admitted into hospital. It is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
So, in my experience London is an absolute state and the only good thing it has going at the moment are the amazing medical staff.

@UndyingDeathdefying

Are the tubes running with normal frequency?

Yes and no

Many drivers are off for SI but equally Night Tube drivers have been reallocated

I had one journey where there seemed to be 15 min gaps but it's nowhere near as bad as first lockdown, when they reduced the trains in order to cram more people on to the ones that were running...!

Son as 5th year medical student drafted in as mandatory frontline staff says it is hell, central London

Slightly quieter round here

Still noticeable that people are meeting in small groups, and I'm sure not all of them can be households/bubbles

Grass in parks is totally waterlogged and churned up to mud in lots of places - worse than usual, I think there's been a lot of wear and tear in the past year and the damage is really showing now

to @ICUNurse

Re tube frequency I just don’t know - not used a tube or bus since March that’s unbelievable for me - usually pretty much daily hopping on a bus/tube.

And further to my comment about 'quieter' - it's literally quieter too. Far less aircraft noise and no raucous parties.

Boring - just the rest of the country really. Had to take DD to Superdrug to talk to pharmacist about pain relief and hardly anyone there under the age of 50. Couple of maskless old ladies having a good natter and blocking the aisle with their shopping trollies so that's alright then......

@Sorryusernamealreadyexists

Why don’t you switch on the news, it about the only place that gets reported on ever

Not true.

It makes me so sad hearing first hand here how hard it is working in hospitals and how stretched they are. I feel immense respect and gratitude for the dedication of front line workers everywhere

Cold, wet and deathly quiet.

Agreed. I keep thinking about the NHS staff. They are total heroes.

Central London eerily quiet.
No kids at school nearby, no aeroplanes overhead, no lorries.
Light traffic.
Foot traffic like a Sunday morning.
People courteous.
Very few shops open.
Supermarket shelves full, plenty of food to go round.

Only normality is the sound of drills for ‘essential’ roadworks for cabling.

@ICUNurse @Dogmalysis @crocsonmyfeet thank you all. ⭐️

Quiet apart from the men who were doing something to the gas pipes a couple of roads away, who were loudly grumbling at each other. I'm not sure what they've done wrong this evening for the shouting just now, but the gas has been erratic all week and now we have hot water again, so I think they fixed it (maybe without realising). Also a train a mile away or so.

The park is a mudpit and too busy at weekends, so we take walks on quiet streets. There are other people walking, but generally keeping good distance and people are only chatting from a few metres away. Building works continue in several places, toddler DS likes to watch them. Every bus driver, van driver, ambulance driver and construction vehicle driver waves furiously at DS and grin when he waves back. We wouldn't all notice each other usually, when life is busier. It's nice, but a reminder that we're all a bit lonely. He's confused by the interesting range of vehicles repurposed as ambulances these days. A little yellow car, a black van, a few small low vans with new paint.

MRex "We wouldn't all notice each other usually, when life is busier. "

I'm the sort who waves at people from the bus normally 😂

No point now though.

@crocsonmyfeet

On the streets? Normal, pretty quiet, not much traffic. People wearing masks in shops and on public transport. Non-essential shops closed.

In the London hospital I work in? Hell. Overwhelmed with patients, so much death. Elderly parents and adult children admitted together, elderly husbands and wives dying on the same ward. Pretty much having to ration care, ITU at 300% capacity and climbing and it's not enough. Surgeons/paediatric doctors/dental nurses helping out on the wards and in ITU. No staff, no beds, not enough oxygen.

I can't imagine what it must be like for you and your colleagues. Thank you for all you do.

My dear friend who is an A&E nurse has just tested positive and is very poorly. I'm so worried. She has been putting in a ton of extra shifts lately and is exhausted and worn down. And now this :(

Sitting at home it's quieter with less sirens and helicopters. Week day traffic going to and from work is quieter but still busier than the first lockdown. Haven't been on the tube but friends say fairly busy in rush hour. A lot of construction going on. Parks are busy with walkers. I'd say it's pretty much like most other cities in the UK. Life goes on in this weird way but January feels like forever!

SE London, naice bit, calm and quiet. Lots of "exercising". At least half the people I know have had it first time or this time.

Nearly everyone being sensible (in public, at least). DCs clinically depressed except when they bump into their friends.

We don't have snow.

Am in zone 2. The common is busy but is literally the only place to go so to be expected. Queues at the butcher etc lower than normal. Can get a regular online food delivery. But there are way more people hanging around every day than normal. Up by 300% I’d say

My main concern is not to get into an accident rather than COVID concern. So I’ll get in the car to go to a different local park but only within3 mile radius. It’s the other accident that worries me rather than COVID