I know more people with covid now than at any point before

[AmIAJoke]

Including myself!

My work has half the staff out, 4 of my friends (in various locations from Manchester to Edinburgh) are positive and several of my sports club. These groups aren’t linked in any way. No one is seriously ill (thankfully) but most seem to be fairly unwell - minimum one week off work kind of ill. It’s been the worst bug I’ve had in many years.

It seems strange whilst there is almost zero talk in the media and yet so many in my life.

Is this is now? Regular repeating cycles of being unwell with covid now jabs are wearing off? I guess we just have to accept and be grateful it’s not making us seriously ill - but it’s no fun and I am worrying about long covid as I’m exhausted.

I was just talking to my mum about this last night. I've known more people with Covid in the last couple of months than in the preceding two years of the pandemic. Only a couple have been very seriously ill though. One of my work colleagues has just recovered from her second bout of it in six months. Apparently an additional booster jab is being talked about for the autumn.

Sadly I think Covid is with us to stay.

Part of the reason it's not talked about in the media is the fact that most people can no longer report their test results as they are having to buy tests rather than use the free ones. So the figures the government have are really inaccurate.
Just had it myself for the first time and I wasn't well for 2 weeks and even now I'm still exhausted with a head cold and cough that won't shift

Hope they roll out boosters to the whole population in the autumn. Moderna has developed an Omicron-specific booster that has tested well. This is great but part of me thinks ... what about when the next variant comes along?
I know there are lots of deniers on here but I do worry about long-term organ damage and the effect of repeated infection with a virus about which we still have much to learn.

I don’t know anyone with covid at the moment and haven’t heard of anyone I know catching it for a month or two. A few people have had colds and have tested to double check.

I’m not saying it isn’t out there just offering a different perspective!

Maybe there’s a regional aspect to it

Same here. 6 out of 10 staff with it. We have had to say that if you have it and are well enough to work, then you need to come in. We have no other option, it's a service open 24/7.

Manchester here and don't know of anyone with it at the moment. It was Dec-Jan round here when everyone seemed to have it.

Anybody I know who has had it in the past few months has barely had a cold. If it is mild would it matter if half the country had it?

Well maybe a few months ago, perhaps,
but that’s not the experience for many right now.
Omicron has mutated again and is now not the ‘cold’ it was a few months ago.
All my friends and contacts with it, healthy ish, working, vaccinated 30-50’s, have been very rough and up to at least a week off.
Not a cold and so much about long term
issues are just coming out.

I am in moderna omicron study. I either got old moderna or omicron specific vaccine. I haven't had covid yet so hopefully I will avoid it again with help of the vaccine.

I don't know anyone with covid atm.

Surely it's too early to start flapping about covid again ? Can't we have a break until autumn please?

I've only just taken down the monkey pox decorations this week and replaced them with the polio ones 😁

We’re at the start of a new wave and the new variants like deeper lung tissue. Shit. It is being reported in decent newspapers.

I don't know anyone who has, or has had it recently.

Although I probably do but its just part of life now so (many) people don't to broadcast or announce anymore than any other bug or virus.

My partner was only saying the other day that he wouldn't be surprised if in 10 years or so there is a big large part of the population who have bad lung problems from having had COVID numerous times and no follow up

@Acaseofthemondays do you have a source for this please as I'm having trouble finding any news source, decent or otherwise, that is reporting the latest variants prefer deeper lung tissue.

I'm Manchester Urmston way and loads of people have it here. Hopefully it stays away from your neck of the woods

This is a bit scary, does it include vaccinated people who have had it already?

For information, for those interested.

apple.news/ADY5eimfbR2irABT14a7rOg

This has just been reported by the BBC, currently about 1 in 35 have covid.
New strains to blame but not thought to be more lethal.

amp.9news.com.au/article/2c889cbc-87ea-4853-aed5-7a7dbce1d202

Uk are still pushing the efficacy of vaccines but data from around the world seems to report it is quite effective at escaping both previous infection antibodies and vaccination protection.

The government figures are not based on reported tests. They use samples taken from a wide section of the population and extrapolate from that. People I know have taken part in sampling for two years, once a month. The whole family just tested positive.

All the more reason for the government to actually roll out Evusheld for the immunosuppressed. It's been approved by MHRA in March. Government coming up with excuses for not doing so. 30 other countries are using it.

It's suddenly resurfaced in our small West Yorkshire town, including DH today 😂 terrible timing as DS still has one GCSE to do next week plus 6th form taster day & prom...

Really? So I guess they just wanted us to report for track and trace purposes previously
Hope the family don't have it too bad

Me too and several of them are REALLY unwell.

Suddenly aware of lots of cases in my area too but not yet up to the levels in December/January when virtually every other person seemed to have it!

I was wondering about the numbers too. I have had it this last week but, when checking on-line have not been asked to report the fact.
I've fairly much made my own decisions about what I have been able / not been able to do.