Page 3 | Covid pandemic end “is in sight”

asblindasabat · 2022-09-20T23:06:39+00:00

was just reading this interesting article - surely the pandemic pretty much ended months ago given there are no longer any restrictions and haven’t been any in months? When they say the end is in sight, what does that mean? And when is it likely to happen? This year or next? https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/14/end-of-covid-pandemic-in-sight-says-world-health-organization

TooMuchToDoTooLittleInclination · 30/09/2022 08:55

Neverendingdust · 21/09/2022 00:42

Lying in bed now full of it waiting for the test to eventually show as positive. Nose like a slime tap and no energy. Had razor blades in my throat at the weekend.

The LFT's aren't picking it up very well. Apparently if you use two vials of test liquid it's more accurate. Don't know why.

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2022 08:56

Most people pretending it’s over doesn’t make it so.

Overthebow · 30/09/2022 08:59

notyourmam · 30/09/2022 08:26

The pandemic will NOT be over until they figure out how to both prevent and treat long covid. It's been two and a half years for me now - still unable to work, still reliant on care, still measuring my walking distance in paces. There are hundreds of thousands of people like me in this country alone, and the number continues to rise.

Your situation is awful, however post viral syndrome has always existed and there are many people that have been through the same after things like flu and glandular fever. Hopefully research will continue and cures will be found, but the pandemic ending won’t be measured on this.

Overthebow · 30/09/2022 09:02

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2022 08:56

Most people pretending it’s over doesn’t make it so.

No one’s pretending it’s over, it is over. Covid will always be around, people will get sick with it every year, we aren’t going to eradicate it. But that doesn’t mean the pandemic isn’t over. We have vaccines and treatments, and for the majority life is completely back to normal. There will always be some people who have to take extra precautions, just as there have always been for other illnesses, but that is the same as it always has been.

PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior · 30/09/2022 09:15

What complicates matters is that talking about the end of the covid pandemic can mean multiple different things. It can mean the medical definition, it can mean the legal position and it can mean social attitudes. Those could each be a doctoral thesis in themselves and they're all valid ways of looking at things.

VampiresWife · 30/09/2022 09:18

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2022 08:56

Most people pretending it’s over doesn’t make it so.

Nobody is suggesting that covid is over. Covid will likely never be 'over'.

But the pandemic will end, as all pandemics do.

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 30/09/2022 09:20

Long covid may have similarities to post viral syndrome, but it is not the same, because of the cardiovascular aspects, the discovery of small clots as the causative mechanism of some typical symptoms, the elevated stroke risk and the 'brain fog' (euphemism for brain damage - unlike that caused by hormonal changes and/or sleep deprivation this shows no sign of being temporary)

Long covid doesn't seem to be related to severity of initial disease, but might be related to the number of times you catch it (either both risk each time, and repeating the risk increases the opportunity for you to be unlucky, or cumulation, not yet fully established)

PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior · 30/09/2022 09:20

VampiresWife · 30/09/2022 09:18

Nobody is suggesting that covid is over. Covid will likely never be 'over'.

But the pandemic will end, as all pandemics do.

Show quote history

Yes, there's a distinction between the two things.

MrsSkylerWhite · 30/09/2022 09:36

PerfectlyPreservedQuagaarWarrior · Today 09:20
VampiresWife · Today 09:18
Nobody is suggesting that covid is over. Covid will likely never be 'over'.

But the pandemic will end, as all pandemics do.
Show quote history
Yes, there's a distinction between the two things“

yes, fair points. A lot of people do seem to believe that Covid has “ended”, though. Still around 300 deaths per week, likely to rise over winter. Needs to be remembered so complacency doesn’t kick in and people miss boosters.

RafaistheKingofClay · 30/09/2022 10:01

No, not at this time of year and not at this speed and not so frequently. The last time this happened was in June/July which is definitely not autumn. When this one goes I’d guess we’ll be getting a wave in another 3 months. Which will put us into peak flu season. Even between waves we have a non zero number of covid patients which you don’t see with flu.

You couldn’t pay me enough to be bed manager at the moment. It must be like trying to deal with a year round flu season. With the added problem of unprecedented levels of staff sickness. So far covid only appears to be seasonal in the sense that we get a wave of admissions and staff sickness every season.

notyourmam · 30/09/2022 11:35

Thanks for the well wishes.

Yes, post viral syndrome has always existed in a small minority of people with flu and glandular fever et al. But proportionally speaking long covid is a much, much bigger problem. Collectively, there are a quarter of a million people in the UK living with ME/CFS - there are already more than that with long covid, after only 2.5 years of its existence. The workforce has been rapidly depleted in a way that has never happened with a flu outbreak.

Plus, like a pp said, the risks are different. With data coming out about increased stroke and cardiac risks even after recovery, the long term consequences of covid infections seems to be far, far greater in the general population than something like the flu ever was, even setting long covid aside (which, ya know, I'd rather we didn't.)

CornishYarg · 30/09/2022 16:23

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 30/09/2022 08:34

How do they know how many people have it if no one is testing? I've been feeling a bit rough all week but not tested and gone to work etc as normal.

From the ONS random sampling which is still continuing. Whenever the news quotes the prevalence of Covid e.g. 1 in 60 people currently has it, that's from the ONS. You're right that the figures obtained from the total number of positive number of tests registered is pretty useless now.

RafaistheKingofClay · 30/09/2022 17:20

notyourmam · 30/09/2022 11:35

Thanks for the well wishes.

Yes, post viral syndrome has always existed in a small minority of people with flu and glandular fever et al. But proportionally speaking long covid is a much, much bigger problem. Collectively, there are a quarter of a million people in the UK living with ME/CFS - there are already more than that with long covid, after only 2.5 years of its existence. The workforce has been rapidly depleted in a way that has never happened with a flu outbreak.

Plus, like a pp said, the risks are different. With data coming out about increased stroke and cardiac risks even after recovery, the long term consequences of covid infections seems to be far, far greater in the general population than something like the flu ever was, even setting long covid aside (which, ya know, I'd rather we didn't.)

I was reading about MIS-N this morning. It’s like every time you think you know about all the damage covid can potentially do it manages to throw something worse into the ring.