covid coming back - but how bad is this wave?

[K73c]

It's been a while since I posted . Developed sudden flu symptoms in the night & tested positive to covid this morning. Seeing more twitter - X re new wave, new variant. I know cases were still happening but wondered how many are getting it now - and how last

I heard on the radio yesterday that covid vaccines may be available at pharmacies at a cost for those people not eligible for vaccines on the NHS. However it would be more expensive than the flu jab and is unlikely to be available for this autumn’s booster.

Reading between the lines I get the impression that everyone was working on the assumption that the flu vaccine and covid booster would be available to all over 50’s like last year.

So sorry that you're unwell, hope you feel better soon.

This variant as far as I know is called Eris, there's a lot of different information, some conflicting, it does seem to be sore throat, runny nose, body pains, feelings like pneumonia etc quite similar to other variants.

I think the concern is, that people are back in hospital, not sure how serious they are. This is where the spread happens, you'll get people picking it up there.

I think personally it is only when you are vulnerable or know vulnerable people that we have to continue testing and ensuring those people are kept safe, so obviously the worry isn't the same as a person who is healthy and rarely ill and doesn't suffer with serious health conditions.

I've a severely disabled dd with numerous health conditions, if half of mn seen the amount of covid tests we have here they'd die of shock. We have to continue testing as it means we can get dd help immediately, rather than leave her to just deal with it. Unfortunately like yourself we can't just say, fuck it, can't be bothered with all that crap, wouldn't it just be great if the whole world wasn't affected badly by covid.

Personally I despise the virus, it's destroyed so much in my life. I've lost people and I never want to go back to the way it was, our hospitals where I live have re introduced face masks, thankfully I've a ton of them too.

I’m just giving my opinion. I’m talking about it being in the news/media all the time.

There will be new variants. I don’t know why they need to report on them - unless there is evidence they have mutated so much that they are as deadly as the strain that emerged in 2019 - then I don’t know why anyone needs to focus on it or panic anymore than they would about the flu every year.

Obviously if OP is vulnerable to covid or any other virus for that matter, then she should take the necessary precautions like reducing social contact and just maintaining respiratory and hand hygiene.

I’m currently recovering from it. It’s gone through our household pretty much.

for everyone it was like bad flu, with DH fevers and chills and aching joints lasted a week, but he is still experiencing exhaustion a week after recovering.

I’ve been really unwell with it but I’m on meds suppressing my immune system. It is truly crap.

both DC & I also have the awful cough which was a feature of the very first covid wave, I’m using a salbutamol inhaler which is helping in so far as letting me sleep at night.

I hope it’s not so bad for you.

Was looking for a gov petition earlier as only vulnerable and over 65s are eligible for autumn jab. Unlike the flu jab, COVID jabs are are not available to buy privately.
Only petition I could find was thrown out due to the gov apparently having no control over pharmaceutical companies, who or may not, chose to sell COVID jabs in the same way flu jabs are.

That’s interesting. The flu vaccine is nearly double price this year.

OP, I have covid now. Third time and definitely the worse. I would say I became unwell fast and it was awful but I’m also improving quickly. Last night was day 4 and I was feeling much better, like a bad cold and out of curiosity I thought I would check my oxygen levels and was surprised to see it was lower than normal. 94% so not horrific but a healthy adult I was surprised. Today it’s just like a regular cold but with dizziness.

I am a tiny bit concerned. My DH had covid last year and it really exacerbated his existing condition, so worry about him getting this new strain. A friend of ours went to a wedding last week, and loads of the guests are now ill.

For all those being flippant, you might not be so if you or a loved one were vulnerable.

Reading between the lines I get the impression that everyone was working on the assumption that the flu vaccine and covid booster would be available to all over 50’s like last year

It is over 65s and those who are clinically vulnerable and their carers.

I was near hospital ill in January and February, tested negative but unlike any flu I've had before. Was jabbed at the time.
I'll again now, frequently ill since.
I would buy the vaccine but it's unavailable and we have winter to get through. I also think it's unfair on people who can't afford it.

In England that is. Think different in Scotland.

Seasonal flu.

I also thought jab would be combined 😞

We don't really know how bad this variant might be, as it's only just getting going. Some countries are seeing a sharp increase in hospitalisations, including paediatric admissions. Whether that will become the typical pattern remains to be seen.

NHS will struggle with a large increase. Those, such as the BMA, calling for a return to masks in healthcare settings are not doing so for political reasons, but because they see it as necessary to lessen the burden of covid in hospitals (and iatrogenic cases, which are very bad news for many kinds of inpatients)

I am very much of the opinion that Covid has not gone away but has gone quiet and waiting like Seasonal Flu to re-emerge with a new strain.

I have also noticed that people ignore masks, distancing, hand gel and hand washing . So a perfect ebvironment to thrive in.
( I work in Face-to-Face Healthcare)

We need to be taking this seriously. Covid hasn't just disappeared.

I work on a long covid team.

we don’t have a mask mandate back in place but we know people are getting it again.

current advice is to wash hands, ventilate rooms and be careful around vulnerable people. All this is open to interpretation though.

my husband is feeling rough and did LFT this morning - also works in healthcare - just because it makes sense not to spread it if you have it. (He doesn’t)

^ this.

I think the people who insist on dismissing Covid are just showing themselves to be massively ignorant and ill-informed.

I don't think many people are testing anymore, unless they have significant underlying conditions or live with someone who does.
We all had a bad virus a couple of weeks ago, temp, headache, fatigue/aching, sore throat for some, cough for others . We didn't have any tests so just treated it as you would flu/any viral infection no idea if it was COVID or not

I tested positive yesterday.
It started with a sore throat and since last night I have high fever and I am exhausted.

I feel horrible, I was hoping it will be milder.This my third Covid and I had 3 vaccines

I currently have it. Third time and definitely the worst yet.

Numbers of covid positive patients in my Trust more than doubled in a week. However, covid has never gone away.

You’re surprised that which threads are allowed? The ones where people mention lockdowns in the UK?

Very mild here. A sore throat for 2 days, then a cold for a few days. Feeling a bit under the weather but nothing major.

I'm recovering from it, it's the third time I've had it. First time I didn't even realise (only knew I had it from a finger prick blood test I sent off after my positive PCR second time around which said antibodies showed it wasn't my first infection) Second time was a mild cold which lasted 2-3 days but continued testing positive for 13 days. This time round has been the worst I've ever felt. The exhaustion has been unreal. I'm still very snotty and chesty and it's been 9 days. I'm a lot better than I was but it's completely floored me Thankfully nobody else in the house seems to have been as badly affected, kids have a mild runny nose and cough and DP not affected at all