This is unreal - the new variant - anyone have it

[GreenPebbles]

I am not ill and I don't have it. I had COVID in the summer and I know it's likely only just around the corner again.

Did anyone have COVID recently? How was it?

I came across this on twitter. Apparently there's a new variant called XEN.

It looks a lot like the original Wuhan variant. It appears as if people are getting better and then by the second week there is respiratory distress.

I mean like WHAT THE HOLY FUCK?

I mean like how can this be allowed to spread if this is happening?

That was a really contradictory and hyperbolic post (not yours, the one you were responding to).

I'm glad you made a full recovery. When I mention long covid, I understand and don't wish to demean the experiences of those who have been very ill or recovering for less than three months. I hope it didn't come across that way. In fact, I think it's very strange that schools and some workplaces don't consider the volume of covid around and how irrational it is to expect the same level of sickness as pre-2020.

Yes. Thank you.

Hi OP, I think its understandable to feel concerned as this variant has been reported as a strong one and I have heard of school and work departments struggling with high levels of sickness. My DD has been very unwell the past week with something that had all the markings of covid. What shocked us was how quickly it hit her chest (breathlessness, chest pain) and at one point we were considering taking her to A&E. Fortunately, the breathlessness abated but she is still unwell and may need to speak to the GP next week. As for me, I also had an awful two days of strange symptoms that I've had before with covid but my body seems to have cleared it quickly. However, I am nervous of a post viral reaction in a few weeks time as I still have long covid from 4 years ago, the likes of which I have never experienced with previous flu/cold infections. Looking back that was the most horrific, disabling experience I have ever had and whilst I have made slow improvements, I am unlikely to ever work full time again.

Meant to add OP, that if you do get it, try not to panic as the stress won't aid recovery. Also there's a protocol out there on how to manage any post viral problems such as rest/pacing, taking vitamin C and D etc which I'm doing currently. So there is stuff that you can do to help yourself. All the best.

Hope your anxiety is not always this bad for you x

they’re not going to do it as the cost of Paxlovid is £300 per person.

I realise someone has to get a free test to qualify, then have a positive result and request a prescription from a GP or someone, and (presumably) someone has to do the additional pharmacy checks for potential interactions with other drugs but what makes up the cost here as the drug tariff price is £2.50?

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/nirmatrelvir-with-ritonavir/medicinal-forms/

No, anxiety is not this bad.

It's just I was so ill in the summer with covid. The thing is, it's just right around the corner again no doubt.

It's not right to have this level of sickness circulate around either.

I know someone who is a manager and a lot of his team was sick in the summer with covid and took many additional weeks off too claiming sickness after covid. He was so quick and easy to dismiss the additional sickness leave saying they are dossing. I know no one knows the truth about his team but going by what I and my familiar experienced. It's took is all down and it was such a strange virus too.

I just don't think it's right to have this level of sickness circulate around. While there is additional stress and pressure from employers to get to fuck back to work no matter what.

It's just not right. Something has to give.

I am the OP I never called for a lockdown but other posters took part and wrote out steps that can be taken to mitigate this.

I think there is a new vaccine in development too and it's nasal vaccine and it's looking g promising to offer sterilising immunity against covid but I suppose it's still early days. Estimate 2027. I think governments should be throwing money at this vaccine to get it out sooner than 2027. I think it's so important now and more than ever before.

@GreenPebbles kindly, please go and have a rest and a cup of tea (or wine)

You’ve answered a question I didn’t ask. I wanted the poster I quoted to explain to what should the deaths that did occur be attributed if not to COVID.

This article says it's 150 a dose but is from last year. It also mentions eligibility to access them is much higher than WHO and NICE recommend. I guess the excess antivirals already procured and paid for went to waste, rather than widen eligibility, a bit like last year's vaccines were.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12766237/Millions-life-saving-Covid-19-drugs-waste-NHS-backtracks-plans-offer-vulnerable.html

How do you explain the millions of people who are currently not getting Covid 1-2 times a year? In my immediate family, I’ve had it once in 2020. DH, my brother and my Dad have also had it once each. My Mum has never had it. DSD once in 2021. Vaccine status ranges from totally unvaccinated (brother) to had every vaccine and booster (dad). No one living like a hermit or masking. I’ve got loads of friends and colleagues who have had Covid once or twice or not at all.

It is explained by looking at the entire population. The plural of anecdote (which your "I know X people who haven't had it much/ haven't been really ill" is an example of) is not data.

Data across the whole population is showing these things about long covid etc. It just happens that the people you no are at the milder end of being affected. There could be many reasons for this. It could be within the person - some people have better immune systems than others. People can have other conditions that affect how well their immune systems. Then you have an infinite number of other variables. How often do people use public transport - but also the type of transport, what time of day it is, and how well ventilated it is

Even places like schools and offices will vary in how well ventilated they are and how crowded ( some schools may have bigger classrooms than others etc, open plan may spread virus quicker and more effectively than classrooms and corridors) people's immune systems can be affected by the quality of their diet etc etc. That's before the fact that you would expect something like a virus ( like any other natural things) to have a normal distribution in its effects anyway, so you will have some people on the hardly affected end, a lot in the middle and some on the really badly affected end - it's just what natural things do!

Ironically sometimes it seems to be the people with excellent immune systems who get hit hardest by Covid - because the immune system is overreacting to the virus. This underlies various autoimmune diseases. The body attacks the intruder with such vigour it attacks the host (I.e. human) at the same time.

So therefore it isn’t true across the whole population that “we will now all get covid 1-2 x a year forever (unless living like hermits and masking)” which is the point I was querying? We definitely won’t all get it 1-2 times a year forever, that isn’t happening now and there’s no reason to think it will in future. Some people are and will continue to be more susceptible and more adversely effected.

I had it 2 weeks ago, it started as a cold then for a couple of days I had a really bad cough, temperature, and was light headed and dizzy. Recovered after about 5 days. This was my 6th time having covid (I just test because I like to know what I have, I’m not overly bothered/anxious, just like to know)! My mum has never once had Covid, despite being 20 years older and working in the same environment as me (primary school). I must just be more susceptible to it for some reason.

I believe a lot of 'long covid' is psychological, that doesn't mean that there isn't physical symptoms and issues aren't real, but that they came from the psychological distress of being unwell rather than the covid itself.

I say that as someone who got the flu pre-pandemic (completely healthy prior to that) and it took forever to recover from, and caused a vicious cycle of hell!

I've seen similar with people who have been sick for a couple of weeks, it doesn't take long to start to suffer psychologically and be upset that they can't train or do x or y or that they don't feel fit or healthy....it's depressing, and if the person had any way fragile mental health beforehand (which many do) then it can have a significant impact...so then if they're feeling unwell for a month or 6 weeks or longer the psychological distress gets worse and then the symptoms get worse and it's a whole vicious cycle that some can't get out of.

And of course with covid people will also worry now about 'long covid' so if peoples symptoms persist for longer than the other members of their household for example they get very anxious and distressed thinking it's going to turn into 'long covid' and they'll suffer forever....which can make it a self fulfilling prophecy.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9825049/#:~:text=First%2C%20there%20is%20already%20substantial,risk%20factor%20of%20long%20COVID.

Honestly I think this is very interesting.

I think it’s a combination of

• individual immune response
• Levels of exposure - Eg I have young, school age kids. I’ve had it 4 times as have they (5 x for one daughter) and 4 x for my husband
• testing (most don’t, I do as parent is having chemo)

My parents who are late 70s have both had it twice.

Almost all of my friends who have kids in school and who work have had it 4-5 times each but there is the odd person whose either never had it (!) or had it once. And I’m really fascinated to know if they don’t get it due to some inate immunity or it’s just luck. Like you, a mixture of vax and unvaxxed. I have a friend who is a GP who has now had it 7 times! Obviously she does still test and sometimes it’s been a cold,
sometimes very unwell with it.

In my own home I have been vaccinated, and I've had it 4 times for definite and possibly a 5th but was abroad and didn’t test. DH is not vaxxed and has also had it 4 times. I don’t bother with the vaccine now as every time it’s been identical for each of us (as each other). Also I’m not eligible.

I have had it twice. Not at all in 2020. Once in 2022, mildly and once now! And I feel absolutely shite!!

Also @adviceneeded1990 i wonder if some people just live and work in better ventilated places! If you’ve got hepa filters going your risk is much reduced. Many new office buildings are better for example than old schools with locked windows!

This is what’s interesting to me too because everyone thinks schools are hotbeds but I’m a primary teacher and me and my colleagues have def had it less than my non teacher friends! Better immunity from more exposure? I honestly don’t know!

I've had it for nearly 3 weeks now! Totally floored started to feel better went back to work for one day ended up in bed for a either week with a fever and feelingike I had the flu. I'm also pregnant so this could be why it's taking so long. It's bare able but it's getting ridiculous now. So fed up.

So you don't have evidence for your statements, then, just personal anecdotes and your own feelings about "we live in a society" and accusing others of being "work-shy". And when someone else provides cold hard figures from official statistics, you label that as feelings. OK.

If someone is not willing to consider any actual evidence and their personal beliefs take precedence always, then there's no way to have a rational conversation, I'm afraid. I think this is in fact the key to why this issue is being handled so badly. People desperately want to believe certain things and they are trying to make reality fit around their beliefs, rather than the other way around.

During work trips abroad (in East Asia) I noticed CO2 monitors displaying air quality in some buildings. It was really interesting to see the figures and quite reassuring when you noticed a place had good ventilation (and if the opposite was true, you knew not to linger there for too long). This is not something we can see with the naked eye usually but will likely make a difference. We could reduce all kinds of illness across society simply by improving ventilation.