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?

Exactly the same for me; very well described.

I work in a school. I've had it three times this year already. I don't know what it's like to have an unblocked right Eustachian tube anymore.

I 've never been too alarmed by covid. What I find extraordinary, however, is the fact that I could have a vaccine last year due to caring responsibilities. At 64 and still with the caring responsibilities, I didn't meet the criteria for a vaccination on the NHS. I paid £90.

The current criteria do not seem to make sense. The questions asked if I had underlying health conditions. I do, so said yes and was allowed to book an NHS vaccination. When I got to the pharmacy it was declined because I don't have the right underlying conditions. The information was there if one dug deep but it shoukd have come up as secondary questions before booking.

Yet again the public is asked not to waste NHS time. The NHS has no qualms about wasting the time of the public.

Haven't heard of anyone with covid yet no one is testing either... see the connection? And a sickness bug is making rounds, you say ? 🤔

Yet NHS staff are told to go into work with Covid unless too ill too work. If they do take anytime off its counted as normal sickness absence and can lead to disciplinary.

Strongly agree with all this.

I had Covid about 4 weeks ago and I think it’s the first time I’ve been left with long Covid. In 35 and getting very breathless very quickly still and can barely climb the stairs without huffing and puffing! The fatigue was in another level. I slept 14 hours a day for the first 2.5 weeks. Only stopped napping this week. The I’ll was itself was bad but not horrendous, it’s just the fact I don’t seem to be recovering very well.

My last vaccine was ages ago. Most I know don’t for the bracket for top ups. So most people aren’t vaccinated now correct? Vaccines are only effective for under a year I believe?

It is scary but we have to accept it is part of our lives now. In terms of measures, I regret that the handwashing message / antibac gel available everywhere didn’t continue. It would have helped for all colds, flu etc no just covid.

There has to be some measures put in place now to minimise this

And what does Twitter suggest @GreenPebbles?

Seeing as it's the new place to get sound medical advice.

OP, why do you always write Covid in capital letters? Are you a drama llama?

I have it just now. I did a test as I’ve had the worst headache and wanted to know why.
I also will stay away from people, DH was sent home for having cold symptoms anyway as his boss is sick of people passing colds about.
I don’t think I remember something where the whole household came down with something at the same time so badly, people should be staying home.

I know lots of people with covid this time, and they've pretty much all said that what they noticed was the fatigue which seemed to go on and on. I knew two people in hospital last week due to covid, none of them vulnerable, and one who had just come out who was vulnerable. I've never known more than one person in hospital at any one time before.
It does seem to be a nastier variant. It's because of that I've just booked ds' booster (only one of us who gets it)

No one can demonstrate that. Indeed on reflection, countries with differing levels of restriction experienced very similar patterns/waves.

For @GreenPebbles and others who want restrictions, take responsibility and go ahead and restrict yourselves. There's nothing that can't be ordered and delivered to your door.

Twitter can be a cesspool, and the OP's opening post wasn't hugely clear, but her source is a cardiologist referring to a Nature article. Nature is an extremely reputable publication.

You don't have to agree, but it is possible to check the source before being dismissive to the OP.

Here's the article.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53356-5

It worked very well last time: the aim was to avoid the NHS being swamped with critical cases. Nobody ever said we could avoid COVID altogether.

I understand what you are saying, but honestly, no-one is seriously ill. And it’s no different to any other year. Usually starts when people start putting their heating on, and particularly in school. I’m forever opening windows and/or turning the heat down, because it’s not healthy to sit it stuffy rooms.

As a school ,we’re pretty hot on hand-washing to keep “bug” transmission down.

I do not wish to go back to “bubbles “ , and masks…that fills me with more terror as I could not bear wearing them…I always felt like I was suffocating .

I've had covid twice. last time it was all killer sore throat this time it was killer headache. It's not been any worse then the times I've had flu though.

Hand washing is very good, even though it won't help against Covid specifically, it works against other illnesses. However opening windows does help with Covid and other airborne viruses! So you are in fact taking a mitigation measure, and I would thank you for this. There are people who can't stand seeing open windows and always close them! Perhaps you have not intended it as such, but it shows that Covid mitigation doesn't have to be lockdown or being in a bubble. Even little things help.

Unfortunately some people are becoming ill with long term symptoms, and there's more and more of them, as per ONS figures. They are still a minority, but a growing one.

There's nothing different about my life now in 2024 than from 2019, so yes I'll carry on as normal. I'm not going to stress myself out by carrying on like we're in an apocalypse whether the planet is doomed or not.

You mention climate change damage accelerating but in an earlier post you talk about filters and social distancing etc making an entire flu strain extinct etc and how we shouldn't have to take viruses lying down. Is that not a bad thing for the environment? Isn't overpopulation a huge part of the issue?

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200617-what-if-all-viruses-disappeared

Get vaccinated.
Wear a mask indoor in crowds.
Use hand sanitiser.

An annual booster shot along with flu jab should keep the beast at bay somewhat, depending on overall population uptake - but you as an individual stand a better chance of either avoiding illness or getting a milder dose if you're vaccinated.

Hmm, no not a twat. Having a healthy immune system will help you avoid constant terrible infections. If that wasn't the case then immunisation wouldn't work.

If I was getting Covid multiple times a year I'd be looking at my diet and lifestyle.

Indeed.

I hate to see the pooh-poohing of masks. Along with sanitising (usine over 70% alcohol sanitiser) a mask is a basic and very painless measure that can be taken to reduce the chance of getting it.

I really applaud you, and hope you'll recover quickly.

I'm sorry but you sound quite hysterical OP. Do you have health anxiety?