Thread 24 Covid Cohort - Oh Come, Oh Come offers from Emmanuel - and all other universities aswell!

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

I tried to sing the title... It kind of works...

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to posts about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this goodwill continues.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Previous thread

DS got a flu nasal spray today and DH and I have got covid boosters booked for Friday.

DH and I are boosting on Saturday. DS double vaxxed. All got flu jabs.

Just been FaceTiming DD which was lovely to catch up I was doing ok until she said that we won’t see each other until the day before Christmas Eve!
Thank you for all the well wishes. I’m feeling better daily but can’t smell or taste much. Had a bacon sandwich for lunch and it tasted weird

@zebracat - hope they get the results to you quickly. Been there a couple of times and the waiting is the worst.

We're in a pickle over vaccine. DD counted as group 6 during the roll out, but they've now said that asthmatics have to have been hospitalised in the last two years to be group 6. So just as winter is coming, she's been bounced out of the booster programme. She hits 6 months mid Dec. Desperate for her not to be sick, hoping GP will help and she can have the booster. She isn't 18 until July so even if they go for 'all adults' after 6 months she won't count I fear.

The stress over exams is starting to hit - I don't think people understand how hard it is on the kids that mocks aren't really 'mocks' anymore. They may well count to their grade so it's constant pressure.

DD's school has been pretty much Covid free with a few cases only and none in her classes. We're hoping to make it through the last weeks of term without chaos hitting.

@whoamitojudge - Lovely update on your DD. Glad you only have a mild case.

@whoamitojudge great to hear that the dream is living up to expectations for your DD so far. I also had mild Covid and lost smell and taste. My smell came back pretty quickly, but taste is still not right - I agree that it is weird, DH got me treats to cheer me up and could not understand that there is no point eating delicious things when you can't taste them - makes it really frustrating!

@Zebracat Fingers crossed for you and a prayer that all will be well with you.

@Wheresthebeach That's a shame she's been re-categorised. It's a real pain and I can understand your worry. I don't understand why she has to have been hospitalised though. Many asthmatics have bad attacks without being hospitalised. Hoping along with you that the GP can push things along I the right direction for her.

We are also feeling the stress of exams here, to be honest, Autumn term has always been my least favourite term of the whole school yr even the dc know. Settling into the new yr group or school, exams, lots of tests/mocks and all the while dark and cold with viruses spreading around every bloody yr. It's also the longest term of the 3.
DS is exhausted but still got piles of work to do, but I'm cheering him on like someone running an Olympics race...' don't give up, you're nearly there, it'll all be worth it.....the sun will come out tomorrow!
Can't wait for Xmas to be over.

[quote Monkey2001]@whoamitojudge great to hear that the dream is living up to expectations for your DD so far. I also had mild Covid and lost smell and taste. My smell came back pretty quickly, but taste is still not right - I agree that it is weird, DH got me treats to cheer me up and could not understand that there is no point eating delicious things when you can't taste them - makes it really frustrating![/quote]
I haven't had Covid before, so when you eat chocolate for instance, what exactly do you taste? is it just like chewing rubber?

Did you all see the emergency briefing? I feel it’s inevitable that schools will close again now. ☹️
DS has his second dose booked for Tuesday.

I think there will be a push to double vaccinate 12-15s , and then vaccinate under 12s. But the 12 week wait for a booster means that is a long way off.

They really really need to at least reintroduce measures in schools like teachers keeping a distance, one way systems, and no events if they are serious and want to stave off big measures.

I agree, they do need to do all of that. I guess we wait and see. I hope our school introduce them anyway.

Suspect school will cancel the Christmas concert they've just announced...

DS is mid mocks and they don't have to be in school unless they have an exam - so far so normal. But DD (Y11) has mocks starting on Wednesday and they are not allowed in school unless for an exam. One day she has a break 11.55am to 12.45pm and needs special permission to stay in school. If she came home she'd just about have time to reach our front door before heading back to school again without any lunch . When she has a break 10.45-12.45 she has to come home. But if it helps keep cases down and school open, I'm all for it. Online school last winter was a disaster for DS.

@Shimy - It was originally going to be flu jab = covid jab. But they changed it. God knows why - they keep saying asthmatics are okay with covid but asthma is the 3rd highest comorbidity with covid deaths and the only condition linked to long covid. Its shocking they are ignoring it.

@Shimy my answer about taste vanished! I always had the tongue tastes (sweet, salt etc) but everything was bland. I can now smell but am still not getting subtle flavours, the roast beef I did recently was tasteless to me, but not to others. A friend's DD had it in July and still can't smell anything but says her taste was unaffected.

Red things all tasted actively horrible for ages. White toast still smells completely of yeast fermenting.

I still smell wafts of sewage at random times.

Both my two's schools have got various events lined up for the next couple of weeks, half expecting cancellations now, such a shame as they will have put a lot of work in (carol concerts, plays). But better to cancel than have more mass outbreaks just before Christmas.

@Wheresthebeach I am very surprised on their stance with asthmatics having suffered from asthma myself into my 20s. Why should asthmatics wait until they are hospitalised before deemed at risk? ridiculous. Please keep pushing with the GP.

@Monkey2001 & Piggy That's hard. I hope you regain your full sense of taste and smell. It's interesting how it affects different people. We take so much for granted as human beings in the way our senses work..that is, until something stops functioning then we realise how complex our system is. I never realised how I lean into my hip when standing, until I developed what is now a long term problem and dare not lean in. I hope you all get your full senses back cos they are vital to your enjoyment of food and your surroundings, especially those 'subtle' flavours/smells. Damn Covid!

Well, we are at the point of submitting the UCAS application and undecided about 5th choice. DS has suddenly thrown another uni into the possibles list. Has anyone any experience or knowledge of St Mary's in Twickenham?

Excess Sorry no personal knowledge of it but have heard through 3rd parties that pastoral care is excellent.

Sorry you've gone down with it too whoami. The losing taste and smell was the most bizarre experience. Shimy I remember saying to DH when he gave me a bowl of peaches that if I closed my eyes I literally wouldn't know if I was eating peaches or slugs. I had a packet of lentil crisps and it was like eating polystyrene (not that I've tried that). DD has lost her smell but not so much her taste although things taste differently. She's better today and back to school Monday. Still blowing her nose a lot then her ears bung up.

In other news our Christmas tree is up. DD insisted we do it this weekend as soon as she got Covid last week as something to look forward to. Looks all cosy and twinkly in our lounge. Love it.

Oh poor you Anne That sounds awful. I'm quite squeamish. An unidentifiable texture in my mouth would make me gag. I can't imagine what that must be like going on for months.

ExcessivelyDisorganised, one of DD’s friends has been to look at St Mary’s. It’s very small, isn’t it - something like 5000?

It's religious? Used to train Catholic teachers. That's all I know. I think I thought QMUL was the same place!

6000 apparently and yes, Catholic. While we are not Catholic (well, DH is but not practising) both DCs go to Catholic schools and are comfortable with the ethos. DS has a fairly strong preference for smaller universities. They did have an open day today but we had other plans (which got scuppered by the weather). DS is going there for an event next week so will probably hold out on the 5th place till after that.