Thread 25 - Covid Cohort - Christmas Trees, No Omicron Please!

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

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.

Orange Cinnamon (Head Monitor )
Previous Thread Found Here

@HibiscusIsland - I'd do similar with DD. Any bad news would knock her, so I'd avoid during a stressful time. Each child is different. Fingers crossed for exams and that there are offers waiting!

Thanks to those who asked about interview yesterday. It was a mixed bag, medicine interviews are often "Multiple mini interviews" (MMIs) so he had 5 X 7 minute interviews and went enthusiastically into the first one, but had a grumpy interviewer who didn't smile and told him he should have been able to answer one of the questions better, which threw him for the next ones, in which interviewers were much nicer! It wasn't a disaster, but he won't be surprised if he is rejected. Luckily Manchester is very much second choice for him, he would have to do a foundation year there, which is done in a partner sixth form college, as he is not doing Chemistry or Biology, so was not sure that he would accept it even if he was offered a place. Will not know the outcome until March!

Sorry to hear people feeling ill. @Alsoplayspiccolo I think PCRs take about 18 hours to come back, so not as bad as you might think. I am not suggesting you should have one, just saying that it may not be as disruptive as you fear.

I can trump anyone on driving - I drove DS1 back to St Andrews (because he was taking his gaming stuff when the social life died because most of the students were not allowed back for service semester) and rules on staying away were unclear so I went from Bristol and back in a day - 16 hours of driving! Could have made it to the South of France in that time. Luckily we have a comfortable car and I had some good audio books!

@Alsoplayspiccolo have a PCR today this is highly infectious and presents in multiple different ways. You will get results in 24hrs or less if you go to closet drive in place. Mask yourself explaining you have a cold if you have events so others don’t get it.

LFT is only going to come up positive once you are highly infectious but you will be speeding it around for two days before then.
If you are unwell in ANY way get a PCR - I have former colleagues working in research on this and in ICU. Please see ICNARC data for may to 10th December - these are the percentages of different age groups in ICU across that time. Yes there are more under 40s than over 70s.

Sorry should read spreading not speeding

Thanks for that @Fruitygal DH is terrified he has contracted it due to being on a packed tube last week (very few masks). He has no symptoms and had his booster three weeks back so should be ok. If anything slightly develops straight to PCR I think

@Monkey2001 - I think that's a awful thing for the interviewer to say! Gosh, I think your DS did well to recover from that and have further, positive, interviews. I hope he gets offers. x

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail I hope he’s fine - tube is so much better than 4 weeks ago when only 30% were masked. If you are wearing a FFP mask well fitted you are pretty safe in that environment.

My friends in research and ICU want people to have fun and go out - they are mostly younger than me - they also want people to have the vaccines and PCR test when sick.

Well, the Zoe app has asked me to get a PCR now, so I have booked in after all. I have been masked and avoiding indoor contact as much as possible this week to avoid catching it so fingers crossed.

I made it down here. I got about an hour from home and came to a standstill on the a14. Stationary for half hour then creeping along. So the journey was longer than it should have been.

Ds1 has booked a dr appointment for midday. So let's see what the dr says.

Dh still has his cold. But he won't even do a LFT as he has too much to do. He's only painting at a rental house he owns. So he's not seeing anyone. The dc's are doing them twice weekly I did one before coming to see dm. But I haven't caught his cold yet 🤞

Hoping the outcome is not reflective of the experience Monkey, even if it’s not the number 1 choice. The hurdles for potential medics is gruelling to say the least.

Enjoy the time with your mother ican. Sounds like you need a much deserved drama free break away from the men of your household!

And to all that have illness in their family, take care. It’s a tumble of dominos isn’t it; we are awaiting PCR results for DD right now too.

So a US friend’s 22 yr old (let’s call him Hank) was in the uk for a few weeks before Xmas. He went up to see my ds1 at uni and they had a very busy weekend of clubbing and gigging. He went back to London on Sun, DS came home.
Yesterday, Hank tested positive for covid. Self isolating until Christmas Eve, can’t get home for Xmas. So we will scoop him up for Xmas. My questions: 1. How guilty should I feel 2. Should ds1 be self isolating 3. Are we doomed to all get covid given we have spent the last 2 days with ds1 4. Any idea what I can panic purchase so Hank has some presents to unwrap on Christmas Day? God he needs a stocking too. Aurghhhhhhh

@delphigirl - don't feel guilty. He could have got it in London before he went to see DS.
You need to do lft daily if you have no symptoms for 7 days (I believe). If you get symptoms then PCR.
Hoodies are always an option.
Covid is odd - step daughter has it, her step father has it, but her mother doesn't. On paper her mother is the highest risk but so far, nothing.

@Delphigirl no don’t feel guilty at all they are grown ups and he chose to come to uk so he was aware of risks. Covid is everywhere so may not even relate to trip to DS1.

DS1 needs a PCR today and you probably want him in a mask if in lounge or stay in his room to try and reduce your risk of catching it while you wait for his result. If he has been infectious with you since Sunday then it’s likely you will get it But he may have caught it on Sunday and only been infectious for the last half day so some family members may avoid it. If you have the younger ones at school get them to mask in class until DS1 result is back plus LFT daily so not ruining other classmates Christmas.

Pressies - order festive PJs and socks from next and chocolates from hotel chocolate or just get gold coins from supermarket. If he has a Switch get a new game? Stocking somewhere like John Lewis or Dunlemn or a big supermarket might deliver.

icanbe, I adore driving and love motorway driving the most: but the A12 is a pig of a journey, especially from Surrey. Dh's mum used to be (before passing - she was the sweetest women ever) and 3 of his 4 sisters still in Clacton, Colchester, and Yarmouth, and Ds2 still goes for a weeks summer holiday, so I've spent hours on it, and it's one of the worst!

Blimey, Monkey, did that interviewer think he was on The Apprentice or something? I would have been utterly thrown by that. Well done to your ds for powering on through.

Sorry for everyone with the 'is it/isn't it Covid' jitters. Cases are high here at the moment so I'm constantly waiting for the sword of Damocles to strike us down. Not sure how we've evaded it thus far tbh.

Dd didn't make it into counselling, citing a 'stomach ache'. But is now tucking into half a small baguette with jam, so recovery was swift...

Promoted by Delph and her lack of mascara, I've just booked myself in to have my occasional eyelashes and eyebrows dyed tonight after work. I have very long eyelashes (one of the few things I've got going for me - big boobs, small waist, hourglass figure, cankles, thinning hair, attractive hairs sprout from chin suddenly) , so this will prep me for Christmas. that omicron will deny.

Sorry to hear of miser interviewer Monkey.
And now Delph has American Hank for Christmas?

Sitting on the sofa with a good book. Any number of other things I should be doing. Like half the thread, I was insomnia cal last night. So now just knackered. @Delphigirl cheesy, but I would get him a leather/ silver bracelet and find 2 charms of maybe a stethoscope and a London bus, to remember this weird Christmas. PJs and a new pair of socks. Also a book for the journey home. And decent chocolate because the American stuff is so rank. Stocking is easy, beer, gum, scratch card and miniature playing cards. Sounds like a lot, but I think you’ve got a few Bob so should be right!

@Oblomov21 those chin hairs. On sunny days, my first thought is to take the magnifying mirror and tweezers to the east facing window!

@Oblomov21 the driving was ok. I can't say I liked it. I get on the a12 at Ipswich then down to m25. I've driven it a fair few times too.

One piece of good news is dh has had ds2's car fixed already. Something had corroded somewhere (I took no notice of exactly what) He's collecting Ds later, then ds can go to his Spider-Man movie and get himself there and back. Phew. Now just need to hear back from ds1.

Thanks all - esp @Wheresthebeach @Fruitygal @Zebracat for the sage and unpanicked advice!! Zebra love the bus/bracelet idea if I can swing it in time. V happy to throw money at the prob as usual
Now have 2 close colleagues with positive tests. Feeling that I might quite like a mild dose myself to start Xmas early rather than working up to 21st… but then my sis and family and aged mum couldn’t join us which would be sad

@Delphigirl. image They have little COVID charms on Etsy! Bet that image thing don’t work.