Post-covid world

Your second question needs to be asked first. If you had Covid would you still go? The answer to that tells you whether to test or not. If you would still go then don’t bother as seeing the result makes no difference. If the answer is don’t go then test. Not knowing doesn’t mean you don’t have it and burying your head in the sand doesn’t stop the fact that you travelled with Covid (if you had it), despite not wishing to do that. It’s up to each person to decide what their answer is, I suspect most people now would answer that they would still go and so there is no reason for the majority of people to test.

 

If Covid is here forever (it probably isn't but I'll come back to that), then expect to live a shorter, less healthy life than you would have done. The odds of Long Covid are somewhere between 2% and 10% per infection so you likely have a maximum of 20 years before you get it - based on 2 infections per year. Given that it is vascular in nature, expect an increase of chronic conditions too - diabetes, etc, as a result of infection - not to mention the negative brain effects (both the wife and me to a lesser extent are suffering brain fog 2 months post fairly minor infection - she is struggling for the right words at times and I'm finding it harder to remember the names of TV characters and famous people!).

If you really want to learn to live with it, then you should be pushing for the preventative mitigations to reduce infection - air filtration in public buildings, far UV upper air treatment in rooms, etc - which will significantly reduce the incidence of not just Covid, but also Monkey Pox, colds and flu. That is learning to live with it, we are currently just ignoring it and hoping it goes away. Covid is not the Bugblatter Beast of Traal - it can see us even if we cover our eyes with a towel .

As for being here forever, we said that about Small Pox or the Plague in the past. Medical science is advancing all the time and its likely the Chinese (who are taking it much more seriously) will have a complete cure within a generation - probably much shorter.

 

Great bloke is Jacko

 

Had covid for a week or so now and it's been half way between a bad cold and weak flu.

Paracetomol helps.

It's dragging on now though and time for it to naff off.

 

I took an antihistamine daily too. I had similar symptoms as hay fever and I felt like it helped. They’ve also been proven to help reduce long Covid in studies so that’s a win win. I also took Will’s (slightly!) stronger Vitamin D tablets than my normal ones as, again, Vitamin D has been shown to help. I can’t recommend others do the same of course.

 

So, say you'd booked a family holiday, £4,000, and having covid would mean you lost all of that money in not going, you had a cold, you would test?

I guess I'm just highlighting how the state has transferred decisions to the individual

 

I think it's just common sense and common courtesy isn't it?

If you got symptoms then you take a test. If you test positive then you stay away from other folk.

I don't think I'd want my conscience to have to deal with carrying on with my life whilst knowing that I might have passed it on to vulnerable people whilst out and about.

 

Am I missing something?
Is the scenario this?
You're going somewhere. Nobody has asked you to test yourself. You have no symptoms or any reason to suggest you may have covid.
And the question is do you take a test off your own back or not? Why would you randomly take a test for something you have no reason to believe you have that you haven't been asked to prove your purity against? If you do take that test then where do you stop? Test for influenza too just in case you're asymptomatic? Test for monkeypox in case you're asymptomatic? The list goes on surely?

Obviously if you have symptoms of covid then the answer is that pretty much everyone should take a test if they plan to go somewhere with large numbers of people, or simply stay home. Just like if you have symptoms of other viruses really.

 

That's true but his question was if you DONT have symptoms wasn't it?

 

Very true - just read it back now.

 

Obviously I would.

 

To be clear its a hypothetical.

Personally I've been abroad once since Covid, as part of a group of 6. We weren't required to test, and none of us did. I didn't have any symptoms, I don't think any of the others did. It certainly felt like Covid was over. I can't pretend I didn't enjoy that feeling. If I'd had a mild cold would I have tested before travel? Honestly I'm not sure.

I'm suprised how many have surplus tests btw. I ordered as and when I ran out during that period, and consequently have none left and haven't for months

 

I had heavy congestion, breathing difficulties wheezing feeling unwell, several weeks ago. I took a Covid test after a few days...negative... still felt unwell and wheezing an coughing over a week later so did another test--- negative. Went on holiday to Rhodes and, albeit the symptoms were not quite as bad, I was still wheezing and coughing and felt the need to wear my mask in proximity to others. After 5 weeks I went to the doctor who said I had acute bronchitis after confirming my lungs were clear so I had a course of antibiotics, probiotics and linctus. A week after completing it my throat still feels a bit tender but on the mend.
Only reason I post this is just to highlight, Covid is here to stay, and for most people, it is now no worse than diseases and viruses, flu, pneumonia, bronchitis etc. we have lived alongside for many years. Unless. it mutates (as any of these viruses can) over time we will become more resistant as antibodies pass from generation to generation. Vaccines like the flu ones will become available annually for vulnerable groups,
and, sadly, some individuals will succumb to what for most is an inconvenience rather than fatal illness.

Organisations with a vested interest try to play up the risks but IMHO that ship has long since sailed.

 

New UK cases doubled yesterday from previous day.
It’s a spike sure enough

 

Barnsley hospital have got rid of mandatory face coverings......

https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/article/23132/face-mask-guidance-dropped-at-hospital

Now it's down to individual hospitals to decide for themselves, more will be doing this.

 

Update on day 4 since I tested positive, nearly fainted on the toilet this morning, had to lie on the bathroom floor while it passed - not a good look. I reckon that’s low blood pressure. Generally feeling worse then I did earlier in the week, smell and taste gone. If I’m expected to get this every 3 months and live with it I’d rather not thank you. Also to top it off it’s my 50th birthday today and I don’t have the energy to be even peed off.

 

Happy birthday wakeyred!!

Hopefully you’re at the peak now and you’ll start improving daily from now on. Maybe consider getting an pulse oximeter if you’re feeling faint. The Amazon ones are pretty crap but Boots does a good one. Or NHS direct may be able to send you one for free? Fitbits and the like have them built in so you may already own one. Checking your oxygen saturation level can help flag a problem before you even know there is one. Blood pressure monitors are pretty easy to pick up cheaply too, I’ve got one at home because I have low blood pressure daily so I check on it from time to time.

 

Happy b'day!

Spoke with my Mum today and she's got it for the first time. Tested positive today for the first time but had symptoms since Tuesday. Sounds like she's a nasty cough and a bit washed out but nothing too bad.

Hope you pick up soon.