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Coronavirus And The Broads


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I’ve not been furloughed, being fortunate enough to be able to continue to work from home. However, during the full lockdown our employer stressed that we should not cancel booked annual leave just because we can’t get away. I imagine it’s the same for businesses that have had to furlough staff. They won’t want a backlog of leave in the next annual leave year.

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27 minutes ago, Upcycler said:

Really!

Are you telling me that no one have taken their 80% government covid 19 wage to enjoy the broads, knowing that a job is still waiting for them?

And why shouldn't they still spend their money on a holiday? 

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1 hour ago, Upcycler said:

I do wonder how many people are having paid holidays by the government to enjoy the broads?

No, really? Absolutely appalling behaviour. They should be made to stay at home and only spend government money on essentials. Lock them in and throw away the key, I say. 

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There seems  to be a growing  trend amongst  some,that think some of us on furlough are sponging. Well some one who is furloughed, sheilding and has taken voluntary  redundancy  I don't consider it as sponging.It has been the biggest disruption to  my life.I have  had to use some of my pension and make changes  to my life.Yes I will spend a few days on my boat if that's alright  with you.DONT tare us all with the same brush.

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11 minutes ago, Broads01 said:

No, really? Absolutely appalling behaviour. They should be made to stay at home and only spend government money on essentials. Lock them in and throw away the key, I say. 

Just for the avoidance of doubt I was being completely tongue in cheek. In all seriousness, anyone on Furlough should have full freedom to spend time on the Broads just as much as anybody else. 

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9 hours ago, YnysMon said:

I imagine it’s the same for businesses that have had to furlough staff. They won’t want a backlog of leave in the next annual leave year.

we have been told we need to take at least 40% of our leave before 31st August, some of our staff are still on furlough so this wont be easy for them, , this is why I have 3 weeks holiday coming up over a period of 4 weeks as I had bought an extra 2 weeks holiday this year, so needed to get it in and taken, the week I had booked in May had been moved to july due to the lockdown.

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I have just read that face masks are to be compulsary in English shops from 24 July.

This was likely to happen  so on Saturday I obtained said item on the basis that if required one would just have to look daft for a few minutes when walking into the local shop.

No way was I prepared for what was to happen when I tried on a mask when I got home.

The thing felt very uncomfortable and my glasses instantly steamed up.

Suddenly without warning, and after less than a minute,  I felt my chest tighten and found myself fighting for breath,

Even though I got the mask off quickly I still could not get my breath and I was really scared,.

To be honest I thought it was a heart attack and this was the end.

Took some time to recover and on seeking medical advise it would appear that the restriction to my breathing caused by the mask had been sufficeint to somehow trigger a severe asthma attack.

I have had a few problems with asthma in the past but never as bad as this.

Surely I cant be the only one this has happened to and would be interested to hear if anyone else has had problems with face nasks.

From a practical point of view this means I am effectivly on permanant house arrest after 24 July.

As a full time carer this is going to be a nightmare .

 

 

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Hi Arthur, nothing as extreme as you suffered, only the steaming up of the spectacles which is just a bit of a bind. I would imagine you will be able to carry a card exempting you from wearing one as you  already can when using public transport but fine details have still to be announced.

Fred

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Arthur, I have a similar issue as you, my daughter has the same problem as yourself, a mask triggers an asthma attack, mine is not so simple and I have been experimenting. I have a blood oxygen meter, this shows my normal as 98-99% when I put a conventional mask on it drops to 94% (95% is the bottom of normal) and I struggle to get enough breath. (and that is just sat in a chair- not exerting myself)

after experimentation, as little as a single layer of cloth drops my blood oxygen and I find myself struggling to breathe, changing to a very loose weave helps, i can keep it at 97% that way, but the mask is in no way impeding the flow of my breath, any particulates will be travelling straight through as it needs to be as open as a net curtain.

I have found that a 3M PPE type respirator mask is better, with the filters on I can keep above 95%, If I take the filters off, its better at 98%- near normal (though with the valves built in I do sound like Darth Vader, the problem I have here is that the largest size mask, doesnt fit, I bought the standard size, fits 90% of wearers, well wearing that if it covered my nose, the chin piece stopped my mouth up completely. more research, I bought the largest they make, this still doesnt fit properly as it still wont tuck under my chin and cover my nose, it sits on top of my chin, and is darned uncomfortable, and needs adjusting every few seconds (they tell you not to touch your mask after putting it on and only handle by the elastic, well that wont happen).

so yes, I have found a solution, but, this type of mask just covers the face, without the filter packs it doesnt stop anything coming in, and more importantly, even with the filters, it doesnt stop anything going out.

A suggestion has been made that I wear a face shield, this is well and good, but as I have a large head, the bottom edge stops at about mouth level, so thats not really doing anything positive to help either.

So, you are not alone with having problems wearing masks, mine I believe dates back to when I had a pulmonary embolism which is why I am now on warfarin. other than not being able to wear a mask, I dont notice I have a problem, other than breathing a lot deeper when exercising (going up the stairs). 

I do hope some system is put into place for those unable to wear a mask, so they can produce an ID or something to say they cant wear a mask, or I can see myself contesting a lot of £100 fines in the future. (or pointlessly wearing an ill fitting uncomfortable mask that does nothing to protect either me or those around me)

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1 hour ago, trambo said:

Hi Arthur, nothing as extreme as you suffered, only the steaming up of the spectacles which is just a bit of a bind. I would imagine you will be able to carry a card exempting you from wearing one as you  already can when using public transport but fine details have still to be announced.

Fred

the problem here, is how will the card be issued, i forsee a rush on the doctors surgery to obtain an exemption card if that is the method, will other proof such as an inhaler be acceptable.

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The first time I used a mask was when I went to A&E,about six weeks ago.It was difficult  to breathe just sitting down walking  made it worse. It is for those of us a catch 22.We are in theory exampt from wearing masks.To be honest  I just don't know whats best.As I'm still sheilding I'm not going out much.Each morning  on BBC breakfast a GP answers questions  about the virus etc.Yesterday she said perhaps the best for us was to wear a face shield.

For myself I couldn't  wear a mask for too long.At present theres nothing  to show we are exampt There have been suggestions such as a badge or a letter. As I write this a GP today said that most would be okay.I feel we have been overlooked. I think a badge would be a good idea and a letter.I can see if we don't wear a mask and we're challenged we may be made to look bad.

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3 minutes ago, grendel said:

the problem here, is how will the card be issued, i forsee a rush on the doctors surgery to obtain an exemption card if that is the method, will other proof such as an inhaler be acceptable.

SInce the start of the virus the NHS/Government have informed  me what to do.They have decided for us to wear face coverings.About two and a half million  of us are at risk.It would be easy to issue us with a litter.The situation at present  is confused. When masks was first mentioned I asked my Nurse practitioner if I had to wear a mask,her answer  was yes and we can't give a letter to say you don't need to..

Give us a litter and produce a badge.

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The other issue is the large number of people who are posting on social media with the attitude that anyone not wearing a mask is some sort of socially irresponsible idiot, making it all the more difficult for any that are unable for any reason to wear a mask, as they then will be seen as anti social idiots, rather than someone whos is suffering from not being able to breath. Until this all came up i had no idea that my blood oxygen dropped as low as it does when wearing a face covering, as the thing had never cropped up. from now when I go out I will be taking my blood oxygen meter with me as well as the totally useless PPE respirator.

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Its not only on social media  its often  reported on TV.If fact there's lots of talk about  it now on BBC breakfast. The first day when it was made so on transport. A women being interviewed, said she challenged someone  not wearing  a mask and reported  him.Without the support  of a badge/letter,we have no way of letting others know that wearing a mask is a problem. This also applies to under five's  those that lip read , seriously disabled. 

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19 minutes ago, grendel said:

the problem here, is how will the card be issued, i forsee a rush on the doctors surgery to obtain an exemption card if that is the method, will other proof such as an inhaler be acceptable.

From what I can tell in the case of public transport you can apply or download from most operators web sights. Less practical for shops but something should have been put in place before the 24th. Or at least I would have hoped so.

If the rules are to be the same as applied to public transport then the face covering does not necessarily have to be a mask, a silk scarf or the like suffices.

Fred

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Fred, I am sure you would be questioned if you wore a net curtain, and as that is about the level of what I would have to wear to get enough breath, I have tried and one thickness of tee shirt material still gives me breathing issues. even sat not doing anything, so for me it will have to be the PPE mask without the filters, which is no more than a gesture towards following the legislation, as it protects nobody.

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A good face mask should have a bendable wire in the top to seal it round your nose from steaming your glasses. the type we are issued at work do have this.

For much of the weekend I was wearing a half face rubber mask with changeable  filters, as I'm sanding the wooden decks as the moment.  Still a long way to go on that..

It's no where near as bad as wearing  military S6 Respirator with NBC gear over a cabbage suit during an exersize..

 

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8 minutes ago, TheQ said:

For much of the weekend I was wearing a half face rubber mask with changeable  filters,

I can wear one of those without the filters, all I need to find is somewhere that makes them in a size larger than that currently manufactured, they happily state on their website that their size range suits 99.5% of people, guess who falls in that .5%.

About 10-12 years ago I was sent for a medical prior to confined space training, part of this was a lung capacity test, due to my physical size, I had the capacity, but since the test required repeated capacity checks I failed as my results werent repeatable, I could do it once, but the second time failed, and that was before I had clots on my lungs which can only have made things worse.

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31 minutes ago, TheQ said:

A good face mask should have a bendable wire in the top to seal it round your nose from steaming your glasses. the type we are issued at work do have this.

 

 

The ones I wear do but not very effective.

32 minutes ago, TheQ said:

 

For much of the weekend I was wearing a half face rubber mask with changeable  filters, 

 

 

Reminds me of clubs I used to go to when younger (much)!!! :default_biggrin:

Fred

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I dont know whether we will be expected to spend 5 minutes giving full medical disclosure at each shop we try and enter, and should we be needing to give medical disclosure at all when something as simple as a badge or letter would suffice.

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