Covid19 Booster

[Smoggy]

It seems if you had AZ for the first two jabs you will likely get pfizer for booster or if pfizer for first two the moderna as booster, I had the latter and found the moderna booster a bit of a headbanger with a headache and general fuzzyness for a few days and heard a few folk say the same, would I have it again? Hell yes, such a small price in comparison.

While I have slacked off in some small shops I have used a mask in any supermarkets where the average iq seems to plummet for some reason, probably just because there's more people there the idiots stand out.

I've not used public transport since the rules eased so can't comment on that.

I'm technically exempt from masks by way of astma but have never felt them a big problem except glasses steaimg up, luckily I can take mine off for close stuff, so I have used masks the same as everyone else, there's been far too many people clutching at excuses for an exemption for such a minor inconvenience.

As for lack of colds and flu, a fair chunk of that could be lack of cash handling as it's always been a big spreader of bugs and also a general low level in the population due to last years distancing, but it will be back.

Who knows how omicron will play out, it could have evolved into the next nasty or could have evolved closer to something we already have immunity for, only time will tell and it's better to stretch that time out so we can react than just go headlong into it.

If masks keeps businesses (especially pubs....) open bring em on.

[grendel]

1 hour ago, TheQ said:

Meanwhile in Scotland my Dad is house bound and doesn't leave except in a ambulance or hospital bus, Mum is a little better than that.. No one has thought to provision for home visits for the booster.. A relative has been chasing around to get something sorted, but every one says go online which has no provision for home visits, or they pass the buck...

my mother is housebound, and got a call from her GP asking if she was available, 10 minutes later a nurse called round and gave her the booster. I think the housebound are down to the local GP to sort out and organise, so it depends how efficient the GP's are.

[ExSurveyor]

I had my first ever covid test the other week while on the boat as smallest grandson was confirmed positive two days after he had spent the day with us, mostly snuggled up to me.

I couldn't complete the throat swab, I continually gagged and even Matron couldn't see the back of my throat using a tounge depresser.

I had requests from the grandchildren for a video of the next attempt.

 

I apparently have a deformed tounge. strangely, twin brother has the same problem.

The good news is the new swabs are nasal only so if I need to test again it will cause less hysterical laughter from my caring family.

[webntweb]

I hadn't used public transport since February 2020 until last Friday when I had to make a return journey of six trains and two buses to the only garage that could source the parts for a repair my car needed.

More or less everybody on the buses wore a mask. It was a different story on the trains - probably no more than a third of the passengers had masks. In my carriage on the busiest train, which was about two thirds full, I couldn't see one other passenger wearing a mask despite the continually played announcement to please wear a face covering.

As masks protect others more than they protect the wearer it is a sad reflection on our society that the majority that don't wear masks appear to have little or no regard for the lives of others.

I have asthma but have always worn a mask in shops etc during the pandemic. Most of our shopping was done online during the first year of the pandemic but since the supermarkets have stopped supplying goods packed in plastic carriers, so that I now have to lift the goods out of their totes and put them in carrier bags to take into the house, I have changed to either going to the supermarket early morning or late at night.

While wearing a mask I move more slowly to keep my breathing rate down and while it is uncomfortable I can manage. I understand that this may not be the case with people with more severe asthma.

I can't understand why people with conditions that make it not possible to wear a mask can't wear a face shield - not quite as effective but better than nothing.

[Bikertov]

We can all argue and agree to disagree about mask wearing or not, in situations where is is not a mandatory requirement, but this forum is not the place for it.

But regardless of that, to me the most important thing is to get fully vaccinated and boosted.

My OH has been a volunteer giving the vaccinations, and gave me my first jab on her very first shift in February when they had spare doses at the end of the day. She also gave me my second jab.

I am now triple jabbed - had my booster a month ago now, and had the Flu jab at the same time. AZ for the first two, and Pfizer for the booster.

[Meantime]

20 minutes ago, Bikertov said:

But regardless of that, to me the most important thing is to get fully vaccinated and boosted.

I couldn't agree more with that statement, other than to point out that even the fully vaccinated can still carry the virus and pass it on, and there are still many with immunity disorders who through no fault of their own can not have the vaccine. Therefore anything that people can do, whether required by law or not, to prevent the onward transmission of the virus is a bonus and a big help to protecting those that the vaccine cannot protect.

[floydraser]

48 minutes ago, Bikertov said:

We can all argue and agree to disagree about mask wearing or not, in situations where is is not a mandatory requirement, but this forum is not the place for it.

I couldn't disagree more. If just one person is influenced enough to make the decision to wear a mask somewhere then that is a positive outcome.

[Bikertov]

4 minutes ago, floydraser said:

I couldn't disagree more. If just one person is influenced enough to make the decision to wear a mask somewhere then that is a positive outcome.

I wasn't expressing an opinion either way, just saying I don't feel this is the forum to have the arguments about it. Probably shouldn't have said anything on this particular point, so apologies. ...

[Smoggy]

I must be ok at the moment, I've done 2 pcr tests in 2 days (both neg), 1st was one of the randomly picked survey tests that are being done through the post, 2nd was for getting hernia done tomorrow (hopefully), it's gonna look strange on the nhs app, I will look like a right hypochondriac.

[ranworthbreeze]

17 minutes ago, floydraser said:

I couldn't disagree more. If just one person is influenced enough to make the decision to wear a mask somewhere then that is a positive outcome.

We have all seen that masks are worn let when we go shopping I always wear one for my and other peoples protection I am glad that this is to be readdressed and to be also in schools but it will be difficult to police.

[addicted]

I was offered my 3rd jab about 3 weeks ago but because I was due to have a full anaesthetic a week later was advised by the hospital that  I shouldn't have anything at all of that nature until 2 full weeks after the surgery so I was obliged to  cancel my appointment.  Unfortunately by the time I was able to have it there were no appointments available on the usual on-line booking site. I then received  an email asking me to make an appointment. I did this by phone it was very efficiently handled and although it's not  being administered in the cottage hospital in the next village as the others have been it is in a pharmacy a similar distance away, I'm having it on Friday and shall be vey grateful to get it done and dusted as I've felt a little vulnerable not having been able to have it.

 

 

Carole

[floydraser]

21 minutes ago, ranworthbreeze said:

We have all seen that masks are worn let when we go shopping I always wear one for my and other peoples protection I am glad that this is to be readdressed and to be also in schools but it will be difficult to police.

I wish it had been strongly advised earlier. I am disappointed that we, as a community, failed to react to the increasing number of cases without being told to.

[Mouldy]

This might be a controversial comment, but two things occur to me following the reintroduction of the compulsory wearing of face coverings:

As they are not required in hospitality venues, how is is it that the virus can’t spread there, but can in a supermarket?

Why has the vaccine not become compulsory, unless it cannot be administered for medical reasons?  The general consensus is that the majority of hospitalisations are amongst the folk who have not been vaccinated.  Therefore, the statistics we are being fed on a daily basis don’t give a true figure of the benefits of the vaccine.  Vaccination isn’t being enforced, as it’s apparently one’s choice whether you opt to have it or not, but if the statistics reach a point where another lockdown becomes necessary, due to those who haven’t been vaccinated, where is my choice?

Personally, I’m in favour of vaccine passports, that give benefits to those who have done the right thing for the benefit of our society as a whole.

I still maintain that we are going to have to live with this.  The more the infection spreads without causing fatalities, the more our immune systems will be able to defend against it, without resorting to medical intervention.

[Hylander]

4 hours ago, TheQ said:

No need, my sister works for the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland also she regularly meets and speaks to various senior politicians . She won't normally involve work with family matters, but since her daughter was having no joy through regular channels , she's sent Emails Directly to those in charge... This was only late last week, but I'm sure something will happen this week..

That is good to hear,  it is a worry with the olduns.     I know I am cracking on but I am mobile and it makes such a difference.    I do worry about those who dont have someone to fight their corner.

 

 

[Meantime]

1 hour ago, Mouldy said:

As they are not required in hospitality venues, how is is it that the virus can’t spread there, but can in a supermarket?

Generally speaking you don't find many people eating or drinking in a supermarket which is quite hard to do whilst wearing a mask. I would suggest that once you have found a table and sat down, then generally speaking you get a lot less people passing very close by you then you would in a busy supermarket.

[floydraser]

Unbelievable: We've just been to a large Dobbies garden centre, one with various other stores within. The amount of people enjoying their last day of freedom from mask wearing is unbelievable. As before, when all this started, it seems that some think the virus is waiting for the referee's whistle before it comes to get us. Or it's hiding it's eyes and counting to ten....

[Lulu]

I don’t understand why mask wearing couldn’t have come into immediate effect. Why delay until Tuesday?  I never stopped wearing them when going into shops.  
 

I’ve just been to the post office and apart from one elderly gentleman and myself no one else were wearing masks ☹️ 
 

A member of the family is currently in ICU with Covid and had been double jabbed. 

[Meantime]

48 minutes ago, Lulu said:

I don’t understand why mask wearing couldn’t have come into immediate effect.

I believe it is because it needs to be passed into law. It is done quickly using emergency powers but still has to go through some process. It then has to be fully voted on by the MP's retrospectively within 4 weeks. 

As someone who didn't stop wearing a mask I understand your frustration. Just because the law said you didn't have to, it didn't make me stop. Likewise just because you know it's coming in on Tuesday doesn't mean people shouldn't use common sense and start wearing them before then.

[grendel]

I am starting to wonder how this will affect our staff christmas do on Friday, I suppose technically it will fall under hospitality, as it is a meal and entertainment, I suppose it will be a case of doing what you feel is best, I will have my face covering, though may forgo wearing it at times (eg when seated at the tables awaiting the meal.

[SwanR]

The company I work for has given everyone access to a web site to choose a gift rather than put money into any staff events. And where my husband volunteers, they had already decided to postpone the Christmas meal until some time next year.

Sounds like it will be quite a logistical exercise to put enough extra appointments into the system to now bring all adults into the process, at three months from the second vaccination.

[Bikertov]

We had already decided a few weeks ago not to have a work Christmas party, in a venue.

Last year we had no party at all, just gave staff gifts - an Amazon voucher and nice bottle of bubbly.

This year we are planning to have food in the office during the afternoon/evening, like Pizza, drinks and nibbles, and we will give an Amazon voucher again too.

This way, we can still keep distance between us, but have more of a party atmosphere without the risk of a venue.

[Smoggy]

Due to hit and miss works Christmas do's we somehow got into a workshop tradition of pick a day when most are in and chuck a fiver in each and get a USA chicken order together, the chicken shop normally chuck a load of extras in an we commandeer an office for the pig out, generally this results in lunch 1/2 hour being well over an hour and all feeling I'll for the rest of the day.

Can't wait... 

[grendel]

ours is a company wide event- maybe 200+ attending, with the years awards ceremony, we have just received instructions, and they advise a lateral flow test 48 hours before and a second the day before to comply with guidance for indoor events.

[TheQ]

Our company last year cancelled our Christmas dinner , that's about a 100 person event . Though the Christmas box arrived and appeared to be of a higher standard.

This Year we've no news yet about the dinner, but we are being given a day off, I'm not sure how the days are chosen, but mine is 31st Jan. actually very handy for me as I take a day off about then for SWMBOs Birthday, so will have a long weekend.

[grendel]

yes, our event last year was cancelled before it was even arranged, for a lot of staff it will be the first time they will have seen colleagues for a year and a half, and for some starters, the first time they will have met some of the senior staff. these events  are quite important to my company as they are used as a platform to thank the staff and where awards are presented.

I have just got my collect code to pick up a test from my pharmacy when I pick up a prescription this afternoon.