The Covid-19 Thread

[Medicine Man]

The trouble is I feel absolutely fine and outside of the sense of smell thing I am my usual self. And without playing up to the whole gamer stereotype thing my life is pretty self isolated anyway.

When I was ill initially I was off work for the 7 days required and have since returned to work on Monday 11 days after I first showed any symptoms. Like I said before I'm not bothered about myself but I'm shit scared of infecting other people and for the life of me I can't seem to find any advice on how and where to get tested up here.

For what it's worth I have been masked up since being back to work. Basically PPE'd up to the max, such is my growing level of paranoia about the whole situation.

EDIT: Just phoned 111 who referred me to the Corona advice line where a delightful young lady told me there is no in-community testing planned at the moment (whatever that means?!) and that as long as I don't have a fever and/or dry cough I'm fine to be at work. Overall I was really reassured by her condescending tone and dismissive attitude. 7/10, would phone again.

[Wrathbone]

Well, there will be no way of knowing if Andrew catches it, as without the ability to sweat will he be able to know he has a fever?

[Achtung Englander]

The trouble is I feel absolutely fine and outside of the sense of smell thing I am my usual self. And without playing up to the whole gamer stereotype thing my life is pretty self isolated anyway.

When I was ill initially I was off work for the 7 days required and have since returned to work on Monday 11 days after I first showed any symptoms. Like I said before I'm not bothered about myself but I'm shit scared of infecting other people and for the life of me I can't seem to find any advice on how and where to get tested up here.

For what it's worth I have been masked up since being back to work. Basically PPE'd up to max, such is my growing level of paranoia about the whole situation.

EDIT: Just phoned 111 who referred me to the Corona advice line where a delightful young lady told me there is no in-community testing planned at the moment (whatever that means?!) and that as long as I don't have a fever and/or dry cough I'm fine to be at work. Overall I was really reassured by her condescending tone and dismissive attitude. 7/10, would phone again.

can you imagine how many calls she gets - everyone EVERYONE who has a bog standard cold to feeling "a bit odd" will phone....

good luck anyway

[Achtung Englander]

Is it me but with all this news about how bad it is going to get I cannot seem to get motivated to doing anything really. I am lucky to be working but come in the evening I lose momentum to get invested in anything

[Wrathbone]

This last week since I've been isolated (not ill, just that I live alone and haven't left the house) I've felt similar a lot of the time. I'm generally fine if I'm working or gaming or doing anything normal, but when I get a phonecall or text from anyone it's inevitably about coronavirus in some way or other, and it leaves me a demotivated, anxious mess for a good while afterwards.

I think once there's some more certainty around things - mainly when and how food supplies are going to be normalised again - I'll be fine. Well, not fine exactly, as it looks like I'm going to be spending most of this year in a small two bedroom house on my own, but I'll be able to see a way through it. It's not knowing where basics like food will be coming from in a month or two that's the current bleak reality, and that's what makes it hard to focus on anything.

[Abs_McBain]

I've had to use the bus for work this month, just increasing the risk of catching this danged virus. I had this odd sensation at the bottom of my lungs on tuesday, nothing painful just something that I could notice. Didn't go into work that day, I think it's probably related to stress or anxiety of the situation...but personally I can't focus on just simple everyday things. Can't even enjoy playing a videogame.
All I can do is wait to see if anything comes of it next week.

[Can't think of one]

More information that I feel I should pass along...

This just sent to all NHS staff. Worth a read.

At The Princess of Wales hospital. NHS staff have been sent this:

This is the advice given to hospital staff.
It explains the virus and hopefully, how to prevent getting it.
Please share with family, friends and work colleagues.

Virus Detection:

The simplest way to distinguish Coronavirus from a Common Cold is that the COVID-19 infection does not cause a cold nose or cough with cold, but it does create a dry and rough cough.
The virus is typically first installed in the throat causing inflammation and a feeling of dryness. This symptom can last between 3 and 4 days.
The virus typically then travels through the moisture present in the airways, goes down to the trachea and installs in the lungs, causing pneumonia that lasts about 5 or 6 days.
Pneumonia manifests with a high fever and difficulty breathing. The Common Cold is not accompanied, but there may be a choking sensation. In this case, the doctor should be called immediately.

Experts suggest doing this simple verification every morning: Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for 10 seconds. If this can be done without coughing, without difficulty, this shows that there is no fibrosis in the lungs, indicating the absence of infection. It is recommended to do this control every morning to help detect infection.

Prevention:
The virus hates heat and dies if it is exposed to temperatures greater than 80°F (27°C). Therefore hot drinks such as infusions, broths or simply hot water should be consumed abundantly during the day. These hot liquids kill the virus and are easy to ingest.
Avoid drinking ice water or drinks with ice cubes.

Ensure that your mouth and throat are always wet, never DRY. You should drink a sip of water at least every 15 minutes. WHY? Even when the virus enters water or other liquids through the mouth, it will get flushed through the oesophagus directly into the stomach where gastric acids destroy the virus. If there is not enough water, the virus can pass into the trachea and from there to the lungs, where it is very dangerous.

For those who can, sunbathe. The Sun's UV rays kill the virus and the vitamin D is good for you.
The Coronavirus has a large size (diameter of 400-500 nanometers) so face masks can stop it, no special face masks are needed in daily life.
If an infected person sneezes nearby, stay 10 feet (3.3 meters) away to allow the virus fall to the ground and prevent it from falling on you.
When the virus is on hard surfaces, it survives about 12 hours, therefore when hard surfaces such as doors, appliances, railings, etc. are touched, hands should be washed thoroughly and/or disinfected with alcoholic gel The virus can live nested in clothes and tissues between 6 and 12 hours. Common detergents can kill it. Things that cannot be washed should be exposed to the Sun and the virus will die.
The transmission of the virus usually occurs by direct infection, touching fabrics, tissues or materials on which the virus is present.
Washing your hands is essential.
The virus survives on our hands for only about 10 minutes. In that time many things can happen, rubbing the eyes, touching the nose or lips. This allows the virus to enter your throat. Therefore, for your good and the good of all, wash your hands very often and disinfect them.
You can gargle with disinfectant solutions (i.e. Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide) that eliminate or minimize the amount of virus that can enter the throat. Doing so removes the virus before it goes down to the trachea and then to the lungs.
Disinfect things touched often: mobile phone, keyboard, mouse, car steering wheel, door handles, etc ....

Sent in to us just now and we wanted to share this knowledge & advice with you all.

Please do the same and take care!

[Alan]

It’s a fake. People are wanks.


“We’ve been made aware of a post on social media that says advice about Coronavirus/ COVID19 has been issued to our staff at Princess of Wales Hospital. This advice has not been issued by us to our staff and the content is not official NHS advice.”

[Raid]

"Prevention:
The virus hates heat and dies if it is exposed to temperatures greater than 80°F (27°C). Therefore hot drinks such as infusions, broths or simply hot water should be consumed abundantly during the day. These hot liquids kill the virus and are easy to ingest.
Avoid drinking ice water or drinks with ice cubes."

Do you not think that advice would have been disseminated outside of hospital staff if this thing were that easy to kill?

My company bosses have seen some sodding sense and are reducing our hours from 9-5 to 10-2. I am bloody ecstatic. I have never been so bored at work in my life. I reckon I've had maybe 5% of my usual workload today, and half of that shouldn't have been there were people following the government's orders. People have a very odd sense of what is and isn't important. Getting your internet banking reset? Sure, that'll prevent you having to visit a branch in future. You're worried about keeping £60 of cash in your house in case people break in? No, that's not a good reason - go home and stop endangering yourself as well as my colleagues and I.

[eny]

I missed the bit the other night where Boris gave free reign for cyclists and their backpacks of bricks to go riding throughout the (not) local countryside spreading their sputum....that was kind of him....

[Medicine Man]

"Prevention:
The virus hates heat and dies if it is exposed to temperatures greater than 80°F (27°C). Therefore hot drinks such as infusions, broths or simply hot water should be consumed abundantly during the day. These hot liquids kill the virus and are easy to ingest.
Avoid drinking ice water or drinks with ice cubes."

Do you not think that advice would have been disseminated outside of hospital staff if this thing were that easy to kill?

Or that our body temperature is higher than 27 degrees.

All this fake information stuff is truly perplexing to me. People are indeed wanks.

[Hatredsheart]

Well, there will be no way of knowing if Andrew catches it, as without the ability to sweat will he be able to know he has a fever?

Charles is isolating with Covid-19
Andrew is isolating with Jennifer, 14.

[Raid]

Or that our body temperature is higher than 27 degrees.

Or, indeed, that a British institution wouldn't refer to tea directly. Infusions? Really?

[Animalmother]

Well, there will be no way of knowing if Andrew catches it, as without the ability to sweat will he be able to know he has a fever?

Charles is isolating with Covid-19
Andrew is isolating with Jennifer, 14.

[Rossell]

The applause tonight was lovely.