Just looked on the "book a PCR test" website, no tests available across the whole of England! (Except the south east 🙄)
On Xmas Day, MIL; SIL; partner and myself all had negative LFTs before spending the afternoon together. SIL stayed overnight at MIL's into Boxing Day, partner and I came home as we literally live just down the road. We were all supposed to be going to SIL's this afternoon, except...
SIL has just phoned us to say she has tested positive on LFT this morning.
I'm due back at work tomorrow, so I'll have to do a LFT first thing. The biggest worry is if partner tests positive, she's been off work for just over a year with Long Covid and like MIL and myself, only had her booster on 14th December.
Mrs Tuboflard tested positive on LFT this morning after feeling crap all day yesterday. I’ve been in the same room as her pretty much since Christmas Eve yet negative so far. Luckily she’s in the bedroom with an en suite so sliding cups of tea through the door and conducting discussions via FaceTime.
Absolutely certain we picked it up on Christmas Eve too in a local restaurant which was packed and had all the windows and doors shut; remember thinking at the time that if I’m going to pick it up anywhere it’ll be there.
christmas eve to today is still a pretty short incubation period (?)
if you do get a +ve in the coming days Tuboflard, heres hoping it just a mild dose.
ps. i mentally pronounce it tubo-flard 🙂 sounds more exotic.
Boosters reduce the risk of catching Omicron a bit, but mainly just stop you getting it badly.
The Gov make out that their decision to reduce isolation to 7 days (following 2 x -ve LFTs) will ease matters. I know from recent experience that even 11 days on, I am not fit or able to do a full days desk job. Can you imagine how those NHS staff being leant on to return to work when they aren't well enough, are feeling? Research suggests long covid can be a result of doing too much too soon after infection. There's a world of difference between a negative PCR and being well enough to do a 12 hour shift on a ward.
Me, my wife (both boosted) and 10 yr old all tested positive on Monday morning. Our symptons started on Boxing Day. She is a Police Officer so we have managed to get a PCR test in West Yorkshire today.
We now know we were with someone on Xmas Eve who tested positive on New Years Day.
We are presuming that as all 3 of us developed symptons and then positive at the same time that we all caught is at the same time?
On the plus side we all have very mild symptons, sort of a hangover with a touch of cold.
As PCR's aren't easily available and lots of our friends are struggling to get LFT's it would suggest that numbers are far greater than will be reported.
On a positive note, we also know of a few older folk with only mild symptoms too so fingers crossed and big up the boosters!
I presume its too early to know if Omicron is milder in the unvaccinated?
I’ve been feeling shit for 3 days now with the standard cold. Almost wish it had turned out to be covid as at least I’d have got it over with.
On a positive note, we also know of a few older folk with only mild symptoms too so fingers crossed and big up the boosters!
Hiya, could I ask what sort of age you are hearing about, here?
92yo mum you see...
The Gov make out that their decision to reduce isolation to 7 days (following 2 x -ve LFTs) will ease matters. I know from recent experience that even 11 days on, I am not fit or able to do a full days desk job. Can you imagine how those NHS staff being leant on to return to work when they aren’t well enough, are feeling?
It's also at odds with their own guidance:
To further reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 on to others, if you end your self-isolation period before 10 full days you are strongly advised:
to limit close contact with other people outside your household, especially in crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces
to work from home if you are able to
in addition to venues where it is a legal requirement, to wear a face covering in crowded, enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces and where you are in close contact with other people
to limit contact with anyone who is at higher risk of severe illness if infected with COVID-19
to follow the guidance on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread
You should follow this advice until 10 full days from when your self-isolation period started.
The lower levels of 2nd and booster vaccination uptake are partly due to appointments only being available through GP practices or vaccine hubs with office hours only.
I was going to say that wasn't all hubs (as I got mine in Milton Keynes on the way home from work) but I checked the opening hours and it's 09:00 to 18:00 as are all the others in the area. That worked for me but wouldn't work for lots of other people and is a big problem.
I presume its too early to know if Omicron is milder in the unvaccinated?
Isn't that what is being reported from South Africa where only something like 25% of the population is vaccinated?
We now know we were with someone on Xmas Eve who tested positive on New Years Day
I will need to lay off the beer I think I have missed a week.
Poopscoop - mid to late 70's
Thanks Earnie
Ooops, Boxing Day not New Years Eve! Crack on with the beer...
New isolation guidelines in ‘Merica have been changed as well.
“ Everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
Stay home for 5 days.
If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house.
Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.”
Could my +ve PCR on 19 Dec still be a hangover from covid on 30 august?
Any one see any stats on what % of PCR tests administered in UK are positive, I sort of estimated it at 12% bases on some graphs showing around 1 million tests per day but could of misread. It’s just Ireland reporting 50% of tests are positive which is incredible.
Wife and 13 yr old had it Monday before Christmas Day so had to cancel big Christmas, wife a bit achy, daughter who has had a single dose had a temp and felt a bit poorly.
2 sons and me clear so far, I had PCR so definitely clear.
I had 4th Jag today at Dewar's in Perth. A 10.20am appointment, and I walked in, gave my name and within 30 seconds was sitting with a vaccinator. Painless and quick, and only had to wait for 5 minutes extra before leaving. They looked like they could deliver 1000s today, but it didn't look busy. On a previous visit I waited in line for about 45mins.
Any one see any stats on what % of PCR tests administered in UK are positive, I sort of estimated it at 12% bases on some graphs showing around 1 million tests per day but could of misread.
As of last week, the Positivity rate in Scotland was up to 14.6%. It wouldn't surprise me if that had jumped up a bit and I'd expect it to be similar across the other nations.
Did my first shift at the Derby vaccination centre, directing traffic in the car park.
Steadily busy all day, but majority of people were under 18s getting their second shots.
Had to to turn away someone asking if we had any LFTs they could have (that's not what vaccination centres do), a couple hoping to get a PCR test (that's not what vaccination centres do) and one complete moron had a rant that he'd had to park 100 yards from the entrance and was already running late for his appointment.
But lots of very friendly happy folk thanking us for our time, and one lady brought a box of chocolates to go in the pile in the rest area. Have got another shift booked on 3rd January.
that’s not what vaccination centres do
That's twice you said that. One day in the job and already you sound like a right jobsworth
That’s twice you said that. One day in the job and already you sound like a right jobsworth
More than a little harsh Ernie.
I’m reading that as a joke from Ernie.
christmas eve to today is still a pretty short incubation period (?)
if you do get a +ve in the coming days Tuboflard, heres hoping it just a mild dose.ps. i mentally pronounce it tubo-flard 🙂 sounds more exotic.
I think I’ve heard that incubation of Omicron is much shorter? We’ve barely met anyone in the last month and both work from home so I can only put it down to the local bar restaurant which was heaving and stuffy. But thanks @soobalias, so far I feel ok. Oh and it is tub of lard but I quite like the continental version 😀
More than a little harsh Ernie.
Sorry wasn't meant to be. My fault for not putting a winky at the end.
Christ, sorry Ernie.
I had a humour short circuit or something!
So another record day of reported cases, despite the figure only being for England and Wales, and hospital beds taken up being 1000 more in a day due to Covid. All this before the expected Christmas jump and England allowing a New Year boost to happen too.
2022 is looking like it's going to start badly just as we head into Flu season.
Based on the most recent omicron update, 40% of hospitalisations with omicron in London are unvaccinated. I think that’s pretty definitive regarding what vaccines can do for protection. Vaccination rate in London
Vaccinations in London - 68% first dose and 37% boosted.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/vaccinations?areaType=region&areaName=London
The vaccine efficacy is therefore 1 - (0.6/0.68)/(0.4/0.32) or 0.29. That’s not zero. In fact it’s not far from the 0.5 that would be an approvable vaccine. And it ignores the effects of boosting. For the 37% booster, we m sure the effect will be larger, but the data is not available.
Is there any evidence of Omicron having a shorter incubation period?
Yup, can be as short as 3 days apparently.
Sorry wasn’t meant to be. My fault for not putting a winky at the end.
We've already had to warn you about posting your winky!
😉
MCTD - good on you for stepping up👍 It’s good fun working in most centres.
I’ve worked nearly every role in a vacc centre, and all are as important as each other to getting the patients jabbed.
You’ve probably got the hardest job actually- as the initial A-Hole filter!!!
I’m back jabbing again Friday/Saturday/Sunday as all my flights now canx.
Thanks Earnielynch
Mugboo
Full Member
Poopscoop – mid to late 70’s
Cheers mate.👍
MCTD – good on you for stepping up👍 It’s good fun working in most centres.
Fortunately I've worked through the pandemic, so finally got a chance to do a tiny bit. I'm a sucker for standing in traffic in hiviz.
Did come back from it with a much better sense of satisfaction than I ever get in the day job. Shame volunteering pays so badly 🤷♂️
Just seen the bio-detection dogs on the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2021/bio-detection-dogs-identify-covid-19-94-accuracy
Unlike LFTs they give results in seconds and are 94% accurate.
Why is this unique partnership with another species that actually has a proper sense of smell not more widely known or more importantly not more widely used?
How much better and quicker it would have been if down the drive-in test centre last week I had been sniffed by a golden retriever, instead of gagging on a giant cotton bud and then waiting anxiously for 24 hours.
Unlike LFTs they give results in seconds and are 94% accurate.
Do they have to sniff your arse?
Don't think so, my understanding is that COVID-19 mostly causes upper respiratory issues*
Your arse should be fine.
Edit : * the omicron variant at least.
Why is this unique partnership with another species that actually has a proper sense of smell not more widely known or more importantly not more widely used?
It doesn’t scale up well. How many dogs would need training up? It is amazing what dogs can do with training though (even when the trainers don’t understand how the dogs achieve the detection of what they are trained to detect).
Actually covid lingers in the intestinal crypts that line your gut from top to bottom 😜
In kids Ace2 is expressed more in the gut & less in the upper githan in adults, which is why diarrhea is more common in kids and loss of smell less common symptoms
But covid has been detected in lower GI crypts months after infection
How much better and quicker it would have been if down the drive-in test centre last week I had been sniffed by a golden retriever, instead of gagging on a giant cotton bud and then waiting anxiously for 24 hours.
In theory, yes. In practice, how many dogs do we need to check hundreds of thousands of people all around the country every day in a spike like now? And what do we do with them when the numbers needed drop off?
In theory, yes. In practice, how many dogs do we need to check hundreds of thousands of people all around the country every day in a spike like now? And what do we do with them when the numbers needed drop off?
At current rates of infection and the need to treat the dog each time it gets a successful spot with a reward, the dogs would soon be morbidly obese.
Actually covid lingers in the intestinal crypts that line your gut from top to bottom 😜
Well I guess that if you really wanted to be double sure you could perhaps insist that they sniff your arse, but I don't think that would be vital.
Prof. Van-Tam in Royal Institution Christmas Lectures claimed that for the purposes of the demonstration they had used the sock of a covid sufferer.
If just the sock of a covid sufferer is enough then I wouldn't have thought that arse-sniffing was necessary.
the dogs would soon be morbidly obese.
This had occurred to me. Whippets might by a better choice than Labrador Retriever. Presumably they would be quicker as well.
