Coronavirus

[Rorschach]

To my knowledge while I have had some bad things I have not had a "real" flu. Not complaining at that. In general I rarely get sick, even when the rest of the household falls ill I am almost always fine and taking care of everyone else.

Glad your friend is feeling better Mike and hope you soon start to go that way as well.

 

[Bodgers]

I'm pretty certain I've got it. I spent yesterday and this morning alternately shivering then sweating, have had a low level headache since Tuesday lunchtime, feel achy and lethargic, and worst of all, my damn eyeballs hurt. Moving them is a real pain. My kidneys ache too. There's something going on in my chest, as a quick breath in leads to a bit of a coughing fit, but at the moment I'm not coughing much. My wife has finally accepted that we're in isolation. Having said all that, I've felt much worse in the past with ordinary winter flu, and the guy I caught it from who is a few days ahead of me is feeling much better already. I'm not up to a proper project in the workshop, but I'm going to have a bit of a tidy up and sort out later, and maybe fiddle with my planer guard.

That's good. Not to get too personal, but are you over 50 Mike?

 

[MikeG.]

I'm 59. Fit as a flea and healthy, normally.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

BBC at lunch today are saying that spreading unverified internet health "advice" could kill, and should be stamped out immediately (I'm paraphrasing, roughly). This, coupled with MikeG's sudden onset got me thinking: we are all going to get this virus, possibly/probably, so are we doing anything to boost our immune systems? And this is where the plethora of internet health claims could get us into all sorts of trouble. Vegans claiming meat is murder, yoga instructors saying stretching makes more antibodies, veg farmers claiming lettuce has more vitamins than Bovril etc.

Is there any point, at this point? Locked in your house, hard to exercise, difficult to find fresh food etc. No chance of any sunshine (well, not in UK, anyway), no healthy walk across the moors unless you borrow next door's dog, and they are self-isolating so probably won't notice if you "borrow" it...

I am so much luckier than most in these regards, but I wonder if there are any clever strategies to make your immune system fighting fit. For e.g., potatoes allegedly have more vitamin C than an orange, more potassium than a banana, and generally should be eaten daily (this includes the skin, unfortunately). This is a fact I keep very close, in case someone questions my chip habit. Anyone got any more? Really, the more outlandish the better

 

[MikeG.]

One good strategy for boosting your immune system is to live a life outdoors, to get dirty, to catch the odd bug as you grow up, prepare your own food from raw ingredients, and to not go mad with Dettol and bleach. You know, the way we all used to live, and the way farmers still live. What won't do you any good whatever is to think that eating the latest wonderfood for a week or two will make up for a lifetime cosseted in cotton wool watching a screen.

 

[transatlantic]

I think it's quite easy to exercise in the house, even if you don't have any exercise equipment. You just have to be imaginative. Although I for one have always found exercise indoors/gyms much harder (mentally) than going outdoors. I would much rather go for a jog, than use a treadmill for example.

Might be an idea to pop out and get something like an exercise bike whilst you still can (which you could take into the garden on nice days). Although I would thought people had already thought of that.

 

[Bm101]

I'm pretty certain I've got it. I spent yesterday and this morning alternately shivering then sweating, have had a low level headache since Tuesday lunchtime, feel achy and lethargic, and worst of all, my damn eyeballs hurt. Moving them is a real pain. My kidneys ache too. There's something going on in my chest, as a quick breath in leads to a bit of a coughing fit, but at the moment I'm not coughing much. My wife has finally accepted that we're in isolation. Having said all that, I've felt much worse in the past with ordinary winter flu, and the guy I caught it from who is a few days ahead of me is feeling much better already. I'm not up to a proper project in the workshop, but I'm going to have a bit of a tidy up and sort out later, and maybe fiddle with my planer guard.

Best wishes Mike. Be thinking of you.

 

[Nigel Burden]

Yes, get a stiff bristle brush and brush the carpets, then vacuum them, then clean the windows. There, that's a couple of hours taken up already.

Nigel.

 

[FatmanG]

I'm pretty certain I've got it. I spent yesterday and this morning alternately shivering then sweating, have had a low level headache since Tuesday lunchtime, feel achy and lethargic, and worst of all, my damn eyeballs hurt. Moving them is a real pain. My kidneys ache too. There's zsomething going on in my chest, as a quick breath in leads to a bit of a coughing fit, but at the moment I'm not coughing much. My wife has finally accepted that we're in isolation. Having said all that, I've felt much worse in the past with ordinary winter flu, and the guy I caught it from who is a few days ahead of me is feeling much better already. I'm not up to a proper project in the workshop, but I'm going to have a bit of a tidy up and sort out later, and maybe fiddle with my planer guard.

I hope you feel better soon Mike. Ideally you need to know if you have so does the decision makers to help move forward.
All the best mate I need to see more WIPs from you

 

[FatmanG]

I saw something about British holidaymakers in other countries not obeying the rules put in place of staying at home, but instead, still out getting drunk .... "because it's just the flue"

..embarassing. Hope they fine the *********

Guess where... Spain. Brits in Spain behaving like brits in Spain.

They should have just arrested them and locked them up for a few days.

That's exactly what's just happened to a bloke on the isle of man, he's facing a 10k fine.


p.s. "If it's less than an eighth, it's unmeasurable" - The English Woodworker

That's just over 3mm, definitely measurable!
.

 

[MikeG.]

........Ideally you need to know if you have so does the decision makers to help move forward.

They're not testing in the general populace any more, unless you end up in hospital. They don't even want patients to call their GP or 111. Fair enough too, as they've got enough on their plates with the really sick people, and they need to save the tests (and the time taken to do them) for those who'd really benefit.

All the best mate I need to see more WIPs from you

Thanks.

 

[Bm101]

I think it's quite easy to exercise in the house, even if you don't have any exercise equipment. You just have to be imaginative.

Quite. I've been imagining what it's like going to the gym for years.


On another note . I went a chinese supermarket I go to to stock up on some basics if we are to get house bound. Rice, frozen chicken, onions and peppers. Few bits. Accepted I'd have to queue. When they opened the doors (periodically to avoid chaos) the guy in the mask and goggles banged his trolley into my legs in desperation. Apologised. Then did it again. This time I looked at him. He melted a bit. Then he did it again.
Ooooo k. I turned all the way round.
Sorry sorry!
Calm. Down. Pal. Look!
* I gesture at the tonnes of food on offer.
No one is starving to death here.
Sorry sorry! He's visibly panicked.
You need to understand where to recognise threat. Where is the threat right this minute?
Err.. no food?
No. Me. I'm the threat if you bang that trolley into my leg One. More. F.......g. time you wont be needing any food you need teeth to chew.
Calm Down. Be nice. Respect other people. Right?
Right.
Good. Well done.
I walked off and did my shopping in a calm and rational manner as the old chinese lady on the tills nodded vigorously and beamed at me.

 

[Jake]

Fair enough too, as they've got enough on their plates with the really sick people, and they need to save the tests (and the time taken to do them) for those who'd really benefit.

Good luck Mike, hope you get well soon.

Not really, they are failing us all badly by not doing enough testing and not taking it seriously enough (as shown by the duplicitous way they slipped back into mitigation mode yesterday, having realised they left it too late (London) and/or aren't willing to take the steps needed to suppress it (elsewhere).

Germany is up to 150k daily test capacity. We aren't even doing our 20k capacity. Experience elsewhere is all increasingly suggesting that the key to controlling spread is isolating asymptomatic and very mild cases, who in fact appear to shed more virus than people with worse symptoms.

 

[Bm101]

Just a quick heads up to watch out for email and online scams. Unless it's from uGov or your local surgery be careful. Don't open. The scummers are still out there and doubtless loving every minute of the fear of normal folks as it makes their horrible work easier.

 

[RickG]

If anyone is thinking COVID-19 is like flu, think again. It's actually Pnumonia.
See this film taken in an Italian hospital. This isn't scaremongering. We all need to cut out social interaction. Take this seriously. Stay healthy!

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus- ... IpTgp79OIs

 

[AES]

"Get well soon" Mike G take it easy (what a SILLY expression that is, though I use it - too - often!) and "Gute Besserung".

Re another post above, about Italy, we've had quite a bit of it on our TV (neighbouring country ) and believe me it ain't at all funny (medical professionals in tears and literally falling asleep at their posts).

Personally I think it's far too easy to criticise what individual countries are/aren't doing. Doesn't anybody REALLY believe that at least the professionals (forget the politicos of ALL stripes) aren't doing the very very best they can?

And +1 to Bm101 for his checkout queue incident. I had a similar incident this morning at the supermarket checkout with some bloke "jumping all over my back". I had a few words (one great thing about a foreign language is that you learn the "bad" words first!) and soon put that one to bed ("egoistiche Schweize arschloch")! (Don't know if our naughty words filter will let those through - hope so) ;-)

 

[FatmanG]

........Ideally you need to know if you have so does the decision makers to help move forward.

They're not testing in the general populace any more, unless you end up in hospital. They don't even want patients to call their GP or 111. Fair enough too, as they've got enough on their plates with the really sick people, and they need to save the tests (and the time taken to do them) for those who'd really benefit.

All the best mate I need to see more WIPs from you

Thanks.

I disagree mike its crucial to know whether you've had it or not as a virus your not/unlikely to get it twice so a positive diagnosis will be critical in determining your future behaviour and also for the powers that be to know the numbers so they can make accurate decisions based on fact and maybe we can get back to normal faster.
FG

 

[user22161]

We fly back into Manchester on Tuesday all being well and I was expecting all arrivals to be tested but, from what's said above, it appears not. Seems stupid. Rather than have friends pick us up and risk possible infection, we've booked one way car hire with a local drop-off point. I'm told cars are disinfected between hires.

 

[RogerS]

.....
Not really, they are failing us all badly by not doing enough testing and not taking it seriously enough (as shown by the duplicitous way they slipped back into mitigation mode yesterday, having realised they left it too late (London) and/or aren't willing to take the steps needed to suppress it (elsewhere).
.....

Spot on. It's not exactly as if our scientists weren't told about this new virus and just how deadly it was. They were told. 24th January. Very detailed article in The Lancet by the Chinese doctors in Wuhan.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanc ... 40-6736(20)30183-5/fulltext

What did our lot do ? SFA. Probably discounted the article...did a Duke of Edinburgh.

 

[MikeG.]

.......I disagree mike its crucial to know whether you've had it or not as a virus your not/unlikely to get it twice so a positive diagnosis will be critical in determining your future behaviour

True, but there isn't anything else going around with the same sequence of symptoms, so I'm pretty safe in assuming I've got it. Yes, it would be nice to know, even if just to persuade my wife that I am actually ill and not just imagining it.

and also for the powers that be to know the numbers so they can make accurate decisions based on fact and maybe we can get back to normal faster.
FG

They know the proportion of the infected populace who end up in hospital, not just from earlier in the outbreak here, but from Italy, France, Germany, and of course China. Obviously they test and count those who get to hospital with it, so it's fairly easy to know pretty precisely how many people have covid 19 at home without ending up in hospital. Apparently we're only a few days away from getting a new (developed here) test for antibodies, which will be able to determine afterwards who actually got infected. Apparently this will be really important because it will show up those who got the virus but showed no symptoms, and this will yield lots of clues for fighting this next time around.