Latest Covid 19 info

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Err, re lack of registration with a GP, I think you really ought to ring your local CCG - a diabetic on relevant medication (are you?) cannot afford to be without that medication for very long in any event otherwise we WOULD all become a burden on the NHS pdq in a lot of cases! So ring them for advice asap. Even unmedicated because we always all require certain checks even if only annually, we have to be on the List in order to get them - if we don't get them - then it's a thick black mark for the CCG so they aren't very keen on that!
 
Keith, the typos were in fact word processor errors where somebody had edited sentences and then had not read what they had left to make sure that it made sense. It hit me on first reading, hence my comment.
 
trophywench said:
Err, re lack of registration with a GP, I think you really ought to ring your local CCG - a diabetic on relevant medication (are you?) cannot afford to be without that medication for very long in any event otherwise we WOULD all become a burden on the NHS pdq in a lot of cases! So ring them for advice asap. Even unmedicated because we always all require certain checks even if only annually, we have to be on the List in order to get them - if we don't get them - then it's a thick black mark for the CCG so they aren't very keen on that!
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Thank you. I will give them a go. All I did was move two miles further and the surgery threw me out. I've been without for months now and they are the best in the area.

I will fez up and say I've been a casual diabetic 2 for a decade. I manage it with diet (at the moment) and apart from two occasions the nurse has always told me my blood sugar is good, my weight is good, feet are man lovely. I eat good food, some bad food, and very little raw sugar. I eat crisps every other day and I expect my salt control isn't perfect. I've never monitored my weight, or blood sugar because my diet doesn't change much.

Recently it occurred to me my blood sugar should be tested at other times of day. I've only just got a testing kit but I can tell my blood sugar can be a little high before breakfast. While furloughed I have managed to get my fitness up to try and counteract this. Before I got the great gut infection of 1999 I was a super fit gym regular. Recovery took some time and even now I cannot digest some foods, but much worse is that I couldn't get back into fitness. I found out I was diabetic some 10 years afterwards and there lies the cause. So my fitness has been extremely poor for decades.

But I know how to deal with my blood sugar now and with the extra time at home I've got much fitter! I'm waffling (probably been pent up with this for too long). Back to doctor hunting. 🙂
 
I think the key thing is that no matter how much your employer does, the government advises or pre cautions you take, there will never be a chance you can completely remove the risk of this virus.

I am 31, type 1, 15 years. Good control, HBA1C 44 or 6.2. I work front line emergency service and have been throughout the lockdown. In my role there is zero opportunity to social distance at all times. I am fit, l exercise for up to an hour daily, however I could do with losing a few pounds. There is various things that I wouldn't do in terms of close proximity to members of the public if I can avoid it, but I share a building with over 50 people. In my role I have taken the decision that my role is important and I need to "muck in" to the overall effort. I hope and trust that my immune system is strong enough, my good control, my age, fit and healthy. I appreciate this is different to a lot of people and I respect that, but I mean if we can't get a cure or treatment for virus, we may just have to live with it and it will be up to people's own individual choices how much they want to venture out or what type of work they do. Only a thought, I don't mean to criticise or downplay people's anxieties or predicaments in terms of work, but as we see the amount of money the government is spending per day, they can't furlough everyone indefinitely.
 
Absolutely right. COVID will be with us for some time yet and furlough must finish soon. The point of having lockdown measures is to significantly reduce the numbers getting it and reduce the burdon on the NHS. For me the government is moving too fast by opening some businesses and schools with so many still catching COVID and no extra measures put in place yet such as the app, full testing, antibodies, clinical trials. The numbers of people allowed to fill tourist areas is ridiculous.

My brother in law has COVID and I speak with him throughout the week. His condition rises and falls terribly and he repeatedly warns me "Don't return to work until it is safe as you don't want this! Going back right now isn't worth the risk Keith".

My work doesn't put me on the NHS's front line, but it will be a nightmare when it comes to social distancing and PPE has been NHS reserved - with good reason. My work is in manufacturing but it makes non essential goods. I have no faith in the government because I feel they have turned their back on vulnerable people and tried to make people catch the virus on purpose etc... plus many other issues.

So I'll have to draw up my own set of criteria of when I think it will be safe for me to go back. I will get as much assistance as possible keeping out of work because I don't think it is safe for a 60+ diabetic to return to a distancing nightmare just yet. My criteria is based on survival instincts and common sense sadly lacking in government:
  • Few infections nationally
  • Few infections locally and monitored
  • Hospitals returned nearly to normal.
  • App in place and working
  • Full testing for all
  • The first clinical trials to at least be given a chance to compete
  • Reserve the right to WFH on local outbreak
I worked in NHS hospitals during swine flu and recall feeling a little scared then, but I was an un-diagnosed diabetic and wasn't so concerned. I always tried to give the best service to all hospital staff whatever the circumstances. That's why I joined the NHS (but they made my job redundant). Thank you for all you are doing DavidG. I live in the open but we still applaud the NHS every week and hear the applause of others miles away.
 
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You raise very valid points Keith and that is good criteria for your rational behind returning to work. I certainly wasn't putting up about my occupation to try and get applause or recognition, in case you think I wanted a pat on the back! Ha! I'm in Policing, which at times has been a bit all over the place, however that is another topic for another day. I do think England is moving a bit too quickly personally, it could be seen to be economically based rather than health based, I may be wrong. Some 2000+ cases daily still? Every job to the government is critical now in terms of generating national insurance, tax and people spending money into the economy and that could be the reason why they seem to be accelerating the lockdown easing? I am in Northern Ireland and our new cases are relatively low per day, just 23 new cases today, we now have contract tracing for all cases, our Belfast City Hospital nightingale hospital being stood down. We have a population of 1.8 million, that is spread out, doesn't rely on public transport and no big international airports. I think currently we have about 6 flights a week departing and leaving here to the rest of the UK. England seems to be the worst hit region by far, but is also the biggest of the 4 nations, has more transport hubs in terms of the London underground, more reliance on public transport, is more densely populated and has more international airports than us here. I would say about PPE from experience, that the FFP3 masks that the NHS, Police, care agencies etc are ordering them direct from suppliers and those suppliers have contract's they need to fulfil first and foremost to those agencies rather than private customers. I wouldn't at all feel a sense of I shouldn't have this mask or other PPE if you source it through the usual online shopping websites, however you might be charged an arm and a leg for them. Take care.
 
David, you still get my applause being in policing. I remember security stopping people fighting and spitting in A&E. I hope they bring out extra protection against the virus for you soon. Looks like you have the situation in control better than England. Daily number of lab-confirmed cases in England the past few days is less than 1000 if I am reading the graph correctly. The total number of deaths for England is huge compared with N Ireland so England has been hit for sure. We cram people in the underground system like Japan these days.

I'm considering moving to your county now! 🙂

Take care!
 
Staff on furlough where I work have had theirs extended until end of July at the moment. I on the other hand am still in work, have been since before the lockdown started. Unfortunately until the government change their stance on what happens with people who have diabetes I'll still be in work. I'll be dodging customers, waiting until they stop faffing about which tomatoes to buy, moving out of the way every time one stretches across me, taking twice as long to do the jobs I need to get done, the same way I have since lockdown started. No wonder I'm knackered!
 
Stitch147 said:
Staff on furlough where I work have had theirs extended until end of July at the moment. I on the other hand am still in work, have been since before the lockdown started. Unfortunately until the government change their stance on what happens with people who have diabetes I'll still be in work. I'll be dodging customers, waiting until they stop faffing about which tomatoes to buy, moving out of the way every time one stretches across me, taking twice as long to do the jobs I need to get done, the same way I have since lockdown started. No wonder I'm knackered!
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Something Bexlee sent over:
“Employers must put measures in place to keep people with diabetes safe, either by supporting people to work at home, or where this is not possible by putting people with diabetes on furlough, or by putting measures in place to allow stringent social distancing for those key workers who absolutely must be at work”
 
Sure i've read this somewhere that all this conflicting information being dished out is causing a condition that is labelled CORONOPHOBIA. Sorry to say that it seems to be creeping up on me. Had to go for my 6 monthly surveilance ultrasound. Hospital phoned me 3 times to reasure me that it was safe for me to attend and not to worry. Glad to say all went well in and out in no time. Hospital was empty. Now this week i'm at the Royal Liverpool for an mri with contrast. more anxious about this one! which big C worries me the most? I'd have to say COVID19.
 
Hepato-pancreato said:
causing a condition that is labelled CORONOPHOBIA.
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I’ve been seeing several suggestions that ‘it’s all been a bit much‘ and ‘blown out of all proportion‘ in recent weeks, and I’m not sure I buy that myself.

When I look at the death toll in the tens of thousands, looking likely to be TWICE the initial 20,000 estimate before long vs the much lower levels of fatality in countries which took firmer action more quickly, I really don’t see that we overreacted. :(
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I’ve been seeing several suggestions that ‘it’s all been a bit much‘ and ‘blown out of all proportion‘ in recent weeks, and I’m not sure I buy that myself.

When I look at the death toll in the tens of thousands, looking likely to be TWICE the initial 20,000 estimate before long vs the much lower levels of fatality in countries which took firmer action more quickly, I really don’t see that we overreacted. :(
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Looking at the figures I would say we underreacted, if that is a word.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I’ve been seeing several suggestions that ‘it’s all been a bit much‘ and ‘blown out of all proportion‘ in recent weeks, and I’m not sure I buy that myself.

When I look at the death toll in the tens of thousands, looking likely to be TWICE the initial 20,000 estimate before long vs the much lower levels of fatality in countries which took firmer action more quickly, I really don’t see that we overreacted. :(
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It's a bit puzzling to compare the rage about Cummings versus the apparent stoicsm about the really bad overall handling of COVID-19. But I guess because responsibility for the latter is diffuse, unclear, harder to pin on individual scapegoats etc.
 
Eddy Edson said:
It's a bit puzzling to compare the rage about Cummings versus the apparent stoicsm about the really bad overall handling of COVID-19. But I guess because responsibility for the latter is diffuse, unclear, harder to pin on individual scapegoats etc.
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There will be an inquiry and hopefully it will be effective to prevent another catastrophe. Labour and conservative parties neglected our elderly, and I expect the same could be said for lack of preparation for a pandemic. I expect Cummings panicked when he took the selfish path. Hopefully he'll go soon but we'll never know if anyone died as a result of his travels.

I can't understand why we haven't been able to do anything as well as Germany does. Except maybe football at the moment but that is close.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I’ve been seeing several suggestions that ‘it’s all been a bit much‘ and ‘blown out of all proportion‘ in recent weeks, and I’m not sure I buy that myself.

When I look at the death toll in the tens of thousands, looking likely to be TWICE the initial 20,000 estimate before long vs the much lower levels of fatality in countries which took firmer action more quickly, I really don’t see that we overreacted. :(
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A pandemic alone is reason enough for people's anxieties to rise, but when the BBC produced the 25% of diabetics going to hospital don't come out, and later ITV saying that actually it's more like 33%, well that's a good cause to panic.

Now we need an official statement from a trusted source, if the figures are wrong or badly presented, in order to alleviate peoples concerns. I've not seen anything out there yet.
 
Keith McMillan said:
A pandemic alone is reason enough for people's anxieties to rise, but when the BBC produced the 25% of diabetics going to hospital don't come out, and later ITV saying that actually it's more like 33%, well that's a good cause to panic.

Now we need an official statement from a trusted source, if the figures are wrong or badly presented, in order to alleviate peoples concerns. I've not seen anything out there yet.
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Keith, they really did NOT say 25% of diabetics admitted to hospital die.
They said 25% of those who died in hospital had diabetes.
It isn't the same at all.
 
silentsquirrel said:
Keith, they really did NOT say 25% of diabetics admitted to hospital die.
They said 25% of those who died in hospital had diabetes.
It isn't the same at all.
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Quite correct. I thought we had bottomed that in another thread.
 
silentsquirrel said:
Keith, they really did NOT say 25% of diabetics admitted to hospital die.
They said 25% of those who died in hospital had diabetes.
It isn't the same at all.
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Put plain and simply that way I find it easy to understand but others aren't so good with facts and figures out there. Also there are many people that found out on TV who won't be looking at this thread.
 
Keith McMillan said:
Put plain and simply that way I find it easy to understand but others aren't so good with facts and figures out there. Also there are many people that found out on TV who won't be looking at this thread.
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How about this: People with diabetes in their 70s and 80s who had a severe case of Coronavirus, and who also had a history of high BG and who were also overweight or obese were sadly more likely to die than young people with diabetes or people without diabetes.

At least that’s what I understand from delving below the headline to see if it applied to me.
 
Eddy Edson said:
It's a bit puzzling to compare the rage about Cummings versus the apparent stoicsm about the really bad overall handling of COVID-19. But I guess because responsibility for the latter is diffuse, unclear, harder to pin on individual scapegoats etc.
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Polling on the general handling of the virus seems to be going down, but you're right that it's a more complex story. (I think The Sunday Times has had a few good stories on it in the last couple of weeks.)

The Cummings story is just much simpler. He (with his family) did something they shouldn't have done, his wife talked and wrote publicly about her experience of the virus and didn't mention going to Durham, so obviously they knew it wouldn't be a good idea to mention it. And he's such a central character in the government that they government must have know where he was, so there's a coverup there too. And Cummings is generally disliked, which doesn't hurt.
 
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