Poorly chicken

[Patricia W]

Booked my flu jab at a well known pharmacy for next week. Easy Peasy.  Just went on the website, found my local one, booked an available appointment.  Took 2 mins.   My GP has a big notice on the website saying not to contact them as they’re working out how to do it all!  

[soapdragon]

Our GP surgery has 'invited' older patients on a specific day but says that they have to wait outside until their allotted time. As someone pointed out on the village facebook, asking the over 65's to hang around in the car park in the cold and possibly wet weather isn't really ideal. As a relative youngster (55 till October!!!) I'm waiting to see if our age group will be called up.

[The Dogmother]

1 hour ago, Patricia W said:

Booked my flu jab at a well known pharmacy for next week. Easy Peasy.  Just went on the website, found my local one, booked an available appointment.  Took 2 mins.   My GP has a big notice on the website saying not to contact them as they’re working out how to do it all!  

I did that last year and will repeat this Autumn too. I used to work for a company which gave us all free flu jabs - I organised for a pharmacist to come into the building and spend 2 days vaccinating everyone. I miss that.

[Blackrocksrock]

5 hours ago, mullethunter said:

Well if you are then i am too. Cornwall has been the same. Rubbish everywhere, insane traffic, and people not abiding by social distancing / wearing face coverings because ‘we came down here to get away from all that’. I could go on...

Twins !!

[Valkyrie]

Took our son to the Valley of the Rocks a couple of weeks ago.  A bit worrying when we left and drove through Lynmouth and saw it was heaving with people - we had been there earlier and it was fine to keep our distance.

The week before we went to Hartland Quay and walked to Hartland Point and back again (happy to say that I will never, ever, ever, ever do that walk again - although Glencoe was worse and I uttered potty mouth expletives all the way up) and while the walk wasn't without people, they were kind enough to wait for the old girl either struggling up the hill or waited patiently for me to plod down the steps.  When we got to Hartland Point I got caught up in the middle of a large family (or rather 2 large families) that milled around me almost shoulder to shoulder!  I did jokingly say "oh dear I seem to have been adopted by you!" but inside panic and OH grabbed me by the shoulders and marched through!  Although there was nowhere I could really go otherwise - huge cliff bank to the left and fence with a drop to the right!  Thankfully they went to the lighthouse (not open) and we went back on the coastal path.  We've not gone anywhere since apart from me taking number one son home.  

[Beantree]

Apparently the French situation is the second worst in Europe, Spain being close first and UK a fair distant third. Portugal is way down the list. M*****ille and Bordeaux are under restrictions, both having massive infection rates around 275 per 100,000 people. Both are saying their health support is near overloaded so why have they left it so late to tighten up? Hopefully the UK hasn't made the same mistakes as our numbers were at the same level just two weeks ago. Can't help thinking tourism has been a factor, especially as the season has been extended into September because of record late bookings.

We're still staying tightly locked up. Friend asked if he could visit and stay over but I reluctantly had to say no. He's a pretty high risk with both working, two children who were both at school, but now one is awaiting test results and the school is closed because one pupil tested positive.

[Cat tails]

Number of cases is spiking over here too. So what happened 10 days to 2 weeks ago? Oh right... I had to back to work and all those snotty kids are stuck together again with me at school.

[Patricia W]

Granddaughter aged 8 has just moved from infant school to junior school.   A week in and her bubble of 25 children have been told to isolate for 14 days as two have tested positive for Covid.   She’s very upset because she was enjoying being back with her friends again

[Cat tails]

Gosh! How awful! Another 2 weeks at home. Fingers crossed she keeps clear.

[mullethunter]

One of my work colleagues has her 3 primary aged boys back home after a week at school because one of them coughed a couple of times so they now have to wait for a test - and who knows how long that will be?

[Willow]

 

On 9/11/2020 at 8:54 PM, Patricia W said:

Booked my flu jab at a well known pharmacy for next week. Easy Peasy.  Just went on the website, found my local one, booked an available appointment.  Took 2 mins.   My GP has a big notice on the website saying not to contact them as they’re working out how to do it all!  

Tried booking family flu jabs at local pharmacy before sons return to uni but pharmacy have been told they can only do over 65's at the moment. I'll have to keep popping in to find out when they can do my jab, which is annoying as I'm rarely going into the shops at the moment. Guess I'll wait until I need next lot of meds and hope they still have supplies.

[soapdragon]

Sorry to hear about your grand daughter PW.......YS says that a boy in his year 8 bubble was sent home with Covid - like symptoms earlier in the week but we (parents) have heard nothing. I'm sure it's probably nothing more than a cold but, if it is Covid, by the time he is tested - given the current woeful lack of same - and we are all informed, it will have spread! 

[Patricia W]

I think the decision when a bubble is sent home is down to the local Public Health people.  My son is in Surrey so they may be taking a more stringent approach than Oxfordshire?  I think the general infection level in both counties is similar.   Or maybe Gracie’s bubble went home because there were two positive tests?  Who knows... fingers crossed she and the others will be fine.  

Willow, you don’t need to go into the pharmacies.  My friend, in her late 50s, sat with her finger on the button of the well known pharmacy’s booking website for an afternoon and got a booking.   OH went this afternoon for his.   Said it was very well organised.  Worst problem was other shoppers pushing past in the aisles whilst he filled in the form before the jab.   My jab is next week.... 

[Alis girls]

I see from both sides. Our gp surgery where I work is wholly impractical for flu jabs this year. Only one way in and out. I have been on a/l all week so away from it all. Dreading going back. One patient asked what to do if it were raining. Told him  to get a brolly.  I wasnt being sarky it's not our fault we' ve got it. Our surgery was there long before pandemic. My sons off to Surrey uni Sunday. I am dreading it as if he gets it he'll be on his own. I am going to ask them what they gave put in place for if one of them takes a turn for the worse. Managed to dodge first round of it . Thoroughly fed up of it all stay safe all. 

[Grandmashazzie]

My niece was picked at random to have antibody check. At start of lockdown both her and her husband felt vaguely unwell, said food tasted funny etc. My sister in law thought they were both being overly dramatic, no temperatures ,sore throat etc. Turns out she has antibodies so both must have had it . She is delighted as now both well.

[Cat tails]

Haven’t been on holiday this year yet, but had planned a week in Germany in the fall break. Now Germany has decided that I leave in a code red county... So would need to do two weeks of quarantine when I get to Germany. Not really an option for a one week stay... 😒

[Willow]

On 9/17/2020 at 8:20 PM, Patricia W said:

Willow, you don’t need to go into the pharmacies.  My friend, in her late 50s, sat with her finger on the button of the well known pharmacy’s booking website for an afternoon and got a booking.   OH went this afternoon for his.   Said it was very well organised.  Worst problem was other shoppers pushing past in the aisles whilst he filled in the form before the jab.   My jab is next week.... 

My local pharmacist is very good and as one of his measures is how many people he can persuade to have jabs I try and give him the business. I could get mine at my Drs as I'm eligible. 

I'll try shopping around though as you suggest for son that hasn't gone back to uni yet, thanks!

OH is unlikely to be bothered, he came along as the rest of us were going but it's a bit of a hard sell usually

Edited September 20, 2020 by Willow

[Valkyrie]

That's good Granshazza!  Should give them more confidence in the outside world.

My mum had to phone for an appointment at her surgery, she tried several times but eventually got through.  They asked her if she was able bodied to get to the surgery, she said YES!  She wanted to have a walk!  But that probably means that those who can't will get someone to call and administer the vaccine.  We normally get a letter that gets people in over a few days in alphabetical order and it is done in the village hall.  It has 6 curtained off areas and while one section is vacated, the next person is done while the next in line goes into that booth.  It is smooth and very efficient.  Not sure how they'd do it now as it would need to be cleaned down after each person.  Will be interesting to find out.

[soapdragon]

I have YS at home today....he spent yesterday in bed complaining of a sore throat and wouldn't eat anything. Turned into a streaming nose yesterday evening but temp of 36.7. This morning he said he felt better and was in his uniform, having eaten breakfast by 7.45am and was happy to go into school but his temp was 38. OH put his foot down and sent YS back to bed! Mixed feelings; I know he hasn't got anything worse than a cold but do worry about him having to catch up (year 8). I e mailed the school, dreading that they'd insist on a Covid test but they haven't so far - thank goodness! I'm sure he'll be fine tomorrow - just not sure about the rest of us!

[Cat tails]

We have around 10% of all kids at school at home because of coughs, runny noses etc. One class of 24 was missing 8 kids... send a kid home who was coughing like a seal.

 

[soapdragon]

I think the trouble is that the first half of the Autumn term is always grotty, snotty and snivelly as the students all get back together after the summer break and swap germs! It's a case of separating ordinary colds and coughs and Covid and there have been some extreme reactions. One local primary school has sent out a letter to parents saying that children should not attend school AT ALL with ANY coldy type symptoms!

[Cat tails]

16 minutes ago, soapdragon said:

I think the trouble is that the first half of the Autumn term is always grotty, snotty and snivelly as the students all get back together after the summer break and swap germs! It's a case of separating ordinary colds and coughs and Covid and there have been some extreme reactions. One local primary school has sent out a letter to parents saying that children should not attend school AT ALL with ANY coldy type symptoms!

That is the policy in the whole of the Netherlands for Secondary schools. And kids from 13 up need to get tested as well before they can go back to school. 
Strict but necessary. If it is only a cold, I don’t want to catch it either, as I will be stuck at home too.

[Valkyrie]

Sounds like the sort of school days that I remember.  My mum used to make me stay in bed for a week then another week off after that when I'd be allowed to get up and "recuperate" and I was so bored by the end of the first week.  I'd get up and get told off.  I did have asthma at the time but I do think she was being a bit OTT.  I did miss a lot of school - I had few friends because who wants to be alone when that other friend is off sick all the time.  I was already reading books before I went to school, so that wasn't the issue - it was maths!

[Blackrocksrock]

20 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

Sounds like the sort of school days that I remember.  My mum used to make me stay in bed for a week then another week off after that when I'd be allowed to get up and "recuperate" and I was so bored by the end of the first week.  I'd get up and get told off.  I did have asthma at the time but I do think she was being a bit OTT.  I did miss a lot of school - I had few friends because who wants to be alone when that other friend is off sick all the time.  I was already reading books before I went to school, so that wasn't the issue - it was maths!

I was off school a lot with tonsils and ear problems till they were removed after I was more off school one year than I was at school but also remember having to be home for bad colds and had to recuperate also before was allowed back to school.  Those were the days most mothers were stay at home with the children mothers unlike today where the mothers have to work to make ends meet ( as I did also).  I would imagine that is why most kids are back to schoool a bit too early really.

[soapdragon]

There is a really aggressive attendance policy at my boy's secondary school; they have a dedicated Attendance Manager working 25 hours a week and there is a para in the newsletter virtually every week about sending your child in if it is just a cold and how they need to be in school every day etc. They even tell parents to send children in armed with paracetamol, if they are off colour. I maintain that, if they are poorly enough to need regular medication to get them through the day, then they should be tucked up in bed. It makes me very angry. However, that has all changed this term, for obvious reasons.