Generic Virus Thread

[Genie]

Just now, veloman said:

If anyone has had difficulty actually getting through to even speak to a Doctor, you will be glad to know that the NHS is looking to recruit a number of new Doctor's Receptionists !

My wife had a **** nightmare this week. Shortness of breath and racing heart rate. Asked to see a doctor but they wouldn’t even let her speak to one. They posted out some anti-biotics which arrived 6 days later.

In the meantime she spoke to 111 who told her to go to minor injuries in Tamworth and see a nurse. Nurse checked her over and referred her to A&E in Sutton Coldfield at 8pm.

5 hours later she’s had various tests and scans and it’s some inflammation and asthma on her lungs.

Doctor prescribed some medicine which we took to the pharmacy next morning. Pharmacy won’t issue the drugs as the dosage isn’t clear on the prescription. We try to call the hospital but they can’t do anything other than go back, wait, see a new doctor and get a new prescription. 

We elect to try and see our GP to get them to reissue a clear prescription based on the notes we have from the hospital. They have a cancellation for a phone appointment before 1pm.

This comes and goes and no call. We chase at 2pm, they made a mistake and added her to the nurse list rather than the doctor list. They realised and cancelled the appointment without calling or rearranging it. 

They are completely and utterly broken and useless. It really is a bad time to get ill. So many people will be dying at home.

 

[bickster]

7 minutes ago, veloman said:

If anyone has had difficulty actually getting through to even speak to a Doctor, you will be glad to know that the NHS is looking to recruit a number of new Doctor's Receptionists !

Joking aside, they don't need more receptionists, they need more doctors.

I never have a problem getting through to a receptionist, the problem comes when you want to see a doctor

[veloman]

2 minutes ago, bickster said:

Joking aside, they don't need more receptionists, they need more doctors.

I never have a problem getting through to a receptionist, the problem comes when you want to see a doctor

Yes you are right of course but I can't even get through to get an appointment for a phone consultation. Receptionist wants to know what is wrong; well I don't want to discuss it with her, I want to speak to a Doctor. I feel like saying, "Well I've got a permanent erection  and don't know what to do about it" or some other such trite answer.

[Jonesy7211]

My wife is back office staff at a surgery and she sometimes covers the phones. She sometimes comes home frustrated because of so many other people off sick and leaving her to do too many jobs, and also some of the people who call up aren't always particularly nice, even before they've asked for an appointment. I'm sure we've all had bad days at work, and having to deal with often stressed and upset people on top of that would make it much worse, especially when then there's so little you can do about it.

That being said, at the surgery there's 2 doctors for over 8k patients. I think stats like that show why it's hard to get an appointment. I was also in hospital for a while last month, and it's the same there. I didn't see a doctor for three days and on some of the shifts there'd only be 2 nurses in to look after 24 patients with varying illnesses, majority of which are pretty serious if you're in hospital. The NHS has such a shortfall of medical staff it's unreal.

Being a receptionist at a surgery is one of those jobs that I just wouldn't want. I'd rather mop the toilets at McDonalds.

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, tinker said:

Mass immunity is the only way to beat this and any other virus, I have had covid at least once and been around people in close proximity who have almost definitely had it (they never tested) and not caught it. 

Thank you Boris

[markavfc40]

On 14/10/2021 at 08:16, Vive_La_Villa said:

My 6 year old and missus got it on Monday and for all my efforts to avoid them I think I’ve got it too. Will be confirmed tomorrow. 
 

At the moment I just feel tired, mild headache and little feverish. Hopefully that’s as bad as it gets.

@markavfc40 I hope you’re feeling better mate.

Thank you mate. I am feeling much better now just getting tired really easily.

Hope you and your family are okay.

[markavfc40]

On 13/10/2021 at 21:56, NurembergVillan said:

Sounds rough mate. Hope you're on the mend soon.

I had a lot of very similar symptoms last week but without the fever or taste and smell.  Cold hands and feet with weird sensation of touch, hot and cold flushes, chest was so tight I couldn't get enough air in to sneeze, aching all over. It was crazy. Tested negative 3 times for Covid, though, so it must've been flu.  It's made me double conscious of Covid though, because what I had was mild compared to the real thing and it was absolutely brutal.

Cheers Rob. Sounds like you have really been through the mill as well mate. I'd hate to get covid and flu at same time as that must be hell.

[Vive_La_Villa]

10 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

Thank you mate. I am feeling much better now just getting tired really easily.

Hope you and your family are okay.

Thanks mate.  Glad to hear you’re doing better.

My missus is much better now thankfully as she’s 5 months so got scared for a few days.  Especially with all the headlines. Daughter was better next day really. 

I’ve got it as well now and mainly just got a killer headache and out of breath easily.  I think it’s fairly mild compared to others though. 
 

It’s crazy how differently it affects people. 

[Wainy316]

The population of the town I live in (Didcot) must have nearly doubled in the last 10 years.   No new surgery commissioned.

[markavfc40]

10 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Thanks mate.  Glad to hear you’re doing better.

My missus is much better now thankfully as she’s 5 months so got scared for a few days.  Especially with all the headlines. Daughter was better next day really. 

I’ve got it as well now and mainly just got a killer headache and out of breath easily.  I think it’s fairly mild compared to others though. 
 

It’s crazy how differently it affects people. 

Yes it is crazy. My daughter and wife had it a few days before me and they didn't get it as bad and recovered quicker. Either that or being a man I just felt more sorry for myself

Take it easy mate and get plenty of rest and take on plenty of fluids.

 

[tinker]

6 hours ago, sidcow said:

Thank you Boris

My pleasure 

[HanoiVillan]

To be honest, we're all going to get covid sooner or later, even if you (like me) haven't had it yet. It is inevitable, and that is the implicit logic in removing restrictions. But it really does make a difference if you get vaccinated:

(from: https://twitter.com/PaulMainwood/status/1449062935469379589                I know most people commenting in this thread have already been double jabbed. But maybe there are some lurkers out there who haven't, or maybe the commenters know somebody who hasn't, and I just really recommend you get yourself vaccinated, for your benefit and that of everyone around you.

 

[Panto_Villan]

8 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

To be honest, we're all going to get covid sooner or later, even if you (like me) haven't had it yet. It is inevitable, and that is the implicit logic in removing restrictions. But it really does make a difference if you get vaccinated:

(from: https://twitter.com/PaulMainwood/status/1449062935469379589                I know most people commenting in this thread have already been double jabbed. But maybe there are some lurkers out there who haven't, or maybe the commenters know somebody who hasn't, and I just really recommend you get yourself vaccinated, for your benefit and that of everyone around you.

 

I feel like if data or common sense would lead people to get jabbed, they already would have. The evidence has been overwhelming for a while.

How you reach the remaining people (except maybe pregnant women waiting to give birth before having the jab) I just don't know.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 hour ago, Panto_Villan said:

I feel like if data or common sense would lead people to get jabbed, they already would have. The evidence has been overwhelming for a while.

How you reach the remaining people (except maybe pregnant women waiting to give birth before having the jab) I just don't know.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t want my wife to have the jab as she is expecting.  The start of the week when she got covid was very scary but thankfully she is much better now.  
 

I know many will think that was a silly decision to make it just felt like there were too many unknowns for Pregnant women to take it.

As for the you data you referred to, people who don’t want the jab do not believe the data. They think the whole covid situation is one big conspiracy. I don’t think you can ever get through to them. 

Edited October 16, 2021 by Vive_La_Villa

[HanoiVillan]

1 hour ago, Panto_Villan said:

I feel like if data or common sense would lead people to get jabbed, they already would have. The evidence has been overwhelming for a while.

How you reach the remaining people (except maybe pregnant women waiting to give birth before having the jab) I just don't know.

I think it's worth reminding people, periodically, that it makes a massive difference in health outcomes if you get vaccinated or not, especially if you're over 30. I know what you're saying, but people can change over time, their life circumstances can change, etc.

[HanoiVillan]

Also, while I'm posting things that are just common sense but worth remembering:

 

[tinker]

On 26/08/2021 at 14:54, tinker said:

Working with loads of people who have the symptoms of covid but are all testing negative,  lateral flow test . Could be a bad strain of flu but the strange thing is I haven't caught it yet and I'm the only one who's had covid in the past.

How good am I lol 

[bickster]

2 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

Also, while I'm posting things that are just common sense but worth remembering:

 

He's wrong, it’s not a British tradition, it's a British necessity for most people

Edit: He also appears to be saying you shouldn’t go to your GP when you’re ill 

[foreveryoung]

1 hour ago, HanoiVillan said:

Also, while I'm posting things that are just common sense but worth remembering:

 

So if you have a runny nose you should have the day off work? There would be no one at work in the winter. Dr Hammond, wake up, 95% of the population have to go to work.

Hate people who don't live in the real world making bullshite statements.

[HanoiVillan]

1 hour ago, bickster said:

He's wrong, it’s not a British tradition, it's a British necessity for most people

Edit: He also appears to be saying you shouldn’t go to your GP when you’re ill 

You shouldn't go to the GP when you have a cold / the flu. 

1 hour ago, foreveryoung said:

So if you have a runny nose you should have the day off work? There would be no one at work in the winter. Dr Hammond, wake up, 95% of the population have to go to work.

Hate people who don't live in the real world making bullshite statements.

If you have an infectious illness, you shouldn't go to work. 

People don't want to hear it, but making other people ill is not something to be done lightly. Of course it's true that employers don't like people being off work, but that's their problem and their lack of resilience.