Covid

[Hermann]

This will be my last comment on the subject of boosters, because there is nothing more to say. I feel very strongly about this, for reasons that I'm sure will be obvious.

I'm currently sitting in hospital with my 2 year old daughter. She has monogenic lupus, an autoimmune condition that causes her body to attack itself. We've nearly lost her 4 times in the last 18 month, most recently in September when she had a stroke. To manage this she has to have 6 monthly chemotherapy, leaving her with a severely weakened immune system.

In ordinary times this is a worry, with the infection levels where they currently are it's terrifying. In order to give her some protection she has a monthly infusion of immunoglobulin therapy, which is what we're doing today. It takes 6 hours, and for the next week she'll have high temperatures and an upset stomach. She's still at an extremely high risk if she catches covid.

In order to have any semblance of a normal life going forward the only cure is a stem cell transplant, currently scheduled for the first half of this year. If covid overwhelms the NHS, or if she becomes ill, that will be pushed back, and the older she gets the less likely it will work. She may even become so ill she needs a kidney or liver transplant first, making a stem cell transplant even less likely to succeed.

You're right that the booster won't 100% stop you catching and passing on covid, but it will reduce transmission, both of this and future variants. If everyone has the booster, then my daughter has a much better chance of getting to that stem cell transplant.

So I'm genuinely begging you, if you don't feel you need the booster for yourself, then consider doing it for her.

Actually I will say one more thing. If you're under 65, please consider registering as a bone marrow/stem cell donor. You can do it at https://www.dkms.org.uk/ or if you're already a blood donor you can do it through that.

 

[Spanks]

One of my clients once secured an investment from a guy who had just sold his business for £55 million to venture capitalists. That business supplied agency staff to the NHS. I thought at the time that there must be a better way but frankly the whole NHS organisation wastes swathes of money. No wonder no other country uses the model.

Ultimately, it's because the lower and mid tiers of NHS staff are underpaid.

Magda is just a few months into an ODP apprenticeship, and after 3 years of study, and working full time placements alongside that, she will qualify and earn the princely sum of £25k a year. She will be contractually obliged to work for 3 years in the trust that is sponsoring her, but after that she is free to do whatever she likes.

Privately, that position will pay far in excess of the £25k mentioned above, and the offer of top up agency work within the NHS to cover their inadequate staffing/human resources issues (for mostly political reasons) for far more than the rates the NHS would pay their own staff, because they are woefully understaffed (surprise, surprise) and so on and on, is extremely attractive. Especially to those that would like to work part time.

Penny pinching looks good politically, but with regards to staffing in the health service, it is an entirely false economy.

Which then highlights how much more you would really be paying if the whole thing were privatised and insurance based, which also highlights who would, and would not be able to have health care in that scenario, which leads us back to why we have the NHS in the first place.

Resource it correctly and it will perform. Continue to underfund and understaff, and the narrative will, unsurprisingly, lead to how we should do away with it and move in a different direction. Which would be very, very beneficial for some people in high places, and a lot of people of lucky enough to have deeper pockets. Not so much for those that don't, but somehow think a change would not affect them.

 

[Spanks]

I've weighed up the odds and decided to take my chances this time round. Especially seeing Omicrom appears to be a lot less deadly. Our non-vaxxed friends got it before Chrimbo and they were saying it was little different from a normal cough/cold.

If I was over 65, overweight or had a medical condition, it'd be a different matter and a no-brainer. But I'm very much none of those.

There's always the bigger picture, greater good and all that stuff. I'm just not buying it this time.

All that said, I do fully respect those that do decide to take the plunge. I hope I'm afforded the same....personal choices and all that.

Jinx, serious question...

Is the Delta variant dead? Because the efficacy and effectiveness of your vaccinations will be waning. I'm not sure you can only agree to contract Omicron.

 

[Mr Jinx]

<sigh> yes it does reduce it, your occasional anecdotes about a mate that caught it despite being jabbed doesn't alter the science - being jabbed reduces the risk of you catching it, falling ill with it and passing it on. It doesn't eliminate it 100% (hence why you and others will have your "my mate says...." stories) but it reduces it significantly across the population.

But FBH, it's not just my one mate. It's practically all of them! Give me some credit, please.

 

[Spanks]

This will be my last comment on the subject of boosters, because there is nothing more to say. I feel very strongly about this, for reasons that I'm sure will be obvious.

I'm currently sitting in hospital with my 2 year old daughter. She has monogenic lupus, an autoimmune condition that causes her body to attack itself. We've nearly lost her 4 times in the last 18 month, most recently in September when she had a stroke. To manage this she has to have 6 monthly chemotherapy, leaving her with a severely weakened immune system.

In ordinary times this is a worry, with the infection levels where they currently are it's terrifying. In order to give her some protection she has a monthly infusion of immunoglobulin therapy, which is what we're doing today. It takes 6 hours, and for the next week she'll have high temperatures and an upset stomach. She's still at an extremely high risk if she catches covid.

In order to have any semblance of a normal life going forward the only cure is a stem cell transplant, currently scheduled for the first half of this year. If covid overwhelms the NHS, or if she becomes ill, that will be pushed back, and the older she gets the less likely it will work. She may even become so ill she needs a kidney or liver transplant first, making a stem cell transplant even less likely to succeed.

You're right that the booster won't 100% stop you catching and passing on covid, but it will reduce transmission, both of this and future variants. If everyone has the booster, then my daughter has a much better chance of getting to that stem cell transplant.

So I'm genuinely begging you, if you don't feel you need the booster for yourself, then consider doing it for her.

Best of luck in all that Hermy. I bet the little lady is a real trooper.

I couldn't possibly send her enough love and best wishes as she battles on, but she can have absolutely all that I have.

All the best.

 

[Mr Jinx]

This will be my last comment on the subject of boosters, because there is nothing more to say. I feel very strongly about this, for reasons that I'm sure will be obvious.

I'm currently sitting in hospital with my 2 year old daughter. She has monogenic lupus, an autoimmune condition that causes her body to attack itself. We've nearly lost her 4 times in the last 18 month, most recently in September when she had a stroke. To manage this she has to have 6 monthly chemotherapy, leaving her with a severely weakened immune system.

In ordinary times this is a worry, with the infection levels where they currently are it's terrifying. In order to give her some protection she has a monthly infusion of immunoglobulin therapy, which is what we're doing today. It takes 6 hours, and for the next week she'll have high temperatures and an upset stomach. She's still at an extremely high risk if she catches covid.

In order to have any semblance of a normal life going forward the only cure is a stem cell transplant, currently scheduled for the first half of this year. If covid overwhelms the NHS, or if she becomes ill, that will be pushed back, and the older she gets the less likely it will work. She may even become so ill she needs a kidney or liver transplant first, making a stem cell transplant even less likely to succeed.

You're right that the booster won't 100% stop you catching and passing on covid, but it will reduce transmission, both of this and future variants. If everyone has the booster, then my daughter has a much better chance of getting to that stem cell transplant.

So I'm genuinely begging you, if you don't feel you need the booster for yourself, then consider doing it for her.

Really sorry to hear that Hermann. I can't imagine being in that situation as parents and my heart goes out to all of you.

If I knew you personally, I wouldn't let me or any of my family near her or you. We have a friend who is in a similar predicament with Cancer and chemo and we won't go near her. Haven't seen the poor thing since the summer of 2020 (and that was at distance in a garden). This is the world we now live in.

 

[Mr Jinx]

Jinx, serious question...

Is the Delta variant dead? Because the efficacy and effectiveness of your vaccinations will be waning. I'm not sure you can only agree to contract Omicron.

No of course not. And yes, the efficacy of my vaccine is waning and it'll probably be fully reduced come Spring. Then it gets warmer outside and flu bugs (incl Covid) will naturally subside (as long as we don't fully lock down again). Then come Sept/Oct I'll weigh up the situation once more and possibly have a booster come November. Rinse and repeat the year after, and again until I die.

 

[fred binneys head]

But FBH, it's not just my one mate. It's practically all of them! Give me some credit, please.

Apologies Jinxy, I didn't mean to sound disparaging but can see I did. It just sounded to me a bit similar to when someone is a fitness freak and unfortunately dies relatively young from a heart attack and someone says "my dad smoked 40 a day and lived until he was 90 and then <fitness freak> drops dead at 50, shows you exercise is a waste of time doesn't it?". The exceptions will always be there, the science will always prevail across the population though.

 

[fred binneys head]

Really sorry to hear that Hermann. I can't imagine being in that situation as parents and my heart goes out to all of you.

If I knew you personally, I wouldn't let me or any of my family near her or you. We have a friend who is in a similar predicament with Cancer and chemo and we won't go near her. Haven't seen the poor thing since the summer of 2020 (and that was at distance in a garden). This is the world we now live in.

But if you were vaxed to the max you might be able to see her, which would be better for her quality of life (arguably )

Taking it to the logical conclusion, if no-one had the vaccine, vulnerable people would never be able to see anyone, ever.

 

[Mr Jinx]

Apologies Jinxy, I didn't mean to sound disparaging but can see I did. It just sounded to me a bit similar to when someone is a fitness freak and unfortunately dies relatively young from a heart attack and someone says "my dad smoked 40 a day and lived until he was 90 and then <fitness freak> drops dead at 50, shows you exercise is a waste of time doesn't it?". The exceptions will always be there, the science will always prevail across the population though.

No problem. I appreciate that once you say "my friend(s)" it immediately becomes anecdotal and dismissed as such. I do question things as you know. If the BOE starts bleating that a Brexit would cause house prices to lose 17% immediately, I'm the first to go 'hang on a minute'. I do listen to experts but treat it all with a sceptical ear. I do probably take more notice of real life experiences that happen around me.

When our anti-vax friends declared "being vaccinated means you get Covid worse" shortly before them catching it, it had me kind of chortling and thinking 'ha, that's that little theory about to be put to the test' and that they'd regret their remarks. Well, guess what, they were right. Not that I'm considering that that one particular swallow makes a summer.

But if you were vaxed to the max you might be able to see her, which would be better for her quality of life (arguably

But vaccines don't stop you getting it, nor passing it on....as most of our vaxxed friends have proved...and round in circles we go....