New year

[Jaybird19]

we are told to be "cautious and sensible "over new year .Cases in hospital already rising and told they "haven't had their boosters." To some that implies a booster makes them safe . So what will be the covid rates be in a week or two.

[Troilus]

High! 😁Christmas shopping, add in Christmas and then top it up with New Year’s Eve.Time to lock the doors and hibernate until the spring.

[sassy59]

The rates of infection just keep going up and up. Our son in law has covid and had his booster in November. He’s feeling very achey but not too bad. Please take care everyone. Xxxx💜💜💜💜

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Poor chap. Glad he’s not too bad. Mind you, even if he was really suffering he’d still be classed as “mild” unless he needed a hospital bed 🙄

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

He says it’s a bit like having the flu. We’re hopeful all will be well. Such a shame. Thank you for your reply dear Hanne. How are you now? Thinking of you. Xxx💕

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Oh I’m doing well thanks. Inevitably they’ve found something else wrong whilst I’m here, but nothing too worrisome x

[Jaybird19 in reply to Hidden]

hanne i think I am getting posts intended for someone else

[Hidden in reply to Jaybird19]

I am so sorry, jaybird. I didn’t mean to hijack your post by starting a chat with Carole, but I’ve done just that 🤐

[Jaybird19 in reply to Hidden]

no problem here as long as they get it as well

[sassy59 in reply to Hidden]

Great news dear friend. Wishing you well and pleased the “something else” isn’t anything to worry about. Xxxx

[Thepainterswife]

A few weeks ago someone posted on here a very good video made by a doctor , (an expert in viral disease if I remember rightly) on the front line in Africa outlining the progression of the virus. Going of what’s happening in Africa he said numbers in GB would sky rocket reaching the peak around Christmas and then slowly coming down which seems to be what’s been happening over the past couple of days - let’s hope it continues 🙏. He didnt expect the NHS to be overwhelmed with high hospital admissions due to GB ‘s excellent vaccination programme and he didn’t expect high death rates because he said the nature of viruses is that they become weaker as they mutate and Omicron is weaker I will still be taking all precautions and keeping socialising to an absolute minimum but so far all he has said as been correct 😊. I’ve never been happy with our news reporting deaths “with” covid even if the deceased died in an accident, I just don’t listen to our media figures any more

[sassy59 in reply to Thepainterswife]

Let’s hope things do improve soon. I’m scared to go anywhere which is no way to live. Stay safe. Xxxx💜💜

[Thepainterswife in reply to sassy59]

I’ve felt much better since watching that video and he’s been right so far 😊 I’m avoiding crowds , wearing mask and only allowing 2-3 family members into our home for short periods with windows open but I’ve been to dental appointments and met a similarly careful friend for lunch several times As you said Sassy being scared to leave home is no way to live but I can understand how you feel I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t personally met even one person who has had the virus - that said my family wouldn’t tell me if they had and how many people have had it and don’t even know 🤷🏻‍♀️ Love to you & Pete , hope he’s well xx

[sassy59 in reply to Thepainterswife]

I’ve felt better since reading your reply so thank you. We will get out and about at quiet times and always wear masks. Our home is well ventilated when anyone is here so we’re doing our best I suppose. We have our son in law with covid and last year our eldest son had it too. As you say, so many don’t know they even have it. Love to you and hubby too. Pete’s doing ok thank you. Take care xxxx💜❤️

[Thepainterswife in reply to sassy59]

I forgot to say that he also said cases of omicron rising will eventually wipe out the other variants which are more dangerous and that is obviously happening now and good news 😃 so these rising figures haven’t worried me at all I think we’ve only been given the bad news maybe to encourage the anti vac brigade 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t want to encourage anyone to be silly but I do think if your fully vaccinated and sensible you’ll be ok - even the EV which he said had not been affected any more than the general public even with the lack of vaccine available in Africa 😊 xx

[sassy59 in reply to Thepainterswife]

I agree and it does make sense now I think about it. Staying safe is sensible but still need to live our lives. Thank you dear lady. Xxx💜❤️😘

[Jaybird19 in reply to Thepainterswife]

yes agree about viruses mutating to have lesser virulence, was taught that many years ago .

[Alberta56 in reply to Jaybird19]

I didn't know that. The things you learn on this forum.😊😊

[Troilus]

I think they changed the covid death criteria when Matt Hancock was Health Secretary. I think it now has to mention covid on the death certificate. Could be wrong of course, maybe they just talked about it.😁

[sassy59 in reply to Troilus]

You’re right Troilus. A death is within 28 days mentioning covid on the death certificate. I think the news is too depressing so rarely watch it now. Xxx

[Alberta56 in reply to sassy59]

There is much too much scare mongering in the media. It's hard to know what to believe.

[sassy59 in reply to Alberta56]

Totally agree Alberta. Xxxx

[Thepainterswife in reply to Troilus]

Yes I think your right , totally false numbers as far as I’m concerned 😡

[bazcranleigh in reply to Thepainterswife]

I'm happy to believe that - so long as I'm not one of them.

[Tykelady in reply to Troilus]

I think that if Covid is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate it is being included in the deaths 'from Covid' figures. In the first wave several very old and ill people were entered on the statistics when their families were awaiting the sad news daily in any case.

[noaccent in reply to Troilus]

I am CEV and back in the early days used to receive communications from Matt Hancock, until he did something a bit stupid and was demoted. I did rather look forward to receiving his letters, which he simply signed “Matt”. Because of that I have always referred to him as My Mate Matt. Shame in a way because I now have absolutely no idea who the Health Secretary is. Covid communications are no longer interesting. Though now, I don’t think I even receive any ?

[Troilus in reply to noaccent]

Yes, I liked my letters from Matt. I also called him my mate Matt. The letters made me feel like I was being looked after somehow.I remember the first thing Savvy Javid said when he took over, was it was time to stop cowering! Now, my mate Matt would never have said that to me 😁😁

[noaccent in reply to Troilus]

Yes indeed. In these difficult times Matt's letters did always seem to be just a little bit reassuring somehow.

[sassy59 in reply to noaccent]

Sajid Javid is the health secretary now I believe. Let’s hope the new year brings better times for all. Xxx

[noaccent in reply to sassy59]

Very much hope 2022 sees a great improvement for all. One possibly slight good thing about Javid is that he has no ego. But does he look healthy ha ha ?!

[Thepainterswife in reply to noaccent]

My mate Matt 😂 your new mate is Sajid but as he’s never wrote to you he obviously doesn’t want to be your mate 🥲😂

[noaccent in reply to Thepainterswife]

Oh good ! I am so glad he doesn't. You know how, sometimes, people just seem to fit into your life whereas others don't ? !!

[Oshgosh]

I haven’t watched the news since the start of the first lockdown . It’s repetitive and winds me up I’m CEV and was convinced that I was going to catch it and die. My sister in law lives in Ireland and was watching gnews all the time from different countries. She was so stressed!

[Jaybird19 in reply to Oshgosh]

yes i understand . I am classed as cev too but I think it may be a mistake. I have damaged lungs but other people are much worse than me . nevertheless nobody comes into my house as its all open plan and warm air circulates for heating throughout carrying any virus too !,.not been indoors anywhere else for 2 years. I have turned into a hermit !

[Thepainterswife in reply to Jaybird19]

I think we’ve all become hermit - like to a certain degree Everyone must do what they feel comfortable with , my only concern is that after two years living as hermits it will be affecting peoples mental health 🥲 If you’ve started brewing your own medicines and tinctures in a big pot over an open fire in the garden you’ve gone too far 😂 x

[Jaybird19 in reply to Thepainterswife]

Bubble, buble, boil and bubble or something like that

[Thepainterswife in reply to Jaybird19]

Definitely showing symptoms of hermititis 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

[Jaybird19 in reply to Thepainterswife]

no hope then

[Jaybird19 in reply to Thepainterswife]

Replying to your conmments about mushrooms . One of my favourite foods cooked or rare . But I learnt my lesson about foraging many years ago. Went on university day course in local forest and went ant collected what I thought we had identified as edible and cooked them . Spent the next day off work and on the loo ! Now the only ones I forage for are shaggy inkcaps. Can't mistake those ! So you would think ----but have a friend who did . She really likes her wine with a meal and the mushrooms she ate were common inkcaps. These inkcaps produce a toxin that in combination with drinking alcohol create a severe reaction . But worse to come this toxin is stored in the liver and when more alcohol is consumed later the cycle starts all over again with the toxin stored in the liver. I never found out from her how long that lasted for. The best I ever ate was a giant puff ball sliced into across into steaks and fried . Tasted like steak too. It was the size of a football! I go every autumn on a fungi search with a chap called "fungal punk dave "who travels around local areas in northwest leading groups on these trips.

Sorry to go on about fungi . Just a passion I have.

[Thepainterswife in reply to Jaybird19]

Oh wow 😮 don’t think I’ll bother collecting any mushrooms although I’m in the northwest so I could find fungal punk Dave 😃 I didn’t even like mushrooms until I gave up meat only about three years ago Since then I’ve developed a liking for all sorts of stuff I never would have imagined I’d enjoy My bourginion is mushrooms with red wine so I hope Tesco know what they’re doing 😂

[Jaybird19 in reply to Thepainterswife]

Fungal punk dave has two interesting web sites one is all punk . The other is the one I look at !

[Thepainterswife in reply to Jaybird19]

I’ll have a look 😃not the punk one , before my time -I’m an ageing hippy 🧘🏻‍♀️📿😂

[Ergendl in reply to Jaybird19]

Love puff balls. They make excellent soup too - no need for thickeners.

[Alberta56 in reply to Thepainterswife]

Can you post some suitable recipes please? Just vegetarian -newts and frogs are in short supply round here and I'll be drummed off this web site if I even suggest I need toe of dog.

[Thepainterswife in reply to Alberta56]

I am actually vegetarian but unfortunately most of my stuff comes in boxes from Tesco 😂 I do make an amazing mushroom bouginion but be very careful if you go out foraging for mushrooms 🤪🙃😂 x

[Alberta56 in reply to Thepainterswife]

Husband and I used to look for edible mushrooms. We liked shaggy inkcaps and puffballs, if they weren't full of maggots. Trying to get a lot of escapee maggots out of the car boot is an off-putting experience. Our favourites were shaggy parasols, which my dad, normally an avid mushroom eater, refused to eat. We found out later that parasols can make some people ill.😂😂🤪🙃

[Thepainterswife in reply to Alberta56]

Who knew mushrooms were such a minefield 😱 poison and maggots 🤮 Definitely crossing foraging off my list of new year adventures 😂

[Jaybird19 in reply to Oshgosh]

you are cev I think, so get 4 in all. see painters wife post

[Oshgosh in reply to Jaybird19]

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Oshgosh]

Best thing to do if the news upsets you is not watch it or switch off and walk away and do something nice for yourself!

[Badbessie]

To be honest the number of infections are not important. In reality hospital admissions will be the true guide. The numbers from London whilst going up are mitigated in two ways. 1. Over 70% of Covid infections are coincidental they are found on admissions for other problems as part of the routine admissions procedure. 2. The duration of hospital stays for covid are now averaging 3 days. Looking at the ITU bed occupation for covid the vast majority are in the unvaccinated or beds still occupied by Delta patients. I have been looking closely at the situation in South Africa and their numbers of admissions is now falling. To be honest I am far more hopeful than this time last year.

[Jaybird19 in reply to Badbessie]

We are no more liable to getting it than others but we're first to get boosters and these are starting to wane and older people are starting to succumb(BBC news today) and this is when ITU becomes busier. All progress towards the end but bound to be hiccups on the way.

Agreed more hopeful but new year will bring a resurgence. I can see a lot less demand for vaccines at my local vaccine centre this week and an increased demand for the test kits at pharmacies with none available at some . People are more relaxed about covid now and New Year Eve is special .

[Thepainterswife in reply to Badbessie]

Now I see your name I remember it was you who posted the video, thank you , everything that was said has proved to be accurate and I have been far more relaxed since watching it and even more so reading your latest response thanks again 😊

[Alberta56]

Like you I feel more relaxed about things, but cautious.

[Thepainterswife in reply to Alberta56]

Definitely Alberta , I take all the advised precautions still but it’s nice not to be feeling anxious all the time 😊 x