We can not believe how many replies there were to the Wednesday covid chat post. Thank you to everyone who has posted on the thread and kept the forum free for pmr/gca enquiries.
Today we are providing you with a link about the UK government corona virus - covid 19 protocol. There is a lot of info on all aspects of the disease which should interest most of you. I believe this has been updated since the announcement that all English schools are to shut on Friday in line with Scotland and Wales. Can someone let me know if the link works abroad please. Even though this is our protocol most of the info is relevant to everyone.
I have spent a little time gathering some of the COVID-19 posts from the last few days*. If many of us have time on our hands while you hang out in self-isolation, have a little browse through them. I will add others as I find them. This exercise has given me an even clearer idea of what the moderators have been doing. Thanks to them !
PLEASE COMMENT ON COVID-19 (NOVEL CORONAVIRUS) ON THIS THREAD. REFRAIN FROM CREATING SEPARATE COVID-19 THREADS SO WE CAN KEEP THE CONVERSATION IN ONE PLACE. THANK YOU.
*Please also note that I am now adding new posts to the bottom of the list, many of which are special educational posts with good and useful information.
Enforced isolation - I do worry about this. As a rule I am happy with my own company - but not for long !!! Telephone and video calls are all very well but I do need some human interaction or I am going to struggle. I have never been more thankful for being a dog owner - I do find myself talking to him quite a bit. I think at the end of this he will want to leave home.
Why not set up a conversation with someone on the forum, that's I have done. Send a personal message to see if they are agreeable first. There are pleanty of people here are also alone and might welcome the suggestion and they probably share your worries. You could even ask on this thread. Good luck to you.
Both you and the dog need plenty of cuddles....that gives you the oxytocin boost aft 1 min for both of you...that will keep both if you happy. At the moment I am trying to get her out. I live 7 miles from the countryside so dash to the car and usually don't see more than 2cpeople....from a distance. Total lockdown...I will have to stand in the attic window which has open sky and a view across the city.
You/one needs to switch off the part of your brain that deals with f2f interaction if you live alone. Tbh it happens more easily than you'd think. I have had long periods of isolation through illnesses. It's always the first bit where you deal with that memory dip where you forget you aren't able to go out that's hard. Then it just becomes life. The radio, music, books, Netflix etc become friends. And for those of you who don't talk back to inanimate objects...do it.
Until the food situation is sorted a bit...spend a day working out what's really in your storage. It's practical and needs doing. There are a lot of meals that sustain you, though low carbing might be the main victim in my stores! I have lots of hobby things I have bough over the years that I will dig out, apps I will download, I have gone weeks without talking a a face in the winter pre dog. I have been bored a couple of times but it always passes.
It is like starting a low carb diet - stop thinking about what you CAN'T have and concentrate on what you CAN do. The first few days are probably the worst but after 10 days I'm finding the days flying by! I am not even able to take a dog for a walk - trips to the shop are the lot, there isn't a lot of communication there and since you have to keep 1-2m from anyone there is definitely no touching.
I'm not surprised your days are flying past, you have been so busy posting advice for us here. It is so reassuring for the rest of us to have someone knowledgable , that we can trust, filter the news and publish that that is worth reading, thankyou.
Surprisingly I am finding the first few days are quite bad. I am really amazed because we haven't been going out much lately anyway. It's because I know I 'can't' go out.
Get with it Constance and cope - like you always do!🤨
Oh, I haven't stopped smiling. I look in my mirror in the mornings, before I have beautied myself up, and can even hoot with laughter. Hair facing the ceiling, eyes "squinty", etc etc.
Believe it not it really does not take long before Skype and phone calls become equal to having two or more people in the same space.
Remember the old days when being on the phone with your best friend was what you preferred doing than having a chat or spending time with anybody in your house.
I can often feel like that .
I've been virtually housebound since November last year , my best buddy couldn't visit much as I have no downstairs loo and she's also disabled. We have a coffee call that can last hours every week. There will be so many friends that you have in the same boat as you , desperate for company , start calling them or sending a message and sorting out coffee calls now.
The " Yuff" won't think anything of it as most of them choose to huddle in their rooms messaging and Skypeing each other rather than meeting up outside or speaking to their relatives.
The silver lining could be you will end up with a bigger friend network that talk more than you have had in years , and it will become a habit for the future so if you are ever stuck in ill none of us will feel at a loss either .
OH is always on his own with his computer - but gets iffy when we visit the family or they are here and they and I are all on the computer. We, however, are all communicating with others or working while he spends a lot of time playing cards ...
My daughter said she knew it was time to break up with her long term boyfriend this weekend when she knew she couldn't stand the idea of spending too weeks stuck at home with him. Silver Linings all round again !!!
I think they might survive 😲 They were together at school, broke up after she went to uni. Got back together when she came back and spent 2 years together before moving to London. But you never know.
Indeed. And talking about irresponsible......Ch 4 news last night, filming from a gym in the Midlands I think, jam packed with people.....'oh, it’s just a virus, we'll all get it, just have to take it on the chin.....'. You do despair don’t you?
They think they are invincible. Victims of our own success with other viruses. If you haven't had a flu type virus sometimes it's difficult to understand how debilitating it can be for weeks even when you feel fit and strong previously.
We are so lucky to have advice we can trust here. Ignorance is what wii make this spread. My sister with PMR and well advised has just gone out with her friend shoulder to shoulder. I could have saved my breath. Perhaps you're safe outside!
I was chatting with someone in our lobby this morning, having accepted a delivery from my son of necessary supplies (olive oil and a paper shredder, if you're interested 🤣😎😉😆 ) and we were standing at least the prescribed two metres apart. Her husband has Parkinsons and very vulnerable, so she's been careful where she goes for years. She had just cancelled regular visits from Red Cross as they send random people and so she doesn't know where they have been before....
Funniest thing I saw was PMQs look it up on the iPlayer , talk about one rule fire one and another for everyone else , half the chamber was empty but they were still bunched up all together at one end.
Obviously 'Social Distancing' in Parliament just means not talking to one another long enough to make any sense.
The opposition bench at one point did look like they were trying to bump each other off , you would have thought if they wanted to try and infect anyone they'd have sat around the Cabinet 😋😂😂😂
It seems nice and clear - except I am a bit doubtful about their guidance that people in at-risk groups only need to self-isolate if they have symptoms. That is exactly the point: if you are in an at-risk group that is classed high risk then you need to self-isolate. However - self-isolation means going nowhere - social distancing is the first step and sticking to that consistently is very important.
Yes. I am back to day 1 of Social isolation because I couldn't get my Dr to prescrib meds that weren't due and I had to collect as missed delivery time. That means I have to set this up every stupid week to 10 days. If I am going to chemist as I can't get delivery then I may as well start taking the dog again.
What I don't understand normally people seem to stay away from me...fat with a limp and a crutch seems to be a reason to stand back...since this started I have had someone clipping my heels and a poke in the back.
Yesterday I was very tetchy, I fell over indoors and it hurt everywhere.I was annoyed that only half my usual online shopping had arrived.What no teabags!!
I felt anxious and worried about life in general,pmr, covid 19,isolation and my family.
Today I got up and had porridge and a lovely long bath.Washed my hair,put on makeup ,dressed in comfies and had a latte.
Self care is what matters it makes me feel better,I'm going to potter in garden, do crochet and start a new book maybe.
Amazing how the feelings vary so swiftly, fidgety with apprehension one moment, shrug the next. All this me-time can be a real gift when you start to 'be with yourself' and yes, I talk to myself like an old friend who needs attention and lots of pampering.
Broke my isolation this morning after 9 days to go to Sainsbury's 'Happy Hour for Oldies' at 7a.m. - there was quite a gathering, all zooming along the aisles and exchanging rueful smiles before a fast exit. Sainsbury's had no delivery slots for the next 3 weeks when I checked yesterday, can only hope their priority slots from 23rd March work.
Re first paragraph, my neice has been self isolating with boyfriend since yesterday as he has a high temperature. She is already fidgety and fractious. I was laughing at her and sending soothing voice messages on whatsapp. Wound her up no end....only cos she knows I love her....😊😉
Yes im sure self care is what matters. I am still putting on a bit of makeup and lipstick before I start my day. That way if I look in the mirror I will still see some semblance of normality in myself. If I look a mess - I am a mess!!!!
I make it a rule to ALWAYS have 2 to 3 years stock of Tetleys! Though now I could get PG-Tips, if I were desperate, in the local shops run by the Asian community.
The only thing is - I have a rather small freezer and I couldn't even force a pea in there. Probably stuffed with useless things collected before lockdown.
Eat the useless things now...........make soup, stew, throw everything you class as 'useless'. Remember WW11 and rationing and stockpots, which in my case hung over the fire. Nothing went to waste and we lived through it Constance and are still here to tell the tall tales. 😊 xxx
Start with a pint of water now and a stock cube (if you have one) or something out of a tin, the smell will reduce your lethargy.............even an egg in a frying pan does it for me. 😉 Mind a large brandy is better..........................should change jinasc to Brandy Queen. 😊
I'd never thought of freezing cheese or putting milk in ice-cube trays and just defrosting what you need for a cup of tea (that was a tip I saw elsewhere)
I have done the 'ice cube trick for yonks'. I found it was useful, if I ran out of milk and just really wanted a cuppa quickly. Never thought of adding it on. Ta muchly.
Does freezing milk in small amounts really work or does the cream separate out as the cube thaws? I stocked up on milk but I know some will go off before I can finish it. 2% milk.
Well isn't 2% the same as "semi-skimmed" whole milk being something like 3.5? I take it your milk behaves just as if it had never been frozen?
I can't find ice cube trays for our new (last year when we moved) fridge and have a feeling maybe it didn't come with any. We had brought our separately purchased stainless steel ice cube trays, but I wouldn't mind using plastic as a one-off to save my milk, but maybe I can't anyway. Oh well.....
As I don't seem to have an available icecube tray can't do anyway. The ones we have are that old-fashioned kind where you break cubes apart with a sort of lever. Usually aluminum, we got stainless steel to avoid using the plastic ones modern fridges come with.
I suppose this is one time a plasic egg carton would have been useful, but our eggs come in cardboard.
My friend freezes here in the 1 pint plastic bottles leaving a good space at the top for it to expand . She gets one out the night before the other runs out , then all you do is shake it before you open it the first time . She does it with both semi skimmed and full fat , we make a lot of drinks there when we are working on the trains and you don't get separated bits.
I don't like frozen bread though , only good for toast really , but we shouldn't indulge much anyway xx
You have to be careful with bread - we have real bread of course but can freeze it well. Best thawed in the oven on very low or the lowest microwave power. Can't thaw it quickly except in the toaster
I think it's probably because my Nana used to do it , then often made us sandwiches before it was properly defrosted.
I do have those part baked breads in the freezer , and I have a naughty set of bake your own pain au chocolate for when everything all gets too much 😋😁😘
I gave mine away along with the bread maker.............too much ice cream and I have never eaten as much bread, with all sorts of delicious flavours.....so after 2months - out it went.
Mam used to bake on Fridays, stotties, teacakes, loaves, ginger parkins..........set up for the weekend and the following week. I can still smell coming in from school on Friday's and a fresh stottie with jam - no butter it was rashioned.
Gran and mum both geordies and the baking was heaven to come in to after school. Only thing s i couldnt face that the both cooked was pease pudding and tripe!!
Tripe and onions and battered tripe with chips - and I still make my own pease pud- a local butcher keeps a knuckles end in his freezer for me and another three 'oldies'.
I forgot that I'd been considering which easter eggs to buy for my friends children and they were still in my shopping basket when I bought my online shop.
Now when we have Beans and Egg the only ones in the house are chocolate ones.
Husband is gutted , we still got salad and fruit but his favourite treat biscuits were missing , funny thing is I hadnt actually remembered to order them !!!
Nooooo. Please don't mention jelly. It must be stuck on the supermarket shelf and I can't get it. My state of mind would be improved greatly by a strawberry jelly.. I should have made a list. Lesson 1...before self isolating make a proper list of the things that make you feel better.
PS Just staggered downstairs after changing bed for Joan, knackered now so Brandy in hand as I rest.....................the Lady who has looked after us has just had three weeks in NZ, seeing her son for the first time in 4 years. Back yesterday and just made it out.
What a change of life in less than one month - stay safe Freya.
PS: For a change , we cannot blame the Vikings this time............I blame the bat which kissed the wrong person. 😁
Have to laugh at the freezing fresh pasta - most Italians will tell you that fresh pasta does not come from the supermarket , only a specialist shop or the kitchen. Otherwise they prefer to use decent quality dried pasta in preference to poor quality mass produced stuff. Why take up space in the freezer?
Some of us, or people in our inner circle, will be dealing with entertaining children during this time of lockdown or semi-lockdown. This has good guidelines.
My grandson has been getting progressively more stressed about covid and we actively turned off the news until we could make him understand all about the risks and how we were all working to protect ourselves. His school has been great in helping kids talk about it and have aimed their explanations to the various ages in his school. Its amazing how easily our youngsters can pick up the stress over this sort of thing. YBB
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CHAT COVID SATURDAY 28TH MARCH.
3rd Primary Dose - Covid 19 Vaccinations
Guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19
