COVID

That's very good news Aquila, fingers crossed there is a suitable kidney donor quickly for him. It's very good news he's up and about in the wheelchair, it means he's very much still in the fight and wants to recover.

And I hope you had a nice holiday KF - take it *easy*. I know that's really difficult when you're used to being very active, but the impact of long covid + the lung issues mean you will recover better by not pushing it. (Contrary to what we are told all our lives, pushing through/no pain no gain is very bad for post viral illness. We need the return of convalescence like they had in the Victorian era - nice places to rest, swim, meditation & focus on recovery without everyday life getting in the way.)

KFDancer, how are you feeling?

KFDancer, how are you feeling?

Yeah! .??


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Follow up is Thursday.  I’m a mess, physically and mentally.  I’ll keep you guys posted.

Best wishes to you <3 <3

Follow up is Thursday.  I’m a mess, physically and mentally.  I’ll keep you guys posted.

So sorry to hear that. Feel better! 

Well, it was bound to happen. I was checking to see if I should sign up for the Moderna or the Pfizer bi-valent booster and came across this gem. Doesn't really impact me, but it does others I know well.  https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/07/health/evusheld-antibodies-omicron-ba-4-6/index.html 

New Omicron offshoot BA.4.6 evades protection of Evusheld's antibodies, study finds
By Brenda Goodman, CNN   Updated 7:28 PM ET, Wed September 7, 2022

(CNN)The antibodies in Evusheld, the only therapy available to protect people with reduced immune function against Covid-19, may lose their punch against the BA.4.6 subvariant, a new study shows. BA.4.6 is an offshoot of the BA.4 subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Only a couple of mutations separate it from its predecessor, but it is slowly gaining ground in the United States, even against BA.5, which continues to dominate transmission. BA.4.6 is now causing an estimated 7% to 10% of new Covid-19 infections, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is particularly prevalent in the Midwest, where it is causing an estimated 18% of new infections.

And of course, in their wisdom, the Governor and officials of my state have tossed all mask requirements on public transit, etc., out. The positivity rate is still running just under 15% - from what little tracking they are doing.

And I still don't know if I should get the Moderna or the Pfizer bivalent vaccine.

Just to close out my bit on this thread.  Yes, I had Covid in June.  But I did not and do not have long covid.  Covid quite literally was being used as an excuse to mask the real problem.

https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=100402.msg1321291#new

The people of the UK look at healthcare as a basic human right.

What? British citizens (born and raised in the UK) do not think healthcare is a basic human right. We KNOW that the NHS is limited in what in provides as the NHS is funded by a few, for the many. The more that take, the less there is.

The higher earners that are employees will pay the most towards the NHS in taxes and NICs and will likely also have private insurance (which reduces the burden on the NHS). Those getting private insurance as perk, will also pay taxes on that perk. They also won't be asking for any welfare benefits either (also paid out of taxation) as they are keeping their own family on their earnings. The Self Employed, unemployed, low earners etc, pay very little/nothing.

Unlike other countries that have their healthcare system funded by insurance, the NHS is funded mainly by general taxation and NIC. It's impossible for the NHS to pay for everything and that is why we buy private insurance or have savings to pay for private healthcare. Healthcare packages to other countries are also on offer, which many will use and we fund ourselves.

This is nothing new. Decades ago, I read a book on whether it is better to pay for insurance with all the limitations, or to use that money to fund healthcare when we need it. We can pay private to use the NHS and that money will also fund that Trust (hospital) for those who can't pay. Or we can use one of the many packages on offer to go to other countries for private healthcare, which are likely cheaper.

The NHS is free, IF that person is allowed to use the NHS AND that Treatment/medicine is funded by the NHS.


Just last month, I saw a migrant on a forum state that their elderly parents visiting them in UK, can have free healthcare as  it is a  human right. They were promptly told that even British citizens who visit the UK  and have paid all their working taxes to the UK, get billed to use the NHS.  There are often stories in the media where a migrant complains because the NHS does not fund what they want for free and and they had expected to be given that: or the NHS won’t treat them at as they don’t have legal status.  Some don't seem to understand that it is impossible for the NHS to pay for everything as it is not insurance based.

Clarification -

Every person I met in the UK and most of those who I've talked to over the years believe everyone should have access to basic healthcare, especially in an emergency situation. That care was considered a basic human right, just as much as education and freedom from enslavement.

Who the flip pays for it was not part of the equation, other than essential care should not be denied due to lack of financial resources.  Careful, Sirius, your classist tendencies are showing a bit around the edges there. 

And with that, back to Covid. Which my fully-immunized and boosted elderly cousin has just been diagnosed with - for the third time. Thankfully he has not gone south for the winter yet, where he would be living alone in a high-rise condo. He's still up near his kids, so they can check in on him.

And which is greatly on my mind anyway as the Daughter is right now sick after looking really peaky since last night. She goes nowhere without a good quality mask, and is a hand-sanitizing fiend, so we don't know how she will have caught much of anything. I am scared to death I've brought it home to her, as I've been a little lax about not wearing my mask literally constantly at work. (I've got a very good air purifier going, and have had little foot traffic.) She has no fever, thank goodness, or we'd be on the way to the A&E (fever=very bad if you don't have a spleen).  I would imagine I won't sleep much tonight.

Next time she's awake I'm going to give her a Covid test. And then again in the morning. Thankfully, Medicare gives me 8 of 'em a month and I haven't used all of them up by a longshot.

Oh Nan, I hope everyone has an easy time.  Remember my last go with covid that sucked so bad, wasn't actually covid! 

And I read your post the same as you intended.  I don't know a single British person (and very few non-British) who think the NHS isn't this country's greatest achievement.  No, not everything is covered.  And there is definitely a postcode lottery.  But the fact that ANYONE, whether a millionaire or homeless can walk into a GP surgery and receive the same level of care is remarkable and something Britain SHOULD be proud of. 

Both the US and UK medical systems are broken.  But I'd much rather be in the broken NHS, personally. 

And as Sirius said, I'm choosing to go private for my cancer care.  Many reasons.  The main one being, "Why have private coverage and not leverage it now?"  My oncologist works 50% at the local hospital and 50% at the private hospital.  They share systems and provide testing, etc., for one another when needed.  So yes, I'm trying to be one less strain on the NHS.  But the NHS diagnosed me.  I am gutted that it's so advanced.  But I genuinely had no idea. 

Hope your daughter is feeling better today Nan, Covid or no Covid. 

Hope your daughter is feeling better today Nan, Covid or no Covid.

+1

Sorry to hear about your daughter’s illness. Very best wishes to both of you.

Still no fever, but dark circles under her eyes that weren't there two days ago and some congestion going on. Her color is "off" as well. And she's been very tired lately.  I am hoping she will agree to seek medical advice, because it certainly appears to me that there is something going on that needs to be checked. (She hates doctors, with reasonable cause, but she doesn't have a lot of wiggle room given her "health stuff".)  The Covid test last night was negative.  Will ask her to test again today. If we're lucky it's just some kind of mutant form of migraine and I probably worry too much.

My cousin - now more news yet.  Three times, and at his age (he's up there), this is not good.  Fortunately his kids are within an easy drive of reaching him and they have been absolutely stellar about looking in on him. I'm too far away to do much.