COVID 19 GLOBAL

[KhunDon]

2 hours ago, Jambo said:

That is a very good suggestion and one I had not previously considered.

I had a thorough eye test prior to being able to simply buy my usual contact lenses when I returned to the UK. That eye test discovered something at the back of my right eye which would cause me problems if it gets larger but appears not to do so currently. The optician considered it needed further investigation hence the hospital referral.

At the time the waiting list just for a visit to the local Opticians for my contact lenses was three months but I was lucky to obtain a cancellation the following week.

 

I’m due my NHS Diabetic eye check this Saturday in a clinic near me, as I’ve got minor macular degeneration in both eyes, probably due to retinopathy, luckily this is in my periferal  vision, so isn’t a real problem. I was told last time that the problem is stable, but should it worsen, then laser treatment may be required.
That’ll put me on yet another long NHS waiting list, but I’ve already decided to go private if I need laser treatment. 
No idea of pricing yet, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. 😟

[Krapow]

18 hours ago, fforest said:

Thai Govt rolls out fourth Covid shot in 10 provinces

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2252615/govt-rolls-out-fourth-covid-shot-in-10-provinces?view_comment=1

 

So how many here have had their 4th Jab.......None I bet......It seems to me we have a bunch of anti-vaxers on this forum.....

 

[Glasseye]

13 hours ago, KhunDon said:

I’m due my NHS Diabetic eye check this Saturday in a clinic near me, as I’ve got minor macular degeneration in both eyes, probably due to retinopathy, luckily this is in my periferal  vision, so isn’t a real problem. I was told last time that the problem is stable, but should it worsen, then laser treatment may be required.
That’ll put me on yet another long NHS waiting list, but I’ve already decided to go private if I need laser treatment. 
No idea of pricing yet, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. 😟

When we start getting up in age that's what a lot of the dosh we may be lucky enough to have stashed away goes too (medical and support issues). In the end they usually end up getting all of it anyway.

 

With my current "back" issues I was reluctant to go see a doctor for exam, and xray. I was afraid I'd get reamed on the bill. Finally the pain was so intense that I had to go (always comes at a bad time, so it goes....). It ended up costing me only $30. I was relieved !

Next time I might be so lucky. But the entire experience has been a "wake up call" for me. Realizing that I have to get serious about planning/expecting these things. Also, focusing more on prevention, fitness, and saving money. I ain't very easy though, but something I have to get on top of.

[lazarus]

7 hours ago, Krapow said:

 

 

[john luke]

Gents - A number of posts have been moved to:

https://www.thailand-247.com/topic/3610-covid-19-us-politics/

Could we keep politics out of this thread please?

Thanks.

 

JL

[forcebwithu]

Thought this was a good essay on mask mandates.

We All Are COVID Cops Now

...
It's a sneaky sleight of hand. The authorities hide behind the curtain, making the rules (and inflicting punishment on those who don't follow them). But the face of the restrictions, the one people spit in when they're angry about the disruption to their lives? That's your restaurant manager, your flight attendant, your minimum wage cashier.

Not everyone thinks this is a bad thing. Some people—the Brooklyn bouncer who reportedly turned away a patron for being vaccinated with an inferior brand, the flight attendant who's just a little too stoked about banning two-year olds who don't wear their masks correctly—are all too happy not just to wield this power but to abuse it. But for those of us who never wanted to play cop, being essentially blackmailed into the role is not just a constant reminder that things are far from normal; it's an endless source of stress.

I include myself in this category. I teach group fitness classes in a town with a mask mandate, and enforcing it is both exhausting and infuriating: persuading people to put their masks on, assuaging the clients who freak out if someone's mask slips below their nose, worrying that the city will fine my boss into oblivion if I can't get a room full of vaccinated adults to keep their faces covered during an hour of vigorous exercise even though the cloth masks we're wearing for the sake of compliance are, per the CDC, not especially effective. When people ask, "Who is policing your behavior?," I want to scream: "It's me! I am! I hate it!" The mayor of my city has thrust me into the role of the Mask Police whether I want it or not.
...

[Glasseye]

58 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

Thought this was a good essay on mask mandates.

We All Are COVID Cops Now

...
It's a sneaky sleight of hand. The authorities hide behind the curtain, making the rules (and inflicting punishment on those who don't follow them). But the face of the restrictions, the one people spit in when they're angry about the disruption to their lives? That's your restaurant manager, your flight attendant, your minimum wage cashier.

Not everyone thinks this is a bad thing. Some people—the Brooklyn bouncer who reportedly turned away a patron for being vaccinated with an inferior brand, the flight attendant who's just a little too stoked about banning two-year olds who don't wear their masks correctly—are all too happy not just to wield this power but to abuse it. But for those of us who never wanted to play cop, being essentially blackmailed into the role is not just a constant reminder that things are far from normal; it's an endless source of stress.

I include myself in this category. I teach group fitness classes in a town with a mask mandate, and enforcing it is both exhausting and infuriating: persuading people to put their masks on, assuaging the clients who freak out if someone's mask slips below their nose, worrying that the city will fine my boss into oblivion if I can't get a room full of vaccinated adults to keep their faces covered during an hour of vigorous exercise even though the cloth masks we're wearing for the sake of compliance are, per the CDC, not especially effective. When people ask, "Who is policing your behavior?," I want to scream: "It's me! I am! I hate it!" The mayor of my city has thrust me into the role of the Mask Police whether I want it or not.
...

 

I kind of look at them when I was on a long, vigorous walks as something that added to making my heart work harder. I doubt there is any data on it (if it is beneficial), but when you add in the fact that you are screening out fine particles in some cases,,,, it can't necessarily be all bad.

I hate wearing the fucking things also, but I try to not let it bog me down and try to look at the positives. My other option would be to be pissed off about it all the time. I'd rather the option of trying to look at the positives (I have enough negatives to worry about and be pissed off about).

Really... the only thing that really bothers me is when my glasses fog up. Other than that when I am out walking around they don't bother me at all. And personally, I don't give a f**k about what others may think about me wearing one. Nor, do I care if someone else is wearing one or not... up to them. I do my best to avoid crowded places (for the most part) regardless, even before covid.

[roobob]

Dear oh dear...the ifs...maybes....mights...etc...etc.....continue....555

Another "expert" scientist dribbling on...must be grant time again...lol

cheers

Expert stuns Stefanovic as she warns of MORE contagious Covid strain (msn.com)

[Starshine]

11 minutes ago, roobob said:

Dear oh dear...the ifs...maybes....mights...etc...etc.....continue....555

Another "expert" scientist dribbling on...must be grant time again...lol

cheers

Expert stuns Stefanovic as she warns of MORE contagious Covid strain (msn.com)

[galenkia]

Stopped in the supermarket on the way home today (Morrisons), and considering masks are no longer mandatory by law anywhere, still the majority of people were wearing them in there. 

f**k that, I'm never wearing one again!. 

[andyajn]

23 minutes ago, galenkia said:

Stopped in the supermarket on the way home today (Morrisons), and considering masks are no longer mandatory by law anywhere, still the majority of people were wearing them in there. 

f**k that, I'm never wearing one again!. 

Called into my local Tesco's lunchtime. I was the only liberated mask free shopper, although none of the staff were wearing one.

[Krapow]

And the usuals were screaming for another lockdown ffs 

So glad there's push back against those producing worst case scenarios, and those screaming for more restrictions on the back of it. 

There should never be lockdowns again, we have so many other treatments and options now. 

11:45

Half of England's Covid patients mainly treated for other conditions

Nick Triggle

Health Correspondent

 

BBCCopyright: BBC

New data shows the majority of patients in hospital in England with Covid are there because of something else rather than the virus.

The latest figures for 25 January show a total of just over 13,000 Covid patients in hospital but 52% of them are primarily in for another condition and just happen to be infected.

It is the first time in the pandemic this has happened and is another sign of how the Omicron variant is leading to milder illness.

Patients who are infected but in for something else include a wide variety of cases.

Some will be patients who are not sick at all with Covid, while others will be vulnerable patients, such as those with cancer, dementia and heart disease, whose care and health is still being compromised by the virus.

Overall, the numbers in hospital with Covid have fallen - down by 1,500 in the past week.

Article share tools

Edited January 27, 2022 by Krapow

[Glasseye]

 

[Butch]

Referring back to some posts regarding the NHS staff, there is a new "buzzword" to describe the Anti Vaxxers being used at the higher echelons of NHS England managment, called "Media phobic" (although technically 2 words, it's being used as one).

Basically they're talking about NHS professionals who share and distribute negative media about the Jab in order to influence others, or support their own arguments for not getting vaccinated. They are making the public and colleagues Anti Vax using "mediaphobic" (see, I'm at it now!) articles and social media among other methods. There is a policy aimed at discouraging this, of course but under the banner of "wellness hubs" rather than what it is, which is a somewhat contentious method of removing someone's freedom of choice.

It's trying to put an acceptable face upon what is really a dictactorial policy which I personally don't agree with, despite being an ardent pro vax person. Words such as "ongoing support and inclusion" along with "positive information and supporting evidence being presented to Staff" being banded around which again, disguises the basic premise of "get vaxxed or f**k off".

Now, I disagree with mandatory vaccination in whatever form, less so if it is used as leverage in a "choice" which, although is a choice, it is one between losing your career and getting vaccinated. That's the employment equivalent of a gun to the head. Therefore it is not a choice, or at least, not a fair one.

Of course, we may well see a U turn by the govt on this, but the VCOD is now a policy within the NHS and is awaiting implementation in April. It may well be that it is discarded, but might emerge later on as another condition of employment applicable only to new starters.

It does smack of total hypocrisy at the higher levels of NHS managment, not least because these shysters have been working from home for a majority of the last 2 years, and somewhat ironically, as they are not in patient facing roles are in many cases exempt from the VCOD rules. Yet another "Do as I say, not as I do" and of course, rather than leading by example, they choose to keep their vaccination status to themselves when questioned.

 

[Lemondropkid]

3 hours ago, Krapow said:

New data shows the majority of patients in hospital in England with Covid are there because of something else rather than the virus.

The latest figures for 25 January show a total of just over 13,000 Covid patients in hospital but 52% of them are primarily in for another condition and just happen to be infected.

Possibly the most useful thing that's been posted on this thread (hard to believe I know).

Been wondering about the hospital numbers given at no point in this madness have I known personally so may people infected.

My suspicion was they were in hospital for another cause and caught COVID as it's totally endemic in the UK. Great to see some hard data behind it.

On with festivities! No masks from today, joined up with a gym today for the first time in years, was great to travel up there and enter maskless. 

[Krapow]

3 hours ago, Lemondropkid said:

On with festivities! No masks from today, joined up with a gym today for the first time in years, was great to travel up there and enter maskless. 

I'm day 6 in the Covid Big Brother isolation house, still hitting 2 lines on the LFT, not up my nose, and symptoms steadily getting less. Starting to miss the gym like f**k, need 2 negatives, or can get back to normal after 10 if have no heavy symptoms.  

Missus still testing positive as well, has had no symptoms for ages, though she had it before me.

Daughter still testing negative each morning, kinda reckoning she had it before us, asymptomatic, passed it to us, we only started testing when we got sick, it's passed her. 

Think we'll survive it alright!

[fygjam]

14 hours ago, roobob said:

Dear oh dear...the ifs...maybes....mights...etc...etc.....continue....555

Another "expert" scientist dribbling on...must be grant time again...lol

cheers

Expert stuns Stefanovic as she warns of MORE contagious Covid strain (msn.com)

Dear oh dear indeed. The roob.. gets his Covid and vaccine information from Karl Stefanovic and The Today show. Explains why he is so ill-informed.

Professor Nancy Baxter, PhD in Clinical Epidemiology, I wonder what the roob..'s PhD is in?

Baxter has 682 papers and articles published in journals like The Lancet, BMJ, JAMA etc. That's like one paper or article for every two posts the roob.. has on this forum.

I'd like to see a discussion between Baxter and the roob.. on Covid related matters. She's also "board certified" (it's an American thing) in colorectal surgery and is used to cutting up arseholes.

Virology 101, or Roi Et for anyone in Thailand. The progeny, that's "the baby" for anyone who gets their information from The Today show, is always equally or more transmissible than the progenitor, mummy and daddy, or the variant rapidly disappears.

 

 

 

[Horizondave]

I will wear a mask where required/requested if I see a sign. Going to a classical concert in a cathedral on Sunday, will take a mask just in case.

Thais and Asians in general have been wearing masks for years in the big smoggy cities, doesn't really bother me but can see a general decline in needs to wearing one in UK but respect anyone wearing one if they feel more comfortable presently.

[Nightcrawler]

17 hours ago, galenkia said:

Stopped in the supermarket on the way home today (Morrisons), and considering masks are no longer mandatory by law anywhere, still the majority of people were wearing them in there. 

f**k that, I'm never wearing one again!. 

I noticed that in my local Sainsburys, I was also wearing a mask, and out of choice. For me it's always been the case for the last couple of years. I don't find it a problem as I don't visit the store to socialise of look at people. I do my shopping and leave and I don't like the general public very much anyway, and find people annoying in a variety of ways. 😁😁

If and as the current trend continues with covid cases being less harmful, I am sure that mask wearing will decrease. But for me, it has nothing to fo with what I am told to do or can or cannot do, it's a choice I make and happy with for the time being which just includes public transport and shops for the time being. Maybe for some it has become a habit, or just being respectful to others. Who knows? But I have also noticed  good deal of people wearing masks on the street, which I don't bother with. 

I am sure than when we are completely out of this Covid muddle and assuming that no more nasties are yet to come, then there will be a general easing of mask wearing. 

That said, Face Masks are a Godsend for the terminally hideous 😄😄

If course, traffic pollution is still an issue in parts of London and masks worn by those with respiratory conditions. 

My biggest concern is how any government, future or current is going to address the massive financial costs incurred  to the Pandemic. It could take a couple of generations to pay for it. Probably even worse for some European countries. 

With cost of living increasing and the probability of increased N1 and tax contributions, a lot of people on lower incomes will struggle

[roobob]

6 hours ago, fygjam said:

Dear oh dear indeed. The roob.. gets his Covid and vaccine information from Karl Stefanovic and The Today show. Explains why he is so ill-informed.

Professor Nancy Baxter, PhD in Clinical Epidemiology, I wonder what the roob..'s PhD is in?

Baxter has 682 papers and articles published in journals like The Lancet, BMJ, JAMA etc. That's like one paper or article for every two posts the roob.. has on this forum.

I'd like to see a discussion between Baxter and the roob.. on Covid related matters. She's also "board certified" (it's an American thing) in colorectal surgery and is used to cutting up arseholes.

Virology 101, or Roi Et for anyone in Thailand. The progeny, that's "the baby" for anyone who gets their information from The Today show, is always equally or more transmissible than the progenitor, mummy and daddy, or the variant rapidly disappears.

 

 

 

The google king has awoken...where have you been??? 

Here you go.....Covid expert...555 she is no more a covid expert than marmite is australian.

Have a look at her profile...oh.... I see she is good at getting grants...555.... she must be running out of money and trying to get more.

Oh I see that her title is nothing but a glorified school teacher...... but you vaccinators will clutch at anything now as it is getting shown that many things in place is a farce..... is as follows

Prof. Nancy Baxter Head, School Of Population And Global Health Melbourne School of Population and Global Health 

Oh.... have you found out what a sandgroper is yet...555

cheers

 

Prof Nancy Baxter (unimelb.edu.au)

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by roobob

[Starshine]

17 minutes ago, roobob said:

The google king has awoken...where have you been??? 

Here you go.....Covid expert...555 she is no more a covid expert than marmite is australian.

Have a look at her profile...oh.... I see she is good at getting grants...555.... she must be running out of money and trying to get more.

Oh I see that her title is nothing but a glorified school teacher...... but you vaccinators will clutch at anything now as it is getting shown that many things in place is a farce..... is as follows

Prof. Nancy Baxter Head, School Of Population And Global Health Melbourne School of Population and Global Health 

Oh.... have you found out what a sandgroper is yet...555

cheers

 

Prof Nancy Baxter (unimelb.edu.au)

 

 

Can we please see your academic resume O learned one?

[roobob]

3 minutes ago, Starshine said:

 

Can we please see your academic resume O learned one?

Right on cue again mate. 

As soon as I post up....out of the woodwork you come.

Maybe you should change your board name from Starshine to Stalker....555

cheers

Edited January 28, 2022 by roobob

[Starshine]

16 minutes ago, roobob said:

Right on cue again mate. 

As soon as I post up....out of the woodwork you come.

Maybe you should change your board name from Starshine to Stalker....555

cheers

[fygjam]

15 minutes ago, roobob said:

Right on cue again mate. 

As soon as I post up....out of the woodwork you come.

Maybe you should change your board name from Starshine to Stalker....555

cheers

Don't duck the question with your normal deflections.

Convince us why you know better than "a glorified school teacher".

Tell us how many scientific papers and articles you have had published.

Don't be shy, come on, tell us!

 

[roobob]

53 minutes ago, fygjam said:

Don't duck the question with your normal deflections.

Convince us why you know better than "a glorified school teacher".

Tell us how many scientific papers and articles you have had published.

Don't be shy, come on, tell us!

 

The only one who is deflecting is you.

How about putting up the number of scientific papers this glorified teacher has published about Covid???

I have given up a link which shows the grants she has received.... and what her position actually is....and what she has done...... and all you did was deflect to have a shot at a TV show. At least she has not claimed to be a sandgroper unlike ala...you....kudos to her for that...555

As said.... it is starting to fall apart for blokes like you and the stalker....people are now starting to call out the bullshit that that has been put to us over the last few years...but I reckon blokes like you and the stalker hope this keeps going on as that is all you have ..... you are actually getting off on the misery that has occurred.

cheers

Edited January 28, 2022 by roobob