Coronavirus: General discussion (see opening post for rules)

[6Foot2]

...I’m not sure why, but I’m not going to say no.

You're not sure why you're not going to say no?

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by 6Foot2
Missed a 'not' :(

[Norphy]

You're not sure why you're going to say no?

 

 

I’m not sure why I’ve been offered the vaccine. I’m not, afaik, in a high risk group. I’m only 40, I don’t have any underlying health conditions like asthma or diabetes and I don’t have cancer or anything like that. The only reason that I can think of are that my partner is high risk, so maybe they’re doing it by household, or possibly it’s my ear condition though I find it hard to imagine why recurring cholesteatoma would factor into that.

 

In any case, I’m not going to argue. If they want to give it to me, I’m going to take it.

[6Foot2]

Link:

[Matt Cartoons Picture Tweet]

 

[mikeprice]

Doctor on the BBC this afternoon was talking about the different groups for vaccine

 

He was asked about people with asthma because the situation seems to be confusing - some people think they should be in the 'severe asthma' category but are not sure why they are not

 

he explained that the situation for asthma has changed - originally asthma was thought to be a major possible condition to making people susceptible to Covid

but the data they have now doesn;t support this - in fact it appears that people with mild and.or controlled asthma do not seem to get a serious (i.e. hospitalised) problem if they catch Covid

 

Hence the category for people with asthma has been modified and people with only mild asthma - i.e. have a blue inhaler only and need it only seldom - no longer get priority

 

he did say something about steroids changing the situation but we missed exactly what he said

 

so it looks like if you have asthma it needs more than one inhaler to qualify for Group 6 - possibly including steroids - which seems to include Fostair - the pink one

 

 

anyone get more details?????

[6Foot2]

Link:

[Video Tweet]

 

Just need ABBA to get on board now and then we'll have a campaign song

 

Click the link above for the video.

 

[Ditto]

Shielding list massively expanded https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56086965.

 

Not a move I was expecting but it does mean a number of people will move up the vaccine list. I do not have the details how weight (and presumably BMI) is used in the calculation, but there must be a significant number of people in the 'clinically' obese category or lower down in the overweight category, where the NHS systems are just not aware, and indeed many individuals are not aware. I know from direct experience that using this calculator can be surprising and I've been continually active with sport throughout my life. Also, interesting to recall some NHS treatments are not offered to people until they reduce their weight, but for Covid, there is a very clear correlation between being overweight and mortality risk. Even a relatively small level of overweightness is a factor.

[mikeprice]

I have been looking fro details about how this works because I could be assigned a sorta middling score on many of those factors (possibly all except ethnicity)

but without more idea what the parameters are it is difficult to know

 

e.g. - postcode ===> level of deprivation - we are in a reasonable area - private house etc etc - but on both sides are big estates with high levels of deprivation - so what my postcode would mean depends on how course or fine the targetting is

 

and BMI - at the moment I am classed as overweight (no really - try not to be shocked!!!) but it does depend on what measurements they have - last time I had a check up at the GP they said I had lost a stone since the previous check up - several years before - and that one was about 2 years ago - so dunno

 

anyone seen any details???

[6Foot2]

I’ve been offered the vaccine. I’m not sure why, but I’m not going to say no.

 

Link:

[Liam Thorp Text Tweet]

 

So I’m not getting a vaccine next week - was feeling weird about why I’d been selected ahead of others so rang GP to check. Turns out they had my height as 6.2cm rather than 6 ft 2, giving me a BMI of 28,000

[southhamster]

Ha ha. That has cheered me up on a damp day. Thanks!

[Norphy]

That's my first jab done then. I had the Pfizer vaccine. Wonder when I'll get the second dose?

[witch]

@mikeprice

They are referring to oral steriods like prenisolone not the inhaled sort

It isn't just people with only one inhaler that are not considered at risk. I have a preventer that keeps my asthma so well controlled I cant remember the last time I needed my blue inhaler, and I am not considered high risk.

[mikeprice]

@mikeprice

They are referring to oral steriods like prenisolone not the inhaled sort

It isn't just people with only one inhaler that are not considered at risk. I have a preventer that keeps my asthma so well controlled I cant remember the last time I needed my blue inhaler, and I am not considered high risk.

 

Thanks - literally found this a few minutes ago

 

 

 

from inews

But the Government clarified on Tuesday evening that asthmatics who have had an emergency hospital admission because of their condition, or those who have been prescribed three courses of steroid tablets in a three-month period, will fall into priority group six. For the asthmatics who do not fall into either of these groups and are under the age of 50, they will be vaccinated after the first nine priority groups.

 

 

 

 

which is the first time I have found something specific

 

which means I get the vaccine based purely on my age group

[Norphy]

This XKCD is pretty cool - https://xkcd.com/2425/

[elsiegee40]

“I was invited for a covid vaccine because the NHS thought I was 6cm tall”

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/invited-covid-vaccine-because-nhs-19857990

Liverpool Echo Political Editor Liam Thorp on an amusing vaccine mix-up and the potentially important issue it has brought to light

 

When I received a text saying it was time for my first Covid-19 vaccine I was really surprised - but what came next was frankly surreal.

 

I'm 32 years old with no underlying health conditions, and while I could be described as on the chunky side, I wouldn't have thought of myself as clinically obese (even after lockdown).

 

So I was not expecting to be invited for a vaccine any time soon.

 

I report on the covid situation every day, so I'm well aware of how far back in the queue I rightly should be.

 

I was under the impression that when offered a vaccine you should always accept, so I booked an appointment straight away.

 

But the more I thought about it and spoke to others, the more I felt uneasy about the situation, with so many more vulnerable groups yet to be offered a jab.

 

So I rang my GP to ask if there had been a mistake and was told that I had been placed into Group 6 of the priority list because of my weight.

 

This led to some serious soul-searching and a quickly revised schedule for Pancake Day (I opted for four instead of five).

 

But the call had obviously got some questions being asked locally and the next morning (today) I received a call back from my GP surgery.

 

What followed was one of the more bizarre phone calls of my life.

 

A nervous sounding chap on the line began quietly explaining to me that there had been a mix-up in offering me a vaccine at this stage.

 

He said unfortunately my details had been put into the system incorrectly when I had registered with the GP just a year ago.

 

He was really polite and very apologetic but said I was in fact not due to get my vaccine anytime soon.

 

To be honest I was quite relieved as had felt strange about being invited ahead of so many other more vulnerable people.

 

But obviously I had to know more about the mix-up that had led to this moment.

 

The man from the surgery took a sharp intake of breath and tried to remain composed as he informed me that rather than having my height registered as six foot two, it had been put into the system as 6.2 centimetres.

 

I'm not sure how he kept it together when he told me that this, combined with my weight, had given me a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28,000.

 

For reference, a BMI of 40 or more is considered morbidly obese - so I'm not sure what this would have made me.

 

The man's nervous tone cracked into a laugh when I joked about putting on weight and losing a significant amount of height during the lockdown.

 

If I had been less stunned, I would have asked why no one was more concerned that a man of these remarkable dimensions was slithering around south Liverpool.

 

But he was very apologetic and really nice and I think he was just relieved that I found it so funny.

[Ditto]

@6Foot2 - 6' 2" what a coincidence eh?!!!

[Andrew_C]

Re-opening on the 8th March without any further remedial measures?

 

 

[6Foot2]

My younger brother, whose health is complicated by multiple ongoing life-limiting conditions, had a 'covid scare' this afternoon.

 

Although not covid/coronavirus he has been told to stay home (which he should be doing anyway) doesn't see the need now that he has been cleared for the virus.

 

This is going to be a draining management task...

 

[mikeprice]

My younger brother, whose health is complicated by multiple ongoing life-limiting conditions, had a 'covid scare' this afternoon.

 

Although not covid/coronavirus he has been told to stay home (which he should be doing anyway) doesn't see the need now that he has been cleared for the virus.

 

This is going to be a draining management task...

 

 

sending sympathy

 

family can be draining but often you can only do what you can

 

if you need support we are here

[6Foot2]

sending sympathy

 

family can be draining but often you can only do what you can

 

if you need support we are here

 

He is the very definition of draining.

 

He lives in sheltered accommodation (Warden Assisted) and, after being told to stay home, has been down to the communal launderette. This is what he's like.

 

However, I'm sure it will be OK.

 

Eventually. We just have to persuade him to behave.

[Norphy]

Not sure whether to put this here or in the Amusing Headlines thread but whatever...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/19/florida-women-wear-granny-disguise-covid-vaccine

 

I wonder how prevalent this sort of thing is going to be?

[akidosaint]

Not sure whether to put this here or in the Amusing Headlines thread but whatever...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/19/florida-women-wear-granny-disguise-covid-vaccine

 

I wonder how prevalent this sort of thing is going to be?

 

This has made my day. I love the fact they went for stereotypical granny.

 

Now i have a scene from firefly stuck in my head

[Norphy]

'I wouldn't do that if I were you, I married me a powerful ugly creature'

[mikeprice]

Missed a phone call from the Doc today as my phone was on charge (must get a new battery!)

 

but it was followed up with a text

 

 

I am getting my vaccine on Wednesday

 

I will post any Microsoft updates I get downloaded on the support thread - I think that is how it works - maybe I need 5G reception for it to work - or something

 

anyway - Mrs mikeprice and I even had a tentative discussion about a few days away later in the year!!!!!!!!!

[StevieM]

But the Government clarified on Tuesday evening that asthmatics who have had an emergency hospital admission because of their condition, or those who have been prescribed three courses of steroid tablets in a three-month period, will fall into priority group six.

Usually, I'm just beclometasone twice daily with salbutamol when required. However, this time last year, I'd been prescribed 3 courses of steroids in 3 weeks - the third was accompanied by a course of antibiotics. Does that put me in group 6, then?

[Katy]

Usually, I'm just beclometasone twice daily with salbutamol when required. However, this time last year, I'd been prescribed 3 courses of steroids in 3 weeks - the third was accompanied by a course of antibiotics. Does that put me in group 6, then?

Is there a list of what qualifies as group 6 anywhere? It seems to just be "some medical conditions" and vague. I thought my asthma got me on there as I have my inhalers (terbutaline and budesonide) enough for it to be called "bad" when they do the review, but rarely need prednisolone for it. But I'm on methotrexate from dermatology which is an immunosuppressant so does that count for group 6? Or not? Nobody seems to know.

 

Edit: I've found this, COVID-19 vaccination first phase priority groups - GOV.UK (http://www.gov.uk)

 

So I'm in group 6 due to the MTX I think, but is my GP clever enough to have found out that dermatology have me on MTX as it's not on my repeats yet as I'm still directly dealing with dermatology.... don't know.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Katy