If you cannot stand the heat, do not let me take your temperature

I did an oops today.  We have started to measure temperatures at work today but an issue arose when someone was noted to have a possible raised temperature.  I measured it, joking that the person was contagious, only to find that they had a temperature of 37.8!  That meant that they had to leave work, and has they had been in work for over 15 minutes, the room that they were in has had to be locked.  The only issue is that later, it transpired that the thermometer I used may not be working properly.  However, the person is now at home and should hopefully be getting tested.  But I am not allowed to use the thermometer, which to be fair was to have been calibrated, but this was to have occurred earlier this year, but did not as I was in isolation when my son had been found to have a raised temperature.  But, I am going to have to make sure that I am the first one into work on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday so that I can carry out the temperature checks.  

And onto what has happened abroad.  I am sure that the government here are glad that no matter how bad they have been with ordering PPE or obtaining it from local sources in the country, that we will look across to the Atlantic and see worse, much worse.  In a recent discussion on Twitter, one tweeter stated that the President was being sarcastic when he made his statements about UV light and injections of disinfectant.  I would say repeating the lie, but while Trump lied about his statement, the tweeter may have actually believed him.  Sadly, many others believed Trump as well, though Trump has refused to accept responsibility for his statements.

Anyway, a quick update on the kids.  And that is quite simple, I have been knackered so have been getting home late.  So I have not seen them that much and when we have, it has not been too good.  Saying that, dinner last night was okay, though the kids were keen not to spend time with me afterwards.  My wife had suggested we all do something together, but they did not want to.  It has been fine for her though as they have bonded with her more in the last few days.  I guess they might like to spend time with me again on the weekend, but I am not sure that will happen.

On a more positive note, I have resolved since my last blog entry to fill my FaceBook feed with things to make people laugh.  I think it is working!  Anyway, good night and stay safe.
         

Lucky Number Slevin

My update since Wednesday is simple.  Though I forgot to add how much work that my wife has been doing in the garden on that day (and since) as well as how she has now got her masters.  It is annoying that she has more qualifications than me, but I am very proud of her.  So far, she has been sent flowers, one by her mother and another by Lynn one of our good friends.

Work on Thursday involved having to see someone in a residential home were COVID was.  I wore the recommended PPE knowing that it only offered me partial protection.  Needless to say I was terrified and I have to say that I am amazed at how brave the care staff working there are.  I found it bad enough being there for thirty minutes, this is nothing compared to those who are there for hours looking after the residents there.  Issues also arose at work due to a bid misunderstanding with wires being crossed and no one checking with us what was happening.  It was so busy that I missed the clapping at eight in the evening for key workers.  I got back to find that my wife and the kids had taken the paper recycling out.  Due to issues with sickness and social distancing the council have not been able to collect recycling as often as before, which means that we have got a huge pile for collection!

On Friday, things were calming down but I had to see people face to face.  None had symptoms of COVID but there is always the risk of infection when seeing people.  I did not get to watch The Mandalorian at the time, but I did get to watch Friday Night Dinners.  I did get to go for a long walk with my daughter, something that I have not done in a while.

Yesterday my wife, had not been feeling that well in the morning but perked up and went to work in the garden again.  Her ability to work is amazing, but our garden needs a lot of work.  It is nice being able to see more of the patio as well as some distant houses now!  I managed to go for a nice bike ride, but my bike really needs a service.  Trying to get that done will be fun! My wife and I also got to watch Lucky Number Slevin.  I was not sure if I was going to like it, but I love watching films with my wife and I should have had more faith that it was going to be good.  Just having the actors that were in it does not guarantee a film will not be awful, but this was very enjoyable.  The characters are memorable and the dialogue is fascinating.  I would recommend it at the best of times, but this I highly recommend it for people who would like to watch a film during lockdown.

Anyway, so far this morning, I have managed to finally watch The Mandalorian with my son.  Again, our views on the little green alien differ.  He has fallen for its ‘charms’ while I am aware of its true evil nature.  Hopefully it is to die as the most recent episode suggests will happen.  Which means that we get to watch the Clone Wars later this week.  Now am watching Marr drinking tea with my amazing wife, resting before I get out to hard labour in the garden.

Blaming the Chinese

There have been many who have blamed China for COVID19.

Technically, they are right in that this horrific disease originated in Wuhan, as did SARS.

But we forget how MERS arose as well as H1N1.  H1N1, also known to the general public as Swine Flu arose in Mexico, in a pig farm.    The wet markets where COVID19 arose do exist in other parts of the world, including Africa as well as other areas in Asia.

My view is that the world should take action to reduce the risk of infections that cross the species barrier, but in addition to ending the wet markets where COVID arose, we need to act to end intensive farming across the globe.

Injections of disinfectants and UV light

I despair.  Why do so many people support Trump.  

It is bad enough that due to Christian values, people have elected an adulterer who is on his third wife over a woman who stayed married to her adulterous husband.  (People have still to explain that to me).

As noted before, Trump has been wrongly blamed for everything in the USA when it comes to COVID-19, but as noted, I do consider his inaction and mixed messages to be responsible for the of spread in many areas of the USA overwhelming services as well as the lack of PPE for healthcare workers there.  (An issue that sadly is present in the UK.)  

I have some idea of why they support him.  His stance on immigration being one.  As noted before, even though his ban will have little effect on immigration, he has been seen to be doing something, just like when he imposed travel restrictions (though not the ban he said it was) on non-US residents entering the USA.  

But his latest 'wisdom' on COVID-19 is just insane.  Injecting disinfectants, or exposing the human body to UVC to treat COVID?  At least his statements on hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir have been about drugs that may be effective in the fight against this horrible disease.  Even if he does not like honest debate on the matter or the fact that other nations need hydroxychloroquine to treat other malaria.  But his latest rant needs someone to explain it to me, assuming that they think that he is talking sense.
  

President Spanky does it again

Once again the Stable Genius has outsmarted the opposition.

His (temporary and partial) ban on immigration is one that will appeal to many American voters and has portrayed those who are against it in a bad light with the centre ground where elections are won.

To put it simply, during a global lockdown, how much immigration is taking place?

His pledge to end immigration to secure US jobs will resonate with people who are without work as immigration is blamed by many for them being out of work.  And his pledge as infuriated those on the left who have not looked at the numbers of people coming into the USA at the moment.  Many nations have sensibly limited entry to residents only due to COVID19 and all America is doing is joining the list of others doing the same.

The bottom line is that this should have been done earlier to keep in line with the rest of the world, and it will have little effect on legal migration as that has fallen dramatically anyway.

A quick catchup

Just a quick update since last week.

On Wednesday I did my first, and so far, only Joe Wickes workout.  Needless to say, my knees do not do what his can.  I did not do it today as I went out on a walk.  On Saturday I walked into work and back home again and on Sunday I was finally able to mow our lawn after our lawnmower had been repaired.  But my lack of cycling appears to be increasing my abdominal girth and I need to book my bike in for a service.

Work is getting busier now as people are coming forwards with the issues that have been present before.  However they are not coming with all of them and I am concerned, like many in the NHS, that people are ignoring symptoms that they should be seeking help for.  The death rate of COVID19 has hit at least one care home that we help look after and is in danger of spreading through another.  I am very impressed with the care and compassion that those working in them are giving to the patients and on Thursday, if I get back in time, I will be clapping for them.

The kids are back at school.  And by being back at school, I mean working from home.  Me son is working more than he did before, but this is nothing compared to what his sister is doing.

And last of all, my daughter has watched an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer with me.  The rest of the family have stopped watching it and Angel so I am going to watch them myself, or with her.  i have watched Smokin Aces with my wife.  We loved it And had decided to watch it after we finished watching Snatch.  Both films are great, and while similar in some ways, are quite different in others.  Snatch was not so much predictable, but has fewer shocks in it.  Actually shocks is the wrong word, for both are shocking, I mean that Smokin Aces had more surprises! My son and I have been watching The Mandalorian, though we disagree on the motives of the little green alien.  We are continuing to watch The Clone Wars, but this may be associated with a drive to work more as he has been reminded that the quick and easy path is the way to the dark side.

And on the topic of Star Wars...

Imagine

I have been busy today.  Work was stressful especially as I saw two patients who have been exposed to COVID.  I guess I will find out how much in two weeks time.  I am hoping it is not too much, if at all considering that shortness of breath is not nice to live with.  Saying that, if I am to get it, I would rather recover than not.

But, I am to get some face masks for all of us.  I know that masks do not protect me from COVID, but it will be in case we become asymptomatic carriers as it will reduce the odds of this passing it on.

Those wearing masks in public are helping others as the masks are only effective in preventing infection for a few minutes.  We put masks on patients we consider higher risk in fact to protect us.  Also face masks offer those who wear them for protection not only a false sense of security, but may increase the odds of touching their faces.  I will offer the kids the choice of colours. Possibly...

Anyway, the title of the post is based on the song below.

Did Trump underestimate the significance of COVID-19?

I do think that people are keen to blame Trump for lots of things.  And I think it is wrong of the media to report on unsubstantiated rumours all the time when it comes to Trump.

The main reason for this, is that there is so much of what Trump says, and how his administration acts that needs to be focused on.

A big example is how his administration has endangered the USA.

After Ebola threatened the world, the pandemic office in the USA was reorganised.  Trump has pointed out that he did not close it, but it did change on his watch.  Despite how important it was when it came to Ebola, there was no one in charge at the White House to respond to the COVID pandemic, unlike what happened when the USA faced Ebola and Swine Flu.

The next point is how the Trump appeared to publicly downplay the threat that COVID-19 posed to the world.  While those who support Trump state that the WHO had reported on the 14th of January, that there was no clear evidence of human to human transmission, many are unaware that the WHO stated on the 23rd of January

WHO assesses the risk of this event to be very high in China, high at the regional level and high at the global level.

This message, contained in the World Health Organization Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) SITUATION REPORT - 3 and the date is very important. Mainly because Trump has claimed that the WHO got it wrong.

Many may argue that Trump took action by closing the borders to China on the 31st of January, but by then, the virus had spread beyond the Chinese borders.  There is no doubt that the US government was taking action, but it did not seem to be close to enough, an example being the restrictions on social distancing.

People need good leadership in times like this.  Someone who says that the virus is a hoax and will be gone is not someone who is preparing the pubic to the actions that are needed to reduce the speed at which this virus spreads.

It is unfair to blame Trump for all the deaths in the USA due to COVID-19.  No matter who had been in charge there would be issues with the numbers of ventilators that the US needs. But a quicker, more decisive and consistent approach and message would have helped to flatten the curve in New York, along with the other areas where the healthcare systems are being overwhelmed.

Cycling at a distance

Yesterday my son and I went for a bike ride.  Before then, it was a trip to the shops as well as trying to get our lawn mower fixed (still not working and our grass is still growing).  There were a few times that he got too close to others in my opinion, but it was great cycling with him.  His fitness has got a lot better now he cycles to school and it was also fun to play throw and catch with him in the garden.  He has improved over the last few weeks and I think that it is better than be at this.  Which is annoying in a way because he was so bad when we started, but I am also proud of him.  I did have to tell him not to cycle so fast though as I do not want to have to take him to A&E! But we did use the time out on our bikes to deliver some supplies to some friends of ours.

And now for a version of one of my favourite songs because it tells the story of how my wife and I are together, even though many thought that we would not last.

The Samaritans and mental health

A message copied and pasted from what I was sent by e-mail. 

If you are struggling with thoughts about suicide, it is important that you talk to someone urgently. It is vital that you stay safe.

Are there any friends, family or neighbours you can speak to? Speaking to someone over the phone, by video message or any other means available is very important.

The Samaritans offers a listening ear any time of day or night and is entirely confidential and non-judgemental. You can call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org

Have you looked at the Stay Alive App?  It has lots of information which can help, including a safety plan. You can download this from Google play or Apple App Store.

https://www.prevent-suicide.org.uk/find-help-now/stay-alive-app/

Try to reach out to someone you can talk to. Don’t suffer in silence.

Bravery and the NHS

I cried today.  I spoke to a lady about her mental health.  She was concerned as she felt it was not that good.  She has been panicking before going to work.

She works in our local hospital.  Our hospital that is filling up with COVID19.

I told her that she has every reason to feel anxious and that I was amazed that she is still going in.  And I had to try hard to stop her from hearing the tears in my voice as I talked to her.

My job has risk, but hers has so much more.  So when I clap for the NHS today, I will not be clapping for me, I will be clapping for people like her.

Back to the front

I have been back at work.  In my job, where we are now, we have yet to hit the peak, but we are dealing with more with COVID19.  At the moment, there is not much that we can do, but the more that are affected, the more we will be able to do in the community, which means that we will be exposed to it more.

At the moment, my wife faced more risk when it came to exposure when she went to the supermarket to stock up on supplies.

What I need to do is to focus on what I can do now, not on those who have died helping others and not on the storm that is to come.

Day 14 in isolation

Today is my last day in isolation.  I have mixed feelings about this and was anxious for most of the morning before I started my work from home which distracted me.  I spoke to one of the others at work has to socially isolate due to the medication they are on who made me feel better.

I know that we screen people at work before they are seen, and that there is probably a greater chance of catching COVID19 from someone at the supermarket than from someone I see right now.  Well the logical part of me says that.  The issue arises of what to do as someone becomes more unwell.  Also, the numbers of those affected by this disease will increase and when that happens, the chances of me seeing someone who is unwell with this will go up.  We do have PPE to wear if needed, but it is so flimsy, I am not confident that it really offers any protection.  Hence the GIF.

But I feel sorry for myself.  I have just watched the news which has shown a team working in ITU in London.  They are at much higher risk than me and are still seeing and helping people.

On a more positive note, played throw and catch with my daughter who is looking forwards to being able to go out for walks again.  And have watched The Clone Wars with my son.  One bright side of all this is that I have had time to spend with my family.  Something which I am now going to have less of.

Day 13 in isolation

As I type this, I have heard news that Boris has been admitted to hospital due to COVID.  I wish him well and hope he gets better soon.

I do not like the way that people like me in the NHS feel exposed by the amount and quality of PPE that we have (let alone those who care for people in the community).  And needless to say, I do not like the way that he made the suggestion that the NHS would get a huge dividend after Brexit, let alone the cuts made to it while we was a Tory MP, and the lies and manipulation that have occurred about the NHS while he was been in power.  And as noted before, the inability of our nation to test for COVID19 properly is down to cuts made by the Conservatives (though locally, this was while he was out of parliament).

But, he did not act like Trump and Jair Bolsonaro when it came to COVID19.  He listened to scientific advice on how to manage it with the limited resources available to the nation and when that advice changed he adapted.  His stepwise manner in bringing about the lockdown was well executed though could possibly have been done sooner.  And he was also lucky, the decision of the Premier League to cancel matches after Arsenal was struck down by COVID19 helped in not spreading this horrible disease like happened in Spain and Italy.

So, like many who do not agree with him politically, I do wish the best for him and a speedy recovery.

But back to the family, today was spent relaxing and doing bit around the house.  I have ordered the last two scrubs that I could find on the internet in my size that should come back soon.  And we made use of the garden today playing throw and catch again.  We need to use it more really, but it really needs to be cut!  And as you can see from the title, I will be back at work soon seeing patients face to face.  And while I am keen to help my colleagues, I am feeling more nervous.

Day twelve in the Big Brother house

Today has been both fun and interesting.  My wife and I had a long chat with my son about how he has appeared to learn how to avoid work.  He was not keen on this chat but had to be reminded of how well he had done in his sats last year.  Watching Star Wars, there are lots of quotes about the importance of hard work.  He has so much potential and it is heartbreaking when it appears that he just wants to squander it when so many others do not have it.  Educationally, he has the potential to be a Jedi, or he can take the quick and easy path to become part of the Sith.

Anyway, we spent some of the sunny day playing throw and catch.  I tried to repair our lawnmower only to find that I had bought the wrong spark plug on line and could not change it anyway as I lack the tools to do so.

We watched Knives Out, a pleasant film and one with an ending that I had guessed wrong.  And now I am watching how a little green alien is brainwashing a bounty hunter with my son.

Day eleven in the big brother house

School is out for my daughter.  Technically it is out for my son as well, but he has yet to finish the work that they set him.  Which means that he will have to work into his holidays.

My wife has been reorganising the house and that has meant more recycling.  Not all can be recycled and we have been burning what we cannot recycle as our shredder has broken.  However a comment was made on the WhatsApp group for our road.  As shame, as technically we have to stop...

COVID19 and testing

This has been copied and pasted from Dr Rant on Facebook.  This is important to share as the government has claimed that it will test more.  I suspect that this will be testing for antibodies and from what I understand, while the test can give answers in 15 minutes, it can take up to 28 days to develop the antibodies which means that I will not be able to be tested before Tuesday which means that I will not be returning to work early.

Dear Readers. I've had a message in a bottle (stool sample bottle, actually) from BMS Rant, a distant relative who runs an NHS laboratory. This is regarding the Government's assumption that there is spare space in labs, and that they are all twiddling their thumbs...

"I'm so angry at the coverage regarding testing.  

Labs don't have spare space.  As a service, we have been understaffed and underfunded FOR YEARS.  We've been forced into consolidation of workload across 29 central sites as a result of a top-down re-organisation of pathology.  There are dozens of small labs across the country that have been stripped of the ability to carry out all but the most urgent of tests, resulting in the loss of lab space, expertise, equipment and staff!  Now take a stripped back pathology service and add a pandemic!  FUCKING MAGIC!  

Do you know why your COVID tests are taking ages?  They're being put in a van and taken to the local "big lab".  My local big lab is running the COVID tests for at least FIVE hospitals, and their attached local areas.  What the FUCK do you think is happening in labs like that?  I don't know the exact number of testing labs, but 15,000 tests across 29 sites is nearly five hundred a day, rising to nearly 1000 if we make good on the government's target.  And these labs haven't randomly acquired extra analysers capable of testing for COVID, or randomly acquired enough experienced BMSs to run brand new, technically intricate tests, or that they're not having to self-isolate, or going down with COVID themselves from handling these things.  The rest of the workload hasn't magically disappeared either!  

I'm lucky.  My small lab is in the process of being closed, so we have two analysers capable of testing.  The government haven't taken them yet.  But here's the thing - this is a brand new virus.  There are many different suppliers of test kits out there.  Your current analyser determines the test kits you can run.  And everyone and his dog wants COVID testing at the moment, so there are supply issues.  And even when you've sourced a kit for your analyser, you can't just run a test for a brand new virus without proving that it does what it says it does!  In other words: false positives and false negatives!  That process takes time and remember - we're stripped of staff, resources, time etc. etc. etc.  

My little lab is in the process of validating one test from one supplier right now.  But it might not work - after all, it's brand new!    It might be better to send stuff up to the big lab for a better result.  After all, what's the point in running a test that's going to call your COVID positive patient negative?  So which is worse - have a shit result now, or a safe result in 24 hours?  

Labs aren't lazy, or inefficient.  We're just as fucked as the clinical areas - trying to do our jobs safely and efficiently, after years of being squeezed and squeezed and having to do more for less.  I want to do my bit.  I'm desperate to contribute to this.  I didn't enter the NHS for the money or the glory.  But for FUCKS sake - I don't have spare, validated kits, analysers or trained staff in my pocket, and neither do those poor bastards, working flat out in the big labs.  Put yourself in our shoes before you take a massive shit on us!"

Day nine in the Big Brother house

Not much again today.  My daughter is still hard at her school work and my son and wife rearranged an unused corner of the house.  I am still watching Clone Wars with my son.  It is odd as the episodes appear to be out of order.  In addition to this, am coming to the end of the Friday Night Dinner episodes with my daughter. We are to run out of those on Netflix soon.

Yawn...