Corona Virus Feb 2020

[LondonAndy]

Yes, the UK government's advice (not currently proposed to be mandatory), following deaths from Coronavirus increasing from 35 to 55 in the last 24 hours, has moved to:

• Everyone to "avoid unnecessary contact" with other people (2m/6ft social distancing) for next 12 weeks
• Everyone to work from home where possible
• Trips to pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres etc to be "strongly advised against"
• No non-essential travel
• People over 70 with "underlying medical conditions" and "vulnerable groups" (eg cardiovascular, diabetes, hypertension) to seek to self-isolate for next 12 weeks
  • Have food supplies delivered, either by a supermarket (quite economical here) or a friend or family
  • OK to go out, eg walk, exercise
• Whole household to self isolate for 14 days if one person infected
• Non-essential hospital treatments postponed
• Schools and colleges to remain open
• Large public events that normally have a police/paramedic presence will not have that = cancelled
• Situation to be kept under review

With whole sectors almost shutting down in many countries (hospitality, airlines, holiday companies etc) the global effect of all this is going to be huge, and take a long time to recover from.

 

[pekster11]

Self-isolation for 12 weeks!!!?

Does this mean that all your food and other stuff have to be delivered - preferably by a person in a space suit, in order to avoid transmitting the virus?

I'm supposed to also be self isolating but can't afford to pay for delivery of food or other items. I'll be going out to get stuff, once the insane hoarding stops. I really have no choice.

Good luck with your self-isolation.

yes, ill be ordering my groceries online (although it's getting increasingly difficult as the online supermarkets are not ready for the extra demand at this time)

I've prepared as much as i can

 

[pekster11]

Yes, the UK government's advice (not currently proposed to be mandatory), following deaths from Coronavirus increasing from 35 to 55 in the last 24 hours, has moved to:

• Everyone to "avoid unnecessary contact" with other people (2m/6ft social distancing) for next 12 weeks
• Everyone to work from home where possible
• Trips to pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres etc to be "strongly advised against"
• No non-essential travel
• People over 70 with "underlying medical conditions" and "vulnerable groups" (eg cardiovascular, diabetes, hypertension) to seek to self-isolate for next 12 weeks
  • Have food supplies delivered, either by a supermarket (quite economical here) or a friend or family
  • OK to go out, eg walk, exercise
• Whole household to self isolate for 14 days if one person infected
• Non-essential hospital treatments postponed
• Schools and colleges to remain open
• Large public events that normally have a police/paramedic presence will not have that = cancelled
• Situation to be kept under review

With whole sectors almost shutting down in many countries (hospitality, airlines, holiday companies etc) the global effect of all this is going to be huge, and take a long time to recover from.

i'm thinking of not going to work the rest of the week.

i dont want to risk catching this in the last few days before this isolation period is scheduled for ( that would be typical of my luck )

 

[RunMartin]

I have had a mechanical heart valve which was replaced 10 years ago. I run or swim every day.
Would I be considered to still have cardio vascular disease? I.e would someone with a new heart valve be in the group that needs to isolate for 4 months

 

[pekster11]

I have had a mechanical heart valve which was replaced 10 years ago. I run or swim every day.
Would I be considered to still have cardio vascular disease? I.e would someone with a new heart valve be in the group that needs to isolate for 4 months

i'm not sure tbh

id phone up the cardiac specialist nurses (The Northwest England cardiac specialist nurses have a facebook page too)
dont bother with your GP...most are useless in these situations I find

 

[DDT77]

I have had a mechanical heart valve which was replaced 10 years ago. I run or swim every day.
Would I be considered to still have cardio vascular disease? I.e would someone with a new heart valve be in the group that needs to isolate for 4 months

I sent similar inquiry to my cardiologist and surgeons office. I have received the following:

--We are getting this question quite a bit!
We have primarily been going off guidance of the CDC. Because you do have some cardiovascular history you would fall into that high risk category. The high risk would be IF you get COVID 19, you would possibly be prone to complications. You are not over the age of 65, so your risk decreases some as well. No specific heart condition has been mentioned by any of the doctors here.
With that being said we are recommending self-isolation as much as possible and proper hand hygiene.

--Hello! All are at risk, but those who are immunosuppressed by medication (for organ transplant, cancer or autoimmune therapies) or disease (such as cancer, elderly) are just a few we are concerned how they would handle the infection. There is no evidence tylenol worsens any condition aside from liver disease, as tylenol is not an anti-inflammatory. Anti-inflammatories that could place folks at higher risk of not being able to fight off infection include steroid therapies, not ibuprofen (which is an NSAID-nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug). We aren't advising anything aside from what all others have been, which is good handwashing and avoiding large crowds or those who have any symptoms. Thank you for reaching out. Please let me know if you have any other specific questions/concerns.

 

[LondonAndy]

But after all this we will be able to look back and laugh ... following the panic buying of toilet rolls:

 

[Protimenow]

Online grocery shopping. What a joke.

I just wasted the better part of an hour filling out a list for a local grocery chain. I asked my wife what she needs. We completed the list. I had it set up for pickup - I drive to the store and they put the packages into my car. So far so good. They can only schedule three days ahead - and all days are full. So, I tried to see about delivery -- the first delivery available was SUNDAY.

I may have to go to 7-11 for eggs (if they have them). I bought a gallon of milk yesterday, so we're okay for a few days.

One store opens early for seniors - it would be great to get a lot of stores follow suit - they should include other at risk groups. It would be helpful so that we get a chance to get to limited quantity stuff and not have to fight the hysterical hoarders.

FWIW - I WAS able to order non-perishable items (limit of 5 for stewed tomatoes, and other limits for other items), at Target - and they'll deliver then in two days. Not too bad.

 

[Keithl]

Hello everyone! I wish I had joined in happier times when my only concern was getting on with life while my mechanical valve kept ticking on...
i have been reading this forum since the summer of 2018 when I was diagnosed with AAA. Operated in October 2018, Medtronic mechanical valve and aortic graft done in St. Paul, Minnesota. On warfarin and lowest dose of daily metoprolol to help steady my beat.

i am alone with my two teen kids while my husband is in CH, relocated for work a month ago, and right in the thicket of the outbreak right now. We were supposed to join him in the summer, all very unlikely now.

Both of us fall into a somewhat more risky category, him being a 60y old male with a well controlled high blood pressure, me with all the “improvements “ done to my heart.

One thing my doctor said was avoid ACE Inhibitors as there are some reports they will make the virus infection worse, beta blockers are fine so far. My DR. did say many of the reports coming out now are not fully vetted or peer reviewed but are being released quickly to help stem the spread of the virus, so take all these reports with caution. Also avoid ibuprofen, which many of use with valves are asked to avoid anyway.

 

[Art O Ceitinn]

 

[Ilona]

Whether we are more prone to succumb to infection/develop severe complications or not is one thing ( personally, I think that we are high risk no matter how fit and healthy one is), what worries me is that we are pretty much “no-go” at triage when things get really tough. Aggressive treatment will be given to ppl with the greatest chances of survival: age, comorbidities, even BMI will become deciding factors who gets the ventilator.
And so, I self-isolate and busy myself with cleaning my house like I have never done before!

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi @Protimenow - if your online grocery shopping is anything like it is in the two UK stores I shop with, once you have made an order a list will be created of your 'favourites' from which you can next time chose very quickly what you want. And of course search for other things...it is definitley quicker searching for a product online than searching in a large store !

Here in the UK slots for online shopping are now booked up THREE WEEKS in advance ! For one of the stores I shop at I am going to have to go online past midnight to find a slot for three weeks tomorrow. I have a reserved slot in the other online store but if I don't put stuff in the one even three weeks away and do a check out it will be taken by someone else.

If such a scenario happens over your way, your best bet is to book and checkout an order in advance and then edit the order nearer the time for delivery.

Many things mising in my online order today, even fresh food.

There will be a big problem if anyone comes down with the Coronavirus regarding groceries if they don't have anyone to do shopping for them as they won't be able to go out. What will happen ? The same too with vulnerable people like my son who we support - if we are ill who will help him with shopping etc ?

Online grocery shopping. What a joke.

I just wasted the better part of an hour filling out a list for a local grocery chain. I asked my wife what she needs. We completed the list. I had it set up for pickup - I drive to the store and they put the packages into my car. So far so good. They can only schedule three days ahead - and all days are full. So, I tried to see about delivery -- the first delivery available was SUNDAY.

I may have to go to 7-11 for eggs (if they have them). I bought a gallon of milk yesterday, so we're okay for a few days.

One store opens early for seniors - it would be great to get a lot of stores follow suit - they should include other at risk groups. It would be helpful so that we get a chance to get to limited quantity stuff and not have to fight the hysterical hoarders.

FWIW - I WAS able to order non-perishable items (limit of 5 for stewed tomatoes, and other limits for other items), at Target - and they'll deliver then in two days. Not too bad.

 

[Seaton]

St Thomas’ Hospital in London have today cancelled all elective cardiac surgery until further notice.

 

[gerrychuck]

One thing my doctor said was avoid ACE Inhibitors as there are some reports they will make the virus infection worse, beta blockers are fine so far. My DR. did say many of the reports coming out now are not fully vetted or peer reviewed but are being released quickly to help stem the spread of the virus, so take all these reports with caution. Also avoid ibuprofen, which many of use with valves are asked to avoid anyway.

After reading this post, I did a little googling, and came up with quite a bit of info, with opinion divided into two camps on the issue. The following link, while very detailed on the biochemistry, is very well explained, and provides a great summary of what is known, what is hypothesized and why, and where it leaves things currently in terms of what you should be doing if you are on these meds. I recommend sticking with this video; it is very balanced, very well thought out, and based on the best science out there currently.

 

[Protimenow]

THREE WEEKS? I can see this with staples,but what about fresh stuff with a known expiration date? Milk, eggs, produce -- stuff like that?

I have a friend who just moved 500 miles North of here. He's gone for good. He left his refrigerator. Although mine is full (I don't recall what I loaded it with), I can probably store stuff in his refrigerator, for backup. This is a luxury thatI few of us have. I hate hoarding and there may be a time when it makes less sense to the people who hoard. How many multi-packs of paper towels can they use? How many dozens of eggs can they go through before the eggs pass the stale date? How much milk can they drink before it sours? How much rice do they REALLY want to eat? Etc. Etc.

Meanwile, stores continue to restock their shelves (assuming, of course, that they get the stuff to put onto the shelves). Cows are still giving milk. Hens are still laying eggs. Produce continues to grow and, if it can be harvested, will go into distribution -- if not, it'll probably rot in the fields, helping nobody. Animals raised for meat (or other reasons) will probably still have to meet its fate - because the breeders don't want to feed them any longer than appropriate - and new animals continue to mature.

What I'm asserting is that the food supplies will continue - they pretty much have to. Some areas that are labor intensive may have to be carefully managed (to keep employees apart, in the interest of safety), but, eventually the hoarders' needs for maximizing their supplies will be mostly met, and mere motals will again be able to get what they need - even if they're breaking the rules and going out for their necessities.

 

[Paleowoman]

THREE WEEKS? I can see this with staples,but what about fresh stuff with a known expiration date? Milk, eggs, produce -- stuff like that

They're booked three weeks ahead because so many people who've never booked online shopping are suddenly doing it ! The thing to do is to book an online shop three weeks ahead and then edit it closer to delivery time.

Look at this screenshot I took of the opening screen of one of the big online stores:

That is showing my place in a queue to get to do an online shop ! Thankfully I only went on there to take the screenshot to show you - it is madness with people desparate to get supplies here.

 

[LondonAndy]

They're booked three weeks ahead because so many people who've never booked online shopping are suddenly doing it ! The thing to do is to book an online shop three weeks ahead and then edit it closer to delivery time.
...
That is showing my place in a queue to get to do an online shop !

Interesting that it is not as bad here in London - can currently book about 2 weeks ahead (normally can book for next day or max 2 days ahead), and deliveries for myself and my neighbour have been 95% fulfilled or more.

 

[Paleowoman]

Interesting that it is not as bad here in London - can currently book about 2 weeks ahead

Looks like you are on Sainsbury's website @LondonAndy . Here is a screenshot from my Sainsbury's website when I tried to book a slot when the next available day, 7th April, three weeks time, popped up (tried booking slot as soon as they rolled over just past midnight as well) - I am on outskirts of London, zone 6, nothing available:

 

[LondonAndy]

Looks like you are on Sainsbury's website @LondonAndy . Here is a screenshot from my Sainsbury's website when I tried to book a slot when the next available day, 7th April, three weeks time, popped up (tried booking slot as soon as they rolled over just past midnight as well) - I am on outskirts of London, zone 6, nothing available:

Actually, Tesco. And more missing items today than before, but still not bad: 4 items missing of 30 ordered.

 

[Warrick]

Just read a new study out of China is suggesting that people with blood type A are more vulnerable to infection. People with blood type O have been shown to be more resistant