Massive streaming cold; lungs working OK though and I tested negative, although several family members (in different houses) recently tested positive for the second time.
I've had something matching that description recently. Lasted a week. Got through LOADS of tissues. Tested negative. I think it was a cold.Massive streaming cold; lungs working OK though and I tested negative, although several family members (in different houses) recently tested positive for the second time.
What makes you think that it's Covid? "other viruses are available". I agree with the second part of what you say, though!I'm a little sceptical of all these supposed colds, I think it's more likely to be covid not being picked by LFTs. Saying that, other rhinoviruses must bounce back sooner or later and when they do very few people will have immunity from previous infection.
Simple probability - as a more infectious virus (particularly current variants) covid has been pretty much the only rhinovirus game in town since the pandemic really took hold.What makes you think that it's Covid? "other viruses are available". I agree with the second part of what you say, though!
Yes, but plenty of people I know with this have had proper PCR testing done and STILL come back negative. If it's a new variant, it's a massively different spike. However, I have heard it labelled "Coldvid"Simple probability - as a more infectious virus (particularly current variants) covid has been pretty much the only rhinovirus game in town since the pandemic really took hold.
One of them - Simon Gane - is a friend. Great research. Hopefully it helps elucidate some therapies
Still 20 times deadlier than automobiles, although happily the death rate seems to continue to fall.Isn't it extraordinary how quickly we've gone from the national debate on should we/shouldn't we relax restrictions, to Covid having dropped completely off the news and political agendas? No more reporting of stats, no more statements in parliament. Of course a new wave or variant could still emerge, but it seems like we've gone to 'living with covid' very swiftly and uncontroversially. Is it now 'just like flu'? Any talk of 4th or annual boosters for the general population?
Isn't it extraordinary how quickly we've gone from the national debate on should we/shouldn't we relax restrictions, to Covid having dropped completely off the news and political agendas? No more reporting of stats, no more statements in parliament. Of course a new wave or variant could still emerge, but it seems like we've gone to 'living with covid' very swiftly and uncontroversially. Is it now 'just like flu'? Any talk of 4th or annual boosters for the general population?
I'm not relieved to hear it as I'm being driven to Wales by an 80 yo next week.Still 20 times deadlier than automobiles, although happily the death rate seems to continue to fall.
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(This from google - uses the same data as worldometers.info but a slightly nicer visualisation).
I have to say that the long term effects of the virus on the population are quite worrying - but to me, personally, that is more than offset by the flurry of research that has gone into both vaccines and antivirals. The thought that there might be a vaccine for Epstein Barr and thus maybe MS, for example, seems like a wonderful thing.
The lesson here? ALWAYS pay by credit card.
The ONS survey does test I think, so that data continues to give a useful picture.I was/am on the shielding list so, when the first lockdown began in March 2020, I stayed at home and rarely ventured beyond the garden fence. We got food deliveries from supermarkets and my favourite butcher for the first time. If I needed to escape cabin fever I would go out in the car and drive but at that point we weren't allowed to cross regional borders, so didn't get far. When I got the first vaccine in March 2020 I began to venture out - supermarkets late in the evening when they were quiet and a rare meal out where restaurants were sensible about cleaning, screening and social distancing. Got a bit braver after my second and 3rd vaccines using public transport and going to more crowded places like church. I always wore a mask when amongst other people and didn't shake hands with firends etc. However, I did avoid going to events, like football matches and concerts, where mask wearing and social distancing was completely ignored. Fortunately, being probably over-cautious I avoided catching Covid. I tested regularly and was meticulous about registering my negative results on the NHS website.
I was out for a meal with current and ex-work colleagues a week past on Thursday and on the Saturday one of the group sent a message out to say she had tested positive. I was siting next to her at the table and I was aware that I was feeling quite bunged up (I already had a persitent cough due to a chest infection last August but this seemed to be getting worse). I tested negative on Saturday and Sunday but the cough and bunged up feeling was getting worse. I was also getting mild headaches, which is something I never get. I then tested positive last Monday and was off work, returning on Tuesday this week, having gone back to test negative on Monday. Fortunately while my symptoms were worse than a 'bad cold' the infection was really confined to my nost and throat and, to my great relief, didn't advance to my lungs.
However, due to the main message coming from both governments being an implication that we had 'beaten' covid I didn't bother registering my test results. However, I probably know more people in the past two weeks who have contracted the virus (including Mrs A and one other attendee at the meal) than I did over the whole 2 years+ when it first arrived in the UK. Even our First Minister, who applied a lot more caution than the UK government, caught it last week (and I had noticed when she was recently amongst people she had dropped the mask-wearing).
It does seem to me that Covid is still around as much as it ever was, but the latest variants, combined with the vaccination programme, aren't as dangerous as they were pre-vaccine. It is also still a very contagious disease (my only contact with the lady most likely to have passed it on to me was to sit next to her, maskless, and handle wine bottles that she past to me). I also suspect that, like me, nowhere near as many people are reporting test results, probably because the governments are giving the message that they are no longer interested. They have also stopped issuing free test kits so the number of people actually testing will be dwindling rapidly as their test packs are used up. Any stats we get about infections in the population must be wildly inaccurate and the only stats worth noting must be of those who are hospitalised by Covid.
How does the ONS gather their stats?The ONS survey does test I think, so that data continues to give a useful picture.