My wife works in our local hospital, the Royal Cornwall, where there is a high proportion of international nurses. All have to undergo adaptation training before they can work on their own. The infection control standards are high but, she tells me, it's more likely to be the locally born staff who take shortcuts on occasions. Staff shortages and the consequent pressures are very high. When your priority is the care of patients, but you don't have enough hands or time to provide it, something has to give, and it's the local people who know what can be given.

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Edited by Tim Gypsy Hill '64 (13 Mar 2022 1.13am)

Systematically dragged down by the lawmakers

The human body hosts vast microbial communities, termed the microbiome. Less well known is the fact that the human body also hosts vast numbers of different viruses, collectively termed the ‘virome’. Viruses are believed to be the most abundant and diverse biological entities on our planet. The human virome is similarly vast and complex, with great heterogeneity. In recent years, studies of the human virome using metagenomic sequencing and other methods have clarified aspects of human virome diversity at different body sites, the relationships to disease states and mechanisms of establishment of the human virome during early life. Despite increasing focus, it remains the case that the majority of sequence data in a typical virome study remain unidentified, highlighting the extent of unexplored viral ‘dark matter’. Nevertheless, it is now clear that viral community states can be associated with adverse outcomes for the human host, whereas other states are characteristic of health.

In other words avoid bad colonisation. Sounds familiar.

Edited by Mapletree (13 Mar 2022 9.17am)

After 4 days of negative tests, but feeling unwell,I had a very disturbed night, with a hard cough and temperature. Today I tested positive, which was actually a relief as now I know what it is. I did a PCR test yesterday which confirmed it.

My wife is feeling a little better, but still testing positive. My friend remains very unwell and on the new anti-viral drugs.

We aren't alone. There are many reports from people we know who have gone down with it. More than at any time during the pandemic. Our hospital is not allowing visitors again, due to the cases there.

I don't know whether Cornwall is unusual, or if a similar pattern is appearing elsewhere, but this seems pretty concerning to me.

For those who dismiss this as "just a cold", believe me, it isn't. I am fully vaccinated and feel awful. Goodness how I would have felt without the vaccines.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

I did have my concerns at the time that it wasn't a cold, as it seemed like it would need to be a big co-incidence timing wise. You've done all you can to put yourself in the best position possible (fully vaxxed), and once you're over this bump as Teddy says you'll have even better protection and will very likely be in the clear for many months minimum. So even though you sound like you're feeling it, there is a silver lining. Good health to you and yours! Get well soon.

Thanks, Teddy and BlueJay for your good wishes. Last night's game cheered me up. Still have a cough that keeps me from sleeping, but I am one day closer to getting rid of it.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.