Best Posts in Forum: COVID-19

Looks like Singapore is open with a cheap round trip so in order to not pay (and jump through multiple hoops) the extend tax bah.... found insurance online through AXA Philippines online for 1k peso so will get covid test Fri at Polymedic (unless you know of one cheaper) and fly out Sat 945am arriving back in Dumaguete Sunday morning at 910 am...
Flight details are Cebu Air all the way to and fro for 15k plus all in
Then I can get my 13a at my convenience after putting it off for years LOL

 

Wife, mother-in-law, niece at mall in long line now to get vax. Hoping for Pfizer. Had to get there name on a list yesterday. Will update result.

 

Most of the hospitals have no oxygen supplies so ventilators which require oxygen don't work. After my moderna vaccination for my constant pain radiating from my lower back to my left hip bone and extending through my left leg and ankle.

I received an appointment that evening after three patients at the hospital. Little did I know my pain doctor was the last resort to administer chest compression before they die. My appointment time required on three patients dying first and 43 waiting another day, as of Thursday night. He said most were unvaccinated.

The pain Doctor wanted to find the cause of the pain, ordered a lower back and extremity MRI and EEG along with a copious supply of pain medicine 3 times a day.

Knowing my medical history enabled the Family Medical Doctor to remove the flashing pain and a tablet to combat weekness in my lower legs.The pain doctor wanted me to continue them.

The saga continues!

shakey

 

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/10/13/PH-drops-quarantine-fully-vaccinated-.html

This makes it so much easier now for those entering the Philippines or expats here who want to go out but are concerned about quarantine on their return.

The 'Green list', updated on 4th September, includes Australia, China, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China), New Zealand, Taiwan. I have shown only the countries (from the list) almost everyone would find relevant (including those on a Visa run) but the fuller list can be found at:
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/9/4/IATF-updated-green-list.html?_=1634120215272

It does not yet include US, UK, most of the EU. Read the article for full details of tests and documents required.

 

Having read about vaccinated people catching Covid (but generally NOT getting hospitalised) I think everyone (vaccinated one dose, two doses or unvaccinated) should be thinking about face shields - whatever government tells us and whatever people will write here about air currents! I am not such a great fan of putting too much emphasis on hand washing as between washing times the virus can so easily be picked up and passed on. I am a 100% advocate of well-fitting face masks combined with face shields (although until now I wore the latter only when requested by a store). The face shield helps prevent droplets landing on the face mask and also prevents touching of the eyes and this area is not covered by a face mask but is a perfect route for entry of the virus (many studies show this to be the case). It may be that many infections in mask-wearers are via the eyes by touching or by transmission through the air from an infected person. I wear specs so have a part protection (mainly to reduce touching of my eyes) but it really makes sense for me to wear a face shield all the time outdoors as I am not yet vaccinated. The fact that vaccinated individuals are getting Covid means the same for them - although their risk of serious illness is far less but the unpleasant experience and worry is still best avoided.

 

It does not take much to notice various 'discussions' (arguments even!) within the Forum on the subject of Covid-19 and what should have been done, or not done.

I ask: Is there any point arguing? People have had a year now to think how they feel and I would say their views are quite ingrained.

So who is right? Mr X who says lockdowns/masks/vaccinations are essential or Mr Y who says they are not (or not all)?

In my view, they are both correct. It is an INDIVIDUAL opinion and perhaps best left at that. Individuals do what they think is best for themselves and their loved ones - perhaps also for their community. But it is their decision - we have gone way past the stage of arguing about it. In fact, the major decisions are not made by us, but by our rulers.

In the early stages of this pandemic I gave advice, based on my knowledge and experience, but there is now much more information out there for people to read. If people have not decided by now what they want to do, then perhaps they never will.

This is an ongoing situation and everyone just needs to do what they think is best at the time. Often the more pressure put on a person, the more likely he/she will react against it. Everyone is free to modify their opinions on the basis of new evidence, which will become available over the next few years.

I may be criticised for suggesting free speech be limited but it is more about accepting individual opinion, at this stage of the pandemic, and perhaps skipping over what we disagree with. Can make for a happier life.

So good health to all.

 

A recent study in the Netherlands (according to my neighbour there's been a similar study in the UK with similar results) shows these characteristics:
1. The study was done for a sample of over 2000 patients with an average age of 47 (range 39-54), 86% of whom reported being in good health before getting infected with Covid-19
2. A very large majority of them (95%) had mild symptoms and were not admitted to hospital
3. The most prevalent symptoms during infection were fatigue (95%) and dyspnoea (difficulty with breathing, 90%)
4. At follow up 3 months later the same two symptoms persisted in 87% and 71% of patients respectively.
5. After 6 months these percentages were still at 86% and 59% respectively.

The researchers are careful with their conclusions but suggest there is evidence of a "post covid syndrome" across all ages of patients.
Original research paper (in English) is here:
https://openres.ersjournals.com/content/erjor/early/2020/09/01/23120541.00542-2020.full.pdf

Only caveat might be that their sample of patients is not necessarily representative for all patients in the age group.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ults-in-minutes-to-be-rolled-out-across-world

It is about time, a relatively cheap (under 5 €) and reliable test that gives results "while you wait" (30 mins or so), thank you Bill Gates and the European Union.
Now let's hope the Philippine government manages to get their hands on 100,000 or so of these fast, and many more of them later, so we can halt the extraordinary death toll among doctors and nurses, make contact tracing much more effective and less of a hassle, and last but certainly not least, stem the tide of infections while we wait for an effective vaccine.

 

Who?

WHO.

Yes, so who?

WHO - they just got it, 5 months into the crisis (source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52945210) :

"The World Health Organization (WHO) has changed its advice on face masks, saying they should be worn in public to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

The global body said new information showed they could provide "a barrier for potentially infectious droplets".

It points to recent research that people can be highly infectious in the few days before they show symptoms [pre-symptomatic] and that some people catch the virus but never show symptoms at all [asymptomatic]" (Duh! I think most people on this Forum knew this months ago!). The BOLD and [ ] are my additions to the original.

How many lives have been lost due to crass ignorance from an organisation supposedly at the top of the game??? Tip: You do not need "research" to know the obvious.