Puddy Galore

I haven’t panic bought anything yet but have stocked up on cat litter, mainly because I’m always at the end of the bag before I order more. However, for me any urge to start thinking about panic buying, in pure response I have to say to what I am seeing going on with regard to this, is driven by these questions. (1) do we have any idea when we will be put into lockdown? (2) what does lockdown actually mean and entail - will we be told to stop in doors literally like a curfew or is local travel within the immediate neighbourhood permitted? I hope so as I sometimes have to go and fetch one of naughty cats back from his favourite haunt. (3) how long are we likely to be in lockdown so to speak - 2 or 3 weeks or potentially longer (4) will all shops close down or will supermarket home deliveries continue as long as shopping can be left outside and direct contact between delivery man and customer avoided? Any views or knowledge on this?

Very important post. Why risk having the thread closed for good? The thread has and continues to be such a valuable source of information for people.

well, one would hope the WHO and other world leaders, once the world has got through this catastrophe and undertaken some sort of root cause analysis, should be having some very serious conversations with China and how the regime there intends to ensure these markets are ALL closed and never re-open. I would go so far as to say the international community needs a task force to monitor compliance as well.

Whilst I really do admire your view of the human race, I can’t help but wonder, given the possible source of this virus outbreak, whether the human race can sometimes be rather stupid at times. I guess the scientific post mortem on the source of the viral outbreak will reveal all.....

Absolutely. As an ex NHS and private health worker, that was my exact thought! Hope he puts a clean uniform on. I can remember when laundry for nurses uniforms was done within hospitals and they changed in and out of uniforms when they came into and before they left the hospital.

How upsetting, surely they could have dressed the next of kin up in appropriate hazmat equipment when they knew death was imminent.

What a senseless rule flying empty planes, how does that help the environment! Perhaps they’ll do the sensible thing after the virus has receded and not insist empty planes fly around.

Yes, exactly that, facilities in the community (like the old cottage/rehab hospitals) where patients can be “stepped up” to observe/treat accordingly or patients can be “stepped down” as a half way house to getting them home sensibly and appropriately. They experimented with this in Sandwell again some years ago and I think it worked well. The big issue is the acute units are always knocking at the door trying to offload their cases into these beds and sometimes inappropriately so managing the case load into these intermediate care facilities has to be done carefully.

Absolutely spot on. For my sins when I worked in commissioning I sat in on the DTOC (delayed transfers of care) weekly meetings. The stress between the acute hospital discharge team and social services was so palpable and at times was in danger of blowing up into massive rows over this issue - considerable control often needed to be adopted. Admissions queuing at the front door but the back door out of the hospital very inactive simply because there is nowhere to put those medically/clinically fit enough to be discharged but not safe enough mobility wise or safe enough mentally to go home. That was 7 years ago and still the problem doesn’t seem to have been sorted. If this virus does take off the bed and discharge situation will get much worse. What we desperately need in this country (in my view) is a programme of creating intermediate care facilities - step up or step down beds in the community and specialist community elderly mentally ill places. Please don’t blame the elderly though, they have put their considerable bit “into the pot” down the years so deserve to be well looked after in their declining years.

Local farcebook talk is patient from WV11 area but that might be being confused with the fact New Cross Hospital is where they are, which is roughly same area.

Not sure where in the city but Wolverhampton has its first confirmed case of Coronavirus announced today

I take antimalarial in the form of hydroxycloroquine (Quinoric) for autoimmune disease. I asked my GP if I could increase the dose if my symptoms are troublesome but he did actually say no to that.

How to make hand sanitizer WWW.MNN.COM The threat of coronavirus has made it hard to find at stores. This recipe is doing the rounds locally..

Bit of a poor way of looking at humanity there, nothing like having a bit of compassion. I sincerely hope an elderly feeble relative or friend of yours doesn’t become infected. My mums neighbour is 95ish and, as a veteran of Monty’s African army during WW2, as an oldie I do believe he deserves a bit more respect!!!

Can they not suspend trading on the stock market in view of this continual free fall? If so, why haven’t they done it?

Mum picked up on this the other day. She was watching an expert on TV explaining the importance of hand washing, however, they didn’t actually go through the phases/movements you are shown to do as part of infection control within the NHS. I actually had the infection control nurse stand over me while I demonstrated the hand washing procedure at the Nuffield before she signed me off as having completed my infection control training. Rings do need particular attention and infection control nurses went to great lengths to hi-light how gel and acrylic nail extensions can hold dirt and potential germs as well.

Yes, I can see that entirely, however, mum is resisting my attempts to curtail her, lol. I’ve taken her out this afternoon to the garden centre - I have no idea whether anyone we came into contact with has this or another virus. However, because there are no actual reported cases around these parts I was comfortable enough being out and I had no basis for being over protective of her and not supporting her in what she wanted to do. If I know the virus has arrived locally I can (with difficulty I assure you ) insist she stays in the house. For me personally I would like to know if it is local as I can make decisions for me where I go as I will need to go out at times (vet visits etc). I need to try and stay clear of any virus for that matter if at all possible as mum depends on me for an awful lot of stuff and who would look after 6 of my own cats and 2 foster cats lord only knows ..... I can keel over as long as someone sees to the cats !!

I do understand and accept your take on this but I think we should be informed more frequently of locations, just my own preference I guess.

I agree wholeheartedly. For me it is nothing about being complacent, it is simply about having all the available information on locations from when you can make informed decisions about where you go. Like a lot of people I have an elderly mum (88 this year). She is very active wanting to do her own supermarket shopping and visit garden centres etc but if there are confirmed cases locally then I would be really looking at curtailing these type of excursions for both of us.

I studied essential oils as part of an aromatherapy degree 20 years ago. I worked in the hospital at the time and consultants eventually talked me out of the aromatherapy course into doing what they called a ”proper degree”. However, as the years have passed essential oils are increasingly being shown to have antibacterial and antiviral properties. I always have a supply of oils to use in and around the house for various things so will be getting them out the cupboard and mixing some up as air sprays. They can also be mixed into carrier oils and creams. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5206475/

I have not read any details but if retired doctors have let their medical licence lapse and/or their revalidation is not up to date I’m not sure how they can be bought back into practice, unless revalidation etc was fast tracked somehow.

I almost always have 4 of my 6 cats sleeping with me, often wake up on the edge of the bed with about 6” of it left. Always take my 20 year old one with me and the others follow on when they realise I’ve gone to bed.

Absolutely completely and utterly agree with you. Life is serious and hard enough. However, I am so glad my parents instilled a sense of humour in me and I still retain it! I cannot image going through day to day life without it.