Not funny

This is a true story. Sadly.

An acquaintance has Covid at the moment, and is feeling pretty rubbish (as you would).

The acquaintance still went along to see Peter Kaye’s show at the Arena in Sheffield last night.
Joining 12,499 other people in a big metal box.

Why?
Well, selfishness, obviously.

The acquaintance has excused themselves on the socials by using the phrase “laughter is the best medicine”.

I despair.

Apparently, the show was very good, though. So there’s that.

“Flu”

More people are suddenly going down with “flu” again. “Flu” is the layperson’s catchall term for any respiratory tract infection, but of course, what they’ve got isn’t influenza, despite the nomenclature. Influenza is a seasonal infection, and our influenza season ended way back in July:

And indeed, it’s unusual to have so many people ill with respiratory tract infections at this time of year – remember that we’re in the middle of summer down here in the Southern Hemisphere. Of course, there are end of year gatherings and social events which assist in spreading the bugs around, but the fresh air and sunshine have always been enough in previous years to prevent these sort of infections. And yet, everyone knows someone who is sick. It sounds almost like the 2020 Covid days.

So what on earth could it be?

Well, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s almost certainly Covid.

Worldwide, poo studies are showing huge amounts of virus (Covid) RNA in wastewater systems, meaning that there are huge numbers of viruses (Covid) in the community. And using a whimsical font to title the graphs doesn’t make it any better.

Look at that: even in Western Australia, which, like us, is supposed to be safe from those winter illnesses right now.

There are two important points to make here. Firstly, that things have moved on a bit since the heady earlier days of Covid. Thankfully, at the moment, there seem to be fewer hospitalisations and fewer deaths from these latest variants. Although numbers of Covid-19 hospitalisations are suddenly rising in places like Singapore and the UK:

And even if it’s not killing you, that certainly doesn’t mean that it’s not capable of making you feel like death for a week at a time.

Secondly, these wastewater tests are our best estimate at what’s going on with Covid in the community, because there’s basically no testing being done on patients with respiratory illness anymore. Why would you spend R1000 on a test when it’s not going to alter the treatment of the patient anyway?

There’s also been a change in symptoms with the new variants. Sure, there’s still the crippling fatigue, breathlessness and general viral nastiness, but while taste and smell seem unaffected – two of the staples of Covid diagnosis first time around – very sore throats seem to be a regular symptom, and even gastrointestinal symptoms are being reported.

It’s also worth noting that we’re a tourist mecca at this time of year, indeed maybe even more so than ever before, so there’s every chance that some people will be bringing their Northern hemisphere Covid into the country with them.

And while there are only a few wastewater stations reporting HIGH levels of Covid RNA at the moment, it’s interesting (but perhaps nothing more than that) that the Cape Town Airport station is one that has suddenly picked up a little over the last few weeks.

After all, especially with those gastro symptoms, what’s the first thing you might want to do as soon as you get off a 12 hour flight? Hmm. Exactly.

Basically, what I’m saying here is that [SHOCK!!] Covid hasn’t gone away. Nor has it yet become a predictable, seasonal virus like dear old Influenza. The latest variants are still very unpleasant and could still be dangerous in elderly or vulnerable patients.

Still best then to exercise caution, not engage in too much mistletoe action and make sure that your vaccinations are up to date (much easier said than done in SA, let me tell you). And, if you are feeling sick, choose to be sensible and respectful and stay away from the Christmas parties and my braai this evening.

Get well soon. Happy holidays.

It’s that day again

I’m having the day off the blog today, so this was written earlier.

We were planning a big afternoon with a lot of friends, but then something else showed up which has changed all that.

Yep. A stonkingly strong positive (I know these things are qualitative rather than quantitative, but sometimes, they can be both) which our son has imported from Egypt along with the super cool Tutankhamen bottle opener he brought back for the bar.

He’s doing ok. He could be better. A rather sad end to an amazing adventure.

We will still enjoy ourselves today. There is lamb, there are roast potatoes, there is Yorkshire pudding.

Whatever you’re up to today, have a great day.

Summer daze and that virus…

It’s been a good start to the day. It does seem that we’re almost done with spring (aside from the pummeling SouthEaster), and summer has moved in already. Thus, I’m sitting outside listening to the radio, catching up on a few emails, paying a few bills and writing a blog post. The garden is full of flowers, and the lawn needs a water. The beagle, having been bathed this morning – much to its displeasure – is on patrol, snorfing around and chasing butterflies.

It’s an idyllic picture. So let’s ruin everything with a handbrake turn.

Looking back at that link above, I’m reminded that this time last year, we were approaching 600 days of Covid lockdown. Believe it or not, there’s still quite a bit of Covid about, although no-one is testing anymore, because of the time and the effort and the money involved – and why spend all that stuff when no-one seems to care? – so we can’t be sure exactly how much.

And so much for this being “jUsT lIkE tHe CoMmOn CoLd”, with this huge overhang of cardiovascular deaths and Long Covid (which is also vastly underreported).

This is just the easily measured tip of the iceberg…

As I mentioned here, I think that thankfully, I’m finally over my issues [touches wood]. But I recently heard from a acquaintance who is anything but. Shortness of breath, palpitations, tachycardia, cognitive issues, that fatigue, and many other issues: just a general loss in quality of life. Ugh. Horrible. In her case, it’s so bad that she’s been admitted to a local pulmonology ward, which is half full of chronic Long Covid cases.
I guess that they’re only based there because it stemmed from a respiratory disease: these are very clearly multi-disciplinary cases.

I realise that it’s hip and cool to poke fun at Covid; to suggest that it wasn’t [note the incorrect use of the past tense] that bad, to weirdly tell people that it was all a “new world order” plan to keep us all under control, (incredible to see how governments were so ready and willing to work together on this one issue when they clearly can’t agree on fuck all else, before or since), to downplay it completely because you didn’t get sick (yet).

If you’re the person making those sort of points, you’re clearly ignorant, uninformed and actually rather callous.

We’re nowhere near done with Covid yet. And yet you can’t get a booster jab in Cape Town for love, nor money. Not that the booster on offer will help much – we need the new bivalent jab over here as soon as possible.

For those who insist that Covid will become just another seasonal viral infection, well, I actually agree with you. I just have two questions: When will that happen, and what cost will it bring – in both acute and chronic caseloads?

Until we have the answers to those questions, we really shouldn’t be dropping our guard – as individuals or as a society – because there’s a good chance that we’re going to end up regretting it at some point.