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Observation

Social Distancing


The world around us is changing, and we need to change with it. We need to be more aware of those around us, of our own personal bubbles, and of our habits. We need to stay at home except for essential travel. We need to keep our families safe.

I shop at Tesco, and the measures have been put in place to support social distancing. We need to queue to get in, follow the one-way system through the aisles, and keep 2 meters apart. Tape on the floor outlines our boundaries and guides us through the shop. Perspex barriers at the tills keep the staff safe. A barrier in front of the pharmacy desk protects both the staff and public, lowering the risk of transmitting sickness between the ill who need medical assistance and the vulnerable picking up their prescriptions.


It's not just Tesco that's mindful of health and safety; many people walk around with masks and gloves on. Initially it was just one or two people, but now you are the minority if you don't wear one. The two gentlemen, featured below, explained their reasons for wearing masks: one man has a pregnant wife at home with health conditions. If she catches the virus, she and the baby are at a much higher risk of complications. He wants to protect her. The other man is a paramedic. He said that he had seen first-hand the horrors of what this virus can do, and it scared him. He is worried that he might catch it through work, so wears a mask not only to protect himself, but to avoid passing it on to other people.



It is the NHS that we are relying on, but similarly, the NHS relies on us, too. People still get sick, and people still have accidents. A vast number of people each day need a blood transfusion, but in order for this to happen, we need to donate blood. Due to self-isolation, fewer current donors will be able to donate, and due to social distancing, fewer people can donate at any one time, so there are fewer appointments. As a universal donor, I knew it was vital that I continue donating blood to play my part in helping the NHS.

Everything was much more spread out. All staff had masks on, and social distancing was maintained at all times - they were prepared. They were willing to let me take photos of how everything was set up, providing that I didn't include members of the public in my photos, of course. What struck me was that the staff were all so cheerful. Rather than everything being so serious, which feels like most of the time at the moment, we were able to have a laugh. I enjoyed the company. The donating process was the same as always, except for at the very end: I must have not put enough pressure on my wound to close it, and blood started pooling on my arm. The nurse was a true hero and put the pressure back on, and when we lifted the tissue away, the pooled blood had made a heart-shaped stamp on my arm. I should have taken a photo, and I'm disappointed that I didn't think to. The NHS, after all, is at the heart of our battle against Covid-19.


Blood donation is doubly important right now. A clinical trial being run by the NHS needs people who have tested positive for Covid-19, or have had symptoms, to donate their plasma once they have recovered. The idea is that these people have built up antibodies to fight the virus, and that treating Covid-19 patients with convalescent plasma will aid their recovery.


This ground-breaking REMAP-CAP trial, conducted by NHSBT, will test whether convalescent plasma treatment can save lives and shorten intensive care unit stays. - Professor David Menon, Emeritus Senior Investigator, National Institute for Health Research


 

Covid-19 Symptom Diary


The severity of symptoms of Covid-19 varies from person to person. Some people are completely asymptomatic, some have minor flu-like symptoms, and some are hospitalised. The most common symptoms are a continuous cough and a fever, commonly progressing to shortness of breath. These symptoms are similar to the common cold and seasonal flu, which makes it difficult to determine whether you have Covid-19 without a test. The more severely affected people may develop pneumonia and require ventilation in the Intensive Care Unit.


Suspected cases are split into three categories:

  1. Require immediate hospital admission

  2. Home isolation with active health monitoring

  3. Home isolation with health advice


u/Lucicerious (Reddit username) is a young man who is fit and healthy. He began to feel unwell, so decided to document his symptoms and general wellbeing over the course of a few weeks. During his illness, he was classified as a Category 2 Covid-19 patient. His observations are just one way to track the impact this virus is having on both individuals and families.


 

Both my parents, whom I live with, came down with a virus in February. My father first came down feeling drowsy, mild fever and cough, spent 3 days in bed. By end of week it turned into a full blown cold and violent cough that went on for a couple of weeks. My mother came down with it just over a week later and also spent 3 days in bed. Her IBS flared up badly. She also had a cold and cough for a couple of weeks, fatigue and tight feeling in chest.​ I've not been tested, so it could be influenza or something else that I've had, only the incubation period doesn't make sense for it to be influenza (too far apart from me getting ill to when my mother stopped being infectious), nor that my daughter also got ill whilst also having had flu jab too, unless it was a different strain from the vaccine. The doctor has treated me as having suspected Covid-19.​




 

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