16 days out and covid hits

[Megabear2]

Hello, thank you all for your kind thoughts.  Today is my first dip back into everyday life from what has been a surreal week.  I am far from mended but hopefully a corner has been turned in that I am at least out of bed this morning!  The journey has been rough and I will not hesitate to say not at all what I had expected from the talk of cold like symptoms.  The first 48 hours spent in dealing with a hacking cough, temperature and body aches were followed on Friday by a swollen throat which felt like a box of razor blades had been eaten. This in turn led to a complete airway blockage and collapse needing urgent medical intervention on two occasions - always the drama queen.  I have been lucky as anti viral drugs were allocated and these have helped.  This new variant is absolutely horrid if you catch it wrong.  

 

There were 75 people attending the wedding on 12 March. By the 15 March 27 attendees were positive and over the week more have been falling and apparently now around 50% of attendees have tested positive or become ill. Based on this experience it is easy to see how super spreading is still going strong. 

 

Sadly there will be no cruise for any of us on 1 April although having just been through all this I don't think any of us fancy being on a ship at present.

 

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Megabear2

[mercury7289]

26 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Hello, thank you all for your kind thoughts.  Today is my first dip back into everyday life from what has been a surreal week.  I am far from mended but hopefully a corner has been turned in that I am at least out of bed this morning!  The journey has been rough and I will not hesitate to say not at all what I had expected from the talk of cold like symptoms.  The first 48 hours spent in dealing with a hacking cough, temperature and body aches were followed on Friday by a swollen throat which felt like a box of razor blades had been eaten. This in turn led to a complete airway blockage and collapse needing urgent medical intervention on two occasions - always the drama queen.  I have been lucky as anti viral drugs were allocated and these have helped.  This new variant is absolutely horrid if you catch it wrong.  

 

There were 75 people attending the wedding on 12 March. By the 15 March 27 attendees were positive and over the week more have been falling and apparently now around 50% of attendees have tested positive or become ill. Based on this experience it is easy to see how super spreading is still going strong. 

 

Sadly there will be no cruise for any of us on 1 April although having just been through all this I don't think any of us fancy being on a ship at present.

 

 

Megabear2, Sounds horrific, makes a mockery of the, only like a cold or light flu brigade] it is not for everyone! wishing you a full and speedy recovery, keep warm and safe

[Angel57]

56 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Hello, thank you all for your kind thoughts.  Today is my first dip back into everyday life from what has been a surreal week.  I am far from mended but hopefully a corner has been turned in that I am at least out of bed this morning!  The journey has been rough and I will not hesitate to say not at all what I had expected from the talk of cold like symptoms.  The first 48 hours spent in dealing with a hacking cough, temperature and body aches were followed on Friday by a swollen throat which felt like a box of razor blades had been eaten. This in turn led to a complete airway blockage and collapse needing urgent medical intervention on two occasions - always the drama queen.  I have been lucky as anti viral drugs were allocated and these have helped.  This new variant is absolutely horrid if you catch it wrong.  

 

There were 75 people attending the wedding on 12 March. By the 15 March 27 attendees were positive and over the week more have been falling and apparently now around 50% of attendees have tested positive or become ill. Based on this experience it is easy to see how super spreading is still going strong. 

 

Sadly there will be no cruise for any of us on 1 April although having just been through all this I don't think any of us fancy being on a ship at present.

 

 

So sorry to hear you have been so poorly - it sounds like you have had a really bad dose. When you feel that unwell you are better off being at home but hopefully looking forward to your next cruise.

Look after yourself.

[Peanut006]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Hello, thank you all for your kind thoughts.  Today is my first dip back into everyday life from what has been a surreal week.  I am far from mended but hopefully a corner has been turned in that I am at least out of bed this morning!  The journey has been rough and I will not hesitate to say not at all what I had expected from the talk of cold like symptoms.  The first 48 hours spent in dealing with a hacking cough, temperature and body aches were followed on Friday by a swollen throat which felt like a box of razor blades had been eaten. This in turn led to a complete airway blockage and collapse needing urgent medical intervention on two occasions - always the drama queen.  I have been lucky as anti viral drugs were allocated and these have helped.  This new variant is absolutely horrid if you catch it wrong.  

 

There were 75 people attending the wedding on 12 March. By the 15 March 27 attendees were positive and over the week more have been falling and apparently now around 50% of attendees have tested positive or become ill. Based on this experience it is easy to see how super spreading is still going strong. 

 

Sadly there will be no cruise for any of us on 1 April although having just been through all this I don't think any of us fancy being on a ship at present.

 

 

That sounds just awful for you, hopefully as you say you are out of bed feeling a bit better.

Sorry to hear you won’t be cruising on 1st April but I am sure there will be many more to look forward to in the future. We are going to Estepona on 24 April and I am beginning to wish I hadn’t booked it with the rising cases of you know what 

Michelle

[Britboys]

Yes, the symptoms seem very varied at the moment. I have 7 friends who have caught it over the last few weeks. Three had very mild, un-troubling symptoms, one has middling, flu-like symptoms and three felt really awful with it. Looks like the luck of the draw.

Glad to hear you have turned a corner megabear.

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Hello, thank you all for your kind thoughts.  Today is my first dip back into everyday life from what has been a surreal week.  I am far from mended but hopefully a corner has been turned in that I am at least out of bed this morning!  The journey has been rough and I will not hesitate to say not at all what I had expected from the talk of cold like symptoms.  The first 48 hours spent in dealing with a hacking cough, temperature and body aches were followed on Friday by a swollen throat which felt like a box of razor blades had been eaten. This in turn led to a complete airway blockage and collapse needing urgent medical intervention on two occasions - always the drama queen.  I have been lucky as anti viral drugs were allocated and these have helped.  This new variant is absolutely horrid if you catch it wrong.  

 

There were 75 people attending the wedding on 12 March. By the 15 March 27 attendees were positive and over the week more have been falling and apparently now around 50% of attendees have tested positive or become ill. Based on this experience it is easy to see how super spreading is still going strong. 

 

Sadly there will be no cruise for any of us on 1 April although having just been through all this I don't think any of us fancy being on a ship at present.

 

 

I’m so sorry you’ve been unfortunate enough to go through all that, particularly with the impact on the cruise - at least we can confidently say you’ll have the insurance well and truly nailed down!

 

Your report is particularly helpful, though, in that it illustrates very well the risks of mixing, and the risks of the virus itself. It mirrors what’s happening locally, and makes a mockery of the ‘it’s all over’ brigade that seems to be having the loudest voice.

[Eglesbrech]

Sorry to hear you have had such a rough time of it. Hopefully onwards and upwards now. Take care.

[Mollag]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Hello, thank you all for your kind thoughts.  Today is my first dip back into everyday life from what has been a surreal week.  I am far from mended but hopefully a corner has been turned in that I am at least out of bed this morning!  The journey has been rough and I will not hesitate to say not at all what I had expected from the talk of cold like symptoms.  The first 48 hours spent in dealing with a hacking cough, temperature and body aches were followed on Friday by a swollen throat which felt like a box of razor blades had been eaten. This in turn led to a complete airway blockage and collapse needing urgent medical intervention on two occasions - always the drama queen.  I have been lucky as anti viral drugs were allocated and these have helped.  This new variant is absolutely horrid if you catch it wrong.  

 

There were 75 people attending the wedding on 12 March. By the 15 March 27 attendees were positive and over the week more have been falling and apparently now around 50% of attendees have tested positive or become ill. Based on this experience it is easy to see how super spreading is still going strong. 

 

Sadly there will be no cruise for any of us on 1 April although having just been through all this I don't think any of us fancy being on a ship at present.

 

 

Glad your getting better you’re in the best place you really wouldn’t want to be on here, apparently there’s a large amount of people doing B2B I don’t know how they can answer the health questions honestly without saying they’ve been a close contact with anyone on board. It’s just been posted Sindhu is closed until further notice again it’s only been open a couple of days. Also it’s only recommended after 27 March that masks have to be worn on doors on board not compulsory apart from the theatre and med centre

[Megabear2]

I have unfortunately just been told by my husband that my niece's 20 month old baby has been hospitalised over the weekend and that one of the elderly guests is currently awaiting transfer to hospital too.   Apparently he didn't want to alarm me until I was feeling better!

[lincslady]

Covid has taken a back seat in the news, understandably.  But it is still certainly a big problem, and lots of people seem to have forgotten this as it is not on the tv news or in the papers.  I have just had my extra booster dose - hurt a bit for the first time, and was given a leaflet about possible after-effects which struck me as unusual.

 

So sorry to hear that a baby and an older  person have needed hospital treatment - again, we all thought that symptoms now would be mild, but obviously only for some people.

[Britboys]

21 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Covid has taken a back seat in the news, understandably.  But it is still certainly a big problem, and lots of people seem to have forgotten this as it is not on the tv news or in the papers.  I have just had my extra booster dose - hurt a bit for the first time, and was given a leaflet about possible after-effects which struck me as unusual.

 

So sorry to hear that a baby and an older  person have needed hospital treatment - again, we all thought that symptoms now would be mild, but obviously only for some people.

I think I was given a leaflet about possible side-effects with all three of my jabs... Certainly the first and third anyway.

[Ardennais]

Megabear - I really hope that you’re now on the mend. We know of several people locally who have unfortunately suffered similar symptoms. Take care, and rest until better! 

[Dermotsgirl]

Hi Megabear, I had been thinking about you and wondering how you were getting on. 

 

I'm glad to hear you feel you have turned a corner, but it sounds like you have had a very rough time of it. Also sorry to hear about your relatives needing hospital treatment.

 

I'm sure that this will be of no consolation to you at all, but your family is not alone.  I'm aware of many people who have avoided it for two years and have finally caught it and have been unpleasantly ill.

 

I can only think that its a combination of the highly infectious BA2 strain and waning immunity as our boosters were several months ago. 

 

I hope you make a good recovery 

[Dermotsgirl]

4 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

I’m so sorry you’ve been unfortunate enough to go through all that, particularly with the impact on the cruise - at least we can confidently say you’ll have the insurance well and truly nailed down!

 

Your report is particularly helpful, though, in that it illustrates very well the risks of mixing, and the risks of the virus itself. It mirrors what’s happening locally, and makes a mockery of the ‘it’s all over’ brigade that seems to be having the loudest voice.

Yes, there seems to be a real disconnect between the 'Just gotta live with it like it's flu / just gotta get on with life / it's mild' crowd,  and what is actually happening right now. 

[lindyloo22]

Hello Megabear, sorry to hear you have been so unwell and for your family that have been hospitalised.  Hope you all get well soon.

[Harry Peterson]

3 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I have unfortunately just been told by my husband that my niece's 20 month old baby has been hospitalised over the weekend and that one of the elderly guests is currently awaiting transfer to hospital too.   Apparently he didn't want to alarm me until I was feeling better!

That’s very sad news to hear, though on the positive side the medics do at least now have an armoury of treatments available to them, which used not to be the case. Including the antivirals of course, one of which you were given. Were you able to access that because you were within one of the predetermined groups, or simply as a patient needing treatment? Please ignore that question if it’s insensitive, but it would be reassuring to know that they’re becoming more widely available.

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

That’s very sad news to hear, though on the positive side the medics do at least now have an armoury of treatments available to them, which used not to be the case. Including the antivirals of course, one of which you were given. Were you able to access that because you were within one of the predetermined groups, or simply as a patient needing treatment? Please ignore that question if it’s insensitive, but it would be reassuring to know that they’re becoming more widely available.

Harry, no problem at all.  I was given them due to the chronic throat closures which caused me to collapse as I could literally get no air into my body as my throat and mouth roof were so swollen they totally obstructed my airways.  After the second incident of this when I started to cough blood and had a nosebleed that wouldn't stop it was decided I needed all the help I could get.  I think my age of 66 had a slight impact.

 

Incidentally on first reporting the positive test all of us over 60 were invited to register for a trial of one of these drugs.  Apparently 50% of the 400 a day who are accepted on first come basis get the drugs. Only my aunt who is 83 was accepted. She has made a rapid recovery in a couple of days, apparently out doing her garden in the weekend sunshine.

[terrierjohn]

41 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Yes, there seems to be a real disconnect between the 'Just gotta live with it like it's flu / just gotta get on with life / it's mild' crowd,  and what is actually happening right now. 

If the current infection levels are as high as the ONS estimate, then it's no surprise to me that there are so many people suffering more severe symptom. In fact it's a statistical certainty that the severe illness level will increase in proportion to the increased infection rate.

However this is just the start of us learning to live with covid, if we can continue to provide regular boosters, then we should begin to see a much reduced wave effect, and the improved treatments alongside the immunity should begin to enable us to consider covid in a similar way to how we live with  other respiratory diseases.

But unfortunately there will always be some people, especially those with weakened immune systems, who will need to take more precautions to enable them to avoid infection.

[Dermotsgirl]

11 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If the current infection levels are as high as the ONS estimate, then it's no surprise to me that there are so many people suffering more severe symptom. In fact it's a statistical certainty that the severe illness level will increase in proportion to the increased infection rate.

However this is just the start of us learning to live with covid, if we can continue to provide regular boosters, then we should begin to see a much reduced wave effect, and the improved treatments alongside the immunity should begin to enable us to consider covid in a similar way to how we live with  other respiratory diseases.

But unfortunately there will always be some people, especially those with weakened immune systems, who will need to take more precautions to enable them to avoid infection.

For the forseeable future, I don't think vaccines are enough  - 'learning to live with it' means learning changes in our behaviour too. 

 

[Billish]

13 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If the current infection levels are as high as the ONS estimate, then it's no surprise to me that there are so many people suffering more severe symptom. In fact it's a statistical certainty that the severe illness level will increase in proportion to the increased infection rate.

However this is just the start of us learning to live with covid, if we can continue to provide regular boosters, then we should begin to see a much reduced wave effect, and the improved treatments alongside the immunity should begin to enable us to consider covid in a similar way to how we live with  other respiratory diseases.

But unfortunately there will always be some people, especially those with weakened immune systems, who will need to take more precautions to enable them to avoid infection.

A reasoned post,  taking into account the current situation. 

[howmuch!]

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

I have unfortunately just been told by my husband that my niece's 20 month old baby has been hospitalised over the weekend and that one of the elderly guests is currently awaiting transfer to hospital too.   Apparently he didn't want to alarm me until I was feeling better!

So sorry to hear this. I hope you are all feeling better soon. So much for Omicron being 'mild'

[Ardennais]

53 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If the current infection levels are as high as the ONS estimate, then it's no surprise to me that there are so many people suffering more severe symptom. In fact it's a statistical certainty that the severe illness level will increase in proportion to the increased infection rate.

However this is just the start of us learning to live with covid, if we can continue to provide regular boosters, then we should begin to see a much reduced wave effect, and the improved treatments alongside the immunity should begin to enable us to consider covid in a similar way to how we live with  other respiratory diseases.

But unfortunately there will always be some people, especially those with weakened immune systems, who will need to take more precautions to enable them to avoid infection.

I agree to a certain extent. But quite a few healthy individuals in their 30s and 40s have had a really bad dose in this area since Christmas and several are still struggling.  
 
For that reason, I think it would be madness to stop testing pre-embarkation, and if that affects people’s anticipation and excitement pre-cruise, well so be it. Call it ‘living with C’ if you like, Surely it’s wiser to do everything possible to prevent C cases onboard. It is a different environment to everyday life. 

[terrierjohn]

2 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

I agree to a certain extent. But quite a few healthy individuals in their 30s and 40s have had a really bad dose in this area since Christmas and several are still struggling.  
 
For that reason, I think it would be madness to stop testing pre-embarkation, and if that affects people’s anticipation and excitement pre-cruise, well so be it. Call it ‘living with C’ if you like, Surely it’s wiser to do everything possible to prevent C cases onboard. It is a different environment to everyday life. 

Pre cruise testing would not be a problem for me.  But I think quarantine areas could be done away with, leaving isolating in your own cabin as the alternative until you provide a negative test, and as long as your partner tests negative they could be allowed to leave the cabin.

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Pre cruise testing would not be a problem for me.  But I think quarantine areas could be done away with, leaving isolating in your own cabin as the alternative until you provide a negative test, and as long as your partner tests negative they could be allowed to leave the cabin.

Cruiserjules has indicated from her quarantine on Azura:

 

"At 5pm we were moved to our separate isolation cabins, where, according to the medical centre, they have enhanced air conditioning".

 

Has this enhanced air conditioning been referred to previously?  Perhaps that's the reason for moving people and having blocks?

[delgirl]

10 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Hello, thank you all for your kind thoughts.  Today is my first dip back into everyday life from what has been a surreal week.  I am far from mended but hopefully a corner has been turned in that I am at least out of bed this morning!  The journey has been rough and I will not hesitate to say not at all what I had expected from the talk of cold like symptoms.  The first 48 hours spent in dealing with a hacking cough, temperature and body aches were followed on Friday by a swollen throat which felt like a box of razor blades had been eaten. This in turn led to a complete airway blockage and collapse needing urgent medical intervention on two occasions - always the drama queen.  I have been lucky as anti viral drugs were allocated and these have helped.  This new variant is absolutely horrid if you catch it wrong.  

 

There were 75 people attending the wedding on 12 March. By the 15 March 27 attendees were positive and over the week more have been falling and apparently now around 50% of attendees have tested positive or become ill. Based on this experience it is easy to see how super spreading is still going strong. 

 

Sadly there will be no cruise for any of us on 1 April although having just been through all this I don't think any of us fancy being on a ship at present.

 

 

DH and I had the lurgy last month. I was in the just like a bad cold brigade but he was really poorly for about 3 weeks. I remember saying to him it was a good job he didn't get it before he had his injections.