Mushrooms

Thanks riverwalk, I just assumed as both were the same virus one would trigger the other. Bodies are strange things, always doing the opposite to what you expect!

M0nica

There is a clear link between chicken pox and shingles. They are both caused by the same varicella zoster virus. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in their body but can be reactivated later to cause shingles.

I am not surprised that if chicken pox is doing the rounds so does shingles. If someone who has had chicken pox picks up the virus again, they will have shingles.

I'm afraid you're wrong about exposure to chickenpox and shingles, and it's the reason why the vaccine is not routinely given in the UK.

Being exposed to chickenpox as an adult (for example, through contact with infected children) boosts your immunity to shingles

If you vaccinate children against chickenpox, you lose this natural boosting, so immunity in adults will drop and more shingles cases will occur

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/chickenpox-vaccine-questions-answers/

It's a routine vaccination in Australia so presumably tried and tested.

I don't know why it's not routine here because chickenpox can be nasty and, of course, the virus stays in the body and can cause shingles later.

Goodness, our daughter texted this afternoon to say our local independent pharmacy is offering chickenpox vaccinations for children at a cost of £140. 2nd dose included in the price in 6 weeks’ time. She is considering giving this to the 5y old L’il Miss as her older brother was quite poorly with it when he was her age, four years ago. I get why she’s thinking of it. I was just (a) shocked at the price and (b) concerned about ‘private medicine’ creeping in on the high street.

What do you think?

There is a clear link between chicken pox and shingles. They are both caused by the same varicella zoster virus. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in their body but can be reactivated later to cause shingles.

I am not surprised that if chicken pox is doing the rounds so does shingles. If someone who has had chicken pox picks up the virus again, they will have shingles.

I've never had shingles but keep eating the mushrooms!

You get shingles if your immunity is low so if you’re a bit run down and you’re in contact with someone with a virus I’d assume that could trigger it. I’m sure there’s a link of some kind. No smoke without fire and all that. Any other circumstances and I’d’ve cancelled. Fingers crossed anyway. He seems to have stopped getting the spots now so is probably safe to go out and about.

I am not sure if it was true or coincidence Maybee - just her speculations. Medical opinion is that it is not true - but that someone could catch chickenpox by touching a shingles blister.

Keep taking the vitamins!

Callistemon21

Yes, we discussed that

She did say that she always noticed a rise in shingles cases at the surgery when there were cases of chickenpox in the community.
She said it was too remarkable to be a coincidence!

Soon going to find out if contact with someone with chicken pox, when one has had chicken pox as a child, can trigger shingles, as my grandson is staying with me and he’s just come down with chicken pox. I didn’t want to cancel his visit as he hasn’t stayed with me for over two years! Annoyingly I didn’t get round to having the shingles vaccine that I am now eligible for.

I get through 1-2 punnets each week. I absolutely love them. I dry-fry them to condense their flavour and then sometimes drop in a little knob of butter to glaze before eating, mmmm!

I love mushrooms they are one of my favourite foods. I add them to a beef casserole or shepherds pie. I put them in an omelette and stir fry them with cabbage and cream, or a steak pie, or bacon and egg for brunch. They are so versatile and taste great sautéed in butter. What not to like. However I buy them from the farm shop I who’d risk foraging for them.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that mushrooms are anti viral. Another good reason to keep eating them ( no I haven't had covid and yes I have friends.

LOL at the other post about the Korean Dr who suggested that people who hadn't had covid were friendless!) I'll just keep eating mushrooms!

Mmm I love duck as well!

We eat a lot of mushrooms. I made a really good soup from the New Covent Garden Book of Soup which my husband loves.
We've had them today in a duck leg casserole.

I do like a mushroom anything! I had some earlier in a bacon sandwich!

Can anyone tell me how to grow them in the airing cupboard? Mmm my own supply, what a dream! Perhaps we should all be doing this in case of food shortages. I've grown a mushroom kit before, but that was quite expensive.

I do like a mushroom omelette.

A nice pot of mushroom tea.

My grandsons both really dislike mushrooms and I can understand why.

A lovely mushroom omelette is one of my favourite things.

MayBee70 - pasteurisation is heating something to around 70 degrees celsius for 15-25 seconds to kill off any pathogens.

For those interested in doing a mushroom foraging course wildfooduk.com lists a variety of courses, www.countryfile.com/how-to/foraging/best-foraging-courses-in-uk/ lists what they feel are the best foraging courses and, of course, you can always enter 'mushroom foraging courses' and your area into a search engine to see if there are any close by. Of course, they're seasonal. It is one of those things on my really-want-to-do-that-when-I-find-the-time list!

As regards eating them, I chuck them in lots of things - salads, stews, stir fries, on pizzas... And, when they start to 'go over' I fry them and have them with things like beans/egg on toast.

I put my mushrooms outside in the sun for a while to absorb VitD before I cook them.

Mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin D. My favourite simple recipe is mushrooms cooked in a dab of butter and black pepper, then served on a slice of french toast (eggy bread) yum! ?

I love mushrooms in so many recipes, and often just eat them raw. I wish I had the knowledge and confidence to forage for wild ones, but I don’t. I remember picking a big bag full as a child and my mother throwing them on the compost as she wasn’t sure they were safe. I did just the same, reluctantly, when DH returned from an early morning walk recently with loads of them. What a waste (or, possibly, what a lucky escape).

sorry posted too soon,chop the chicken up and add to the soup before serving

Canadiangran try making your mushroom soup with sauteed mushrooms and finely chopped onion ,add them to chicken stock made with a leg or a breast with bone in throw in a handful of rice and some garlic to taste and leave ntil the rice is cooked through.No cream needed ,you can thicken it with a little cornflour in water if you like .Its a hearty lunch .

I can live without mushrooms.

Callistemon21

Yes, we discussed that

She did say that she always noticed a rise in shingles cases at the surgery when there were cases of chickenpox in the community.
She said it was too remarkable to be a coincidence!

Well I’m afraid she needs to go back to her nursing manuals or reconsider how she is interpreting the incidence of recorded cases of shingles/chickenpox.