If we feel ill .... ?

SueDomin yes they do send for an ambulance but they phone me as well but if you suspect it’s Covid you wouldn’t be able to go anyway. My mum would have died without hers though as she couldn’t get to the phone. It did take her a while to get used to it, but she wouldn’t be without it now.

Just asking, is it easy to get through to 111,with so many people ringing? that worries me it may be difficult or take time to get through to this number, anyone know?

Just for those who doubt, GPs surgeries are working as normally today. My daughter is a GP and she is working in her surgery TODAY! I’m afraid it makes me cross when people are denying this. Normally a GP would only be available for emergency care on a Bank Holiday, but not today. The surgeries have been instructed to remain open by government and they’ve also been told that they will not be paid the usual Bank Holiday rates. Please do not malign GPs, who are doing their bit during this crisis. And whilst ours have got PPE now, they did not have it at first, and it is necessary when doing personal and intimate examinations of patients.

Thanks for that info, Katyj.

Goldenage so far, the numbers show that those going onto a ventilator in ICU don’t do very well at all. Only 30% survive the ordeal partly because it’s proving very, very difficult to wean them off. Patients given non-invasive oxygen do better, which is why some doctors are now questioning the rush to intubate and ventilate.

ring nhs 111

annepl that must have been very scary for your son and partner. Asthma in itself can be a very distressing condition. I also have asthma and that is my greatest fear that I contract this hellish virus. I work in a hospital ward and I refuse to work without a face mask.

Joesoap, we are supposed to only ring 111 if we are unable to use their website. If you go on the site you will find a form that asks about your symptoms and then advises you.

moorlikeit I'm not sure anyone can just conjure up PPE, if we had enough for any eventuality stored in a warehouse somewhere then that would have come out of some other NHS budget - knee and hip replacements? cancer research? Then after x years it would all be thrown away as obsolete if not needed. Someone has to make those difficult decisions about priorities. These marvellous minds in our industries who have turned their production to ventilators, masks etc have responded amazingly quickly. And no Govt had sufficient information about this virus to move immediately or to have tests available. Different countries even seem to report on infections/deaths in different ways which skews figures. My doc always says there is no medicine to treat a virus, only the effects of the virus (chest infection etc). It takes time too to make people aware of the reality of the threat, close schools, put a large enough finance package in place to encourage people to stay home, close shops, organise food deliveries - the list is endless. I know it seems like we're years into this but in reality it has only been a few weeks and the achievements of all the wonderful people keeping us safe (and entertained online!) are amazing.
We've phoned 111 four times before this crisis, the first time an on-call doctor arrived bringing the correct medicine with him, twice an ambulance was sent almost certainly saving the life of my OH and DGC. Once we were referred to a walk-in centre - in each case undoubtedly the best decision with the information available. If you are worried OP ring 111 or 999, don't delay and they will tell you the best thing to do. It's difficult to make a decision when you're worried or alone.
I agree with Cambia about combatting negativity, it astounds me that the political parties are point-scoring, and journalists sniping, at what has been achieved at this awful time. Perhaps instead they could tell us what they're personally doing to make the situation better? Get back to the bickering when this is all over.

justwokeup well said. Particularly about the journalists. Their behaviour and attitude at the afternoon question sessions is appalling.

Thanks for the information about just ring 999 GrannyA, my daughter has a Life Line installed so she can just press a button when she needs help. They then ring me for instructions I shall tell them to ring 999 for an ambulance. She is also on insulin so we don't want any time wasted. Good info.

Well said Callistemon Mon 13-Apr-20 10:07:50

Whether or not Boris is liked or disliked, can people remember that he lives and breathes like the rest of us. He is a son, brother, partner, father and is loved. Politics shouldn't come into it.
I happen to like him and wish him all the best as I do for everyone is is affected by this dreadful virus.
Luckily I don't know anyone personally that has caught the virus and I hope that's how it stays although a mortuary is being built just two miles away from me.
I send my deepest sympathy to all families who have lost or losing loved ones. I can only imagine what you are going through and the everlasting mental pain of not being able to say goodbye.

I totally agree, moorlikeit.

I don’t find Yogadatti’s post offensive either.

If Boris is so beloved and grateful to the NHS, let’s see if he will reward them for saving his life.
That’s the least he can do.
Just wait and see.

MARPAU Well said. Too many unkind remarks. Regardless of your political leanings you should remember BJ is firstly a human being with a heavily pregnant partner and like it or not he is Prime Minister of our country (I personally didn’t vote Tory) so let’s get behind him.

justwokeup
Well said, agree totally.

If a points system is brought in to decide who gets a ventilator, as mentioned in today's Times (a straight four points for anyone over 65, 3 more if you are over 70 with an underlying health condition), I think I'll just quietly keel over at home.

I agree with Yogadatti that far too many people are taken into hospital too late to be saved. Boris Johnson had doctors in constant attendance before he was admitted. That is not how it was for the 10,000 who have died, and for those who will follow. Expecting us to wait at home until we are so ill, we need to be ventilated? We are out of our depth. Too much dither and delay instead of taking lessons from Italy and Spain. Good luck to all of you who also have friends and family on ventilators just now.

They also knew 3 days before he went in and were able to get a room ready for him, and for the rest us.............

Here, here, Maremia.

@sudomin the call alert system take 3 phone numbers from you . I had it for my 90 year old uncle , if he pressed his button they would ring me first , then my daughter , then his son . I’m retired so would always be the one to go to him.
He too was very reluctant to have it but agreed after once spending the whole night on the bathroom floor. I hope that you can persuade your mum x x

A tip someone gave me is to have a case packed with all you'll need in hospital including your phone charger. I'll probably do that if I start to feel ill. And if I struggle to breathe I will phone 999!

Thank you Thisismyname. I’d struggle to think of three people who’d be available for my mum. I’m 100 miles away and all her friends are as old as she is! I’ll come up with something, though.

One of my choir friends was admitted to hospital, then sent home again. A day later he was back in, on a ventilator in icu. The machine has been breathing for him for a week, and he has been under sedation. Today we heard that they are reducing his oxygen, in the hope that he will start breathing on his own again. If he does they will start to wake him up gradually.
Maybe if they hadn’t sent him home the first time he wouldn’t he ended up in such a bad state. Who knows?
I read a blog yesterday from an ambulance driver. Nine of his calls, that day, were to people in cardiac arrest from the virus, and they all couldn’t be saved. Each time they had to sanitise all their equipment before being ready for their next call. He was shocked to find himself being relieved when he was called to a suicide.
The number of deaths outside hospitals isn’t being included in the National figures. People with the virus are often becoming really ill very quickly. I’m not trying to scare anyone, but don’t wait too long to phone if you begin to feel really ill.

I know I keep banging on about Dr John Campbells utube blog but he says that taking paracetamol reduces the fever and the fever is there to kill the virus. So I don't understand why people are advised to take it. Yes; it does make you feel better at the time but the illness can then last longer and you are infectious for longer also. Because you feel slightly better you're also less likely to sleep and sleep, again is healing. And, if you do go to hospital they won't have a true idea of your temperature because the paracetamol will have reduced it.This doesn't obviously apply to young children. And also, of course, if one does have a fever it's important to stay hydrated.

I'm not at all a person to even go to the doctor when I should, but I wouldn't like to hang around waiting until I felt ill enough to need an ambulance.

I agree too with moorlikeit. My son and partner were basically told to take paracetamol and isolate from each other and everyone else! Thats all the help they were given. They were both very ill. In bed for days. Luckily they coped - just about. Nor were they tested, but we know it was Covid 19. I thjnk Boris might have been treated a little bit better.