Category Archives: coronavirus

masks are back!

09 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, hope, sevilla, spain

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masks are back

As of Wednesday this week there is a return of the national mandate requiring the use of masks in all hospitals and health centres in Spain. THANK FUCKING GOD (or what/whoever). And about time. Though of course once governments make these decisions it’s always way past the time they were actually needed. Still I guess… better late than never?

We are still not being given accurate information about recent rampant global Covid and Flu infections and deaths, let alone any recognition of Long Covid sufferers. The WHO and other such organisations started “recommending” the use of masks a few weeks ago which of course was a red flag for people who aren’t running around living their “normal lives” as if the pandemic never happened. THE WHO KNEW THEN that a huge Covid wave was coming and… oh look there it is.

From mid-December I have cut my tours to a bare minimum and would have stopped totally but, you know, financial suicide. I’ve also cancelled the two short research trips planned in January while I was “off work”. Though if there was still a mask mandate on public transport I would have considered doing them.

It was honestly killing me the last few times I had to go to various hospital appointments during the past couple of months and NOBODY had a mask on, not even cancer patients waiting for treatment in the waiting room. AND NONE OF THE DOCTORS. I mean…

Sometimes I’m a bit nostalgic for those lockdown days when it felt like, for a brief moment, we actually cared about each other. But as soon as the governments told us we were free to go back to our normal lives people doubled down on being selfish and uncaring. It was the death of empathy. Well, hopefully it was “just” the beating to a pulp of empathy and she still may recover. At least I hope so.

the c word

22 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, health, sevilla

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stop covid

This notice was on the door as I walked into the hospital yesterday. Translation…

BE RESPONSIBLE On Your Visits

STOP FLU

IF YOU HAVE FLU SYMPTOMS (fever, cough, sore throat, rhinitis)
Please don’t enter, so you don’t put patients at risk

IF YOUR VISIT IS URGENT, wear a mask
(you can ask for one from the staff on your floor)

Flu, huh? It’s like everyone is afraid to say the C Word anymore. I mean, as you know, I’ve been a regular hospital visitor for well over 15 years and I don’t remember ever seeing Flu warnings posted before, and especially not with a request to wear a mask.

Meanwhile it seems Covid is taking the world by storm once again with its latest variant JN.1 which only yesterday the WHO finally publicly recognised as a “variant of interest”, recommending masks in all hospital and health care settings. But as we all know, recommending does fuck all.

Gotta say this global “save the economy” strategy was expertly played by simply relying on peoples’ inherent selfishness and creating the us-and-them “healthy vs vulnerable” thang whilst withholding crucial data from the public. As expected, the majority of the (first) world decided that a small inconvenience was too much for them to bear because they were the healthy ones and so the rest could either JUST STAY HOME or THEY could wear a mask if it made them feel safer. Us and Them. Them and Us. But you know, which one is which? Because it turns out that we are ALL the vulnerable ones, no matter how much the “healthy” people tell themselves otherwise. That FAFO situation is already unfolding as we speak but unfortunately it will take irrefutable evidence before the Covid deniers will accept what is actually going on in front of them.

Shame that none of this evidence reaches us anymore. It’s always been there but now it’s all “don’t test don’t tell” and just telling people what they want to hear. Meanwhile JN.1 sounds like a big time motherfucker and so I will be taking precautions. Stay safe out there, amigos.

boosted! (again)

02 Thursday Nov 2023

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, health, sevilla

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boosted 23

Got my Covid and Flu boosters this afternoon. Pfizer. Was hoping for Novavax but was told this was the only one they had. Was also supposed to have a blood test tomorrow morning (booked before vax appt) but put it off until next week, mostly in case I have a reaction overnight. But hopefully, like all the other times, I will just have sore arms.

I had also arranged for a telephone appt with my GP this morning but instead got some other doctor who didn’t know anything about me (apparently my GP is on holiday). I was hoping for some info re: the MRI and what the next steps would be. Turns out there are no next steps until I am in such pain that I can’t walk at all. And no treatment other than to down paracetamol when it hurts too much. No mention of physiotherapy, other than the suggestion to ride a stationary bike to build up muscle strength. I mentioned having to give up the recumbent bike about 8 years ago because KNEES but he insisted that if I took things poco á poco I would see improvement. 🙄

Starting to see how the whole pain-killer abuse thing happened… doctors not giving a shit. Also, I was the only one in the health centre today wearing a mask, other than one nurse wearing a baggy surgical mask UNDER HER NOSE.

summer sick

26 Wednesday Jul 2023

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, health

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summer sick

Yep, getting annoyed with people (yet again), in this case those who are posting on their social media that they are sick with a cold, the flu,  a mystery virus (maybe a norovirus!), brand new allergies they’ve never had before, unexplained fever, gastroenteritis, well heck you name it. They are “summer sick” with ANYTHING BUT COVID. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FUCKING TESTING FOR COVID.

And why would that be? Other than the mass global denial that is going on everywhere. Covid is over! Omg we can all go back to NORMAL.

We all know Covid is not over, it’s simply permutating and getting smarter thanks to us. I really hesitate to start spouting what may sound like conspiracy theories but I mean… where has all the Covid data gone since about a year ago? No testing, no nothing, and even possibly no new vaccines this autumn…

Meanwhile, yesterday evening my right nostril suddenly started STREAMING… got all itchy and sneezy. Basically became a one-nostril mucus factory (you can imagine). Left one is fine. And so okay, I have had sinus issues all my life, cannot leave the house without a whack of tissues (either kleenex or paper towels) in my bag, but my nose ALWAYS RUNS. All my life with this. But last night was different. Itching, sneezing, pressure below my eye… something wasn’t right.

And so this morning I did a Covid rapid test – because WHY WOULDN’T I? – and it was negative. But I’ll be testing daily until the symptoms subside simply because it might be Covid. For everyone who thinks Covid is behind us (usually a line of thinking to justify them not giving a shit about anyone else) you may find out sooner than later that you too are “vulnerable”.

I have been accused of being JUDGEMENTAL, and all kinds of other things, because I still take Covid seriously, test every week, stay home if I have any “just a cold” symptoms, etc… And when I’ve had to travel for work I always test that morning. Because what if I was Covid positive? Yes, I would have to abort my plans, it would fuck everything up, it would end up costing me money… but what is the option? Getting on a plane or train knowing you have a highly transmittable air-born disease and you could infect almost everyone. Just because you put yourself first.

Well, that’s just not me. If it’s you, maybe take a good look at your life priorities and then hopefully come to the realisation that this world we share isn’t just about you.

don’t test don’t tell

17 Wednesday May 2023

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dont test dont tell

It’s getting so that parody Twitter accounts like The Onion and The Vertlartnic don’t seem that far removed from reality any more. We’ve really all been thrown under the bus, every human for themself, etc. Without guidance or information. The so-called vulnerable being blamed by the presumed healthy for holding them back from enjoying their normal lives again. But what these “healthy” people don’t realise is… WE ARE ALL VULNERABLE. We’re being lied to left, right and centre so don’t hear about all the previously healthy people who have died or are suffering from Long Covid. I could go on but this just makes me so sad and tired. It’s all been said before but nobody is listening.