Tag Archives: covid

masks off!

25 Friday Jun 2021

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

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no masks

So first of all… that’s a misleading title, like many of the headlines I’ve been reading this week about Spain returning to “life without masks”. What IS true is that from Saturday June 26th people are no longer required to wear masks outdoors IF they can maintain a distance of 1.5 metres between people not from their household. Which, as you can see from that photo, is not actually possible in city streets. Heck, some streets in Sevilla are barely 3 metres wide. The other thing the media has been neglecting to point out is that we are still required to carry a mask with us at all times or risk a 100 euro fine if caught without one.

Meanwhile, in spite of the central government’s decision, the regional government in Andalucía is asking us to keep wearing masks everywhere due to our continued increase of infections (we have the highest Covid rate in the country and the EU Council has placed us in their “high risk” level). Given that the Delta/India variant is highly contagious, I am really hoping people will be sensible (fingers crossed). Because this pandemic is far from over.

“suddenly” amber listed? wtf did you expect?

04 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by in covid, the new now, travel

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covid holidays

Mixed messages from several governments has led to confusion over whether it is safe or appropriate for people to travel abroad to an amber list country for a holiday. So let me answer that for you: No and No. Spain is still on the UK amber list, and as of yesterday, hey so is Portugal. So all the people presently holidaying in Portugal have to get back home lickety-split, or else face expensive testing and quarantine. Some are having to now pay quadruple for their brief holiday in the sun, rebooking flights etc.

Meanwhile, Spain very stupidly and selfishly (gotta get those tourist bucks, who cares if we die?) opened its borders to all UK travellers on May 24th, allowing them to come here without any sort of testing or proof of vaccination, while the “Indian variant” (now known as Delta) makes up more than 75% of the new cases in the UK, and has been shown to be far more contagious and more resistant to the vaccines we have been using. Meanwhile we require EU travellers to show proof of vaccination. WTF?

I’m hoping that the prospect of having to get tested twice and also quarantine upon arriving back in the UK will discourage most from coming. But it still floors me that anyone would even consider going to another country without being tested and vaccinated first. You’d almost think they don’t give a shit about possibly transmitting the virus to us.  Here’s hoping that by September we will have a clearer idea of what’s what. Until then I’m staying put.

it ain’t over…

02 Wednesday Jun 2021

Posted by in coronavirus, covid, sevilla, spain

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aint over

While I wait for my second jab of Astrazeneca I am maintaining my STAY AS CAREFUL AS POSSIBLE stance because, well, why wouldn’t I? Gotta admit it’s hard though, and it gets tougher all the time. I miss seeing friends, and travelling, and I MISS HUGS. With things “opening up” the past couple of months I’ve still had to tell visiting friends that I can’t meet up with them, and I have also had to turn down invitations to media events for gastronomy & wine stuff and restaurant openings. Today was particularly disappointing because I’ve been looking forward to this one restaurant opening for AGES and then had to decline the invite for the big opening media dinner tomorrow. It’s even worse with friends because I worry that I am making them feel like lepers. But I just can’t.

Steeling my resolve was finding out yesterday that a friend of mine in Sevilla (40-something) has caught Covid from their partner who was working out of town… they are now both sick as dogs. Partner has had one vaccination shot. Which not only still left this person open to catching the virus but also to passing it on. Yikes.

The news about all the recent more contagious variants leaves me boggled as to why Spain is opening up to tourists who will arrive here untested and unvaccinated. Further away, Las Vegas has totally reopened, just like before, with no masks or social distancing required in their packed casinos. Meanwhile, even further away, Melbourne is tracking and tracing everyone possibly responsible for the recent outbreak of… 12 people. Fuck, we had 400 new cases just last Saturday and I doubt anyone is tracking them. There is no continuity here.

It’s basically a global shit show with some countries doing better than others. I don’t think we are doing that well in Spain, though I do appreciate the continued mask mandate. Once that’s gone we’re fucked, it will be like opening the coronavirus floodgates. Because we still need to get through not only this “experimental” summer (we’re all guinea pigs folks), but also regular flu season next winter, combined with the new Covid variants. There’s already talk of booster Covid shots next November.

I am tentatively thinking about day trips to Jerez and Cádiz in August, by train. And maybe a longer visit to my beloved Málaga in September. I haven’t been on any sort of public transit since March 2020. In Sevilla I have taken maybe 3-4 taxis for hospital appointments, always with the windows rolled down. Otherwise I walk.

Sometimes it feels like all my efforts are in vain when I see so many people flouting the rules and, generally, being selfish assholes. But I can only do as much as I can do. And so I keep doing it, no matter how many times I’m criticised for being a “Debbie Downer”. Because really, I just prefer being alive, and helping you stay alive too. xx

medical check list

28 Friday May 2021

Posted by in covid, health & happiness, hospitals

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medical check list

If you’re like a lot of people (and like me) you have probably put off getting a regular check up since the first Covid lockdown. Especially because health centres and hospitals were definitely NOT the healthiest places to be and were also overwhelmed by coping with Covid patients. I did manage to get a CT scan done last September, and a follow up blood test in October in preparation for my oncology revision. Which didn’t happen. Following the protocol, once the scan report is ready and blood test done, we are supposed to call oncology and leave a message asking for a revision appointment. Then I heard that the oncology department at my hospital was being used for Covid patients so I reckoned that I wouldn’t be getting an appointment any time soon. In any case, I’d already had a nuclear medicine doctor friend read the scan report and she told me everything was fine, so no rush. And then I forgot! Until maybe Jan-Feb, so I called to request my revision appointment and… nothing happened. Then a couple of weeks ago I decided to try again, even though we’re told not to leave multiple request messages. FINALLY got a call back this week and got a thorough telling off by the oncology receptionist for leaving it so long. Whatever. I am now awaiting an appointment form for another CT scan (“the last one is useless by now!”), which I’m told will come in the mail. Fine.

Meanwhile, I got to thinking I should probably get a more recent blood test done too and got in touch with my GP. Then I got to thinking about all the niggling health issues I usually only remember at 3 in the morning and decided to make a list. So today I went through the list with my GP and next week I’ll not only get the blood test but also an ECG. I got my blood pressure checked (a bit high), blood oxygen level tested (good) and then the doc had a good listen to my lungs (nothing). I asked him about me GOING BALD and he said after the blood test comes back he’ll have a better idea of what sort of treatment to recommend. I also asked him about my next vaccine jab as there is a huge kerfuffle now about people who had AstraZeneca first now opting for Pfizer second time round, with mixed and confusing messages from the EU and Spanish medical reports. He said just to stick with AZ since it’s all pretty much experimental at this point, and I agree. After that I was given my little urine cup and sent home, feeling like I’d actually GOT SOMETHING DONE. It was a really good idea to take a list with me since I always forget things, and Dr A was very patient with going through each point with me. Now fingers crossed I get a reasonably clean bill of health and proper treatment for anything dodgy they find. I want my hair back!

vacunación masiva

05 Wednesday May 2021

Posted by in covid, friends

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vacuna masiva (1)

Yesterday it was Peter’s (@SevillaEnglish) turn to get his first jab. But unlike me (my first one was on April 12th) he had to go out to the Olympic Stadium for his. Mine was at my local health centre and I was in and out in five minutes. Well, with the fifteen minute waiting period afterwards in case of an allergic reaction. But Peter’s was one of the Vacunación Masiva programs they have going on, and it doesn’t get much more massive than at this stadium. I’d actually never been there before because why would I have? It’s at the hellish far end of the Cartuja island, the saddest and most desolate part of town since EXPO ’92 finished. So the plan was to taxi over there and then walk back to civilisation. Ironically Peter lives about two minutes away from our health centre (we go to the same one).

Quite unexpectedly, despite the huge number of people filing into the stadium when we arrived, Peter also got his jab within five minutes, then we waited the required 15 extra ones, then we were out again. Very efficient. Gotta say I’m a bit envious though. Peter got Pfizer, which means his second jab will be in 3 weeks. Since I got AstraZeneca the waiting time between jabs is longer (10-12 weeks) so I won’t get my second one until July 1st. Oh well.

The walk back into town wasn’t that long, maybe 40 minutes or so, but it was so fucking bleak walking through the old EXPO site, as it always is. It was also fucking hot! About 33º by that time of day, so by the time we were back over the river we headed to the Alameda for a much needed and much deserved COLD BEER at El Disparate. Today Peter reported no side effects other than a sore arm. More news as it happens.

vacuna masiva (2)