Just when you thought it was safe . . .

[Wilbro]

Our pharmacies staff are now masked up.

[RobertArthur]

After receiving a phone call in 2003 informing me that someone I knew didn't survive SARS I thought: this might be the beginning of a new era. Has this been a narrow escape for the rest of the world? Only the Taiwan government and Helsinki started to prepare for the worst.

How many jabs by now: last one, #6, a booster, in November. Friday morning a self test welcomed me with the indication of two red stripes: you're Covid positive. Splendid isiolation, not in a condition to prepare for the Olympic games, no soccer field, keyboard field now.

We visited a wedding jublilee nine days ago, I tried to keep others at a safe distance, just as when driving on the autoroute, but this perimeter defense is almost invisible for others, especially for old friends....Second time, October last year we had the pleasure to use public transport again, a train, after many years of absence. Like sardines, people staring at their smartphones, a lot of coughing and sneezing going on. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, nowhere to sit, no freedom of movement in the aisles. Not a very good idea. Is this the result of having your wisdom teeth removed? The alternative is to live like a hermit, not a very inviting idea.

[Bayleaf]

"DECRYPTAGE - Santé publique France surveille de près l’émergence d’un nouveau variant dans l’Hexagone. Baptisé «XDK», il s’agirait d’un recombinant de deux autres sous-lignages d’Omicron. "

https://www.capital.fr/economie-politiq ... er-1495302

Now there is the emergence of an Indian variant. Oh joy!

Daughter came home for a week after Easter, and fell ill the day after her arrival. Initially we put it down to hay fever, as the tree blossom is prolific. But after a few days she said it felt more like when she'd first had Covid, 3 years ago. Don't say that, I replied! We had house guests (albeit thankfully sleeping in their campervan up the road at night). She home tested upon returning to Toulouse, but nothing showed up. She's lost her sense of taste and still has a bad cough and said several people at work had been ill. How she drove home on the Sunday is beyond me - tough little cookie.

None of us have caught anything yet, and that was two weeks ago. Hopefully we're in the clear? We don't have boosters anymore as I think the vaccine played havoc with OH's immune system and he became allergic to any trace of mammalian meat, and some dairy. Son hasn't had a vaccine at all, and also didn't catch anything. The guests haven't reported an illness - they've both previously had bad bouts of Covid.

I told a client about it, who said "but there is no more Covid, everyone is vaccinated". Hmmm - not so sure Missy!!! Covid is just another current virus to add to colds and flu, I'd say. It'll keep mutating and is part of our lives now.

[Lori]

Covid is just another current virus to add to colds and flu, I'd say. It'll keep mutating and is part of our lives now.

Agree. How anyone (and I know they're out there) can believe otherwise is just a reminder of why many of us get the virus. Too many folks keep carrying on going about their work and outings - making other people sick.

Our daughter is planning to visit for a few weeks during the Olympics - to get out of Paris. Her employer is allowing folks to do more work from home during the Olympics. I always fear she will pick something up on the train trip down here (or on her return). We'll just hope for the best. We have several Covid tests in the cabinet.

Bayleaf - hopefully you, your family and friends are in the clear now. I would think if you were going to come down with it, it would have happened by now.

[Pathca]

We have had a few outbreaks at work (NHS UK) It’s definitely still around but is not fortunately making people as ill as it did

[Blaze]

Covid is still about and as Pathca says, the newer variants are not making people as ill as it did. It's not always easy to tell whether it's a cold or hay fever though loss of taste is more likely to point to Covid. When OH tested positive at the end of last year, I never caught it, or if I did, I was asymptomatic. The home tests are not very reliable so I didn't bother.
I saw the doc yesterday and she was wearing a mask.

We are both fully vaccinated but we no longer live in an isolated position and our activities mean we are constantly mixing with people. OH has picked up a cold (or could it be Covid ?) probably caught when we were on first aid duty at a concert with MC Solaar (rap, but absolutely brilliant) at the end of last week.

[Polly]

I agree, Covid hasn’t and isn’t going away.

I flew to Marseille a couple of weeks ago and wore masks there and back - apart from eating what I fancied of my meal and a glass of champagne each way.

Some people in our small town in the Gard and also here in Berkshire wear masks, particularly in shops - I often see people wearing masks in our nearby M&S food store - only the odd one or two. I needed to pop into our local hospital yesterday and didn’t see a single person wearing a mask, which surprised me.

My husband and I have received our emails telling us we can now book our latest Covid booster, can’t remember how many we’ve had so far - I think it’s 5 in the UK and one I had in France last autumn. They are available for everyone aged over 75 or whose immunity is compromised.

[Niftyons]

Future Covid variant that could kill 1 in 3 is ‘realistic possibility’, SAGE warns


A new Covid variant which could kill up to one in three people is a “realistic possibility”, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has found.

Documents published by SAGE said a future Covid strain as deadly as MERS, which has a case fatality rate of 35 per cent, could emerge.

source: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/covi ... 48565.html

Let's hope "could" is the operative word.

Has absolutely nothing to do with owner of Evening Standard ?

Could being a principal word of stories of this ilk.

[Bayleaf]

"Covid-19: what we know about the new variant "FLiRT" spreading in Europe" (Stupid nickname! )

https://www.msn.com/fr-fr/sante/other/c ... tical=News

Stay prudent!

Mr Bayleaf is just recovering from a nasty flu-type virus that has been sweeping across the region - as far South as Toulouse according to our daughter. Mr B suddenly went down with it 3 days after being in a supermarket - the only place where he had been near others. It took him out like a clout to the head. All the classic symptoms of first Covid - sore throat, then cough, headaches, then felt better, then went downhill again, bedridden, couldn't breathe (admitted he thought he was going to die one night) lost all sense of taste. Hot lemons and honey all weekend, fever, sweated it out. Felt slightly better, so was a little more active. Big mistake, turned into possible bronchitis - coughing like 60/day smoker. Finally, 5 weeks later, he's sleeping better and getting his strength back slowly. By some miracle, neither me nor our son caught it. We tried to keep our distance as much as possible!

[MAD87]

What amazed me in hospital was the number of health professionals wh, not wearing masks, coughed and sneezed into the air.