The Anonymous Widower

Hydrogen-Powered Ambulance Drives Into Glasgow Ahead Of London Trial

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on New Atlas.

This is the first paragraph.

Back in February, ULEMCo and industry partners announced plans to design an electric rapid response ambulance for the UK’s NHS Trust that would run on batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Now, the working prototype has driven into Glasgow to give global leaders attending the UN’s COP26 climate summit a closer look at the technology.

Surely, this is a good application of hydrogen power.

Could they be used in the scenario I proposed in Big London Hospital Was Close To Running Out Of Oxygen?

Hospitals would have an electrolyser, which would produce the following.

  • High grade oxygen for the hospital.
  • Hydrogen to power the vehicles and especially the ambulances.

Note.

  1. There would be no oxygen delivery problems.
  2. The excess hydrogen could be stored to use as an emergency power supply.
  3. Would it improve the air quality by the hospital?

I have checked with the world’s premier electrolyser company; ITM Power of Sheffield and my idea is feasible.

 

November 3, 2021 Posted by | Health, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Speak Up And Help Beat COVID-19

The title of this post, is the name of a research project, which is described on this page of the government web site.

This is the first paragraph.

We are seeking volunteers to take part in a study at the forefront of new and emerging science and technology.

Basically, you’re asked to record a few sounds including a cough and then AI attempts to decide, whether you have the dreaded covids or not. As you are invited to take this test soon after a full test for the covids, it’s quite easy for any intelligent computer, as she will look you up in the database.

The idea, is to see whether diagnosis is possible from a cough.

But then doctors have been asking Army recruits to cough since Wellington’s time.

Do they ask ladies to cough or is that now considered transphobic?

 

 

October 29, 2021 Posted by | Computing, Health | , | 1 Comment

How Celiac Disease May Affect Your Risk for Gallbladder Disease

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on verywell.health.

I am posting, as I am a coeliac, who has had gallstone problems and want to be able to find the article easily in the future.

October 26, 2021 Posted by | Health | , | Leave a comment

Moonshot Is The Spanner In The Covid-19 Works The Country Needs

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.

This is the sub-title of the article.

Antivirals like molnupiravir are the third line in our long-term fight against coronavirus.

The article describes how scientists in Oxfordshire looked for an antiviral that could be Covid-19’s nemesis, which Tom Whipple called molecular kryptonite.

The American pharmaceutical[ molnupiravir has been the first antiviral to be licenced for Covid-19, but it is pricey.

But helped by the Diamond Light Source, it appears that, progress has been made in Oxfordshire.

Tom Whipple says this.

After 18 months of study they last week gained funding from the Wellcome Trust to narrow the options to one, in a project called Covid Moonshot.

And this.

The goal of Moonshot is a generic drug that is cheap, plentiful and, a stipulation of the project, off-patent from the beginning.

Has the Diamond Light Source has struck again?

The Diamond Light Source might have cost £ 400 million and needs a budget of £ 40 million a year to run, but it is certainly starting to pay back the investment.

 

 

October 23, 2021 Posted by | Health | , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pfizer Booster Dose Offers Exceptionally High Levels Of Protection Against Covid And All Variants, Study Shows

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Independent.

The title says everything except that the protection is 95.6 % from a study of 10,000 people.

How are the anti-vaxxers going to explain that one away?

Perhaps if the old one-two works in boxing, it also works with vaccines.

October 21, 2021 Posted by | Health | , , , | 4 Comments

I Had My Covid-19 Booster Jab Today

I had my second Covid-19 vaccination on April 19th.

Yesterday, I received a text message and an e-mail inviting me to book a booster jab.

I was able to book the jab for 9:45, this morning, when I had it in a local pharmacy.

There seemed to be a big difference in attitude this time. For the first two jabs, there was a positive almost happy atmosphere, but today it was much more subdued, with everybody waiting looking almost miserable.

Could it be, that everybody getting fed up with the covids?

October 21, 2021 Posted by | Health | , | 1 Comment

Enforcement Of Covid-19 Vaccine Passports Comes Into Effect In Scotland

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on ITV.

I am going to Edinburgh on Wednesday and thought I had better check if I needed a Covid-19 passport.

This paragraph describes where I will need one.

The policy will now be enforceable for nightclubs, strip clubs and unseated indoor events with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor events with over 4,000 and any event with more than 10,000 people.

As I’m only likely to have lunch with less than five fully-vaccinated friends, I’m fairly certain I won’t need one.

I’m also certain at my age, I won’t be visiting any strip clubs.

And given the going on you get with hypodermics in the average night club, I wouldn’t visit any of those if you paid me thousands of pounds.

It should be remembered that my family has issues with identity cards and their cousins.

My father ceremonially burned his wartime one, when he found it around 1955 and gave me a warning about ever letting governments introduce them.

October 21, 2021 Posted by | Health | , , | 1 Comment

Defibrillators Installed At Every Southern And Thameslink Train Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Argus.

The title says it all!

It is obviously a good development.

I also think, that there should be instructions by the defibrillator, as to the quickest way to call medical help.

October 19, 2021 Posted by | Health, Transport/Travel | , , | 2 Comments

Goodbye To My Gallstones

It is now some weeks since I said goodbye to my gallstones.

They were in my bile duct and were discovered by using an ultrasound probe on an endoscopy at Homerton Hospital. I didn’t even put on a hospital gown.

I had that endoscopy, as I did my two previous ones at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge to check for coeliac disease without a sedative, as Addenbrooke’s likes to be efficient and cutting out sedatives reduces the manpower required, cuts the need for recovery beds and allows patients to drive home.

After this endoscopy, I came home the way I arrived – on the bus!

I would say that a good endoscopy operator should be able to do the procedure without a sedative. Although in this case, the nurse holding the oxygen tubes up my nose, was stroking my beard to calm me down. Not that I needed it! But it was a nice action!

I had the removal of the gallstones with a sedative, but I only remember the anaesthetist saying something like “Lovely” as he threaded the camera and attachments down my throat.

They broke into my bile duct from the duodenum and then inserted a balloon, which was then inflated to flush the stones back into my duodenum.

I must have dropped off and I woke without any pain or even discomfort.

One complication for me, was that I am on Warfarin, but I dropped my INR to one before the operation, so that there wasn’t blood everywhere.

I have had some after effects.

Where Has My Constipation Gone?

Since I was about sixty, I have suffered from constipation and my GP has prescribed a laxative.

I felt it was a family trait as my father was also a sufferer.

But since the operation, I have only taken one pill, that may not have been necessary.

My Appetite Has Returned

I am certainly eating better and I have not put on any weight.

Conclusion

If you have gallstones and removal is suggested, go for it!

October 14, 2021 Posted by | Health | , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Who Stole All The M & S Gluten-Free Food?

Over the last few weeks, certain gluten-free lines in Marks and Spencer have started getting difficult to find.

Some of the things, I like that have been difficult have included.

  • Ginger snap biscuits.
  • Gluten-free pies
  • Scones
  • Bloomer slices
  • Gluten-free muesli

Note that my supper is usually something I cook myself from scratch or one of the many M & S ready meals, that contain no gluten. It is usually washed down by a bottle of Adnams low-alcohol beer and followed by some fruit. Tonight, the fruit will be one of my favourites, which are strawberries and bananas.

I did think that the shortage of the lines I mentioned was due to a supply problem.

But then, there have not been shortages of other lines, that I buy, that are not specifically gluten-free.

So is it some gluten-free suppliers are having problems? Possibly.

But!

Regular readers of this blog will know that I believe that those coeliacs on a long-term gluten free diet seem to be unlikely to suffer a severe dose of the dreaded covids. There was no battle with the second dose!

I know for a start that my immune system gives short shift to any viral invaders, as it did with the AstraZeneca vaccine before they came to a truce.

So have others, including some with more medical knowledge than myself, come to the same conclusion about coeliac disease, the immune system, gluten and the covids and have gone gluten-free for safety?

For example, I’ve heard that those suffering from long covid have been tested for coeliac disease.

I’d love to be able to analyse the sales of gluten-free food.

 

October 11, 2021 Posted by | Food, Health | , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments