London Church Investigated Over ‘Protection’ Oil
The title of this post, is the same as that as this story on the BBC.
This is the first two paragraphs.
A faith healer who sold £91 “plague protection kits” claiming they could shield people from Covid-19 is being investigated by the charity watchdog.
Bishop Climate Wiseman of the Kingdom Church in Camberwell, London, claimed a bottle of oil and some red yarn would protect his followers from the virus.
Surely, he should be being investigated by the Metropolitan Police!
As far as I can see, the purpose of some religion is to let a few men, live a good life, at the expense of others.
My Strange Skin
As a coeliac, a stroke survivor on Warfarin and a lab rat for a medical research centre, I’ve had my blood taken many times in the last ten years. I also have several injections a year for vitamin B12 and a yearly one for flu.
I never need a plaster, as despite being on Warfarin, once the needle is taken out, the skin seems to shut the hole tight.
On the other hand on a typical night, I’ll lose just over a kilo in weight, whilst I sleep. I once spoke to a sleep expert on the radio and they said that was normal.
But the funniest thing that happened, was one day not unlike today for weather with rain about and not cold, I fell asleep on the living room floor in my underwear.
About half-an-hour later, I awoke and thought for a moment, that I’d gone blind, as I couldn’t see a thing.
I then realised that the room was full of water vapour, as if I’d left the kettle on the stove. But I have an automatic kettle and there was nothing on the stove.
So where had all the water vapour come from?
There was only one place! It had leaked from my skin and the temperature and pressure, were just right for the fog to form.
My skin is often very dry and I usually start the day with a deep bath, when I put my head under the water and irrigate my dry eyes, which an eye surgeon, once described as the driest he’d seen.
Five Eastern Counties
The five Eastern counties around London have the following numbers of people, who have tested positive for COVID-19.
- Cambridgeshire – 673 of 852,523 or 0.08%
- Essex – 2320 of 1,832,752 or 0.13%
- Kent – 3232 of 1,568.623 or 0.20%
- Norfolk – 1355 of 903,680 or 0.15%
- Suffolk – 936 of 768,556 or 0.12%
Note that the second figure is the population and the third is the percentage found positive.
Compare these figures with some other places, including Hackney where I live now.
Blackpool – 377 of 139,720 or 0.27%
Cumbria – 1734 of 498,888 or 0.35%
Hackney – 596 of 279,665 or 0.21%
You can make some interesting deductions.
NHS Nightingale, The Emergency Hospital Showing How It’s Done
The title of this post, is the same as this article on The Times.
Whatever you do today, read this article.
You should be able to get a free registration to the on-line version, if all else fails.
Alert Over Child Inflammation Cases
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article on The Times.
Someone has posted this comment,
It’s Scarlet Fever. My grandson just had it . It responded instantly to antibiotics, so it can’t be viral.
Get a grip!
And this was my reply.
Strange you should mention scarlet fever.
I’m 72 and growing up in a polluted Southgate in North London from all that domestic coal smoke, I was quite a sickly child.
At about six, I caught scarlet fever and was isolated at home for about eight weeks. Strangely, it was an isolated case as my GP told my parents, that I was the only case in London.
Doctors, who I’ve discussed this with since, suspect it could have been a misdiagnosis.
But, I have another explanation.
At 50, I was found to be coeliac and I think it was an extreme reaction to gluten, perhaps brought on by the pollution. My medical records of that time have also been lost.
Not for nothing, does one doctor call coeliac disease, the many-headed hydra!
I didn’t think that scarlet fever was still about.
Nightingale Plan To Keep Hospitals Free From Coronavirus
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Britain’s Nightingale hospitals are being lined up to become the primary centres for treating Covid-19 patients as ministers announced that parts of the NHS would start reopening for routine care from this week.
It’s almost as if we’re going back to the concept of the Victorian fever hospital.
Where I lived in Southgate in North London as a child, the local hospital was Highlands, which was built with several separate blocks, with one for each different fever. It is now upmarket housing in a parkland setting.
T have three memories of treatment at the hospital.
- In the early 1950s, I had my tonsils out in the hospital, which meant a week’s stay by myself.
- My mother had her varicose veins treated there, where according to my father the surgeon was a very beautiful Indian lady, who did ward rounds in a sari.
- The hospital fixed my left humerus, when it was broken by the school bully!
Unfortunately, they didn’t do the best job to fix my arm and it has given me trouble ever since.
Smartphone-Based Testing Device Cuts Time And Cost Of Diagnostics
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on The Engineer.
This is the sub-title of the article.
An inexpensive and sensitive smartphone-based testing device for viral and bacterial pathogens could reduce the pressure on testing laboratories during a pandemic.
These are a few important points from the article.
- The device has been developed by researchers and engineers at the University of Illinois.
- They are aiming for a $50 price.
- They started looking for a solution to look for viral and biological pathogens in horses.
- Tests work with a nasal or blood sample.
- Tests take about half-an-hour.
If this device can be productionised, so that millions can be turned out for their target price, this will be a major weapon in the fight against COVID-19.
Apparently, there is a great advantage of using horses in the trials of the device. The horse pathogens are harmless to humans, so it lowers the risk to researchers.
Did Boris Meet The Devil?
Boris was in good form in his statement this morning.
I suspect that Boris felt a bit like I did, when I was released from Addenbrookes after my stroke. The term demob-happy comes to mind.
At some point in my recovery, I met the Devil. She told me, that I was a troublemaker and a disruptive influence! So she threw me out!
Did Boris have a similar experience?
Health Lessons From Lockdown
Are some of us learning things about ourselves during lockdown?
For myself!
Mental Health
I certainly think, that I’m handling the mental side well, as I’ve had several lockdowns in the past, usually when I want to get some software written.
Another programmer has told me, that he has used lockdowns to get software written in the past.
I am certainly getting bored though! You can only do so many serious puzzles from The Times.
Normally, if I feel bored, I get on a train or a bus and go somewhere interesting.
Exercise
I’m taking exercise regularly and go for a regular walk most days. I’d probably walk more, if I felt like taking public transport more. But, I do feel, buses and trains could be a place to catch COVID-19.
Drinking
My house tends to get a bit warm, so I’m drinking a lot.
Not strong alcohol, although there is quite a bit of 0.5% Adnams beer going down my throat, but mainly, still lemonade, tea and water.
The amount of fluid seems to have cured my periodic constipation.
On the other hand it does seem to have increased my INR, so I have reduced my Warfarin dosage from 4 to 3.5 mg. per day.
Sleep
I seem to be sleeping well! But then I always do!
Conclusion
Except for the boredom, I think, that I’m doing OK.
My First Real Telephone Consultation With A GP
Last Monday, I had my three-monthly B12 injection, as I have since I was diagnosed as a coeliac around twenty years ago.
I said that I needed to see my GP, or at least talk to him, as it was time for my Warfarin review, where we check my dose and order more tablets, as appropriate.
The receptionist said, she’ll get him to give me a call and professionally checked that they had my correct telephone number.
I’d been home about thirty minutes, when the GP phoned and we review the Warfarin and he said, he’d sent a prescription to Boots. I also told him, that my hand would need a proper examination after we’d got rid of the menace of COVID-19.
The call took about five minutes and I suspect that we’d both rate the outcome with at least four stars.
I find it strange, that in my seventy-two years, I’ve never before had a telephone consultation with a GP.
Even, when my wife and son, were dying of cancer, I never spoke to my GP at the time by phone. I did occasionally send messages by FAX to the surgery, as that was the only way to leave a message, as e-mail and text wasn’t an option.
Surely, though simple systems could be developed, so that everybody can have a telephone or video consultation with their GP, if the patient has the technical knowledge.
With my Warfarin review, I might send a message, by phone, e-mail or text, saying I need the review.
- The GP’s system might then text me to say, my phone appointment was at 14:00 on the 17th, in much the way it does now!
- I would be able to use a simple reply system to say that was OK or not!
- The doctor would hopefully be able to phone at the appropriate time.
All sorts of systems would be possible. I’m sure Zoom has something suitable.
If COVID-19 means that GP capacity is increased because of the need to social distance, so be it!
There is also the benefit, that on a wet and windy day, walking to the GP, might not be what I want to do.
The Anonymous Widower 