Free LFTs

Aug. 12th, 2024 09:09 pm
vivdunstan: Photo of me from Melrose Grammar School plus NHS thanks (nhs)
Ordering me more free LFT Covid tests - in Scotland patients eligible for antivirals (including the severely immunosuppressed like me) can still get packs of 7 NHS LFTs sent free in the post, as needed. Unlike in England where it's pot luck whether similar patients can find any free ones in a local chemist. As I just said to Martin "Whatever happens, I'm going to want to test daily for the next week at least!" My cough is worsening, but otherwise I'm still feeling good. I'd expect if I have caught it from him to show more symptoms in the coming days. If I do test positive I may decide not to ask for antivirals, depending on how I get on. But want to know if I do test positive so I know to pause my strong immunsouppression drug for a couple of weeks. Which I can't risk pausing needlessly. But in a Covid situation I've been told I should. The advice varies for individual immunosuppressed patients.
vivdunstan: Photo of me from Melrose Grammar School plus NHS thanks (nhs)
Martin has only an extremely faint positive today. And is feeling good. Though overnight he had extreme disco/sparkly visual effects, and a throat like a dagger in it. But good today. I am still testing negative. Though I may yet catch it from him, and get iller. But we are doing good for now. He is going to be working on the computer in the study today, and working from home all week.

He was masked up almost all the time we were in St Andrews on Friday, including in queues for the Cheesy Toast Shack and Jannettas. Both queues were phenomenally busy, and there were some scary coughs among the queuers. The first queue was outdoors, but unbelievably busy. The second queue was a mix of outdoors and indoors. So my theory now is that Martin probably picked it up in one of the queues (he hadn't been out of our house for over a week before). Which I was not queuing in. So I may yet catch Covid from him. And would, if I test positive, decide whether to ask for Paxlovid antivirals (very few people can get Paxlovid in the UK, but being severely immunosuppressed I am eligible). But if we're lucky it won't come to that ...
vivdunstan: Photo of me from Melrose Grammar School plus NHS thanks (nhs)
Martin has a positive LFT test for Covid. So clear even I could see it without my glasses! He is feeling pretty ok. I have a bit of a rough throat, but don’t plan to test until tomorrow. I am very slow to show any positives on LFTs. But we are currently ok 🙂

It’s so ironic we had one outing to St Andrews. Where Martin was largely masked, and me too when I was indoors. We haven’t been to the infectious risk of the Worldcon. Aarrgghh!

If I test positive I can access antivirals, if ill enough. And would want to pause my immunosuppression for two weeks. But that is for another day.

This will be Martin’s 5th known Covid infection. And if I get it my 4th. All in under a year.

Poster

Feb. 9th, 2024 10:03 pm
vivdunstan: Photo of me from Melrose Grammar School plus NHS thanks (nhs)
Sticking up a new version of our "weak immune system" poster inside our front door. The original went up almost 4 years ago. But it's faded a lot, so needed replacing. And yes it's still applicable. Despite vaccines and anti virals that I can access.

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vivdunstan: Part of own photo taken in local university botanic gardens. Tree trunks rise atmospherically, throwing shadows from the sun on the ground. (Default)
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