PPE stocks, research and testing

1. I think I had the virus before lockdown and I've spoken to a lot of people who think the same but also had no option of being tested (my symptoms matched some people who were known to have tested positive)
2. I'd like to know if I've had it and they would like to know - re future immunity
3. I'd like to know before my antibodies lessen, if they will (if I tested positive)
4.I'd like Scotland to start conducting robust research by testing as soon as possible
If some people can travel to a drive through for this, the government should start gathering evidence while they have the chance. What is the plan for starting to use the new accurate antibody test developed between Edinburgh and Switzerland?
If the antibodies may be short-lived, then this window is being lost. If they are lasting longer, then regular testing of identified individuals who tested positive can detect this. Either way, it is essential that this testing starts asap on some kind of scale. While the weather is good, it can be outdoor which is safer - let's not wait until later in the year when this would be much more difficult
5. The results on antibodies present or not can then be put on an NHS database that can be accessed. Those people could be potentially more helpful in society. In many, this would also reduce anxiety if they knew they had some immunity.
6. If this information was available, at least some form of normal dental and medical service could resume. I must be one of millions who have had appointments for both cancelled and rescheduled (for me, 3 times). Though mine are not exactly urgent, these appointments do need to happen at some point. Some serious illness cover is underwritten on the basis that conditions are managed, whilst at the moment is not possible. There must be many like me who are not receiving an array of treatments they need and are in a position where any payout on health insurance policies could be compromised. The department says the risk of me going to hospital for the venosection outweighs the benefit. If I knew I had had Covid-19, this would not be the case.
If the government could gradually bring back services for selected outpatients who are at the more urgent end of the scale, then it would save the chaos that will ensue if they simply open the floodgates overnight.
7. We cannot simply go on with the blind leading the blind until a vaccine is developed. A 'safe' vaccine will take years. I'm not being any government's guinea pig, especially when corners have been cut on safety in this instance. It looks like the Scottish and UK goverments don't want to know anything about people's antibodies because they want to push this vaccine for profit from mass vaccination. From what I've read, it has proved very difficult to create a vaccine for more recent novel viruses that attack the respiratory system due to tests where vaccinated people became more ill when exposed to the virus than unvaccinated people.
8. If we were being run by an intelligent approach, gathering antibody evidence would inform an approach that would prioritise people who tested negative to antibodies. We're not going to get 60 million vaccination doses all at once, anytime soon so priority could be given to people with no immunity, if they wanted to take it. That makes sense.
9. There are ways of working towards opening things up with some safety. I'm not saying this out of some personal frustration about lockdown. These ways are:-
a) putting the money into continuous (and for as long as needed - the army can do it) testing for the presence of
the infection (not just for those with symptoms. Iceland did mass testing and 40% of those who tested positive had no symptoms) and antibodies
b) Good quality PPE stocks coming to medical and care facilities from one or more central stockpiling stores for ever from now on - this would ensure stocks never become out of date as the stockpile would continually replenished with the older stock being sent out and used first. Storage has to be paid for forever now
10. Huge mistakes have been made by both Scottish and UK governments and reparation needs to happen. People need to see an intelligent approach coming together and to know that solutions are being sought to both lessen new cases and get past this stalemate situation. People need to know that if another new virus emerges directly from an animal or a lab (and let's face it, the next one could be far more contagious and deadly than Covid-19), that steps will be taken as soon as the first handful of cases appear in wherever in order to avoid this dystopian haphazard nightmare. Countries need to work together and agree to close borders immediately for containment. The technology is there for this to happen - a swift, targeted solution as some countries have been able to put into place.

Why the contribution is important

We, as a country, need to find out more about the virus through testing to find out:-

Who has been exposed to it
What their symptoms were if any
How quickly they recovered
How long antibodies stay with a person
How many infections are still occuring and where eg which sectors - is it mainly doing the rounds in hospitals and care homes now or is it more random and widespread

We also need to promote the type of healthy lifestyle that can mean a person doesn't even get to the stage of developing antibodies - eg Vitamin C, Vitamin D/K2, zinc, sleep/exercise and look at genetic factors, also as research seems to be pointing to this being a risk/protection factor. This should be shared with the public.

A PPE solution is something the government needs to put into place and maintain forever. If this virus did indeed cross species through a human eating an infected animal, because of the mass production of animals as food, including fish farms, this will not be the last pandemic if this sort. Scotland should look at Scandinavia (I think it's Norway that leads) and their superior methods of salmon farming which greatly reduce infection and disease. Farming methods should be changed to reduce risks of pandemic and for animal cruelty reasons.

My suggestion about the future stockpiling and distribution of PPE would mean that the government would be less likely to be in the situation of having out of date stocks. Additional PPE in all settings is here to stay so there will be more daily need for it now.

by cnanguy on May 10, 2020 at 03:45PM

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Comments

  • Posted by slesniewska May 10, 2020 at 16:59

    I couldn't agree more. Especially on the antibody testing - if the immunity following a suspected illness is not permanent then testing and assessing the data would be a way to find out.
  • Posted by suki56 May 10, 2020 at 18:54

    Absolutely agree with all your suggestions. Mass and frequent testing would help us to build a much better picture and help us to learn how to live with this.
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