It's a grim news day.

 Monday January 18^th 2021.

 

A Coronavirus patient is admitted to hospital every 30 seconds we are informed by the BBC. NHS staff are getting desperate and some patients are being moved from London to Newcastle or where there is capacity. This is the fallout from Christmas and New year. A man in intensive care said he had 10 people round on Christmas day & they all got it. 1 died and several of the other ended up in hospital. 1 in 10 people were infected in December.

It is now feared that when people have had the vaccine, they will think that they can return to normal life. Whilst the vaccine will prevent you from becoming ill it will not stop you from contracting the disease and it is not known at the moment if it prevents transmission. 

 

 

Here’s the science bit.

 

When germs, such as the virus that causes COVID-19, invade our bodies, they attack and multiply. This invasion, called an infection, is what causes illness. Our immune system uses several tools to fight infection. Blood contains red cells, which carry oxygen to tissues and organs, and white or immune cells, which fight infection. Different types of white blood cells fight infection in different ways:

• Macrophages are white blood cells that swallow up and digest germs and dead or dying cells. The macrophages leave behind parts of the invading germs called antigens. The body identifies antigens as dangerous and stimulates antibodies to attack them.
• B-lymphocytes are defensive white blood cells. They produce antibodies that attack the pieces of the virus left behind by the macrophages.
• T-lymphocytes are another type of defensive white blood cell. They attack cells in the body that have already been infected.

The first time a person is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, it can take several days or weeks for their body to make and use all the germ-fighting tools needed to get over the infection. After the infection, the person’s immune system remembers what it learned about how to protect the body against that disease.

The body keeps a few T-lymphocytes, called memory cells, that go into action quickly if the body encounters the same virus again. When the familiar antigens are detected, B-lymphocytes produce antibodies to attack them. Experts are still learning how long these memory cells protect a person against the virus that causes COVID-19.

How COVID-19 Vaccines Work

COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without us having to get the illness. Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection, but with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that virus in the future.

It typically takes a few weeks for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes after vaccination. Therefore, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection.

Sometimes after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity.

So, we all need to still abide by the rules. Hands, Face, Space and Stay home.

Bad weather is forecast later in the week so we decide to venture out while we can. I make a decision to walk the towpath towards Temple Lock, a bit of a dangerous decision as it can get very busy along there, but we have not done it for so long and need a change of scenery. Plus, its Monday so usually quiet. I was right and we had a lovely walk almost making it to the lock, but the footpath became so waterlogged and muddy we had to turn back despite having our walking boots on. Again, I managed to get covered in mud and had to wash my boots when I got home, along with the socks and trousers, I had to scrape the mud off my trousers before getting them into the wash. We really enjoyed the walk and managed about 5 miles all in.

 

 

19.01.21.

 

Widespread Flooding is forecast, storm Christoph is coming to an already sodden UK. Wales and north England will get the worst of it but there is an amber warning across the Midlands and flood warnings in place. Heavy snow in Scotland by the end of the week.

I have also just read that there is a global suspension on cruising until April 30^th 2021. Our Alaska trip is looking very unlikely and quite honestly at the present time we hope it is cancelled.

 

Today it’s a dull and windy day but we go for a walk around the block before the rain sets in. we are glad we made the effort as the fresh air and the spot of rain was quite refreshing even if we were just pounding the pavements again.

Just walking the roads, we still contact with nature and it is heartening to hear the birds sing, Great Tits are calling loudly already, Robins sit on any available perch and belt out their glorious songs. Red kites circle overhead and Mrs Blackcap continues to visit our garden feeders. There is always something positive to see or hear if you just spend a bit of time to stop look and listen for it. It does me the world of good.

Max is much improved and apart from needing to regain a bit of strength and weight is nearly back to his normal self. He also has a date for his vaccine jabs, so jolly good news all round. We are doing his shopping for him but via click and collect.

 

Donald Trump leaves office tomorrow and is issuing pardons like sweets. One pardon will possibly be Businessman Sholam Weiss who was sentenced in 2000 to 845 years in prison - the longest white-collar prison term in the US. He faced 78 counts of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering related to a huge insurance fraud scheme. He too may see his sentence commuted. ??

It is also rumoured that Trump will pardon himself, his sons and his personal attorney.

20.01.2021

 

Storm Christoph raged through the night, gales and lashing rain. It’s no better today and we are living in perpetual twilight. No walking today. Some nice food, warm fire and relaxing.

 

Some grim reading in the news today I afraid. It’s not good but I want to document it so skip this bit if you are feeling low.

 

 Total deaths 91,470 with 37,946 people in hospital but 4,266,547 vaccines administered. Daily cases of the virus are still over 30,000 a day and the average deaths per day is still over 1,000. Yesterday it reached 1610 in a day.

On the BBC news every night there is a video report by Clive Myrie from the Royal London Hospital where 12 out of the 15 floors are occupied with covid patients. It is a sombre report, I can hardly watch it, it is distressing. One Dr was asked if she felt angry because people had broken the rules and caused this problem, she said it was just human nature. This was just after she had to tell someone that her husband in his mid 30s could likely die. The mortician broke down in tears as she was finding the amount of deaths and bodies to deal with overwhelming.

The damage has been done, Christmas gatherings seem to be to blame for this horrendous peak, but people still seem to be flouting the rules. Ian read yesterday that National Trusts Lacock Village in Wiltshire is just as busy now as it would be in the summer. 

I am sick of these people that don’t believe this is real or just apply their own rules when required. It makes me agitated and irritable.

 

Anyway, Trump is gone today, so that’s good news. Perhaps we have heard the last of him, but he is such a thick skinned, narcissistic bully he will continue to believe in himself. 

Will he hide away with his tail between his legs whilst sucking his dummy or will the Trump dynasty return. Let’s hope not.

 

Hopefully some better news tomorrow.