General Covid 19 news

[SteveH]

PEOPLE IN north Wales aged between 65 and 74 years old have until the end of this month to get their COVID-19 Autumn booster.

People of that age who have not received a COVID-19 Autumn booster have until March 28 to drop in to a community vaccination centre to boost their protection against the virus.

More than 175,000 eligible people across North Wales have already come forward to receive the booster since the programme began in September.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) will stop offering the COVID-19 Autumn booster on March 28.

The health board is calling on anyone who is eligible for the vaccine but has not yet had it to come forward over the next four weeks.

A statement read: "We are especially keen to encourage people aged 65 to 74 and anyone who is immunosuppressed to top up their protection and reduce their risk of serious illness.

"Walk-in flu vaccination for adults is also available.

COVID-19 Spring booster programme
A Betsi statement added: "Following guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the Welsh Government, our teams are currently planning the COVID-19 Spring booster programme in North Wales.

"From April 2, we will start offering a booster vaccine to: ? all adults aged 75 years and over ? residents in care homes for older adults ? all adults and children aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined by tables 3 and 4 of the Green Book).

"We will announce more details about our plans shortly.

"The COVID-19 Spring booster will be offered to patients around six months after their last dose of the vaccine. As in previous campaigns, our teams will issue invitations to all those eligible for the booster vaccine and work with care home managers to offer vaccinations to residents."

Full details  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24161898.people-aged-65-74-urged-get-autumn-booster-vaccine/

[SteveH]

Nearly 70 healthcare workers with long Covid will take their fight to the High Court later to sue the NHS and other employers for compensation.

The staff, from England and Wales, believe they first caught Covid at work during the pandemic and say they were not properly protected from the virus.

Many of them say they are left with life-changing disabilities and are likely to lose income as a result.

The Department of Health said "there are lessons to be learnt" from Covid.

The group believe they were not provided with adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) at work, which includes eye protection, gloves, gowns and aprons.

In particular, they say they should have had access to high-grade masks, which help block droplets in the air from patient's coughs and sneezes which can contain the Covid virus.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68479912

[SteveH]

BETSI CADWALADR has confirmed they will start offering Covid-19 spring booster vaccinations to eligible people across North Wales from April 2.

The Health Board in North Wales say following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Welsh Government, a spring booster vaccine will be offered to those most at risk from COVID-19.

This includes: everyone aged 75 or over, everyone living in a care home for older adults, and all adults and children aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed.

Around 100,000 people across North Wales are eligible to receive the spring booster, which will top up their protection against the serious illness caused by the virus.

The booster will be offered around six months after their last dose of the vaccine. More information about the COVID-19 Spring booster vaccine is available here.

During April, Betsi's vaccination teams will visit care homes for older adults to offer the spring booster to residents. They will also contact people who are housebound to arrange vaccination.

As in previous COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, all other people eligible for a spring booster will be invited to an appointment at a nearby community vaccination centre by letter. Appointment letters will be posted over the coming weeks.

The first appointments to be held at community vaccination centres are expected to take place from April 15 onwards, and to run throughout May and June.

The health board is also calling on anyone who is eligible for the autumn vaccine but has not yet had it to come forward over the next two weeks.

They are especially keen to encourage people aged 65 to 74 and anyone who is immunosuppressed to top up their protection and reduce their risk of serious illness.

[SteveH]

THIS month marks four years since the world as we knew it changed forever and we entered the first of a few Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

On Monday, March 23, 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the country in the first of many announcements to follow implementing restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19.

In this statement, he announced that people would only be allowed to leave their home for the following very limited purposes:

 Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
 One form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household
 Medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
 Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.

Here, we takes a look back at the day we went into lockdown and reflect on some of the stories we covered back then:

Read more https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24194759.re-calling-covid-pandemic-swept-area-four-years/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

I get mine on Wednesday, I think that is number eight...............

Spring Covid booster campaign launched for those eligible for the vaccine across North Wales
Health board looking to give jab to 100,000 vulnerable people across the region

The spring booster will help to protect older people and adults and children with a compromised immune system, from serious illness caused by the virus, the health board said.

Health chiefs have urged everyone eligible for the vaccine, to take up the offer to boost their protection against the virus this spring.

Vaccination teams are prioritising eligible groups in order of clinical need, and have started visiting care homes to vaccinate older adults across the region.

People aged 75 and over will be offered a Covid-19 Spring booster at one of the health board's community vaccination centres during April, May and June.

The first appointments at the community vaccination centres will take place from mid-April onwards. Appointment letters, which include the location, date and time of your vaccination slot, have already been posted to the first people to be invited.

Further rounds of invitations will be issued in priority order over the coming weeks. The health board will write to you when it is your turn. Please be patient ? there is no need to contact the team.

Check your invitation letter carefully because the location of your vaccination appointment may have be different from your previous appointment.

The health board will contact people who are housebound to make arrangements for them to receive their vaccination.

Adults and children aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed will also be offered the Covid-19 Spring booster at one of the health board's vaccination centres.

A BCUHB statement said: "We are especially keen to encourage adults and children with a compromised immune system (as defined by tables 3 and 4 of the Green Book) to come forward to receive the vaccine when invited."

The health board also said its autumn booster campaign ended on March 28. And between September and March, the health board delivered booster vaccines to more than 175,000 people.

[SteveH]

People with long Covid have evidence of continuing inflammation in their blood, which could help understanding of the condition and how it may be treated, a UK study suggests.

It found the presence of certain proteins increased the risk of specific symptoms, such as fatigue, in people sick enough to need hospital treatment.

It is unclear whether milder cases of Covid have the same effect on the body.

A test remains a long way off - but the findings may prompt future trials.

Long Covid - symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks after a Covid infection - is thought to have affected millions of people around the world.

Some of the most common symptoms are:  cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68762171