As we navigate our way through the post-Covid world, it's important to consider the link between infections and outcomes.
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TLDR :
๐ซ Try to avoid catching / spreading infections
๐จ Clean air will help
While you may well start off healthy, anyone can become Clinically Vulnerable at some point in their life, making them more susceptible to severe infections.
Take it from us, it isn't particularly fun - and frequently, our lives feel less valued.
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Covid infections or repeat infections of healthy people can lead to Long Covid*, where people experience prolonged symptoms and conditions including: fatigue, brain fog and respiratory issues.
* Some data suggests that up to 1 in 10 infections result in long-term symptoms.
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Also, people with Long Covid can become Clinically Vulnerable if they acquire conditions including:
You might have noticed people who have developed a persistent cough.
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According to the final ONS Covid Survey data, Clinically Vulnerable people have a 5.4x increased risk of Long Covid following Covid infections.
๐ Catching Covid isn't healthy
๐ It doesn't promote 'natural immunity'
๐ Living with Covid = constant reinfection
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Vaccination has been a crucial tool in breaking the Covid cycle and protecting lives.
Highly vaccinated countries are experiencing lower mortality despite the virus not actually being milder.
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However, we mustn't forget that Covid continues to claim far too many lives.
Anyone can be at risk, and we are all 3 years older and 3 years more vulnerable.
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To further break the Covid cycle, we need clean air as Covid spreads in aerosols.
We mustn't simply accept ~6 peaks a year as new variants continue to rip through the global community. It places a continuous burden on struggling health services. It is not 'flu.
No one wants to see more people suffering from Long Covid or losing their lives.
While the Covid cycle may be here to stay, we can't simply accept current rates of infection and reinfection.
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Going forward, we should consider the following:
๐จ #CleanAir
๐ท #WearAMask in high-risk, poorly ventilated indoor settings inc. healthcare
๐ฅ Testing / isolation if symptomatic
๐ ๐Supporting equitable access to vaccines around the world
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...and for anyone who thinks that young children can't or shouldn't be tested, there are saliva 'lollypop' tests that are accurate and trouble-free.
Parents in our Facebook group have been very happy with them.
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When the UK government rolled out the "Living with Covid" policy it simply scrapped protections and shifted to personal responsibility. For most, it meant "back to normal." For Clinically Vulnerable people, life became harder.
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The plan was based on a single assumption: that vaccines alone would be enough... vaccines due to be withdrawn this Autumn.
But for millions who are Clinically Vulnerable, vaccines werenโt a magic bullet. Protection wasnโt universal and some were left with little to none.
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๐Mask mandates ended
๐ฅFree tests were phased out
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆSelf-isolation was no longer required
Covid was treated as a personal problem, not a public health issue. If you got sick, you were on your own.
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๐ CVF are relieved to announce that we will be representing you in the final section of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry looking at the ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐.
It will consider the effects on keyworkers, vulnerable populations, bereaved, & mental health.
1/12 *Stick with this*
Protective measures were often described as "restrictions" and the lifting of measures described as the return of "freedom".
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๐ Seatbelts were once seen as a "restriction" by some, but today with evidence & awareness, they are now considered essential for safety.
๐จ๐ท The Covid pandemic was a missed opportunity to normalise airborne protections that protect health and save lives.
"Would you support the development of a more diverse portfolio of vaccine formats and antivirals, both as part of future pandemic preparedness plans and during [.] 'peace time' to ensure that Clinically Vulnerable groups are adequately protected?"
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"Absolutely, I think it is really important to make sure that we have good therapeutics and vaccines for the whole population."
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Q - Why is it important to have that breadth of formats?
...not many [immunosuppressed] were involved in the initial trials.
We now know [.] that booster doses help in terms of vaccine efficacy.
Find out more about what led to his reaction below โฌ๏ธ
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Do you agree that mRNA COVID-19 vaccine protection has been shown to wane after 5-6m?
WSL: Yes
Covid-19 has not transitioned into a seasonal virus like influenza?
WSL: Yes
If so, why did the JCVI not recommend more frequent vaccinations for all clinically vulnerable groups?
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To explain:
"Clinically Vulnerable" is defined by the JCVI in the vaccine Green Book. They are all those who qualify for annual autumn vaccines based on risk.
A small subset are also offered vaccines in spring. Those 75+, care home residents and severely immunosuppressed. 3/
๐จDame Kate Bingham๐จ
Dubbed the "hero in a pink jacket ๐"
On Evusheld:
"I felt very strongly [.]. We were following a very clear 2 tier strategy where the CV immunocompromised were being deprioritised [.] I felt that was *manifestly* wrong both ethically and morally [.]"
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The above video was taken out of sequence. The below should give more context...
KB "So actually, the first goal was around protecting the UK population."
CTI [Hugo Keith KC]
"Do you think you succeeded on securing or making available those monoclonal antibodies?"
KB "No!" 2/
Kate goes on to make the argument that by not protecting this population, we were also promoting viral mutation and the evolution of variants.