Preparedness for when

nuatha

It has been confirmed that Zika can be spread by sexual contact.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35478778

Though this has been suspected (and denied by CDC) for several years. With only 20% of those infected, its no wonder the spread is so fast. And with huge numbers converging on Rio for the Olympics it would be surprising if the numbers affected didn't substantially rise and cases appear in more temperate countries.

thriftwizard

Having now read the day's posts - Ivyleaf, I do hope you can get out there to see your brother as soon as he's fit to be seen, IYKWIM. MTSTM, also pleased to hear that your mother - like mine - is on the mend, expected or no!

The Zika thing is rather worrying. I know they're saying not to worry, it's "only" a danger to pregnant women, but what effect might it have on pregnancies subsequent to the infection? Do we know?

moneyistooshorttomention

Fingers crossed one way and another ThriftWizard re respective mothers. I've spoken to her on the phone since my post and she has enough "life energy" to be trying to deal with things to some extent - but she isn't a well woman by any manner of means and her recent bout of "extra" illness hasn't completely gone. She is still unhappy that her life was saved basically and I don't blame her - and its upsetting to know that (though I wasn't one of the people she sounds like she could cheerfully kick if she had the strength to do so). No-one stopped to ask her what she herself wanted one way or the other. There were comments from my direction when I was back there - making it very plain that I regard it as HER right to make her decisions for herself as to what to do/not do all round. Hence she is upset that her feelings/thoughts etc were ignored and, in her position, I would be livid - so I'm upset that she is upset.

So - time will tell all round.

[Deleted User]

It's hail-stoning again.

nuatha

thriftwizard wrote: »

The Zika thing is rather worrying. I know they're saying not to worry, it's "only" a danger to pregnant women, but what effect might it have on pregnancies subsequent to the infection? Do we know?

We don't.
I've read advice to wait 12 months after infection, but if 80% of those infected are asymptomatic they aren't going to know they are infected to delay/avoid pregnancy. The CDC advice is that the virus is generally clear from the blood within a week and that pregnancies after the infection is clear will not be infected. At the moment there is no evidence known to contradict this (according to CDC and I've found nothing - unlike sexual transmission where the evidence is four years old).

Frankly we don't know a lot - until very recently this was regarded as a non-threatening third world disease, the explosive growth and subsequent publicity have thrust it into the spotlight. The rise in incidents of microcephaly and Guillain-Barr! syndrome appears to be related to Zika infections but the causal relationship has not been established but is strongly suspected.. (WHO statement 1st February 2016.

pineapple

Right folks pin yer ears back - it's tin foil time.
Over the last 3 days or so we have had Virgin, BT and Talk Talk go down. Apparently Talk Talk fessed up but BT denies it was an exploit. Yeah right.
Recently I clicked on something potentially dodgy and consequently ran every scan in the book. Nothing. But when my internet went down yesterday I was hyper aware and assumed it was just me. I spent ages tinkering with the laptop and guess what - none of my security scans would work. They would start then shut down immediately. This has never happened to me before. Ever.
Once we were back on line everything was working perfectly again.
Coincidence?
I'm not an IT guru and can only think that this was a mass exploit affecting compromised machines. This would maybe explain why not every BT customer was affected?
Whatever - we are alll so vulnerable. Even if you wouldn't know a smart phone if it bit you on the nose. I believe cyber is the new crime and probably will be the new warfare. Another reason to build as much resilience as possible into our lives.:(

thriftwizard

Thank you, pineapple, my mother's BT connection was down yesterday; we assumed it was because there was work going on elsewhere in the building, but it looks like it was rather more general than that!

MTSTM, my mother has a "Do Not Resuscitate" notice that she carries in her handbag, and another that applies inside the hospital, as the handbag one doesn't apply in there. She had to jump through a couple of hoops to get these - prove she was in her right mind, had discussed it with us & sign it in front of witnesses, basically - but they are legally binding, though we wouldn't dream of suing a paramedic who inadvertently brought her back! (I think it's the opposite scenario that they're designed to cover them for.) Having worked in many end-of-life situations, she's all too aware that the outcome of repeated resuscitations is pretty grim for the patient & doesn't change the end result, just delays it. Your mother might like to investigate doing the same thing. No lawyers were involved, by the way, just doctors.

maryb

my broadband was down most of yesterday afternoon and my computer is running very slowly this morning. Lots of buffering/pages crashing etc

lillibet_dripping

Just caught the end of Radio 4's Woman's Hour intro. Something about preppers later in the prog. Will keep you posted.

moneyistooshorttomention

thriftwizard wrote: »

MTSTM, my mother has a "Do Not Resuscitate" notice that she carries in her handbag, and another that applies inside the hospital, as the handbag one doesn't apply in there. She had to jump through a couple of hoops to get these - prove she was in her right mind, had discussed it with us & sign it in front of witnesses, basically - but they are legally binding, though we wouldn't dream of suing a paramedic who inadvertently brought her back! (I think it's the opposite scenario that they're designed to cover them for.) Having worked in many end-of-life situations, she's all too aware that the outcome of repeated resuscitations is pretty grim for the patient & doesn't change the end result, just delays it. Your mother might like to investigate doing the same thing. No lawyers were involved, by the way, just doctors.

I've been wondering just how to discuss that with her. When I went back it did emerge my father has one of those notices on his file and she was talking about having one as well. I think its more fitting for her husband than her daughter to discuss this with her iyswim. I've read enough about that type of thing to not want her put through that sort of thing ever again - what's the point? You are just postponing the inevitable and, if the person themselves doesn't want it, then it shouldn't be done.

At the point recently where she was in hospital they told me she was refusing something they wanted to do - and I told them words to effect of they were to respect her wishes (whatever they are) and wouldn't get in any trouble from me for doing so (hopefully that might have got put as some sort of note on her file of "daughter won't be bringing any negligence claims against us for lack of treatment if it comes to it - as long as she is comfortable. If she wasn't comfortable - daughter would not be happy with us".