Update

So, hubby just tested positive to covid

Oh no - and you were keeping your distance too!!

Lets hope it's only a mild dose and he's not too bad with it - at least you can get some treatment for him.

Sorry to hear it after all you have both been through.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Kind regards 

Brian.

I’m so sorry, hope you’re both better very soon x

Hi Brian and Bash - getting the treatment is not so easy as it sounds! The instructions are to phone nhs119. There you are given 4 options - none of which refers to antivirals for clinically vulnerable people! I pressed the closest option only to hear the service was closed. I phoned nhs111 and they advised me to report the result on line. I typed in the link and got loads of websites! I eventually found the right one and reported the result. I was told to get in touch with my GP or Nhs111 if I had not been contacted within 24 hrs. In the meantime, nhs 111 had wanted me to take him to a covid hub but that was ditched when I told them I had covid and didn’t feel well enough to drive some 40-50 miles. So, nhs111 then got a very nice doctor to phone us. He is making a recommendation to a clinical medicines delivery unit that my husband should have antivirals…..if we have not heard anything by midday today to phone our GP or nhs111.  We gave up and went to bed…..watch this space but my own thinking is that the system should be easier to navigate than this.

Hi guy's hope you don't mind me dropping into your chat, I've had 7 covid injections and had covid twice, was putt on the antivirus trial it worked very well, they gave me a number to ring and get the table's if I have a positive test they aer delivered by courier, my wife has to ring the doctor and get a letter saying she should have covid injections, then ring 119 to get an appointment.

Why oh why must they have such a complicated system. the people who need the help are all elderly and vulnerable and possible not computer literate.

If it's a system for us - (phrase not used as last time it was moderated but refers to old people avoiding the wooden box) - why not have one telephone number manned or womaned or whatever 24 hours a day - it's not hard - it worked in the past!!

I hope you get your antivirals and the treatment works - covid isn't what you both want after what you have been through!!

Best wishes

Brian.

So, another nice doctor phoned this morning and we went through triage for a third time. Apparently there is some evidence that radiotherapy can weaken the immune system and so he recommended antivirals. So, off we went to Leicester to collect them. We decided both of us should go so that we could share the driving if necessary.. we found the clinical medicines delivery unit well away from the main part of the hospital. Two members of staff were waiting for us outside! They were really pleasant and asked us both how we were feeling and then handed the antivirals and instructions over to my husband  - 3 tablets twice per day for 5 days. He’s not exactly running around but he’s not floored in the same way as I was after just a few hours. We won’t know, of course, whether this is the antivirals kicking in or the protection provided by his booster. If anyone here is on the vulnerable list, there are quite a few drugs which should not be taken at the same time as the antivirals - this includes atorvastatin for high cholesterol which my husband has been told not to take for 8 days.

Thanks, Ulls. I will make further enquiries and report back. Does your wife have any health conditions which make her more vulnerable or is she your career? I don’t tick either of those boxes although, obviously, I do care about my husband!

Wow - Thanks for the update - At least you have the antivirals - lets hope the booster and the antivirals together work. At least you have now sorted it out.

Yes I am on the vulnerable list and yes atrovastatin is one of my many medications so thanks for the heads up. I do read patient information leaflets and we have a BNF at home (Lorraine is an ex nurse) and she does like to check what goes into my body!!

I will try and avoid covid (I have tested positive twice before but no symptoms or illness - we are on the Office for National Statistics covid testing programme!)

Take care - speak soon.

Kind Regards - Brian.

No she has lots of problems of her own, until I got diagnosed I was her career, now we just work together things I can't do she does and vice versa.