Coronavirus and diabetes

DCUKMod said:

@Sophzzz - I read this, a few days ago, on another forum. The author is a retired UK GP.

There are some interesting points in there, in my view.

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Jim Lahey said:

Worth mentioning that, from memory, @Tophat1900 takes immunosuppressive drugs due to an organ transplant. If this is the case then he probably needs to be a bit more vigilant than most when it comes to potential infections.

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Jim Lahey said:

Worth mentioning that, from memory, @Tophat1900 takes immunosuppressive drugs due to an organ transplant. If this is the case then he probably needs to be a bit more vigilant than most when it comes to potential infections.

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JohnEGreen said:

I've been on prednisolone for about twenty years and also have to be very careful about infections but non the less normal precautions are pretty much ineffective when it comes to viral infections especially when airborne pathogens are involved the situation is very scary. One thing is to remember that normal hand sanitisers are ineffective as they are only OK where bacteria are concerned what is required are hand disinfectants that can cope with viruses.

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Penquin47210 said:

Hand sterilisers are effective against virus particles on skin If and ONLY IF they contain >60% ethanol (alcohol). Check before buying, if indeed you can buy as they are now VERY difficult to source within the UK. NONE of the Emergency Supplies companies, such as SPS or SJA Supplies have any in stock.

Avoid touching surfaces such as hand rails in public IF POSSIBLE, use your elbow to open doors if you can (impossible to lock many public toilet doors WITHOUT using hand though - so if you can, pull a pullover sleeve, or a jacket sleeve over hand rather than using bare skin).

Frequent hand washing with soap and water is the best cleanser - ideally HOT water and for AT LEAST 20 seconds. This should be done before preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet and after skin to skin contact if possible. Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then bin it, or into the crook of the elbow to prevent droplet infection reaching out from YOU. If you see others NOT doing that try to stay at least 2m away from them and wash as soon as possible if any risk of contamination.

Those are a few basic personal safety points, the virus IS spreading so we all have a responsibility to reduce it's spread as much as possible. If you have any "flu like" symptoms; raised body temperature, aches and pains, cough or sniffles OTHER THAN YOUR NORMAL SELF, self isolate and use the 111 telephone service to talk to professionals. They will alert those needed to eg test you for the CoVid19 virus DNA in YOUR tissue fluid. It may take 5 days before any symptoms appear and you are infectious and spreading the disease during that time..

In the young and healthy it is generally mild, in those with underlying chronic diseases including diabetes, and lung problems particularly, or compromised immune response systems the risk is greater and the risk increases with age.

So far, the outbreak in the UK is exactly following the exponential growth curve that would be expected with a doubling in numbers every five days due to the way that viruses actually work.

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