Coronavirus

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olive
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby olive » Mon Aug 24, 2020 4:47 pm

I have a bit of a problem trying to understand how it would work for me. Can you get Cv from someone within 10 metres but more than social distancing? Would you be alerted if someone infected passed you say five metres away in the street or while you are sat in your car? I can see how it would help if you went to a party and were packed in a room for hours with fifty other ravers. If you get alerted do you then rush off to get tested?

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Lavanda » Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:13 pm

It’s a stupid, techno idea that is intended to show that the government is on the case and reassure the masses. Most of the high-risk groups don’t have smart phones or even know what an app is.

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby El Cid » Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:59 pm

I think you underestimate the way older people have embraced technology. Most of our friends are over 75 and the majority are in their 80s. They all have smart phones and use apps like WhatsApp and FaceTime all the time. Thinking about it, I don’t know anyone without one plus an iPad and a PC.

OK these are all expats so probably not representative of a similar Spanish age group

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby markwilding » Mon Aug 24, 2020 6:57 pm

I will say that my Mother-in-law does not have one but i believe she is in the minority. On trains everyone of all ages seem to check their phones as soon as they sit down.
Almost 35 million people have one in Spain and at one point, Spaniards were biggest smartphone users in Europe.

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby katy » Mon Aug 24, 2020 9:47 pm

Lavanda wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 5:13 pm It’s a stupid, techno idea that is intended to show that the government is on the case and reassure the masses. Most of the high-risk groups don’t have smart phones or even know what an app is.
Very true. There is nearly a million people in Spain with dementia. Also a large number of illiterates amongst the elderly. Probably the same in most countries. People treat it as just a gimmick, that is why so many leave false names in pubs and restaurants. Lots of Omer Simpson’s and Idi Amin etc.

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Wicksey
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Wicksey » Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:16 am

My FIL doesn't have a smartphone or internet, and doesn't know how to use it. I'm sure if he had tried when he was a bit younger he would have picked it up (he's 93 now but still very much with it). Now that the Dr's in the UK are like here and really don't seem to want to see anyone, when he had a bad rash the Dr would only speak to him on the phone and asked him to send a photo of the rash from his Smartphone to the surgery! Of course he couldn't do this Honestly, you have to laugh. The Dr prescribed a cream for him without even seeing the problem.

On this subject, I cannot even get the Salud Responde app to give me a phone call appointment at the moment. It really is so disappointing that the system has gone downhill like this. We never had a problem in the past getting an appointment within the next day or two to see our Dr but, the last time it was working, the next available phone appointment wasn't until the middle of the following week. I've given up and am going for a private consultation to try to sort out problems I've had with my eyes. By the time I get a Dr's phone appointment, then if they agree to see me, then if I do get a referral to the hospital, it will all take forever. I obtained a private appointment the next day. I hate to say it, but if I was in the UK I would have just popped into see the opthalmist in Specsavers. They were brilliant when I went there a couple of years back when on holiday, but the opticians here aren't trained like that unfortunately. Soloptical wouldn't even do a glaucoma test when I asked a couple of weeks back, "due to Covid" of course.

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chrissiehope
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby chrissiehope » Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:34 am

Wicksey wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:16 am My FIL doesn't have a smartphone or internet, and doesn't know how to use it. I'm sure if he had tried when he was a bit younger he would have picked it up (he's 93 now but still very much with it). Now that the Dr's in the UK are like here and really don't seem to want to see anyone, when he had a bad rash the Dr would only speak to him on the phone and asked him to send a photo of the rash from his Smartphone to the surgery! Of course he couldn't do this Honestly, you have to laugh. The Dr prescribed a cream for him without even seeing the problem.
Recently in UK, I have had to take photos of 1.) the back of my mouth (broken tooth), & 2.) my scalp (skin infection). In both cases it was really difficult trying to get a clear photo by myself ! So I can sympathise with your Dad Wicksey :-)
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Lavanda » Tue Aug 25, 2020 12:20 pm

After a disappointing time with a local optician - who was very nice but a bit basic - I went to Specsavers on a trip to the UK about six years ago. I explained I lived in Spain, etc, but they gave me the whole examination plus photos plus plus and I have been going to them every two years and it works well. This time I was told that after Brexit (not to mix my threads) I may have to pay for the examination and sight test. I am happy with that. While dentists in Extremadura are brilliant, the opticians are not.

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Wicksey
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Wicksey » Tue Aug 25, 2020 12:29 pm

I understand that the opticians here are not opthalmists as in the UK. My optician in Nerja gives me a good eye examination, particularly to check my contact lenses are fitting OK, but when I've asked about eye problems he's not been able to diagnose anything, despite me discovering from Specsavers that I have a fairly common condition. I think it's more of a closed shop here for some things, like farmacias being the only place you can buy aspirins!

We too have had free eye check ups when on holiday in the UK, despite them being aware we are resident here. They sent on our glasses to us by post as we weren't there long enough to collect them from the shop. We also had eye scans that were only 10 pounds. I think my bill with the specialist here will have at least a 0 added to that!

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gerryh
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby gerryh » Tue Aug 25, 2020 12:57 pm

Specsavers in Fuengirola can do a full eye examination, including medical problems with your eyes.
They can take photos of the retina, do glaucoma test etc and have all the latest kit.
They can check on the progress of my wife's macular degeneration.
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olive
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby olive » Wed Aug 26, 2020 10:18 pm

Interesting article on the Covid app on El Pais in English

Near somene with Covid for 15 minutes within two metres. Clever it knows within 2 metres. However 12 minutes surely would be enough time to catch it. I suppose you have to have thresholds.

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gerryh
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby gerryh » Thu Aug 27, 2020 8:04 am

The app relies on the infected person if they know they have it and have the app installed on their phone, informing the app that they have Covid. :think:
Agree that 15 minutes contact time seems rather long.
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elusive
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby elusive » Thu Aug 27, 2020 9:00 am

It's all about presumptions and like you say they have to have cut off points. Stand near someone for 1 min but if they cough all over you!! I some how doubt its jumps between ppl .there has to be some sort of contact ie physically or droplets

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Beachcomber » Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:10 am

And what safeguards are there against deliberate false positive reports and can the perpetrators be traced? If not it rather makes a nonsense of the whole thing and if they can it suggests that it is not as anonymous as it is claimed to be.

I am a fairly moderate anti-masker, anti-vaxxer and anti-tracker and obviously would not accede to any such temptation but let's not pretend that there aren't people out there who will deliberately create false positives just to cause mayhem and confound the whole process.

After having written this but prior to posting I wondered if the matter had been addressed and found this:

https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/in ... -disaster/

Needless to say this is one app that will not be finding its way onto any of my phones.

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Pamela1 » Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:40 am

There will be many who will take great delight in fooling around submitting false reports, i hope that they will have some kind of a system where they can confirm that the caller has actually been tested positive before they start contacting all those picked up by the app and confining them to their homes to self isolate.If people are going to rush back from abroad to try and beat self isolation then i doubt very much that a great majority of people are going to happily install an app that could potentially disrupt their lives, most will take matters into their own hands and just continue taking care when they are out and about.

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby katy » Thu Aug 27, 2020 11:14 am

I didn’t think of false positives but it sounds feasible. Someone could do it to be vindictive.
Even if it were successful the whole country could be closed down within weeks and hardly anyone Having any symptoms.

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Wicksey
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Wicksey » Thu Aug 27, 2020 12:09 pm

Walking along a narrow pavement in Torre del Mar the other evening, two men were approaching us with their masks under their chins and just as they got close one gave out an enormous cough without even putting his hand in front of his mouth. They were both big men otherwise I would have said something, although I did exclaim my disgust in English. There's been so many incidences captured on phones of someone being punched in the face for telling a person to wear a mask that it makes you a bit wary. We were of course wearing our masks which I was thankful for, even though they keep saying they won't stop the germs. I would rather wear one than not.

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby Free at Last » Thu Aug 27, 2020 5:28 pm

Wicksey wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:16 am

On this subject, I cannot even get the Salud Responde app to give me a phone call appointment at the moment. It really is so disappointing that the system has gone downhill like this. We never had a problem in the past getting an appointment within the next day or two to see our Dr but, the last time it was working, the next available phone appointment wasn't until the middle of the following week.
I started a thread about this a couple of months ago when it was announced that the telephone triage system introduced because of the pandemic would be a permanent feature in future. Since then I've seen an increasing number of complaints about the functioning of the system (which is affecting the staff being able to do their work as well as the patients) and the difficulty in getting appointments both in the Spanish press and on Spanish social media, culminating in this one the other day about the increased level of violence (physical and verbal) against healthcare staff because of frustrations with the new system.

https://www.malagahoy.es/malaga/Malaga- ... 50630.html

I would never condone people taking out their dissatisfaction on the staff, but it's obvious that people are being driven to extreme lengths because of how bad things have become. As you say, when the system was so good before it's very disappointing to see it deteriorate so fast.

elusive
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Re: Coronavirus

Postby elusive » Thu Aug 27, 2020 9:26 pm

Family member needed a repeat prescription. Nothing on the app to just ask for one? Needed to make a t phone appointment. Didn't bother cause even I can't understand her dr over the phone. So just went in and asked for it instead!

At least things seem to be up and running here more. Friends in the uk are waiting on op. Just been told ring back in three months if you haven't got a date yet. They have been waiting long b4 covid. God help ppl with cancer etc.

A friend here had a mammogram during lockdown got called back within 2 weeks with a cancer diagnosis. Thankfully caught very early but is still having chemo until xmas. They are very thankful to be in Spain and not the uk right now.

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Re: Coronavirus

Postby katy » Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:29 pm

Good to hear something second had because it is not what the Spanish media is reporting.


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