A very timely post Nick. As a mother, I do worry about the upcoming second 'Covid inquiry' and fear it will be a witch hunt. People really have forgotten how fearful this virus seemed in the pre-vaccine phase of the pandemic when people were literally dying in droves elsewhere. I watch the ongoing death toll here at home - albeit not as dramatic as in those early days elsewhere - and wonder at our general complacency. I still have not had Covid and I'm glad I read the whole post because I can feel that I too have been getting a bit of that complacency lately ...
Rosemary you echo my thoughts, as I also have not yet had Covid, and I often wonder how I have escaped it! I am a great-grandmother of ten, and nearly all the adults in our family have had it, and don’t seem to be worrying about it much…
Covid is probably scared to attack you Judith, in case you send your great grandchildren around to sort it out! Congratulations on such a wonderful achievement.
I couldn't agree with you more. I went to a concert yesterday and forgot my mask. My friend said, 'Oh, I see you're not wearing your mask today.' Like 'Oh, you've finally woken up that it's okay to not wear a mask.' I wear a mask to the supermarket and other stores. I still do the hand wipe thing if there's a station at the doorway and I can't believe that people look at me like I'm over-reacting. I had a discussion with a woman who told me proudly that she doesn't wear masks. I told her I don't want to get sick. She replied that it's a matter of luck. I told her it wasn't. I doubt it made any difference to her herd mentality, but she made no difference to my survival mentality.
This was chilling and depressingly informative Nick, I haven't (yet) had Covid but battled through 18 months of cruel FTD dementia stealing my once loving husband away, not for nothing is it called "the long goodbye" 2 years on from his passing I still feel broken by it all. What a nightmarish prospect of society developing the same symptoms. We are truly on our own with this dystopian prospect because you know damn well the current inept lot in government will not guard the population in any way - none of those appalling money grubbers would acknowledge for a second that "there are no pockets in shrouds"! Our world seems to be spinning increasingly out of control, think I'll go into the garden today and do some vicious thrashin, thrackin and routing of weeds ... might as well turn this awful pent up feeling into something a wee bit beneficial :/
Nick, in late May 2023 a friend and boarded a plant for our bucket list trip to Europe, which was awesome. We both got Covid for the first time, which was mild and quickly over. Back home I succumbed to a serious chest infection followed by debilitating fatigue and brain fade. My doctor diagnosed long Covid.
Today, I am not the fit, healthy and optimitisc person who boarded that plane. Am I glad I did? Hell yes! At least I have stunning memories and photos to jog them. I've been sick a lot since, with all kinds of things that scare the crap out of me, including heart and gut issues. Then, in early June, I picked up a virus during a trip to the ED (no, I wasn't masked, too sick, forgot), which went to my chest where it still sits, like a grumpy bear despite copious pharmaceuticals. I hardly leave the house and then only to collect my online grocery order (masked and sanitised) or stroll in the park with the little dog, because I'm determined to maintain a basic level of fitness, even if it does smash me some days.
This is not to make your readers feel sorry for me. I'm not sorry for myself, apart from the odd down day, and I have good friends who stay in touch. So many other people must be out there wondering what the hell's happened to them, whose ordinary world seems just beyond their fingertips, and to you I say, don't give up, enjoy life and look after yourselves. If you haven't had Covid, good on you, wear a mask. Ditto the 'flu.
Nick, your post it timely. This is serious stuff. It also reminds me that, in spite of the bureaucrat's mind-numbing denial of Covid's lethal powers, there are brilliant scientists still trying to solve the virus's puzzle, to nail its long-term effects on the body and hopefully find solutions, or at least some effective palliative measures. They'll be doing this long after I've left. I just hope someone listens and keeps funding them.
There has been an awful, long running, chest infection recently. My daughter Thea is only just getting better after coughing away for a good month - a negative Covid test and antibiotics. Johnny, having been a box of birds all Uni holidays has been crook for the last four days missing his classes although they can do most things online. Again a negative Covid test.
Something that isn’t being talked about enough or being downplayed is this long running chest infection, I’ve had mine for nearly three months now and it just fluctuates between mildly irritating to absolutely misery. I have friends and family who have had it for extensive periods of time but everyone doesn’t seem to be treating it seriously, treating it as if it’s a side effect of winter or having a cold.
Interesting and a little alarming. I have given up mask wearing except for in the doctors survey (on the rare occasion an actual face to face appointment can be made). People don’t have COVID top of mind anymore because it’s not mentioned by the government, media or Health Department. The contact tracing app has been switched off, infections and deaths are at best minor footnotes in news media.
The long term effects of the infection on your health are not discussed, and any concerns you raise about how you have been feeling post COVID are not addressed or examined because long COVID is apparently uncommon. I confess your article has me worried.
I find it interesting that the symptoms of Covid damage seem to align in some cases with behavioural changes we’ve seen in society. This can’t be merely a coincidence.
I had thought of making a joke about some of the symptoms, the lack of empathy, and our government but decided it wasn't really appropriate - but I'm sure lots of people are thinking it.
I don't want to diminish the reality of dementia in individuals as it is a terrible affliction. However like you I have wondered at there being a 'social dementia' or some sort of post pandemic stress disorder. It does feel different socially.
Thanks for this korero Nick. Going by the symptoms given, I believe the coalition of chaos members have all contracted the lack of grey matter problem.
In the same Q and A was an item on the subject of Takutai Tarsh Kemp using the Marae van in her election campaign and not declaring it in the donation returns. It seems so petty to highlight this when it pales into insignificance compared to the corruption exhibited to big oil, the fishing industry, mining companies, tobacco, racing industry, "Pay us to get elected and we'll give you Aotearoa." Is the message, particularly to foreign businesses.
I had a similar thought, they mentioned the Marae van in the story on One News last night about Ms Kemp's kidney issue.I thought a) it was a bit unnecessary to mention it in that article and b) Are you serious, compared to millions given to the three coalition parties we're worried about using a van? The rules are there for a reason sure, but a bit of perspective...
If folks are not familiar with Kamala Harris they might like to check out this short video, which stuck in my mind at the time. The contrast with the alternative is incredible.
yeah, me too, I really like her.........and have for ages before all this stuff thought Jo was getting too old....and then (I was on FB then) got accused of agism. For me it was just common sense and no offense to the great work Joe has done. He is a hero. Buttigieg doesn't seem to be mentioned by the main news....but people are mentioning him. I always liked him, clever as guy. That would be my ticket. Fun times, dire times.
And like you Janet, I haven't technically had covid yet. Being a t2 dibetic I have been pretty fussy wearing masks........I may have had it and not realised.
I get great joy meeting other mask wearers in the supermarket...........and enjoy the thought bubbles that I see leaping out of the heads of peeps when they see me in a mask.....the bubbles say WTF................I smile and my thought bubble says.....WTF.
I try to be wise.........and I love exercising my free will to wear one when needed...........and I sometimes use the fancy mask.
just by wearing one it is branded a WTF mask. Spose i could write it in pen on the front………it's easy to see that response in peeps eyes.......it's like someone has something you notice then pretend you didn't ...all in the shake of a lambstail.
Brilliant Nick, one of your best! Watched Biden going to isolate because he had Covid again! He tottered down the steps of AirForce One and on to his limo - and no mask! The official view that we had beaten Covid (repeated in his resignation tweet) trumps (that word again) the science. In Aotearoa it is BUSINESS as usual, and even Chippy won't ‘ mention the war.’
Very timely and informative Nick and the effects of this virus are clearly already impacting on societal behaviour. Makes one wonder how much worse things would be by now if this clown coalition had been the Govt when the pandemic started.
With reference to Joe's goodbye mentioned in today's Korero, one of the best yet, Nick, well done!
I sent this to the Herald but thought I'd share it with you as well, just in case they don't like the prospect that confronts the USA and the Interesting days they have ahead.
Joe Biden has done the right and good thing for his country by standing down from being nominated as a presidential candidate in the upcoming elections. This does however leave a very interesting state of affairs for Democrats when choosing their next leader. Kamala Harris is the obvious choice but has two strikes against her. One is being a woman, the other being a woman of colour. Is America brave enough to live up to the words in the Declaration of Independence that "all people are created equal", and the Bill of Rights which guarantees "civil rights and freedom of speech, press and religion?" Not until America, as a whole, is willing to acknowledge the worth of, accept and trust someone such as Kampala Harris as president, will Martin Luther King Jr's dream of a truly united land be realised and the motto" Home of the brave, land of the free", have a ring of truth to it. Only time will tell.
Ok, that's more than a little scary. I'm very aware that Covid seems to have become a shrug'n'get-on-with-it thing for many and more people aren't aware of the weeekly death toll. I'm 10 days past my 2nd bout - this time around was extreme lethergy, dizziness, & brain fog. The worry is I'm still getting a little dizzy at times and KNOW the Little Grey Cells are not nearly at their best. Not even a little moustache and snappy 1920s suit would help there! Meanwhile, well done Biden for doing a very hard but correct thing.
It is quite scary how people believe covid has gone with no idea on how many people are still being hospitalised and dying each week. On the topic of brains and viruses, it took my brain 5 years to recover from acute hepatitis B
My son Paul was in NZ a few weeks back. He was on a business trip ,[(from Melbourne where he lives with his family. and spent time on Waiheke, in Auckland, Wellington,and Christchurch finishing in Queenstown. He then drove from Queenstown to Dunedin to spend a week with myself, and his younger brother. We had a very nice week, lots of nice meals out, and goodconversations. He drove back to Queenstown,and caught his flight back home to Melbourne. I received a txt from him to say his wife and two children all had covid and were very unwell. He said he was living in his own bubble inside their house because he did not want to catch it, and going to work masked up. I spoke to him this weekend, and he said rhey were pretty much over it, but it had taken longer than previously. His wife seemed to have had the hardest time. I had covid at Christmas, after being admitted to hospital because I had a fall, and hurt my shoulder. I was tested for covid when admitted, and was negative. Negative again the next day a nurse told me, she came back a couple of hours later to say mytest in fact showed signs of covid. That put the kybosh onChristmas for me. I was moved into a single room and stayed there for another eight days. It seems they had people scattered throughout the ward with varing levels of covid.
A very timely post Nick. As a mother, I do worry about the upcoming second 'Covid inquiry' and fear it will be a witch hunt. People really have forgotten how fearful this virus seemed in the pre-vaccine phase of the pandemic when people were literally dying in droves elsewhere. I watch the ongoing death toll here at home - albeit not as dramatic as in those early days elsewhere - and wonder at our general complacency. I still have not had Covid and I'm glad I read the whole post because I can feel that I too have been getting a bit of that complacency lately ...
Rosemary you echo my thoughts, as I also have not yet had Covid, and I often wonder how I have escaped it! I am a great-grandmother of ten, and nearly all the adults in our family have had it, and don’t seem to be worrying about it much…
My wife caught a 2nd dose earlier this year , and I didn't catch it off her even though we were sleeping together....
I did too Peter but my husband didn’t! It seems to be so random 🤔
Covid is probably scared to attack you Judith, in case you send your great grandchildren around to sort it out! Congratulations on such a wonderful achievement.
I couldn't agree with you more. I went to a concert yesterday and forgot my mask. My friend said, 'Oh, I see you're not wearing your mask today.' Like 'Oh, you've finally woken up that it's okay to not wear a mask.' I wear a mask to the supermarket and other stores. I still do the hand wipe thing if there's a station at the doorway and I can't believe that people look at me like I'm over-reacting. I had a discussion with a woman who told me proudly that she doesn't wear masks. I told her I don't want to get sick. She replied that it's a matter of luck. I told her it wasn't. I doubt it made any difference to her herd mentality, but she made no difference to my survival mentality.
This was chilling and depressingly informative Nick, I haven't (yet) had Covid but battled through 18 months of cruel FTD dementia stealing my once loving husband away, not for nothing is it called "the long goodbye" 2 years on from his passing I still feel broken by it all. What a nightmarish prospect of society developing the same symptoms. We are truly on our own with this dystopian prospect because you know damn well the current inept lot in government will not guard the population in any way - none of those appalling money grubbers would acknowledge for a second that "there are no pockets in shrouds"! Our world seems to be spinning increasingly out of control, think I'll go into the garden today and do some vicious thrashin, thrackin and routing of weeds ... might as well turn this awful pent up feeling into something a wee bit beneficial :/
I'm so sorry that you and your husband went through that.
Give those weeds hell!
Thank you Nick and I did!
Sorry Vicky...that's terribly sad. Wishing you every happiness x
Thank you, it was hard but he was worth it, every minute.
I don’t know how people deal with some of life’s sadness. What a lovely thing to say. Big hugs :)
Nick, in late May 2023 a friend and boarded a plant for our bucket list trip to Europe, which was awesome. We both got Covid for the first time, which was mild and quickly over. Back home I succumbed to a serious chest infection followed by debilitating fatigue and brain fade. My doctor diagnosed long Covid.
Today, I am not the fit, healthy and optimitisc person who boarded that plane. Am I glad I did? Hell yes! At least I have stunning memories and photos to jog them. I've been sick a lot since, with all kinds of things that scare the crap out of me, including heart and gut issues. Then, in early June, I picked up a virus during a trip to the ED (no, I wasn't masked, too sick, forgot), which went to my chest where it still sits, like a grumpy bear despite copious pharmaceuticals. I hardly leave the house and then only to collect my online grocery order (masked and sanitised) or stroll in the park with the little dog, because I'm determined to maintain a basic level of fitness, even if it does smash me some days.
This is not to make your readers feel sorry for me. I'm not sorry for myself, apart from the odd down day, and I have good friends who stay in touch. So many other people must be out there wondering what the hell's happened to them, whose ordinary world seems just beyond their fingertips, and to you I say, don't give up, enjoy life and look after yourselves. If you haven't had Covid, good on you, wear a mask. Ditto the 'flu.
Nick, your post it timely. This is serious stuff. It also reminds me that, in spite of the bureaucrat's mind-numbing denial of Covid's lethal powers, there are brilliant scientists still trying to solve the virus's puzzle, to nail its long-term effects on the body and hopefully find solutions, or at least some effective palliative measures. They'll be doing this long after I've left. I just hope someone listens and keeps funding them.
There has been an awful, long running, chest infection recently. My daughter Thea is only just getting better after coughing away for a good month - a negative Covid test and antibiotics. Johnny, having been a box of birds all Uni holidays has been crook for the last four days missing his classes although they can do most things online. Again a negative Covid test.
Hopefully that will clear in time.
It’s rampant here too, Nick. Hope they both feel better soon.
Something that isn’t being talked about enough or being downplayed is this long running chest infection, I’ve had mine for nearly three months now and it just fluctuates between mildly irritating to absolutely misery. I have friends and family who have had it for extensive periods of time but everyone doesn’t seem to be treating it seriously, treating it as if it’s a side effect of winter or having a cold.
Interesting and a little alarming. I have given up mask wearing except for in the doctors survey (on the rare occasion an actual face to face appointment can be made). People don’t have COVID top of mind anymore because it’s not mentioned by the government, media or Health Department. The contact tracing app has been switched off, infections and deaths are at best minor footnotes in news media.
The long term effects of the infection on your health are not discussed, and any concerns you raise about how you have been feeling post COVID are not addressed or examined because long COVID is apparently uncommon. I confess your article has me worried.
I find it interesting that the symptoms of Covid damage seem to align in some cases with behavioural changes we’ve seen in society. This can’t be merely a coincidence.
I had thought of making a joke about some of the symptoms, the lack of empathy, and our government but decided it wasn't really appropriate - but I'm sure lots of people are thinking it.
I don't want to diminish the reality of dementia in individuals as it is a terrible affliction. However like you I have wondered at there being a 'social dementia' or some sort of post pandemic stress disorder. It does feel different socially.
Thanks for this korero Nick. Going by the symptoms given, I believe the coalition of chaos members have all contracted the lack of grey matter problem.
In the same Q and A was an item on the subject of Takutai Tarsh Kemp using the Marae van in her election campaign and not declaring it in the donation returns. It seems so petty to highlight this when it pales into insignificance compared to the corruption exhibited to big oil, the fishing industry, mining companies, tobacco, racing industry, "Pay us to get elected and we'll give you Aotearoa." Is the message, particularly to foreign businesses.
I had a similar thought, they mentioned the Marae van in the story on One News last night about Ms Kemp's kidney issue.I thought a) it was a bit unnecessary to mention it in that article and b) Are you serious, compared to millions given to the three coalition parties we're worried about using a van? The rules are there for a reason sure, but a bit of perspective...
Gosh, I thought the same Nick.
Your not wrong the media banging on about that van every damn night I'm so sick of it nothing as you say of the real news.
My thoughts exactly Steve.
I haven't had Covid - yet?
GO KAMALA!!!!
If folks are not familiar with Kamala Harris they might like to check out this short video, which stuck in my mind at the time. The contrast with the alternative is incredible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfdCguhDLuE
yeah, me too, I really like her.........and have for ages before all this stuff thought Jo was getting too old....and then (I was on FB then) got accused of agism. For me it was just common sense and no offense to the great work Joe has done. He is a hero. Buttigieg doesn't seem to be mentioned by the main news....but people are mentioning him. I always liked him, clever as guy. That would be my ticket. Fun times, dire times.
And like you Janet, I haven't technically had covid yet. Being a t2 dibetic I have been pretty fussy wearing masks........I may have had it and not realised.
I get great joy meeting other mask wearers in the supermarket...........and enjoy the thought bubbles that I see leaping out of the heads of peeps when they see me in a mask.....the bubbles say WTF................I smile and my thought bubble says.....WTF.
I try to be wise.........and I love exercising my free will to wear one when needed...........and I sometimes use the fancy mask.
where did u get a WTF mask?
I will buy one off Etsy $20
just by wearing one it is branded a WTF mask. Spose i could write it in pen on the front………it's easy to see that response in peeps eyes.......it's like someone has something you notice then pretend you didn't ...all in the shake of a lambstail.
Nor have I.
Yes Kamala!
Brilliant Nick, one of your best! Watched Biden going to isolate because he had Covid again! He tottered down the steps of AirForce One and on to his limo - and no mask! The official view that we had beaten Covid (repeated in his resignation tweet) trumps (that word again) the science. In Aotearoa it is BUSINESS as usual, and even Chippy won't ‘ mention the war.’
Very timely and informative Nick and the effects of this virus are clearly already impacting on societal behaviour. Makes one wonder how much worse things would be by now if this clown coalition had been the Govt when the pandemic started.
Don't even think about it 😭😭😭 it would be the worst nightmare
We have another one coming with the birds...
Thanks Nick. Good resource.
With reference to Joe's goodbye mentioned in today's Korero, one of the best yet, Nick, well done!
I sent this to the Herald but thought I'd share it with you as well, just in case they don't like the prospect that confronts the USA and the Interesting days they have ahead.
Joe Biden has done the right and good thing for his country by standing down from being nominated as a presidential candidate in the upcoming elections. This does however leave a very interesting state of affairs for Democrats when choosing their next leader. Kamala Harris is the obvious choice but has two strikes against her. One is being a woman, the other being a woman of colour. Is America brave enough to live up to the words in the Declaration of Independence that "all people are created equal", and the Bill of Rights which guarantees "civil rights and freedom of speech, press and religion?" Not until America, as a whole, is willing to acknowledge the worth of, accept and trust someone such as Kampala Harris as president, will Martin Luther King Jr's dream of a truly united land be realised and the motto" Home of the brave, land of the free", have a ring of truth to it. Only time will tell.
Excellent article this morning Nick - very timely!! We need to be nervous….
Ok, that's more than a little scary. I'm very aware that Covid seems to have become a shrug'n'get-on-with-it thing for many and more people aren't aware of the weeekly death toll. I'm 10 days past my 2nd bout - this time around was extreme lethergy, dizziness, & brain fog. The worry is I'm still getting a little dizzy at times and KNOW the Little Grey Cells are not nearly at their best. Not even a little moustache and snappy 1920s suit would help there! Meanwhile, well done Biden for doing a very hard but correct thing.
It is quite scary how people believe covid has gone with no idea on how many people are still being hospitalised and dying each week. On the topic of brains and viruses, it took my brain 5 years to recover from acute hepatitis B
I ticked like but to be honest I don't, that is some scary shit but makes sense and should be faced, but won't.
A friend of mine returned from Bali from a friends wedding yesterday, and he has covid, and is, in his words, " As sick as a dog"
My son Paul was in NZ a few weeks back. He was on a business trip ,[(from Melbourne where he lives with his family. and spent time on Waiheke, in Auckland, Wellington,and Christchurch finishing in Queenstown. He then drove from Queenstown to Dunedin to spend a week with myself, and his younger brother. We had a very nice week, lots of nice meals out, and goodconversations. He drove back to Queenstown,and caught his flight back home to Melbourne. I received a txt from him to say his wife and two children all had covid and were very unwell. He said he was living in his own bubble inside their house because he did not want to catch it, and going to work masked up. I spoke to him this weekend, and he said rhey were pretty much over it, but it had taken longer than previously. His wife seemed to have had the hardest time. I had covid at Christmas, after being admitted to hospital because I had a fall, and hurt my shoulder. I was tested for covid when admitted, and was negative. Negative again the next day a nurse told me, she came back a couple of hours later to say mytest in fact showed signs of covid. That put the kybosh onChristmas for me. I was moved into a single room and stayed there for another eight days. It seems they had people scattered throughout the ward with varing levels of covid.
This blasted virus hasn't finished with us yet... and will probably be mutating happily for a long time yet....
I don't think it will ever be gone it's not going anywhere.