Welcome to this June issue of Journal of Prescribing Practice. It's been a busy time since I last wrote to you all. We have welcomed our new Editor Polly and a lot has been happening in the healthcare sector in the UK.
COVID-19 is much less at the forefront of our media outlets these days, but this past week I've had a stark reminder that it has not gone away. Just 3 weeks after being boosted again, my husband and I have contracted COVID.
My husband is a frontline healthcare worker and, like many in his position, is being exposed to this. What we have seen is a reduction in mask wearing in general life, but also a relaxation in many healthcare settings, too. Mask wearing in primary care is no longer mandated in many areas across England and the rest of the UK. A quick Google search will show you guidance and statements for many UK Trusts on their current policy. This relaxation also comes at a time when NHS England has released national COVID-19 testing guidance for NHS workers (McKay, 2023). Now only those working in high-risk clinical environments or when caring for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID are required to wear masks.
I have to say, though, that this bout has been considerably milder for myself and my husband than before due to the fact, we assume, that we always take up the booster invitations. As someone considered clinically vulnerable I have also been contacted by the NHS to say that if I contract COVID I am eligible for treatment if the effects are moderate to severe. The pragmatist in me thinks that this is just part of what ‘living with COVID’ is like and, as with seasonal flu, we will get used to being vaccinated every year and if contracted, it should be milder and less deadly.
When I first saw that line confirming a positive test there was fear as to how my symptoms would progress. My fever peaked at 38.2oC, as opposed to my first bout of COVID where I attained a 39.5oC. Myalgia is present and troublesome, but breathlessness is much less and oxygen saturation remains good this time. Like many others, I am very relieved for the speed and efficacy of the vaccinations, and it means I am here to write another day!
Wishing you a great summer.