Living on Plague Island

This blog is a revised and updated version of my previous blog on this subject which was published May 2023.

The vast majority of the population of the UK have had at least one confirmed or suspected Covid infection. This reflects the fact that governments and authorities have allowed the virus to rip by failing to implement appropriate measures to combat an airborne virus and have failed to inform the public about how to avoid catching the virus and the associated dangers to health of suffering multiple Covid infections. They have essentially allowed the myth that ‘it is just the flu’,’ a sniffle’ ‘a cold’ ‘it’s a winter virus’ to perpetuate.

This is despite the huge amount of evidence on the damage being done to the economy and the additional pressures placed on the NHS by the increasing numbers suffering heart attacks, strokes and many other serious Covid-19 related conditions.

However, some people have never had Covid (including myself and my husband) and many have only had it once. In some cases this will be down to luck, or to some little understood aspect of the underlying immune system which is thought to be protecting a percentage of the population. However, in most cases not having had Covid is not an accident and is explained by the mitigation measures which my household, and many people I know across the clinically vulnerable community practice. 

This blog discusses these measures that individuals can take and draws on my own experience of how we deploy them. Wider questions about what governments and authorities should be doing are explored in other blogs on this website.

The following measures which I deploy are discussed in turn:

1. Vaccination
2. Assessing risk
3. Avoiding high risk situations
4. Testing
5. Clean air/Ventilation/filtering
6. Masks
7. Nose sprays and mouthwashes
8. Keeping well
9. Being resilient

I should stress from the outset that we cannot say how effective these measures are vis a vis each other because I deploy them in combination. This is known as the Swiss cheese model.

1. Vaccination

Since late 2020 vaccination against Covid -19 has been an option. All of the adult population in the UK were offered the chance of vaccination from late 2020 – spring 2021 and again in the Autumn of 2021.

However, eligibility criteria have become narrower and narrower to the extent that by Autumn 2024 it is proposed that only the over 65’s, those in care homes and certain clinically vulnerable people be eligible for the vaccine. Healthcare staff may be able to get a jab via local arrangements, but household contact of clinically vulnerable people and others will no longer be entitled to a free vaccine – see my forthcoming blog.

It is true that since spring 2024 private vaccines have been available from Boots and PharmaDoctor. Indeed, I myself bought a Novavax vaccination from pharmadoc in May 24 because although my husband was eligible for a spring booster and took up the offer, I was not eligible despite the fact that I live with him. I consider the position I was placed in as unacceptable, but I could afford the £65 for the vaccine so I took it up. Many people in my position would not be able to do this.

Vaccines have been shown to be effective in reducing the chance of getting infected, though their effectiveness is thought to be declining over time reflecting the pace at which the virus is mutating and learning to dodge people’s existing immunity. The key benefits of getting vaccinated is that if you mount a good response as a result of vaccination, it is likely to reduce the chance of you falling seriously ill or dying. There is also evidence that being vaccinated reduces the chance of contracting Long Covid, though estimates of the extent of protection vary widely, a recent robust study estimated that protection was 52%.

A key problem is vaccines are not suitable for everyone – some people have underlying medical conditions or allergies which would make it dangerous to get vaccinated. Another key problem is that not everyone mounts a response and produces anti bodies in response to vaccination (it is estimated that 2% don’t). This is a key problem for many clinically vulnerable families, including my own as a member of my family has failed to produce antibodies in response to the vaccine. It is very unclear what this means. Most practitioners take the view that this group are  significantly more at risk from serious complications but we do not know how far other factors kick in to provide some protection.

 However, this does not mean clinically vulnerable  people should not get vaccinated. The vaccines may be offering some protection in ways that are not fully understood. It is also estimated that for clinically vulnerable people the risk of developing long Covid are many times greater than for fit and healthy people so anything that might protect protection is worth having. 

 It is nevertheless clear from this discussion that vaccination on its own is not enough for two key reasons. Firstly, as we have noted vaccines don’t necessarily stop you catching covid. This will bring with it associated disruption, lost time at work, risk of spreading the virus to a vulnerable person as well as a significant risk of developing Long Covid. The second key reason is that as we have seen, many clinically vulnerable people cannot have or do not respond to vaccination. They are therefore in as much danger of becoming seriously ill as they were in 2020. This is the situation that my household is in.

The rest of this blog focuses on methods other than vaccination that we rely on.

2. Assessing Risk

Many of us, particularly the clinically vulnerable and their households. have built up a good almost intuitive understanding of how to assess whether a situation is  risky and what mitigations need to be in place, but this needs to be based on an up to date understanding of the basic science of COVID-19. 

Data

 In order to inform our assessments many of us where until 2023 making judgements based on the level of infection at any particular point in time. However, since the dismantling of more or less all data on the level of covid infections, including the ONS infection survey, this is no longer possible, particularly during the summer months – despite the obviously soaring rates of infection in summer 2024.

Nevertheless, many people including myself are proactive trying to piece together a picture of what is happening based on imperfect hospital data (being cutback all the time) and the international situation. My blog on ‘Another Summer Wave‘ was updated every week or 2 weeks until the end of August with data on the summer 2024 Covid wave. More generally the issues around what needs to be done to address the lack of data is discussed elsewhere on this website and a recent article in the British Medical Journal explains the issue very well.

CO2 monitors 

Levels of CO2 in indoor spaces is a good proxy for assessing the level of respective risk of catching Covid-19. This is illustrated simply in the following table. We can see that the chances of catching Covid in a well ventilated setting where the CO2 level is lower than 800 will be far lower than where CO2 levels are high.

Many countries in the far East display the level of CO2 in buildings but this is not the case in the UK. Given that there is next to no information provision about the safety of buildings we and many others also use a CO2 monitor in order to guide our behaviours. There are a variety of monitors on the market ranging in price from well under £50 to £199 and upwards. We initially bought a cheap model but we quickly began to doubt its accuracy. It also required recharging every 12 hours and was bulky to carry around. We subsequently invested in an SAF Aranet 4 air quality monitor for £199. This seems far more responsive to changing conditions, is small and easy to transport around and it is claimed that the batteries last for 4 years.

Air quality is meant to be 400 ppm of CO2 outdoors and we aim to keep the air inside the house at below 700. If it goes above 900 we open a door or window.

People also regularly use monitors when flying. On many flights the readings go up to over 5000 ppm, sometimes higher, in the period just after boarding before the engines and the air filtration systems are switched on but falls significantly thereafter .

3. Avoiding High Risk situations

Many people, including the clinically vulnerable, deploy a range of behavioural methods in order to avoid or lower the risk of coming into contact with the virus in the first place based on our assessment of the risk. 

My household has extensive experience of such measures which include the following. This may seem excessive if you are not clinically vulnerable, but if you wish to avoid Covid it is important to pay attention to these measures.

• avoiding indoor gatherings and do contacts, classes, talks etc on line instead. This also includes working from home. We make extensive use of zoom and similar, I am even learning French via an on-line class; 
• avoiding unnecessary face to face appointments such as medical appointments or having work people in the house or do it by telephone. When we do have people in the house to do necessary services or repairs we often wear masks, have a HEPA on and leave the door open, or keep a social distance and let the workmen get on with it;  
• Avoiding gatherings altogether if you consider the people you are meeting are inflexible and do not respect your need to stay safe or it is not possible in other ways;
• Social distancing, both indoors and outdoors plus use a HEPA filter indoors as well as opening the windows (see section on clean air below);
• Doing things first thing in the morning when the viral load in the air will be lower eg. Going to the garden centre early, seeking out the first dental appointment of the day, traveling on public transport at non peak times.
• challenging health and other providers, including schools about their safety measures – this is a fraught issue which many people struggle with, particularly since the withdrawal of the requirement to wear a mask in healthcare and the attitudes of some healthcare professionals. Private bodies such as opticians should be easier to deal with. I always phone up beforehand to check safety arrangements, including ventilation and willingness to wear a mask. And if you meet with an uncooperative attitude take your business elsewhere – I have. I refuse to return to my former opticians. There are groups on social media that have extensive experience of navigating these issues.
• testing before key events and requiring others to test – but don’t necessarily trust the results of one LFT as  it is possible that they may be becoming less accurate at detecting new variants. See next section on testing.
• seeking out a Covid safe mobile hairdresser or other business person depending on your needs. I have been using a mobile hairdresser called Angela since August 2020. She deploys a range of mitigation measures set out in the following video which is helpful in setting out best practice.

4. Testing

Testing before meeting up with others, and changing your behaviour as a result of the test, is a potentially important way of dampening the spread of Covid-19 and protecting the vulnerable.

However, the days when free tests were available to all are long gone. A small number of people are entitled to free NHS lateral flow tests (LFT’s) including my household member, as he is on the list of people eligible for antivirals.

The problem is that LFT’s seem to be becoming less and less effective to the extent that one test is unlikely to provide more than about 65% accuracy. The key problem is false negatives – but if you get a positive test it is likely to mean you have Covid. Repeating the test 3 times should provide more accuracy as long as the test is done correctly. Wizzing a probe gently round the nose several times is unlikely to produce an accurate result. Despite what it says on the label I always try to swab the throat, and certainly the saliva and then deep into the nose.

There are also portable machines that do PCR tests and produce circa 99% accuracy. These are not cheap. I bought the highly rated Plus Life mini dock from Germany for nearly £250 – tests are an extra £60+ for 10. If you are buying from within the UK you will also need to pay import duties thanks to Brexit. I was stung for £77 but I know people who have ‘only’ had to pay circa £50.

Many people I know have one of these and consider it a game changer. For example, you can ask guests to test on arrival, up to 4 people can use the same test to save money (but this won’t tell you exactly who is positive) and after 15 minutes or so you can then safely proceed in the knowledge that it is almost certain that no one has Covid-19. You can also buy tests that will tell you whether you have flu, RSV as well as Covid-19 but I have not purchased these as flu tends to be confined to a few weeks of the year.

5. Clean Air – ventilation, filtration

Covid-19  is airborne and transmits like aerosols and compared to other types of virus can hang in the air, rather like cigarette smoke, for much longer periods – sometimes hours if there is no ventilation.  Good ventilation is therefore a very important weapon against Covid, used in conjunction with other measures, if possible.  

It is not always possible to create good ventilation naturally due, for example, to pollution outside, windows that don’t open, buildings with enclosed spaces, not enough air movement, on forms of transport etc. Other mechanical methods of ventilation and air filtration are therefore important and some clued up organisations have this and find that it pays dividends in health and safety terms. Please note that standard air conditioning on its own is unlikely to be effective in preventing you from getting ill.

Following on from this example, the fact that people in the UK are not rising up and demanding clean air in buildings such as hospitals and schools is a puzzle, particularly when you consider that the UK Houses of Parliament are one of the few public buildings with an air filtration system.

So, what can individual households do? The cheapest thing you can do is open windows and doors to get a draft through when there is anyone in the house or flat. We do this even when the temperature is minus 10 degrees outside – you just need to put a coat or a thick jumper on!  

It is also a good idea to buy a HEPA filter strong enough to help to clean the air in a room. HEPAs are designed to remove particles from the air though claims made by some manufacturers about removing Covid particles completely may be exaggerated, there is research evidence to suggest they work. Many scientists assess them as being effective. They also have several other benefits such as reducing pollen and dust. 

Following the King’s cancer diagnosis it is clear that the palace recognise the benefits of a HEPA filter even though they may not be well informed about the relative effectiveness of different models. The model on display in the following photograph will be familiar to many people as the most expensive and also least effective model according to Which!

There are a variety of models on the market starting from about £200. We have two Phillips machines which we bought 4 years ago due to major building works next door. We always have them on when there are any visitors in the house regardless of whether the windows are also open. It is important to read the manufacturers instructions about how to set them up and where to place them. 

A US alternative invented by a 12 year old and which has been proven to work is discussed here.

But what about when you are out and about?  I recommend a small portable HEPA filter. These filters do not clean the entire room and are only effective if you hold them about one meter or so away from you.

Nevertheless, we carry one when traveling on public transport, going to medical appointments in places without adequate protections etc. We have a Smart Air QT3 purifier which is non intrusive and looks like a portable radio and costs less than £50. 

We also have a more expensive Air Fanta 4 light personal device –

For information and advice on taking full sized and portable HEPAs into hospitals please see my blog on HEPA filters in healthcare.

Essentially, they generate ions which attach to pollutants or viruses in the air, giving them a static charge and cause them to drop to the ground. Manufacturers of traditional air purifiers like to try to discredit these devices, though it is true that there is no robust evidence on their effectiveness. Nevertheless, we have Air tamers and similar which we wear at the dentists.

The other method of cleaning the air which we use in conjunction with other methods is through Ultra Violet C filtration. There are safe, effective products on the market which need to be installed – see for example, a promotional video from Phillips.

We do not have this type of advanced equipment which will hopefully become more common, and cheaper, in years to come.

We have a small Phillips machine that cleans the air in a room in about 30 minutes. These market for about £80 in the UK. The snag is that you cannot be in the room with them switched on because of potential damage to the eyes – if a person or a pet walk in when on it automatically shuts down.

Nevertheless, we find it useful to use in conjunction with a HEPA filters and other methods discussed in this blog. We simply plug it in before visitors arrive and then again after they have gone in order to clean the air for our own benefit.

There are also small, portable, but again expensive products on the market in the US which you can have switched on when you are present. The most popular seems to be the Nukit Torch Far UVC light which markets at about $350 for 4.

The drawback is that they are only useful it people hold them quite close to themselves. Nevertheless, people find them useful if they are going to hospital appointments for chemotherapy, for example, where they need to sit for a long period in what may be an unclean environment.

6. Masks

Despite claims that they do not work, there is conclusive evidence to the contrary and that wearing the right kind of mask can offer very substantial protection. However, there is a great deal of misinformation around.

One of the most damaging claims which received extensive coverage in the media is the Cochrane review co-ordinated by Tom Jefferson. Jefferson happens to work with the Brownstone Institute which has always been an extremely anti-mask, anti-vaxx right wing think tank”.  This was extensively reported that this study shows that face masks don’t work to the extent that many people now regard this as ‘common knowledge’. This is highly misleading as explained by the editor in chief of the Cochrane library who concludes that given the limitations in the primary evidence, ‘the review is not able to address the question of whether mask-wearing itself reduces people’s risk of contracting or spreading respiratory viruses.’ This review and its flaws is discussed further in my previous blog on Avoiding Covid.

The definitive evidence on the effectiveness of masks from Professor Trisha Greenhalgh was published in May this year and is discussed in my blog on the subject. This meta analysis demonstrates that good quality masks do work in real world settings – they need to be made of high filtration material, well fitted and the wearer needs to wear them.

Trisha concludes that the focus now needs to be on getting medical professionals, policy makers and the public to understand the benefits of good quality masks and to work towards helping people find masks that fit and are comfortable for them, and undertake further research to improve design.

I would add that we need to work to undo all the damage done by misinformation, this includes the false believe that wearing a mask only protects others, not the wearer. We also need to work to overcome the scale and type of mask abuse faced by those who wear masks face as discussed in my blog on mask abuse.

But what in practical terms is a good quality mask?

Simple cloth masks or baggy blues type surgical masks may have been appropriate in 2020 when no other types of masks were available, but the evidence suggests that a minimum of FFP2 masks (readily available and relatively cheap), or even better FFP3, should be the minimum.  Also, it is important to be aware that non valved masks are best because they help protect others around you as well as you (a valved mask  is only of benefit to you). 

There is also strong evidence that masks that go all the way around your head such as the widely available 3M Aura are more effective than an ear loop mask. They are certainly more likely to pass a fit test. I personally prefer the Netherlands manufactured Handanhy variant of this (bottom mask in photo) because I feel it gives me a better fit but they are more expensive. However, the face mask store now stocks these which has made them cheaper and easier to buy.

 Of course the ideal way to know how much protection you are getting from your mask is to do a fit test. However, fit testing kits are very expensive and rather complicated to carry out . I have not fit test in part because the type of mask I wear depends on the context and length of time I am going to be exposed. in reality I tend to avoid high risk settings for lengthy periods. If I am going to the dentists and will need to slip my mask on and off or if I am popping into a shop briefly, for example, or if I am seeing my mobile hairdresser I tend to wear a FFP2 ear loop mask since one that goes round the head is clearly going to impede her work. However, if I go on a train/bus journey or accompany my husband to a medical appointment I tend to wear a wrap round the head FFP3 Handanhy. 

In sum, FFP2 masks will be suitable for many situations outside of healthcare. These are widely used in other countries and where the minimum standard of protection when face masks were mandated on public transport in Germany, for example. This is not surprising given the strong evidence that they are many times more effective than a simple surgical mask or cloth mask. I tend to buy brands including Opharm and Rosimask (photo on the left) directly from the Face Mask store. They come in a variety of colours. I also have a Cambridge FFP2 mask which is very comfortable (photo on the right).

You can also make adjustments to make your FFP2 a safer snug fit by ensuring the metal strip at the top is pressed into place, and by using simple body tape (ladies will be familiar with this) which sticks it to the face or adjusters that you secure to the loops of the mask and run round the back of the head to secure (see photo on the right).

All of the masks that I have discussed so far contain metal. This is a problem if you are going for certain kinds of medical scans, particularly MRI scans where you are asked to remove all metal. There is a solution to this problem. Easimask make a FFP3 moulded mask which is metal free and these are available from the Face Mask Store.

Before moving on from the subject of masks I need to briefly mention nose plugs. These a small plugs that you place up your nose – see photo on the left. You need to insert them carefully  and obviously dispose of them carefully and wash your hand afterwards.

They are meant to catch the virus before it reaches up into your nose but trials have demonstrated that they are, at best, 60% effective. Nevertheless some people take the view that they are better than nothing for situations where you can’t wear a mask (eg. The dentists) or where some would feel uncomfortable wearing one eg weddings.

Personally I find them uncomfortable as they make my nostrils feel very full and I do not recommend them.

The other type of barrier method is visors ie a plastic shield that covers the face. I don not know anyone who recommends them as the sole means of protection (except my former optician!), given that Covid is airborne and can creep in underneath the visor. Indeed, they have been likened to a chocolate fire guard!

7. Nose sprays and mouthwashes

We deploy both of these methods but particularly nose sprays in combination with other measures, particularly masks. There is little to no robust evidence on their effectiveness but many people swear by them. 

There are a variety of nasal sprays on the market which fall into one of two types:

• sprays containing nitric oxide that claim to kill the Covid-19 virus whilst it is in the nostril and prevent infection entering your body through the nasal passage. The best known brand is Enovid which is not available in the UK but can be obtained quickly and easily, if expensively, from a pharmacy in Israel. I have used it in the past but unfortunately it gives me a headache. However, many people use it regularly and have great confidence in it.
• The second type of spray trade under a variety of labels including Boots Dual defence, and Vicks First defence which do not make hefty claims about killing Covid but many people claim they can shorten the duration of illness or stop it developing. Another type of spray – NoriZite does make claims that it ‘coats the nasal cavity and creates a fast, long-lasting barrier against airborne virus particles including Covid-19’. Similar sprays include Viralise and BioSURE. I am sceptical about these hefty claims but these are my favourite sprays as they do not lead to side effects for me. However, I would never use them as the only method of defence. 

As far as mouthwashes are concerned, those marked ‘CPC protect’ work on the theory that they de-activate any Covid-19 infection present in the human saliva. As far as I am aware they have not been tested in real life conditions but I tend to use it, particularly when going to the dentists, in combination with other measures. It has no side effects for me, is relatively cheap, I need to use a mouthwash and I take the view that anything is worth a try. 

Again I would never use as a sole method of protection.

8. Keeping Well

It may sound obvious, but a key way to avoid catching covid is to ensure your immune system is functioning as well as it can be in order to withstand the high levels of Covid that tend to be in circulation all year round.

People will have their own methods of keeping well and it is not appropriate to be prescriptive. Obvious things include eating as well as you can, getting enough sleep and rest, and tackling any underlying conditions that could drag your immune system down.

It is also appropriate to take particular care in winter and supplement your diet with over the counter products aimed to boost your immune system, multi vitamins, echinacea or products like Propolis Bee Health liquid if you are beginning to feel unwell.

Also keep connected including telephone calls, on-line meetings and socially distanced meetings. This is challenging for those of us trying to avoid catching the virus. Many of us have radically changed our social circle to include like minded people who are trying to keep safe. This is fine – there is nothing wrong with letting people who do not respect your need to stay safe fall by the wayside.

It is also important to do things that you enjoy doing as often as possible. For me it is: visiting the seaside; going on Covid safe holidays to rented cottages; getting out into the natural world even it it is just the local park or the garden; keeping the mind active by reading and doing voluntary work on-line; learning new skills; hobbies including painting (not willing to share my efforts here!). The potential list is endless and it does not need to be expensive.

9. Building Resilience

I am fully aware that behaviours such as practicing social distancing, wearing a mask, carrying a personal HEPA, saying no to meeting in indoor settings can attract abuse from others and is difficult for people, particularly those who are not naturally assertive or who are ill.

My impression is that these kinds of behaviours have become more common as the government, its agencies and most of the media are trying to airbrush anything to do with Covid under the carpet and pretend that everything is back to normal. See my post on mask abuse and discrimination.

Incidents I have personally witnessed or heard others talk about range from sheer rudeness in the street, laughing and pointing in the supermarket, really aggressive coughing at a person wearing a mask or even spitting or pulling the mask. There are also a range of more subtle indications of disapproval particularly around mask wearing such as shaking of heads and tutting etc.

It also seems that polite refusals to meet up can be met by ‘gaslighting’ from others, including family members and ‘friends’. Common methods include calling people stupid, having blazing arguments, telling them to ‘get a life, making them feel guilty through to very nasty psychological manipulation eg. ‘I am vulnerable as well and I do x,y, & z’.  I have even heard of this happening in general conversation where there is no intention to meet up.

The lack of respect for others and the sheer foulness of all of this is very upsetting for many people, and for many this type of behaviour seems to peak around the holiday periods and christmas time – so take care of yourselves at these times. 

Remember it is for you to judge whether something is safe or not given your own circumstances and preferences. It is completely inappropriate for others to do this judgement for you and I would say that people trying to do this are nearly always exposing their own personal inadequacies or are suffering from serious mental problems to even contemplate it. Moreover, the fact that some people are intent on doing something specific and don’t ask you a follow up question (in an appropriate tone) ‘what would be safe for you’ is a sad fact of this pandemic.

We have no way of knowing how many people who want to be careful have been bullied into taking risks they do not want to take. One hopes that it is not too many but I suspect it is quite high which is very sad given that people are effectively telling other people to place their lives or the lives of others at risk.

There are a variety of ways in which people can train themselves to be more assertive and stand up to bullying and it is closely linked to the discussion in section 8 above on keeping ourselves well. There are also on-line resources and private on-line groups of people who understand and who are happy to provide support – for example, the clinically vulnerable families group can be found on Facebook (private – apply to join) and X Twitter (open to anyone). The key point is not to suffer in silence.

Concluding Comments

I am in the fortunate position of being retired and having enough resources to buy gadgets to help to protect us. I have also recently paid £65 for a private novavax vaccination because of the crazy position that although my husband is entitled to a free spring booster, I am not despite living at close quarters with him.

I am aware that many people are in a worse position and, for example, are forced to go to workplaces without protective measures despite the dangers, have children, and also cannot afford to buy things like HEPA filters. There are no easy answers here except to say that there are measures that can be deployed relatively cheaply such as FFP2 masks, opening windows in houses, flats, cars and vans, offices etc, meeting outside, homemade HEPA’s and similar, and social distancing.

It can also feel overwhelming to many people to think that we may have to carry on like this forever, no matter how much we enjoy our current lives. I think it is important not to assume this will always be the case.

In a context where the World Health Organisation has, in August 2024, warned governments that allowing the current high levels of circulation to continue runs a big risk of something more serious emerging, my judgement is that things will eventually improve.

Change could be driven by another sudden shock to the system. Many are warning that another pandemic is on the horizon, in part due to climate change (it’s not if – but when), possibly driven by serious Covid mutations or by bird flu, for example. Whatever, such an event would likely to lead to some serious thinking and cause those in power to recognise what those in the clinically vulnerable on-line community have recognised for years, that ‘you can’t truly live with a dangerous virus by ignoring it’.

It is hoped that clean air would be at the forefront of people’s minds. If we were to implement clean air across buildings and inform that public, the impacts of any future pandemic based on an airborne virus would be very considerably lower. It is true that this would all require a considerable shift in public attitudes, but it is not impossible that people will stop grasping at comforting lies and seek out the truth.

The other possibility is that science comes to the rescue with cheaper ways of cleaning the air/or an appreciation by policy makers that implementing currently available methods would be cost effective – see my recent submission to the UK Treasury, better masks, better vaccines and treatments. The later is discussed in a recent piece by Professor Sheena Cruickshank who points to the fact that the UK is lagging behind countries such as the US and India which are at the forefront of developing better vaccines, including nasal vaccines. The new Labour government needs to tackle this.

But we are where we are at present. I hope this blog is helpful in informing readers how to avoid catching covid at the same time as leading happy, meaningful lives.

Gillian Smith, August 2024