Reader’s letter: Stay safe out there, we’re not back to normal yet

The World Health Organisation recently stated that Britain is one of the few countries that has relaxed sensible covid precautions much too soon, causing a dangerous rapid spread of the disease.

Doctors have warned against this. Some European countries are now reinstating mask wearing indoors and social distancing.

For the Eastbourne NHS Parliamentary Awards I am nominating posthumously the six Eastbourne District General Hospital staff who the Herald reported last year had died from covid.

Also the many hospital and community staff who have been off sick for months with long covid, suffering from a range of debilitating physical and neurological symptoms. One neurologist has compared this to ageing 10 years.

Eastbourne Hospital is on its highest alert ever due to the sharp increase in numbers of patients and staff suffering and off sick with covid. In the last seven days, as reported last Monday, covid patients in local hospitals have increased by six per cent to 231. Nurses, carers and patients in the community are suffering and struggling even more.

Nationally, covid deaths have increased in seven days by 27 per cent to 998.

In the last three weeks, two friends have fallen and fractured leg bones severely.

One had to wait in pain for an ambulance for one-and-a-half hours, another waited for four hours.

The UK Parliament website reports that people with mild infections of the Omicron variant may go on to develop more serious illnesses.

There are reports from medical sources of increased incidence of blood clotting diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Vaccines have been shown to provide some protection from this. Many companies are also struggling economically with too many staff off sick at once.

Stay safe and protect each other. We are not back to normal.

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