Columns Fall Down, Get Up Again- a Column by John Connor As Omicron Spreads, I’m Keeping My Head Down As Omicron Spreads, I’m Keeping My Head Down by John Connor | January 7, 2022 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link I’m pretty sure that wherever you are, you’re responding the same as we all are to the ravages of the latest Bond villain, that dastardly omicron variant of the coronavirus! OK, pipe down, Kiwis. The whole world knows the extreme lengths you’ve gone to avoid a massive COVID-19 outbreak. If only London was on an island as well! Here in England, omicron has gone gangbusters. Who ya gonna call? After watching that film, I’m not sure the young “Afterlife” bunch are quite up to it. Christmas Day for us was paired down from 10 people to our core family of four. Another group of about 10 extended family members did gather, however, and about half of them got COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. One of our nieces even spent a lonely Christmas with just the virus for company. We sent a food basket to cheer her up. She had a bad headache, but felt a lot worse previously with a case of the flu. Recommended Reading December 22, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD 3 New COVID-19 Treatments Now Available to MS Patients in UK My own immune system has recovered somewhat from the ravages wrought upon it by the disease-modifying therapies Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) and Ocrevus (ocrelizumab). However, I am in the group that now qualifies for new COVID-19 therapies here in the U.K. if I am ever hospitalized due to the disease. So, what am I worried about? Well, none of us want to get COVID-19. My eldest son, George, has just spent the past month working the front of house during our madcap panto season. It’s not a small venue, either. The New Wimbledon Theatre, where he works, is about 10 miles from London’s West End theater district, although with a capacity of 1,600 seats, it is far bigger than many of those. Somehow, with enforced mask-wearing and by being careful, he has managed to avoid getting COVID-19. Itās possible that being aware of the need to protect their dear old dad (OK, maybe not so dear) has encouraged those in my core family unit to be extra careful out there. My wife, Jane, who has asthma, also is not keen on contracting the dreaded thang, either. After a few months of relatively joyous freedom, it feels like weāre now reverting back to 2020. And it seems I’m not alone in that feeling. Hey-ho. Having written that, we did take a calculated risk on Tuesday, when eight members of our family ate a ginormous meal of takeout Thai food and washed it down with lashings of prosecco. Every one of us took a COVID-19 lateral flow test that morning, even me. All obviously were negative. It was great fun. Happy New Year! *** Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ or its parent company, BioNews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis. Print This Page About the Author John Connor In the ā80s, John Connor created the first regular column about the burgeoning London stand-up scene. In 1990 he wrote a book about its effect on the Edinburgh Festival: āComics: A Decade of Comedy at the Assembly Rooms.ā That year he also devised and ran a live topical stand-up team show at The London Comedy Store, The Edge (It was destroyed in 2020!). In 2009 John was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, which cut short his main job as a TV casting director for āBlack Books,ā āMy Family,ā et al. Now, John writes āFall Down Get Up Again,ā an irreverent journey with MS. Tags COVID-19, London, new year, pandemic, U.K. Comments Pamela Reader Fun writer & totally gets it with crap pandemic.. hugs Reply John Connor Ta x Reply Chris Jackson-Smith I'm with you John! I too feel like it's March 2020. My only outing each week is a commando-style raid on my local supermarket at 10pm (it's open until midnight). I've found it to be the perfect time to avoid people, I can stagger around the shop in solitude and catch the new stock being put out! Win win ?!! Thank you for your posts, they always give me a giggle, which sometimes is SO welcome. (I don't do well in isolation, but then who does?) Keep safe and keep well too, kind regards, Chris. Reply John Connor Well, that''s another big TA x Reply Leave a comment Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published. Your Name Your Email Your Comment Post Comment
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