Becca Wilson

Word of the day is ‘huff-snuff’ (16th century): a hectoring bully or braggart.

How Clinically Vulnerable Families Were Left Behind It has now been five years since the emergence of Covid, and nearly four since Boris Johnson announced what he had dubbed ‘Freedom Day’. But for some in Clinically Vulnerable Families (CVF), true rest...

The Covid Inquiry has revealed systemic failures that left Clinically Vulnerable families unprotected during the pandemic.

Our latest update delves into these oversights and their lasting impact.

Read more:
www.clinicallyvulnerable.org/post/covid-i...

Thanks!

👤 Our first starter pack is a handy repository for all SSI Fellows on Bluesky. Connect with them at
go.bsky.app/BaXzrAh and if we've missed missed anyone, please let us know!

Brilliant thanks for putting this together the other place was my main place of engagement with the ssi community. Please add me to the list - I was in the 2016 cohort.

I am #recruiting an #infrastructure #RSE to work on #OpenSource #DataSHIELD for #FederatedAnalysis of health data. Experience in one of e.g. Linux server admin, database usage, Docker, Kubernetes

Salary: £39,105-£58,596
Duration: 1-2 yrs dependent on salary

Details: bit.ly/4ht8cUs
Closes 12 Feb.

A black cd case holding install discs for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT and Windows XP.

Showing my age 😱. Not sure why we are holding onto these, but we are somewhat nostalgic about them. Does anyone else have these? What followed after this was subsequent 15 years of #Linux. #Vintage #Retro #Microsoft #Windows95 #Windows98 #WindowsNT #WindowsXP #Windows7

I am also UK based so not sure about joining live chat, but would want to follow conversation/advice etc

Letter states: The Government understands the debilitating effect that long COVID cna have on adults and children and is committed to improving the lives of people living with the condition. As someone who has been suffering with long COVID , I understand just how debilitating it can be. Sine my appointment in July, I have held a number of meetings to look much more closely at long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrom and how we can best support people with these conditions. As of 1 April 2024 there are over 90 adult post-COVID services acros sEngland, along with an additional ten children's and young people's hubs. These services assess people with long COVID and direct them to care pathways that provide appropriate support and treatment. GPs will assess patiehnts who have COVID-19 symptoms lasting longer than four weeks and refer them to a long-COVID service where appropriate. I also appreciate Ms McConway's concerns about airborne transmision of COVID-19. [highlighted]Although not the primary mode of transmission [/highlighted], smaller particles can remain airborne for extended periods and travel further distances. Transmission may occur under certain conditions, such as in enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces and during specific aerosol generating medical procedures. This transmission mode has been implicated in some outbreak scenarios, including choir practices and indoor gatherings. Guidance has been published on transmission routes which can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/sars-cov-2-transmission-routes-and-endvironments-22-october-2020. [highlighted]In her testimony to the COVID-19 Inquiry, Dr Lisa Ritchie, NHS England's National INfection PRevention and Control LEad, reaffirmed that COVID-19 is not predominantly transmitted throug the airborne route. This position is supported by the Government [/highlighted] and

We are dismayed that the Health Secretary has utterly misinterpreted the evidence from the Inquiry. Although Ritchie restated her flawed beliefs, the evidence is overwhelming, and was presented to the Inquiry, that the primary mode of transmission of SarsCov2 is airborne.

A few months ago I tested the new @merseytravel.bsky.social level boarding trains for AccessAble & @lpoolcityregion.bsky.social . A very windy and rainy day, but the new trains are life-changing for #Wheelchair users. #Accessibility #Liverpool #Southport

www.instagram.com/reel/DE7a2vA...

DWP's consultation on disability benefit reforms unlawful, High Court rules The DWP's consultation into plans to slash billions from disability benefits has been ruled unlawful in a damning High Court ruling.

Full report here: www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

If only public health authorities gave the same level of emphasis to portable air filters as they do to handwashing…

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

In early 2020, a pandemic was spreading. The UK’s PM went on a 10 day half-term holiday during which he was uncontactable and the government went into panic mode, focusing, as Hancock related to the COVID enquiry, on buying enough body bags. 1/8

'I was an infectious disease nurse, I've never seen a crisis like the quad-demic' A retired infection control nurse says she has never known a situation in hospitals where four viruses are rife at such high levels Winter flu pressures continue to rage at hospitals across England with an average of 5,408 patients a day in hospital with flu in the first week of January, new figures show (Photo: Jeff Moore/PA) Aasma Day

🧼 “You can’t hand wash your way out of this quad-demic because it is mainly spread by what you breathe in and what you breathe out."

- Dr @evonnetcurran.bsky.social retired infection control nurse.

inews.co.uk/news/health/...

Learning lessons from the COVID pandemic…we could do SO much better. We must mitigate, vaccinate, and communicate...

Brilliant substack @independentsage.bsky.social . UK is a failure of #PublicHealth policy & messaging re #covid19 #Indoor #AirQuality and #mitigations. Not even consistent with historical practice. Real life example of the allegorical film Don't look Up. open.substack.com/pub/independ...

'My son has been hospitalised twice with Covid, I'm terrified by the quad-emic' Clinically vulnerable patients delay or cancel appointments as ‘quad-demic’ of flu, Covid, Norovirus and RSV hits hospitals

🚨 Clinically Vulnerable Families call for robust IPC measures in healthcare to reduce preventable infections and further lost lives.

inews.co.uk/news/son-hos...

When your #PIP mandatory reconsideration fails and you now have to take it to #tribunal and wonder where the #Spoons will come from. I provided my #SocialCare needs assessment as evidence of the HUMAN assistance I require for daily living. #DWP can't read the evidence 🤷‍♀️. #Disabled #Welfare

Well things have not improved this week. Visible App Stability score Mon-Friday 2, 2, 1, 2, 1 😭😭😭. Fatigue is my normal levels, only my heart rate is stupidly high 🤷‍♀️. Going to deep rest for the next 2 weeks while Uni is closed. #CFS #TM #disability #ChronicIllness #DisabledInSTEM

I've not got the arm band, but have been using the free big of the app for 2 months. 2nd month I've had less "crashes" than the first as I started to listen to the app and adjust tasks and rest breaks. but will carry on for a few more months to see if the effect continues.

I haven't actually made it into work yet! My heart rate is currently 130 BPM having done nothing except get ready this morning (over an 1.5 hours paced) and eat a banana 🤷‍♀️... I'm going to rest for 20 mins and try again.

Link to the free Visible app play.google.com/store/apps/d... - it has been helping me manage / limit fatigue crashes. It predicts what you will be like that day so you have some warning to self adjust type of tasks you do, extend rest breaks etc to counter predicted bad days. Would recommend!

Visible App output - text reads "Score 1, out of balance. Be kind to yourself today. Your body needs rest to get back to baseline. HRV lower than average and far outside it's normal range. Resting heart rate is much higher than your recent average, and is far outside of its normal range".

I'm using the free Visible pacing app to manage #CFS like symptoms (primary & secondary #fatigue for #neuroinflammatory #disability). First time i've scored lowest value for stability. Prob should take the day off sick, but got 3 meetings today 😭🤷‍♀️ #ChronicIllness #DisabledInSTEM #DisabledAcademic

Rebecca Wilson on LinkedIn: #datashield #puma #metadata #publications #research #impact #interactive… 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗘𝗟𝗗?   This summer DataSHIELD undergraduate Kathryn Ward joined the DataSHIELD research project, University of Liverpool as a…

Who uses #DataSHIELD open source software for #FederatedAnalysis with #AutomatedSDC ? Over 180 data sites, across 5 continents, over 40 international research consortia. www.linkedin.com/posts/drbecc...

Petition: Direct the UKHSA to monitor COVID infections that occur in particular settings. Ensure that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors, and reports on, the numbers of COVID infections that occur in healthcare settings through its routine surveillance programmes, and advises o...

Living in the UK?
Concerned about the lack of testing for COVID and spread of infections within hospitals?
Then support and share this petition to 'direct the @UKHSA to monitor, and report on, numbers of COVID infections that occur in healthcare settings'.
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

This is true... Most days I am fed up with the #Spoon drain that is constant self-advocacy or dealing with societal, medical & academic #Ableism. The challenge is finding creative ways to make lemonade out of lemons on the ultra rare occasion you have capacity to do something non-life critical!

#Disability is about grieving & acceptance. Acceptance was quick for me: once neurologist said spinal cord damage was permanent unlikely to improve there was nothing I could do. Grieving: 11 yrs on I still mourn the life we will never have & how hard our life is now. #ableism #TM #WheelchairUser

The other place for support is your uni's disabled staff network. My uni didn't have one when I became disabled - so we set one up. There are likely those who have experienced similar issues who have found resolution / know what the uni process is. So they can give advice, advocacy and mentorship.

There's different member categories for PhD. GTAs have paid work in their contract so are like staff. Some branches have a disability sub group to get involved in that you can learn from & get peer support. PGs are formally supported by uni's DSA team for adjustments incl those not in place yet.

No job is worth sacrificing your health - there must be a line. For UK disabled PhD students, I recommend joining the #union @ucu.org.uk. UCU can provide resources #support and #mediation with employers about #adjustments, #workload, #discrimination, #accessibility etc relating to #disability.

Is it possible to take time out/medical leave and return in a month or two? Or drop to part time for 6 months and then phase return to full time? Also do you have all your adjustments in place?