Medical Centre

  My gran has had both her jabs. Once lockdown has ended, can I go and see her? Once lockdown ends and the prohibition on people from different households mixing indoors stops, including for the clinically extremely vulnerable, you would be able to visit your grandmother. However, it may be some time before this happens.   I’ve been shielding on my own. Once I’ve had the vaccine will I be able to form a bubble with other family members? You would need to continue to follow any lockdown rules that are in place in your local area even after you have had two doses of the vaccine.   I’ve had my first vaccine - can I hug my grandchildren? One vaccination offers only partial protection. Two vaccinations are needed for maximum protection. Even after receiving two doses of vaccine, you would still need to follow any lockdown rules that were in place in your local area.   Can my employer force me to get vaccinated? It’s unlikely that employers could force ...

2020 was a difficult year for many people all over the world (if only we had the benefit 20-20 hindsight at the start of the year). Here is a list of 10 developments I would like to see in 2021. A much better government response to the Covid-19 pandemic with interventions introduced at the right time and correct scale. A rapid rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme so that target groups such as older people, those with long-term health problems, NHS staff and other key workers such as teachers and people working in high-risk occupations can be protected. Awareness that the Covid-19 pandemic must be ended globally, not just in richer countries, and ensuring that people across the globe have access to the vaccines that will be introduced in 2021. Better government policies to address key health challenges and risk factors for poor health such as poor diets, lack of exercise, and obesity; along with the wider determinants of health such as housing, education, poverty, and employmen...

In an article published in the British Medical Journal , we discuss returning to physical activity after a Covid-19 infection. A risk-stratification approach can help maximise safety and mitigate risks, and several factors need to be taken into account. First, is the person physically ready to return to activity? In the natural course of Covid-19, deterioration signifying severe infection often occurs at around a week from symptom onset. Therefore, consensus agreement is that a return to exercise or sporting activity should only occur after an asymptomatic period of at least seven days, and it would be pragmatic to apply this to any strenuous physical activity. English and Scottish Institute of Sport guidance suggests that, before re-initiation of sport for athletes, activities of daily living should be easily achievable and the person able to walk 500 metres on the flat without feeling excessive fatigue or breathlessness. However, we recommend considering the person’s pre-illness ...