I'll start with my apology,  the smiles are a day late, and that's because I was stressing over an important hospital appointment this morning, and I just couldn't get into the headspace for writing anything yesterday. I guess we all have those days, even me, and I don't think allowing yourself to let go a little if you can is losing. I think it's protecting your own mental health.
Thankfully my appointment went swimmingly, and in 3 months I should have an idea of when I'll have some pretty major surgery. And crikey, the surgeon is the nicest bloke. I could have hugged him - so there are plenty of smiles from me today. 

Annoyingly I then got home to discover my Internet had the power of a baby's breath, and uploading photos wasn't happening, or this post would have been live many hours earlier... 

There are thankfully many smiles from you guys - we had loads over the last month - including all of those children in shiny shoes and new oversized uniforms, ready to go back to in-person school. Full of anticipation and nerves, especially when the school is new to them. You can also see Summer turning to Autumn over the last month, the blue is less, and the orange is creeping in...

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 15th/16th September 2021

A note about today's figures:
"Because of a technical issue affecting the availability of data, there has been no update to cases, testing and vaccinations for Scotland. Therefore newly reported numbers for the UK include England, Northern Ireland and Wales only."
(That means tomorrow's numbers for the UK are likely to be artificially high.)

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,339,009 (+26,911)
In Hospital Weds 15th: 8,339
Using A Ventilator Weds 15th: 1,081
Losses of Life: 134,805 (+158)
Tests: 1,084,585
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,503,181 (89.2% of UK aged 16+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,229,777 (81.4%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 371,301 (+1,413) cases and 5,179 losses of life.

World: 227,512,652 reported cases and 4,677,473 losses of life.

There's not masses of COVID news today... the UK and a lot of the world press seems a bit distracted by the new AUKUS (Australia, UK, US) defence treaty announcement...

Today, 282 days after the first person in the UK was given the AstraZeneca jab, the NHS delivered their first booster dose.
All frontline NHS and social care staff, anyone aged 50 and over, people under 50 with health conditions that put them at risk of severe COVID, and 'adult household contacts of severely immunosuppressed people' should all receive an invitation in due course - around 8 months after your 2nd vaccine dose (a minimum of 6 months after).

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update and COVID Response: Autumn And Winter Plan UK Briefing 13th / 14th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,282,810 (+26,628)
In Hospital on Monday 13th: 8,413
Using A Ventilator on Monday 13th: 1,056
Losses of Life: 134,446 (+185)
Tests: 1,043,118
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,458,700 (89.2% of UK 16+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 44,108,746 (81.2%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 367,536 cases and 5,155 losses of life (not yet reported today)

World: 226,367,764 reported cases and 4,657,189 losses of life.

"You have to take it as it comes. I think anybody that can say, with confidence, they know how this is going to work over the next few months, has not fully understood, I think, the range of possible ways this could happen."
Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England. 

UK (are vaccinating kids 12+) Briefing 13th September 2021

I don't usually write up the scientific and data briefings specially, but this is a biggie - it's important even if you don't have secondary aged children.

Today's briefing was with:
Chris Whitty, - Chief Medical Officer for England
Dr Gregor Smith - CMO for Scotland
Dr Frank Atherton - CMO for Wales
Sir Michael McBride - CMO for Ireland
Dr June Raine, MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency)
Prof Wei Shen Lim, JVCI (Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation)

Chris explains this is a difficult decision, and the first principle of medicine is balancing risk and benefit.

 

This decision started with the MHRA approving both Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines as safe and effective for age 12+.
(They found it to be as effective in children 12-15 as in adults, with a clear result after only 1 dose. The safety matched that of young adults.)

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 11th / 12th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,226,276 (+29,173)
Losses of Life: 134,200 (+56)
Tests: 1,241,334
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,422,588 (89.1% of UK 16+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 43,991,875 (80.9%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 365,313 cases and 5,155 losses of life (not yet reported today).

World: 225,307,666 reported cases and 4,641,812 losses of life.

The UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on telly this morning that England WILL NOT be going ahead with the vaccine passport scheme. This is mere days after Nicola announced Scotland WILL be having a scheme, and she's really arguing with Boris right now, so I wouldn't like to guess on the complete list of motivations.
That said, Nicola has generally been less cavalier with her population's wellbeing throughout.
So, as it stands at the moment, from next month in England, you won't have to prove vaccination status to enter a nightclub or book a festival ticket, but in Scotland, and for any other establishment or event which decides they require it, you will.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 10th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,168,806 (+37,622)
In Hospital on Wednesday 9th: 8,098
Using A Ventilator on Wednesday 9th: 1,060
Losses of Life: 133,988 (+147)
Tests: 1,241,334
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,370,340 (89% of UK aged 16+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 43,805,608 (80.6%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 362,228 cases and 5,155 losses of life.

World: 224,269,097 reported cases and 4,624,307 losses of life.

The UK's JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) are due to make a final decision on Booster Jabs any day now.
Although the UK seems to be swimming in vaccines, we are limited. We have to ensure we have enough for everyone who is entitled, and it has to be fair.
We recently signed a deal for 35m Pfizer, which could offer boosters in a different flavour to everyone over 50, or vaccinate schoolchildren, and boosters for more vulnerable people could be AstraZeneca. These sort of decisions go on behind closed doors all the time - which is exactly why the independent SAGE collective started - they wanted to discuss options and plans openly in front of the public. Don't forget the indieSAGE group contains members of the UK Government's actual SAGE panel. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 8th / 9th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,132,072 (+38,013)
In Hospital on Weds 8th Sept: 8,085 (Up from 7,596 a week earlier, which is actually a slightly slower increase than the previous week).
Using A Ventilator on Weds 8th Sept: 1,060 (Up from 1,030 a week earlier - again, a slower increase this week than last week. Fingers crossed).
Losses of Life: 133,841 (+167)
Tests: 1,254,874
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,344,566 (88.9% of UK adults 16+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 43,708,906 (80.4%)

Cases by nation in the last 7 days:
Area: Cases / Rate per 100,000 population
Wales: 16,273 / 513.4
Scotland: 43,950 / 804.1
Northern Ireland: 10,073 / 531.4
England: 186,998 / 330.7

Rep. Of Ireland: 360,957 cases and 5,155 losses of life (not yet reported today).

World: 223,720,246 reported cases and 4,614,250 losses of life. 

"After all this time, this still has to be said. Head. Desk.
Also more clarification is needed. Indeed SARS-CoV-2 is not one of the 4 coronaviruses that cause common colds, but the majority of common colds are caused by rhinoviruses, which are from a totally different family."
Dr Angela Rasmussen of the Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security, responding a hoax which is doing the rounds right now.
No, COVID is not the same virus as the common cold - built in a similar way, but like polar bears and sloths, not actually the same. You all knew that already though.

This month I'm sharing some posts from Maria Miguel at Better Help, where you can find a huge FREE resource library of advice for all kinds of mental health niggles and problems. Today, it's sleep. We raised 7 children, and even though I'm one of the softest parents you might find, I have always insisted on a regular bedtime routine. It's for my own sanity at least as much as theirs... 

 Should You Enforce a Sleep Schedule for Your Kids?

There are many reasons a parent may want to enforce a bedtime on their children; there are just as many reasons for families to do away with the practice. However, for certain age groups and households, a regular bedtime routine can benefit your children’s mental health, lifestyle developments, and sleep quality. Here are some benefits of creating a sleep schedule and tips to ensure it’s the right move for you and your family.

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 6th / 7th September 2021

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 7,056,106 (+37,489)
In Hospital yesterday: 7,976 (UP from 7,015 ten days earlier)
Using A Ventilator yesterday: 1,062 (UP from 988 ten days earlier)
Losses of Life: 133,483 (+209)
Tests: 1,346,631
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 48,292,811 (88.8% of UK popn. age 16+)
Vaccinations Fully Vaxxed: 43,535,098 (80.1%)
According to the ONS, up until Friday 27th August, 156,888 people had COVID listed as a cause of death.

Rep. Of Ireland: 359,420 (+1,465) cases and 5,112 losses of life.

World: 222,266,621 reported cases and 4,593,633 losses of life.

Congratulations to Boris, Matt, Rishi, Dominic and everyone else who is ultimately responsible for the UK's handling of COVID. The UK has recorded over 7 million official cases - and this is probably somewhere between one and two thirds of the true figure.
Award yourself a hearty slap on the back (face).
This is only officially beaten by the USA (population 331m), India (population1,396m), Brazil (population 214m) and Russia (population 146m).
It may well in reality be matched by a few other poorer countries... 

This month I'm sharing some tips from the experts over at Better Help, where you can find a huge FREE library of advice that anyone can access. This post is written by Marie Miguel, who has been covering health related topics for over a decade, and something very important to my own family. 

How to Effectively Express Your Love to a Teenager

There’s a notorious stigma that after becoming a teenager, we start to disconnect from our parents and their affection. However, this isn’t necessarily true and it’s important for parents to avoid leaning into this stereotype. Instead of using affection as a tool for teasing or withholding it because they seem “too old”, recognise changes and make adjustments to the way you express your love for your children.