Over the next couple of weeks I'll be sharing some posts from Marie Miguel at Better Help, which has a huge FREE resource library of health advice. Marie has been writing and researching health-related topics for nearly a decade, and she has a focus on subjects related to anxiety and depression.

How to Support Teenagers With A Mental Health Condition

Life as a teenager can be quite difficult. This is the period of time where both their minds and bodies are changing rapidly. They are starting to figure out who they are and have to navigate a complex web of school, social lives, and extracurricular activities, all while planning for their future.

However, life can become even more challenging if your teenager lives with a mental health condition. Until recently, the mental wellness of teenagers was a subject that wasn’t dealt with seriously. Even though times are changing, many adults still dismiss mental health conditions in teenagers as hormones or moodiness. However, about 49.5% of adolescents experience some sort of mental health condition, so this stigma needs to be challenged.

COVID 21st February 2022 Boris' Living With COVID Masterplan UK Briefing 

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: +38,409
Losses of Life: +15
In Hospital (Friday 18th): 11,223

A special message for anyone who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, for anyone under the age of 12, and anyone who is especially vulnerable to COVID - particularly people who will never develop good immunity, however many jabs you get, or however many times you catch COVID. YOU ARE IMPORTANT. YOU MATTER.
If anyone in my family tests positive, they'll be isolating, and avoiding you...

"Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance have been notably silent of late.
I've signed this open letter asking them what the science advice to govt was & to publish any evidence supporting that this is a good time to end self isolation & scale back testing... "
Professor Christina Pagel, indieSAGE member and Professor of Operational Research at University College London

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, has sidled his way out of giving an opinion about Boris removing legal requirement to isolate. His answer on BBC Radio 4 this morning was:
"There isn’t a right or wrong answer. If restrictions change this week or the week after, in six months’ time the number of transmission events will likely be very similar.
If we’re talking about very short-term delays when we make a decision, it really doesn’t make a huge amount of difference which week it is. So people are getting very hung up on that, it doesn’t have a huge impact.”
Erm... yeah. Clear as mud. I think basically he's saying "it's going to happen, this week isn't dramatically different from next, not going to tell you if I agree with it or not". 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 19th / 20th February 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 18,605,752 (+25,696)
Losses of Life: 160,581 (+74)
Tests: 900,352
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 52,566,648 (91.4% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd Dose: 48,871,729 (85%)
Boosted / 3rd Doses: 37,989,163 (66.1%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,265,124 cases and 6,417 losses of life.

World: 424,519,181 reported cases and 5,904,075 losses of life.

"Covid will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms.
We’ve built up strong protections against this virus over the past two years through the vaccine rollouts, tests, new treatments, and the best scientific understanding of what this virus can do.
Thanks to our successful vaccination programme and the sheer magnitude of people who have come forward to be jabbed, we are now in a position to set out our plan for living with Covid this week."
Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 16th to 18th February 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 18,546,205 (+47,685)
In Hospital Yesterday 17th Feb: 11,555
Using A Ventilator Yesterday: 331
Losses of Life: 160,379 (+158)
Tests: 900,352
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 52,551,460 (91.4% of UK aged 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd Dose: 48,839,853 (84.9%)
Boosted / 3rd Dose: 37,945,645 (66%)

Area: Cases Last 7 Days / Rate per 100,000 population
Wales: 9,511 / 300.1
Scotland: 43,350 / 793.1
Northern Ireland: 21,505 / 1,134.5
England: 304,633 / 538.7

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,265,124 (+4,795) cases and 6,417 (+15) losses of life.

World: 421,193,766 reported cases and 5,885,389 losses of life.

Guernsey has removed all remaining COVID restrictions. (We are pretty much 100% expecting Boris will remove them for England on Monday.)

Vaccination passports for large events are no longer legally mandatory in Wales from today. Venues can still choose to use them if they wish. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 14th /15th February 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 18,393,951 (+46,186)
In Hospital on Monday 14th Feb: 12,304 (DOWN from 13,793 a week earlier)
Using A Ventilator on 14th Feb: 393 (DOWN from 443 a week earlier)
Losses of Life: 159,839 (+234)
Tests: 888,781 (that's really low - potentially partly because of school holidays, but also because less people are needing to test)
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 52,522,201 (91.3% of UK aged 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd Dose: 48,777,079 (84.8%)
Boosted: 37,818,285 (65.8%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,255,571 cases and 6,291 losses of life.

World: 414,932,355 reported cases and 5,848,854 losses of life.

The Good Law Project and the Runnymede Trust have been to court this morning against the UK Government and won.
Ex Health Secretary Matt Hancock broke the law by appointing Baroness Dido Harding as 'Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection' and Mike Coupe as 'Director of Testing'. Prime Minister Boris Johnson broke the law by appointing Baroness Harding as 'Chair of Test and Trace'.
By making those 3 appointments without any competition, they breached the Public Sector Equality Duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. This legislation exists to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity in the United Kingdom.
Basically, no-one else even got a chance to apply. I've said it many times. I could have supplied an inadequate and not fit for purpose Track and Trace for far less than 36 billion British pounds. In fact, pay me 20 grand and I'll fit you one in tomorrow morning.
And what will happen now? Will they be imprisoned or penalised like any regular person?... seems unlikely. 

"It is February - yeeeay!" said hardly anyone ever... for the UK it tends to mean cold and dark, with added wet. No beautiful snow, but frozen pipes and fingers. Getting up in the dark, going home in the dark, and Christmas and New Year celebrations behind us. Even the Chinese New Year has passed, and Easter in 2022 is incredibly late. We are left waiting for Spring and hopes of sun to break us out of the gloom. 

Have some cake... 

Good news is that Spring IS coming - the first crocus are beginning to break through, and the birds are nesting. The days are getting longer, and we can begin to remember what it's like to be out and about in daylight. 

Even the longest and hardest of Winters (or most freezingly mundane and boring) will end. This year should be easier than the last. Less fear, less illness, less disruption to our lives, and maybe even a little 'normality'. We need to regain some control, and when we do, it'll give everyone a sense of wellbeing. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Weekend Update 12th and 13th February 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 18,306,859 (+41,270)
Tests: 1,041,542
Losses of Life: 159,570 (+52)
Up until Friday, 28th January, 180,033 people from the UK had COVID-19 mentioned as one of the causes on their death certificate.

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,242,806 (+6,618) cases and 6,291 losses of life.

World: 411,616,195 reported cases and 5,831,549 losses of life.

"The worst thing that could happen is that we remove things too quickly and we end up undoing a lot of the good that we've done and worked so hard for."
One of the regional NHS heads has gone politely rogue. Jillian Evans, head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, has "urged a slow and cautious move out of the existing restrictions".

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 9th, 10th and 11th February 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 18,220,515 (+58,899)
In Hospital Yesterday Thursday 10th Feb: 12,753
Using A Ventilator: 430
Losses of Life: 159,351 (+193)
Tests: 1,041,542
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 52,480,344 (91.3% of UK aged 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd Dose: 48,693,091 (84.7%)
Boosted / 3rd Doses: 37,684,442 (65.5%)

Area: Cases Last 7 Days / Rate per 100,000 population
Wales: 13,040 / 411.4
Scotland: 44,423 / 812.7
Northern Ireland: 26,495 / 1,397.8
England: 449,015 / 794

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,242,806 (+6,618) cases and 6,291 losses of life

World: 407,698,096 reported cases and 5,812,609 losses of life

The UK's Rosalind Franklin laboratory in Royal Leamington Spa has now processed over 5 million PCR tests. 

The UK has surpassed 2 million SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences uploaded to the international Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database.
(We really are truly world-beating at virus family trees.)
(GISAID was created back in 2008 to freely share the genetics of flu samples,  so that the world can prepare the most effective flu vaccines, and keep an eye on the situation. It was a perfect database for COVID. To date over 8,137,571 COVID genetic sequences have been uploaded.)

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 4th - 8th February 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 17,932,803 (+66,183)
In Hospital yesterday Monday 7th Feb: 13,793
Using A Ventilator yesterday: 443
Losses of Life: 158,677 (+314)
Tests: 1,127,178
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 52,447,403 (91.2% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd Dose: 48,617,355 (84.5%)
Boosted: 37,586,043 (65.4%)

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,224,862 (+3,780) cases and 6,228 losses of life.

World: 399,569,028 reported cases and 5,773,593 losses of life.

Boris and Sajid have announced a great plan to 'tackle England's NHS backlog'. They were going to announce it on Monday - but it was delayed until today. It's 50 pages in total, and they have published a 3 page explanatory letter - in precis here:
'This plan... sets out a clear vision for how the NHS will recover and expand elective services over the next three years. It details ambitions, guidance, and best practice to help systems address key issues, ensuring we have a service that is fit for the future.'
"A central aim is to maximise NHS capacity, supporting systems to deliver around 30 per cent more elective activity by 2024-25 than before the pandemic, after accounting for the impact of an improved care offer through system transformation, and advice and guidance."
"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is not limited to elective care, and it can be seen across mental health, primary and community care. It will be important to give these areas the same focus as elective care, and for the challenges in these areas to be tackled in unison."
Crucially, the plan has a strong focus on improving patient outcomes and their experience of NHS services.
Goals include:
- eliminating waits of over one year by March 2025
- eliminating waits of over two years by July 2022
- reducing diagnostic waiting times so 95% of patients receive tests within 6 weeks by March 2025
- at least 75% of urgent cancer referrals receive a diagnosis within 28 days by March 2024
- the 62 day backlog returned to pre-pandemic levels by March 2023
"The plan requires our collective focus to:
• Increase capacity and separate elective and urgent care provision, while freeing clinicians’ time for new patients and those with the greatest clinical need
• Prioritise diagnosis and treatment for those with suspected cancer or an urgent condition, and offering alternative locations with shorter waiting times for those waiting a long time
• Transform the way we provide elective care, including streamlined care and fewer cancellations, and more convenient access to surgical and diagnostic procedures, using digital tools and data to drive the delivery of services
• Better information and support to patients, providing personalised, accessible support to patients whilst they wait, improving outcomes and reducing inequalities in health outcomes."
Fingers crossed eh... 

COVID-19 Coronavirus UK and World News Update 2nd / 3rd February 2022

UK Daily Statistics:
Cases: 17,607,832 (+88,171)
In Hospital Wednesday 2nd Feb: 14,816
Using A Ventilator Weds 2nd Feb: 483
Losses of Life: 157,730 (+303)
Tests: 1,337,828
Vaccinations 1st Dose: 52,385,688 (91.1% of UK age 12+)
Vaccinations 2nd Dose: 48,494,414 (84.3%)
Boosted: 37,419,104 (65.1%)

Area: Cases last 7 days / Rate per 100,000 population
Wales: 17,380 / 548.3
Scotland: 24,816 / 454
Northern Ireland: 29,868 / 1,575.7
England: 605,032 / 1,069.9

Rep. Of Ireland: 1,193,156 cases and 6,228 losses of life (not yet reported today)

World: 386,369,853 reported cases and 5,722,054 losses of life.

This week's English COVID surveillance report shows:
- Case rates were highest in those aged 5 to 9, with a weekly rate of 1,925.5 per 100,000 population
- Case rates were lowest in those aged 70-79, with a weekly rate of 301.3 per 100,000 population
- case rates are highest in the South East and lowest in the North West
- the North East has the highest amount of hospital admissions
- hospital admissions are highest among those aged 75 to 84
- COVID-19 hospitalisations decreased in most age groups, though have increase slightly in those aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14

Scottish secondary school pupils will continue to wear face masks for another week at least as a mandatory measure.