A surfing trip may be a life-changing adventure, as you travel to exotic locations and ride world-famous waves. Not only that, but it is a fantastic way to meet new people and learn about different cultures. However, you must be well prepared to have a successful surfing trip. This will allow you to get the most out of your surfing lessons, enjoy your time with other travellers and surfers, and completely immerse yourself in the culture. Here are a few pointers to help you arrange an unforgettable surfing trip:
Make an informed decision on where to go surfing.
With so many amazing surf sites to select from, it is good to start planning ahead of time. This will help you to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of visiting a specific location at a specific time of year. You may check the surf forecasts to see when the optimum conditions for good swells and consistent waves are. Also, check the surf trip in the north of Portugalwith great surfing spots on beautiful beaches.
Learn surfing
You can enrol in a beginner surf camp if you have never surfed before. Once you have gained some experience, you may either go on a solo surf trip or enrol in a surf camp for expert surfers, which will provide all of the necessary instruction to ensure that you are in the right position at the right time to catch the wave of your life. There is also one of the most inexpensive ways to visit different surf places in Germany.
Take care of your files and records.
Take your foreign passport, driver’s licence, insurance paperwork, and all information on the sites, lodgings, and contacts you want to see. Your passport should be valid for at least six months and have room for further visas if needed. Ensure you have emergency contact numbers and travel insurance available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Give a close relative or friend at home a copy of your itinerary, including trip dates and lodging information.
Make sure you have enough money.
If you run out of money, you will not be able to survive for long. Determine how much you will require daily. Also, the surf trip in the north of Portugalcan offer surfing packages to you at an affordable price. Some camps also provide daily meals, airport transportation, massages, and yoga courses, among other things. Ask the hosts what is included in the fee and how much money you will need each day.
Protect your surfboard
While in transit, keep your surfboard as safe as possible. Getting the correct style of surfboard backpack is essential for this purpose, especially if you will be transporting multiple surfboards. Choose a bag with extras that will safeguard your surfboard. Before packing the boards into your backpack, remove all wax from them. Always remember to label both the inside and outside of your luggage with all of your contact information.
Take pleasure in the companionship of other surfers.
Surf camps can be found within 500 metres or further from the beach at popular surf places in France. These camps typically include hostel-style lodging in dorms or individual rooms. Surfing equipment can also be rented from well-known camps.
Select a convenient mode of transportation.
In the United Kingdom, there are different ways to get to the surf spot, depending on your destination. Some are located near international airports and can be reached by using a public bus. Others are more difficult to reach and may necessitate the rental of a car or even a boat. If you enjoy driving along the coast and seeing distant areas while surfing as many different waves as possible, surfing road vacations are a great option.
The end line
It is critical to select the appropriate venue; if you are travelling with children; several surfing areas in Spain are good for children and acceptable for adults. This will ensure that your time with your family or friends is both memorable and enjoyable.
Podiatrists are the ones who are a medical specialist and they help people with problems that affect your feet or lower legs. So they help in providing treatment of injuries along with other complications. It also cures health issues such as diabetes and they are known as physician or the doctor of Podiatric medicine.
How they are giving treatments?
Well, every section is divided and every section has their people to treat. Podiatrists are doctors; the only thing which sets them apart is they do not give any traditional medical treatment. The best part about them is said to be that they have their own schools and professional associations. And they are the ones who has even ‘’DPM’’ (doctor of podiatric medicine) after their names instead of ‘’MD’ (medical doctor).
Podiatrists are also the ones who do surgery, prescribe drugs, and reset broken bones and order lab tests or X- rays. But those who gets confused between a podartists and orthopaedists, it is for them for their better understanding. Both have one thing in common that is they both are health specialists and they are known for offering the best treatment. So the process of studying is also the same rigours period of schooling and it is about four years of continuous hard work. But orthopedists are not the medical doctors and this is why, people get confused at. Their treatment criteria are limited and they are as follows: ankle, foot areas and surgery sort of treatment. Whereas, podiatrists are known for offering treatments like calluses, fallen arches, toenails, heel spurs and issues related to abuse or the injuries. They are better at offering treatment for these things and also with the utmost convenience.
The job of Orthopedists –
Orthopedists are surgeon and also a medical doctor and they gives treatment for the Hammer Toes, Bunions and Achilles Tendinitis and they have this nature of treating whole body and treat every little part of the body. Today health is one of the main concerns and that is why, people are taking care of themselves. But just in case, if someone is having issues in the extremities then it is the job of orthopaedists to turn their attention to the underlying bones and along with this it also includes list such as ligaments, muscles and tendons.
Those who get issues into their foot and ankle they visit to the podiatrist for taking care of their ankles and foots. Foots and ankles are the ones who carries our whole weight of body so they also need extra care from us. But no one knows what will happen and ankle and foots are even softest part if they get strained or damaged somehow then these podiatrists are the ones whom ill fix it.
See our Orthopedist for your foot condition –
Those who are having any foot and ankles issues they can surely go for Orthopedist. There are many orthopaedist available and they are here to help people with their issues.
Conditions Podiatrists Treat
So we all are humans and things happen and it also gets okay, so there is nothing like worrying too much. There are different types of doctors but to cure your foot and ankles there is a specialist and they are known for curing it. So here are the things it is able to cure and they are such as –
Fractures and Sprains – Yes, these are two most common issues which people have into their lives and podiatrists help people in treating them. It is kind of problem, which is so common and regular that people often visit with such issues when they are affected with their foot and ankles. Many athletes get involved into such issues and then they visits tot the podiatrists and they get their cure here. Actually, earlier when medical did not grow by then people used to go to only one doctor. But since advancement has developed and grew in every area and doctors started doubling the number. Then many specialists came out and podiatrists are the ones and they came for treating ankles and foot.
Diabetes – This is one of the biggest issues which have affected many lives. Majority of people suffers from the diabetes and this has become an issue with time. Actually, when anyone gets affected with diabetes then it creates a hormone and this is also called insulin. And this is one of most dangerous thing. The work of insulin helps people in digesting sugar and this diabetes can be responsible for damaging the nerves in the feet or legs. Diabetes is also responsible for creating serious complications and about 65,000 people have got affected with this. In that case, podiatrists helps people in preventing and if people gets issues.
Growing pains – This is also one of issues sometimes people has to face and sometimes feet of their child gets inward or seems flat or their toes even do not get lined up. Well, in that case, these podiatrists cures these things and helps people in getting fine. This problem is usually seen in many children and it happens at a young age and if that will not be cured. But anyone goes to the podiatrists at the right time they can cure these issues.
Heel Pain – This is also one of the most common problem people has and people are suffering from. The age is not limit now and most of the people have got affected and their heel spurs a build-up of the calcium at the bottom of the heel bone. The heel issues happen because of many reasons sometimes it happens because of ill- fitting shoes, or being overweight. So in that case these podiatrist help in the best way and it even gets cure in the right way. Heel pain is the most common issues people have. But curing it the right time is necessary otherwise people can fall into many issues. So you have options now and you can go for them to cure your ankle and feet and get the best treatment.
Why people need to visit to the podiatrists?
We all use our feet and does whole work and most of the middle aged people get indulge into this. We all have walked 75, 000 miles this problem usually happens with people. Feet needs care and if it gets fractured you can visit to the podiatrists and know when people visit –
Foot Pain
Scaling on peeling on your soles
Cracks or cuts in your skin
Thick or discoloured toenails
Growths like warts
How you can take care of yourself?
Yes, we all have our body to take care of and no one knows that people can have any problem at anytime. Life is full of challenges but since these medications have improved things have started changing and people started getting relief. Podiatrists have best cure and orthotics, padding or the physical therapy for treating the problems. They can also treat the best possible way and that is why, these medicines have been brought into the market. People are full options now and they can go and get cured from it. So you need to take care of your health and body and for that know where to visit in the hour of need.
You can go and talk to the podiatrists in the hour of issues and need and find your best cure. With time science has improved and things have started changing for people and these medicines have also made things easy for people. Earlier when science was not so improved by that time, things were not so easy. But when things are easy now people are getting so much of choice and this is how things are becoming easy and simple. People today are having much option and they can sue them pretty well to cure and give themselves the best treatment.
Winding up
Podiatrists are today standing with everyone who is looking for the right treatment for their ankles and heels. So there are so many medical stores have opened up and people can visit and look for the cure. So go and look and ask and if you ask for the things you want to know. There are many podiatrists and you can look for their numbers if you have any ankle or feet issues they are there to solve all the issues.
A pandemic happens when a disease spreads across many different countries or continents, impacting a large number of people. When you think of a pandemic, COVID-19 probably comes to mind.
However, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve also experienced another pandemic relatively recently: the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
You may be curious how these two pandemics compare with each other. Keep reading as we break down their similarities and differences below.
Quick comparison table
Before we go on to compare the two pandemics in more detail, here are some fast facts about each of them.
2009 H1N1Influenza
COVID-19
Year started – year ended
2009–2010
2020–present
Worldwide deaths
about 284,000 in the first 12 months
about 2,000,000 in the first 12 months
Virus
2009 H1N1 influenza virus
SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus
Transmission
respiratory droplets, contact with contaminated surfaces, asymptomatic spread
respiratory droplets, contact with contaminated surfaces, asymptomatic spread
Contagiousness
less contagious than COVID-19, contagious from 1 day before symptoms begin until 5 to 7 days after becoming sick
more contagious than 2009 H1N1 influenza, contagious from 2 days before symptoms begin until 10 days after testing positive
Symptoms
fever and chills, fatigue, cough, body aches and pains, headache, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, digestive symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting
similar symptoms to 2009 H1N1 influenza, but also includes loss of smell and taste
Symptom onset
sudden after 1 to 4 days
gradual after 2 to 14 days
Age group most impacted
people younger than 30
adults over age 30
Illness severity
94–98 percent mild
80 percent mild, 20 percent severe or critical
Risk factors
being 65 years or older, being younger than 5 years old, being pregnant, having certain underlying health conditions
being 65 years or older, being pregnant, having certain underlying health conditions
Complications
pneumonia, worsening of underlying health conditions, secondary bacterial infections, respiratory failure, inflammation of tissues of the heart, brain, or muscles, injury to the kidneys or liver, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis
same complications as 2009 H1N1 influenza, but also includes:
long-haul COVID-19, blood clots, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
Treatments
supportive care, FDA-approved antiviral medications like oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
supportive care, FDA-approved antiviral remdesivir (Veklury), various treatments under Emergency Use Authorization
Vaccines
several vaccines developed
several vaccines developed
There is hope ahead
Watch Lesley Stahl, Alyssa Milano, D.L. Hughley & more as they recount the past year and look ahead to the future. Watch our insightful and uplifting conversation on hope, vaccines, mental health & more.
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Similarities between the H1N1 and COVID-19 pandemics
Let’s look at some of the similarities between the 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 pandemics.
Transmission
Both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 can be transmitted in similar ways. These include:
Respiratory droplets. These are tiny droplets that are made when a person who has the virus talks, sneezes, or coughs. If you inhale these droplets, you can contract the virus.
Contaminated objects. Respiratory droplets containing virus can land on things like countertops and doorknobs. You can contract the virus by touching these things and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
It’s also possible for a person to pass both viruses when they don’t have any symptoms. This is called asymptomatic transmission.
Symptoms
Both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 are respiratory infections that share many symptoms in common. These can include:
fever and chills
fatigue
cough
body aches and pains
headache
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
digestive symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting
One symptom that’s unique to COVID-19 is loss of smell and taste.
The 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 can range from mild to severe. In both pandemics, certain groups were at an increased risk for severe illness.
Risk factors
The groups at risk for complications from 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 have significant overlap. They include:
adults aged 65 and over
pregnant people
those with certain types of underlying health conditions
Underlying health conditions that can contribute to complications include:
chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and cystic fibrosis
developmental disorders like Down syndrome
diabetes
heart disease, including heart failure or coronary artery disease
kidney disease
liver disease
neurological conditions, such as stroke and dementia
sickle cell disease
weakened immune system due to cancer treatments, HIV/AIDS, or immunosuppressive drugs
Additional high risk groups for the 2009 H1N1 influenza
Some additional groups that were at a higher riskTrusted Source for serious illness during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic included:
children under the age of 5
people under the age of 19 who were receiving long-term aspirin therapy
Additional high risk groups for COVID-19
Additionally, people with the following underlying health conditions are at a higher riskTrusted Source for severe illness from COVID-19:
hypertension
having overweight or obesity
smoking
substance use disorders
Complications
Both 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19 can lead to similar complications, including:
pneumonia
worsening of underlying health conditions
secondary bacterial infections
respiratory failure
inflammation of tissues of the heart, brain, or muscles
injury to the kidneys or liver
acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
sepsis
COVID-19 also has a few additional complications, including:
long-haul COVID
blood clots
multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
Vaccine
After the emergence of 2009 H1N1 influenza and COVID-19, efforts were quickly made to develop a vaccine.
Over the course of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, a total of fiveTrusted Source vaccines were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These vaccines were developed using the same technology that had previously been used for seasonal flu vaccines.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source, over 200 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are in development at the time of this article, with at least seven different vaccines currently in use across the globe. They use a variety of different technologies, including:
It recently occurred to me that a large number of people online are providing their opinions determining whether Octopus energy is a good energy supplier or not. Well, I thought why not hop on the train and provide my own review and throw it into the vast land of Octopus energy reviews.
Most reviews about Octopus energy have marked it as an “excellent company”. But you and I definitely need more details to make a decision. So, here’s the article you were looking for, a comprehensive Octopus energy review. Buckle your seat belts ladies and gents because we are going to cover all the different aspects of Octopus energy and determine whether it deserves the badge of an “excellent company”.
Octopus energy reviews
I have something to say, simply just throwing out the sentence, “Octopus energy service is amazing” won’t be of any use to the people. So, I promise I am not gonna do that to you guys.
I’ve decided to cater to all needs, you might be looking for energy services in a price range, or a particular range of tariffs you can choose from. So, in this article, we’ll see whether or not Octopus fits all of those needs.
Prices and Tariffs
When you take an overall look at the energy market, the tariffs of Octopus energy services stay somewhere in the middle. They provide services at pretty competitive rates but it is not the cheapest in the market.
Since the beginning of the company in 2015, Octopus has worked its way to today become completely renewable. As much as it hurts to say (just kidding) they have achieved the goal. All of the energy in Octopus comes from completely renewable sources now. It is also the 1st UK company to be completely green, this is also what its customers love the most.
The Agile tariffs that octopus energy provides, make coordination between the maximum energy usage to when energy is at its cheapest. This optimizes energy usage and saves a lot of money, such a type of tariffs has not been introduced by any other energy provider yet.
All of the creative and completely green options are absolutely amazing, but when prices hit the sky, opinions are very quick to change. But that’s surprisingly not the case when it comes to Octopus. Most of its customers and most Octopus energy reviews claim that the prices are very sensible.
When compared to other energy providers, Octopus’s prices hit the sweet spot between too high and too low. It isn’t obviously the cheapest out of and you’ll find providers that charge more than Octopus and less than it.
Customer service
Oh boy, this is it, I am literally flattered by how much of an amazing customer service Octopus has built in the 5 years it has been around. I know, you think this is turning into a brag about Octopus, but it isn’t guys. I am gonna prove to you how Octopus’s customer service is good.
One of the most vital factors that result in the success of an energy providing company is customer service. Octopus has definitely set its standards regarding customer service, at they are at the ultimate height.
On the website of Octopus, it mentions that they “provide an efficient and personalized customer service” what can I say, they are living up to what they said. In a survey conducted in the year 2018, customer service at Octopus took 2 minutes and 29 seconds to pick up the call. The number decreased to 1 minute and 14 seconds in 2019, the time decrease is absolutely wonderful. Anywhere under 1 minute and 30 seconds is unbelievable and is way too faster than the customer services of other providers.
Considering the fact that Octopus provides energy to over 1.4 million homes, 1 minute and 14 seconds to pick up the call are really very impressive. Being able to make a call to customer service and getting a quick answer as well as a quick solution is the best thing ever. Trust me guys, I am fed up with situations when there’s a problem with the power and the customer services just takes forever to pick the call up.
Let’s do a little App review
A really big sorry to the Android users, the Octopus app is used for maintaining your account if you don’t have access to a computer. The reason why I apologized to the android users is that the app is only available for iOS. This app definitely has some amazing features like a meter reader scanner, this will avoid you from having to enter the meter reading manually which is one hell of a job.
Most reviews of the Octopus app state that it is very to use but the has a 2.4/5 rating, which says it all. The main downside of this app is the fact that it has a lot of advanced features that most people can’t figure stuff out. Another aspect of concern is that the app is not available on the newer models of iPhones.
How good is complaint handling?
No matter how good the services are, there will also be a section of people that will not like your services. Even more important than how you handle love is how you handle hate. Reports show that Octopus has had 2 people out of 1000 who don’t like the services. 2 out of 1000 is really very impressive.
The energy provider rose from 600,000 consumers in March to 1 million by December. Though there has been a drastic change in numbers, the number of complaints have at a considerable range.
In the final quarter of 2018, Octopus has 1124 complaints, out of the 1124 complaints, 1022 were solved. In the year 2019, the number of complaints did end up raising dramatically because of the rise in the number of consumers. From 1124 complaints the number rose to 4559, but Octopus did end up solving most of them.
More number of customers does result in a much higher complaint rate, but Octopus is definitely working its way through solving most of the complaints.
Business energy reviews
If you didn’t know, Octopus energy does offer business tariffs for the small, medium as well as large sized businesses. Like most of the other providers, Octopus doesn’t have a separate customer service group for business, so if you are a business, you’ll receive the same extraordinary services as normal people.
The replies are quick for the domestic tariffs as well. As soon as you hear me say that the customer service is the same and equally fast, you should be able to guess that the Octopus energy reviews on their website are extremely positive.
When we talk about account management, it is also the same that means the billing is all in a digital form. So, the system is extremely easy to use as well as navigate even for businesses and normal household. Not only for normal households, but businesses are also offered 100% green energy.
When it comes to the pricing, the services are moderately priced. It just hits in a very comfortable place between being too expensive and too inexpensive. Most other competitors of Octopus do provide services at lower and higher costs than Octopus. If the price is where you want to focus more, there are other providers who provide equally as good services at a lower cost.
Is Octopus energy actually reliable?
One of the main questions in the minds of people that are looking forward to transitioning to Octopus is, is Octopus energy reliable? Here’s an answer to your question. Most of the customer reviews on Octopus state that it has accurate as well as easily understandable bills.
Many Octopus users have mentioned that they are also kept informed about the switching process. Being well aware of the switching process is really essential and something that most providers fail to offer, so on that grounds, Octopus does win some extra points.
In the surveys done in a review site called Which? Octopus energy providers have stood first among 35 energy providers in 2018 and 2019, that definitely says a lot.
My final thoughts
After looking into all of the different aspects, I would like to say that Octopus is a pretty amazing energy provider. It has great customer service, innovative tariffs, uses 100% renewable energy. What more could anyone ask for?
