COVID chat thread

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Please do if you find that time and the desire to write it lines up. It sounds interesting, more than that, important.

You're talking about a paradigm shift, right?

Were my research posts what made it return to mind? If so, and if there was flaw in the data, sources, or it was skewed in a way I didn't recognize, it is in my best interest to be better informed.

[RoneKiln]

Please do if you find that time and the desire to write it lines up. It sounds interesting, more than that, important.

You're talking about a paradigm shift, right?

Were my research posts what made it return to mind? If so, and if there was flaw in the data, sources, or it was skewed in a way I didn't recognize, it is in my best interest to be better informed.

No, I didn't in any way intend to imply there was anything wrong with any of the studies you posted. Many of us in the last year or two have lamented the sensationalism and politicizing of this pandemic and the concept of 4th/5th generation warfare has often been on my mind. I saw what appears to me another peak in the media hysteria this last week and I thought it better to post something lazy than nothing at all.

I also don't think the current cultural problems in the US are going to improve soon. I think our cultural issues will continue to heavily influence medical/health research, reporting, and policy.

[flybynight]

One in 5,000: The Real Chances of a Breakthrough Infection




https://www.yahoo.com/news/one-5-000-real-chances-183201138.html

[Crosscut]

https://nationalfile.com/doctor-wants-to-be-scary-to-the-public-and-inflate-covid-numbers-if-you-dont-get-vaccinated-you-know-youre-going-to-die/

After the first speaker seems to answer a question about how COVID-19 patient counts are determined and shared with the public, MacDonald responds, "I guess my feeling at this point in time is, maybe we need to be completely a little bit more scary to the public." She then introduces her idea to inflate the total number of COVID-19 patients by counting patients who recovered. "There are many people still hospitalized that we're considering post-COVID, but they're not counted in those numbers," Rudyk explains, "So how do we include those post-COVID people in the numbers of the patients we have in the hospital?"

At this point Fisher, apparently confused, asks Rudyk to clarify if she is suggesting the hospital release the total number of patients treated at the hospital "since the beginning of COVID," which Rudyk says is an even better idea.

"That's better still, and that's something that I can take to someone else, but I think those are important numbers. The patients that are still in the hospital, that are off the COVID floor, but still are occupying the hospital for a variety of reasons," said Rudyk, before a male doctor interrupted to inform her that those patients are considered "recovered."

Still she persists: "I think that that needs to be highlighted as well, because once you're off isolation you drop from the COVID numbers, that's exactly right." The male doctor agreed, "Carolyn, we can talk offline about how we run that up to marketing," before being cut off by Rudyk.

"So I just want to say we have to be more blunt, we have to be more forceful, we have to see something coming out: 'If you don't get vaccinated, you know you're going to die,'" Rudyk said, laughing. "I mean let's just be really blunt with these people."

Lies, damn lies, and statistics with a healthy dose of fear, uncertainty, and doubt mixed in.

[flybynight]

Evidence of 'superhuman' immunity to COVID-19
   It's being dubbed 'superhuman immunity'. new research shows some people may have a significantly higher level of immunity to COVID-19 that could even protect them from future pandemics.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/evidence-superhuman-immunity-covid-19-092149813.html

[flybynight]

Is this the last major wave ?

New COVID-19 cases are now falling across most of the country, and experts predict that the U.S. pandemic may finally be starting to peter out.


https://news.yahoo.com/the-last-major-wave-of-infection-do-falling-covid-cases-signal-the-end-of-the-us-pandemic-203343478.html

[Mr. E. Monkey]

One in 5,000: The Real Chances of a Breakthrough Infection




https://www.yahoo.com/news/one-5-000-real-chances-183201138.html

Ooh, lucky me! 

[Lambykins]

We just had our last wave of ATV and *leaf peeper* tourists.
Our numbers went WAY up, despite having some of the highest vaccination rates in the country.
Now, hunting season is upon us.
In the meantime, I know EIGHT people (one a co-worker) that tested positive over the last 7 days.
Go home people.
Just stop it.
Missing grouse or pheasant season will not destroy your life.
Same for when deer season hits or moose, bear, etc.
Just STOP.

We have a 12 bed hospital. You will be transported to Dartmouth or Manchester. That's over two hours.
If they are overloaded (which happens to be the case right now), you'll travel down to Concord. Another 30 to 45 minutes.

I'm just so tired of the whole damn thing.

[RoneKiln]

I just looked at my county dashboard and it's pretty nonsensical. There's an insane disparity in numbers depending on whether your break it down by age vs region.

According to the breakdown by age, half the population in the county caught it in the last two weeks (it specifies new cases, not cumulative). I suspect someone screwed up the number scale on the Y axis of the graph. Cause I'm not hearing of any outbreaks.

According to the breakdown by region of the county, the average flu season is far more of an issue than Covid has been recently. We're in double digits over the last two weeks combined.

So my region is somewhere between a few dozen and tens of thousands for new cases. 

Over 80% of the adult population is at least partially vacccinated. Over 70% is fully vaccinated.

Nearly 60% of kids 12 to 18 are vaccinated.

Given our high vaccination rate, actual cases could potentially be far higher than the breakdown by region indicates, but people may not be showing enough symptoms to be tested.

Emergency rooms and intensive care units have regularly been running at or beyond capacity in my region for over two decades. So I don't know what to make of claims of overwhelmed medical systems during covid. I always assumed overwhelmed emergency rooms was normal. Obviously a pandemic would overwhelm them even more, but I don't hear anything that conveys how much more.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Is this the last major wave?

That would be lovely. Though I think this will not prove to be the case. I will be happy if I am wrong.

We are in a journey with this variant, here and around the world. And I don't think we should be surprised to see continuing pop-up outbreaks into 2022 because this variant is going to do what it does expertly: Seek out and dig into any purchase and advantage it can find. And we as humans, unfortunately,  are going to continue doing what we do.

The reported cases will go down where they were high, precautions will be relaxed, a period of relative quiet will follow while delta is free to continue hunting. Then another wave of pop-up breakouts will begin. Repeat.

It's all happened before... numerous times with this variant.

And the holidays are coming.  So, basically, we're going to continue to screw ourselves because that's what we've done for going on 20 months. And feed ourselves to the variant, this one, or who knows what's coming in it's wake.

I will be grateful if this does not prove to be the case.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

The reported cases will go down where they were high, precautions will be relaxed, a period of relative quiet will follow while delta is free to continue hunting. Then another wave of pop-up breakouts will begin. Repeat.

It's all happened before... numerous times with this variant.

Frakking toasters.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

The reported cases will go down where they were high, precautions will be relaxed, a period of relative quiet will follow while delta is free to continue hunting. Then another wave of pop-up breakouts will begin. Repeat.

It's all happened before... numerous times with this variant.

Frakking toasters.

👍 nuBSG
picture: Starbuck

[RoneKiln]

The reported cases will go down where they were high, precautions will be relaxed, a period of relative quiet will follow while delta is free to continue hunting. Then another wave of pop-up breakouts will begin. Repeat.

It's all happened before... numerous times with this variant.

Frakking toasters.

This is why we put up with the feces throwing.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

This is why we put up with the feces throwing.

The feces throwing has happened before, and will happen again, too.   


In all seriousness, as much as I just had to drop the reference there, because it fit so well, I'm really not sure I like that it fits, you know?  It does not leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. 

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

This is why we put up with the feces throwing.

The feces throwing has happened before, and will happen again, too.   

In all seriousness, as much as I just had to drop the reference there, because it fit so well, I'm really not sure I like that it fits, you know?  It does not leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. 

Me either.

ZS thread, 'Delta variant B.1.617.2', Sat May 15, 2021 1:38 am, OP, Ever

"This variant from India, B.1.617.2, gives me the same growing anxiety I remember having when I began following the unknown pneumonia in Wuhan....
(I'm having a bad feeling about this one)"

[Crosscut]

Ten states file suit against the White House's vaccine mandate for federal contractors, https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MTAG/2021/10/29/file_attachments/1980934/2021-10-29%20-%20States%20v.%20Biden%20-%20Federal%20Contractor%20Vaccine%20Mandate%20-%20Complaint%20-%20Final.pdf

Through Executive Order 14042, President Biden has arrogated to the Executive Branch the  unilateral  power  to  mandate  that  all  employees  of  federal  contractors  be  vaccinated.    This power grab is sweeping in its scope.  Employees of federal contractors constitute one-fifth of the total U.S. workforce.  And the mandate goes so far as to demand vaccination even from employees who work entirely within their own home.  That is unconstitutional, unlawful, and unwise.

[flybynight]

  So a federal  research facility in my AO began contacting their  contractor  companies about this.  That they had to be a fully vaccinated  or would not be allowed into the facility.  The first company to respond was a Swiss based  company that services their autoclave equipment . The company responded that since they are not  American owned   , they will not comply with the mandate. The research facility contacted higher ups who then said only the technicians who enter the facility have to be vaccinated. The Swiss company responded. We do not force employees to be vaccinated.  We consider this to be a termination of our contract by you .  Contact us if your requirement to work at your facility changes and we will renegotiate the contract. 
   Nothing like making it easier for a company to charge more

KSU is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 9th. 3/4 quarters of said employees are under contract . Meaning if they are terminated in December. They still get paid until June.

[RoneKiln]

I think I ate something that disagreed with me last night and had some stomach issues. Shortly after that one of my crew texts me to warn me they tested positive for covid. Luckily their symptoms are akin to having a cold amd not serious. One of my other crew had thought she might have caught that "cold" before the test result came in and was already thinking of taking today off to be safe.

So my whole department is shut down today and I helped coordinate where we could get tested.

My boss notifies HR and HR says even if I test negative, I'm not allowed in the office for 10 days. That seems extreme and I'm a bit pissed off.

I don't think I have any symptoms today, but I went rock climbing Saturday and regularly have allergies this time of year. So I have some soreness and congestion issues. Which I think I should have anyway. In fact, for the climbing I did Saturday, I should be more sore than I am. So I think I'm good.

Looks like I get a week and a half vacation.

[RoneKiln]

I tested negative for covid after a few lazy days off and my boss had a very firm discussion with HR to get me back in the office. I've always had a great boss but he's already sick of trying to cover my work. So I have to go back to work tomorrow.

[airballrad]

My 11-year-old gets her first vaccine shot on Sunday. She is the last member of the household to become eligible, and we have all been pretty careful the past 20 months for her sake since she has previously been hit hard by flu and other bugs with similar symptoms. The concern is that her recovery time and/or long-term effects will be pretty bad.

Looking forward to getting that weight lifted.