COVID chat thread

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

This is a thread about COVID opinions, discussions, alerts, gripes, information, holding forths, disagreements, challenges, differing points of view on what's really what.








There also another COVID thread.
It is for the COVID sitrep where you are in your part of the world, for what you're seeing there, what you're experiencing, how you & yours are doing, offering support to & being supported by this community of ufozs-ers.

[sheddi]

I was going to put this int he "situation where you are" thread but I guess it's better here!

So on Monday, July 19, England* will have "Freedom Day"** when the majority of COVID restrictions on life will be lifted. No more mask mandates, employees encouraged to return to work, bars and clubs re-opening, and so on.

But at the same time we're in the middle of a new wave of infections. While the most vulnerable 2/3rds of the UK population are double-vaccinated, the most sociable 1/3rd aren't. Cases and hospitalisations are rising quickly, deaths less so.

I guess epidemiologists in the rest of the world will be settling into their most comfortable chairs and ordering popcorn.

It's going to be interesting.


* Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules set by devolved legislatures. It's complicated.

** So named by politicians. Public opinion remains 60/40 in favour of continuing with masks and social distancing. Personally I quite like having my air filtered (I get hayfever and it's peak season) and not having to get too close to other human beings.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

I was going to put this int he "situation where you are" thread but I guess it's better here!

So on Monday, July 19, England* will have "Freedom Day"** when the majority of COVID restrictions on life will be lifted. No more mask mandates, employees encouraged to return to work, bars and clubs re-opening, and so on.

But at the same time we're in the middle of a new wave of infections. While the most vulnerable 2/3rds of the UK population are double-vaccinated, the most sociable 1/3rd aren't.

Cases and hospitalisations are rising quickly, deaths less so.

I guess epidemiologists in the rest of the world will be settling into their most comfortable chairs and ordering popcorn.

It's going to be interesting.

Yep. Same over here.
Tuesday marks the first time a [US] state has been placed under a travel advisory since June 1
Chicago Health Commissioner: "The COVID-19 pandemic is not over." Health officials in Chicago issued a travel warning for the states of Missouri and Arkansas on Tuesday amid rising COVID-19 cases.

Although there are only two states on the list, officials noted that other states could be added if cases continue to rise, including Nevada, Louisiana, Utah and Florida.

Public opinion remains 60/40 in favour of continuing with masks and social distancing. Personally I quite like having my air filtered (I get hayfever and it's peak season) and not having to get too close to other human beings.

Personally I do too.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Preprint study from Baylor College of Medicine
- April, US
- large, open-air tent wedding
- 92 person fully vaccinated required attendees
- six guests over 50 contracted symptomatic COVID-19
- Two had gotten the vaccine from Pfizer, two had gotten the vaccine from Moderna, and two had gotten the vaccine called Covaxin
- Their infections were confirmed with lab tests and viral sequencing for the Delta variant
- One Covaxin recipient and one patient who had Pfizer in their 60s came down with more severe infections.
- The Pfizer patient was a man with no known medical conditions that increase the odds of contracting COVID-19.
- The Covaxin patient, also with no COVID-19 comorbidities, died
- All of the other patients who contracted symptomatic COVID-19 did have preconditions, including hypertension, overweight, and diabetes
- Suggesting the possibility Delta variant may pose the highest risk out of any currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, with increased transmissibility over Alpha variant and possible vaccine breakthrough.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/breakthrough-cases.html
As of July 12, 2021, more than 159 million people in the United States had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

During the same time, CDC received reports from 48 U.S. states and territories of 5,492 patients tested positive COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough infection who were hospitalized or died.

28% of the breakthrough cases that were hospitalized were asymptomatic or not hospitalized because of COVID. 26% of breakthrough cases who died were asymptomatic or did not die from COVID itself. 75% of breakthrough cases were age 65 or older.


CDC is coordinating with state and local health departments to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infections among people who received COVID-19 vaccine and identify patterns or trends.
cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/COVID-vaccine-breakthrough-case-investigations-Protocol.pdf

[sheddi]

So yesterday the Secretary of State for Health tested positive for COVID. He's double-vaccinated.

Today the Prime Minister and Chanceller of the Exchequer both get identified as contacts (no surprise there) and directed to self-isolate (there's some farce around that but it's politics and not relevant to this post). Both are double-vaccinated and PM has already survived COVID once.

But tomorrow is *still* being promoted as "Freedom Day" when England (not Scotland, Wales or NI) relaxes most of the remaining COVID restrictions. Social distancing and mask-wearing will be encouraged but not legally enforcable.

I'm ordering more FFP2 masks (N95s) ...

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

I am seeing more and more evidence that the population I live among does not understand the indoor aerosol suspension factor spread of covid. Or, for that matter, even know what aerosols are outside of something that's being sprayed by a can.

Or that a mask, were one to choose to wear one, needs to cover their mouth AND nose or wearing it is useless except to catch the heavy spit particles expelled when talking.

Many here just pull them over their mouths and breathe through their noses. Neither mitigating intake of others breath, nor preventing their breath being expelled to protect their fellow man.

Besides, many here think COVID is over for them now that they are fully vaccinated. There are at least a couple here I've heard say they haven't heard we're in another wave because of Delta. Or what the Delta variant is.

For someone with a compromised immune system this is crazy making.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

I'm ordering more FFP2 masks (N95s) ...

Yep. Just put in an order for N95s myself. (without the respirator valve)

[RoneKiln]

I am seeing more and more evidence that the population I live among does not understand the indoor aerosol suspension factor spread of covid. Or, for that matter, even know what aerosols are outside of something that's being sprayed by a can.

Or that a mask, were one to choose to wear one, needs to cover their mouth AND nose or wearing it is useless except to catch the heavy spit particles expelled when talking.

Many here just pull them over their mouths and breathe through their noses. Neither mitigating intake of others breath, nor preventing their breath being expelled to protect their fellow man.

Besides, many here think COVID is over for them now that they are fully vaccinated. There are at least a couple here I've heard say they haven't heard we're in another wave because of Delta. Or what the Delta variant is.

For someone with a compromised immune system this is crazy making.

Well, to be fair to them, the media system our society relies on for continuing education throughout adulthood mixed up the pandemic crisis education with a hybrid course on creative writing and low grade reality tv shows.

This is sort of like walking into gym class to find you're taking a pop quiz on advanced physics. We're the nerds from the math club smirking at everyone that was looking forward to playing dodgeball.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

LOL

[flybynight]

I am seeing more and more evidence that the population I live among does not understand the indoor aerosol suspension factor spread of covid. Or, for that matter, even know what aerosols are outside of something that's being sprayed by a can.

Or that a mask, were one to choose to wear one, needs to cover their mouth AND nose or wearing it is useless except to catch the heavy spit particles expelled when talking.

Many here just pull them over their mouths and breathe through their noses. Neither mitigating intake of others breath, nor preventing their breath being expelled to protect their fellow man.

Besides, many here think COVID is over for them now that they are fully vaccinated. There are at least a couple here I've heard say they haven't heard we're in another wave because of Delta. Or what the Delta variant is.

For someone with a compromised immune system this is crazy making.

Well, to be fair to them, the media system our society relies on for continuing education throughout adulthood mixed up the pandemic crisis education with a hybrid course on creative writing and low grade reality tv shows.

This is sort of like walking into gym class to find you're taking a pop quiz on advanced physics. We're the nerds from the math club smirking at everyone that was looking forward to playing dodgeball.

Just remember , the nerds from the math club usually ended up with their underwear pulled up to their  shoulders and locked inside a locker.  ( By the dodgeball players.) Hubris only takes you so far and being the smartest kid in the room is moot when you're stuck head first into the trash can

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

drat

[flybynight]

Just to be clear to what I was alluding to in my last post. In the last two weeks  since my wife and I went back to wearing masks when going to stores. I've noticed sour looks directed at us by non mask wearing shoppers. Which I guess bothers me more than it should since our wearing masks is for their benefit , as our masks do nothing to protect us

[RoneKiln]

I am seeing more and more evidence that the population I live among does not understand the indoor aerosol suspension factor spread of covid. Or, for that matter, even know what aerosols are outside of something that's being sprayed by a can.

Or that a mask, were one to choose to wear one, needs to cover their mouth AND nose or wearing it is useless except to catch the heavy spit particles expelled when talking.

Many here just pull them over their mouths and breathe through their noses. Neither mitigating intake of others breath, nor preventing their breath being expelled to protect their fellow man.

Besides, many here think COVID is over for them now that they are fully vaccinated. There are at least a couple here I've heard say they haven't heard we're in another wave because of Delta. Or what the Delta variant is.

For someone with a compromised immune system this is crazy making.

Well, to be fair to them, the media system our society relies on for continuing education throughout adulthood mixed up the pandemic crisis education with a hybrid course on creative writing and low grade reality tv shows.

This is sort of like walking into gym class to find you're taking a pop quiz on advanced physics. We're the nerds from the math club smirking at everyone that was looking forward to playing dodgeball.

Just remember , the nerds from the math club usually ended up with their underwear pulled up to their  shoulders and locked inside a locker.  ( By the dodgeball players.) Hubris only takes you so far and being the smartest kid in the room is moot when you're stuck head first into the trash can

Then they became the successful software engineers as adults. 

I'm really trying to advocate for some empathy for everyone that doesn't follow the news closely or gave up trying to keep up with the insanity in the corporate entertainment media. A lot of people were set up to fail. Yes, people can overcome that, but it doesn't seem the norm.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Forbes
Some May Be Getting Covid-19 Vaccines In Disguise To Hide Vaccination Status

Apparently some people who want to get vaccinated against Covid-19 may be facing high school-type peer pressure or even bullying.

Priscilla Frase, MD, the chief medical information officer for Ozarks Healthcare, described how her patients said they actually had to don disguises while getting vaccinated so that their family members and peers wouldn't find out.  They've turned getting vaccinated and taking Covid-19 precautions into us versus them cliques.

[flybynight]

I have a malignant fear that the entire covid pandemic is not the result of a lab leak, or unfortunate coincidence. But that it is a biological weapon attack by a nation with little regard for human life in a gamble for world domination without engaging in a protracted and possibly nuclear war

[Tony D Tiger]

I have a malignant fear that the entire covid pandemic is not the result of a lab leak, or unfortunate coincidence. But that it is a biological weapon attack by a nation with little regard for human life in a gamble for world domination without engaging in a protracted and possibly nuclear war

More of a calculated risk than gambling - but only if it had been genetically designed to attack sub-species within the human race.
So maybe a lab leak of an incomplete design?

[flybynight]

I have a malignant fear that the entire covid pandemic is not the result of a lab leak, or unfortunate coincidence. But that it is a biological weapon attack by a nation with little regard for human life in a gamble for world domination without engaging in a protracted and possibly nuclear war

More of a calculated risk than gambling - but only if it had been genetically designed to attack sub-species within the human race.
So maybe a lab leak of an incomplete design?

What need for a  sub species specific pathogen? When a government views people as only a resource to ensure their control and power. Sub species  would matter little to them. 

[lurkedthere]

There is some bollocks being spouted in this thread.

[RoneKiln]

I think it's very understandable to have fears on the borderline of rationality, and sometimes those fears prove more relevant than we ever imagined. I don't think there's anything wrong with being able to discuss and face those fears.

In this mode of communication, it's very easy for responsible discussion of those concerns to drift off into less constructive discussions. Or discussions that may be constructive for regulars that know and trust one another, but not so constructive for those that casually drop into the forum from time to time.

Let's please be careful to keep in mind that while most of us are fair decent acquaintances that can give one another a lot of lattitude, we're also on a semipublic platform geared towards helping others prepare for the trials and tribulations of life.