daily COVID sitrep where you are

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Good points, both of you. 

🙃 Plus, my bad. I can see I need to work a bit harder on conveying my typed humor as, you know, humor. 🙃  (the Drat didn't cut it did it. Well, drat Rats.)  <I typed while LOL>

On the other hand I don't feel like I've got a target on my back anymore for that horrid hospital covid demise now that I've been vaccinated. 🎈🎉🎈

[CG]

Our local hospital has apparently requested a tent.

A few more people wearing masks.

I'm just about to the point where I'm going to decide that it's so much more a matter of when instead of if that I might as well just worry about strengthening my immune system instead of trying to prevent it.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

^^^ I know that feeling.

September 1, 2021
Kansas

My county:
First day K-12 school began: Aug. 17th.
First day at University the following week sometime.
Here are the stats from Aug. 18th:

My county's 14 day rolling average:
- ↘ Average daily case count. 33.07
- ↘ Average positive rate. 4.2%
- ⬇ Current active cases. 682
-  ↔ Current hospitalized. 17 (out of 24 ICU beds)
- ↗ Total deceased 90
- ↘ Incidence rate per 100,000... 384.90

They've been mostly hovering± during the following two weeks. (Yes, I've been counting 🙂 )
Monday Aug. 30th things still looking optimistic.

- ↘ Average daily case count. 30.43
- ↘ Average positive rate. 3.2%
- ↘ Current active cases. 672
- ⬆ Current hospitalized. 14 (out of 24 ICU beds)
- ↔ Total deceased 91
- ↘ Incidence rate per 100,000... 354.14

Today we're seeing a bit of a shift. I do prefer our way of 14 day rolling average over the seven day one to better incorporate late/incomplete data and prevent jumps that tomorrow could be explained as a bulk drop.

And today is the beginning data of the two weeks since back to school - close quarters - transmission - incubation period showing up in the reports.

Which fingers crossed will hold even a shift or two.

And today we're seeing a shift.
Wednesday September 1, 2021
My county's 14 day rolling average:
- ↗ Average daily case count. 33.43
- ⬆ Average positive rate. 4.0%
- ↗ Current active cases. 710
- ↔ Current hospitalized. 14 (out of 24 ICU beds)
- ↗ Total deceased 92
- ⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000... 389.16

Plus, this coming weekend, another national gathering holiday, Labor Day. The last big summer hurrah.

Then we start counting again. Close quarters party party party - transmission - incubation - stats.

Two weeks.

Hurrah!

[lurkedthere]

BBC News - Coronavirus vaccines cut risk of long Covid, study finds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58410354

Being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 not only cuts the risk of catching it, but also of an infection turning into long Covid, research led by King's College London suggests.

It shows that in the minority of people who get Covid despite two jabs, the odds of developing symptoms lasting longer than four weeks are cut by 50%.

Has a link to the Lancet paper

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

BBC News - Coronavirus vaccines cut risk of long Covid, study finds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58410354

Being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 not only cuts the risk of catching it, but also of an infection turning into long Covid, research led by King's College London suggests.

It shows that in the minority of people who get Covid despite two jabs, the odds of developing symptoms lasting longer than four weeks are cut by 50%.

Has a link to the Lancet paper

lurkedthere

Just the news I been wanting to learn about: Fully vaccinated->breakthrough->Long Hauler

Lead researcher, Dr Claire Steves: "In terms of the burden of long Covid, it is good news that our research has found that having a double vaccination significantly reduces the risk of both catching the virus and if you do, developing long-standing symptoms."

And the Brits score again!!!

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

September 1, 2021
Kansas
my county

150 new COVID cases reported in my county in past two days.

My county's Public Health leaders have said they would start advocating for a countywide mask mandate if more than 50 new cases per day were being added in the community, using the 14-day moving average.

About a third of Kansas nursing homes have fewer than half of their health care workers vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to data released by the state.

Just four of the more than 300 federally licensed nursing homes are meeting Kansas' goal for 90% of health care workers vaccinated against COVID-19, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services and Kansas Department of Health and Environment data shows.

The Kansas City Star reported that 215 ICU beds in the region were in use last week — the most since the onset of the pandemic — and that number has grown almost every day since.

In addition to the rising number of cases, health care workers blame the severity of the illnesses, staffing shortages and the refusal of so many to get vaccinated for the challenges hospitals are now facing.

Kansas City-area hospitals have had to transfer patients, both with and without COVID-19, as far away as Chicago and Oklahoma City.

Allison Edwards, a doctor and the owner of a small direct primary care clinic in Midtown Kansas City:
"I don't even know how to begin to ration care. How do you start to make these decisions of where to put your priorities when business as usual can't happen?"

And..

Landing in the hospital here with COVID-19 is getting way more expensive. Easily thousands more dollars now than earlier in the pandemic.

"Insurers were voluntarily waiving deductibles and copays," said Krutika Amin, a researcher at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "The environment has shifted with the safe and highly effective vaccines that are now widely available."

(I must point out the children 12 and under are still inelligible to be vaccinated and in classrooms five days a week, in many school systems against contagion mitigation)

Also...

Watch out for surprise billing, even though Congress tried to rein it in.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

Welp.  I can add my number to our local cases.  Yay.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Welp.  I can add my number to our local cases.  Yay.

ohhh wtf.

Mr. E., am quite sorry to hear this.

How are you feeling?

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

I was informed yesterday that I may have been exposed.  My boss' daughter tested positive,

8 days from your exposure, to your post?

[Mr. E. Monkey]

I was informed yesterday that I may have been exposed.  My boss' daughter tested positive,

8 days from your exposure, to your post?

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure this all out.  I went to a testing facility, initially, and it came back negative.  I started feeling symptoms, and called in sick as a proactive measure.  I then got an at-home antigen test, and tested positive.


We've been quarantining since I got that positive result, but went to get tested again today, because with an "official" positive test, I might be eligible to get some extra antibody or antigen shots (my head was pretty foggy, and I may have missed some details), and I need to know if I've infected the rest of the household.   


What is really interesting is that through all of that, my boss got tested 3 times, and came back negative on all of them, despite being symptomatic.  This stuff has been weird.




ETA:  Has it really only been 8 days?  This week feels like it's lasted a month or two already.

[EBuff75]

I was informed yesterday that I may have been exposed.  My boss' daughter tested positive,

8 days from your exposure, to your post?

What is really interesting is that through all of that, my boss got tested 3 times, and came back negative on all of them, despite being symptomatic.  This stuff has been weird.

Is it possible that your boss had RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)?  That's also making the rounds right now and the symptoms overlap quite a bit with Covd.  My brother and his whole family had it and it sounds like it sucked.  The adults were just a bit sick, but it hit the kids really hard (which is fairly typical, from what I've read).

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Friday September 3, 2021
Kansas

My county's 14 day rolling average:
- ↗ Average daily case count. 36.57
- ↘ Average positive rate. 3.9%
- ⬆ Current active cases. 749
- ↗ Current hospitalized. 16 (out of 24 ICU beds)
- ↔ Total deceased 92
- ⬆ Incidence rate per 100,000... 425.64

Labor Day weekend starts Now.

Three days of national party party party.

During which occurs - transmission

Followed by - incubation

Then - the sick and ill, the pleading medical facilities, and the blaming counter forces.

Ahh....  Good times



My own countdown clock starts Tuesday.

Two weeks.


(anyone see the Tom Hanks movie 'The Money Pit'? "Two weeks".)

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

I was informed yesterday that I may have been exposed.  My boss' daughter tested positive,

8 days from your exposure, to your post?

ETA:  Has it really only been 8 days?  This week feels like it's lasted a month or two already.

🤒 😤 😞

[RoneKiln]

I was informed yesterday that I may have been exposed.  My boss' daughter tested positive,

8 days from your exposure, to your post?

What is really interesting is that through all of that, my boss got tested 3 times, and came back negative on all of them, despite being symptomatic.  This stuff has been weird.

Is it possible that your boss had RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)?  That's also making the rounds right now and the symptoms overlap quite a bit with Covd.  My brother and his whole family had it and it sounds like it sucked.  The adults were just a bit sick, but it hit the kids really hard (which is fairly typical, from what I've read).

Isn't there also still issues with the "common cold" variant of coronaviruses causing false positives on covid 19 tests? I'd imagine fighting off both RSV and a cold at the same time wouldn't be too unusual. One would weaken you to the other. Also might have had a false negative.

[sheddi]

Update from northern Hampshire, UK, Sunday Sep 05, 2021.

Family:
We're *still* all clear by home LFT test, and no symptoms of anything to suggest a dose has crept in unexpectedly. Three of the four of us are vaccinated (The UK gov is still debating whether to vax younger teens.)

For that matter, of the twenty-ish people in my team at work, I can only think if three or four who have tested positive for COVID at any time in the pandemic.

Both kids go back to school next week. My 15-yo's school has never been very well administered (the teaching is OK but everything else seems to be an afterthought) but they've arranged for all pupils to be tested on the first day of term, tomorrow. My 17-yo is in college and they usually seem slightly better organised, but they're leaving testing to the students (I guess 17-yos are meant to be more responsible, or something, and the 18-yos are technically adults).

I'm confident my 15-yo will continue wearing a mask in school. I hope my 17-yo will too but he's abit more inclined to go along with the crowd so if no-one else is, he probably won't either. He's vaxxed, at least.

Local area:
The local case rate is 231 cases per 100k people, down 12% from a week ago. Locally 86% of eligible 16+ have had one dose of vaccine (no change?) and 79% have had two doses (also no change?).

National:
The national case rate is 356 per 100k (up 4%), there have been 6600 hospital patients admitted in the past week (up 4%) and 792 COVID-related deaths (flat on the week). Vaccination numbers continue to creep up, 88% of 16+ have now had at least one dose and 80% have had two.

With all the children returning to class, the stats for the next few weeks will need watching carefully!

[Mr. E. Monkey]

I was informed yesterday that I may have been exposed.  My boss' daughter tested positive,

8 days from your exposure, to your post?

What is really interesting is that through all of that, my boss got tested 3 times, and came back negative on all of them, despite being symptomatic.  This stuff has been weird.

Is it possible that your boss had RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)?  That's also making the rounds right now and the symptoms overlap quite a bit with Covd.  My brother and his whole family had it and it sounds like it sucked.  The adults were just a bit sick, but it hit the kids really hard (which is fairly typical, from what I've read).

Isn't there also still issues with the "common cold" variant of coronaviruses causing false positives on covid 19 tests? I'd imagine fighting off both RSV and a cold at the same time wouldn't be too unusual. One would weaken you to the other. Also might have had a false negative.

I think a false negative is more likely, especially with positive test results in the household.  At least, ONE false negative seems more likely.  3?  Beats me.  (Then again, they said I tested negative the first time too.)  Is it possible that a lower viral load could cause a false negative?  Or maybe other conditions making it look like a lower viral load, somehow?  I'm in the dark on this one.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

🤒 😤 😞

I know, I know, I don't have it as bad as other folks, and don't have as much room to complain...but I gotta vent a little.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

🤒 😤 😞

I know, I know, I don't have it as bad as other folks, and don't have as much room to complain...but I gotta vent a little.

omg, I may have been understood here. My intention was to show I understand you've gotta be feeling ill. In a typing way to comfort you. Dang sorry that wasn't expressed well enough to be understood. Dang sorry.

Of course you need to vent! What you write here is 'your' sitrep. The how 'you' are doing, the how 'you' are feeling about it. All of it.

And you're not feeling good. Gads, if anyone should be sorry it's me for not expressing well enough the comfort I was sincerely extending.

I just can't apologize enough, I just can't apologize enough.

[Mr. E. Monkey]

Oh, no.  You're okay.  My head has been congested (yet my nose feels almost painfully dry), and it has had me out of sorts.  I am sorry about the misunderstanding.  You're good.   




And for what it's worth, I am feeling better.  If things keep going well, I could go back to work on Friday.  We'll see, though.  This has been weird.

[flybynight]

Oh, no.  You're okay.  My head has been congested (yet my nose feels almost painfully dry), and it has had me out of sorts.  I am sorry about the misunderstanding.  You're good.   




And for what it's worth, I am feeling better.  If things keep going well, I could go back to work on Friday.  We'll see, though.  This has been weird.

How's your appetite ? Did you lose your sense of taste or smell ?
Any cravings for fresh brain ?