bristolri_wx

I think the main issue is that the banter thread, which is supposed to cover more random topics and discussion, is being dominated by COVID, and it's drowning out the other banter - plus there's many of us who just don't want to read about COVID opinions 24/7 but still want to check in here for the other topics. So yes, there's a number of us that are more annoyed because it is being shoved down our throats in the banter thread. Our choices are either read the COVID stuff in banter, or ignore the thread entirely. The issue isn't the discussion itself, but it's such a heated topic and there's probably a good percentage of people who would rather read/discuss anything else. Maybe the mods will allow a COVID discussion thread for the Fall. They effectively cannot remove the COVID discussion from the forum so why not split it out? This way we can discuss crotch rot and the Red Sox choking down the stretch without COVID getting in the way. The way the forum is setup, the advice of "just don't read it" or "ignore it" is impossible unless you stay out of the banter thread entirely.

And they did blow it…

Ohhh my bad. That makes it sooo much better...

I hope you do. I'd probably win $$$...

I don't feel the need because I don't even know what OT is. If it's outside the New England section I don't bother with it. But feel free to let them know bristolri_wx thinks it's shitty that's what they are discussing while you're there...

About time... but the bullpen is close to blowing a 4 run lead...

You seem to be borderline happy that vaccinated people are getting infected... the sack fungus/ball rot discussion in the August Disco continues to be more entertaining and interesting than COVID talk here in banter. Yet it continues...

Corn sweat! 'Corn sweat' may help boost dew points to 80 degrees Saturday | MPR News Get ready for a Tolland Corn Sweat thread for Summer 2022!

Anyone who has a hurricane rider on their homeowners insurance doesn’t want a ‘cane, as interesting and exciting as they are…

You can always tell who lives in a parents basement vs who owns their own homes based on these types of statements…

Thanks for the link… COMRADE…

KBOX Radar is still down…

Right, except Tampa Bay gets 2 good years then 5 mediocre/bad ones with their budget, while LA gets 5 good years and 2 mediocre ones in their budget. There's at least one or two big market teams consistently in the playoffs every season, while the number of smaller market teams tend to rotate more. There's exceptions sure, but last 20 years or so that's been the pattern.

I hope so because E-Rod isn’t getting it done…

His last accurate forecast:

COVID sucks masks vaccines blah blah blah… Onto more interesting banter - looks like Sox are interested in Max Scherzer (WAS) and Kyle Schwarber (CHC). Nice to see them in a buying mood.

This graphic is useless you sorted it by the wrong column, unless you were pointing out total cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Well to start, there's this: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2103825?query=TOC However, that wasn't the article I was thinking about when I posted earlier. This article points to some data that shows that the immune system response is slightly more robust in individuals that recovered from coronavirus and then received an immunization, compared to not getting immunized at all. Peer reviewed, but small sample size (they were collecting cells directly from lymph nodes): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03738-2#article-comments But your data from England is more current. There's also another Cleveland Clinic article that is leaning towards there not being as much of difference between natural immunity and vaccination, similar to the English stats. I think this will get sorted out in the next year or so. Right now it does seem that the medical community consensus, as bleeding edge as it is at the moment, is that if you recovered from coronavirus, to get at least one shot, especially if you're in a more vulnerable demographic. I also think it's good news that the English research points to delta not really causing a high-reinfection rate.

Not really what I meant - you totally moved the goalposts there. Survival (noun): the state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances. Survival can involve a lot of misery. Humanity survived the Black Plague. But if I remember my history correctly, approximately 20 % of the world's population died from it. Most people don't want to just "survive" they want to live a comfortable more peaceful life. So yes, we've survived other pandemics and plagues in the past. But why can't we want more than just survival?

Most people want to live, not survive.

Lots of co-morbidities. And I think there are huge gaps in our healthcare system that always get exposed in these types of scenarios.

I wish I had links but I don't. I tend do a Google Scholar search when I read a normal news article that states "A study in the NEJM released today" blah blah blah. Sometimes it's only abstracts though a lot of the COVID stuff has been published full text online, especially before it's fully peer reviewed.

But I think yourself and others are already latching on to the fact that as this virus mutates over time, it will get milder and milder - as you said, similar to the flu. I think natural immunity plays a role in that, definitely. The immunes systems natural protections nudge viruses to evolve into weaker versions over time. It's kind of a cat and mouse game. I have a friend who is an epidemiologist and they are on board with that theory as well - pending research of course. But it's trending that way...