Coronavirus

[dta1984]

Glad to see more states returning to normal.

[Hoosier]

Continental Europe not doing too great.  I think it is a combination of variants and not getting the vaccines rolled out as quickly as places like the US, UK, Israel.

[IWXwx]

1 hour ago, Hoosier said:

Continental Europe not doing too great.  I think it is a combination of variants and not getting the vaccines rolled out as quickly as places like the US, UK, Israel.

France is in particularly bad shape.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/coronavirus/paris-may-face-new-lockdown-as-icus-fill-up/

[madwx]

I think our pace of vaccinations will be just enough to beat back any future wave but as Europe is showing we’re just beating it

[mississaugasnow]

8 minutes ago, madwx said:

I think our pace of vaccinations will be just enough to beat back any future wave but as Europe is showing we’re just beating it

Ontario is in a race against it and most likely the wave comes before we can get the 65+ vaccinated. Now its how bad is the damage. Toronto hasn't had indoor restaurants/gyms/hair cuts since mid November. 

The rest of the province is mostly open though. Where I live its vastly different. I can watch March madness at a bar with 50 people inside

[NEILwxbo]

I debated sharing this, because I don’t want it to come off as I’m complaining about my situation because it could be so much worse, but I tested positive a month ago today & I still am nowhere near normal, and I’m a very healthy 20 year old. I had to go to urgent care yesterday bc it suddenly hurt to breathe, and I had the unfortunate experience of coughing up blood as well as being really nauseous. Freaked me out but turns out my lungs are just inflamed & my throat is torn up from being sick for so long. I’ve been constantly hungry since I’ve felt better, but after about 2 bites of food I have to force myself to keep eating, the random nausea is terrible. Obviously I’ll be fine, but I think I’m going to punt the next person that says “it’s just a cold” to Mars. 

[Hoosier]

18 minutes ago, NEILwxbo said:

I debated sharing this, because I don’t want it to come off as I’m complaining about my situation because it could be so much worse, but I tested positive a month ago today & I still am nowhere near normal, and I’m a very healthy 20 year old. I had to go to urgent care yesterday bc it suddenly hurt to breathe, and I had the unfortunate experience of coughing up blood as well as being really nauseous. Freaked me out but turns out my lungs are just inflamed & my throat is torn up from being sick for so long. I’ve been constantly hungry since I’ve felt better, but after about 2 bites of food I have to force myself to keep eating, the random nausea is terrible. Obviously I’ll be fine, but I think I’m going to punt the next person that says “it’s just a cold” to Mars. 

Don't feel bad about sharing.  Obviously a lot of people in your age group are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and resolve very quickly, but I have heard of a lot of stories of young people in their 20s/30s who have lingering symptoms.  Hope you are back to normal soon.

[StormfanaticInd]

Only 36k cases today but we need the world to vaccinate 

[Jonger]

Feels good sitting inside a Taco Bell eating like normal.

 

[dta1984]

12 minutes ago, Jonger said:

Feels good sitting inside a Taco Bell eating like normal.

 

Awesome!  Doesn't the virus only attack when you're standing up? 

[WaryWarren]

So all the whining about masks and shutdowns...and you use your freedom to eat processed dog turds at Taco Smell. Bwahahaha!

[dta1984]

On 3/12/2021 at 10:26 PM, Hoosier said:

Coincidentally I just came across this.  

It'll be important for stories like this to make the rounds to set people's expectations about the future.  It is natural to want a magical ending where there is no such thing as covid-19.  The good news is that things will be a lot better than they have been in the past year.

 

COVID-19 is never going to end, experts say

When is this finally going to end? That's the question on many minds after a year of living through the COVID-19 pandemic.

But public health experts say we do have an answer, and you're not going to like it: COVID-19 is never going to end. It now seems poised to become an endemic disease — one that is always a part of our environment, no matter what we do.

"We've been told that this virus will disappear. But it will not," Dr. William Schaffner, a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and medical director of the National Foundation For Infectious Diseases, tells CBS News.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/covid-19-never-going-end-173300929.html

Fear mongering.  The fact that you have to be scared into taking the vaccine or promised "freedoms" should tell you all you need to know.  

[Jonger]

4 minutes ago, WaryWarren said:

So all the whining about masks and shutdowns...and you use your freedom to eat processed dog turds at Taco Smell. Bwahahaha!

I have been dining in sitdown restaurants since it became possible, it's just nice to grab a bite to eat without a 30+ minute commitment and not dropping $30+ doing it.

And people who complain about Taco Bell are full of crap.

[Hoosier]

10 minutes ago, WaryWarren said:

So all the whining about masks and shutdowns...and you use your freedom to eat processed dog turds at Taco Smell. Bwahahaha!

I call it Taco Hell.  Haven't had it in a long time but another thing is that the food always seemed to be cold.  I'm not talking about going to the drive through and it getting cold by the time you get home.  It was cold pretty much right away.

[Jonger]

13 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

I call it Taco Hell.  Haven't had it in a long time but another thing is that the food always seemed to be cold.  I'm not talking about going to the drive through and it getting cold by the time you get home.  It was cold pretty much right away.

That's anything with sour cream... I know what you're talking about.

[Hoosier]

Some countries overseas have suspended use of AstraZeneca vaccine because of some people getting blood clots.  Obviously may be coincidental but they are supposed to be seeking an EUA for use in the US soon.  Will be interesting to see if they seek the EUA on schedule or wait until this potential issue is sorted out.

[mattb65]

3 hours ago, dta1984 said:

Fear mongering.  The fact that you have to be scared into taking the vaccine or promised "freedoms" should tell you all you need to know.  

Yup, tells us a lot about the segment of the population that needs to be given these carrots or beaten with these sticks to take something obviously beneficial on both an individual and societal level. 

Says something about those people not about the scientists doing the science and presenting the information. 

[dta1984]

2 hours ago, mattb65 said:

Yup, tells us a lot about the segment of the population that needs to be given these carrots or beaten with these sticks to take something obviously beneficial on both an individual and societal level. 

Says something about those people not about the scientists doing the science and presenting the information. 

Ouch, quite the reference to African Americans, Latinos, health care workers, military, police and those who chose not to.

[mattb65]

1 hour ago, dta1984 said:

Ouch, quite the reference to African Americans, Latinos, health care workers, military, police and those who chose not to.

You've got your groups wrong, top people rejecting the vaccine:

1. Republican men

2. Trump 2020 supporters

3. White men without college degrees

4. White evangelical christians

5. Under 45

6. Latino

7. Rural

8. Independent men

9. White

10. Black 

In fact 30 % of all people are saying no but only 25% of black people.

Source - https://www.tomfriedenpublichealth.net/tom-frieden-blog#it-aint-over-til-its-over-3-13-21

My point still stands it's frustrating that something like vaccinations that should be apolitical is now yet another partisan thing. You fit right into the core anti covid vaccine demographic. 

Fwiw I'm all for using whatever carrots or sticks are needed to get the necessary numbers of people vaccinated to crush this virus. 

[dta1984]

48 minutes ago, mattb65 said:

You've got your groups wrong, top people rejecting the vaccine:

1. White Republican men

2. Trump 2020 supporters

3. White men without college degrees

4. White evangelical christians

5. Under 45

6. Latino

7. Rural

8. Independent men

9. White

10. Black 

In fact 30 % of all people are saying no but only 25% of black people.

Source - https://www.tomfriedenpublichealth.net/tom-frieden-blog#it-aint-over-til-its-over-3-13-21

My point still stands it's frustrating that something like vaccinations that should be apolitical is now yet another partisan thing. You fit right into the core anti covid vaccine demographic. 

Fwiw I'm all for using whatever carrots or sticks are needed to get the necessary numbers of people vaccinated to crush this virus. 

Weird, maybe I missed it, but the 1200 person survey you linked just lists republican men as the top (not just white).

It is well publicized that there is a high percentage of ;  healthcare, nursing home, prison, military and other front line workers are refusing. 

African Americans; https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210202/black-vaccine-hesitancy-rooted-in-mistrust-doubts

"New CDC figures show that of those who have received at least the first dose of a vaccine, 5.4% are Black people, compared to 60% who are white people. According to recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, about 35% of Black Americans said they don’t plan to get the vaccine, citing fears about safety and concerns that the vaccines are so new."

You are correct, I am in the anti COVID (china virus) vaccine at this moment, thanks. 

[CheeselandSkies]

One year ago today, panic buying in full swing at my local grocery stores. Luckily I was able to find enough toilet paper at a Walgreen's to get my fiancee and I through that period without having to resort to "alternate" methods.

[mattb65]

26 minutes ago, dta1984 said:

Weird, maybe I missed it, but the 1200 person survey you linked just lists republican men as the top (not just white).

It is well publicized that there is a high percentage of ;  healthcare, nursing home, prison, military and other front line workers are refusing. 

African Americans; https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210202/black-vaccine-hesitancy-rooted-in-mistrust-doubts

"New CDC figures show that of those who have received at least the first dose of a vaccine, 5.4% are Black people, compared to 60% who are white people. According to recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll, about 35% of Black Americans said they don’t plan to get the vaccine, citing fears about safety and concerns that the vaccines are so new."

You are correct, I am in the anti COVID (china virus) vaccine at this moment, thanks. 

Black people not getting the vaccine appears that it may be more of an access problem rather than interst in getting vaccinated, hopefully the state, local and federal programs will improve this problem. 

 

I am all for appealing to selfish people by making enjoyable things like traveling by plane internationally contingent on being vaccinated.

My mistake, re: the republican white men, I fixed it

[winterwx21]

1 hour ago, mattb65 said:

Black people not getting the vaccine appears that it may be more of an access problem rather than interst in getting vaccinated, hopefully the state, local and federal programs will improve this problem. 

 

I am all for appealing to selfish people by making enjoyable things like traveling by plane internationally contingent on being vaccinated.

My mistake, re: the republican white men, I fixed it

I'm curious how people that don't want to be vaccinated are being selfish? Anyone that wants to protect themselves by getting vaccinated will be able to. Anyone that's at higher risk of developing severe illness can get vaccinated if they want to. I would assume most of the high risk people will be vaccinated. So if some of the low risk people don't get vaccinated, it's not as if they will be putting more vulnerable people at risk because those people will be protected. These vaccines offer 100% protection against hospitalization. And if a small percentage of higher risk people do not protect themselves by getting vaccinated, that's on them for making a foolish decision. So I'm not sure how lower risk people are being selfish by not getting vaccinated. Anyone else that wants to protect themselves will have the choice to do so.

 

Also, we only need about 70% of people to get vaccinated to end this pandemic. Surveys are saying about that amount plans to get vaccinated. So if there's some level of virus circulating among the 30% of lower risk people that don't get vaccinated, it won't be a big deal. The health care system will not even be close to being overwhelmed. So it makes no sense that some people have a problem with the smaller percentage of people that don't want to get vaccinated. It would be different if these vaccines only offered partial protection against severe illness (hospitalization), but they offer 100% protection. As long as most higher risk people get vaccinated, we will be in good shape. Experts say there will always be a small level of this virus circulating, well after the pandemic.

 

Some of us prefer to put ourselves at very low risk the natural way by keeping ourselves in great shape through diet and exercise. Maybe it doesn't provide 100% protection from hospitalization like a vaccine would, but it reduces the chance of hospitalization to such a tiny chance (a small fraction of 1%) that it's something we don't have to worry about too much. And as long as our older higher risk relatives are protected through vaccination, we don't have to worry about spreading it to them. My parents are vaccinated and protected, so I don't see why I should feel guilty if I choose to not get vaccinated. But there's no question that higher risk people should protect themselves by getting vaccinated. I'm certainly not against the Covid vaccine. I just think low risk people that want to protect themselves the natural way, by keeping themselves in great shape, should have their decision respected. If people don't want to do that and want the vaccine, that's great too.

[Hoosier]

It's true that the current vaccines are outstanding at preventing hospitalization.  I think the concern would be that the more people that are unvaccinated, the more the virus is allowed to fester and possibly eventually lead to a more troublesome variant that the vaccines don't protect as well against (in terms of a severe outcome).  Not necessarily an immediate concern.  It sounds like at least some of the vaccines could be tweaked rather quickly to account for variants, but that is still a process and would take time to develop and roll out to the masses.

[schoeppeya]

10 hours ago, mattb65 said:

Black people not getting the vaccine appears that it may be more of an access problem rather than interst in getting vaccinated, hopefully the state, local and federal programs will improve this problem. 

 

I am all for appealing to selfish people by making enjoyable things like traveling by plane internationally contingent on being vaccinated.

My mistake, re: the republican white men, I fixed it

Lol. Because all black people are too poor to have cars and access to the internet, right? The mental gymnastics people do to make "inequality" an excuse for any race related stat is impressive.

I am still so confused how somebody not taking the vaccine makes them selfish. You can take take the vaccine, it will protect you, so why do you care? Generally, the people I know who are very concerned about the virus are concerned because they themselves don't want to get sick. And they want other people that are less scared than them to give up their businesses, normal lives, and put things in their body they aren't comfortable with to make them feel safer. That's fine, its just so old seeing it lauded over people as some type of moral superiority when in reality, I can't imagine something more selfish. 

Since generally the only logic people can respond with is hypotheticals about variants, anecdotes, or imagined worst case scenarios, can the vaccine not just be the line in the sand where once everybody who wants it has had the chance to get it, we move on with our lives?  When is the risk going to be an at acceptable level to just move on? 

[dta1984]

27 minutes ago, schoeppeya said:

Lol. Because all black people are too poor to have cars and access to the internet, right? The mental gymnastics people do to make "inequality" an excuse for any race related stat is impressive.

I am still so confused how somebody not taking the vaccine makes them selfish. You can take take the vaccine, it will protect you, so why do you care? Generally, the people I know who are very concerned about the virus are concerned because they themselves don't want to get sick. And they want other people that are less scared than them to give up their businesses, normal lives, and put things in their body they aren't comfortable with to make them feel safer. That's fine, its just so old seeing it lauded over people as some type of moral superiority when in reality, I can't imagine something more selfish. 

Since generally the only logic people can respond with is hypotheticals about variants, anecdotes, or imagined worst case scenarios, can the vaccine not just be the line in the sand where once everybody who wants it has had the chance to get it, we move on with our lives?  When is the risk going to be an at acceptable level to just move on? 

Ya not sure he quite understands the distrust of the african american community against vaccines.  The vaccine mistrust is for a good reason.  Stan van gundy had an excellent response in an interview about this a few days ago.  I'll see if I can find. ..

As far as being selfish..... it's just weird to me that so many (non at risk) people are rushing to take the vaccine.  Vaccines have a typical 10yr trial period. You are now participating in a vaccine trial.    https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/vaccine-development-testing-and-regulation

So we all of a sudden develop a vaccine for a coronavirus that we have never vaccinated against in record time using a new method?  Hmm, just seems like being cautious about it should be the common sense thing to do.  Not being "selfish.".  

[dta1984]

The pharmaceutical companies would never lie to us https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history

[purduewx80]

16 minutes ago, dta1984 said:

The pharmaceutical companies would never lie to us https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history

Quit living in fear, man. 

[madwx]

if people are afraid of what a vaccine does to your cells, just wait till they find out what a virus does

[dta1984]

6 minutes ago, madwx said:

if people are afraid of what a vaccine does to your cells, just wait till they find out what a virus does

Absolutely, if you are in the high risk category, you should be weighing the vaccine risk.