Winter Banter and General Disco 2

[weatherwiz]

22 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

I think we are getting a more rapid spread.  I only knew 3 people in the past year that had it and now I’ve known 3 in the past week.  All of them mild cases thankfully, 

yeah I've known several people this go around who have had it; including 3 people from my work. Also knowing alot more people who know people who have it. The first wave it was really hard to find anyone or knew someone who knew someone who had it. 

[DavisStraight]

14 minutes ago, weatherwiz said:

yeah I've known several people this go around who have had it; including 3 people from my work. Also knowing alot more people who know people who have it. The first wave it was really hard to find anyone or knew someone who knew someone who had it. 

I know two people who have died from it in the past week, husband and wife, they were in their 70s.

[weatherwiz]

Just now, DavisStraight said:

I know two people who have died from it in the past week, husband and wife, they were in their 70s.

ughhh so sad  

sorry to hear

[WhitinsvilleWX]

4 hours ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Effective vaccines rolling out quickly are what the world needs now...

 

It needs to speed up. It’s still too slow. 
I signed up to get my 83 yo father vaccinated today. He lives in NC. The first round of vaccine they got ran out before he could get through on the phone. I finally got someone on the phone last week at the county health department. She said they only had 3000 doses available and they filled up the appointment schedule in an hour. I got on a text alert system that would text me when the next batch was available. It went off this morning at 11 am. I called immediately and it took me 17 tries before I got through. I was on hold 38 minutes. I got him an appointment Friday. By 2:20 pm I received another text that said they ran out of appointments. 
So in ~3.5 hours they were done. 
There’s got to be a better system here. At this rate we’ll still be in masks this time in 2025. 

[NorEastermass128]

3 minutes ago, WhitinsvilleWX said:

It needs to speed up. It’s still too slow. 
I signed up to get my 83 yo father vaccinated today. He lives in NC. The first round of vaccine they got ran out before he could get through on the phone. I finally got someone on the phone last week at the county health department. She said they only had 3000 doses available and they filled up the appointment schedule in an hour. I got on a text alert system that would text me when the next batch was available. It went off this morning at 11 am. I called immediately and it took me 17 tries before I got through. I was on hold 38 minutes. I got him an appointment Friday. By 2:20 pm I received another text that said they ran out of appointments. 
So in ~3.5 hours they were done. 
There’s got to be a better system here. At this rate we’ll still be in masks this time in 2025. 

What's your take on releasing the whole stockpile and not holding any reserve back to ensure folks get their second doses within the prescribed 21-28 day period?  

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

5 minutes ago, NorEastermass128 said:

What's your take on releasing the whole stockpile and not holding any reserve back to ensure folks get their second doses within the prescribed 21-28 day period?  

There has been some discussion that even a singular dose may be enough for the time being.

Its going way to slow. Some of the restrictions on who can get it currently aren’t doing the rollout any favors. I saw the New York guidelines and they are ridiculous.

At some point, you need to start just getting it in people.

[WhitinsvilleWX]

1 minute ago, NorEastermass128 said:

What's your take on releasing the whole stockpile and not holding any reserve back to ensure folks get their second doses within the prescribed 21-28 day period?  

I don’t know, honestly. 
Most vaccines have a booster much later than 21 or 28 days. Hell, childhood vaccines generally go a year plus between primary and booster. The big unknown is....do these vaccines need a booster within a month or 2 to maintain a durable response. I think it’s pretty clear that one shot gives a great response but how soon does that second one need to be given. Normally different schedules would be investigated but this one really only looked at one schedule since time was of the essence.

My feeling is the second shot could be pushed off several weeks or a couple months beyond and it probably wouldn’t make much difference. The good thing about the mRNA vaccines are that they are fast to make. 
All that said, they can’t even get the doses they have given out (even holding back the second dose) much less more. I’m not sure even if they did release more it could be distributed faster. If I had to make the decision, I’d probably release it all if I could make sure the manufacturing process would stay on track.

[Supernovice]

2 minutes ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

There has been some discussion that even a singular dose may be enough for the time being.

Its going way to slow. Some of the restrictions on who can get it currently aren’t doing the rollout any favors. I saw the New York guidelines and they are ridiculous.

At some point, you need to start just getting it in people.

Just to be clear they are not shifting to a single dose which is what the UK is doing. The feds are saying  that should the production supply chain continue to hold up, there is no need to reserve the second dose for those already receiving their first. There will be reserves of course in case of a contaminated batch...just want to clear that up.

[WhitinsvilleWX]

2 minutes ago, Supernovice said:

Just to be clear they are not shifting to a single dose which is what the UK is doing. The feds are saying  that should the production supply chain continue to hold up, there is no need to reserve the second dose for those already receiving their first. There will be reserves of course in case of a contaminated batch...just want to clear that up.

Yes, that’s correct. A second shot is imperative, but it can be pushed off a little and as long as the manufacturing chain holds up, there’s no reason to hold it back. We need about a million or 1.5 mill a day to get this done by late summer.

[Supernovice]

6 minutes ago, WhitinsvilleWX said:

Yes, that’s correct. A second shot is imperative, but it can be pushed off a little and as long as the manufacturing chain holds up, there’s no reason to hold it back. We need about a million or 1.5 mill a day to get this done by late summer.

The 1.5mm a day is key...really need to get things ramped up quickly.

interesting to see hospitalizations maybe, sort of, possibly leveling off... fingers crossed.

[WhitinsvilleWX]

28 minutes ago, Supernovice said:

 

interesting to see hospitalizations maybe, sort of, possibly leveling off... fingers crossed.

Some of the decrease, at least in Massachusetts, is more people are being moved to other facilities and obviously going home. One thing you really don’t see reported is WHY there are 2200 in the hospital. Make no mistake, there are some really sick people in the hospital. However, most are in there for 1-3 days getting some oxygen, steroids, and/or Remdesivier and they can go home. However, a lot can’t go home for several reasons. Some live with extended family and they don’t want them back home until they are not contagious,  some live alone and need a little care but not hospital level etc etc. But, LTC facilities (think Spaulding) won’t take them. Sometimes it takes several days or even a week plus to find a place that will take them. Matter of fact, that’s who is in the DCU center or the Lowell field hospitals. I have MD buddies and social workers telling me these things that go on at a lot of area hospitals. So the increase isn’t necessarily because people are stacking up really sick in the hospital for days and days, but because they can’t be transported to a recovery facility.    
I know of one hospital down in southern Mass that calls other facilities daily to get people moved. They’re sending them as far away as the cape to rehab facilities to free up hospital capacity.

 

[Supernovice]

3 minutes ago, WhitinsvilleWX said:

Some of the decrease, at least in Massachusetts, is more people are being moved to other facilities and obviously going home. One thing you really don’t see reported is WHY there are 2200 in the hospital. Make no mistake, there are some really sick people in the hospital. However, most are in there for 1-3 days getting some oxygen, steroids, and/or Remdesivier and they can go home. However, a lot can’t go home for several reasons. Some live with extended family and they don’t want them back home until they are not contagious,  some live alone and need a little care but not hospital level etc etc. But, LTC facilities (think Spaulding) won’t take them. Sometimes it takes several days or even a week plus to find a place that will take them. Matter of fact, that’s who is in the DCU center or the Lowell field hospitals. I have MD buddies and social workers telling me these things that go on at a lot of area hospitals. So the increase isn’t necessarily because people are stacking up really sick in the hospital for days and days, but because they can’t be transported to a recovery facility.    
I know of one hospital down in southern Mass that calls other facilities daily to get people moved. They’re sending them as far away as the cape to rehab facilities to free up hospital capacity.

 

Ya you’re right. Some epidemiologist said something like hospitalization per some number of cases or something is better to look at.

because what you’re saying is right, the leveling off may be more a function of a significantly stressed medical system. I.e. people who should be hospitalized aren’t because there is no room.

[STILL N OF PIKE]

We just need more vaccines approved , period .

Oxford Screwed the pooch . They were the biggest supplier for the USA and they have been delayed at least 3-4months, maybe 5.

 If there trial showed more promise and they didn’t screw with the dosing for whatever reason , they would have the EUA , and we would be looking at making good headway With vaccinations . This doesn’t seem digested . Moderna/and Pfizer were never going to be more than 40% Of supply domestically and by the end of the year so here we are  

[WhitinsvilleWX]

14 minutes ago, Supernovice said:I.e. people who should be hospitalized aren’t because there is no room.

 

14 minutes ago, Supernovice said:

Ya you’re right. Some epidemiologist said something like hospitalization per some number of cases or something is better to look at.

because what you’re saying is right, the leveling off may be more a function of a significantly stressed medical system. I.e. people who should be hospitalized aren’t because there is no room.

There’s plenty of head room actually, at least in Massachusetts. Boston hospitals only have 15-20% of total capacity that consist of Covid patients. Some outlying hospitals have upwards of 30%. But there’s plenty of room. Back during April, there were 4500 in the hospital.

LA outnumbered is another story. I had no idea there were 10 million people in that one county. Dear god, that’s the population of Massachusetts, RI and Connecticut combined.

[HoarfrostHubb]

The J&J one hopefully gets approved in a couple of weeks. They have tremendous production capability plus it is one dose

I still think the Astra/Oxford one will get worked out. 

[HoarfrostHubb]

Also we just did a Zoom for my son’s university.  They are serious in how they do their testing etc. very well thought out.  He had taken the fall semester remotely and is moving back to campus.  Very interesting stuff.  

[Supernovice]

10 minutes ago, WhitinsvilleWX said:

 

There’s plenty of head room actually, at least in Massachusetts. Boston hospitals only have 15-20% of total capacity that consist of Covid patients. Some outlying hospitals have upwards of 30%. But there’s plenty of room. Back during April, there were 4500 in the hospital.

LA outnumbered is another story. I had no idea there were 10 million people in that one county. Dear god, that’s the population of Massachusetts, RI and Connecticut combined.

In mass some headroom yes. I was talking about u.s. hospitalizations as a whole plateauing...really hope our educated population and healthcare bent help us weather this locally better than others. Going to be a depressing few months ahead on the COVID front.

[HIPPYVALLEY]

There is a huge percentage of the population who are not going to get vaccinated by choice.  We are in for another year of lockdown frustration.

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

3 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

There is a huge percentage of the population who are not going to get vaccinated by choice.  We are in for another year of lockdown frustration.

That’s my fear.... common sense would tell you, if everyone has had equal access to a vaccine, and you chose not to get it, we’re moving on without you. I’m not going to continue to live in a dystopian society because joe and Jane blow don’t want to get the vaccine. 

[TalcottWx]

8 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

There is a huge percentage of the population who are not going to get vaccinated by choice.  We are in for another year of lockdown frustration.

Lol, idiots. If they refuse, they get what they deserve

[HIPPYVALLEY]

Just now, DotRat_Wx said:

Lol, idiots. If they refuse, they get what they deserve

There are going to be big legal fights.

However, hopefully, if half the population gets vaccinated, the number of previously infected people plus vaccinations will bring herd immunity.

[weathafella]

5 minutes ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

There are going to be big legal fights.

However, hopefully, if half the population gets vaccinated, the number of previously infected people plus vaccinations will bring herd immunity.

Employers can lay down the law.  

[PhineasC]

11 minutes ago, DotRat_Wx said:

Lol, idiots. If they refuse, they get what they deserve

They are OK with taking the risk with a 99.7%+ survival rate. None of them want the lockdowns to stay in place.

[HIPPYVALLEY]

8 minutes ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

That’s my fear.... common sense would tell you, if everyone has had equal access to a vaccine, and you chose not to get it, we’re moving on without you. I’m not going to continue to live in a dystopian society because joe and Jane blow don’t want to get the vaccine. 

I have friends who are high up in public health positions in NH and MA.  The internal surveys, inquiring about personal vaccine compliance, among both "state and town employees", is discouraging.  That's all I can really say about that here but there are a lot of people who are not on board.

[PhineasC]

1 minute ago, weathafella said:

Employers can lay down the law.  

As an employer, that is far more complicated than it sounds. Probably different as a medical professional. My employees are mostly teleworking, or at the very least not customer-facing. It is hard to imagine myself mandating they get a vaccine they don't want.

[PhineasC]

20 minutes ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

That’s my fear.... common sense would tell you, if everyone has had equal access to a vaccine, and you chose not to get it, we’re moving on without you. I’m not going to continue to live in a dystopian society because joe and Jane blow don’t want to get the vaccine. 

The people who refuse the vaccine want us all to move on, they are practically begging for it. The number of people who refuse to get the vaccine and also want to stay home masked-up indefinitely is very small. That tiny group wants to be able to stay at home and we can let them do that.

And LOL at the idea that the current "dystopia" is going away once the vaccine is widely distributed.

[HIPPYVALLEY]

3 minutes ago, weathafella said:

Employers can lay down the law.  

It will be interesting with some of the public service unions.

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

1 minute ago, HIPPYVALLEY said:

I have friends who are high up in public health positions in NH and MA.  The internal surveys, inquiring about personal vaccine compliance, among both "state and town employees", is discouraging.  That's all I can really say about that here but there are a lot of people who are not on board.

It’s very important to stomp out the anti vaxxer misinformation very quickly when it pops up. As you know, stupidity can spread like wildfire.

[HIPPYVALLEY]

1 minute ago, PhineasC said:

As an employer, that is far more complicated than it sounds. Probably different as a medical professional. My employees are mostly teleworking, or at the very least not customer-facing. It is hard to imagine myself mandating they get a vaccine they don't want.

The legal fees when court battles start won't be worth it.

[PhineasC]

Just now, HIPPYVALLEY said:

The legal fees when court battles start won't be worth it.

It is already bad. Many businesses (mine included) are facing legal threats from both sides of the debate. Some say we go too far trying to protect everyone, others say we don't go far enough. Both sides have arguments they can make related to personal freedom of choice and safety. It's a total mess. There is no way I would throw gasoline on that fire by even having an official opinion on the vaccine, much less mandating it...