Spring Banter

[rgwp96]

3 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

I am glad you were able to get the shot when you wanted to get it. It needs to be widely available and free, and I am willing to pay my due share in taxes to make that happen.

I just hope it works lol 

[PhineasC]

11 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

I hope more stories like the one I linked make the rounds.  People need to have realistic expectations and not think this virus will be eradicated from the globe anytime soon.  

There is reason to think we can have a semi-normal summer, given the large number of prior infections and increasing numbers of vaccinations in this country.  But I'd be shocked if there isn't a resurgence of sorts as we get into fall as the seasonality component rears its head, combined with a percentage of people remaining unvaccinated and the possibility of more variants either originating in or entering the United States.

There are already undiscovered variants out there against which the current vaccines are mostly ineffective. That is the nature of highly contagious respiratory viruses like this. Your vaccine is already pointless against the latest variant. That’s why there is no cold vaccine. 

[rgwp96]

6 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

I am glad you were able to get the shot when you wanted to get it. It needs to be widely available and free, and I am willing to pay my due share in taxes to make that happen.

One more thing I also know many that had covid and said it wasn’t bad at all.  I just don’t want to chance it,  just don’t know how your body will react to it.   

[PhineasC]

But Pfizer will make 50 billion dollars so that’s nice, at least.  

[Hoosier]

9 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

People will need to learn to live with this virus or they will never be able to leave their houses. The metrics being tossed around for extremely low case counts and very high vaccination rates are impossible to achieve. I suggest anyone who is still worried about the virus check out the Orlando airport. Many, many Americans are basically back to normal life and they are fine. Time to emerge from your panic rooms, folks.

Agree about learning to live with it.  The current vaccines are really good at preventing the most severe levels of illness and death, so for anybody with a crippling level of worry, go out and get it when you're eligible.  

We lost a cousin to covid.  He was not in the greatest health to begin with but I don't think he would've died very soon if it weren't for covid.  I respect what this virus can do and still avoid high risk behaviors (I have not been vaccinated) but there is a difference between that and living like a prisoner.

[S&P]

Personally, I am not an anti-Vaxer but never get the seasonal flu shot, it’s success rate and my personal experience with the flu just doesn’t seem worth it ( I never get sick - I have accrued 2200 hours of sick leave). I will soon be eligible for the shot here in RI, and will get it. If it were just me i probably wouldn’t bother, mostly because I live (falsely ha) with a sense of invincibility, but to protect my wife and mother , who I visit regularly, I will get it. Hoping to get the J&J, my wife seems to think we can choose, but I don’t know. Plus my wife would divorce me if I didn’t get it.

[HoarfrostHubb]

1 hour ago, S&P said:

Personally, I am not an anti-Vaxer but never get the seasonal flu shot, it’s success rate and my personal experience with the flu just doesn’t seem worth it ( I never get sick - I have accrued 2200 hours of sick leave). I will soon be eligible for the shot here in RI, and will get it. If it were just me i probably wouldn’t bother, mostly because I live (falsely ha) with a sense of invincibility, but to protect my wife and mother , who I visit regularly, I will get it. Hoping to get the J&J, my wife seems to think we can choose, but I don’t know. Plus my wife would divorce me if I didn’t get it.

If you can get it through CVS you can choose between available appointments by manufacturer. It is clunky but I was able to choose from the three.  I had chosen the first available (Pfizer and I would have had to drive 1.25 hours) but there were appts for the others on later dates.   I ultimately cancelled the appt since I got one sooner and locally. 

[HoarfrostHubb]

The Israel study of the Pfizer vax is extremely encouraging. 97% effective against symptomatic / severe /hospitalization/ death and 94% effective against asymptotic transmission including the B.117 (or whatever) variant.  They are kicking its ass there

[Whineminster]

I would love a common cold vax..... I hate getting colds lol.  It's been kinda nice not having people stand 2 feet away and hacking all over me at the grocery store tho.   I'm waiting it out for the JJ vax.  Too many people have kinda rough side effects from the Moderna one from what I've seen. 

[HoarfrostHubb]

Fading snowpack, mud, and potholes.    What a great time of year

At least I can still ski for a bit

[tamarack]

2 hours ago, S&P said:

Personally, I am not an anti-Vaxer but never get the seasonal flu shot, it’s success rate and my personal experience with the flu just doesn’t seem worth it ( I never get sick - I have accrued 2200 hours of sick leave). I will soon be eligible for the shot here in RI, and will get it. If it were just me i probably wouldn’t bother, mostly because I live (falsely ha) with a sense of invincibility, but to protect my wife and mother , who I visit regularly, I will get it. Hoping to get the J&J, my wife seems to think we can choose, but I don’t know. Plus my wife would divorce me if I didn’t get it.

That's a blessing that I share.  State employees here can only accrue 960 hours, with additional accrued time recorded as lapsed sick leave - I have 1400+ hours of that.  Should one burn thru the whole 960, one can apply to have lapsed hours become "active".  My only serious use of SL was the 140 hours after my fusion surgery at C-4; unable to drive due to the cervical collar (said collar was hw worst part of post-op) and ensuring no damage to the operation site before things fully fused - have had zero after effects.  From what I've read, the tests of all 3 vaccines currently being used in the US indicate near complete protection from becoming seriously ill if they do get infected.  Time will tell if that holds true for millions as it did for 10-20 thousand.

[Typhoon Tip]

Noticing a efficacy slope that is favoring more so to those companies that waiting to release their version of the vaccine/ .. availability therein.  It seems those that waited have the great comprehensive utility against variances, and nuances. 

It's like those companies "prooobably" knew that - the Moderna out there... They all have access to the same technology and science wherewithal, and probably were all in reality within a week or two of progress the whole time.  Those that announced earlier, they could have perhaps waited and "perfected" their versions

I'm just water cooler speculating here ... it doesn't take an economist to predict the pay off on being the first. The first version needed, what -70 C storage ...which represented a tricky logistical issue.  Then the next 'generations' require 2 shots... Then came single shot ... now, single shot with vastly more comprehensive Pfizer this or that.. It's likely the latter ultimately ends up being the permanent yearly booster that comes along side, if not integrated somehow into the InF A and B on-going .. 

So, folks won't likely forget those names like Moderna ..etc etc. 

 

[weathafella]

4 hours ago, tamarack said:

That's a blessing that I share.  State employees here can only accrue 960 hours, with additional accrued time recorded as lapsed sick leave - I have 1400+ hours of that.  Should one burn thru the whole 960, one can apply to have lapsed hours become "active".  My only serious use of SL was the 140 hours after my fusion surgery at C-4; unable to drive due to the cervical collar (said collar was hw worst part of post-op) and ensuring no damage to the operation site before things fully fused - have had zero after effects.  From what I've read, the tests of all 3 vaccines currently being used in the US indicate near complete protection from becoming seriously ill if they do get infected.  Time will tell if that holds true for millions as it did for 10-20 thousand.

I retired with a year of unused sick leave which added a year to my service time resulting in a better pension.   I thank my lucky stars to have good health into my 70s.

[tamarack]

5 minutes ago, weathafella said:

I retired with a year of unused sick leave which added a year to my service time resulting in a better pension.   I thank my lucky stars to have good health into my 70s.

Some years back the legislature limited such credits to 90 days added service time, only about 30% of my combined active and lapsed sick leave.  Better than nothing. 
(And Absolutely! on the 2nd sentence.)

[mreaves]

8 minutes ago, tamarack said:

Some years back the legislature limited such credits to 90 days added service time, only about 30% of my combined active and lapsed sick leave.  Better than nothing. 
(And Absolutely! on the 2nd sentence.)

I have 2300 hours of sick time but state employees in VT don’t get anything for them when we retire. I have about 230 hours of vacation time and can accrue up to 360 before I start losing it. They will pay out up to that amount when you leave state service. I’ve been with the State since 1993. 

[weathafella]

8 minutes ago, tamarack said:

Some years back the legislature limited such credits to 90 days added service time, only about 30% of my combined active and lapsed sick leave.  Better than nothing. 
(And Absolutely! on the 2nd sentence.)

For feds in the old civil service system it was straight additional days to service.   However for FERS (everyone hired since the end of 1983 including me..) it was 50% until 2014.   A study showed big difference across the system in sick leave usage between civil service and fers so they upped it back to 100% which worked for me.

[weathafella]

7 minutes ago, mreaves said:

I have 2300 hours of sick time but state employees in VT don’t get anything for them when we retire. I have about 230 hours of vacation time and can accrue up to 360 before I start losing it. They will pay out up to that amount when you leave state service. I’ve been with the State since 1993. 

Speaking of vacation....feds get paid out depending on their job.  Doctors in the VA which includes physicians, dentists, optometrists, and podiatrists can get paid out up to 688 hours.    My payout of unused vacation carried me into February this year while they were finalizing my pension which finally got settled with back pay this month.  Normally they give you about 75% until finalization but mine was 30% until they confirmed I bought out my ex wife’s claims to any payments and she was not entitled to anything. (I bought her out in 2010)   

[tamarack]

32 minutes ago, mreaves said:

I have 2300 hours of sick time but state employees in VT don’t get anything for them when we retire. I have about 230 hours of vacation time and can accrue up to 360 before I start losing it. They will pay out up to that amount when you leave state service. I’ve been with the State since 1993. 

As a pandemic measure, annual leave max for those with 20+ years was raised temporarily from 320 hours to 400.  I'm up against that higher limit and having some hours swept ("accrual adjustment") as a result.  Only 320 gets paid when I retire.

[dendrite]

So my mom has been in the hospital for 5 days with c diff and now one of my nephew’s friends was killed in a car accident in Londonderry last night. Terrible.

[SJonesWX]

3 minutes ago, dendrite said:

So my mom has been in the hospital for 5 days with c diff and now one of my nephew’s friends was killed in a car accident in Londonderry last night. Terrible.

shit sorry to hear that. I was just reading about that accident in Londonderry. horrific.

[KoalaBeer]

What a boring stretch of weather. I was at least enjoying the spring conditions on the slopes, but looks like it’s going to be brick up in the mountains after the cold front. At least it’s fun to track the cutoff low in the west right now. PDS TOR warnings for the panhandle. That’s one violent TOR by Amarillo. Where’s @weatherwiz !? 

 

[wkd]

My daughter got accepted to Northeaster's grad program iin speech and language pathology. I would appreciate any suggestions as to affordable housing.  She has a car.

[DavisStraight]

My nephew in Colorado is getting pounded right now, not sure if he'll get the 5 feet but 2-3 looks like a given.

[dendrite]

39 minutes ago, SJonesWX said:

shit sorry to hear that. I was just reading about that accident in Londonderry. horrific.

Apparently he hit a tree and it burst into flames. I can’t imagine dealing with that as a parent. 

[Damage In Tolland]

12 minutes ago, DavisStraight said:

My nephew in Colorado is getting pounded right now, not sure if he'll get the 5 feet but 2-3 looks like a given.

Length? 

[HimoorWx]

So my mom has been in the hospital for 5 days with c diff and now one of my nephew’s friends was killed in a car accident in Londonderry last night. Terrible.

So sorry to hear about that. Regarding the c diff, I had it last fall after being on antibiotics for an infected tooth. Not fun at all, and took nearly 3 months of treatment with vancomycin and probiotics to finally clear it up. Quite worrying for a while. Hope she improves quickly.

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

[dendrite]

1 minute ago, HimoorWx said:

So sorry to hear about that. Regarding the c diff, I had it last fall after being on antibiotics for an infected tooth. Not fun at all, and took nearly 3 months of treatment with vancomycin and probiotics to finally clear it up. Quite worrying for a while. Hope she improves quickly.

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk
 

Thanks similar deal for my mom. She was on antibiotics for a cat bite (kitty didn’t want to be groomed). She was just diagnosed today so she’s not in good shape yet...very dehydrated. 

[HimoorWx]

My daughter got accepted to Northeaster's grad program iin speech and language pathology. I would appreciate any suggestions as to affordable housing.  She has a car.

Try looking in Hyde Park and Readville. Commuter rail goes right into Northeastern. We rented in a great apartment complex while we were house hunting 12 years ago after selling our condo.

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[Ginx snewx]

2 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Thanks similar deal for my mom. She was on antibiotics for a cat bite (kitty didn’t want to be groomed). She was just diagnosed today so she’s not in good shape yet...very dehydrated. 

My Mom got it when she was in rehab for a knee replacement, never shook it completely until she passed several years later

[Ginx snewx]

57 minutes ago, dendrite said:

So my mom has been in the hospital for 5 days with c diff and now one of my nephew’s friends was killed in a car accident in Londonderry last night. Terrible.

Geezuz Brian, so sorry.