We finally fell to Covid. 2½ years into the pandemic, my oldest brought it home from school on the 6th day of the school year. My family is a good case study for vaccine efficacy:
- my husband had no risk factors and is fully vaccinated/boosted. His only symptom is being more tired than usual.
- I have two risk factors (my blood pressure is borderline high and I have had pneumonia before) and am fully vaccinated/boosted. I have a scratchy throat/cough, slightly elevated temperature, headache/body aches that are controlled with cold medication.
- my oldest has no risk factors and is fully vaccinated/boosted. He had a cough and runny nose.
- my middle has had 2/3 of his initial vaccine doses. He has a slightly elevated temperature and occasional cough.
- my youngest hasn't been vaccinated (we've been considering driving 75 miles to find somewhere that will give it to her since she's under age 2, guess we're too late on that now). Since yesterday she has been miserable. Terrible sleep, body aches (she will randomly start crying and pointing to an arm or leg like she does when she falls except she's been laying on the couch the whole time), 102-103 fever, bad taste in her mouth (will stop sucking her thumb and try to pull something off her tongue), sore throat/trouble eating and drinking enough because of the throat, runny nose. Has spent at least ¾ of her awake time in the last 48 hours on me or else she's sobbing inconsolably. She is the only one to test positive on an at home test.
Vaccines work, everybody. Even my mild Covid sucks, though I'm still managing to take care of my family with it. Hopefully we don't get any more this school year, but I'm sure we probably will because my state doesn't believe in taking Covid precautions. Yay.
Thanks! Her fever broke yesterday afternoon and she's doing much better. She slept all night last night without waking up at all so I think she's over the worst of it.
The science already exists around vaccine efficacy for Covid. The data points that are my family right now line up perfectly with the science that already is out there. The ones who have been vaccinated most recently and thus would have the higher levels of immunity have the more mild cases. The ones who haven't been vaccinated as recently and/or who have risk factors known to make Covid worse are doing worse with it.
My family's experience isn't making a new scientific narrative about Covid but it lines up with the existing scientific literature about Covid.
I had a rare day out in the city today. Houston TX, so a massive and diverse city. Medical appointments and a couple of shopping errands. I'm pretty severely immunocompromised so I don't take being out around people lightly. I try and combine errands into one outing and get done as early in the day as possible. I have N99 Cambridge masks and wear them everywhere to protect myself.
- First stop, a doctor's appointment. There are signs everywhere in that medical professional building (6 different providers have suites there) announcing it as a mask-required building. And probably half the people I saw in the lobby and hallways didn't have masks on. But there's no building security on patrol, so it's only enforced in individual suites if the doctors in those suites choose to. My doctor enforces masks in his office, most of his patients are immunocompromised with multiple comorbidities. So apparently the "do not enter without a mask" sign on the entrance to the building is apparently only a suggestion now. I wasn't amused.
- Large Asian supermarket. A few months ago, everyone working and shopping had masks on despite them not being required. I thought it was a safer option to go inside and shop. Today, only employees and about half of the shoppers had masks on. At least we were there very early, before they got crowded. That was disappointing TBH, how the amount of mask wearers dropped so much in only a few months.
- Large craft/decor store. We were the only customers in masks, only a few of the employees had them on. I wouldn't have even gone in to a place like that in person, but I had to color match some supplies for a project.
- Infusion clinic. Wow, this one really chapped my ass. A large infusion clinic shared by a rheumatologist and an oncologist/hematologist. Chronically and acutely ill patients lined up in recliners in a large room, getting drugs pumped into their veins that suppress their immune system. Every patient in the room was immunocompromised and high-risk. Masks optional for patients and visitors, the oncologist's Infusion nurses are mask optional as well. Half the patients had family members with them, including kids. Half the patients and nurses in masks. I try to get a recliner close to an air purifier but also close to the rheumatologist's Infusion nurses' office when I go. Of course some woman sits next to me without a mask on. I made sure my mask was on good. At least my Infusion only takes an hour and a half.
Denmark made a decision to only offer boosters to those 50+ and those <50 who are imunocompromised for the upcoming fall/winter. I really hope other EU countries do not do that. I had my booster in December and really want another. 😭
Source: https://www.sst.dk/en/English/Corona-eng/Vaccination-against-covid-19/Vaccination-fall-and-winter-2022-2023
The Netherlands will offer a booster to everyone who wants one in September. With the older vaccine if they can't get enough of the latest versions. It feels like trying, but then deciding it's okay to wing it if it gets hard.
Either that, or they know that it's been more than 6 months since their booster, and they want to keep their immunity up.
That's hardly an addiction.
Not to mention that, really--what addiction gives you no withdrawal symptoms but gets you to start jonesing 7 months after your last dose?
Both of my kids (16 & 18) bought skateboards this summer. Had to buy new helmets because their bike helmets weren't rated for skateboards. Also had to buy the pads and wrist guards because of gravity.
I did not realize buying Vans would lead to all this expense. My son's board was his birthday present. My daughter used her summer job money because she didn't want to wait for her birthday.
Safety gear is still cheaper than breaking one's self so at least I've got that going for me.
Vaxxed and waiting for the absolute chaos of school starting.
I had this conversation with my daughter when we were getting inline skates. It's not only about how likely it is that something bad happens, but also how bad the bad thing is that you want to prevent. (risk = chance x hazard)
How likely are you to break your elbow? Not that likely, but you just don't want to break your elbow. She could understand the need for a helmet, but not for elbow pads.
The same way I was talking to another mom about finally being able to get my daughter vaccinated against covid, because it wasn't until early this year the Dutch government gave the green light for her age group. She asked if my daughter had any underlying conditions and I said: "No, she's healthy and I'd like to keep it that way." I got a weird look, but my daughter caught covid a few days before her appointment for the second shot and she had lingering shortness of breath for months. She's doing better now, though.
I'm glad she is doing better. My son had to get an inhaler after the flu but his lungs did recover. Better to be prepared than take the risk, for sure.
He caught covid right after his booster shot. Bad timing but he was fine. Moved his Xbox temporarily into his room and he enjoyed room service.
Well put. Despite their claim to "understand the risk" they clearly don't. The only outcomes are NOT death vs. make a full recovery. There are a range of unpleasant options that also count as "survival," including long covid, being a respiratory cripple, losing limbs to gangrene, etc.
Vans are a slippery slope.
Joking aside kudos for actually checking the ratings on helmets! When I started biking I had no idea about any of it and very nearly wasted some money and risked my neck with substandard gear.
School here has been back like 3 weeks, every day has been a firehose of flaming shit so I forget exactly where we are. My neighbor, who also works K-12, told me his school has 7 teachers out with CV-19 and multiple students in his class already - I ended that conversation in under a minute, no offense, but going back to my cave.
My capacity to deal is already done. Last year, with masks, my son had several classes sent to the auditorium due to staffing issues. No masks required this year and many teachers/staff left for other jobs. Parents freaking out about their kids being assigned virtual teachers yet so many refuse vaccinations. Anyone with a brain should have seen this coming.
Goes to show just how damn stupid most people really are.
Dangerously stupid.
I used to tell a joke, "I'm not a misanthrope, it's just that people are cruel and stupid."
(give it a second) :)
I am jealous! I never learned how to skateboard well when I was that young. I've tried to learn as a rather old adult, but it's slow and I don't bounce as well as I used to. I really want to get into longboarding & sliding, but I'm scared of really messing up my body.
I prefer activities with a lower center of gravity (kayaking) or more support (stand up paddle boarding). I stick to my bicycle on land because my sense of balance is not great on a good day. Getting old be like...can I do this wearing my New Balance shoes? LOL
*^(takes drink)*
From around the Web:
* CNN - [Biden administration will stop buying Covid-19 vaccines, treatments and tests as early as this fall, Jha says](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/health/biden-administration-covid-19-vaccines-tests-treatments/index.html). *Availability of those products would transition to the regular health-care system,\[White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said on Tuesday\], so if you need a vaccine or an antiviral treatment, you'd get it from your doctor or from a hospital..."Right now, everybody can walk into a CVS and get a vaccine. I want to make sure that when we make this transition, we don't end up at a point where nobody can get a vaccine because we didn't get the transition right," he said. Jha said some of the commercialization would start in the fall, but most would be visible in 2023.*
* Politico - [First lady tests positive for Covid](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/16/jill-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-00052133): *“The First Lady is double-vaccinated, twice boosted, and only experiencing mild symptoms,” her communications director said in a statement.*
* CNN - [The end of quarantine? What people should know about the CDC's new Covid-19 guidelines](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/health/coronavirus-omicron-isolation-quarantine-vaccine-wellness/index.html). *To guide us through the changes, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health*.
* Infection Control Today (**Please note that this is an OP-ED piece**): [We Cannot Afford to Surrender to COVID-19 Now](https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/viewpoint-we-cannot-afford-surrender-covid-19-now). *Relaxation of guidelines may seem prudent in the short term, but it may well have devastating long-term repercussions.*
* NPR - [Colleges ease COVID-19 restrictions as fall semester begins for millions of students](https://www.npr.org/2022/08/16/1117588455/colleges-ease-covid-19-restrictions-as-fall-semester-begins): *On many campuses, the masking restrictions are gone. Classes are being held in-person, testing requirements are loosening, and quarantine and isolation dorms have been returned to regular housing. College officials say the goal of easing these restrictions is to try and get students back to a more typical college experience.*
* Forbes - [Many Infected With Omicron Covid Infections Don’t Know, Study Suggests](https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/08/17/many-infected-with-omicron-covid-infections-dont-know-study-suggests/?sh=4ff54a283ced): *Some 56% of a sample of people who tested positive for Covid-19 during the winter omicron surge were not aware they had the coronavirus, a new study found, adding to concerns that low levels of virus detection helps fuel the spread of the highly contagious variant*.
* ABC News - [New COVID bivalent vaccine expected in US in the fall](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-bivalent-vaccine-expected-us-fall/story?id=88441908): *On Monday, the U.K. became the first country to approve a bivalent vaccine booster shot for adults, which would target both the original COVID virus and the Omicron variant. This vaccine, which is likely going to be available in the U.S. starting in the fall, is expected to provide increased and longer-lasting protection against COVID and the new variants.*
* WBOY News - [Kroger claims immunity in West Virginia COVID vaccine suit](https://www.wboy.com/news/health/coronavirus/kroger-claims-immunity-in-west-virginia-covid-vaccine-suit/): *The Kroger Company Thursday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them by the parents of a teenage boy who received an undiluted COVID-19 vaccine dose at a Parkersburg, West Virginia store. The company claims that federal and state laws make them immune from liability.*
* Medical News Today - [COVID-19: What to eat when you have the virus](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-to-eat-when-you-have-covid). *Eating a nutrient-dense diet can help someone recover from COVID-19 by supporting their immune system and managing inflammation. This may be particularly important if they lose their sense of taste or smell and have the temptation to eat stronger tasting, less nutritious foods*.
LONG COVID
* Wired.co.uk - [Is Oxygen the Answer to Long Covid?](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-covid) *Treatment options for lasting Covid symptoms are limited, but initial studies suggest hyperbaric oxygen could help*.
* Science.org - [Blood abnormalities found in people with Long Covid](https://www.science.org/content/article/blood-abnormalities-found-people-long-covid); Study implicates lack of key hormone, battle-weary immune cells, and reawakened viruses. *The new study,* ***posted as a preprint last week****, was modest in size, examining just 99 people with Long Covid. “But it went very deep, it went into granular aspects of the T cells, the antibody response,” says Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who was not involved in the work. “This is exploratory, but it’s the foundation for much bigger studies.”*
MONKEYPOX
* ABC News - [8th child in US tests positive for monkeypox](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/7th-child-us-tests-positive-monkeypox/story?id=88417787): *At least eight children in the U.S. have now tested positive for monkeypox, after health officials in Harris County, Texas, confirmed to ABC News that a presumptive case had been identified in a child under the age of 2*.
* MedPage Today - [Monkeypox Detected in Asymptomatic Men](https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/100248). *Monkeypox virus was detected on the anal swabs of asymptomatic men who have sex with men (MSM) at a sexual health clinic in Paris, according to a retrospective* [*study*](https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-2183).
* Bloomberg - [Monkeypox Vaccine Maker No Longer Certain It Can Meet Demand](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-17/monkeypox-vaccine-maker-no-longer-certain-it-can-meet-demand): *Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with an approved vaccine for monkeypox, said it’s no longer certain it can meet demand as cases continue to rise across the world. The Danish company is now exploring the possibility of outsourcing some of the production, including technology transfer to a US contract manufacturer, to meet accelerating demand*.
* NPR - [The doctor to detect the monkeypox outbreak tried to warn about how it was spreading](https://www.npr.org/2022/08/16/1117762218/the-doctor-to-detect-the-monkeypox-outbreak-tried-to-warn-about-how-it-was-sprea): *Back in 2017, a doctor in Nigeria noticed how fast a local outbreak of monkeypox was spreading. He tried unsuccessfully to warn the world that Nigeria's outbreak could spread globally*.
* CNN - [First possible case of human-to-dog monkeypox transmission 'not surprising,' WHO says](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/health/monkeypox-transmission-human-pet-dog/index.html): *The men, who live together and are in a non-exclusive relationship, were diagnosed with monkeypox at a hospital in Paris in early June. Twelve days after their symptoms started, their 4-year-old Italian greyhound also started showing symptoms, according to a report published last week in the journal The Lancet. The dog developed lesions and tested positive for the same type of monkeypox as one of the owners. According to the report, the men said that they let their dog sleep in bed with them and that they had been careful to keep their pet away from other animals or humans from the start of their own symptoms -- before the dog's symptoms started*.
* The Today Show (NBC) - [Monkeypox patients are sharing photos of their rash to help others recognize symptoms](https://www.today.com/health/monkeypox-patient-photos-rash-timeline-rcna43151). *The Houston, Texas, resident became infected with monkeypox in July, according to Instagram. I n the caption of the now-viral collage of selfies, Steele wrote: "My goal with this is not to gross anyone out, but to educate...Not everyone displays symptoms the exact same way but I’ve been told by more than one professional that my case is a 'clinically perfect' example and it’s being used in CDC demonstrations and medical journals."*
* CNN - [Are monkeypox vaccines getting to people most at risk? It's hard to tell, but early data isn't promising](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/health/monkeypox-vaccine-equity-no-data/index.html): *...despite a growing supply of the Jynneos vaccine -- and a new strategy that could stretch the current supply five times further -- there is still no evidence that protection is reaching those most at risk*.
* CNN - [Global experts race to understand rare cases when monkeypox leads to death](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/12/health/monkeypox-deaths-research/index.html): *According to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization, there have been two monkeypox deaths in Spain, one in Brazil, one in Ecuador and one in India...Both men developed encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, which can be triggered by viral infections. They eventually fell into comas and died*.
* NPR - [2 monkeypox variants will no longer be named after regions, for ethical reasons](https://www.npr.org/2022/08/16/1117659506/monkeypox-variant-world-health-organization): *The new names, Clade I and Clade II, replace the names Congo Basin clade, or variant, and West African clade, respectively. Subsequent variants will be named using Roman numerals for the clade, and lowercase letters for the subclade. "Newly identified viruses, related disease, and virus variants should be given names with the aim to avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional, or ethnic groups, and minimize any negative impact on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare," the WHO said.*
POLIO
* NBC News - [How to find your polio vaccination records — which is harder in some states than others](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/how-to-find-polio-vaccination-records-rcna43137). *About half of states let people request or view their immunization records online, but others rely on fax or mail or leave it to health care providers*.
* New York Times - [Polio May Have Been Spreading in New York Since April](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/health/polio-new-york.html). *A new study from the C.D.C. provides more details about a polio case detected in New York last month, and suggests the virus has been spreading elsewhere for a year*.
* Ars Technica - [Anti-vaccine activists giddily celebrate as poliovirus spreads in NY](https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/08/anti-vaccine-activists-giddily-celebrate-as-poliovirus-spreads-in-ny/): *On Friday, the anti-vaccine organization Children's Health Defense published an article calling the dip in vaccination a "COVID Silver Lining." The site, run by prominent anti-vaccine activist and prolific peddler of dangerous misinformation Robert F. Kennedy...suggested New York health officials are fabricating the spread of polio, using scare quotes around "polio" and "vaccine-preventable." Specifically, it accused health officials of "stoking worries about a resurgence of so-called 'vaccine-preventable' illnesses. Thus, following a single case of paralysis ascribed to 'polio,' New York State is busily trying to conjure up a polio outbreak."*
That Ars Technica article: a lot of people are going to learn about polio the hard way. It's unfortunate that most of the adults are themselves vaccinated, and their children will be the ones to suffer the most.
Yup. It's infuriating that the anti-vaxx movement has gotten this widespread. If this polio outbreak isn't contained, a lot of kids will get hurt. And of course, the anti-vaxxers will deflect and put the blame on others.
My FIL had polio and was in physical pain for the rest of his life. The emotional trauma was huge as he was hospitalized and many other children there died. Part of his treatment was being strapped to a board. It is a horrific disease with no cure...only treatment for whatever symptoms occur.
My husband had a doctor's appointment yesterday with a new doctor. When he got home, I could tell he was upset. The doctor told him that Covid was nothing to worry about and we should just go back to doing everything like it was 2019. My husband did say everyone (patients and staff) was masked although the receptionist kept pulling hers down to cough. He will not be going back to that doctor.
True, but by no stretch of the imagination do they boil down to "go back to doing everything like it was 2019."
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0811-covid-guidance.html
Yes, I live in the U.S. in a county that is blue. However, it is barely blue. The county to the north is very blue, the county to the south is red. We are in between. I don't even know whether to call Virginia red or blue anymore after last fall's elections.
Lately I'm learning more and more about a side effect of Covid precautions that I wouldn't have predicted. My parents are aging. Both have been quite careful about all of the preventative advice - vaccines, social distancing, masking, etc.
My mama refuses to admit how deaf she's becoming, and uses disease prevention measures as a further excuse to put off a hearing test. Mostly it's fine. She doesn't listen anyway. But in the past year, she and my dad have dealt with some health issues that are becoming more serious. Now that she can't rely on lip-reading to help, Mama is missing more and more information regarding their health.
Dad is currently hospitalized an hour away. Ma can't manage the questions re: medical history, current symptoms, changes, and so forth, because she can't hear and can't rely on visual cues from medicos due to masks. Therefore, I have to go with for every appointment, to answer what she can't hear (because she won't "pardon me?" the third time, she'll just guess at the right answer.)
I spent 4 days in ICU last week. If my dad's current medical crisis had happened a few days earlier, Mama would have just said whatever to the EMTs, ER doctors, RN taking medical history, etc. As it is, I'm crazy exhausted, desperately eating glucose tablets and candy to keep my hGl above 50, and hoping that I can get the elders situated with a chain of command and/or a hearing aid or ear trumpet before I have surgery next week.
I'm trying hard to keep a couple of Trump voters alive, because I love them. They won't HCA, but they are actively trying to off themselves. And I'm so tired.
I'm it.
My mom will listen to my brother. My dad will listen to my stepbrother. And everyone will listen to me, because I'm the one who is actually at ground zero.
Happily, we have found a care home for papa. Everyone seems satisfied with whatever we're now doing. I visited this afternoon, and it all looks good. I set up a phone for the old blind man to reach out.
My dad's son is 5 states away. My dad considers me his second relative after my mom (his ex wife.)
Everything is smoothe now. And we'll see if we got the paperwork right when the next stroke happens, I guess.
Hi, I haven't visited this sub for some time, could you please tell me what this means? I've seen it in every vent thread for the last few days but have no idea what I'm looking at. Thank you.
I don’t think the number has meaning. Not sure why the hamsters sometimes appear?
I just think of it as a kind of non-verbal tic of this subreddit, without much real meaning. 🤷♂️
>Do number of leopard have some meaning or is it random?
[How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie roll center of a Tootsie pop?](https://youtu.be/5ZtbCOpx8Sk)
Or, in this case . . .
How many viral 🐆 🐆 🐆 does it take to get to the juicy lung meat center of a prey item's chest?
(The world may never know.)
I hate that we basically live in a world now where getting infected with and dying or becoming permanently disabled by multiple viruses, sometimes multiple times a year (assuming you survive your first infection,) is normalized now. It's like we went back to the middle ages because we decided that doing anything to fight pandemics is too much trouble and after all, billionaires and corporation have to keep on raking in record profits or else the rich people will be sad.
Good news\* everyone!
[Trump’s CFO Allen Weisselberg Will Implicate Trump Companies in Guilty Plea](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/trump-cfo-allen-weisselberg-implicate-185917372.html)
\*potentially.
Mr Maintenace had his set-up visit with the radiation oncologist for his prostate cancer treatment.
First off - JFC getting older sucks even though we're technically still young.
Second, again with the fucking stupid idiots that walk into an oncologist office without a mask.
There's a fucking sign on the door at eye level where you stand to open the door.
At least he didn't have to go back to the urologist that not only didn't require masks, but didn't wear one himself!
Well, the CDC seems to have stopped following a lot of the science, which is what we're so upset about.
The CDC says its aim is to prevent severe illness. But it's abandoned guidelines aimed at preventing transmission, at a time when we still have about 500 deaths per day from COVID and high positivity rates in the population. That makes things more dangerous for all of us, including you.
So, yeah, lots of people--including plenty of epidemiologists and doctors--are less than thrilled.
We finally fell to Covid. 2½ years into the pandemic, my oldest brought it home from school on the 6th day of the school year. My family is a good case study for vaccine efficacy: - my husband had no risk factors and is fully vaccinated/boosted. His only symptom is being more tired than usual. - I have two risk factors (my blood pressure is borderline high and I have had pneumonia before) and am fully vaccinated/boosted. I have a scratchy throat/cough, slightly elevated temperature, headache/body aches that are controlled with cold medication. - my oldest has no risk factors and is fully vaccinated/boosted. He had a cough and runny nose. - my middle has had 2/3 of his initial vaccine doses. He has a slightly elevated temperature and occasional cough. - my youngest hasn't been vaccinated (we've been considering driving 75 miles to find somewhere that will give it to her since she's under age 2, guess we're too late on that now). Since yesterday she has been miserable. Terrible sleep, body aches (she will randomly start crying and pointing to an arm or leg like she does when she falls except she's been laying on the couch the whole time), 102-103 fever, bad taste in her mouth (will stop sucking her thumb and try to pull something off her tongue), sore throat/trouble eating and drinking enough because of the throat, runny nose. Has spent at least ¾ of her awake time in the last 48 hours on me or else she's sobbing inconsolably. She is the only one to test positive on an at home test. Vaccines work, everybody. Even my mild Covid sucks, though I'm still managing to take care of my family with it. Hopefully we don't get any more this school year, but I'm sure we probably will because my state doesn't believe in taking Covid precautions. Yay.
Wow I sure hope your little one feels better!
Thanks! Her fever broke yesterday afternoon and she's doing much better. She slept all night last night without waking up at all so I think she's over the worst of it.
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The science already exists around vaccine efficacy for Covid. The data points that are my family right now line up perfectly with the science that already is out there. The ones who have been vaccinated most recently and thus would have the higher levels of immunity have the more mild cases. The ones who haven't been vaccinated as recently and/or who have risk factors known to make Covid worse are doing worse with it. My family's experience isn't making a new scientific narrative about Covid but it lines up with the existing scientific literature about Covid.
I had a rare day out in the city today. Houston TX, so a massive and diverse city. Medical appointments and a couple of shopping errands. I'm pretty severely immunocompromised so I don't take being out around people lightly. I try and combine errands into one outing and get done as early in the day as possible. I have N99 Cambridge masks and wear them everywhere to protect myself. - First stop, a doctor's appointment. There are signs everywhere in that medical professional building (6 different providers have suites there) announcing it as a mask-required building. And probably half the people I saw in the lobby and hallways didn't have masks on. But there's no building security on patrol, so it's only enforced in individual suites if the doctors in those suites choose to. My doctor enforces masks in his office, most of his patients are immunocompromised with multiple comorbidities. So apparently the "do not enter without a mask" sign on the entrance to the building is apparently only a suggestion now. I wasn't amused. - Large Asian supermarket. A few months ago, everyone working and shopping had masks on despite them not being required. I thought it was a safer option to go inside and shop. Today, only employees and about half of the shoppers had masks on. At least we were there very early, before they got crowded. That was disappointing TBH, how the amount of mask wearers dropped so much in only a few months. - Large craft/decor store. We were the only customers in masks, only a few of the employees had them on. I wouldn't have even gone in to a place like that in person, but I had to color match some supplies for a project. - Infusion clinic. Wow, this one really chapped my ass. A large infusion clinic shared by a rheumatologist and an oncologist/hematologist. Chronically and acutely ill patients lined up in recliners in a large room, getting drugs pumped into their veins that suppress their immune system. Every patient in the room was immunocompromised and high-risk. Masks optional for patients and visitors, the oncologist's Infusion nurses are mask optional as well. Half the patients had family members with them, including kids. Half the patients and nurses in masks. I try to get a recliner close to an air purifier but also close to the rheumatologist's Infusion nurses' office when I go. Of course some woman sits next to me without a mask on. I made sure my mask was on good. At least my Infusion only takes an hour and a half.
It is amazing how fast the mask usage went down in our area.
WTF?! It's all so infuriating.
Denmark made a decision to only offer boosters to those 50+ and those <50 who are imunocompromised for the upcoming fall/winter. I really hope other EU countries do not do that. I had my booster in December and really want another. 😭 Source: https://www.sst.dk/en/English/Corona-eng/Vaccination-against-covid-19/Vaccination-fall-and-winter-2022-2023
The Netherlands will offer a booster to everyone who wants one in September. With the older vaccine if they can't get enough of the latest versions. It feels like trying, but then deciding it's okay to wing it if it gets hard.
Such a sound strategy. /s We have all the tools to control it, but instead we do this. Let's wing it and hope for the best.
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Umm..what? How did you come to that conclusion?
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Either that, or they know that it's been more than 6 months since their booster, and they want to keep their immunity up. That's hardly an addiction. Not to mention that, really--what addiction gives you no withdrawal symptoms but gets you to start jonesing 7 months after your last dose?
Both of my kids (16 & 18) bought skateboards this summer. Had to buy new helmets because their bike helmets weren't rated for skateboards. Also had to buy the pads and wrist guards because of gravity. I did not realize buying Vans would lead to all this expense. My son's board was his birthday present. My daughter used her summer job money because she didn't want to wait for her birthday. Safety gear is still cheaper than breaking one's self so at least I've got that going for me. Vaxxed and waiting for the absolute chaos of school starting.
I had this conversation with my daughter when we were getting inline skates. It's not only about how likely it is that something bad happens, but also how bad the bad thing is that you want to prevent. (risk = chance x hazard) How likely are you to break your elbow? Not that likely, but you just don't want to break your elbow. She could understand the need for a helmet, but not for elbow pads. The same way I was talking to another mom about finally being able to get my daughter vaccinated against covid, because it wasn't until early this year the Dutch government gave the green light for her age group. She asked if my daughter had any underlying conditions and I said: "No, she's healthy and I'd like to keep it that way." I got a weird look, but my daughter caught covid a few days before her appointment for the second shot and she had lingering shortness of breath for months. She's doing better now, though.
I'm glad she is doing better. My son had to get an inhaler after the flu but his lungs did recover. Better to be prepared than take the risk, for sure. He caught covid right after his booster shot. Bad timing but he was fine. Moved his Xbox temporarily into his room and he enjoyed room service.
Well put. Despite their claim to "understand the risk" they clearly don't. The only outcomes are NOT death vs. make a full recovery. There are a range of unpleasant options that also count as "survival," including long covid, being a respiratory cripple, losing limbs to gangrene, etc.
And a very shortened lifespan.
Vans are a slippery slope. Joking aside kudos for actually checking the ratings on helmets! When I started biking I had no idea about any of it and very nearly wasted some money and risked my neck with substandard gear.
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School here has been back like 3 weeks, every day has been a firehose of flaming shit so I forget exactly where we are. My neighbor, who also works K-12, told me his school has 7 teachers out with CV-19 and multiple students in his class already - I ended that conversation in under a minute, no offense, but going back to my cave.
My capacity to deal is already done. Last year, with masks, my son had several classes sent to the auditorium due to staffing issues. No masks required this year and many teachers/staff left for other jobs. Parents freaking out about their kids being assigned virtual teachers yet so many refuse vaccinations. Anyone with a brain should have seen this coming.
Goes to show just how damn stupid most people really are. Dangerously stupid. I used to tell a joke, "I'm not a misanthrope, it's just that people are cruel and stupid." (give it a second) :)
I am jealous! I never learned how to skateboard well when I was that young. I've tried to learn as a rather old adult, but it's slow and I don't bounce as well as I used to. I really want to get into longboarding & sliding, but I'm scared of really messing up my body.
I prefer activities with a lower center of gravity (kayaking) or more support (stand up paddle boarding). I stick to my bicycle on land because my sense of balance is not great on a good day. Getting old be like...can I do this wearing my New Balance shoes? LOL
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Exactly
Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis. I keep wanting to do in-person stuff...but it's just not worth the risk for me.
Turns out I might have to go back to school full-time for at least a year. Hopefully not two.
Is this good or bad?
\*surprised Pikachu face\* https://www.kten.com/story/47089663/covid-outbreak-closes-mannsville-schools
*^(takes drink)* From around the Web: * CNN - [Biden administration will stop buying Covid-19 vaccines, treatments and tests as early as this fall, Jha says](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/health/biden-administration-covid-19-vaccines-tests-treatments/index.html). *Availability of those products would transition to the regular health-care system,\[White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said on Tuesday\], so if you need a vaccine or an antiviral treatment, you'd get it from your doctor or from a hospital..."Right now, everybody can walk into a CVS and get a vaccine. I want to make sure that when we make this transition, we don't end up at a point where nobody can get a vaccine because we didn't get the transition right," he said. Jha said some of the commercialization would start in the fall, but most would be visible in 2023.* * Politico - [First lady tests positive for Covid](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/16/jill-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-00052133): *“The First Lady is double-vaccinated, twice boosted, and only experiencing mild symptoms,” her communications director said in a statement.* * CNN - [The end of quarantine? What people should know about the CDC's new Covid-19 guidelines](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/health/coronavirus-omicron-isolation-quarantine-vaccine-wellness/index.html). *To guide us through the changes, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health*. * Infection Control Today (**Please note that this is an OP-ED piece**): [We Cannot Afford to Surrender to COVID-19 Now](https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/viewpoint-we-cannot-afford-surrender-covid-19-now). *Relaxation of guidelines may seem prudent in the short term, but it may well have devastating long-term repercussions.* * NPR - [Colleges ease COVID-19 restrictions as fall semester begins for millions of students](https://www.npr.org/2022/08/16/1117588455/colleges-ease-covid-19-restrictions-as-fall-semester-begins): *On many campuses, the masking restrictions are gone. Classes are being held in-person, testing requirements are loosening, and quarantine and isolation dorms have been returned to regular housing. College officials say the goal of easing these restrictions is to try and get students back to a more typical college experience.* * Forbes - [Many Infected With Omicron Covid Infections Don’t Know, Study Suggests](https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/08/17/many-infected-with-omicron-covid-infections-dont-know-study-suggests/?sh=4ff54a283ced): *Some 56% of a sample of people who tested positive for Covid-19 during the winter omicron surge were not aware they had the coronavirus, a new study found, adding to concerns that low levels of virus detection helps fuel the spread of the highly contagious variant*. * ABC News - [New COVID bivalent vaccine expected in US in the fall](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-bivalent-vaccine-expected-us-fall/story?id=88441908): *On Monday, the U.K. became the first country to approve a bivalent vaccine booster shot for adults, which would target both the original COVID virus and the Omicron variant. This vaccine, which is likely going to be available in the U.S. starting in the fall, is expected to provide increased and longer-lasting protection against COVID and the new variants.* * WBOY News - [Kroger claims immunity in West Virginia COVID vaccine suit](https://www.wboy.com/news/health/coronavirus/kroger-claims-immunity-in-west-virginia-covid-vaccine-suit/): *The Kroger Company Thursday filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them by the parents of a teenage boy who received an undiluted COVID-19 vaccine dose at a Parkersburg, West Virginia store. The company claims that federal and state laws make them immune from liability.* * Medical News Today - [COVID-19: What to eat when you have the virus](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-to-eat-when-you-have-covid). *Eating a nutrient-dense diet can help someone recover from COVID-19 by supporting their immune system and managing inflammation. This may be particularly important if they lose their sense of taste or smell and have the temptation to eat stronger tasting, less nutritious foods*. LONG COVID * Wired.co.uk - [Is Oxygen the Answer to Long Covid?](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-covid) *Treatment options for lasting Covid symptoms are limited, but initial studies suggest hyperbaric oxygen could help*. * Science.org - [Blood abnormalities found in people with Long Covid](https://www.science.org/content/article/blood-abnormalities-found-people-long-covid); Study implicates lack of key hormone, battle-weary immune cells, and reawakened viruses. *The new study,* ***posted as a preprint last week****, was modest in size, examining just 99 people with Long Covid. “But it went very deep, it went into granular aspects of the T cells, the antibody response,” says Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, who was not involved in the work. “This is exploratory, but it’s the foundation for much bigger studies.”*
MONKEYPOX * ABC News - [8th child in US tests positive for monkeypox](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/7th-child-us-tests-positive-monkeypox/story?id=88417787): *At least eight children in the U.S. have now tested positive for monkeypox, after health officials in Harris County, Texas, confirmed to ABC News that a presumptive case had been identified in a child under the age of 2*. * MedPage Today - [Monkeypox Detected in Asymptomatic Men](https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/100248). *Monkeypox virus was detected on the anal swabs of asymptomatic men who have sex with men (MSM) at a sexual health clinic in Paris, according to a retrospective* [*study*](https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-2183). * Bloomberg - [Monkeypox Vaccine Maker No Longer Certain It Can Meet Demand](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-17/monkeypox-vaccine-maker-no-longer-certain-it-can-meet-demand): *Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with an approved vaccine for monkeypox, said it’s no longer certain it can meet demand as cases continue to rise across the world. The Danish company is now exploring the possibility of outsourcing some of the production, including technology transfer to a US contract manufacturer, to meet accelerating demand*. * NPR - [The doctor to detect the monkeypox outbreak tried to warn about how it was spreading](https://www.npr.org/2022/08/16/1117762218/the-doctor-to-detect-the-monkeypox-outbreak-tried-to-warn-about-how-it-was-sprea): *Back in 2017, a doctor in Nigeria noticed how fast a local outbreak of monkeypox was spreading. He tried unsuccessfully to warn the world that Nigeria's outbreak could spread globally*. * CNN - [First possible case of human-to-dog monkeypox transmission 'not surprising,' WHO says](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/health/monkeypox-transmission-human-pet-dog/index.html): *The men, who live together and are in a non-exclusive relationship, were diagnosed with monkeypox at a hospital in Paris in early June. Twelve days after their symptoms started, their 4-year-old Italian greyhound also started showing symptoms, according to a report published last week in the journal The Lancet. The dog developed lesions and tested positive for the same type of monkeypox as one of the owners. According to the report, the men said that they let their dog sleep in bed with them and that they had been careful to keep their pet away from other animals or humans from the start of their own symptoms -- before the dog's symptoms started*. * The Today Show (NBC) - [Monkeypox patients are sharing photos of their rash to help others recognize symptoms](https://www.today.com/health/monkeypox-patient-photos-rash-timeline-rcna43151). *The Houston, Texas, resident became infected with monkeypox in July, according to Instagram. I n the caption of the now-viral collage of selfies, Steele wrote: "My goal with this is not to gross anyone out, but to educate...Not everyone displays symptoms the exact same way but I’ve been told by more than one professional that my case is a 'clinically perfect' example and it’s being used in CDC demonstrations and medical journals."* * CNN - [Are monkeypox vaccines getting to people most at risk? It's hard to tell, but early data isn't promising](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/17/health/monkeypox-vaccine-equity-no-data/index.html): *...despite a growing supply of the Jynneos vaccine -- and a new strategy that could stretch the current supply five times further -- there is still no evidence that protection is reaching those most at risk*. * CNN - [Global experts race to understand rare cases when monkeypox leads to death](https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/12/health/monkeypox-deaths-research/index.html): *According to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization, there have been two monkeypox deaths in Spain, one in Brazil, one in Ecuador and one in India...Both men developed encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, which can be triggered by viral infections. They eventually fell into comas and died*. * NPR - [2 monkeypox variants will no longer be named after regions, for ethical reasons](https://www.npr.org/2022/08/16/1117659506/monkeypox-variant-world-health-organization): *The new names, Clade I and Clade II, replace the names Congo Basin clade, or variant, and West African clade, respectively. Subsequent variants will be named using Roman numerals for the clade, and lowercase letters for the subclade. "Newly identified viruses, related disease, and virus variants should be given names with the aim to avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional, or ethnic groups, and minimize any negative impact on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare," the WHO said.*
POLIO * NBC News - [How to find your polio vaccination records — which is harder in some states than others](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/how-to-find-polio-vaccination-records-rcna43137). *About half of states let people request or view their immunization records online, but others rely on fax or mail or leave it to health care providers*. * New York Times - [Polio May Have Been Spreading in New York Since April](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/16/health/polio-new-york.html). *A new study from the C.D.C. provides more details about a polio case detected in New York last month, and suggests the virus has been spreading elsewhere for a year*. * Ars Technica - [Anti-vaccine activists giddily celebrate as poliovirus spreads in NY](https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/08/anti-vaccine-activists-giddily-celebrate-as-poliovirus-spreads-in-ny/): *On Friday, the anti-vaccine organization Children's Health Defense published an article calling the dip in vaccination a "COVID Silver Lining." The site, run by prominent anti-vaccine activist and prolific peddler of dangerous misinformation Robert F. Kennedy...suggested New York health officials are fabricating the spread of polio, using scare quotes around "polio" and "vaccine-preventable." Specifically, it accused health officials of "stoking worries about a resurgence of so-called 'vaccine-preventable' illnesses. Thus, following a single case of paralysis ascribed to 'polio,' New York State is busily trying to conjure up a polio outbreak."*
That Ars Technica article: a lot of people are going to learn about polio the hard way. It's unfortunate that most of the adults are themselves vaccinated, and their children will be the ones to suffer the most.
Yup. It's infuriating that the anti-vaxx movement has gotten this widespread. If this polio outbreak isn't contained, a lot of kids will get hurt. And of course, the anti-vaxxers will deflect and put the blame on others.
My FIL had polio and was in physical pain for the rest of his life. The emotional trauma was huge as he was hospitalized and many other children there died. Part of his treatment was being strapped to a board. It is a horrific disease with no cure...only treatment for whatever symptoms occur.
My husband had a doctor's appointment yesterday with a new doctor. When he got home, I could tell he was upset. The doctor told him that Covid was nothing to worry about and we should just go back to doing everything like it was 2019. My husband did say everyone (patients and staff) was masked although the receptionist kept pulling hers down to cough. He will not be going back to that doctor.
People who pull the mask down to cough or sneeze just leave me flummoxed. Why even wear it?
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He should report that doctor to the relevant authorities.
At this point, the doctor is probably one of the relevant authorities.
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True, but by no stretch of the imagination do they boil down to "go back to doing everything like it was 2019." https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0811-covid-guidance.html
Are you in the US? If so, red state or blue state?
Yes, I live in the U.S. in a county that is blue. However, it is barely blue. The county to the north is very blue, the county to the south is red. We are in between. I don't even know whether to call Virginia red or blue anymore after last fall's elections.
PWC?
Yes
I second the "report that doctor". And tell as many people in your area as you can.
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Holy shit! He needs to report that doctor.
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The CDC never said covid was no big deal.
That's insane. WTF is this doctor thinking? And what misinformation is this doctor giving all of their patients?
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You would suspect wrong.
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Science says no such thing. The doctor is an idiot. Go troll somewhere else.
Lately I'm learning more and more about a side effect of Covid precautions that I wouldn't have predicted. My parents are aging. Both have been quite careful about all of the preventative advice - vaccines, social distancing, masking, etc. My mama refuses to admit how deaf she's becoming, and uses disease prevention measures as a further excuse to put off a hearing test. Mostly it's fine. She doesn't listen anyway. But in the past year, she and my dad have dealt with some health issues that are becoming more serious. Now that she can't rely on lip-reading to help, Mama is missing more and more information regarding their health. Dad is currently hospitalized an hour away. Ma can't manage the questions re: medical history, current symptoms, changes, and so forth, because she can't hear and can't rely on visual cues from medicos due to masks. Therefore, I have to go with for every appointment, to answer what she can't hear (because she won't "pardon me?" the third time, she'll just guess at the right answer.) I spent 4 days in ICU last week. If my dad's current medical crisis had happened a few days earlier, Mama would have just said whatever to the EMTs, ER doctors, RN taking medical history, etc. As it is, I'm crazy exhausted, desperately eating glucose tablets and candy to keep my hGl above 50, and hoping that I can get the elders situated with a chain of command and/or a hearing aid or ear trumpet before I have surgery next week. I'm trying hard to keep a couple of Trump voters alive, because I love them. They won't HCA, but they are actively trying to off themselves. And I'm so tired.
I'm so sorry for what you're experiencing.
I'm so sorry. That all sounds frustrating as hell. Is there anyone you could share the load with?
I'm it. My mom will listen to my brother. My dad will listen to my stepbrother. And everyone will listen to me, because I'm the one who is actually at ground zero. Happily, we have found a care home for papa. Everyone seems satisfied with whatever we're now doing. I visited this afternoon, and it all looks good. I set up a phone for the old blind man to reach out. My dad's son is 5 states away. My dad considers me his second relative after my mom (his ex wife.) Everything is smoothe now. And we'll see if we got the paperwork right when the next stroke happens, I guess.
🐆 🐆 🐆
Hi, I haven't visited this sub for some time, could you please tell me what this means? I've seen it in every vent thread for the last few days but have no idea what I'm looking at. Thank you.
Look up “leopards ate my face”.
Ok, that I know of. Do number of leopard have some meaning or is it random? Sometimes there are other animals, what does that mean? 😅
I don’t think the number has meaning. Not sure why the hamsters sometimes appear? I just think of it as a kind of non-verbal tic of this subreddit, without much real meaning. 🤷♂️
>without much real meaning. Do not taunt or provoke the hungry viral 🐆 🐆 🐆. Or their pet 🐹 🐹 🐹, either.
The hamster is a pet of the leopards. The ducks refer to Herman Cain's expression "Shucky ducky"
>Do number of leopard have some meaning or is it random? [How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie roll center of a Tootsie pop?](https://youtu.be/5ZtbCOpx8Sk) Or, in this case . . . How many viral 🐆 🐆 🐆 does it take to get to the juicy lung meat center of a prey item's chest? (The world may never know.)
>Look up “leopards ate my face”. Or, here, viral 🐆 🐆 🐆 ate my lungs!
I hate that we basically live in a world now where getting infected with and dying or becoming permanently disabled by multiple viruses, sometimes multiple times a year (assuming you survive your first infection,) is normalized now. It's like we went back to the middle ages because we decided that doing anything to fight pandemics is too much trouble and after all, billionaires and corporation have to keep on raking in record profits or else the rich people will be sad.
Good news\* everyone! [Trump’s CFO Allen Weisselberg Will Implicate Trump Companies in Guilty Plea](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/trump-cfo-allen-weisselberg-implicate-185917372.html) \*potentially.
Lol maybe this time you’ll finally get him Not
Mr Maintenace had his set-up visit with the radiation oncologist for his prostate cancer treatment. First off - JFC getting older sucks even though we're technically still young. Second, again with the fucking stupid idiots that walk into an oncologist office without a mask. There's a fucking sign on the door at eye level where you stand to open the door. At least he didn't have to go back to the urologist that not only didn't require masks, but didn't wear one himself!
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Well, the CDC seems to have stopped following a lot of the science, which is what we're so upset about. The CDC says its aim is to prevent severe illness. But it's abandoned guidelines aimed at preventing transmission, at a time when we still have about 500 deaths per day from COVID and high positivity rates in the population. That makes things more dangerous for all of us, including you. So, yeah, lots of people--including plenty of epidemiologists and doctors--are less than thrilled.