Author Topic: Coronavirus Thread v.2  (Read 191166 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline cramx3

  • Chillest of the chill
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 34212
  • Gender: Male
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3010 on: January 04, 2022, 10:38:11 AM »
First, sorry to hear about your parents.  Hoping for a quick recovery and they stay safe in their new home.

Having said that, I flew last week and upon returning, I walked right in to a testing lab at Bradley airport, there was one person in front of me - check that, a couple in front of me - and I was tested before the luggage on my flight came out.   When my daughter flew in in December, she did the same thing, and later, during her trip, I drove her to the airport, she went in and got a test in about 15 minutes.   So I wonder if it really IS that hard, or if people are making it harder than it needs to be.

I'm wondering for my area, so if it is markedly different somewhere else and people ARE struggling I apologize in advance.

Did you pay for your test?  I  had to pay to take one in the airport and my experience was not that different a few weeks ago, pretty much no wait to get a test and I paid 50 euros.

Here in NJ, there is a legit shortage but you can find doctor offices where it will cost you to get a test.  If you want a free one, good luck.  And I think that's part of the issue with the waits, people don't want to pay for a test and I don't blame them.  Our government under both Trump and Biden have done a terrible job making sure tests are available to everyone.  Looks like my free state provided test isn't arriving on schedule as they stated.  My paid ones should arrive before the free one. I also paid $42 for a PCR test yesterday at my Dr friend's office.  A family of four with symptoms isn't cheap to test.

Also, I was wondering if the airport is a the secret to getting a test.  I think now that the holidays are over and covid everywhere, airports are back to being fairly empty (just my guess) so maybe that's a good spot to check for a test if you really need one and are willing to pay.

Offline lonestar

  • DTF Executive Chef
  • Official DTF Tour Guide
  • ****
  • Posts: 29704
  • Gender: Male
  • Silly Hatted Knife Chucker
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3011 on: January 04, 2022, 10:48:43 AM »
Hope for the best bud.

Online Skeever

  • Posts: 2879
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3012 on: January 04, 2022, 11:33:55 AM »
1 million... geez

Offline Stadler

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 43016
  • Gender: Male
  • Pointing out the "unfunny" since 2014!
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3013 on: January 04, 2022, 12:40:44 PM »
For the airport tests, I haven't given them a dollar, though the first time I did give my insurance card.  I can check, but if memory serves I want to say it was $5?   It was something very nominal.

Before the holidays, I went to CVS and got four boxes - each with two tests inside - for I think about $75.00.  So I have both available to me.  I recognize I am lucky in that regard, but I'm also realistic:  if the only way someone is going to test themselves is if it is free, then I'm really not going to rely on them to do the other things necessary to improve the collective odds.

Online TAC

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 74096
  • Gender: Male
  • Arthritic Metal Horns
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3014 on: January 04, 2022, 01:45:19 PM »
Except I got a call last night that they both have the COVID.  82 and 84, and thankfully both vaccinated and under care, but this is going to be quite the next five days or so.  My brother just had it, in November, so we're hoping he's got antibodies, and I tested negative on my return to CT and via a home kit last night, so there's that.  The facility is really good, though, and they are on top of it.  My parents are quarantined in their unit, and have all their meals and meds brought to them.  But we'll see.  So far, symptoms seem to be mild, but both are pretty susceptible to the ravages of the virus, so we're going to be on alert.

Bill, sorry to hear the news, and I hope they recover as quickly as possible. Sounds like they're in a good place. If it's a facility like the one my wife works at, you should feel good about that.
Also, this is obviously not good news, but at least they are together. God forbid this happened a few weeks ago and they'd have to stay separated through it.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline SwedishGoose

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2482
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3015 on: January 04, 2022, 02:36:03 PM »
Sorry to hear about your parents Stadler.
Hope they both pull through it with only mild symptoms.

Offline emtee

  • Posts: 2839
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3016 on: January 04, 2022, 03:33:42 PM »
Bill, I don't post here often (too busy at work) but I've known you for years. I'm sending you prayers and hoping your parents are going to be okay. Best of luck, brother.

Offline romdrums

  • Posts: 4509
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3017 on: January 04, 2022, 03:41:41 PM »
Sorry to hear about your parents, Stads.  Hope they recover soon!
Though we live in trying times, we're the ones who have to try. -Neil Peart, 1952-2020.

There is a fundamental difference between filtered facts and firehosed opinions. -Stadler.

Online Adami

  • Moderator of awesomeness
  • *
  • Posts: 36093
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3018 on: January 04, 2022, 03:45:38 PM »
They got a good in you Bill, I'm hoping they stay okay.
fanticide.bandcamp.com

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 41963
  • Gender: Male
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3019 on: January 04, 2022, 07:11:30 PM »
I don't always check this thread, but sorry to hear about that as well, Bill.

Good luck and get better to everyone as well who has or is dealing with any losses due to COVID.  This virus blows.  :tdwn :tdwn

Offline Lonk

  • DTF.org Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6012
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3020 on: January 04, 2022, 07:27:43 PM »
So besides the "Flurona" talk, I've also been seeing on the news how the US should not expect the same outcome as South Africa regarding Omicron (quick peak, quick decline) because SA is currently in summer, and we are not.

I hope they are wrong, but we shall see in the next few weeks.
Vmadera has evolved into Lonk

Offline vtgrad

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 927
  • Gender: Male
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3021 on: January 04, 2022, 09:00:04 PM »
It goes without saying, even though it shouldn't:  I deeply appreciate the kind words, the thoughts, and the prayers.  It means a lot.

Sorry to hear that Bill... prayers for them and for you bud.  As TAC said, at least they're together through this; they'll take great comfort in that (and so should you).
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."  Ecclesiastes 12:13

Now with Twitler taking a high end steak of this caliber and insulting the cow that died for it by having it well done just shows zero respect for the product, which falls right in line with the amount of respect he shows for pretty much everything else.- Lonestar

Offline Melphina

  • Posts: 354
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3022 on: January 05, 2022, 03:22:32 AM »
I hope only for the best for you and yours, Stadler. :hug:

Online jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44556
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3023 on: January 05, 2022, 05:08:25 AM »
So besides the "Flurona" talk, I've also been seeing on the news how the US should not expect the same outcome as South Africa regarding Omicron (quick peak, quick decline) because SA is currently in summer, and we are not.

A point I've been thinking about quite a bit.  Fortunately, a good portion of the US still has a warm(ish ... depending on "extreme" weather events) winter.  Canada ... not as much.

1M cases yesterday in the US I saw??  I read a piece up here that the "official" case counts could be off by as much as 8x :omg:

Cascading effects... the local urgent care in my town will be closing tomorrow, so that doctors can be re-routed to higher need hospitals that can't handle the load.  The region I live in, which has a population of about 500k, has almost 350 healthcare staff in isolation (with COVID, or a direct exposure).  The hospital in Canada's 9th largest city (where I used to live) issued a Code-orange (ie, not enough nurses to tend to existing patients) 2 days ago.  Normally the nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:4, and that hospital is dealing with a 1:10 ratio at the moment.

Sure wish I could just "do me" and still have ready access to healthcare, but it seems I can't/won't for the coming weeks (hopefully not months).  If only people had seen this coming.  Oh that's right, the experts did, but  as usual, officials (and large portions of society) failed to act quickly and/or take the threat seriously.
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline SwedishGoose

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2482
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3024 on: January 05, 2022, 05:38:12 AM »
Finally got my booster shot here in Sweden.

Got a shot of Moderna this time, Pfizer both times before.

Will be iterrsting to see if the shingles (or whaterver it was I got after both previous shots) return again.

Offline Stadler

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 43016
  • Gender: Male
  • Pointing out the "unfunny" since 2014!
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3025 on: January 05, 2022, 06:20:34 AM »
So besides the "Flurona" talk, I've also been seeing on the news how the US should not expect the same outcome as South Africa regarding Omicron (quick peak, quick decline) because SA is currently in summer, and we are not.

A point I've been thinking about quite a bit.  Fortunately, a good portion of the US still has a warm(ish ... depending on "extreme" weather events) winter.  Canada ... not as much.

1M cases yesterday in the US I saw??  I read a piece up here that the "official" case counts could be off by as much as 8x :omg:

Cascading effects... the local urgent care in my town will be closing tomorrow, so that doctors can be re-routed to higher need hospitals that can't handle the load.  The region I live in, which has a population of about 500k, has almost 350 healthcare staff in isolation (with COVID, or a direct exposure).  The hospital in Canada's 9th largest city (where I used to live) issued a Code-orange (ie, not enough nurses to tend to existing patients) 2 days ago.  Normally the nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:4, and that hospital is dealing with a 1:10 ratio at the moment.

Sure wish I could just "do me" and still have ready access to healthcare, but it seems I can't/won't for the coming weeks (hopefully not months).  If only people had seen this coming.  Oh that's right, the experts did, but  as usual, officials (and large portions of society) failed to act quickly and/or take the threat seriously.

Look, I don't want to blow any good will I've earned here (again, I say thank you to all the good wishes; it well and truly makes me feel better, so know it was worth it.  Special shout-out to emtee, since like he said I've known him for years but we haven't talked much recently).  But what to do?  Not all of this is about piss poor planning/performance.    My parents weren't isolated prior, but they laid low for the Xmas holidays, and after that, the only two people they had any close contact with were... me and my brother.  My brother had it in what'd I say? October? November? and tested negative recently, and I've had at least four tests - a combo of PCR and rapid - in the last month or so and tested negative every time.   We wore masks religiously at the facility, and with one exception - dinner the night I was down there - we stayed well clear of people generally.  I'm triple vaxx'd, and both parents have their shots (though no booster, as far as I know, unless the assisted living administered it and I'm not aware).   Though I can't claim perfection, we essentially did everything about as right as you can.  We followed the guidance, and yet here we are.

We're still 18 in terms of cases per million, and 21 in terms of deaths per million, so we're not lighting it up in comparison to other countries.  Though I will say, my standard comparison - Florida and California - is no longer valid; they're not even close at this point.  I guess I have to switch to either Florida and New York, or Florida and Massachusetts!  :) :)    I had a panic attack of sorts yesterday afternoon thinking that I was an asymptomatic (I'm not truly; I have no fever, but I have had a runny nose for about three weeks; that is typical of me when I fly, though and though I've flown multiple times in the last two months, as I said, I've tested negative multiple times in the the last month or so as well) carrier and that I'm to blame for doing something wrong.  But that's hard to really justify if I'm being fair to myself.


Offline Ben_Jamin

  • Posts: 15690
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm just a man, thrown into existence by the gods
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3026 on: January 05, 2022, 09:44:46 AM »
So besides the "Flurona" talk, I've also been seeing on the news how the US should not expect the same outcome as South Africa regarding Omicron (quick peak, quick decline) because SA is currently in summer, and we are not.

A point I've been thinking about quite a bit.  Fortunately, a good portion of the US still has a warm(ish ... depending on "extreme" weather events) winter.  Canada ... not as much.

1M cases yesterday in the US I saw??  I read a piece up here that the "official" case counts could be off by as much as 8x :omg:

Cascading effects... the local urgent care in my town will be closing tomorrow, so that doctors can be re-routed to higher need hospitals that can't handle the load.  The region I live in, which has a population of about 500k, has almost 350 healthcare staff in isolation (with COVID, or a direct exposure).  The hospital in Canada's 9th largest city (where I used to live) issued a Code-orange (ie, not enough nurses to tend to existing patients) 2 days ago.  Normally the nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:4, and that hospital is dealing with a 1:10 ratio at the moment.

Sure wish I could just "do me" and still have ready access to healthcare, but it seems I can't/won't for the coming weeks (hopefully not months).  If only people had seen this coming.  Oh that's right, the experts did, but  as usual, officials (and large portions of society) failed to act quickly and/or take the threat seriously.

And Nature is telling us Humans can't control Everything.

Even by doing all of this, the vaccinated are still catching Omicron. If the symptoms are mild and similar to the common cold, wouldn't you think people would assume what they have is a common cold, pounds down some cough medicine and heads out about their lives.

Also, people are panicking again and causing lots of clogging in the healthcare systems by going to ERs and calling them to get them tests because they fear they might have Omicron.

Nature and History proves to us how Fear causes humans to act in strange ways.

And if you read the article and study I posted and if obesity is that bad. The vaccine might not even be as affective for an obese person. And look at how much our country has this problem. You can relate the two.

For one, our health and access to these sustainable nutritious foods is a pandemic that is affecting humans, as we need these for sustanence. And it is a reason for why many less fortunate people are more susceptible to catching this virus.

I'm surprised that the hospitals, or more so the entire healthcare system, was not ready for another possible surge of people flocking to the hospitals and backing up the testing system. Were they not aware of what fear and panic does to people?
« Last Edit: January 05, 2022, 09:56:21 AM by Ben_Jamin »
I don't know how they can be so proud of winning with them odds. - Little Big Man
Follow my Spotify:BjamminD

Offline Ben_Jamin

  • Posts: 15690
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm just a man, thrown into existence by the gods
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3027 on: January 05, 2022, 09:52:53 AM »
So besides the "Flurona" talk, I've also been seeing on the news how the US should not expect the same outcome as South Africa regarding Omicron (quick peak, quick decline) because SA is currently in summer, and we are not.

A point I've been thinking about quite a bit.  Fortunately, a good portion of the US still has a warm(ish ... depending on "extreme" weather events) winter.  Canada ... not as much.

1M cases yesterday in the US I saw??  I read a piece up here that the "official" case counts could be off by as much as 8x :omg:

Cascading effects... the local urgent care in my town will be closing tomorrow, so that doctors can be re-routed to higher need hospitals that can't handle the load.  The region I live in, which has a population of about 500k, has almost 350 healthcare staff in isolation (with COVID, or a direct exposure).  The hospital in Canada's 9th largest city (where I used to live) issued a Code-orange (ie, not enough nurses to tend to existing patients) 2 days ago.  Normally the nurse-to-patient ratio is 1:4, and that hospital is dealing with a 1:10 ratio at the moment.

Sure wish I could just "do me" and still have ready access to healthcare, but it seems I can't/won't for the coming weeks (hopefully not months).  If only people had seen this coming.  Oh that's right, the experts did, but  as usual, officials (and large portions of society) failed to act quickly and/or take the threat seriously.

Look, I don't want to blow any good will I've earned here (again, I say thank you to all the good wishes; it well and truly makes me feel better, so know it was worth it.  Special shout-out to emtee, since like he said I've known him for years but we haven't talked much recently).  But what to do?  Not all of this is about piss poor planning/performance.    My parents weren't isolated prior, but they laid low for the Xmas holidays, and after that, the only two people they had any close contact with were... me and my brother.  My brother had it in what'd I say? October? November? and tested negative recently, and I've had at least four tests - a combo of PCR and rapid - in the last month or so and tested negative every time.   We wore masks religiously at the facility, and with one exception - dinner the night I was down there - we stayed well clear of people generally.  I'm triple vaxx'd, and both parents have their shots (though no booster, as far as I know, unless the assisted living administered it and I'm not aware).   Though I can't claim perfection, we essentially did everything about as right as you can.  We followed the guidance, and yet here we are.

We're still 18 in terms of cases per million, and 21 in terms of deaths per million, so we're not lighting it up in comparison to other countries.  Though I will say, my standard comparison - Florida and California - is no longer valid; they're not even close at this point.  I guess I have to switch to either Florida and New York, or Florida and Massachusetts!  :) :)    I had a panic attack of sorts yesterday afternoon thinking that I was an asymptomatic (I'm not truly; I have no fever, but I have had a runny nose for about three weeks; that is typical of me when I fly, though and though I've flown multiple times in the last two months, as I said, I've tested negative multiple times in the the last month or so as well) carrier and that I'm to blame for doing something wrong.  But that's hard to really justify if I'm being fair to myself.

You know how I talk about Blame...It's interesting that you placed the blame not on others, but yourself. Yet, you still needed to place blame...I am fascinated with understanding why must humans place blame?

You placed the blame on yourself and yet have no justification for that blame. You make yourself feel bad for no reason what so ever.

How are we so sure that the other is to blame for getting you sick, when you understand that risk is there when going to a public place congested with people. Am I to blame for ignoring that risk and getting myself sick, or is it the person who had no choice but to leave their house in order to get Theraflu or Day/Night-quil, or Aspirin?


I don't know how they can be so proud of winning with them odds. - Little Big Man
Follow my Spotify:BjamminD

Online jingle.boy

  • I'm so ronery; so sad and ronery
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 44556
  • Gender: Male
  • DTF's resident deceased dictator
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3028 on: January 05, 2022, 09:58:44 AM »
I hope people aren't placating or fooling themselves by thinking this is no big deal because (for the most part) symptoms are always milder.  As I (hysterically) stated a couple of weeks ago, the sheer volume of cases is bringing about crushing increases in hospitalizations - of vaccinated people (50% of hospitalizations, and almost 50% of ICU beds are from vax'd individuals).  Here, our hospitalizations doubled in the matter of a couple of days;  ICU almost doubled in the same period.
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
I fear for the day when something happens on the right that is SO nuts that even Stadler says "That's crazy".
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid
Remember the mark of a great vocalist is if TAC hates them with a special passion

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19225
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3029 on: January 05, 2022, 10:19:31 AM »
I'm still struggling with the numbers there.  Yes, there are a lot more cases, but if the vast majority of symptoms are no worse than a bad cold or maybe the flu, then I really do wonder what the big deal is.  It's a more contagious yet much less severe version of the virus.

Is it because with 1 million+ cases, even the small percentage of cases with severe symptoms amounts to more than we've seen in the past?

Offline Melphina

  • Posts: 354
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3030 on: January 05, 2022, 10:42:44 AM »
I'm still struggling with the numbers there.  Yes, there are a lot more cases, but if the vast majority of symptoms are no worse than a bad cold or maybe the flu, then I really do wonder what the big deal is.  It's a more contagious yet much less severe version of the virus.

Exactly.

Offline lonestar

  • DTF Executive Chef
  • Official DTF Tour Guide
  • ****
  • Posts: 29704
  • Gender: Male
  • Silly Hatted Knife Chucker
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3031 on: January 05, 2022, 10:44:23 AM »
I'm still struggling with the numbers there.  Yes, there are a lot more cases, but if the vast majority of symptoms are no worse than a bad cold or maybe the flu, then I really do wonder what the big deal is.  It's a more contagious yet much less severe version of the virus.



Hopefully this is where covid goes. I mean, imagine the numbers if we ticked off every case of the common cold or flu each year, they'd be astronomical.

Online gmillerdrake

  • Proud Father.....Blessed Husband
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 19151
  • Gender: Male
  • 1 Timothy 2:5
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3032 on: January 05, 2022, 10:58:22 AM »
I think the focus of our leaders.....and I use that term loosely because America really doesn't have a decent leader to be seen....at least politically.....should be to start gearing the conversation towards the vaccination for Covid 19 becoming like the seasonal flu shot. Make it a combo shot.....then, when/if the large majority of people who get covid it'll be going under the weather a bit....much like the flu or a cold....then your through it and life goes on.

The special cases where underlying health issues and/or age or whatever that complicate covid will always be a factor I suppose....but, at some point there must be a realization that covid isn't going to go away..it's going to be with us for a while.
Without Faith.....Without Hope.....There can be No Peace of Mind

Offline orcus116

  • DT.net Veteran
  • ****
  • Posts: 9599
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3033 on: January 05, 2022, 11:04:21 AM »
I'm with Orbert on this mainly because just throwing sheer numbers at people without context isn't the correct thing to do although it does seem to be working on many. I'd rather see the actual rates of the severe cases (ICU, deaths) vs how many cases there are which I believe would be a more accurate assessment. If you wanted to do it even more correctly you'd put the number of those cases vs total population to gauge that as well. Yeah I know everyone isn't being constantly tested so there may be asymptomatic folks who don't bother with tests but it's at least a more honest benchmark to go off of.

Offline Orbert

  • Recovering Musician
  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 19225
  • Gender: Male
  • In and around the lake
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3034 on: January 05, 2022, 11:05:06 AM »
I'm familiar with the concept of herd immunity, but always wondered what it looks like as it plays out.  Maybe this is it.  Yes, many have died, and that sucks and I'm not belittling it.  But those who survive did so because something about their physiology made them more resistant, and they pass that on to their kids.  After x years, the ones who remain are the resistant ones, meanwhile the virus itself has mutated to something less dangerous, with some help from modern medicine and technology.

And this is probably a stupid analogy, but I think about the science fiction stories set in a "post-apocalypse" world.  Some plague has wiped out a large percentage of the population, but the ones still around clearly have a greater natural resistance.  The "thinning of the herd" happened sometime in the past.  Perhaps that's what we're living through right now.

Offline cramx3

  • Chillest of the chill
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 34212
  • Gender: Male
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3035 on: January 05, 2022, 11:10:36 AM »
I'm still struggling with the numbers there.  Yes, there are a lot more cases, but if the vast majority of symptoms are no worse than a bad cold or maybe the flu, then I really do wonder what the big deal is.  It's a more contagious yet much less severe version of the virus.

Is it because with 1 million+ cases, even the small percentage of cases with severe symptoms amounts to more than we've seen in the past?

Well, if there's a million cases and even only a small % of those requires hospitalizations that's still a large amount of people needing help.  I do think there is legit concerns for this, but I'm not ready to "SHUT IT ALL DOWN" yet.  However, my parents informed me of a few of their friends who are all in the hospital with covid right now and not doing so well.  My friends father also got rushed to the hospital last night with covid. 

I think we likely have a few more weeks of insane amounts of cases before things settle down and it's possible we reach that tipping point in that time frame, but I'm still on the "let's see" phase of if any restrictions are needed.  I get the feeling that when we actually reach that point the tide will turn anyway though. It's going to be a rough january for the heros in health care, that's for sure.

On a personal note, I'm still sick but mostly just bad cold symptoms and tiredness.  Still haven't gotten my PCR results and still haven't gotten any of my at home tests in the mail (apparenty 2 should arrive today).  Not sure I should bother giving myself a test today.  I think I just wait for the PCR results and test myself again when the symptoms are gone.  My brother and his gf still test positive today and they are symptomless now. 

Also, the deaths aren't rising at all.  That's some more proof that while the vaccines aren't great at preventing infections with omicron, they still are great at preventing death.  This should give people some comfort during this time of insane amount of infections.

Offline Ben_Jamin

  • Posts: 15690
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm just a man, thrown into existence by the gods
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3036 on: January 05, 2022, 11:11:52 AM »
Here's the CDC's general information on the common cold coronavirus...

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/general-information.html

Quote
Human coronaviruses can sometimes cause lower-respiratory tract illnesses, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. This is more common in people with cardiopulmonary disease, people with weakened immune systems, infants, and older adults.

Quote
There is no vaccine to protect you against human coronaviruses and there are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by human coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illness will recover on their own. However, to relieve your symptoms you can:

take pain and fever medications (Caution: do not give aspirin to children)

use a room humidifier or take a hot shower to help ease a sore throat and cough

drink plenty of liquids

stay home and rest

If you are concerned about your symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.
I don't know how they can be so proud of winning with them odds. - Little Big Man
Follow my Spotify:BjamminD

Offline Grappler

  • Posts: 3414
  • Gender: Male
  • Victory, Illinois Varsity
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3037 on: January 05, 2022, 11:48:22 AM »
Delta cases are still occurring too - I've read some things that say that the hospitalizations are generally cases involving the delta variant.  Delta seems to be the lower respiratory (chest/lungs) area and Omicron is upper respiratory (sinuses, cold-like symptoms). 

It's sad seeing hospitals reporting bed shortages again.  My local county board member/representative was asking questions on his personal Facebook page regarding hospital bed availability and how it is calculated.  it's not about the number of available beds, but more about the number of nurses available for constant patient monitoring and care.  His end goal was to find a way to blame the hospitals for their shortages, because they fired a minor percentage of their workforce over vaccine mandates.  How can we be two years into this pandemic and be so antagonistic with medical professionals?

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12789
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3038 on: January 05, 2022, 11:50:56 AM »
I hope people aren't placating or fooling themselves by thinking this is no big deal because (for the most part) symptoms are always milder. 

Well, symptoms are not "always" milder.  However, the data seems to almost unanimously indicate that, for the vast majority of people, especially those who are fully vaccinated, take the typical recommended precautions, and have no underlying health conditions, there is an astronomically high likelihood that the symptoms will be mild.  So with that in mind, I hardly think it is "fooling" oneself to think that potentially catching the virus is no big deal.

As I (hysterically) stated a couple of weeks ago, the sheer volume of cases is bringing about crushing increases in hospitalizations - of vaccinated people (50% of hospitalizations, and almost 50% of ICU beds are from vax'd individuals).  Here, our hospitalizations doubled in the matter of a couple of days;  ICU almost doubled in the same period.

That isn't exactly accurate either.  From the reports and data I have seen, for the most part, it is not "the sheer volume of cases" that is causing the "crushing increases in hospitalizations."  Rather, it is the overreaction to cases that seems to be a major contributor.  In other words, hospitalizations that are unnecessary because the mild symptoms (or no symptoms at all, but just a positive test result) do not warrant hospitalization, are causing, or at least a major contributor to, the "crushing increases in hospitalizations."

As others have said, the numbers sound scary in a vaccuum.  But there is missing context.  That shouldn't minimize that people are still getting sick, and people are still dying.  It doesn't minimize that health care workers are incredibly slammed to the point of exhaustion, and that patients who need care for other things are being impacted.  But, again, contextualizing the numbers is important crucial.

So, again, I fall back to pretty much where I've been through most of this:  Take reasonable precautions to slow the spread and transmissibility, including but not limited to full vaccination, but don't overreact.  Overreaction is creating as many if not more problems, that are as severe if not more severe, than the actual virus.  Actually, let me edit as I go...  I think a more accurate restatement of my last sentence should be:  overreaction is severely exacerbating existing problems, perhaps by several magnitudes, and creating other unnecessary ones.  Caution is great.  And I would even go so far as to say it is warranted and necessary.  But overreaction/hysteria is not, and is incredibly counterproductive.  The problem for all of us is that the line between the two is fuzzy, the criteria for deciding where the line is is also incredibly fuzzy and is also subjective in some areas, and there just isn't an easy way to come to a consensus on that.  But no matter where you fall, I think it's important to keep talking about it, and keep trying to do so reasonably.  Chad, when you moralize about the issue and passive-aggressively make light of others' positions (not to mention perhaps exaggerating and misstating them), that isn't productive.  You reference mine quite a bit without mentioning me by name, as if that somehow deflects from the fact that you are taking shots at me.  I'm not taking it personally, but just saying that that isn't helpful.  I acknowledge your position, but I respectfully think there are some things that are wrong with it.  You are welcome to do the same with my position.  Let's talk it out without taking backhanded shots, please. 
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Online ProfessorPeart

  • MP.com Refugee
  • Posts: 3197
  • Gender: Male
  • Lubed In The Face
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3039 on: January 05, 2022, 12:11:53 PM »
Well, my daughter no longer has a sense of smell or taste. She had them yesterday and today both are totally gone. Still waiting on results from my wife and son's tests.
beul ni teh efac = Lube In The Face / That has to be wrong.  :lol / EDIT: Oh, it's Blue! I'm an idiot.
Pardon the interruption, but I just had to run in and celebrate the majesty of Lube in the Face as highest moment in roulette history

Offline Stadler

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 43016
  • Gender: Male
  • Pointing out the "unfunny" since 2014!
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3040 on: January 05, 2022, 12:24:38 PM »
I'm familiar with the concept of herd immunity, but always wondered what it looks like as it plays out.  Maybe this is it.  Yes, many have died, and that sucks and I'm not belittling it.  But those who survive did so because something about their physiology made them more resistant, and they pass that on to their kids.  After x years, the ones who remain are the resistant ones, meanwhile the virus itself has mutated to something less dangerous, with some help from modern medicine and technology.

And this is probably a stupid analogy, but I think about the science fiction stories set in a "post-apocalypse" world.  Some plague has wiped out a large percentage of the population, but the ones still around clearly have a greater natural resistance.  The "thinning of the herd" happened sometime in the past.  Perhaps that's what we're living through right now.

The Stand. 

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3041 on: January 05, 2022, 01:07:52 PM »
From the reports and data I have seen, for the most part, it is not "the sheer volume of cases" that is causing the "crushing increases in hospitalizations."  Rather, it is the overreaction to cases that seems to be a major contributor.  In other words, hospitalizations that are unnecessary because the mild symptoms (or no symptoms at all, but just a positive test result) do not warrant hospitalization, are causing, or at least a major contributor to, the "crushing increases in hospitalizations."
Let me make sure I understand what you're saying.  You are saying that hospitals, who are overrun, are overrun because they are hospitalizing people who don't really need to be hospitalized?

That seems, on the face of it, ridiculous.  Why would hospitals, who are already overworked, be hospitalizing people who, by definition, don't need to be hospitalized?
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Online TAC

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 74096
  • Gender: Male
  • Arthritic Metal Horns
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3042 on: January 05, 2022, 01:15:16 PM »
I had a panic attack of sorts yesterday afternoon thinking that I was an asymptomatic (I'm not truly; I have no fever, but I have had a runny nose for about three weeks; that is typical of me when I fly, though and though I've flown multiple times in the last two months, as I said, I've tested negative multiple times in the the last month or so as well) carrier and that I'm to blame for doing something wrong.  But that's hard to really justify if I'm being fair to myself.

Yeah Bill, don't do that to yourself.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline bosk1

  • King of Misdirection
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 12789
  • Bow down to Boskaryus
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3043 on: January 05, 2022, 01:17:17 PM »
From the reports and data I have seen, for the most part, it is not "the sheer volume of cases" that is causing the "crushing increases in hospitalizations."  Rather, it is the overreaction to cases that seems to be a major contributor.  In other words, hospitalizations that are unnecessary because the mild symptoms (or no symptoms at all, but just a positive test result) do not warrant hospitalization, are causing, or at least a major contributor to, the "crushing increases in hospitalizations."
Let me make sure I understand what you're a lot of the data and reports are saying.  You a lot of the data and reports are saying that hospitals, who are overrun, are overrun because they are hospitalizing people who don't really need to be hospitalized?

That seems, on the face of it, ridiculous.  Why would hospitals, who are already overworked, be hospitalizing people who, by definition, don't need to be hospitalized?

That's a great question.  I suspect the answer is complicated.
"The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie."

Offline ErHaO

  • Posts: 2860
  • Gender: Male
Re: Coronavirus Thread v.2
« Reply #3044 on: January 05, 2022, 01:34:27 PM »
I sincerely doubt a health professional is going to admit you to a hospital if it is not necessary. And if that does happen, I sincerely doubt a patient will be there for long, considering how many doctors and nurses typically work with a patient that is staying at a hospital.

A large chunk (almost everybody) of the hospitalised people will have a big problem if space runs out. Because then you reach a point were a lot of treatable cases will have a fatal outcome. Simply because they cannot get treatment. And that has always been the primary concern of handling covid outbreaks, to prevent that scenario (scenario black as our hospitals call it).

On a sidenote, I have undergone training for voluntary work in the hospitals, in case we do reach code black. I can check vitals of patients, so the professionals can focus on the worst cases/essential treatments. I was approached for this because I am a volunteer at the Red Cross. Thankfully, it does not seem likely this scenario will unfold.