Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[Iluveggers]

We have a tree but they are so hard to eat.

That’s why I love them! Great diet food. Takes me an hour to eat around 200 calories lol. It’s my after dinner snack. By the time I’m done it’s almost time for bed!

Oh mercy! Please ship me a box of poms asap, lol! I guess I did not realize they grew here in the States, I thought of them as a Mediterranean fruit. But ... if we can grow figs, dates, olives and wine, why not pomegranates?

We have a fig tree in Ny. We put it indoors in the room off the garage where it’s dark & cool but not freezing so it goes dormant Until we take it back out in the spring.

I don’t think we would have much luck with pomegranates though! I’ll stick to finding them at Aldi’s until Jan.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

That is certainly true. But they did not have at their disposal the tools that we have, if we should choose to use them. Even discounting the vaccines, we showed early on that we could limit the spread of this virus by hand-washing, masking (even though the masks available were not 100% as effective as they might have been) and social distancing. Just that little bit of knowledge, with compliance, saved thousands of lives.

We also bathe...that helps. And we dont have rats everywhere. Or sewage in the streets.

 

[Folly's place]

Because we've learned that public health measures matter!!! And there were difficulties over every new public health measure, too. Bathing, who needs it! Clean drinking water? There are reasons why Europeans drank beer and wine, not water.
Then read up about medical advances, like physicians actually washing their hands. Awful!
Now many of us have clean drinking water, we wash, AND WE HAVE VACCINES! AND ANTIBIOTICS! Many of us wouldn't still be here without either.
Smallpox is gone, only because of the first vaccine developed.
Polio will be gone if and when everyone is vaccinated.
Rant over, for now.
Mary

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Covid dodged again. Just got my negative result! Offered to go in to work immediately, but some rule somewhere (probably something with the official Covid leave) says I can’t return until the day after my negative result. Oh well! Taking the ducks on a nice long foraging walk instead.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Because we've learned that public health measures matter!!! And there were difficulties over every new public health measure, too. Bathing, who needs it! Clean drinking water? There are reasons why Europeans drank beer and wine, not water.
Then read up about medical advances, like physicians actually washing their hands. Awful!
Now many of us have clean drinking water, we wash, AND WE HAVE VACCINES! AND ANTIBIOTICS! Many of us wouldn't still be here without either.
Smallpox is gone, only because of the first vaccine developed.
Polio will be gone if and when everyone is vaccinated.
Rant over, for now.
Mary

Small pox isnt gone. They still have it in underdeveloped countries. Pretty sure its not a jab anymore either. I think its just a drop now that they put in your mouth.

 

[saysfaa]

Rambling (ranting, more accurately) about this here as I have no other place. Feel free to ignore.

At the very end of this past work week, with two hours to go in my day, we were informed that a coworker tested positive and that all of us working had been exposed. We had the choice of taking leave for a short time, getting tested ASAP and taking leave until negative results come in, or working regardless with KN95 masks. We all work on top of each other and no one has been feeling great, so almost everyone decided to take leave until we test negative.

Shockingly, It turns out that we need employees to run, and it’s hitting the fan not even one full day into this. I got tested this AM, but am getting pressured to go back early. I’m just angry because we’ve never been appreciated, and we can’t even make sure we are COVID negative before going back to work. I’m taking my first vacation time next week to see my elderly stepmother next week, and I’m not interested in bringing her COVID, despite us both being vaccinated.

I don’t know what to do.

I would look at it this way:
1. We know vaxxed get/spread it - at least more than rarely.
2. We know the longer/higher the exposure, the more likely a vulnerable person is to get it.
3. We know that masks can make a difference - if they are worn properly (fit well, aren't touched with hands contaminated by the virus).
4. We know the difference they make wanes over time if in an enclosed environment with high levels of virus in the air.
5. We know the covid tests have very high rates of false negatives, especially early in the course of illness.
6. We know that in a pretty high majority of covid cases that have symptoms, the symptoms are detected within 5 days of the exposure; in the vast majority, the symptoms are detected within 7 days; in virtually all that have symptoms, the symptoms are detected within 9 days.

So, if I wanted to keep the visit plans. I would isolate for 5 to 7 days -depending on whether I wanted to take pretty sure level of precaution or abundance of caution

If I wanted to work instead (regardless of reason; several reasons ate likely to apply), then I would not keep the visit plans - I would count days from possible/likely exposure rather than the known exposure. The coworker you know about is likely to have given it to at least some of the people working that in close of procsimity over that timeframe unless you are outside on a windy day. The person/people who got it from that coworker need to be counted to - timing from before they know they have it.

If I went to work in the case you described, I'd wear the mask because it was required. Not because it is going protect either you or your coworkers given the time/degree of exposure. It might add some protection to/from other coworkers if there are other coworkers who are exposed briefly or less intensely.

If I were going to visit my stepmother even if I couldn't isolate as long as I thought needed for the degree of protection needed then I would apply some or more of the other things that make a difference - some or all of: visit outdoors or if indoors then in a larger space and/or space with better airflow, stay further apart, keep visit shorter, were better fitting mask, take anaphylactic.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Question for everyone that is getting or considering getting a booster shot - Are you sticking with the same one, or mixing and matching? I got the J&J jab the first time around, but would prefer to switch it up with Pfizer. Maybe I am thinking too much about it though as the guidelines on booster timing aren’t as clear for middle-aged folks. Am I supposed to get a booster shot now? Later? Idk. What I need to do is get my flu shot. Actually, I’m far overdue on general wellness visits of various types, but those visits aren’t likely to happen any time soon. At least if I can avoid viral plagues this winter, it will be something!

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I would look at it this way:
1. We know vaxxed get/spread it - at least more than rarely.
2. We know the longer/higher the exposure, the more likely a vulnerable person is to get it.
3. We know that masks can make a difference - if they are worn properly (fit well, aren't touched with hands contaminated by the virus).
4. We know the difference they make wanes over time if in an enclosed environment with high levels of virus in the air.
5. We know the covid tests have very high rates of false negatives, especially early in the course of illness.
6. We know that in a pretty high majority of covid cases that have symptoms, the symptoms are detected within 5 days of the exposure; in the vast majority, the symptoms are detected within 7 days; in virtually all that have symptoms, the symptoms are detected within 9 days.

So, if I wanted to keep the visit plans. I would isolate for 5 to 7 days -depending on whether I wanted to take pretty sure level of precaution or abundance of caution

If I wanted to work instead (regardless of reason; several reasons ate likely to apply), then I would not keep the visit plans - I would count days from possible/likely exposure rather than the known exposure. The coworker you know about is likely to have given it to at least some of the people working that in close of procsimity over that timeframe unless you are outside on a windy day. The person/people who got it from that coworker need to be counted to - timing from before they know they have it.

If I went to work in the case you described, I'd wear the mask because it was required. Not because it is going protect either you or your coworkers given the time/degree of exposure. It might add some protection to/from other coworkers if there are other coworkers who are exposed briefly or less intensely.

If I were going to visit my stepmother even if I couldn't isolate as long as I thought needed for the degree of protection needed then I would apply some or more of the other things that make a difference - some or all of: visit outdoors or if indoors then in a larger space and/or space with better airflow, stay further apart, keep visit shorter, were better fitting mask, take anaphylactic.

Thank you for your thorough reply! Last known exposure was last Tuesday. I tested (PCR) on day 6 after exposure with an at home test one day prior. Everyone else’s tests are trickling in and have been negative so far. I have been quarantining since Friday night (minus testing) and am free of symptoms that can not be explained by other illnesses (I have some chronic issues that have some overlapping symptoms). I will likely use my other at home test (it comes in a box of two) the day before I visit my family member (I’m due to leave next Monday), and we will follow all recommended safety protocols during visit. I do need to make it clear to her that if she is at all uncomfortable with our little trip, we can cancel.

 

[saysfaa]

...Polio will be gone if and when everyone is vaccinated.
Rant over, for now.
Mary

Covid won't be, though. Even if every single person is vaccinated at the same time (so the waning protection isn't a factor). Because too many other species get it... or even just one -cats. It doesn't spread very easily in most non-primate species but it does spread easily enough in cats that the feral cat populations that already have it would spread it back into people via pet cats.

Maybe if every pet cat owner would keep their cats inside after every person is vaxxed...not very likely to happen.

I agree with your concept, though. We do know enough to stop this in its tracks, if we were willing to do what is known. I favor the early treatment route over vaxxing, though. It is more effective and far less risk. Just solving the widespread vitaminD deficiency problem would make a LOT of difference.

 

[Folly's place]

@Ninjasquirrel , you are confusing smallpox with polio. And the smallpox vaccine was never an oral product, like the second effective polio vaccine. Some of us have been there and done that, both, more than once.
@saysfaa , if you look at the actual statistics, the C-19 vaccine is WAY safer than getting the disease!!!
Mary