Coronavirus Discussion

[Uther_Pendragon]

Kestra, reading that is scary and disheartening. I'm so sorry you're in the thick of it all. That is unimaginable stress.

 

I'm thinking about all of you often and hoping you're able to stay safe and well.

 

 

Husband got a new hip on the 15th and has had to go to physical therapy. (He's doing great!) Only a couple of the PT staff wear masks. His assigned therapist had to help another person, and sent a young tech over to keep an eye on husband. Well, she started sneezing up a storm! Husband hollered NO loudly and she backed off. (I was waiting outside, otherwise I'd have politely gone off) There are a lot of very vulnerable people (elderly; post surgery) having to go to PT and it's ridiculous that masking for staff and patients isn't required! They even have a sign that reads only the unvaccinated are RECOMMENDED to mask. 
 

Antivax BIL and sil stopped by unannounced to check on husband, and I wouldn't let them in! Sil wore a mask, but I made them visit distanced on our big porch. Lol!

[Lagie]

Another 65 cases Tuesday, and 207 yesterday takes us to 24,476, the majority on my island. 23 in hospital, 1 of those in the ICU. Our positivity rate has spiked up to 43% both days!  4 additional deaths take that total to 717.

 

Hope you don't lose any more staff, Mr. @Kestra15. *hugs*

[PrincessLucy]

Well, still no lab results yet, but we did home tests today.

 

My mother and I tested negative. My mother had 2 doses of Moderna, but I had to cancel her booster scheduled for 12/29 as she was feeling sick(diarrhea and runny nose). I had 3 doses of Pfizer, the third does was 12/17. I had a bit of the chills, but no fever. It is cold in my bedroom.

 

My son tested positive. No vaccines. He doesn't believe the science behind vaccines so quickly produced. He has headache,  cough, some chills and a bit of diarrhea.

 

4 people in my sister's household tested positive with home tests. Lab results aren't back yet. One of the 4 is my nephew, who is quite ill, but very run down from working 70 hour weeks for the last couple of months. Another, that I consider from their household is my niece's boyfriend, who doesn't live there but hangs out all the time. He was the first to test positive, and I don't know if his family has it. 

 

3 other sets of nieces/nephews and spouses are waiting for lab results.

[Lagie]

Oh wow. Glad you are negative, at least. Hope everyone who has it gets over it quickly.

[trystan]

ugh.

was in the office at my retail job today with the assistant manager who wasn't feeling well today.  she was supposed to be off, and she wasn't because the manager tested positive, and another manager/keyholder tested positive as well.  assistant manager and i were both masked, and i wasn't all that close to her, but i did have to show her something on my phone.  and then we had to close the store.... because assistant manager probably had gotten her test results.

i'm totally calling out for saturday (tomorrow) and sunday, because i was in the office with her.  hopefully i'll be fine though.  

[Astreya]

@PrincessLucy

I hope your and your Mom's lab tests will be negative, too!

 

As for your son not believing in vaccines produced so fast - the science behind the mRNA vaccines has been researched for many years more by now. The companies working on this technology originally focused a bit more on creating antibody meds against cancer, but when the genome of SARS-CoV-2 was published in January 2020, they saw the potential of their research that it could be adapted against the virus, too. So the technology behind the mRNA vaccines wasn't just invented in 2020, but it originally began in the 1990es when the Hungarian scientist Katalin Karikó had an idea and just refused to give up despite being ridiculed, not given research grants and even being demoted by the university she worked at. Together with Drew Weissman, a researcher in the US, she began to solve the problems over the following years.

 

Here's a very good article in English that details all the background stuff:  https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/10/the-story-of-mrna-how-a-once-dismissed-idea-became-a-leading-technology-in-the-covid-vaccine-race/

 

This is a somewhat newer article about Katalin Karikó: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/10/scientists-egos-key-barrier-to-progress-covid-vaccine-pioneer-katalin-kariko

 

 

@trystan

Yikes! I so hope you didn't catch SARS-CoV-2!

 

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As of today, Friday, December 31, 11:00 GMT+1, my home town (population 211 000) has 882 (+48) active cases, while 15 597 (+89)  people are considered to have recovered. 407 (+-0) persons sadly died. 1420 persons are currently quarantined. All in all there have been 16 886 (+137) people who suffered from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of newly infected people per 100 000 citizens in the last 7 days is 204.7 (+21.0) / Incidence for NRW: 183.7 (+6.7).

 

Currently 39 (+5) persons are treated in hospital, with 6 (+-0) of them in intensive care, 5 (+-0) of them needing artificial respiration.

 

--------------

As of today, Saturday, January 1, 10:30 GMT+1, my home town (population 211 000) has 927 (+45) active cases, while 15 623 (+26)  people are considered to have recovered. 407 (+-0) persons sadly died. 1276 persons are currently quarantined. All in all there have been 16 957 (+71) people who suffered from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of newly infected people per 100 000 citizens in the last 7 days is 220.0 (+15.3) / Incidence for NRW: 195.9 (+12.2).

 

Currently 39 (+-0) persons are treated in hospital, with 5 (-1) of them in intensive care, 3 (-2) of them needing artificial respiration.

 

--------------

As of today, Sunday, January 2, 11:00 GMT+1, my home town (population 211 000) has 945 (+18) active cases, while 15 637 (+14)  people are considered to have recovered. 407 (+-0) persons sadly died. 1256 persons are currently quarantined. All in all there have been 16 989 (+42) people who suffered from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of newly infected people per 100 000 citizens in the last 7 days is 210.4 (-9.6) / Incidence for NRW: 199.4 (+4.5).

 

Currently 38 (-1) persons are treated in hospital, with 6 (+1) of them in intensive care, 3 (+-0) of them needing artificial respiration.

There have been 154 513 (1st jab, 73.73%) and 146 387  (2nd jab, 69.85%) and 108 441 (3rd jab, 51.75%) vaccinations so far. (Vaccination data from Dec 29, 2021 - they finally give the exact percentages! So far I calculated them myself with the estimated number of 211 000 citizens, but of course the city should have the exact numbers ^^ ).

Source: Stadt Oberhausen

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by Astreya

[trystan]

3 minutes ago, Astreya said:

@trystan

Yikes! I so hope you didn't catch SARS-CoV-2!

thanks - i hope i didn't either!!

[Lagie]

So... a friend of mine, who has a home here in Nassau, is stuck at her Canadian home. She's had reactions to other vaccines before yet went for one for Covid... and passed out. She's still sick from it, weeks later, and under current Canadian travel rules she cannot leave the country as she's not fully vaccinated. It's taking a while to get medical exemption papers for her, so it may be a long time before she gets back here. Covid is really messing with a lot of things the world took for granted.

 

@trystan, I hope you're okay!

[Astreya]

@Lagie

Yuck, that's real bad luck for your friend!

 

I had a very nasty side-effect of a vaccination when I was still a kid, too (I actually almost died from the then mandatory smallpox vaccination, that is), so I was a bit worried when I got my first Covid shot with AstraZeneca (which is a bit more conventional than the mRNA vaccines), but in my case it went well (only the expected side-effects).

 

Which of the vaccines did they give your friend? Do you know whether her reaction is due to a general problem in the immune system or whether it's some allergic reaction?

[trystan]

56 minutes ago, Lagie said:

@trystan, I hope you're okay!

so far i'm okay!  

{{hugs to your friend}}

[Lagie]

2 hours ago, Astreya said:

Which of the vaccines did they give your friend? Do you know whether her reaction is due to a general problem in the immune system or whether it's some allergic reaction?

Pfizer, I think. Maybe Moderna. Not Astra Zeneca. She had several immune issues already.

 

Thursday - 520 new cases for new total of 24,996 (and a new record daily high), 474 of those on my island. 39.9% positivity. No additional deaths.

 

Same friend thinks the only way this will end is with everyone getting it. I really hope she's wrong about that as I do not want to be a Covid case.

[AsymDoll13]

My best friend's little nephew (a little over a year?) has Covid and the flu. Poor dear. 

[Astreya]

@AsymDoll13

I hope he'll recover ASAP!

 

@Lagie

Our former Health Minister Jens Spahn was pretty blunt about Covid-19, too. He said: "There will be only three possibilities. Either people will be vaccinated, or recovered, or dead."

[PrincessLucy]

Well, that was fun. Not.

 

Around 1 AM my son woke me up as he was having trouble breathing when he lays down to sleep.

 

I drove to the emergency room which is around a mile or so from my house, and parked outside and called into the hospital, as he had tested positive on the home Covid test and I wanted them to be aware before he went in.

 

They had someone come out thru the other door with a wheelchair to bring him in and they told me to go inside and register him, as I had tested negative. I was allowed to go in to his room after I registered him.

 

Oxygen levels are good, as were his other vitals. Chest x-ray was clear.

 

He is home now and still doesn't plan to get his Covid vaccine any time soon. *sigh*

 

They sent prescriptions to the 24 hour CVS, but their computers are down.

Edited January 1, 2022 by PrincessLucy
I hate typos.

[cyber_rosaic]

My LD partner and I planned months in advance to meet for New Years and my birthday (they live in US, I'm in Australia) but thanks to COVID keeping the borders shut (ESPECIALLY Omicron, which is now peaking at 22,000 cases per day in my state), we had to cancel the flight and now we have absolutely no idea when we'll be able to meet physically (it would be our first time). I think Aussies can travel to the US but there's a lot of reasons why I currently can't travel over there.

It doesn't look like the cases are going down anytime soon, and my family works in the health industry so there's that worry that someone will bring it home too. Everyone in my family who is eligible is vaxxed (Other than my Nan, which is a separate thing entirely). There's just a ton of uncertainty and it sucks. I really hope 2022 ends up being a better year.. 😔

Edited January 1, 2022 by cyber_rosaic

[Kestra15]

In a nice gesture, the UK chief health officers have received knighthoods for their services. It's a token gesture but as a healthcare worker I do feel a little heartened by it. Also one of my colleagues received an honour for her voluntary work with the vaccination program.

[trystan]

so i called out of my retail job this morning, and spoke to.... the manager/keyholder who was apparently also out at least yesterday ... turns out, she won't know her results until tomorrow, which i learned from another coworker who messaged me.

 

when i called out for today and tomorrow, the manager, D, says there's new protocol - if i'm vaxxed, wear a mask.  if i do show symptoms, then get a test.  i told her i was calling out for today, she says i'm not on her schedule anyway (uh, yes i am.  you're making that up).  i told her i'd call her tomorrow if things are different.

 

then when i was messaging the other coworker, i asked her "isn't it with covid and other illnesses that when you don't know that you have it yet that you're contagious?"  she said yes, but is that actually accurate?  just to know for myself, if anything.  AND this coworker said they really didn't do much by way of cleaning

 

i now need a reason to call out tomorrow.  i'm thinking of saying that i'll be getting a test (even if i don't actually DO the test), but that i can't come in because i don't want to pick anything up to take to my other job and my idjit unvaxxed boss.....  

[PrincessLucy]

4 minutes ago, trystan said:

so i called out of my retail job this morning, and spoke to.... the manager/keyholder who was apparently also out at least yesterday ... turns out, she won't know her results until tomorrow, which i learned from another coworker who messaged me.

 

when i called out for today and tomorrow, the manager, D, says there's new protocol - if i'm vaxxed, wear a mask.  if i do show symptoms, then get a test.  i told her i was calling out for today, she says i'm not on her schedule anyway (uh, yes i am.  you're making that up).  i told her i'd call her tomorrow if things are different.

 

then when i was messaging the other coworker, i asked her "isn't it with covid and other illnesses that when you don't know that you have it yet that you're contagious?"  she said yes, but is that actually accurate?  just to know for myself, if anything.  AND this coworker said they really didn't do much by way of cleaning

 

i now need a reason to call out tomorrow.  i'm thinking of saying that i'll be getting a test (even if i don't actually DO the test), but that i can't come in because i don't want to pick anything up to take to my other job and my idjit unvaxxed boss.....  

Gotta love retail.

 

I work in a grocery store. I was supposed to be off Tuesday, but since my Sunday load showed up late Monday, I had to come in and switch my day off for Wednesday.

 

Tuesday morning I had dropped my dog at the vet for an insulin curve, so I went in afterwards and had to leave to pick up the dog, bring him home, give him insulin and go back to work for an hour.

 

Tuesday night when I was driving home, I got the message about my niece's BF testing positive on a home test.  I was told that I should come back to work anyway. My son and mother had been feeling sick Tuesday, which I found out about later.

 

We tested Wednesday afternoon on lab test, but still no results. They said it may take 72 hours.

 

I was told Thursday that I could come to work since I am vaccinated, but I had chills.

 

Friday I felt better, but still no results, so we did the home tests. My son is positive, but my mother and I are negative.

 

The ER gave me a note that says my son must quarantine for 14 days. I have no idea what that now means for me, as he was the one who helped my mother while I was at work, and now he is confined to his room unless he needs the bathroom.

 

I don't work holidays or Sundays, so I am scheduled again Monday. No idea what I am supposed to do either.

 

My son is one of the  "idjit unvaxxed". He is afraid of long-term complications of a Covid vaccine, but not the long-term complications of getting Covid.

 

[Lagie]

[Astreya]

@Lagie

That's a great wish indeed!

 

--------------

As of today, Monday, January 3, 09:00 GMT+1, my home town (population 211 000) has 941 (-4) active cases, while 15 732 (+95)  people are considered to have recovered. 407 (+-0) persons sadly died. 1287 persons are currently quarantined. All in all there have been 17 080 (+91) people who suffered from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of newly infected people per 100 000 citizens in the last 7 days is 243.8 (+33.4) / Incidence for NRW: 206.2 (+6.8).

 

Currently 39 (+1) persons are treated in hospital, with 6 (+-0) of them in intensive care, 3 (+-0) of them needing artificial respiration.

There have been 154 513 (1st jab, 73.73%) and 146 387  (2nd jab, 69.85%) and 108 441 (3rd jab, 51.75%) vaccinations so far. (Vaccination data from Dec 29, 2021).

Source: Stadt Oberhausen

[Lagie]

January 1st stats for The Bahamas: 249 cases (212 on my island) for a new total of 25,534. Positivity rate... 55.3%!  36 people in hospital (up 10), 4 in the ICU (up 2). No additional deaths.

[Tiira]

Situation in Finland: you can have a beer at the pub (restricted hours) or party on a cruise ship, or go shopping in the after Christmas sales – but swimming pools, sports halls, gyms, dance studios and other facilities for free-time activities (other than drinking) are closed and all cultural events have been cancelled so no worries? Sigh...

 

Of course I am not against restrictions, certainly not! But I can't help feeling a bit frustrated and confused with the ones we currently have, not only because myself I used to go to dance studio instead of pubs. We even have some official statistics and "risk ratings" for different places and events, and if I remember correctly they gave rating 1 or 2 (scale from 1 to 9) to sports halls, which in my opinion seems surprisingly low, but anyway the rating for pubs was 9 and that is not surprising.

 

The number of cases per 100 000 residents during the last two weeks (what's the English word for this?) is almost 2 700 in my city, and it keeps growing. 😿 I have my third vaccination booked in late January and my mom should get hers very soon, I'm not sure of my other family members. I wish we all (and you all!) would stay healthy...

 

[trystan]

update: i'm still fine.  boss (M-Th job, NOT where i was exposed) wants me to have a negative test before i go back to work.  which i can do tomorrow morning.  

oof: back in november, i got two boxes of the Binax home test (2 tests in a box) for $24 at a CVS.  now?  saturday i got two tests for $20, also at a CVS (but each of these boxes has one test each).  called yesterday and this morning - CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreen's near me are sold out.  (some of the CVSs i called even answered the phone "thank you for calling CVS, we're sold out of home covid tests. how many i help you today?")  i found the Binax test at a local, independent pharmacy - for $40 a box.  oof. (i got two boxes)

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by trystan

[Uther_Pendragon]

ihealthlabs.com

letsongo.com

nowinstock.net

bonafidemasks.com

A couple links my group gathered, thought I'd share here, too.

[Astreya]

@Varislapsi

Please try to stay safe!

 

@trystan

40 USD?! That's outrageous! In Germany we can buy LFTs from 1.75 EUR on. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you will stay Covid-free!

 

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As of today, Tuesday, January 4, 08:30 GMT+1, my home town (population 211 000) has 902 (-39) active cases, while 15 818 (+86)  people are considered to have recovered. 407 (+-0) persons sadly died. 1295 persons are currently quarantined. All in all there have been 17 127 (+47) people who suffered from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of newly infected people per 100 000 citizens in the last 7 days is 241.0 (-2.8) / Incidence for NRW: 216.9 (+10.7).

 

Currently 42 (+3) persons are treated in hospital, with 6 (+-0) of them in intensive care, 3 (+-0) of them needing artificial respiration.

There have been 154 513 (1st jab, 73.73%) and 146 387  (2nd jab, 69.85%) and 108 441 (3rd jab, 51.75%) vaccinations so far. (Vaccination data from Dec 29, 2021).

 

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As of today, Wednesday, January 5, 08:30 GMT+1, my home town (population 211 000) has 956 (+54) active cases, while 15 889 (+71)  people are considered to have recovered. 407 (+-0) persons sadly died. 1420 persons are currently quarantined. All in all there have been 17 252 (+125) people who suffered from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of newly infected people per 100 000 citizens in the last 7 days is 274.4 (+33.4) / Incidence for NRW: 233.6 (+16.7).

 

Currently 43 (+1) persons are treated in hospital, with 7 (+1) of them in intensive care, 3 (+-0) of them needing artificial respiration.

 

--------------

As of today, Thursday, January 6, 10:00 GMT+1, my home town (population 211 000) has 1089 (+133) active cases, while 15 970 (+81)  people are considered to have recovered. 408 (+1) persons sadly died. 1488 persons are currently quarantined. All in all there have been 17 467 (+215) people who suffered from Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of newly infected people per 100 000 citizens in the last 7 days is 342.6 (+68.2) / Incidence for NRW: 262.7 (+29.1).

 

Currently 40 (-3) persons are treated in hospital, with 6 (-1) of them in intensive care, 3 (+-0) of them needing artificial respiration.

There have been 155 714 (1st jab, 74.30%) and 148 065  (2nd jab, 70.65%) and 114 912 (3rd jab, 54.83%) vaccinations so far. (Vaccination data from Jan 5, 2022).

Source: Stadt Oberhausen

Edited January 6, 2022 by Astreya