# Coronavirus general discussion and chit-chat **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [August 12, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903 "2020-08-12T17:29:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/464 "2021-08-13T21:50:39Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > Hubs has changed his mind about getting vaccinated! He’s figured out that while the vaccine won’t protect him from catching the next version of COVID going around, it will protect him from paying over 2500 for another kitten. 😆 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/465 "2021-08-13T22:18:17Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > I was looking forward to getting another kitten, I’m more looking forward to my favorite dumbass getting vaccinated. Still get another kitten for George. Just get it off of [petfinder](https://www.petfinder.com/search/cats-for-adoption//?distance=100) instead. Kittens here from shelters are wildly expensive, but pretty much always still $300 or less. Often in the $125 to $200 range. Much cheaper than $2,500! ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/466 "2021-08-13T22:23:02Z")
Wonderful news! And kudos to you for your clever and successful plot! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/467 "2021-08-13T22:30:43Z")
Agreed. A masterful plot! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/468 "2021-08-13T22:51:47Z")
Thanks to all who posted thoughts on my choir singing issue. I’m too exhausted to respond right now – long, trying day dealing with a techie issue that still isn’t resolved. FTR, the choir doesn’t sing for two hours. I’m there at the church for two hours. Our total singing time is probably 20 minutes, max. Yeah, outside would be ideal. But I’m assessing the risk. Re this comment: > [@puzzlegal](#): > > Achingly lonely is a serious problem, and is bad for your physical health, too. This might be a question worth discussing with your doctor, if you have a good relationship with them. I’ve told this to a couple of my doctors. No response. I’m curious about what you think they can/would do? I am seeing two different therapists, one weekly by Zoom, one every other week in person (sitting faaaar apart, both vaccinated). A couple of hours of contact a week isn’t much. @JaneDoe42 As a colleague of mine used to say, “Money talks and bullshit walks.” But I really wanted you to have that kitten! I would have voted for the name “Ralphie.” I knew a woman named Ralphie many years ago. Must go fall down now… ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/469 "2021-08-13T22:54:03Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Is it our fault that kids are sick now because we prioritized elderly people? And then moved down in age brackets? Last year, one of the suggestions was that kids were less susceptible because there normally was a lot of other COVID floating around, and many of the kids might have had recent COVID-type infections. Which makes me wonder if their recent-immunity to COVID-like infections might have run down over the last year of school closures. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/470 "2021-08-13T23:13:28Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > And kudos to you for your clever and successful plot! _Bows_ Thank you, thank you. Sometimes the long game is the best game! I traded any possible future kittens in exchange for him getting any recommended boosters until the pandemic has been declared over. He thinks it will just mean a couple more shots, I think it will be at least yearly shots for the rest of our lives. Totally worth it IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/471 "2021-08-13T23:22:04Z")
I think you should get the kitten anyway and name it President Biden. Maybe get some aviator glasses for it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/472 "2021-08-13T23:33:52Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > Achingly lonely is a serious problem, and is bad for your physical health, too. This might be a question worth discussing with your doctor, if you have a good relationship with them. > > I’ve told this to a couple of my doctors. No response. I’m curious about what you think they can/would do? I meant, ask you doctor about the singing. Your doctor knows the details of your risk factors, and ought to be able to weigh the social benefits with the disease risks. I’ve been avoiding covid loneliness with a mix of some family at home (i live with my husband and our adult daughter, and i visit my mom weekly), frequent Teams calls for work, bridge over Zoom with neighbors, and lots of on-line chatting. For a while i was “getting together” with friends and we’d all watch the same TV show at the same time and snark about it over Google Hangouts. But i seem to do better with video social time than many people. Maybe that doesn’t cut it for you. Now that things have opened up a bit, I’ve also seen friends in small settings, which has been wonderful. But my favorite hobby is square dancing, and that’s still mostly either down or beyond my risk tolerance. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/473 "2021-08-13T23:54:36Z")
That would be way too funny! I was leaning towards Joey for a while, but I have avoided using family member names for our pets and couldn’t really justify starting now just to yank hubs’ chain. Plus, while some family members would be honored if I named a cat after them, others would not be as pleased and first cousin Joe is in that camp. (Have I ever mentioned that I drink a lot when I’m at family gatherings?) @ThelmaLou Thanks for cheering for kitten, but I just happen to know that me getting another kitten for me isn’t what was inspiring you…you just want more kitten pics and stories, LOL!!! I know you like to spend time in your postage stamp sized yard when the weather is nice. Can you hear your neighbors doing things on the other side of the fences? I can, and it seems to help me feel like I’m with people doing the same things as I am even if I can’t see them. Most of the coffee shops and restaurants out here have patio seating of one sort or another, would you feel safe meeting up with friends outside? If all else fails, foster a kitten from your local rescue society. I know that’s not human contact, but it’s a kitten that isn’t yours, so cheap entertainment, plus you’d be Doing A Good Thing. I think we are going to get a bonus year out of VBC because she’s so much more active now that George is here. Its got to be good for her. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/474 "2021-08-14T00:01:51Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > you just want more kitten pics and stories, LOL!!! Yes, we do, dammit!! So ante up! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/475 "2021-08-14T00:02:08Z")
Today they announced that there was a positive case of COVID-19 at my son’s middle school. Today is the third day of school. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/476 "2021-08-14T02:34:20Z")
Awesome! Stay healthy!!! I had a COVID scare today. I’m visiting ‘me mum’ and we both started having a dry cough around the same time. Was convinced that we might have had a breakthrough infection. But all’s well now at this hour. I suspect it’s the fact that she keeps the AC on full blast and doesn’t realize that it makes her sick - and anyone else who visits. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/477 "2021-08-15T03:17:32Z")
My kids (both 8) started back to in-person school last week. My son had some severe gastrointestinal distress on Tuesday, so had to stay home for 24 hours after his symptoms resolved. Today my daughter has a runny/stuffy nose, sore throat, stomachache and diarrhea, and a fever of 100.2°. We have a message in for the doctor about getting her tested, and asking advice. We will be quarantining until we find out if she’s negative or are advised that we don’t need to. I had my misgivings, but the school was doing a lot to mitigate the risk, and I really wanted it to work. Now I’m second guessing everything, and worrying about the increased severity of the delta variant. I hate covid. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/478 "2021-08-15T03:38:18Z")
Did your son’s symptoms go away? Is he feeling better? Your daughter’s symptoms actually seem like classic flu, but you’re absolutely right to get tested for COVID. Check to see if they’re feeling properly oxygenated. If you have an oxygen meter, make sure it doesn’t go below 95. Otherwise, periodically check to make sure they’re not out of breath. Keeping my fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/479 "2021-08-15T03:44:35Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > I hate covid Kids caught shit at school before covid. Best wishes. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/480 "2021-08-15T04:20:09Z")
Yeah, his issue was brief but intense. Lasted just a few hours. (Severe diarrhea.) No fever. I don’t think it’s related. I checked my daughter with a pulse oximeter. No problem there. I don’t think it matches up with flu symptoms, and we’ve all had flu shots. There’s been a big spike of RSV, apparently, but again, the gastrointestinal symptoms seem out of place for that. Both kids will be missing some school, even if all her symptoms disappeared tomorrow. They’re requiring 72 hours after any primary symptom of covid. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/481 "2021-08-15T04:24:16Z")
In spite of the rising number of Delta cases, I feel like (vaccinated) people around me are kind of acting as if things are more or less back to normal. Then again, we also moved to a house in the middle of nowhere. But kids are going back to school. My company is throwing an end of the summer party on a rooftop in Manhattan. People are going to restaurants and public events. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/482 "2021-08-15T04:35:54Z")
Yep, everywhere I go it’s this way, and it’s frustrating. I don’t think we need total lockdowns yet, but if we keep acting as if the pandemic is over it might end up coming to that. Vaccinated people are overconfident. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/483 "2021-08-15T05:23:10Z")
I was never overconfident. I never stopped masking and get all sorts of twitchy if I’m indoors in a store or whatever for longer than 10 minutes. I know this is going to be going on for at least as long as I live because of Covidiots. We could have kicked this if only we cared about each other. Is it wrong to hope that now that we are killing children that people might wake up and take precautions? For the record, I do not want children to die. I do remember being told by more than one poster here that us old folks should just go and die and get out of the way because we are old, but I believe that most of those people were young. Young enough to have children who are now at risk of dying, so I am wondering if they are now singing a different song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903.md?page=25)