# 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:** 73
**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:** [February 3, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1445 "2022-02-03T22:16:32Z")
The pictures are interesting… > **[Scientists Find Putting Pantyhose on Your Head Makes Your Mask Safer](https://www.vice.com/en/article/akvng5/mask-hacks-better-fit-research)** > > After testing seven ways to make masks seal better around the face, researchers found that a pair of hosiery does the trick best. BTW, the stocking goes on top of the mask to press it close to your face. There are some other suggestions in the article. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1446 "2022-02-04T00:24:06Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I have never understood this. Wouldn’t having covid while pregnant be more likely to do harm to the fetus than a vaccine? Or is there some reason to think the contrary? The early trials were deliberately NOT done on pregnant women, so there was no data for some time about the effect of the vaccines on pregnant women and babies. Would you rather have something happen to you by accident that turns out to have bad effects, or would you rather deliberately do something to yourself, no matter how well intentioned, that turned out to have bad effects? The overwhelming majority of pregnant women avoided the vaccine until recently, because that seemed to be safest choice–which, in this instance, is really another way of saying the option that would produce the least guilt if something went wrong. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1447 "2022-02-04T00:38:11Z")
Except, it turns out that covid is associated with still births, as well as being much riskier for pregnant women. And we now have a lot of data on pregnant women and the vaccines are safe. And, the baby gets mom’s immunity for free for a few months post-partum. I get why pregnant women would be anxious, but the data is in, and pregnant women should be prioritized along with other high-risk people. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1448 "2022-02-04T03:04:07Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > The overwhelming majority of pregnant women avoided the vaccine until recently, **because that seemed to be safest choice** –which, in this instance, is really another way of saying the option that would produce the least guilt if something went wrong. Bolding mine and I’d like a cite for the bolded portion. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1449 "2022-02-04T13:35:38Z")
Just thought I’d drop this into the conversation. A recent BBC “[more or less](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0013zsn)” episode touched upon some aspects of Covid and the current omicron wave. They had Sir David Spiegelhalter on (he’s a really excellent stats communicator - see from 14 minutes in) and one of the points he made was there were a couple of UK stats that are very, very interesting but get little publicity. Firstly, that almost no people are going into intensive care due to Covid (and the same is seen in Denmark) Secondly, that the case fatality rate of Covid is now way down at 1 in 1000. these are the links to [ICNARC](https://www.icnarc.org/Our-Audit/Audits/Cmp/Reports) and the [ONS](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19latestinsights/deaths) I haven’t read through all the material to track down the “1 in a 1000” and the ICU stats but Spiegers is reliable so I’m assuming they’ll be in there somewhere (and he did say they were stats that had gone unnoticed) The upshot of that is that we are pretty much at a “flu severity” level now with omicron and that is even before we see a substantial roll-out of the antivirals. I now have some reading to do. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1450 "2022-02-04T14:32:01Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > The upshot of that is that we are pretty much at a “flu severity” level now Only because almost all the old people in the UK have been vaccinated. In the US we’ve had overflowing intensive care and our total mortality for omicron is going to be more than any previous wave, I think. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1451 "2022-02-04T15:00:26Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Secondly, that the case fatality rate of Covid is now way down at 1 in 1000. He is claiming that the IFR is 1 in 1000, not the CFR. That’s a lot harder to disprove (or prove), but it’s certainly a possibility. In the US, the CFR is definitely higher than that, and we don’t have any real good sampled data that would lead us to a trustworthy IFR, at least that I can find. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1452 "2022-02-04T15:21:11Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > He is claiming that the IFR is 1 in 1000, not the CFR. That’s a lot harder to disprove (or prove), but it’s certainly a possibility. In the US, the CFR is definitely higher than that, and we don’t have any real good sampled data that would lead us to a trustworthy IFR, at least that I can find. My error, indeed he does refer to the IFR, as it happens the ONS has been doing an [ongoing survey](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/2february2022) for some time to establish the infection rate at any point in time in the UK. It can be relied upon to give a pretty trustworthy indication of how many people are infected and from this we can estimate a figure for the IFR. It is also true of course that neither IFR nor CFR are easy to calculate and depend a huge amount on the quality of the background data and the definitions you use for either “case” or “infection” ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1453 "2022-02-04T15:32:48Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > It is also true of course that neither IFR nor CFR are easy to calculate and depend a huge amount on the quality of the background data and the definitions you use for either “case” or “infection” I’ve not done a deep dive into the ONS survey, but I certainly approve of what they are attempting to do. I’m aware of no such thing on a similar scale in the US, which is why I still use CFR. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1454 "2022-02-04T16:23:26Z")
Sure, I think you have to work with what you have. The centralised nature of our health service and the relatively easy task of co-ordination with the ONS makes it easy for us to carry out such surveys. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1455 "2022-02-04T16:35:55Z")
> **[COVID-19 Vaccines](https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine#1)** > > Vaccines are seen as one of the best ways to stop COVID-19. Learn more about the types of vaccines, including the newly approved Novavax. > Fauci also encouraged vaccination for those who are pregnant and couples who may want to conceive in the near feature. He highlighted two recent studies that found vaccination in either partner didn’t affect fertility, including in vitro fertilization. > > Meanwhile, fertility fell temporarily among men who were infected with the coronavirus. Couples were 18% less likely to conceive if the male partner had contracted the coronavirus within 60 days before a menstrual cycle. > > “New data adds to previous studies that indicate that COVID-19 vaccination does not negatively impact fertility,” Fauci said. “Vaccination is recommended for people who are trying to get pregnant now or might become pregnant in the future, as well as their partners.” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2022, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1456 "2022-02-06T17:31:37Z")
May I just comment that as welcome as the news is, this usage “X times less” to mean “1/Xth as much” is like nails on a chalkboard every time I hear it and only seems to become more frequent with time. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2022, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1457 "2022-02-16T22:22:26Z")
For those willing to pay (and get reimbursed if you have insurance) I got an email today saying Costco has rapid tests back in stock. I believe you do have to be a member to order them. $40 for 5, delivered. Still in stock as I write this. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1458 "2022-02-16T22:32:46Z")
Got my second booster on Valentines Day. Some mild chills that night, but that was it. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1459 "2022-02-20T18:45:45Z")
> **[The Queen tests positive for Covid](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/20/queen-tests-positive-for-covid)** > > Monarch, 95, experiencing ‘mild cold-like symptoms’ but expects to continue carrying out light duties At 95 years old that could well be very dangerous for her. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1460 "2022-02-20T21:03:39Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > At 95 years old that could well be very dangerous for her. My Mom caught it just before her 101st birthday. She survived, although she passed a couple of months later, but not from Covid. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1461 "2022-02-21T00:13:17Z")
My 96 year old mother also tested positive a while back. Asymptomatic. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1462 "2022-02-21T17:17:58Z")
Vaxman has COVID. > **[Station Break: Vaxman is recovering from COVID. :)](https://www.sorryantivaxxer.com/post/station-break-vaxman-has-covid)** > > UPDATE(2/25/22): Whew! Finally breaking out of the COVID rut. My fever broke yesterday, and I'm feeling MUCH better today. I slept non-stop over the past 5 days. It's the longest I haven't used a phone or computer since I can remember. In fact, I... > First: yes, thank god I’m vaccinated! > > This Omicron variant is NOT a cold!.. > > Anyway, so I guess it really is less dangerous than Delta, but believe me when I say that you don’t want this. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1463 "2022-02-21T18:44:34Z")
I think I just realized why some folks seem so against waiting for the sake of the immunocompromised and other such groups: they think that once they establish that they’ll wait for any, that they’ll be morally “forced” to wait for every single individual, no matter what numbers are like, so therefore the waiting will never be over, no matter what, because there’ll always be someone who doesn’t feel safe. I wonder if such folks can be reassured that this is not the case? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903/1464 "2022-02-21T18:55:58Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [The Queen tests positive for Covid | Queen Elizabeth II | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/20/queen-tests-positive-for-covid) “expects to continue carrying out light duties” - so, signing proclamations and what not, but not leading troops into battle? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903.md?page=72) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-general-discussion-and-chit-chat/917903.md?page=74)