Yeah, well thanks. Just what I needed to hear.
Alcohol and substance abuse can be an informed choice IMO. Seriously, who gave them the power to declare what I choose to do a disorder?
Looks like Air Canada is suspending all flights to St Martins (and other Caribbean countries) as of Jan 31 with a warning that it might even be earlier than this.
I’m ok for myself, but worried about my elderly parents. Case in point: We were supposed to go visit them this weekend to celebrate my mom’s 85th birthday. Got tested yesterday, all negative. Looked good to go. This afternoon we heard that one of my son’s close school friends is sick. Tested and — positive. We were only minutes from heading out the door.
I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t have a life.
I’m vaxxed and boosted and have had Delta. Mostly I just stay home and smoke weed, drink and do needlepoint.
@ZipperJJ Think about the money. Figure out how much each cig costs you and do the math. Convince yourself that you really REALLY want to quit, it helps so much. Patches help and fidget toys help (hence the needlepoint). It’s winter now, do you really want to stand out in the cold just to smoke when you could be warm and comfy while munching on a handful of pretzels.
Forgot to mention some good news. We learned a few days ago that we’re fully remote until Jan 31. That’s more than enough time to see the other side of our peak since this thing is spreading fast.
I’m done with it. I’ve been vaccinated + a booster. .
If people don’t want to get the vaccine then their last memory in a hospital should be a sign that says “vaccines save lives” next to a mirror with a label that says “vaccine discussion panel”. Maybe their loved ones will figure it out.
Sure but in the meantime, we vaccinated folks better not need a hospital bed. I am getting more supportive of putting unvaccinated COVID patients in a large dorm room with cots and give them palliative care only.
Yeah, this. I spent two weeks in hospital at the end of August last year, and was lucky to be in between waves. But my problem could very easily have flared up at almost any time, and if it had happened right now, I might have had much bigger problems.
After canceling our vacation to St Martin, we heard from a friend who is currently trying to leave. A negative COVID-19 test is required to enter the airport and board your plane, but our friend has been unable to secure a test.
She may miss her flight home, and so far nobody has been able to help.
I’m positive now that we made the right choice.
We just found out that my wife’s niece’s whole family in WI is down with Omicron (except the niece and one daughter). All are vaccinated, but still have mild cases (as tested). The niece is a critical care nurse and lives with an N95 mask on at work and at home. Her daughter is also a nurse and does the same.
We are just about to the point, despite being vaccinated and boostered, of returning to grocery delivery and self-isolating. Cases in Oregon have skyrocketed; I think they had over 10,000 cases reported just yesterday. While I’m sure this variant will subside in the spring, for now it’s time to exercise caution.
How about copies of all their anti-vax FB posts arranged around the room
.
I’m overdue to get my hair done, but I’ll postpone that further in light of the current situation. I’m still diving, though.
They might be too sick to be able to read them.
I suggest a choir of some sort, reading them out to them on a fixed schedule.
My current COVID level? Well, I have COVID and I’m comfortable. I have no or almost no symptoms, and it’s kind of interesting to think that now that I have omicron out of the way, and I’m boosted, I’m pretty much done with this forever. Any lighter variant and I won’t notice or care. Any heavier variant is probably going to be blocked by the vaccines. Any variant that would thread the needle is unknown to exist in reality and unlikely to ever exist in the hypothetical.
With the exception of the isolation and quarantine rules and the other “responsibilities to society” that come with having COVID, this is far, far better than the common cold. Given the choice, I’d take omicron ten times instead of the flu one time, and I’m not the least bit exaggerating.
There has always been a question of how long the resistance will last. Only time will tell us for sure.
The resistance to the four coronaviruses that can cause colds only seems to last a year or so. I’m not convinced that the resistance to covid will be much different.
I had a really minor case of covid the one time I was confirmed to have it in May, 2020. The highlight of the ten days was seeing two bobcats out on the farm where I went to quarantine while waiting for the results. The only reason I even thought to get tested was for a temporary change to my sense of smell. I didn’t see a doctor even once while I had it, but then my doctor came down with it a couple of days after I did. I may have had it again a few months later, but I didn’t get tested.
The last time I had the flu was devastating, though. The flu wasn’t so bad but I apparently had an opportunistic infection afterwards that destroyed my thyroid. I now have swelling that keeps me from wearing cowboy boots (I’m seriously thinking of getting a pair custom made.) Also, I am often at least mildly hypothermic any more and seem to have completely lost my ability to shiver.
This weekend has felt like lockdown without the lockdown. I am still waiting to find out the results of a PCR test through the health department, and they’re going along as best they can- testing sites here have been slammed. It’s not easy to find any test for a reasonable price if you need to know NOW, for at-home testing. About a third of the coworkers I have have come down with Omicron, so I am pretending I’ve gotten a positive result until I know for sure. My workplace has pushed back the return to work plans for the offices, but all of us that do the hospitality/security/custodial work are there and masked up. So I’m pretty much back to stay at home as much as possible, and my comfort level is really a roller coaster. I don’t like the idea of being sick, though what’s worse to think about is unknowingly spreading it around- and it’s already a big headache to find out for yourself.
Going to a memorial service today. Got N95 masks. Going to try to stay away from folk as much as possible, and hope to leave as quickly as possible. Plan on quarantining for the next week or so, just out of courtesy.
Didn’t play music at my usual Sat a.m. jam this week. Even tho very few people/little contact, numbers are raging in that town/area. We’re hoping things clam down by the end of the month.
Mixed. My mom has covid. I spent a lot of time with her, including about 4 hours in the covid clinic while she got an infusion of monoclonal antibodies. That was Tuesday, so today is day 5. I just tested negative. And…i have mixed feelings, as i am feeling under the weather, and would have liked to chalk that up to “mild covid”.
On the other hand, i guess my mask fits adequately. 
Vaccinated and boosted. Woke up Friday with a runny nose and sneezing. Tried to find a rapid test, none available anywhere. Called out at work, got a PCR test, awaiting results at home. My doctor said I don’t have to quarantine if i wear a mask. No symptoms since Friday morning, but I haven’t gotten my test results yet. I may go to work Monday if my boss says its OK.
Vaccinated and boosted, as are pretty much all people I know.
I’m past the point of worrying about it. I take reasonable precautions and home test regularly before meeting with people outside of family. I mask indoors as required but not outdoors. Other than that I’m looking to live as normal a life as possible.
The thing that continues to bug me is the awkwardness of travel. Holidays are a huge part of our life and it has not been possible to arrange overseas travel with any certainty over the last two years. I am looking forward to restrictions easing and we’ll be off as soon as possible. First world problem of course.
I’m certain that I’ll be exposed to Covid sooner or later and will just have to worry about it when it happens and deal with it. As time and treatments progress my risk of serious illness reduces and chance of mild disease and recovery increases so I forsee a continued return to normality for me.