Coronavirus 6: The Plague of Delta

[PoppyPeace]

17 minutes ago, Melbelle said:

Maybe it's where I live, but I feel like I never hear people talk about underlying conditions and how there are things (in addition to being vaccinated) that people can do lower their chances of dying or getting as seriously ill from covid.  I've found it really frustrating that health officials haven't been squawking all day, every day, about people working to lose weight, eat better diets, get more vitamin d, zinc, etc.  Not to mention, all of this advice would help people live better lives and be more resilient to the typical cold and flu as well.  Instead, people have gained more weight during the lockdowns and actually worsened their resilience to covid, colds, and the flu. It's one of the biggest grievances I've had with the national health organizations during the last 18 months.  I mean, it's no different than knowing what underlying conditions can make you more susceptible to cancer, heart disease, etc.  Plus, I think it would have been good for the mental health of so many if they would have had something they could control to focus on when so much has been out of our control since this began.  

This is very true. This isn't entirely about weight loss, but making healthier choices. I remember in the early days of the pandemic seeing people with shopping carts full of processed food. I understand people wanted things that could last.  We also spent a lot of time outdoors at this time. People simply do not get enough vitamin D and that became even worse during lockdowns, It certainly put people in a higher risk category.  Heck, one of my favorite lazy covid activities was grabbing a beer and a book to read outside.  I would have gone bananas not leaving my house at all and am so thankful we. have good hiking trails near our home that are not heavily trafficked. Yoga has truly saved my life as far as mental health goes (prior to covid) and I made sure it was part of our covid routine. Hiking is just another positive for me when it comes to my mental health and I grew very worried about family members who already lead a sedentary lifestyle. 
 

9 minutes ago, treehugger said:

@Melbelle, the problem with underlying conditions is that they aren’t just things you can control.  Overweight is just one of them.  Diabetes is another and there isn’t anything Type 1 diabetics can do about it, so are autoimmune disorders (my husband has one), and on and on it goes.  
Also, while there are a lot of people who are overweight, the truth is, even that itself is often a side effect of something.  Immune suppressants, medication for mental health, birth control all list weight gain as a side effect.  It isn’t as easy as “just lose weight”. 

Oh, I hope my response to this didn't come across as "Just lose weight" Of course trying to eat healthier and being more active is going to help, even if weight lose isn't the primary outcome or goal.  You are still healthier if you are eating avocado toast than sugar cereal for breakfast. Just like being vegan, just because you are vegan, it doesn't mean you are healthy.  Bags of potato chips as a large part of your diet is not ideal.  I myself am vegan myself, that's why that example came to mind.  Regarding vitamin D, I am sure there are various reasons why access to sunlight is harder for some than other, but sitting near a sunny window is better than nothing and feasible for most. 

[Coconut Flan]

It's possibly because getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and social distancing will increase your odds of not getting COVID much more than losing 10 pounds and increasing vitamin D will help you if you do get it.  In our county they used to publish the underlying health conditions daily.  Now they do it weekly.  Doctors have tried to get people to lose weight for decades without success so I'm guessing that's why they are pushing vaccinations and masks here at least.  Most of the underlying health conditions can't be changed or quickly changed.

[Melbelle]

44 minutes ago, treehugger said:

@Melbelle, the problem with underlying conditions is that they aren’t just things you can control.  Overweight is just one of them.  Diabetes is another and there isn’t anything Type 1 diabetics can do about it, so are autoimmune disorders (my husband has one), and on and on it goes.  
Also, while there are a lot of people who are overweight, the truth is, even that itself is often a side effect of something.  Immune suppressants, medication for mental health, birth control all list weight gain as a side effect.  It isn’t as easy as “just lose weight”. 

Of course there are underlying condition you can't control!  But there are a few that you can (for almost everyone) and a good health official would be saying so and saying so frequently!  I have family with kidney issues, respiratory issues, autoimmune issues, and Type I and Type II diabetes, and obviously these people should be vaccinated and extra precautious.  Yet, even for them they can reduce the severity of potential infections (now breakthrough infections because they're vaccinated) by also putting more effort into their overall health.  Obviously, I don't believe this is as simple as "just lose weight" as you put it.  Dr. Fauci, in his almost daily interviews with various new organizations, could be constantly reminding people to exercise, eat more nutritiously, get adequate amounts of vitamin D, zinc, and other proper vitamins and nutrients, in addition to getting the vaccine.  This was true prior to covid, of course, and yes doctors have encouraged this for years, but this last 18 months has been an excellent opportunity for health officials to hammer this home and frankly, I just haven't seen it and I think that's a huge disservice to humanity.  (Dr. Fauci actually did an interview with Bloomberg in May 2019, pre-covid, where he did just this when asked what people could do to help themselves during flu season.  Funny enough, the interviewer even asked about masks and Dr. Fauci said no to those, but yes to living a healthy lifestyle.)

 

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Melbelle
Double post

[PoppyPeace]

33 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

It's possibly because getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and social distancing will increase your odds of not getting COVID much more than losing 10 pounds and increasing vitamin D will help you if you do get it.  In our county they used to publish the underlying health conditions daily.  Now they do it weekly.  Doctors have tried to get people to lose weight for decades without success so I'm guessing that's why they are pushing vaccinations and masks here at least.  Most of the underlying health conditions can't be changed or quickly changed.

You are correct, most can't be changed quickly and convincing people to live a truly healthy lifestyle is hard. That's where mental health comes into play for me. Being healthy absolutely can help with your mental health, especially vitamin D and exercise. Mental health or illness issues cause physical stress to your body, thus causing you to be at risk for getting sick and having a hard time recovering. That doesn't mean we shouldn't vax, mask and social distance, but I think it is also important to note that social distancing may be making mental health or illness issues worse. It is a vicious circle and I see no reason to not address all sides of it.  All of those things are important. 

[Dandruff]

21 minutes ago, PoppyPeace said:

That doesn't mean we shouldn't vax, mask and social distance, but I think it is also important to note that social distancing may be making mental health or illness issues worse.

It may be making some people's issues worse but, by and large, worrying about getting COVID has been my major stressor.  So I vax, mask, and social distance.  I've let myself gain some unwanted weight but this can happen when you've isolated yourself, limited shopping, and had some food anxiety as a result.  I'm pretty sure COVID would be a lot more dangerous to me than the extra weight.

I'm now feeling the effects of yesterday's shot.  I thought I might escape them, since they didn't appear until about 9 hours after I got it.  Arm started to hurt like crazy (I had forgotten to rub it after getting the vaccine), felt chilly last night, have some vague headache and queasiness, body aches, and low energy.  This is exacerbated by not taking my NSAID but I don't feel bad enough to take it.  Am hoping to feel better tonight, since this is how it went with my second shot.  I'm very much looking forward to increased immunity.  I loathe the anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers - this situation (to me) is like having to avoid a small army of drunk and aggressive drivers if there was no law against it and therefore no policing that could punish or curb it.  Screw them.

[PoppyPeace]

7 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

It may be making some people's issues worse but, by and large, worrying about getting COVID has been my major stressor.  So I vax, mask, and social distance.  I've let myself gain some unwanted weight but this can happen when you've isolated yourself, limited shopping, and had some food anxiety as a result.  I'm pretty sure COVID would be a lot more dangerous to me than the extra weight.

I hear you. I am not suggesting talking about living healthier lifestyles and ignoring vaxxing and masking. I am also not saying we should suggest vaxxing and masking and ignoring talking about living healthier lifestyles.  All of these things will help reduce the spread of Covid, even if some do more than others. COVID may be more dangerous to you than the extra weight, but covid with being overweight is even more dangerous.  As I stated above, physical activity has helped my mental health immensely. I have a history of being clinically depressed and suffered severe GAD along with panic attacks.  I am also quite a germaphobe, as in I refuse to touch door handles, avoid public bathrooms at all costs, wipe down tables when I eat out and other things. Germs and therefor COVID scare me.  It took me a bit to get into a new routine when we were truly locked down. I couldn't go to yoga classes, couldn't go to the gym and on days the weather sucked, I struggled and worried nonstop.  I know fitness related things are not for everyone, but I am very serious, that yoga saved my life a few years ago.  I knew when I started having those thoughts again, I needed to take better care of myself.  Yoga in my backyard and hikes were how I got through being locked down. 
 

7 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I'm now feeling the effects of yesterday's shot.  I thought I might escape them, since they didn't appear until about 9 hours after I got it.  Arm started to hurt like crazy (I had forgotten to rub it after getting the vaccine), felt chilly last night, have some vague headache and queasiness, body aches, and low energy.  This is exacerbated by not taking my NSAID but I don't feel bad enough to take it.  Am hoping to feel better tonight, since this is how it went with my second shot.  I'm very much looking forward to increased immunity.  I loathe the anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers - this situation (to me) is like having to avoid a small army of drunk and aggressive drivers if there was no law against it and therefore no policing that could punish or curb it.  Screw them.

I hope you feel better quickly.  My recovery from the J&J wasn't too bad, but now hands shake all the time. I have also heard of people who have had covid who expeirience tingly hands and shaking. 😕 

[Dandruff]

1 minute ago, PoppyPeace said:

I hope you feel better quickly.  My recovery from the J&J wasn't too bad, but now hands shake all the time. I have also heard of people who have had covid who expeirience tingly hands and shaking. 😕

Thank you.  I haven't heard of the hand shaking but it doesn't sound good.

I'm all for going out and getting exercise.  What limited my going out was living in a building where there are some people who refuse to mask and a Board that claimed there's nothing they can do about it.  If it wasn't for that I would have gone out more.  I'm also somewhat germ-phobic but saw it as a partial advantage in not having to change my behavior (to accommodate COVID) as much as many others.  I also had some Purell and cleaning wipes on hand when they couldn't be found.

[PoppyPeace]

37 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

Thank you.  I haven't heard of the hand shaking but it doesn't sound good.

I'm all for going out and getting exercise.  What limited my going out was living in a building where there are some people who refuse to mask and a Board that claimed there's nothing they can do about it.  If it wasn't for that I would have gone out more.  I'm also somewhat germ-phobic but saw it as a partial advantage in not having to change my behavior (to accommodate COVID) as much as many others.  I also had some Purell and cleaning wipes on hand when they couldn't be found.

The thing I hate about masks is the waste! I only wear reusable masks, but I see masks on the ground ALL THE TIME. I have seen masks on the ground in National Parks. 🤢 I usually make an effort to pick up a bit of trash when we are hiking, but I cannot bring myself to pick up someones nasty mask.  I am also always trying to educate others and remind them how important it is to snip the loops so they are less likely to strangle or hurt an animal. I am originally from the central coast/Bay Area and when I visited home, I was horrified to see masks all over the beach. 

As for cleaning wipes, I actually have a reusable system. I swear it draws a ton of attention to my germaphobic/environmentalist ways. Texas is going to hate me. 

[Coconut Flan]

This popped up in my news feed this afternoon.  It's interesting since the subject of vitamins had come up.

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2021/09/can-vitamins-protect-you-against-the-delta-variant-experts-weigh-in.html

[PoppyPeace]

Quote

“There is evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 [The virus that causes COVID-19], Harmer told Newsweek. “However, the limited studies that have evaluated vitamin D supplements to try to avoid infection have not shown any benefit.”

I wouldn't say vitamin D is going to prevent you from getting Covid. I think the point is you may recover better. I am also not advocating for a supplement, but natural vitamin D. People simply don't get outside enough and if they do they are often covered, wearing sunscreen, etc. Vitamin D deficiency can cause depression among other things.  15-20 minutes of sunlight exposure a few times a week is likely enough. That doesn't mean that you can't take supplements or get it from food.  The point is not to say "vitamin D will prevent COVID" or losing weight will prevent COVID, only that the more healthy you are, the better off you will be if you do get covid. That of course isn't an absolute. It certainly isn't going to hurt or make you sicker. 

[Cults-r-us]

On 9/10/2021 at 10:47 AM, NotQuiteMotY said:

I'm past caring if someone wants to give themselves lockjaw. They can't transmit it to others, so while I feel bad for their family, they're in the literal non-emotional sense only hurting themselves.

Except treating lockjaw involves a long seige on the ventilator and that's expensive for everybody. All this ridiculous preventable disease costs us all.

[adidas]

As someone who has seen a fully vaccinated person contract and suffer from tetanus/lockjaw, I promise it’s so frightening that even a mild case is nightmare inducing. You don’t ever want to witness it. 

[47of74]

My latest rant got published Wednesday in the local paper.  

Quote

What Kristin Offenheiser misses in her Sept. 9 letter is that we’re still in the middle of a pandemic that killed more Americans than those who died in service in World Wars I and II combined — 650,000 dead from COVID so far. Medical facilities and professionals have been crushed dealing with COVID, and many systems are nearing collapse.

Idaho is about to start rationing health care, as is Hawaii (https://bit.ly/3ts4z9z). A Texas veteran died of treatable gallstone pancreatitis because so many ICU beds were taken by COVID patients. (https://cbsn.ws/2Vwckiq). A Nebraska man died over 200 miles from home because the closest hospital with an ICU bed was in Des Moines. (https://bit.ly/2X2lZ0C).

It’s one thing to not be vaccinated because of a health condition. It’s something else entirely when a person who can safely take the vaccine refuses to do so, then gets huffy when confronted. I am over excuses like how the vaccine is not for everyone. This could have been over by now. I don’t want to have the pandemic still be a thing on my 50th birthday, but the way we’re going it still will be. This is a pandemic crushing our health care systems, so it’s time to toss the rulebook aside and truly commit to fighting COVID.

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[bea]

Chicago hospitals are all full of the unvaccinated southern Illinois MAGATs.
So if something happens….. we’re screwed. Need an ICU bed? An ER doctor? Any kind of care at all? So sorry, we’re full of MORONS who are rushing to “big pharma” and those untrustworthy doctors who pushed vaccines.
I’m tired of it. Not vaccinated because you’ve decided against it? Don’t take up a hospital bed, kindly die at home. You don’t believe in “big medicine,” remember?
I’ve run out of patience.

[CTRLZero]

We went in to our local Rite Aid pharmacy (Washington state) to get flu shots today.  The pharmacist was happy to report that they’ve had lots of new people coming in to get Covid vaccinations due to more workplace, school, and other venue requirements.  Still too many unvaccinated roaming around.  By now, surely everyone knows someone who’s suffered through it, or died because of it.  We know plenty. 
 

12 minutes ago, bea said:

Not vaccinated because you’ve decided against it? Don’t take up a hospital bed, kindly die at home

Sadly, this is my mantra lately.  I just comment, as long as you don’t take up a hospital bed when your time comes…. 

[Ozlsn]

On 9/17/2021 at 3:02 AM, Melbelle said:

Dr. Fauci, in his almost daily interviews with various new organizations, could be constantly reminding people to exercise, eat more nutritiously, get adequate amounts of vitamin D, zinc, and other proper vitamins and nutrients, in addition to getting the vaccine.  This was true prior to covid, of course, and yes doctors have encouraged this for years, but this last 18 months has been an excellent opportunity for health officials to hammer this home and frankly, I just haven't seen it and I think that's a huge disservice to humanity.

The problem with this is that people tune out. They know this stuff, seriously. It gets brought up at every primary care appointment, let alone specialist ones. There are entire industries based around weight loss, healthy eating, fitness, and micronutrients. When what you want is for people to reduce spread of the virus and to reduce severe disease caused by it then the messages you want out there are masking, handwashing, social distancing and vaccinating.  It's like screening for cancers - if the message you want to get across is mammograms and bowel screening kits then talking about green leafy vegetables is not helping that message, no matter how much it reduces your risk.

To me focusing on the underlying conditions here has been counter-productive - it gives people the idea they're safe because they "don't have pre-existing conditions" when to be honest they have no idea how the virus is likely to affect them until they get sick. Using the previous H1N1 flu pandemic as an example - some pregnant women who were infected ended up in ICU or dying, while others got sick but didn't. Turns out that having a particular immune subtype renders you significantly more likely to get very severe disease - but how do you tell if you have that, outside either expensive testing or ending up in ICU?

The other aspect is that it feels perilously close to victim blaming at times here - there was a Twitter flurry earlier in the week about how 70-something percent of covid cases in ICU were overweight!!! Well yes, that would align with the Australian population, where the same percentage have BMIs over 25, and a large majority of whom wouldn't consider themselves overweight.

Finally for me the focus on underlying conditions takes away from the fact that they died of covid- as I said, no one reports on victims of car crashes or terrorism or almost anything as having underlying conditions. It also diminishes the tragedy of that person's death - summed up for me yesterday when it was announced that there is one case in ICU aged under 1, and Rachel, idiot reporter from NewsCorp hell, shot her hand up and asked "do they have any preexisting conditions?" 

Rachel, they're a baby. Pull your bloody head in and sit down.

[47of74]

3 hours ago, bea said:

Don’t take up a hospital bed, kindly die at home.

I actually was thinking of that a bit when riding the two wheel money sink today.  I’ve been fully vaccinated since April. If anything happened to me and it was clear I was gonna go to take me home and let me go on from there. That way my nieces could see me one more time and I’d go at home in my own bed or at least a home recliner. I think my uncle who passed in 2018 was happy that he got to spend his last days in his home. If I had to go I think I’d want that for myself.  

And of course when I go I hope it’s another 40 to 50 years from now.  

[nokidsmom]

18 hours ago, bea said:

Chicago hospitals are all full of the unvaccinated southern Illinois MAGATs.
So if something happens….. we’re screwed. Need an ICU bed? An ER doctor? Any kind of care at all? So sorry, we’re full of MORONS who are rushing to “big pharma” and those untrustworthy doctors who pushed vaccines.
I’m tired of it. Not vaccinated because you’ve decided against it? Don’t take up a hospital bed, kindly die at home. You don’t believe in “big medicine,” remember?
I’ve run out of patience.

We live in the northern suburbs of Chicago.   My Covidiot SIL is raging about vaccines and mandates but what's really annoying Mr. No is that she is actively discouraging MIL, who is pushing 90 and in a facility, from getting the vaccine.  Mr. No has long given up on his sister but is still encouraging MIL to get her vaccine behind SIL's back.   In his latest conversation with MIL he brought up that hospitals were overwhelmed and if she needed hospital care for anything, she might not get it.

ETA: If MIL needed any hospital care and could not access it, SIL will not understand why that is happening and that the problem is being caused by people like her.

Sorry just had to get that ranty part out.

Edited September 18, 2021 by nokidsmom
Addition

[PsyD2013]

Mask mandates are back in some Iowa school districts.  The anti-masker idiots have a plan to get revenge by defunding schools.  They are unenrolling their kids for two weeks so that the kids are not counted in the numbers reported to the state for district funding which is based on enrollment.  There was a "protest" in downtown Cedar Rapids- with signs and people screaming about their rights.  They don't believe that their child should have to mask to protect medically fragile kids in school- if a child is medically fragile- then the parents should home school.  Screw the medically fragile child's right to access learning.  I double mask and wear a face shield when I work with a child with underlaying health condition.  It's hot and uncomfortable, but I feel that protecting a vulnerable child is the right thing to do.

[SoConfused]

I was supposed to be getting married this weekend and instead I tested positive. Vaccinated, always mask, social distance, etc. Breakthrough cases are real and covid sucks and people need to be careful. 

[Ozlsn]

We have a roadmap out of lockdown, and the amount of whinging is unbelievable. My personal favourite is the calls of "segregation!" around requiring vaccination to attend certain things, particularly football - we've had a similar policy around kids being able to attend kindergarten for years, if "No jab, no play" didn't bother you then I don't see why this should. Also I honestly wish some people would grow the hell up and accept that some choices have consequences.

[47of74]

9 hours ago, SoConfused said:

I was supposed to be getting married this weekend and instead I tested positive. Vaccinated, always mask, social distance, etc. Breakthrough cases are real and covid sucks and people need to be careful. 

Sorry to hear that.  There's been some breakthroughs in my family as well this past week.  Get well soon.

[bea]

I think the unvaccinated health care workers should open up their own hospitals for unvaccinated patients.
Vaccinated people can go to the 96% of doctors who are vaccinated.

[thoughtful]

20 minutes ago, bea said:

I think the unvaccinated health care workers should open up their own hospitals for unvaccinated patients.
Vaccinated people can go to the 96% of doctors who are vaccinated.

I like this idea. Is there an uninhabited island somewhere?

Unvaccinated construction workers can build a little town where unvaccinated people run everything to support the hospital and its employees.

All volunteer, of course - wouldn't want them to think they have a leg to stand on to post those concentration camp memes.

Just don't let them have all of the Ivermectin. I'd hate to see the livestock belonging to people who have brains suffer from worms.