Coronavirus 6: The Plague of Delta

[Alisamer]

14 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

Here he would be required to isolate at home for two weeks as a close contact of a confirmed case and be tested on day 4 and day 13 of exposure. It is so strange to me that going to work is even an option, vaccinated co-workers or not.

I’m sure he’s supposed to be quarantined, but freedumb! 
 

it’s a hazard of working at a small company in a state where you can be fired any time for any or no reason. He’s our only operator for our big press. 
he showed up today just before I left. He wore a gaiter type mask. I kept my distance and refrained from yelling “plague rat!”

[Alisamer]

Update! Guess who is here today walking around without a mask on?

Yep! Plague Rat! The co-worker whose kid has Covid right NOW. 

Apparently boss bought him an at-home Covid test to take so that makes it OK for him to just come on in and take the test here. (He said he couldn't get an appointment for a test. You don't NEED an appointment for a test! There's a test site less than 3 minutes drive from here with signs all over "no appointment needed".) What was the test result? No idea.

I'm wearing my mask and avoiding him as much as possible, and shutting my office doors. 

Basically what has happened is boss is thinking short term with his wallet, not long term with his brain. We've got a big job in for his press, he's the only one who can run the press, eh... it'll PROBABLY be all right. Hopefully. This way the job will be done a few hours earlier than otherwise. $$$$.

I'm disgusted and if I didn't have tons of work to do I'd be out the door. And boss? Not here. He left. Will he be back while plague rat is here? Who knows!

[47of74]

Some restaurants are stepping up to the plate.

Quote

Chris Sirianni typed four words in capital letters, hit print and taped the message to the front door of his restaurant. The printout said simply: “BE KIND OR LEAVE.”

In the weeks since Mr. Sirianni put his sign at the front of the Brewerie at Union Station in Erie, Pa., as well as on Facebook, customers have acted better. While it didn’t eliminate problem customers entirely, it has curbed what had been a mounting display of bad behavior, he says.

“Not one has been outlandish or belligerent,” he says.

Perhaps most important, the paper sign sent a message to staff. General manager Caitlynn McCarthy, who has been called lazy and berated for long waits and unavailable crab cakes, says staff no longer feel like they have to walk on eggshells. The note also included a short paragraph saying his employees have been through “hell and back” and deserve better.

Finally standing up to assholes. When I worked in a restaurant back in the 90s we were expected to put up with this crap all the time and the manager almost always took the customer’s side even when they were in the wrong. 

Say what you will about Wally World but the store I worked at did not put up with customers abusing staff. Once they became belligerent towards us we were told we did not have to them further and to summon help. 

[danvillebelle]

I bowed out of a family baby shower that is taking place in a few weeks.  I cannot, in good conscience with my health history and a grandchild on the way, attend a gathering of 25+ people in one house, 90% of whom I don't know and have no idea whether they are vaxxed and who they were around in the preceding 24 hours.  Thankfully the honoree is super sweet and told me she totally understands.  

[Alisamer]

Co-worker's home Covid test was negative! Boss seems to think all is well. I reminded him that the guy's kid HAS covid, so every time he walks in the house with the kid in it he is exposed again. I'm still wearing my mask, just to be cautious. I get that he can't afford to not work any more than I can, but I'm still blown away by him just being here, no mask, just like normal... while his kid is at home with Covid.

And did I mention this guy's wife is a NURSE? And she got vaccinated very early on, but apparently can't convince him to get the shot. 

Pretty sure he'd be arrested or fined or something in several countries, for showing up at work instead of quarantining. But "freedom!" so he gets to do whatever despite CDC guidance saying he should quarantine.

I told my friends if I get a breakthrough case of Covid and die to please sue, and make a big stink about it. "Wrongful death" I think would work. "Murder by selfishness" is more accurate, but I don't think that's an official charge.

If I could work from home, I would right now. 

 

[47of74]

Some good news today. 

Quote

YouTube will block all anti-vaccine content, moving beyond its ban on false information about the COVID vaccines to include content that contains misinformation about other approved vaccines, it said in a blog post on Wednesday.

Examples of content that won't be allowed on YouTube include claims that the flu vaccine causes infertility and that the MMR shot, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, can cause autism, according to YouTube's policies.

The online video company owned by Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) is also banning channels associated with several prominent anti-vaccine activists including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Joseph Mercola, a YouTube spokesperson said.

The moves come as YouTube and other tech giants like Facebook Inc. (FB.O) and Twitter Inc. (TWTR.N) have been criticized for not doing enough to stop the spread of false health information on their sites.

All the Trump University Constitutional Law Scholars will no doubt soon chime in. Course I’m ready here. 

 

[Dandruff]

5 hours ago, Alisamer said:

Pretty sure he'd be arrested or fined or something in several countries, for showing up at work instead of quarantining. But "freedom!" so he gets to do whatever despite CDC guidance saying he should quarantine.

I wish there would be arrests and publicized lists of offenders.  These losers can take their "freedom", make it into big block letters, and shove 'em.

The Constitution provides for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Their demented view of freedom is actively working against that for a lot of people - especially the life part.

[Alisamer]

10 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

I wish there would be arrests and publicized lists of offenders.  These losers can take their "freedom", make it into big block letters, and shove 'em.

The Constitution provides for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Their demented view of freedom is actively working against that for a lot of people - especially the life part.

yeah, I kind of agree. I mean this guy would quarantine if it was legally required and there were consequences. The boss wouldn't ask him to come in if there were legal consequences. I get that we need him to come in. I get that he needs to work. I was totally OK with him coming in after hours to do that work. But that lasted exactly ONE day.

The boss' daughter works here too, and she is upset. Yesterday she told her dad the test should have been done before he was allowed in the building, and that he should be wearing a mask at all times at minimum. She was told by boss and plant manager that she was "too negative and pessimistic". It's going to be a miracle if no one gets sick - especially our OTHER press operator who is older and refuses to get vaccinated also and who I have never seen wear a mask. I'm just trying to be careful and hoping I don't get a breakthrough case. 

On the plus side plague rat has not come in my office, and everyone has been good about keeping my usually-open doors closed. So there's that small favor at least.

[Ozlsn]

7 hours ago, Alisamer said:

Pretty sure he'd be arrested or fined or something in several countries, for showing up at work instead of quarantining. But "freedom!" so he gets to do whatever despite CDC guidance saying he should quarantine.

Yes. Forget what the penalties are but it is illegal to leave the house here if you have been directed to quarantine, and if it is impossible for you to quarantine safely where you are living then there are options where you can be moved into hotel quarantine. If you are a close contact of a case then you will have been directed to quarantine and to only leave to get tested as soon as the exposure is known, and on day 13. Even if the day 13 test is negative you are considered to be under a public health order until you receive confirmation (text message) from the Dept to confirm you can stop quarantining.  If you are directed to quarantine there are emergency payments to cover lost income where other avenues are not available (e.g. leave) which would apply in your co worker's case.

I had to collect my son from holiday program last week after one of the staff who had been there the day before found out she had been exposed - as a precaution they got everyone (kids and staff) to test. No cases in our group but unfortunately the older age group - who were in a different building, but with some staff working in both on different days - had four cases so the program is shut this week as half the staff are isolating. Sigh. We've just hit 50% of total population fully vaccinated here, but given kids under 12 are still not approved it's going to be a long road still.

[Cartmann99]

Spoiler

For the non-medical professionals such as myself:

Quote

Overview

In extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), blood is pumped outside of your body to a heart-lung machine that removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back to tissues in the body. Blood flows from the right side of the heart to the membrane oxygenator in the heart-lung machine, and then is rewarmed and sent back to the body.

This method allows the blood to "bypass" the heart and lungs, allowing these organs to rest and heal.

ECMO is used in critical care situations, when your heart and lungs need help so that you can heal. It may be used in care for COVID-19, ARDS and other infections.

[...]

Risks

The most common risks that may occur with ECMO include:

• Bleeding
• Blood clot (thromboembolism)
• Blood clotting disorder (coagulopathy)
• Infection
• Loss of blood in hands, feet or legs (limb ischemia)
• Seizures
• Stroke (part of the brain is damaged by loss of blood or by a blood vessel that bursts)

[...]

What you can expect

Your doctor will insert a thin, flexible tube (cannula) into a vein to draw out blood and a second tube into a vein or artery to return warmed blood with oxygen to your body. You will receive other medications, including sedation, to make you comfortable while receiving ECMO, and may not be able to talk during this time.

Depending on your condition, ECMO can be used for a few days to a few weeks. The amount of time you receive ECMO depends on your condition. Your doctor will talk with you or your family about what to expect.

[Coconut Flan]

AKA culling the herd.  These people....

[Dandruff]

Home ECMO?  Would that be with or without ivermectin, bleach, and peroxide?*  Wonder how soon we'll be able to fill up a bingo card.

*But I'm not complaining as long as they stay away from hospitals.

[Cartmann99]

[47of74]

My school decided not to do a winter graduation ceremony next January.

Fuck the anti mask and vac people. Wasn’t for them the school would not have had to have done this. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by 47of74

[Coconut Flan]

I have been complaining to people about the eastern part of our county and how they have been driving the Delta wave for our county.  Today I had to go to an east county store to work out something with replacing my phone.  Over half the people were not wearing any mask at all.  No wonder they are catching COVID all the time.  One woman even told me to relax it wasn't that bad, that she'd had it earlier this year.  I'll keep wearing my N95 or KN95 masks thank you very much.  

At least I'm the happy owner of a now functional phone and probably the only time in my life I'll have the newest release of an iphone within days of it coming out.  

[SassyPants]

5 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

As a person who used to work on the ECMO team in my unit, I laugh at this-

[Alisamer]

I can't find the article again to link it, but I read today about a hopefully-soon-to-be-released drug that works like Tamiflu for Covid. It said it greatly reduced the severity and risk of hospitalization. That would be an awesome thing to have available. It wouldn't help with the spread necessarily, but reducing the rate of death and hospitalization would be a plus.

I assume the minute it comes out the anti-vax people will come up with some excuse not to take it.

[Dandruff]

1 hour ago, Alisamer said:

I can't find the article again to link it, but I read today about a hopefully-soon-to-be-released drug that works like Tamiflu for Covid. It said it greatly reduced the severity and risk of hospitalization. That would be an awesome thing to have available. It wouldn't help with the spread necessarily, but reducing the rate of death and hospitalization would be a plus.

I assume the minute it comes out the anti-vax people will come up with some excuse not to take it.

Here's an article:

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/mercks-covid-19-pill-cuts-risk-death-hospitalization-by-50-study-2021-10-01/

[Sarcastically spinster]

On 9/30/2021 at 12:26 AM, Dandruff said:

Home ECMO?  Would that be with or without ivermectin, bleach, and peroxide?*  Wonder how soon we'll be able to fill up a bingo card.

Actual Degreed Medical Professional (TM) here.  When I was a student on rotations and spent some time in peds cardiac ICU, there were some patients on ECMO.  You know who didn't get to touch them, ever, for anything?  Yeah, me.  Or the majority of hospital staff.  A patient on ECMO is so critically unstable that you don't let anyone near them unless they *really* know what they're doing.  

[CTRLZero]

My husband was able to get his Pfizer booster shot today with no appointment necessary at a local Safeway (grocery store) pharmacy.  I’m looking forward to getting mine as soon as I’m eligible, which I hope isn’t too long a wait.  

[Coconut Flan]

California is going to mandate K-12 COVID vaccination!!

[CTRLZero]

On 9/29/2021 at 9:26 PM, Dandruff said:

Home ECMO?  Would that be with or without ivermectin, bleach, and peroxide?*  Wonder how soon we'll be able to fill up a bingo card.

I keep thinking about home ECMO.  I mean, do they think the machine comes with instructions like putting together IKEA furniture?  🤔  

[Dandruff]

1 minute ago, CTRLZero said:

I keep thinking about home ECMO.  I mean, do they think the machine comes with instructions like putting together IKEA furniture?  🤔  

Maybe they think they can google it, or that they and their fellow members of the anti-vax brain trust can figure it out themselves.

[ADoyle90815]

[church_of_dog]

1 hour ago, CTRLZero said:

I keep thinking about home ECMO.  I mean, do they think the machine comes with instructions like putting together IKEA furniture?  🤔  

You know how instruction manuals always say "read all the way through these instructions before you begin"?  I would guess this is an instance where doing that is super important.  

Also "gather all the tools you'll need before you start"