Coronavirus 6: The Plague of Delta

[Smee]

12 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

I am so angry about this newest development. The Sydney lockdown is still insufficient to contain the virus, and now they can't even work out how to do HSC exams safely? I mean seriously here, wtf?  Space out desks, have fewer people per testing facility, require masks, do it online if necessary. What is so effing hard about this?? If schools are still closed you can have 10 students per classroom doing in person, there are so many bloody options here.

I would be less angry (...maybe) if there was a harder lockdown across Sydney, including restricting travel to regional areas for things like buying houses. I get that people don't want to buy houses unseen, or even with Facebook walk throughs - so don't. Hold off until in person walk throughs are possible again. I get that people own property that needs to be maintained - so organise with a local real estate agent or lawn care company or brush cutting company to do it and stay the hell home yourself.

One of my biggest fears in this is that there will be a super spreading event in a regional area and the local hospitals will be overwhelmed very quickly. There's not enough ICU beds, and not enough transport services to get deteriorating patients to metro hospitals with more ICU facilities. Redirecting vaccines from regional areas  so students can sit in person exams is a freaking poor response.

It’s not actually to sit the exams (well, it probably is, since the odds of coming out of this before exams start in October are slim), it’s just to have face-to-face classes with their teachers for the rest of this final term of school, to better prepare them for the exams and enable kids doing major works (art, design & technology, metalwork etc) to have access to the resources and facilities. But like… imagine being a 17yr old whose whole family cannot travel more than 5km for food or work, and hearing the premier talk about hubs to jab you ASAP so that you can go out and be exposed to a hundred people a day. As if the HSC doesn’t already carry enough stress, what message is this sending to these poor kids about how these fucking exams are so IMPORTANT and decide their whole future?

 

Also, even if it makes some sense to redirect vaccines from rural areas to essential workers in the highest risk locations, I’m now hearing that a friend in GOSFORD had her vaccination appointment (for the end of august!) cancelled. They’re IN the fucking Greater Sydney locked down area!

My sister, who is in Sydney and pregnant, today finally managed to book her vaccine, but the first appointment isn’t until 9th September so I will continue to worry for her.

 

[WiseGirl]

I get this. Vaccinated Americans getting a tad frustrated by unvaccinated people.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/31/us/vaccinated-americans-frustrated-surge-mandates/index.html

[Becky]

2 hours ago, WiseGirl said:

I get this. Vaccinated Americans getting a tad frustrated by unvaccinated people.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/31/us/vaccinated-americans-frustrated-surge-mandates/index.html

I have been thinking about this.  Yes, I am frustrated and angry.  I have done everything to comply with public health best practices.  I've stayed home, spent holidays and birthdays without my family and friends, sanitized, washed my hands, worn my mask, made masks for others, GOT MY VACCINE! I should NOT have to do it all over again because selfish people are being stupid. 

But, I have grandchildren who cannot yet be vaccinated and I don't want to infect them, so...   yeah.  Back to the mask.  We will all pay the price for widespread insolent and willful idiocy, and not just in aggro....  health insurance rates are going to skyrocket because insurance companies are going to be paying for the care the infected require, some of them for the rest of their lives when Covid destroys their lungs or heart, or causes any of the other horrific effects.  ?

[Coconut Flan]

The Bishop of San Diego has called getting vaccinated a moral obligation of love for one's neighbors.   

[Cartmann99]

[Coconut Flan]

The current battleground:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/08/02/covid-culture-war-masks-vaccine-pits-liberty-against-common-good/5432614001/

[NotQuiteMotY]

On 8/1/2021 at 10:45 AM, WiseGirl said:

I get this. Vaccinated Americans getting a tad frustrated by unvaccinated people.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/31/us/vaccinated-americans-frustrated-surge-mandates/index.html

Beyond a tad. And if I hear another anti-vaxxed/anti-masked saying about their concern for children's mental health, I'll point them to my younger child's mental health. You know, the one whose social development is being stunted because of their assholish resistance to anything that would let me bring my child anywhere they are where he could get exposure to the outside world. You know, exotic locales like the grocery store or the library.

21 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

The Bishop of San Diego has called getting vaccinated a moral obligation of love for one's neighbors.   

It is, though. Jesus commands us to care for the sick, and you can't do that if you're willing to spread disease to those who are already ill.

[Ozlsn]

37 minutes ago, NotQuiteMotY said:

And if I hear another anti-vaxxed/anti-masked saying about their concern for children's mental health

I'll ask them if they're fully vaccinated yet and doing their part to help move society forward, and if not why not. 

I am sick of people basically whinging "don't wanna" and using kids as an excuse.

[ADoyle90815]

On 8/1/2021 at 7:45 AM, WiseGirl said:

I get this. Vaccinated Americans getting a tad frustrated by unvaccinated people.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/31/us/vaccinated-americans-frustrated-surge-mandates/index.html

I get this as well, and it's one of the reasons I could never work in healthcare as I would hate to have to treat those who could have gotten the vaccine, but refused. Many of those people are really only pro-fetus, as they don't care at all about those from birth to age 12 who can't get the vaccine now, but are at risk from the Delta variant.

[danvillebelle]

Yesterday my county's emergency management FB page posted info about the rising Covid cases in our county.

The comment thread was a litany of idiocy, with claims of knowing someone who died from side effects 3 days after receiving the vaccine (if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in AZ at a great price) to claims of knowing people who have cured it with Ivermectin (worm medication for dogs).  The usual crazy party lines of those of us who are vaccinated being sheep, my rights, etc., littered with spelling and grammar errors.

Less than half of our county population is fully vaxxed.

I give up.  I honestly don't care if they die of their stupidity.

[Ali]

8 hours ago, ADoyle90815 said:

Many of those people are really only pro-fetus against legal abortion.

I fixed it for you. The virus can cause miscarriages and still births, and it increases the chance of preterm birth. They are not pro-fetus!

Edited August 3, 2021 by Ali

[Becky]

On 8/1/2021 at 9:49 PM, Cartmann99 said:

FFS Florida - how does it feel to be the most backward state in the union?  Proud of yourselves, are you?  Freedumb, indeed.  

I swear, if this state doesn't turn blue due to DeSantis's abject irresponsibility, it's going to go blue because DeSantis is literally killing off his constituency!  

[47of74]

Breyer to chuch - kindly don't waste our time

Quote

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer denied a request Monday from a Maine church that sought to block the state from enforcing or reinstating Covid restrictions in the wake of the Delta variant surge

Breyer acted without comment and declined to refer the church's petition to the full court for its consideration, suggesting there was not enough interest from his colleagues to step in.

Legal experts said that the church's emergency request might have been considered premature by the justices because the state hadn't actually implemented new restrictions related to the Delta variant and had stopped enforcing other restrictions in May as Covid cases declined.

 

[clueliss]

Tyson Foods to require employees to vacinate

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/03/tyson-foods-will-require-its-us-workforce-to-get-vaccinated.html

NYC to require Vaccine in restaurants (and I believe I read on Broadway)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/business/new-york-city-vaccine-requirements/index.html

[47of74]

1 hour ago, clueliss said:

Tyson Foods to require employees to vacinate

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/03/tyson-foods-will-require-its-us-workforce-to-get-vaccinated.html

NYC to require Vaccine in restaurants (and I believe I read on Broadway)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/business/new-york-city-vaccine-requirements/index.html

I wonder what COVID Kimmy (not COVID Skinny GD autocorrect) will have to say about Tyson doing that?  They are after all one of her big supporters. 

[Ozlsn]

2 hours ago, 47of74 said:

I wonder what COVID Kimmy (not COVID Skinny GD autocorrect) will have to say about Tyson doing that?  They are after all one of her big supporters. 

Oh I'm sure it's fine if privately owned businesses do it to increase their bottom line. After all you can always leave and get another job. State owned hospitals requiring it as part of patient/staff safety? Mask mandates to protect the vulnerable? Tyranny!

[Cartmann99]

 Can I please switch to the timeline with flying cars and infinite varieties of cheese?

 

[47of74]

It's a shame he had to do this

Quote

Former President Barack Obama has dramatically scaled back his planned 60th birthday party on Martha's Vineyard this weekend due to concerns about the highly transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19, according to a spokeswoman.

The birthday bash for the former President was previously planned to be held outside and follow all US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public health protocols, with testing for guests and a Covid safety coordinator on site, a source had told CNN earlier this week.

More than 400 guests, including celebrities and former Obama administration officials, were reportedly expected to attend the affair, along with nearly 200 hired staff working the party.

But now, the celebration for Obama, who turns 60 on Wednesday, will be only be for family and close friends.

 

[Sarcastically spinster]

Best start to my day: a message from a friend saying "I've been seeing your posts about the vaccine, and I'm ready to think about getting it, and you're the most level-headed person on this I know."

Here we go with aaaaaaaaalllllllll the data.  ?

[Alisamer]

1 hour ago, Sarcastically spinster said:

Best start to my day: a message from a friend saying "I've been seeing your posts about the vaccine, and I'm ready to think about getting it, and you're the most level-headed person on this I know."

Here we go with aaaaaaaaalllllllll the data.  ?

That's awesome!

If anecdotal stories might help add some personalization to the data, my uncle was part of the Pfizer trial and so one of the first to get the vaccine. He says it was (and still is, they're regularly checking in and doing blood tests still on the participants) very well run and professionally done, AND other than one day of feeling a little ill after the second shot (typical mild side effects) he's had no side effects at all. No Covid, either! No illnesses at all, actually. He still does his daily walks and occasional hikes, and is in perfect health (he's around 70, I think).

[louisa05]

On 7/16/2021 at 8:13 PM, 47of74 said:

I hate to sound uncaring and cruel but I'm at the fucking point of if you had some bullshit excuse for not getting the vaccine (as opposed to a real GOOD reason) and now you're in the hospital or worse cause covid it's all on you.  If it hadn't been for the fuck face and his bullshit pandering to anti-vaxers covid would just be an unpleasant memory now.  I'm at the point of bed.  Fucking made.  Fucking lie.

 

Sorry for swearing so fucking much but I am completely the fuck out of fucking patience now.

 

I’ve got hardcore Trumper relatives posting garbage about never getting vaccinated. I’m so over it. I’m half hoping a few of them get sick. Maybe they’ll learn something 

[Sarcastically spinster]

41 minutes ago, Alisamer said:

If anecdotal stories might help add some personalization to the data, my uncle was part of the Pfizer trial and so one of the first to get the vaccine. He says it was (and still is, they're regularly checking in and doing blood tests still on the participants) very well run and professionally done, AND other than one day of feeling a little ill after the second shot (typical mild side effects) he's had no side effects at all. No Covid, either! No illnesses at all, actually. He still does his daily walks and occasional hikes, and is in perfect health (he's around 70, I think).

One of my favorite sources is a retired PhD with a background in cell bio and virology research.  She was one of the trial participants, and has done a little informal data gathering from other trial participants, which has been pretty cool to see.  

[Alisamer]

1 minute ago, Sarcastically spinster said:

One of my favorite sources is a retired PhD with a background in cell bio and virology research.  She was one of the trial participants, and has done a little informal data gathering from other trial participants, which has been pretty cool to see.  

Oooh, that's awesome! 

[Ali]

1 hour ago, louisa05 said:

I’ve got hardcore Trumper relatives posting garbage about never getting vaccinated. I’m so over it. I’m half hoping a few of them get sick. Maybe they’ll learn something 

I too have lost all sympathy for adults who are eligible to get the vaccine and have not.

I am concerned about children right now as schools are opening up. My district is mask by choice and my children are too young to get the vaccine. They would probably be fine, but I don't want to find out. I really wish schools would enforce masks until all students have had an opportunity to be vaccinated.

[NotQuiteMotY]

32 minutes ago, Ali said:

I am concerned about children right now as schools are opening up. My district is mask by choice and my children are too young to get the vaccine. They would probably be fine, but I don't want to find out. I really wish schools would enforce masks until all students have had an opportunity to be vaccinated.

My distinct thankfully came out this week as requiring masks for everyone, staff and students, regardless of vaccination status. I don't have a kid in a district school, but Elder's preschool follows the district pretty closely so will probably make the same decision, and at least some of his classmates have older siblings in the schools. 

There is, of course, complaining on the local community groups. But as a relative of mine pointed out, the local Catholic schools were masked and in-person all last year with few outbreaks. Would these parents prefer their kids be forced back to quarantining or virtual school on a regular basis when outbreaks occur with no masks, or in class every day with a mask on?