Coronavirus 7: Ring in Delta Plus and then Omicron Takes Over

[Smash!]

I‘m so angry and at loss for words. There are plans to end most of the measures by 16 February 😱😱😱 No words what‘s gonna happen to those with LongCovid.

Quotes are the English translation from an article in a newspaper called „Tages-Anzeiger“

„On Wednesday, at [Federal Health Minister Alain] Berset's request, the Federal Council is to lift the home office obligation and exempt contact persons of positively tested people from quarantine. The relaxations should then be put into effect immediately.“

„On the same day, on the 2nd February, Berset wants to present an opening plan to the Federal Council to lift all further corona measures - in particular the certificate obligations - and then submit it to the cantons [Federal States] for consultation. The Federal Council should then relax on the 16th. February and, according to a person entrusted with the dossier from the Federal Administration, "if the epidemiological situation permits and does not worsen, put it into effect on the same day".

„The certificates are also intended to remove the numerical restrictions on private events. Whether, on the other hand, the mask requirement should already be lifted in public interiors, shops and public transport is still open. It is possible. It would be for the 16th February all measures available, according to the Federal House.“

[Katzchen24]

I was diagnosed +ve on New Years Eve. I've been sick ever since, taken to hospital twice (but not had to stay) and a month later am slowly recovering but still nowhere near back to full health which could take a few more months. I'm a relatively healthy middle-aged woman and I've had my two vax shots. I was hanging out to be eligible for the booster when my state (South Australia) opened up their borders and said "go for it". I don't like to think what would have happened to me if I hadn't been vaccinated and am thankful every day that I had gotten them done. 

I do not understand why anti-vaxxers are so willing to risk their lives and the lives of those around them on a serious disease like this.

[Ozlsn]

 

[Smee]

6 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

 

This prompted me to look up Aus covid deaths and flu deaths... I can't find the data from more recently but In 2017 there were 1,255 deaths due to influenza, recording a standardised death rate of 3.9 per 100,000 persons. This is a significant increase from 2016 where 464 influenza deaths were recorded. In January 2022 we had 1521 covid deaths.

[Coconut Flan]

I was reading this article and trying to remember if Frieden was the last director of the CDC that I trusted.  That's sad.  

I hope his optimism isn't misplaced.  Every time I scrape up my reserves and start going back into the world a bit, another wave has come along and I retreat into staying in the house.  I keep chanting all pandemics end, but I think I need some proof this time around.  

[Cartmann99]

These Houston doctors have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize

Quote

HOUSTON — Two Houston doctors, including one that has been the face of the COVID-19 epidemic, have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Dr. Peter Hotez, who has spent countless hours doing interviews to help guide the country through the pandemic, was nominated by Congresswoman Lizzie Flecther along with Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi.

Both are Deans of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Co-Directors of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital.

The nomination is for their work on developing and distributing a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine to people of the world without patent limitation.

“Dr. Hotez and Dr. Bottazzi’s effort to develop the CORBEVAX vaccine is truly one of international cooperation and partnership to bring health, security, and peace around the world by creating a COVID-19 vaccine and making it available and accessible to all. It is a contribution that is of the greatest benefit to humankind," said Fletcher.  

 

[Ozlsn]

School started Tues for my son. Daily rapid antigen testing required. Day 1 and 2 we waved him off on the bus. Day 3 he tested positive. Sigh. So we're all home isolating for a week. His symptoms have been of the heavy cold variety, so far we have had no symptoms (and had a neg test on the day he was positive.) Touch wood we can stay that way.

[Katzchen24]

2 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

School started Tues for my son. Daily rapid antigen testing required. Day 1 and 2 we waved him off on the bus. Day 3 he tested positive. Sigh. So we're all home isolating for a week. His symptoms have been of the heavy cold variety, so far we have had no symptoms (and had a neg test on the day he was positive.) Touch wood we can stay that way.

I'm so sorry to hear that. Wishing you all the best possible outcomes from this. Two of my steps are currently doing remote schooling, but their year levels return to in-person schooling from next week and I can totally see the same thing happening. 

[Ozlsn]

4 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

School started Tues for my son. Daily rapid antigen testing required. Day 1 and 2 we waved him off on the bus. Day 3 he tested positive. Sigh. So we're all home isolating for a week. His symptoms have been of the heavy cold variety, so far we have had no symptoms (and had a neg test on the day he was positive.) Touch wood we can stay that way.

And husband started feeling crappy this morining and has just tested positive too. SIGH.

[Smash!]

I‘m so sorry @Ozlsn Wishing your son and husband a speedy recovery!❤️

[Smash!]

I asked about an appointment for physiotherapy at our local university hospital. I wrote to the physiotherapist directly and asked if she was vaccinated, saying I was worried to get infected with our very high case numbers. She replied saying the hospital doesn‘t disclose vaccination status.

I‘m so mad. It‘s crazy to me that in the middle of a pandemic the vaccination status is considered confidential even for health care workers. In what world are we living, seriously.

[apple1]

6 hours ago, Smash! said:

I asked about an appointment for physiotherapy at our local university hospital. I wrote to the physiotherapist directly and asked if she was vaccinated, saying I was worried to get infected with our very high case numbers. She replied saying the hospital doesn‘t disclose vaccination status...

That's a no answer. If the answer were yes she would have said so (JMO). It is unbelievable to me that hospitals would take that stance. (I do understand you live somewhere different than I do). I am sorry you have to worry about whether a hospital employee is vaxed.

I am a long time hospital employee (laboratorian) - and my hospital plus the other hospitals in our metropolitan region - are enforcing vaccine mandates. I am so thankful for that; we are protecting each other, ourselves, AND our patients (many of whom cannot protect themselves).

[Alisamer]

11 hours ago, Smash! said:

I asked about an appointment for physiotherapy at our local university hospital. I wrote to the physiotherapist directly and asked if she was vaccinated, saying I was worried to get infected with our very high case numbers. She replied saying the hospital doesn‘t disclose vaccination status.

I‘m so mad. It‘s crazy to me that in the middle of a pandemic the vaccination status is considered confidential even for health care workers. In what world are we living, seriously.

I'd have responded "That's why I'm not asking the hospital, I'm asking YOU, directly!"

I'd take that as a no, personally. 

[Smash!]

I think it‘s a no answer as well unfortunately. It It seems to be a challenge to find a PT who is vaccinated. I have to look for someone else because my previous PT wasn‘t vaccinated as well. I just don’t get it. If you choose a profession where you treat people, you try to protect them as much as possible right?

1 hour ago, Alisamer said:

I'd have responded "That's why I'm not asking the hospital, I'm asking YOU, directly!"

That‘s a good one, I‘ll respond to her with that

@apple1So cool you have vaccine mandates at your hospital! Here in Switzerland I don’t know a single hospital who has that. So I always have to ask which was never a problem with doctors but physiotherapists seem to be a different story 😕 But this is what you get when the choice to not get vaccinated is considered more important than the choice to not get infected.

[Dandruff]

53 minutes ago, Smash! said:

I think it‘s a no answer as well unfortunately. It It seems to be a challenge to find a PT who is vaccinated. I have to look for someone else because my previous PT wasn‘t vaccinated as well. I just don’t get it. If you choose a profession where you treat people, you try to protect them as much as possible right?

AFAIC, if medical professionals are allowed the choice of endangering others, the information should be disclosed to allow others the choice of not being endangered.  Sort of like being able to check that one's medical professionals are properly licensed.

[Ozlsn]

1 hour ago, Smash! said:

apple1So cool you have vaccine mandates at your hospital! Here in Switzerland I don’t know a single hospital who has tha

I'm actually kind of shocked it's not mandated in healthcare settings to be honest. Hospitals, Aged Care and allied health (physiotherapists, occupational therapists etc.) were among the first to have work-related vaccine mandates (now almost every industry does, which is why Australia has fallen /eyeroll). For all the whinging about mandates it did get some of the "I'll just wait and see how it goes" people off the fence once they realised they'd be unemployed without a lot of choices if they didn't get vaccinated (so did being able to get table service, go figure). Of course it sent some of the libertarian bros into hyperdrive, but... my care factor is subzero on that one.

21 hours ago, Katzchen24 said:

I'm so sorry to hear that. Wishing you all the best possible outcomes from this. Two of my steps are currently doing remote schooling, but their year levels return to in-person schooling from next week and I can totally see the same thing happening. 

I am very frustrated with Vic's schools starting process - it was fairly obvious that this was going to happen. I hope your state's more staggered rollout blunts things a bit. I wish they had required a neg PCR within the previous 3 days and rollout 1 or 2 year levels at a time to be honest.

[Smash!]

28 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

I'm actually kind of shocked it's not mandated in healthcare settings to be honest.

Switzerland has a history of social darwinism see for example WWII. Most of us haven‘t lived through previous disasters so there‘s this rosy picture of our country that everyone is protected in the case of a catastrophe. The reality is it‘s all about the money and businesses. We have a decent social net (except the right wing parties dismantled the disability insurance) but that‘s it.

[Katzchen24]

2 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

I am very frustrated with Vic's schools starting process - it was fairly obvious that this was going to happen. I hope your state's more staggered rollout blunts things a bit. I wish they had required a neg PCR within the previous 3 days and rollout 1 or 2 year levels at a time to be honest.

There's a lot to be frustrated about. My ongoing attempts to find RATs for us to use are a dismal failure as well, which just adds to the stress. 

[Sarcastically spinster]

I've been able to order some RATs off Amazon in the US.  Delayed delivery of course, but still available.  

One of my favorite sources to follow through all of this just posted recently that she's seeing some hopeful early signs that things may be starting to wind down.  Hoping she's right.  

[Smash!]

On 1/30/2022 at 11:50 AM, Smash! said:

I‘m so angry and at loss for words. There are plans to end most of the measures by 16 February 😱😱😱 No words what‘s gonna happen to those with LongCovid.

The Federal Council did it today. I could cry. 😭 No mask mandates in public spaces, grocery stores and in the workplace anymore. The exception is public transportation but the mask mandate there will fall by the end of March. And a few more weeks of mask mandates in health care settings. They are going to dissolve the Covid task force by the end of February. Not that it would matter since the Federal Council stopped listening to the scientists anymore.

I need to look for a different job. I‘m trained in customer care but I just can‘t do it anymore. I don‘t get through a 3rd Fall/Winter with high cases and minimal protection. Fuck.

[Ozlsn]

I'm goimg to assume they're on the "summer means lower cases, all good!" train, which... may not be the case. There's an awful lot of decisions being made on the basis of hopeful wishes right now. 

[Smash!]

@Ozlsn Unfortunately, they‘re on „the pandemic is over“ train. Because if the Economiesuisse (the most influential corporate union in Switzerland) says lets get back to normal, the Federal Council drops all measures. Okay this might be a bit exaggerated but it goes along those lines. This is why I don’t think there will be any reintroduction of measures no matter how bad it will get in the future

The Federal Council didn’t want to introduce a national reporting system for Long Covid Cases. Because if you don’t have any numbers you can always say the problem isn‘t that big.  Oh and the Federal Councillor who presides over the Federal Health Department belongs to the Social Democratic Party. The party who traditionally stands for the protection of the vulnerable and ordinary workers. Well they never criticized their own Federal Councillor for his actions (to be fair all of the decisions have to be made by all 7 people of the Federal Council) or pushed for stricter measures. It‘s a shame.

Sorry for the long, angry rant.

Edited February 16, 2022 by Smash!

[Coconut Flan]

We're repeating the 1918 pandemic.  After two years it was officially declared over because people couldn't take it any more.  Then the worst wave hit which had more death than any of the others.  It isn't discussed much because the "pandemic was over."  

[Dandruff]

11 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

We're repeating the 1918 pandemic.  After two years it was officially declared over because people couldn't take it any more.  Then the worst wave hit which had more death than any of the others.  It isn't discussed much because the "pandemic was over."  

Wishful thinking vs. deadly virus.  I know which I'd put my money on.

Perhaps those in control who minimize public health measures should be on the hook if things don't work out.  If they had to put up sizable financial collateral and risk losing their job for medically unsound and disastrous decisions, they might make other choices or decide to not run for office at all.

[Smash!]

58 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

We're repeating the 1918 pandemic.  After two years it was officially declared over because people couldn't take it any more. 

Was it really that the people couldn’t take it anymore or was it more the framing of the measures by the government? (I don‘t know enough) At least here masks are apparently such a burden that one can‘t expect people to wear masks in grocery stores so that the vulnerable can safely buy their necessities.