Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clogs
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Skyquake87 wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 6:46 pmProblem we've got in this country is that trust in politicians is at an all-time low. That and our governments continued insistence of running everything centrally in London (and, for the last 30 years or more, placing more emphasis on the well being of everyone inside the M25), instead of allowing local authorities some autonomy.
When this started and particularly when Leicester became the first place put in Level 3 lockdown, our local Labour council sent out yah-boo-sucks updates that stopped just short of saying the Conservative government was deliberately getting at them. The most recent, following the new Level 5 lockdown, is chastened, factual and completely without doublespeak.

Considering that, plus the other little things our local councillors are up to (and the ongoing alleged harassment case against a Communist London MP who, simultaneously, sits unelected on our local council), my trust in them is far, far lower than my trust in Parliament.
Tantrum wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:09 pm...they don't even know if the vaccine stops you from spreading covid, so it's not like vaccinating any one particular person helps society as a whole.
As you know, every year, an influenza vaccine is prepared based on the highest probability of virus type(s) on the go, but comes with the caveat that the scientists don’t always get it right. The Covid-19 vaccine currently being circulated has, I have no doubt, been prepared for the first iteration, but we are now seeing a second and there will, inevitably, be more... And the influenza vaccine does not prevent spreading, only a reduction in symptoms/morbidity.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Well, Trump's finally gone from office after 400,000+ dead. So now the US can maybe kind of, sort of start to deal with this?
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clay wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:05 pmWell, Trump's finally gone from office after 400,000+ dead. So now the US can maybe kind of, sort of start to deal with this?
Starting tomorrow, Fox News and their ilk will realize that 3,000 dead Americans every day is a big deal, and demand Joe Biden be impeached for not doing anything about it. They will continue to oppose mask mandates.

As of this weekend, over 10% of RI residents have tested positive. It's still closer to 4% in my immediate area.

I work an a navy facility that's getting its own supply of vaccine for its employees. They sent out a form for volunteers that included a list of categories of high priority individuals. I wasn't sure if I qualified for one category, since I'm not eligible to telework, but don't interact with many people. I asked around, and got two different answers. So, I saved the e-mail telling me I qualified, and checked the box.

Checking that box unchecked another box on the form because the form wasn't created correctly. The lady handling the form acknowledged the error, called the form a "hot mess", and said she didn't create the form, and was just collecting them. She told me I was all set. If this comes through faster than the state, great. If not, I'll get vaccinated through the state and won't be any worse off.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Tantrum wrote: Wed Jan 20, 2021 11:09 pm Starting tomorrow, Fox News and their ilk will realize that 3,000 dead Americans every day is a big deal, and demand Joe Biden be impeached for not doing anything about it. They will continue to oppose mask mandates.
Out of curiosity, I flipped over to Fox to see what the coverage was, and hooooo boy, they mad.

"How we can unite the country if the new administration keeps singling people out for white supremacist militancy?" ~ Tucker Carlson

Other soundbites include: coverage of the inauguration is an infomercial, ceasing construction on the border wall is dumb because it keeps pandemics out, Big Tech is gonna getcha!, and establishment republicans are all corrupt and worthless because they didn't support Trump.

So they're pouring gasoline on the fire that led to the capitol coup. Ugh.

As for me, I haven't been able to taste anything for a week. I went to the walk-in clinic and had a rapid test on Friday which was negative, but the symptoms persisted, so I went to the hospital site on Tuesday to get one of the longer tests. Should have results tomorrow or Friday. Now, the guy at the hospital that swabbed me said that the longer test didn't have to sample from as far back in the nasal cavity as the rapid test, which caught my attention because the lady that did the rapid test on Friday barely went past my nostrils. Also, several (two or three) of the staff at the walk-in clinic weren't wearing masks at all. They were in the receptionist area behind a plexiglass screen, but it still had the little window open for an area of about 10" x 3'.

ALSO also, the guy at the hospital said that the rapid tests are only about 30% accurate altogether, between false positives and false negatives. That made me that they're a big part of why the virus is spreading so much. If the easy, immediate test is less accurate than a coin flip, people are going around while contagious because they honestly think they're in the clear.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clay wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:46 amOther soundbites include: coverage of the inauguration is an infomercial, ceasing construction on the border wall is dumb because it keeps pandemics out, Big Tech is gonna getcha!, and establishment republicans are all corrupt and worthless because they didn't support Trump.
I wonder how long right wing Trump worship'll last. Conservatives are loyal, but fickle. They stuck with GWB to the bitter end, through WMD lies and Katrina, but don't really talk about him anymore. Then, they loved Sarah Palin, who now is only seen on that singin' show where you don't know it's her until her last 2 minutes. Maybe Trump'll still be their guy for a while, but that'll be tough without Twitter to hype himself.

As for your personal experience, yikes. I wish I had something more uplifting to say. I don't know how you have a 30% accurate test. At that point, don't you just assume the opposite of what the test says, and get 70% accuracy? Maybe that means the test only detects 30% of cases. Or, maybe the guy who told you that isn't much smarter than his colleagues who weren't wearing their masks.

On the plus side, it looks like recovering from covid results in immunity for at least 5 months. So, if you do have covid now, and get through it OK, you should be safe until the vaccine reaches you.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Well, the fellow at the hospital seemed to know what he was doing more than the people at the walk-in clinic, so there's that. I'd assume the rapid test with poor accuracy is a combination of the test itself and also the variance in the people conducting the test. As I say, the guy at the hospital said the rapid test is supposed to be sampled from inside the sinus cavity, whereas the nurse at the clinic only swabbed my nostrils. (For my second test at the hospital, he did get the sample from the sinus cavity. Icky).

At any rate, the test results came back negative today, so I probably don't have covid. But now I have to figure out what else I may have that's made me lose my sense of taste. I had a flu shot back in November, so I doubt it's that. I just know that I miss flavor.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clay wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:13 amAt any rate, the test results came back negative today, so I probably don't have covid. But now I have to figure out what else I may have that's made me lose my sense of taste. I had a flu shot back in November, so I doubt it's that. I just know that I miss
Does the lower part of your ribcage feel sore when touched, but not from coughing? Is there an odd and somewhat uncomfortable sensation in your upper chest, within a kind of semi-circle you can draw from one mid-clavicle to the other? Are you mentally tired, but not necessarily sleepy?

My test was negative, but my doctor diagnosed me because I described those three symptoms, which my friend, Paul, mentioned he’d also had (his result was positive). A colleague’s sister had no symptoms other than losing her senses of taste and smell.

Otherwise, Clay, I’d guess you’ve picked up a dose of the ‘flu, because the vaccine doesn’t prevent you catching it and having some symptoms!
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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As an NHS employee now, I have been fortunate enough to receive the vaccine. I can report no ill effects in the after math besides a very sore arm for roughly 48 hours afterwards (muscular pain as a result of the needle more than anything else)

As I understand it, the vaccine can reproduce similar symptoms in people that have already had covid but it seems more aches and pains than anything more serious.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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StoneCold Skywarp wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 1:47 pm As an NHS employee now, I have been fortunate enough to receive the vaccine. I can report no ill effects in the after math besides a very sore arm for roughly 48 hours afterwards (muscular pain as a result of the needle more than anything else)

As I understand it, the vaccine can reproduce similar symptoms in people that have already had covid but it seems more aches and pains than anything more serious.
Sounds like me after I get a flu shot.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Cyberstrike nTo wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:33 pm

Sounds like me after I get a flu shot.
Yes and no. The symptoms, having had the vaccine, but not having had covid basically boiled down to feeling like I had over done it in the gym, in one arm.
For people who have had covid that have suffered ailments beyond the shortness of breath (one person said they had felt severe neck pain for instance) said that returned temporarily in the hours after the vaccine but quickly subsided.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Boris on TV telling us all we're far more likely to die from the new strain.

But not enforcing any stricter measures because **** us all I guess.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Dalek, I feel there’s probably no stricter rules being introduced, because the oiks still don’t follow the current ones as a result of being too thick... Still so many around here wearing a mask incorrectly or not at all. Then there’s the whole matter of the 1m apart, which doesn't apply side-by-side.

I’m very concerned about the drive to re-open schools ASAP, especially as that’ll mean I’m back on the bus with the oiks.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clogs wrote: Fri Jan 22, 2021 4:42 am Does the lower part of your ribcage feel sore when touched, but not from coughing? Is there an odd and somewhat uncomfortable sensation in your upper chest, within a kind of semi-circle you can draw from one mid-clavicle to the other? Are you mentally tired, but not necessarily sleepy?
Nope, only symptom has been loss of taste along with fatigue, although that's more of a chronic problem.

Sense of taste is finally coming back, it seems. I had some crackers this morning and I could taste the salt again. Might try something sweet later.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clay - Any update on your sense of taste?

Some health officials are recommending double masks, wearing a cloth mask over a disposable one. I've been giving that a shot this week, and actually find it more comfortable than either mask alone. The disposable mask has a bit more structural integrity, which keeps it from rubbing against my mouth the way the cloth one does. The cloth one provides a snugger fit due to better elastics.

RI's up to 1 in 9 residents having tested positive.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Thanks for thinking of me.

As of today, still no sense of taste. I called a doctor this past Monday and was referred to get another covid test first, which I did. Got the results on Tuesday afternoon, and I'm still negative. So I called the doctor's office back and got an appointment for Monday.

It's weird, strange, and I don't like it. You'd think I'd be getting used to it by now, but since I can still smell, every meal is basically a tease. And it really is just taste that's gone... I've been eating lots of saltine crackers since flavor is wasted on me at the moment, and I still get the drying sensation from the salt, but can't taste the starch of the crackers.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Hope that sorts itself out and your appointment goes well :)
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Another thought Clay: Take advantage of your lack of taste by eating healthy foods that taste terrible.

Rhode Island finally published an estimated timeline for vaccinating everyone. As a 40-something with no underlying health issues, my group starts mid/late-May. That's a little over 3 months from now, assuming the schedule doesn't slip to the right.

I still don't know how to get the vaccine. But, that'll probably change (for the better) over the next 3 months as kinks in the distribution chain get worked out.
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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I'm beginning to think I'm the exception.

The week before last, there was a mad dash to get tested because somebody at work got infected, brought it back, and infected a bunch of people, me included. After a week off to isolate(and kind of remote in to work), the worst I had was the sniffles. Everybody else for the most part seems to have gotten various levels of serious symptoms. One of my guys is barely getting his sense of taste back. Everybody else is feeling tired.

The guy who shared this with us wound up in a coma, but while it was close, he pulled through.

I'm in the high risk category, so how the hell did I dodge the bullet?
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Heinrad wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:58 pmI'm in the high risk category, so how the hell did I dodge the bullet?
No idea, but glad you have :love:
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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Clogs wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 11:53 amthe influenza vaccine does not prevent spreading, only a reduction in symptoms/morbidity.
There are signs it's a bit of a better situation with covid, but only really with the strains the vaccines were built for.
Clay wrote:the guy at the hospital said that the rapid tests are only about 30% accurate altogether
Yeah, lateral flow are only useful only to prompt a PCR test if they show positive. Can't place any reliance in them.

Apologies as only skimming threads and have spoken to some people off-forum but glad to see so many familiar 'faces' and hope everyone's bearing up in current circumstances. Also good to see things are going in the right direction more in the US, and hope it'll be impeachment or something stronger for government in the UK soon.
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