Spreads so easily......

[Boho]

All I thought I knew about NYC is that if I have to stay here, not to live in Manhattan and that Staten Island has the cleanest air. The combined pollution map isn't published anywhere so I recently created it myself by superimposing several maps of individual pollutants. Why is the least crowded borough the most infected and the most crowded least infected? I gotta get outta here.

 

[tmm99]

In regard to the original title of "Spreads so easily", I had the virus in October. I showed symptoms on a Friday night and went for a rapid test Saturday . I tested negative but still believed I had it due to my symptoms and my sister tested positive and I had just seen her. So I tried my best to isolate in our small house for a couple days. I got tested 2 more times and tested negative both times so we went back to living normally including sleeping together.I finally tested positive on the fourth try.
My wife started getting severe headaches and got tested, negative. We just assumed she was positive as we made no real effort to isolate after the first few days. She never went back to get retested.
Fast forward to recently and we both went to get the antibody tests and I have antibodies and she doesn't. Hard to believe for a virus that "spreads so easily".
She also has a friend who had the virus and neither her husband or kids got it. So much we don't know.

Wow, on the 4th try? That's insane. Negative doesn't seem to mean much in your case. It just means that the test couldn't detect the virus yet although it was there all along. Probably the same thing with your wife.

 

[tmm99]

This new variant that's supposed to be more transmissible... What does that even mean? People can get infected with a smaller viral load, or the aerosols somehow travel further? Or the active virus lingers longer in the air and on surfaces? What do we need to do against this more transmissible version of the virus? Stay 10 feet instead of 6 feet away from other people? Wear thicker masks?

I will keep on doing what I've been doing - Protect myself with masks/filter/eye goggles/gloves, stay away from people as much as (and as far as) I can in stores and never linger in one place for too long.

 

[GenXguy]

This new variant that's supposed to be more transmissible... What does that even mean? People can get infected with a smaller viral load, or the aerosols somehow travel further? Or the active virus lingers longer in the air and on surfaces? What do we need to do against this more transmissible version of the virus? Stay 10 feet instead of 6 feet away from other people? Wear thicker masks?

I will keep on doing what I've been doing - Protect myself with masks/filter/eye goggles/gloves, stay away from people as much as (and as far as) I can in stores and never linger in one place for too long.

There's the UK variant and the South African variant, both of which have been found in other countries, and both are said to be more transmissible due to a mutation. From what I read, it sounds like it's more likely to infect when breathed in. I posted 3 links to info about the SA variant in the last day in this thread that has more info. The SA variant is more concerning because experts are concerned the vaccine may be less effective in protecting against it due to the nature of the mutations. What they saw in tests with the variant using recovered patient's antibodies seems to support that possibility. But more tests are needed to know for sure.

 

[ivinsfan]

There's the UK variant and the South African variant, both of which have been found in other countries, and both are said to be more transmissible due to a mutation. From what I read, it sounds like it's more likely to infect when breathed in. I posted 3 links to info about the SA variant in the last day in this thread that has more info. The SA variant is more concerning because experts are concerned the vaccine may be less effective in protecting against it due to the nature of the mutations. What they saw in tests with the variant using recovered patient's antibodies seems to support that possibility. But more tests are needed to know for sure.

Well virus is gonna virus, that's what it does. Look at the flu, the variations are almost endless, different strains and years and such. That's why they blend our flu vaccines after seeing what goes on in Aussie and such.

Will we end up needing annual COVID vaccines just like the flu..IDK, but I trust the science behind vaccines. Nothing we can do about it anyway!!

 

[ls99]

With all these lockdowns, perhaps humanity needs to evolve with the ability to hibernate for months at a time.

 

[garyt]

Wow, on the 4th try? That's insane. Negative doesn't seem to mean much in your case. It just means that the test couldn't detect the virus yet although it was there all along. Probably the same thing with your wife.

Yea, those first 3 negatives were three days in a row so maybe I didn't have enough viral load to test positive, although I had plenty of symptoms. I have antibodies so I definitely had it. My wife should have gone back to get tested but she was still working so a PITA and we just assumed she had it. (Works from home). But she has no antibodies. Had a nurse relative say that does happen that people have the virus but produce no antibodies, so who knows.

 

[travelover]

"I don't understand, I got it, but I was wearing a mask."
These words should not be uttered, yet we heard it a few times over the past weeks from friends or extended family of friends........

There are sloppy fitting surgical masks and tight fitting N95 masks. I don't know why nearly a year later, we don't have N95s for everyone.

 

[Sunset]

...

I have not had even a cold since the pandemic began, but if I got a mild to moderate case of COVID I wonder if I would even try to get tested. I guess if someone was very sick, it could help doctors to know what they were dealing with.

At this point, I'm pretty sure if anyone shows up to a hospital really sick, they immediately think of Covid and test for it.

 

[gayl]

Vaccine Rollout & ICU availability

I'm frustrated. Southern California (LA region) is still carrying on as if nothing has changed. Party on, turning down vaccines, & ICU capacity 0%. SF will have vaccinated most SNFs (region has vaccinated almost all senior living facilities & staff) with ICU capacity at 35% with a relatively hard lockdown. Contra Costa is taking San Joaquin patients (that region is also 0% ICU but it's essential farm workers). At what point do people in those regions need to be held accountable?

 

[ivinsfan]

I'm frustrated. Southern California (LA region) is still carrying on as if nothing has changed. Party on, turning down vaccines, & ICU capacity 0%. SF will have vaccinated most SNFs (region has vaccinated almost all senior living facilities & staff) with ICU capacity at 35% with a relatively hard lockdown. Contra Costa is taking San Joaquin patients (that region is also 0% ICU but it's essential farm workers). At what point do people in those regions need to be held accountable?

What would you like to do to them? this has been going since the beginning some people carry on as usual. some lock down, and some are in between. I can't think of a way to change that.

 

[gayl]

What would you like to do to them? this has been going since the beginning some people carry on as usual. some lock down, and some are in between. I can't think of a way to change that.

A few suggestions: (1) bill them for the transfers (2) withhold state subsidies for county agencies where sheriff departments don't write out citations for violating Stay at Home orders ex: Riverside Sheriff Dept (3) issue violations for hotels still taking reservations without clear documented proof that someone is an essential medical employee transferred in to alleviate nursing shortage working in the closest hospital

 

[Chuckanut]

What would you like to do to them? this has been going since the beginning some people carry on as usual. some lock down, and some are in between. I can't think of a way to change that.

Corona virus is very sneaky. It doesn't affect most people very badly, and while it kills many people, the kill rate is not high enough to scare the H$@%L out of most people. Very sneaky.

 

[gayl]

It's not just Covid. Imagine a pile-up on the grapevine. Now imagine the ambulance in an 8hr wait to unload the patient. Granted it would be faster to just drive here (as we have beds).

My sister got her vaccine early because a lot of 1A slots were not filled. She's 1B

 

[ivinsfan]

A few suggestions: (1) bill them for the transfers (2) withhold state subsidies for county agencies where sheriff departments don't write out citations for violating Stay at Home orders ex: Riverside Sheriff Dept (3) issue violations for hotels still taking reservations without clear documented proof that someone is an essential medical employee transferred in to alleviate nursing shortage working in the closest hospital

So what if someone was actually following all the guidelines, got Corona and had to be transferred? Are you in favor of stopping people on the street and asking why they are outside? In point of fact. people staying in hotels aren't causing a lot of problems. Every solution causes another problem..this has been the story of 2020.

 

[gayl]

If they are dining outside, write them a ticket and put it into DMV. They cannot renew their vehicle or drivers license without paying it. Add interest ---- helps with state deficit

 

[ivinsfan]

If they are dining outside, write them a ticket and put it into DMV. They cannot renew their vehicle or drivers license without paying it. Add interest ---- helps with state deficit

Wouldn't that be the fault of the place that served them? Are they going after the places serving food..

 

[gayl]

The person who picks up to-go food and then sits at the table outside the door in a large group is also at fault and deserves a citation. So is my nephew who has held 3 potential super spreader events in Orange County: (1) Dec 19th BD party with 100 (2) Christmas Dinner with 20 (3) NYE with 50. Cop friends at 2

 

[Accidental Retiree]

I'm frustrated. Southern California (LA region) is still carrying on as if nothing has changed. Party on, turning down vaccines, & ICU capacity 0%. SF will have vaccinated most SNFs (region has vaccinated almost all senior living facilities & staff) with ICU capacity at 35% with a relatively hard lockdown. Contra Costa is taking San Joaquin patients (that region is also 0% ICU but it's essential farm workers). At what point do people in those regions need to be held accountable?

I’m in SoCal and I feel your pain. I’ve had neighbors since the beginning of this who have continued with their normal get-togethers, including at Thanksgiving—to which we were invited but declined—and Christmas.

It’s been business as usual for them pretty much the whole time.

They’re all 15 years younger or so, and some have actually had the virus. One works in a hospital.

One neighbor is a hairdresser who shut down her in-home studio for a couple of weeks but has been open since May. I never see masks in use when I walk by.

Meanwhile, my hair and I look like the wrath of God.

We just try to do what we can to stay safe and let them get on with what they are doing. We like our neighbors very much and think it is important to maintain good relations with them, but we all know where we stand.

I’m not sure what can be done to hold people accountable, but if anyone can figure it out, it’ll be our governor.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

A few suggestions: (1) bill them for the transfers (2) withhold state subsidies for county agencies where sheriff departments don't write out citations for violating Stay at Home orders ex: Riverside Sheriff Dept (3) issue violations for hotels still taking reservations without clear documented proof that someone is an essential medical employee transferred in to alleviate nursing shortage working in the closest hospital

These all sound like good ideas except who is going to play hall monitor to make sure the Sheriff and the hotels are doing as “directed”?

And who is going to pay for the hall monitors?

 

[stepford]

These all sound like good ideas except who is going to play hall monitor to make sure the Sheriff and the hotels are doing as “directed”?

Sheriff's are political animals. If a majority of their constituents don't like a law then they can probably get away with a negligent hands-off approach. Only when enough people start dying will public opinion shift (and remarkably it seems we're not there yet in SoCal COVID-central).

 

[Montecfo]

The best way to keep people safe is by convincing them how to behave safely and working to support those behaviors.

People who are coerced tend to rebel and ambiguous messages from government (rules for thee but not for me, changing messaging) do undermine the message. This is especially true as periods of coercion keep getting extended.

Our response seems to have been heavy on coercion and light on convincing. This needs to be flipped around in my opinion.

 

[Ronstar]

2 more friends contracted Covid. Both in the medical field. He is a physical therapist. She visits doctors marketing physical therapy services. They were prime targets given the number of people they deal with.

 

[ivinsfan]

2 more friends contracted Covid. Both in the medical field. He is a physical therapist. She visits doctors marketing physical therapy services. They were prime targets given the number of people they deal with.

Do they go out and about as well? I'm seeing that people who feel they are exposed more are more willing to go out in public to do stuff. I don't know why but that's what we are seeing.

 

[Koolau]

Recently lost a friend to Covid. He lived on the mainland. He and his wife both got it. She did well but he was quickly put on a respirator and did not survive. He was 65. RIP George.