Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[skiJ]

hey, guys -
offering an alternative perspective, I am going to continue to mask in public,
indoors ;

I'm glad the sky is Not falling -
a former colleague and her sister died of covid in December 2020. Risk factors.

Patti survived covid in September 2021 coming out of Radiation for cancer ; she got monoclonal antibodies.
She is the matriarch of their Family and I cannot imagine her husband without her
( She's sixty and they have been married for forty years ) ;

I have lung damage from repeated episodes of Influenza and pneumonia. other risk factors, too, including I am old.

I also don't want to be the vector that transmits it to my older and elderly neighbors
( my neighbor is in better health than I am - but he's Seventy-five )

I don't believe all mask wearers are psycho. about covid -
with almost a million cases confirmed weekly and more than 250 deaths weekly, some of us Should be careful -

it's not only about the individual.

That's all. skiJ

[Trackhead]

I don't believe all mask wearers are psycho. about covid -
with almost a million cases confirmed weekly and more than 250 deaths weekly, some of us Should be careful -

it's not only about the individual.

That's all. skiJ

Accurate and agree, but I hope people who are immunocompromised don't think a simple mask is protecting them, it's not. Should obviously have N95 or similar.

[skiJ]

thanks. skiJ

[jfost]

Accurate and agree, but I hope people who are immunocompromised don't think a simple mask is protecting them, it's not. Should obviously have N95 or similar.

Wasn’t medical mask 66% N95 83% and combo cloth & medical somewhere in between?

But yes N95 should be standard for hi riskers!

[bodywhomper]

I wear n95 indoors. I actually like the n95 more than others. A bit of a hassle with a hat.

[Lvovsky]

Well well well… two years and three months after the first shutdown, I finally caught the damn bug. Positive test, symptoms, the whole thing. Wife got it too - her second time. Both vaxed and boosted. Probably got it at the crowded airport surrounded by mouth breathers.

We are both on antiviral Paxlovid too.

[old goat]

For what it's worth, US has not had excess deaths since the end of March. (That is deaths above the expected seasonal average)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/c...ess_deaths.htm
That appears to be true for the oldest age groups as well
I don't know if lack of excess deaths is the difference between an endemic and an epidemic or pandemic disease, but maybe it should be.


So if you're gorging on ice cream and tequila thinking you might as well enjoy yourself until you die of covid, maybe it's time to reconsider.

[riser4]

For what it's worth, US has not had excess deaths since the end of March. (That is deaths above the expected seasonal average)
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/c...ess_deaths.htm
That appears to be true for the oldest age groups as well
I don't know if lack of excess deaths is the difference between an endemic and an epidemic or pandemic disease, but maybe it should be.


So if you're gorging on ice cream and tequila thinking you might as well enjoy yourself until you die of covid, maybe it's time to reconsider.

Ya, don't need an excuse to gorge on ice cream and tequila.

[babybear]

Ya, don't need an excuse to gorge on creemees and tequila.

FIFY

[Trackhead]

So if you're gorging on ice cream and tequila thinking you might as well enjoy yourself until you die of covid, maybe it's time to reconsider.

I started that in 2017, minus the tequila.

[riser4]

FIFY

Nice. You can take the girl out of Vermont but you can't the Vermont out of the girl.

[~mikey b]

numbers are up around here

Yosemite NP requires masks indoors and on busses again

[yeahman]

numbers are up around here

Yosemite NP requires masks indoors and on busses again

Glacier is doing the same. I'm guessing they are seeing about 20 percent compliance.

[mb6f50]

I am sick with something, since Wednesday. Several antigens have been negative.

Feels like a normal sinus moved to chest bullshit thing I use to get a few times a year prior to wearing a mask all the time which I have slightly relaxed recently.

But not anymore. Wearing a mask sucks way less than being sick. I forgot how much it sucks to be sick.

[old goat]

I really hate having a cold. I don't think I'll handle it well when I get covid.

[SumJongGuy]

Accurate and agree, but I hope people who are immunocompromised don't think a simple mask is protecting them, it's not. Should obviously have N95 or similar.

Going to see my sister next weekend for mom's burial at Arlington. Sis rocks the N95 everywhere around other people.. so tight it leaves marks on her face, Lupus. We'll be wearing KN95s around her too... and testing after we arrive but before we get together... If any of us meeting her there (i.e. likely all of us after a 4 hour car ride together) are positive no hugs, lots more distance. The services are outdoors..

[LongShortLong]

I really hate having a cold. I don't think I'll handle it well when I get covid.

Avoiding colds is a pleasant side effect of avoiding covid.

[Lvovsky]

The Paxlovid antiviral worked like a charm: symptoms were pretty much done on day three taking the meds. It’s a five day course.

Pills have side effects. Shitty metallic taste in the mouth was one i got. But I’d rather have that for few days than coughing my lungs out.

[raisingarizona13]

The mother of our Maid of Honor was rushed to the hospital yesterday and tested positive. She'd been in a home hospice situation for over a year, not good. Now her kids are wondering who brought it in to the house. Our friend is devastated and hopes it wasn't her, but it's either her or one of her brothers. Our son was also there a week ago so he tested last night when we heard. He is negative, a full week after he was at that location. So, it's also possible it was him but he's clear now. He works with/for the friend at the same office so odds are they'd both have it if one of them did.. so probably one of the brothers..

It's extremely unhealthy mentally to try to assign blame in these things but how does someone stop from wondering and wanting to go back in time to fix it?

Hospice sucks. I worked as a CNA while getting courses done for nursing school. It was a 2 1/2 year stretch watching old people die. I often thought that we treat our pets better than we do our elderly family members. Holding on to old relatives that are ready is actually kind of selfish and pointless but it's totally human so I'm not judging. I'm not in any way suggesting that this is the case with your Maid of Honers Mother but getting worked up over how she contracted Covid seems pointless imho. She's going to go from something and very soon. The longer things get drawn out the worse they usually get for the person.

I had one man that was unable to speak grab my hand and look into my eyes asking me for help as his three kids begged him to fight. He would throw tantrums ripping out his IV and catheter, violently throwing them to the floor while looking at his own kids with such anger and frustration. I'll never forget that look. I was very green at that point so I was uncomfortable telling the family that they needed to let him go, he was extremely ready.

Another thing worth mentioning that I learned during that strange life stage/experience, there's beauty in death. When people are ready they seem to become extremely at peace with everything and let go of any fear. I used to be really uncomfortable with death and the dying but that job changed that for me.

[skiJ]

Hospice sucks. I worked as a CNA while getting courses done for nursing school. It was a 2 1/2 year stretch watching old people die. I often thought that we treat our pets better than we do our elderly family members. Holding on to old relatives that are ready is actually kind of selfish and pointless but it's totally human so I'm not judging. I'm not in any way suggesting that this is the case with your Maid of Honers Mother but getting worked up over how she contracted Covid seems pointless imho. She's going to go from something and very soon. The longer things get drawn out the worse they usually get for the person.

I had one man that was unable to speak grab my hand and look into my eyes asking me for help as his three kids begged him to fight. He would throw tantrums ripping out his IV and catheter, violently throwing them to the floor while looking at his own kids with such anger and frustration. I'll never forget that look. I was very green at that point so I was uncomfortable telling the family that they needed to let him go, he was extremely ready.

Another thing worth mentioning that I learned during that strange life stage/experience, there's beauty in death. When people are ready they seem to become extremely at peace with everything and let go of any fear. I used to be really uncomfortable with death and the dying but that job changed that for me.

+1. Very Good post - Thank you. tj

[SumJongGuy]

Hospice sucks. I worked as a CNA while getting courses done for nursing school. It was a 2 1/2 year stretch watching old people die. I often thought that we treat our pets better than we do our elderly family members. Holding on to old relatives that are ready is actually kind of selfish and pointless but it's totally human so I'm not judging. I'm not in any way suggesting that this is the case with your Maid of Honers Mother but getting worked up over how she contracted Covid seems pointless imho. She's going to go from something and very soon. The longer things get drawn out the worse they usually get for the person.

I had one man that was unable to speak grab my hand and look into my eyes asking me for help as his three kids begged him to fight. He would throw tantrums ripping out his IV and catheter, violently throwing them to the floor while looking at his own kids with such anger and frustration. I'll never forget that look. I was very green at that point so I was uncomfortable telling the family that they needed to let him go, he was extremely ready.

Another thing worth mentioning that I learned during that strange life stage/experience, there's beauty in death. When people are ready they seem to become extremely at peace with everything and let go of any fear. I used to be really uncomfortable with death and the dying but that job changed that for me.

There was a big part of me that was glad when COVID finished mom off. Her dementia was sooo bad that most of the time she had no idea who she was or who anyone else was. Always smiling and polite to the end though. But no doubt deep down she was terrified sometimes having no idea where she was or who she was.

I agree it's selfish to hang on to people and pets beyond the point where they are suffering way more than having good days.

[Trackhead]

I am sick with something, since Wednesday. Several antigens have been negative.

Feels like a normal sinus moved to chest bullshit thing I use to get a few times a year prior to wearing a mask all the time which I have slightly relaxed recently.

But not anymore. Wearing a mask sucks way less than being sick. I forgot how much it sucks to be sick.

FWIW, still a lot of febrile/coughing patients testing negative at my work. There is another bug out there, or we're just sucking at the timing of our tests.

[LongShortLong]

FWIW, still a lot of febrile/coughing patients testing negative at my work. There is another bug out there, or we're just sucking at the timing of our tests.

The TWiV'ers (Griffin, Raccianello) suggested maybe early symptoms are due to immune systems primed by prior vaccination or exposure. Since the immune system is ready to get rowdy on Covid's ass, symptoms appear before the virus replicates enough to trigger a test.

They also agree with the proposition it could be more than one thing. Our traditional diseases are circulating again.

[uglymoney]

Went to a couple outdoor shows this weekend. First time on an airplane since before covid. Did not wear the n95 in DSM Airport went straight to bar and met concert people. Not super crowded and airy. Put it on before getting on the completely packed Frontier Airbus and didn't take it off. Masked through packed DEN then shrugged and masked on the mostly empty train to downtown. Didn't wear it at hotel. Had dinners/drinks outside but didn't wear it when I went inside to order or use restroom at establishments. Didn't wear it on the charter bus to or from the show or at the show at all including bathrooms. Didn't wear it on the nearly empty 700 am train back to DEN Sunday. Did wear it through security and in terminal train. Didn't wear it for breakfast at DEN. N95'd on the miserable mostly full Frontier plane home to DSM.

Spent an afternoon outside at Confluence Park and another in the room reading a book. Thai carryout.

What my haphazard nonsensical masking strategy was, confused even me.

It was a nice getaway and relaxing AF. Thought about covid a lot but didn't worry about it much.

I guess we will see. Probably fall over dead in a week.

[~mikey b]

FWIW, still a lot of febrile/coughing patients testing negative at my work. There is another bug out there, or we're just sucking at the timing of our tests.

we’re seeing a lot of Flu A - patients and staff