Coronavirus (Freedom: carriage, atmosphere, credit)

[sav858]

Originally Posted by stablegenius

Zero Covid is not going to happen. Covid is not going away. This is not downplaying it, but accepting reality.

Covid19 is now just another risk you take in life, just like driving, flying, walking across the street, swimming in the ocean etc. Weigh the risk and decide if you want to participate in life.

Agreed, the sooner people learn to accept the "new normal" the sooner we can all move on.

Delta variant has wrecked hopes of herd immunity, warn scientists

Scientists said it was time to accept that there was no way of stopping the virus spreading through the entire population, and monitoring people with mild symptoms was no longer helpful.

Prof Andrew Pollard, who led the Oxford vaccine team, said it was clear that the delta variant can infect people who have been vaccinated, which made herd immunity impossible to reach even with high vaccine uptake.
......

Prof Hunter, who advises the World Health Organisation on Covid, also said it was time to change the way the data was collected and recorded as the virus became endemic.

[goodheathen]

Originally Posted by stablegenius

2 is double of 1. Percentages like this tell us very little about the reality, just more panic porn.



Because if you look at the stats you'll realize those you consider to be downplaying it, area actually not downplaying it, but using data to stay unafraid.

• The virus was never that deadly to begin with. More deadly than the flu, but it's no ebola.
• With vaccines it's even less deadly.
• Your chances of survival without a vaccine are greater than 98% and even higher depending on age group.
• You chances of survial WITH a vaccine are even higher.
• We are not downplaying, others are panicked and emotional

Zero Covid is not going to happen. Covid is not going away. This is not downplaying it, but accepting reality.

Covid19 is now just another risk you take in life, just like driving, flying, walking across the street, swimming in the ocean etc. Weigh the risk and decide if you want to participate in life.

Great. Another it's-rarely-deadly-so-it's-nearly-harmless person. We need a head-in-sand emoji.

How are basic activities like dining at restaurants (indoors and maybe also outdoors) and private parties (with food) supposed to be worth the potential harm to the individual and further down the transmission chain? It's a bad enough virus that sooner or later, maybe just before a booster is due, many people will have a more than slight bout with it (months with lack of energy and hair loss being two predictable, upsetting results). Then there's the likelihood of an eventual variant that mostly evades any vaccine publicly available for a while and/or causes more damage, either of which which would equal lockdown. That part being largely avoidable if entry into the country were much more difficult, which is conveniently ignored. Underestimating COVID-19 always worsens the situation.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by goodheathen

Great. Another it's-rarely-deadly-so-it's-nearly-harmless person. We need a head-in-sand emoji.

How are basic activities like dining at restaurants (indoors and maybe also outdoors) and private parties (with food) supposed to be worth the potential harm to the individual and further down the transmission chain? It's a bad enough virus that sooner or later many people will have a more than slight bout with it. Then there's the likelihood of an eventual variant that mostly evades any vaccine publicly available for a while and/or causes more damage, either of which which would equal lockdown. That part being largely avoidable if entry into the country were much more difficult, which is conveniently ignored. Underestimating COVID-19 always worsens the situation.

Can we get a sky-is-falling emoji too?

If you're vaccinated what "potential harm" do you really think there is? What do you suggest we do at this point about it aside from get vaccinated to protect people from severe illness and death? Clearly we can't vaccinate the virus away. You'll probably start giving yourself health problems by being too anxious about it.

[goodheathen]

I don't know. Invest more in drug research? Definitely control borders better and finally make enough N-95 masks. Yes, there should be a campaign against obesity, that being a risk factor for complications, and Newsom did announce something, but I don't expect results.

Also, because vaccines don't boost immunity immediately, there's a window before and after boosters where risk might be high. Breakthrough cases will hurt people directly or spread it to more susceptible people. It's inevitable.

[tikkasf]

We are in a better place then we were this time last year. We now have more then one quite effective vaccine and vaccines are widely available (at least in this a several other countries)....also more is known about the virus. But, there are still unknowns. Who knows when and if another variant of concern will show up or a "variant of consequence". Just have to take one day at a time

[JackG55]

Originally Posted by stablegenius

2 is double of 1. Percentages like this tell us very little about the reality, just more panic porn.



Because if you look at the stats you'll realize those you consider to be downplaying it, area actually not downplaying it, but using data to stay unafraid.

• The virus was never that deadly to begin with. More deadly than the flu, but it's no ebola.
• With vaccines it's even less deadly.
• Your chances of survival without a vaccine are greater than 98% and even higher depending on age group.
• You chances of survial WITH a vaccine are even higher.
• We are not downplaying, others are panicked and emotional

Zero Covid is not going to happen. Covid is not going away. This is not downplaying it, but accepting reality.

Covid19 is now just another risk you take in life, just like driving, flying, walking across the street, swimming in the ocean etc. Weigh the risk and decide if you want to participate in life.

Originally Posted by tikkasf

We are in a better place then we were this time last year. We now have more then one quite effective vaccine and vaccines are widely available (at least in this a several other countries)....also more is known about the virus. But, there are still unknowns. Who knows when and if another variant of concern will show up or a "variant of consequence". Just have to take one day at a time

Both these are spot on. Some people want covid completely gone before they relax. Ain’t gonna happen. It’s likely going to be here with a yearly booster needed like the flu.

I’ve already read about people getting a third shot, but that’s not approved yet. I wondered what doctor would give a third injection, but according to this article, people are going in and telling them it’s their first shot. Probably not a good idea.

https://apnews.com/article/business-...8ed4225500cb0e

It always bothers me when articles say “cases have doubled!” Could be significant, could be nothing. We are in a better place and the “sky is falling” people are just stressing themselves out.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by goodheathen

Great. Another it's-rarely-deadly-so-it's-nearly-harmless person. We need a head-in-sand emoji.

How are basic activities like dining at restaurants (indoors and maybe also outdoors) and private parties (with food) supposed to be worth the potential harm to the individual and further down the transmission chain? It's a bad enough virus that sooner or later, maybe just before a booster is due, many people will have a more than slight bout with it (months with lack of energy and hair loss being two predictable, upsetting results). Then there's the likelihood of an eventual variant that mostly evades any vaccine publicly available for a while and/or causes more damage, either of which which would equal lockdown. That part being largely avoidable if entry into the country were much more difficult, which is conveniently ignored. Underestimating COVID-19 always worsens the situation.

Got a question that I doubt you'll answer; how long must we stay in lockdown?

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by stablegenius

2 is double of 1. Percentages like this tell us very little about the reality, just more panic porn.

It's a news article, pal. You're the one labeling the information "panic porn."

[goodheathen]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

Got a question that I doubt you'll answer; how long must we stay in lockdown?

We're not in lockdown. I can't predict the length of a lockdown for a variant that might not exist yet, but I can predict a vicious variant will trigger that and lockdowns aren't lifted until some metrics improve. Pessimism is realism right now. Authorities should be calling for people to limit some activities so that vaccine makers have time to come up with and distribute products that are more effective against Delta and newer variants.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

Got a question that I doubt you'll answer; how long must we stay in lockdown?

My answer is never, because I never did. I did whatever I wanted to, minus enter grocery stores, from day one. They locked down the oceans and forest and I just went anyway. I was around no one. I got the covids from work way early and it was hardly anything to write home about. I got the vaccine, I'm not wearing a mask again and no one around me is either. If there is a booster, great. If not so what. There have always been hypochondriacs. If that's how they want to live the rest of their lives not my problem.