Coronavirus in Massachusetts (closing, wage, live)

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by robr2

Companies can require all employees to be vaccinated. The EECO noted that requiring a vaccine does not violate the ADA but that those with specific medical issue contrary to the vaccine or religious beliefs may be exempt.

I wonder if a company would worry about liability. If someone was required to take a vaccine and then had a severe reaction.

On the other hand, I suppose there could be liability on the other side. A company doesn't require vaccination and unvaccinated co-workers caused infection. Although, I don't know how it could be proven where the infection occurred.

Just a couple of thoughts that popped into my head concerning our sue-happy country.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by elnrgby

So, the pre-registration for vaccine started in MA about 10 days ago. I was among the first 200,000 people in the state that pre-registered, and my demographic group became eligible to get the vaccine today. Anyone has any idea about waiting time from pre-registration to notification to make the appointment? Has anyone here pre-registered (which became possible 10 days ago), and got the vaccine appointment so far? Any idea, from anyone, how long it might take between pre-registration and the actual vaccine appointment? Days, weeks, months? Also, any idea about the size of the backlog of people from the groups that have been eligible within the past 3 months, but have not succeeded in making the vaccine appointment yet?

I don't have the answer to any of those questions, but I DID receive a text message a day or two ago to remind me that I am pre-registered. Note: I am not eligible yet.

[bigfatdude]

Looking on the bright side those are the ones most likely to be out and about and spreading the virus - better have one vaccinated cheating ******* and one less dose than than unvaccinated ******* getting the virus and spreading it to hundreds.

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

There are an unknown amount of cheaters out there who claimed they have 2 issues. That's what makes projecting how many are ahead difficult.

Realistically there is only like 1.5 million left that you can expect will take the vaccine.

[elnrgby]

Originally Posted by bizcuit

I don't have the answer to any of those questions, but I DID receive a text message a day or two ago to remind me that I am pre-registered. Note: I am not eligible yet.

Right, that message is supposed to be generated automatically every week, and I got it too, but that doesn't count. I am eligible as of yesterday, based upon age 60-64 (otherwise healthy, retired last year). I pre-registered on the first day the system went live, around 7 am, and the governor said at 9 am that day that 200k people pre-registered by that time, so I should be among the people in my demographic group who would get vaccinated in the first week in which this group starts getting vaccinated... unless we get bumped back by all the folks in the higher priority groups who are still waiting to get their shot(s).

[elnrgby]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

There are an unknown amount of cheaters out there who claimed they have 2 issues. That's what makes projecting how many are ahead difficult.

Realistically there is only like 1.5 million left that you can expect will take the vaccine.

The population of MA is around 6.8 million, with about one million of that being kids under 16. National polls show that about 25% of the population of the US does not want the vaccine. About 1.8 million people in MA got at least one dose so far. Taking all of that into account, there should be more like 3 million people left in MA who can be expected to want the vaccine. Assuming that the majority of them will get a 2-dose vaccine, that is around 5 million vaccine appointments. Assuming the continued rate of vaccination of 60k per day, that would take us into June. Not horrible, and I can wait, except that I would feel like an idiot if I got Covid now, and ended up on vent (or dead) in the last weeks of the epidemic, with so many people already vaccinated (fairly or not). Once I blew a tire while driving at the maximum allowed speed, and the car became uncontrollable. It ended up okay, but in the split second while the car was swerving violently all over the road (fortunately this was in Mojave Desert in California, so no other cars on the road), my last thought was "what a dumb way to die". I would feel the same if I caught a big load of Covid NOW, almost at the end of the story.

[OutdoorLover]

A recent review in Nature Medicine of Covid-19 long-haulers, as covered in STAT news: "About one-third of people who were sick enough to need hospitalization — including supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation to breathe — still struggle with problems affecting their bodies and their minds four weeks or more after the first onset of symptoms. About 1 in 10 people who had Covid but were never admitted to a hospital report they experience bewildering brain fog, shortness of breath, muscle weakness, or crushing fatigue in the months after the first signs of their initial illness. Some see no end in sight; others seem to recover."

STAT News summary here:
https://www.statnews.com/2021/03/23/...ut-long-covid/

Primary literature source here:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01283-z

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by elnrgby

The population of MA is around 6.8 million, with about one million of that being kids under 16.

75% is not realistic I think. You're probably looking at 3.8 million total tops. They are close to 2 million first dose now including J&J. They could pass 2 million today actually.

The current pace might be moot since production is ramping up while other states that aren't going to come close to even like 50% are getting close to being done. That's why the Walmart Exec was saying we will be in a glut in a month. The 200k a week first dose might turn into 300k for a short period.

[OutdoorLover]

While I have been discouraged, I will say, that a couple of recent polls show the percentage of Americans who say they will get the vaccine continues to increase. Here are two that say 75% and 69% in favor, both polls from early March.

https://www.pewresearch.org/science/...-already-have/

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-pers...vid-19-vaccine

[OutdoorLover]

Vaccine takers are being rewarded with free donuts and free weed
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/23/here...-vaccine-.html

[yesmaybe]

Hmm, maybe an uptick brewing? Still think it doesn't affect the timeline for fully reopening (unless evidence the vaccines don't work on variants appears) but it might but might give Baker a reason to wait a week or two before opening any further.