Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: buy, allergies, shop)

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by rach5

The UK Sage report/guardian article I linked to a few days ago found quite a few people testing positive with a median of 5 days after vaccination and suggested that the elderly and vulnerable who had been shielding for the past year may have been exposed at the vaccination events (or relaxed their behavior immediately). And by the way - cvs, Walgreens, Walmart etc. which are vaccinating also have shoppers present during vaccination events, increasing exposure. Obviously, it's very difficult to trace cases to vaccination events or supermarkets or ... in an area with high community transmission. Until or unless we actually have a superspreader event officially connected to a vaccination event, this issue will continue to get little attention in the US.

I just saw this at my local Walmart. They were all waiting in a little roped off area where there was definitely NOT adequate distancing and it was also abutting the main aisle going towards the checkout. Even as a fully vaccinated individual, this made me uneasy just navigating around that with shoppers still going in both directions, etc. I don't know how CVS is doing it, but this is definitely not a situation I would feel comfortable with especially if I was any kind of high risk.

[yesmaybe]

Another huge day vaccine wise. Last 7 days they have done 240k first dose of just Moderna/Pfizer.

Edit: 75+ is at 81% first dose. Basically nobody above 75 got a shot this week.
65-75 is at 76% first dose.

[yesmaybe]

Past 2.4 million with one dose.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Sorry to hear that - that sounds pretty scary . I hope that he makes a full recovery.

I talked to him today and he's in Anna Jacques doing pretty well. He said the worst problem is the breathing. He tried to go to the bathroom and I guess he disconnected his oxygen so he passed out on the floor. But they said he is getting better and should be able to go home Sunday.

However, I am also concerned about his elderly woman friend who is legally blind because he took her grocery shopping the day before he tested positive. He felt a little bit sick that day and was starting to cough but thought it was allergies. This woman is not vaccinated at all! Being homebound, she has no way to get to a vaccination site. She finally may get someone to come to her house and vaccinate her now that they have to trace anyone with whom he's been in contact!

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

He felt a little bit sick that day and was starting to cough but thought it was allergies.!

I read somewhere (it might have been on this forum) that the Covid cough is a deep dry, uncontrollable cough coming directly from your chest. I'd imagine it to be similar to a cough associated with the flu because your body is trying to rid itself of the virus whereas with allergies, the cough comes from simple throat irritation resulting from dust, dander, or pollen getting into your nostrils. Again I cannot state this as a fact but I did read about it somewhere.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I talked to him today and he's in Anna Jacques doing pretty well. He said the worst problem is the breathing. He tried to go to the bathroom and I guess he disconnected his oxygen so he passed out on the floor. But they said he is getting better and should be able to go home Sunday.

However, I am also concerned about his elderly woman friend who is legally blind because he took her grocery shopping the day before he tested positive. He felt a little bit sick that day and was starting to cough but thought it was allergies. This woman is not vaccinated at all! Being homebound, she has no way to get to a vaccination site. She finally may get someone to come to her house and vaccinate her now that they have to trace anyone with whom he's been in contact!

Good to hear that he is on the mend! Scary nevertheless.
The fact that the homebound/disabled (who often rely on helpers and therefore can't isolate) have been largely ignored/pushed to the backburner in this rollout is (yet another) severe oversight and calamity. It looks like vaccines are starting to trickle into private homes at least in MA (and RI) - but this is something that could have been planned better well in advance, considering that storage requirements have been known for a long time.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

I read somewhere (it might have been on this forum) that the Covid cough is a deep dry, uncontrollable cough coming directly from your chest. I'd imagine it to be similar to a cough associated with the flu because your body is trying to rid itself of the virus whereas with allergies, the cough comes from simple throat irritation resulting from dust, dander, or pollen getting into your nostrils. Again I cannot state this as a fact but I did read about it somewhere.

I can buy that. I have allergies and any irritation or cough has always originated from what felt like back of throat irritation. My MIL who has covid twice (and also has allergies) has said the the cough is different and feels like you are trying to eject something from the lungs. It originates deeper. All anecdotal of course, but it sounds plausible.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I talked to him today and he's in Anna Jacques doing pretty well. He said the worst problem is the breathing. He tried to go to the bathroom and I guess he disconnected his oxygen so he passed out on the floor. But they said he is getting better and should be able to go home Sunday.

However, I am also concerned about his elderly woman friend who is legally blind because he took her grocery shopping the day before he tested positive. He felt a little bit sick that day and was starting to cough but thought it was allergies. This woman is not vaccinated at all! Being homebound, she has no way to get to a vaccination site. She finally may get someone to come to her house and vaccinate her now that they have to trace anyone with whom he's been in contact!

Sheesh, sounds like he's not out of the woods by any means, but good to hear that he's turned the corner.

Not sure what her condition is or exactly where they live, but I can easily walk to Anna Jacques from my house, so presumably they're in the greater Newburyport area. A good place to start with questions on vaccination and if applicable, senior transport, is the local council on aging. I wound up going all the way to Natick for a mass vaccination center appt due to the pre-registration process, but there seem to be local vaccinations available. On the nextdoor site, I see locals discussing CVS, Walgreens, and Amesbury High School, in fact I've even heard of them being given out at times at the Newburyport Senior Center, which isn't on the Mass state list of vaccine centers.

Newburyport Council on Aging - they have senior transport in a wheelchair accessible van
https://www.cityofnewburyport.com/council-on-aging

Amesbury Council on Aging
https://www.amesburyma.gov/council-on-aging

[brk330]

The Mass.gov eligible medical conditions page has been changed and clarified. Some of that info took a few clicks to get to previously, for example that 'smoker' included former smokers also.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/co...cal-conditions

[rach5]

The NHS is struggling with many staff (4%!) impacted by long covid. Interestingly, teachers are the second most affected group of employees. https://www.theguardian.com/society/...aff-long-covid
Yet so many people think that if hospitalizations and deaths are down, everything is fine...