Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Provincetown: inflatable, live, restaurant)

[mdovell]

I know a number of people that have been to Ptown in the past month (all vaccinated). Having said that yes there most likely will be another shutdown. Remember that time when this all started and it floated in washington state for a few months. I swear to God it's like the past 14 months didn't happen.

This literally sounds like it was just reported last year
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/...cials-confirm/

I guess this sort of makes sense as if covid hit the elderly it would suggest that variants would hit elderly the worst. Add in tourists on the cape and those that fled it adds up. I know a school business manager on the cape and initially he thought this would be just two weeks. There's not that much time before general administration goes back to academia and schools. Some start last week of August and teachers might be in a half week to a week before that and administrators a week before that. They HAVE to be looking at this. Forget about the masks. Is this is going to spread going beyond this or what? We're talking about two to three weeks to make a pretty big decision having an impact going on for at least four months.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by msRB311

So are we going to have another shut down ?

The mRNA vaccines appear to be 96% effective against hospitalization. Why would we shut down the economy over Darwin Awards people who refuse to get vaccinated? I have a big box of 3M N95 masks to protect myself for the limited times I’m indoors shopping. Everyone in my social circle is vaccinated. None of us is likely to get infected and produce enough viral load to pass it around.

[Arya Stark]

Well, I have had a sore throat and irritated lungs for a few days - though my O2 is fine.

I figured I would get a covid test... I got my hair done the other day and spent 3 hours in a small confined space where almost no one was wearing masks.

Nope, test came back negative.

It was the abbot rapid result one so I am have another test to take in 36 hours but I am doubting I have it.

Where I work I have several top people well over the age of 80. If the vaccines do not stop the spread of the virus and, we aren't sure when exactly the protection will stop, I truly don't see how my workplace could go back to normal. Currently in MA all the deaths in the last two weeks have people over the age of 50. With the vast majority of the deaths being over 80.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

The mRNA vaccines appear to be 96% effective against hospitalization. Why would we shut down the economy over Darwin Awards people who refuse to get vaccinated? I have a big box of 3M N95 masks to protect myself for the limited times I’m indoors shopping. Everyone in my social circle is vaccinated. None of us is likely to get infected and produce enough viral load to pass it around.

This. Those posting concerns over the UK or Provincetown situation need to review the comments of the health officials reviewing the available local data ... they're not terribly concerned because the vaccine efficacy has been good.

Even in the W. Yarmouth nursing home situation, the MA DPH is suggesting the residents and staff who have tested positive are largely experiencing mild or no symptoms. If this were last year, there'd likely be hospitalizations and body bags given the risk profiles of a nursing home.

I could see individual businesses requiring mask usage indoors, but otherwise I see MA leadership continuing focus on vaccine outreach and possibly providing mRNA 'boosters' for those who received the JnJ (given the recent study suggesting the efficacy is reduced against the Delta variant). Our vaccination rates are high enough that I don't see the likes of Baker reversing course.

[msRB311]

There are a lot of news reports of upticks and yes quite a few people here being paranoid. I was actually kidding when I asked if there'd be another shut down. But p town now has a mask mandate and kids may have to wear masks in the fall. So it seems like we are going a little backwards.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

Well, I have had a sore throat and irritated lungs for a few days - though my O2 is fine.

Not sure where you are, but I've been having a sore throat and irritated lungs for the past several days too. Got COVID tested on Sunday (negative), and had a regularly scheduled appointment with my primary care yesterday. I mentioned the sore throat and lungs and he said a lot of people are dealing with same symptoms and the smoke/haze from the wildfires out west (extremely visible the last two days in Boston) is causing them.

[mdovell]

If what the Israelis say is true and I doubt they'd be lying
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/06/healt...ntl/index.html

"In a brief statement issued on Monday, the government said that as of June 6, the vaccine provided 64% protection against infection. In May -- when the Alpha variant dominated in Israel and the Delta strain had not yet spread widely -- it found that the shot was 95.3% effective against all infections."

So two months later it went from 95.3% to 64%. Moderna so far seems ok but this explains why the booster is now being sought. If it takes three shots to deal with this and some complain at one we've got a long way to go.

I'd like to think that we wouldn't have to do this again but if this keeps mutating we might not have a choice. we should have acted much faster on this last year with more of a real shut down, faster approval of testing standards and much more education on vaccines up front.

It's easy to think locally and statewide and I get that until most of the planet is vaccinated it's going to be hard to say we're done. Things are getting more normalized now with work from home. It's no longer a perk I would argue it pretty much has to be considered in any job six figures or more, especially in the private sector.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Not sure where you are, but I've been having a sore throat and irritated lungs for the past several days too. Got COVID tested on Sunday (negative), and had a regularly scheduled appointment with my primary care yesterday. I mentioned the sore throat and lungs and he said a lot of people are dealing with same symptoms and the smoke/haze from the wildfires out west (extremely visible the last two days in Boston) is causing them.

I believe it. I was in Boulder last week and the haze was quite thick from the ongoing fires in Oregon. The majority who traveled in for the workshop were complaining of irritated eyes, lungs, etc. Most of the attendees were international and had recent negative PCR tests, so it was clear the symptoms were related to the smoke/environment.

My typically expansive southeastern views are reduced to a wall of white today … it’s hazy and I’m doubtful it just the humidity.

[NewfieMama]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

The mRNA vaccines appear to be 96% effective against hospitalization. Why would we shut down the economy over Darwin Awards people who refuse to get vaccinated? I have a big box of 3M N95 masks to protect myself for the limited times I’m indoors shopping. Everyone in my social circle is vaccinated. None of us is likely to get infected and produce enough viral load to pass it around.

Agree 100%. Those who aren't vaccinated aren't asking for the economy to be shut down on their behalf. Vaccinated + children aren't going to die. The unvaccinated are, but that's a choice, so I don't see why we can't just keep everything moving along.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by mdovell

If what the Israelis say is true and I doubt they'd be lying
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/06/healt...ntl/index.html

"In a brief statement issued on Monday, the government said that as of June 6, the vaccine provided 64% protection against infection. In May -- when the Alpha variant dominated in Israel and the Delta strain had not yet spread widely -- it found that the shot was 95.3% effective against all infections."

Largely a problem for the unvaccinated populations. Even if infected, those with both rounds of mRNA are generally experiencing mild symptoms. This includes relative ‘high risk’ individuals such as the 65+ demographics.

The recent UK study regarding Delta and hospitalizations, which Outdoorlover posted an overview of, suggested that the individuals who were both vaccinated and hospitalized tended to have 5 or more comorbidities; i.e., the 'high risk' label might be a bit of an understatement.