Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: to buy, schools, live)

[jbgusa]

[quote=in_newengland;64217882]I don't know if those scans work (is that what they do when you go to see a dr in a hospital?) But I do think we still have to be conscious that covid is out there and we should still at least take some of the simple precautions. Not everyone is 30 years old and will be asymptomatic.

In my personal experience, the people who are getting it now are usually getting milder cases than at first when people were dying or being very sick. The people I know who have had it in the past few months report vomiting, fatigue, and/or just being sick for weeks on end. The older people end up with longer lasting fatigue. None were obese but the ages vary from 40s to 80s.I am 65, not thirty, and I am a bit overweight though not obese.

Originally Posted by in_newengland

BTW, cases are up in Britain. That usually means that the US has about one month to go before we see the same thing.

Mild or severe cases?

[wp169]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I don't know if those scans work (is that what they do when you go to see a dr in a hospital?) But I do think we still have to be conscious that covid is out there and we should still at least take some of the simple precautions. Not everyone is 30 years old and will be asymptomatic.

In my personal experience, the people who are getting it now are usually getting milder cases than at first when people were dying or being very sick. The people I know who have had it in the past few months report vomiting, fatigue, and/or just being sick for weeks on end. The older people end up with longer lasting fatigue. None were obese but the ages vary from 40s to 80s.

Also, the people who have truly masked up with good masks and still do mask up are not getting it. Probably the vaccine helped too for a few months but it's the masks, I think. N95s and staying away from crowds, like not attending a concert or a big party. People who wear the good masks and just visit a few friends and family, wear masks in the stores, are fine and I tend to think the less exposure, the better.

BTW, cases are up in Britain. That usually means that the US has about one month to go before we see the same thing.

I fall into this category, unvaccinated, always masked, never had covid to my knowledge. We don't know if the vaccines or the masks are more effective in preventing covid, and we probably will never be told the truth about it anyway.

[Amontillado]

The Globe is saying "COVID-19 numbers are spiking in Mass. wastewater. Is it time for surge policies?". This thing is definitely not over, nor close to it.

https://www.boston.com/news/coronavi...rc_mostpopular

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by wp169

I fall into this category, unvaccinated, always masked, never had covid to my knowledge. We don't know if the vaccines or the masks are more effective in preventing covid, and we probably will never be told the truth about it anyway.

Huh? The vaccines were/are designed to reduce the probability of severe illness & death. To that end, they have been an overwhelming success. Real world data now in the millions.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Amontillado

The Globe is saying "COVID-19 numbers are spiking in Mass. wastewater. Is it time for surge policies?". This thing is definitely not over, nor close to it.

https://www.boston.com/news/coronavi...rc_mostpopular

What is this? Just the usual back to school/return to indoors fall spike, or is there some new variant we do not know about? I can't wrap my head around why so many people are forgoing the new booster, if they haven't had a recent infection or booster.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by massnative71

What is this? Just the usual back to school/return to indoors fall spike, or is there some new variant we do not know about? I can't wrap my head around why so many people are forgoing the new booster, if they haven't had a recent infection or booster.

Well - we started this fall at plateau levels much higher than during Sept 21 and Sept 20. And the wastewater spike now is extreme - much spikier than the spikes last fall (more like early to mid-Dec 21 levels). There is not just one variant starting up, but several with worrisome mutations (one is resistant to both the last monoclonal antibody and Evushield). That was a not unexpected consequence of letting it rip through millions of people all the time. At the same time, no money for development for further treatment or better vaccines. https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status...67144788582400
Here is the wastewater in MA link: https://www.mwra.com/biobot/biobotdata.htm

[in_newengland]

The UK is heading into a “devastating” Covid wave this autumn exacerbated by a drop in testing and inadequate surveillance of new immune-evasive subvariants, experts have warned.

“What we’re finding is the virus is evolving around the immunity that’s been built up through vaccines and countless infections people have had.”
two Omicron subvariants – BA.2.75.2 derived from BA.2, and BQ1.1 derived from BA.5 – were causing concern in early data and showing signs of being able to escape the immune system.


https://uk.yahoo.com/news/uk-blind-i...092257216.html

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

The UK is heading into a “devastating” Covid wave this autumn exacerbated by a drop in testing and inadequate surveillance of new immune-evasive subvariants, experts have warned.

“What we’re finding is the virus is evolving around the immunity that’s been built up through vaccines and countless infections people have had.”
two Omicron subvariants – BA.2.75.2 derived from BA.2, and BQ1.1 derived from BA.5 – were causing concern in early data and showing signs of being able to escape the immune system.


https://uk.yahoo.com/news/uk-blind-i...092257216.html

Let's now panic. Frankly what is there to be done? Shut society down? Stop educating our children?

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Huh? The vaccines were/are designed to reduce the probability of severe illness & death. To that end, they have been an overwhelming success. Real world data now in the millions.

The studies said that, but the news and media said the vaccines stopped covid. Then breakthrough infections were "rare", then it was, oh it helps with hospitalizations. Same people that have lied through this entire thing.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by LeavingMA

The studies said that, but the news and media said the vaccines stopped covid. Then breakthrough infections were "rare", then it was, oh it helps with hospitalizations. Same people that have lied through this entire thing.

The fact that initial (and some subsequent) public health messaging around the vaccines was atrocious doesn't negate the obvious fact that they've drastically reduced hospitalizations and deaths. There's a metric ton of concrete supportive data at this point. They never should have been pitched as "the end" of COVID, and they never should have been prematurely hailed as "fully preventative" (and to my knowledge, the scientific community never did either of those things). We needed time to analyze their actual efficacy and public health officials and the media got way ahead of themselves with the superlatives back in fall/winter of 2020. But given the information we have available today, it's kind of silly to still be beating the "vaccines don't work!" drum.

Anyway, I have a physical next week and I'll be getting my booster at the same time. No reason not to, and I'll continue on with my life.