Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: how much, buy, schools)

[WestieWhitie]

I mean, the sky was sort of falling before things were brought somewhat under control, just look at the earlier days in NYC - meat wagon sirens screaming nonstop, overflowing hospitals and bodies piling up in refrigerator trucks in hospital parking lot. Or the beginning of Delta in India, for that matter.

Originally Posted by porterhouse

Nobody said Covid didn't exist. Many have posted about keeping it perspective and balancing Covid hysteria with what is best for our children (thank god you apparently don't have any) and society at large. One can take covid seriously without being a hysteric.

I suppose posting here 13k times in 3 years doesn't give one a lot of time for rational thought in the real world.

the sky is falling, the sky is falling...LOL

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by redplum33

I don't disagree. And I saw on the news yesterday that lots of kids are now getting adult type 2 diabetes from sitting around the house, not getting exercise, and eating comfort foods for almost 2 years. None of this is good and I don't have a solution. But the idea of let's just move on is extremely reckless.

We are currently at a very dangerous point. Winter is approaching, vaccines are wearing off, and there's Delta.

I disagree. If Nov 2021 is a "very dangerous point", what would you call Nov 2020? No vaccines, people going indoors, tired of masking, unemployed for months. Cataclysmic?

We are *much* better off than a year ago by all objective metrics.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I think this is unfair. We're nearly 2 years into this thing. We have vaccines that have been proven to be effective at drastically reducing severe cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Even unvaccinated, kids are at a low risk of having severe cases. We have a burgeoning mental health crisis that's in large part due to the prolonged stress and isolation of COVID. And we've yet to see the long term impact of these tumultuous years on children who have had major developmental and social milestones interrupted. All of that considered I think it's perfectly reasonable for parents to:

• Want to get their kids back to as close to "normal" as possible
• Be a little hesitant about being among the first to get their young children vaccinated

Plus people are back in the office. Traffic is unreal again. The highways at 8-9am are packed. The parking lots near my office are all nearly as full as they ever were.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I disagree. If Nov 2021 is a "very dangerous point", what would you call Nov 2020? No vaccines, people going indoors, tired of masking, unemployed for months. Cataclysmic?

We are *much* better off than a year ago by all objective metrics.

I agree. I recognize that Covid-19 is a significant hazard, and am all for the Covid-19 vaccines, and where appropriate, masks and social distancing. While we still have many susceptible, we do have 70% of the Mass population "fully vaccinated", and the vaccine has been shown to provide large reductions in hospitalization and death rates, and modest reductions in infection and transmission. So while case rates may rev up in Mass during the next few months - in fact, I think that's fairly likely, I wouldn't expect the flooded hospitals and death rates that we had that first spring, or even last winter. Hopefully those who got fully vaccinated will also take up the booster shots.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I agree. I recognize that Covid-19 is a significant hazard, and am all for the Covid-19 vaccines, and where appropriate, masks and social distancing. While we still have many susceptible, we do have 70% of the Mass population "fully vaccinated", and the vaccine has been shown to provide large reductions in hospitalization and death rates, and modest reductions in infection and transmission. So while case rates may rev up in Mass during the next few months - in fact, I think that's fairly likely, I wouldn't expect the flooded hospitals and death rates that we had that first spring, or even last winter. Hopefully those who got fully vaccinated will also take up the booster shots.

Yes. Got mine 2 weeks ago, 7 mo after the originals.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Plus people are back in the office. Traffic is unreal again. The highways at 8-9am are packed. The parking lots near my office are all nearly as full as they ever were.

...and, one can add, the "mass holes" are back in full force. Just in time for snow & ice season!

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Plus people are back in the office. Traffic is unreal again. The highways at 8-9am are packed. The parking lots near my office are all nearly as full as they ever were.

Yeah, traffic has been wild. Even the trains have been pretty full at rush hour (the most people I've seen since March 2020 apart from the Sox games I went to). There are a lot more workers walking around downtown than I saw even in June/July.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Yeah, traffic has been wild. Even the trains have been pretty full at rush hour (the most people I've seen since March 2020 apart from the Sox games I went to). There are a lot more workers walking around downtown than I saw even in June/July.

Yeah, my booster was two weeks ago, about 9 months after 2nd shot.

Soooo many accidents. It took me 1:15 to get to work, normally 55, today due to an accident.

I've been re-routed more in the past 4 weeks than the previous year.

Even late. Got jammed up near North Station and the Southeast Expressway heading home from a Middle East show about a month ago. 90+ minutes to get back after midnight. I think a Bruins game happened, not sure, but it was straight up gridlock at times.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Yeah, my booster was two weeks ago, about 9 months after 2nd shot.

Soooo many accidents. It took me 1:15 to get to work, normally 55, today due to an accident.

I've been re-routed more in the past 4 weeks than the previous year.

Even late. Got jammed up near North Station and the Southeast Expressway heading home from a Middle East show about a month ago. 90+ minutes to get back after midnight. I think a Bruins game happened, not sure, but it was straight up gridlock at times.

Middle East has live music again? Man, things must be getting back to normal. Are they one of the venues asking for vax passports?

[porterhouse]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Are they one of the venues asking for vax passports?

Yes. Same rules as the Garden. Proof of tax (one dose at least) or negative test. You're supposed to wear a mask when not eating or drinking, but it's really not enforced. Getting back to live music is pretty great.