Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Newburyport: insurance, live in, cost)

[rach5]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Seems like it would be best for grandma to sit out the graduation festivities this weekend. Does that not seem like the best option?

Unfortunately covid isn't over for many and never will be. If people are afraid of getting it and being in large groups they need to avoid those places. .

Why is the best option to have grandma miss one of the lifetime events of her grandchild, rather than to ask everyone to mask (to be fair, I DO think it's tough to mask during a weekend like the one coming up - but regardless of the weather, the viewpoint of many is that at risk people should miss all the highlights of their lives so that the rest can avoid a minor inconvenience). Also keep in mind that at something like a graduation, there are MANY at risk workers who take precautions in their personal lives who won't have a choice but to attend and risk catching covid.

Here is the Brown University message sent to the community today (after RI went red according to the current CDC guidance) https://healthy.brown.edu/updates/br...ion-cdc-ridoh:

"Given the high levels of vaccination and overall public health conditions on the Brown campus we are not, at this time, making any changes to the health protocols outlined on the Campus Activity Status website, including with regard to indoor mask wearing. However, as we complete the spring semester and approach Commencement and Reunion Weekend, we strongly encourage all members of the Brown community to review the additional precautions recommended by RIDOH and the CDC and follow that guidance in instances where the recommended measures can help protect your own health and that of the community."

SO...if you read the last sentence, one has to conclude that Brown does not want to implement the CDC recommended measures to protect the health of the community. They are having graduations for multiple years on Memorial Day weekend, so it will be super crowded.

[msRB311]

Unless you wear an N95 and not everyone does the masks aren’t gonna help grandma that much. Her wearing one herself might be an option so she can attend somewhat safely.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

I think Covid of May '22 is different than Covid of Mar '20. It may not be different from a viral standpoint, but in terms of perception, many folks don't care anymore.

When my MIL got it back in Mar '20 and was in the ICU, my wife donned a white bunny suit to go into her house to retrieve items.

When my 4-year old son got it 2 weeks ago, we took ZERO precautions. No masks, no sanitizing, nothing. We just shrugged our shoulders and assumed it was only a matter of time and just said "lets get it over with"

I'm not saying covid has officially transgressed to being "harmless" but i don't think i'm alone in saying that a lot of folk's perception of it has changed.

Well, and with the vaccines, you may get it, but you are much less likely to be seriously sick or die. Hopefully, future variants will put it in the class of the common cold. You don't want to catch it, but if you do, you can recover at home and move on with your life. I'd say that we are perhaps almost there now. Maybe not common cold class yet, but still not the scary prospect that it was.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by bizcuit

Well, and with the vaccines, you may get it, but you are much less likely to be seriously sick or die. Hopefully, future variants will put it in the class of the common cold. You don't want to catch it, but if you do, you can recover at home and move on with your life. I'd say that we are perhaps almost there now. Maybe not common cold class yet, but still not the scary prospect that it was.

If you’re age 70+, the Massachusetts daily hospitalization rate is 15.8 per 100,000. That’s way higher than a really bad flu season. What you’ve written is totally reasonable for age 40 and healthy but it’s lousy advice for a geezer. It’s so prevalent in Massachusetts now that anyone 70+ should be recently boosted and wearing an N95 mask in indoor public places. The age 60+ hospitalization rate is 4.2. That’s still pretty high. Younger than that and healthy, you probably don’t care. You’re 10x more likely to be hospitalized age 70+ than age 30-49.

[OutdoorLover]

I am surprised by the Massachusetts vaccine sloth. According to this website, and as of May 15 in Mass:

- > 95% of Mass residents got at least one dose of vaccine - great uptake of at least one dose
- 79% of Mass residents are fully vaccinated
- 41% have gotten a booster

I mean, in the early going it took some doing to get vaccinated, but by the time we got to the booster doses, it's been a matter of just making an appt with CVS or Walgreen's right in town via their website and then a 5 minute drive and getting the shot, no lines, no cost - a simple errand. Yet over half the Mass residents who got the first dose have never made it as far as a booster.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I am surprised by the Massachusetts vaccine sloth. According to this website, and as of May 15 in Mass:

- > 95% of Mass residents got at least one dose of vaccine - great uptake of at least one dose
- 79% of Mass residents are fully vaccinated
- 41% have gotten a booster

I mean, in the early going it took some doing to get vaccinated, but by the time we got to the booster doses, it's been a matter of just making an appt with CVS or Walgreen's right in town via their website and then a 5 minute drive and getting the shot, no lines, no cost - a simple errand. Yet over half the Mass residents who got the first dose have never made it as far as a booster.

I think the discrepancy between 95% with one dose and 79% fully vaccinated is largely lousy record keeping.

Other than my flimsy piece of paper, there’s no accurate record of my vaccination status. Connecticut thinks I got two jabs. Massachusetts thinks I got two jabs. I’ll bet an awful lot of paper records from pop-up and mass vaccination sites weren’t recorded correctly. I had my first two at a hospital and my second two at a pharmacy chain. Those places are inherently good at keeping records and reporting them. My first two are in the hospital’s Epic database and cross reported to CDC VAMS. The pharmacy chain has every flu shot and booster in their database. Some pop-up tent in a parking lot didn’t do any of that.

[yesmaybe]

Covid is over... it's now all about Monkey Pox.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Covid is over... it's now all about Monkey Pox.

When will the shutdown happen?

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

When will the shutdown happen?

I kinda miss how great traffic was....

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I am surprised by the Massachusetts vaccine sloth. According to this website, and as of May 15 in Mass:

- > 95% of Mass residents got at least one dose of vaccine - great uptake of at least one dose
- 79% of Mass residents are fully vaccinated
- 41% have gotten a booster

I mean, in the early going it took some doing to get vaccinated, but by the time we got to the booster doses, it's been a matter of just making an appt with CVS or Walgreen's right in town via their website and then a 5 minute drive and getting the shot, no lines, no cost - a simple errand. Yet over half the Mass residents who got the first dose have never made it as far as a booster.

Most realized the vaccine didn't work and didn't do anything. The people I know who are vaccinated are refusing to take any boosters. They were sold a bill of goods that didn't work. If these vaccines worked and continued to we would see higher vaccinated areas done, instead we screwed herd immunity as these "jabs" don't do that.

Not to mention what are we vaccinating for. They are going to use a vaccine based on a strain over 2 years ago that isn't around anymore.