Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #103

[nhmemorymaker]

The staff here are impressive. They just replaced my blankets with new toasty ones fresh from the warmer. I didn't even ask. I feel bad because they must all be so exhausted after two years of this, but they are checking on me every few minutes. And I'm taking up a chair that someone else is probably waiting for. All the chairs are taken now. I feel bad about that.

no no no!!! you can't feel bad ......... I can really "feel" those toasty blankets, that part sounds great.... just rest a bit.

 

[anneg]

AND I just returned from Harris Teeter, and I would say 80% of people were masked... But the crowds, the crowds......

I would suspect DH had crowds too!!!

He said it was busy but there were lots of checkout lanes open, so he didn't have to wait too long to check out. I guess we'll find out soon enough if he was exposed.

We have a choir rehearsal tonight and the choir will sing at the 9 pm Christmas Eve service. All the choir members and our director are fully vaxxed/boosted, and we all wear masks all the time (which we hate having to do, they get moist inside when singing). I have some N95s but they are difficult to breathe in when I exert myself at all. I will try wearing one tonight but I doubt I'll be able to sing successfully wearing it. We'll see. I have a KN95 I can switch to if necessary. I'll ask DH to try an N95 tonight too. I wish I'd asked him to wear one at Harris Teeter.

I also wonder how many folks will show up for the live service tomorrow night. They can stay home and watch the live-streamed service if they wish, so I expect a lot of people will do that.

 

[anneg]

@Mauig’ma I hope you're feeling better soon too. I want everyone to stay healthy and safe - completely vaxxed, partial, or none. I know it's not possible and I try not to think about it much because it gets me upset thinking about all the suffering and loss Covid has caused. I wish it would disappear with the same speed it came in and changed our world.

Wouldn't that be nice!

 

[anneg]

Thank you. <modsnip> I’ve got a whole bunch of friends vaccinated and unvaccinated that care what happens to me. So I appreciate you wishing me well. It means a lot from a stranger. <modsnip> Merry Christmas to all. My prayers are with all of you in keeping you healthy and safe. God Bless

Mauig'ma, I care about you. I am sorry you are not feeling well and hope you will feel better soon. I appreciated you sharing your story about getting vaccinated. Merry Christmas!

 

[Warwick1991]

It's okay, really. It's my own fault for the stupid decisions I made yesterday. I was so picky about Christmas dinner being absolutely perfect I didn't trust anyone else to select the meat cut and fresh produce. And I should have turned around and left as soon as I saw that mass of unmasked people.

All of us end up making decisions like the one you made - so many in our society won't do what is necessary to protect not only themselves but others. I wish you well and I hope you recover quickly.

 

[Warwick1991]

Today marks the first time I've ordered groceries delivered since May. I'm wiping down some things. Although I've had both Pfizer shots and a Pfizer booster, I'm concerned because I'm struggling with an infection in my colon. I don't want to have 2 major illnesses at the same time... So, I'm going to be a hermit for awhile, with drive thru pharmacy visits and deliveries only - no in-person shopping. Here in Florida, any indoor activity has substantial risk, IMO, due to so many unmasked people.

 

[ilovewings]

Today marks the first time I've ordered groceries delivered since May. I'm wiping down some things. Although I've had both Pfizer shots and a Pfizer booster, I'm concerned because I'm struggling with an infection in my colon. I don't want to have 2 major illnesses at the same time... So, I'm going to be a hermit for awhile, with drive thru pharmacy visits and deliveries only - no in-person shopping. Here in Florida, any indoor activity has substantial risk, IMO, due to so many unmasked people.

Yep here in Florida, for native Floridians at least, it seems they feel like
hey there is no pandemic-- so who needs to wear a mask or why shouldnt we
congregate indoors with!ots of other people????

 

[CharlestonGal]

Today marks the first time I've ordered groceries delivered since May. I'm wiping down some things. Although I've had both Pfizer shots and a Pfizer booster, I'm concerned because I'm struggling with an infection in my colon. I don't want to have 2 major illnesses at the same time... So, I'm going to be a hermit for awhile, with drive thru pharmacy visits and deliveries only - no in-person shopping. Here in Florida, any indoor activity has substantial risk, IMO, due to so many unmasked people.

I was looking nervously at FL earlier today. I just checked the numbers and it doesn't look promising. 20,000 cases yesterday, 26,000 today. And Disney is masking up again. It's probably wise to be careful right now.

And I'm sorry to hear you're having health problems apart from covid. That just makes things that much harder.

 

[CrimeAway]

US numbers (so far) for 12/23/21

United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

 

[CharlestonGal]

Chills are subsiding, so hopefully I can leave soon. Sneezing seems to be accelerating. I counted 47 in the last hour just out of sheer curiosity. There is only 1 other patient sneezing like I am. The rest are coughing.

I got a call from my doctor a few minutes ago. Chest x-ray is fine (no ggo's or other opacities) and my blood work is fine. I will have another EKG, x-ray and blood work on Monday. Not for covid necessarily, but to detect early signs of covid myocarditis which needs to be caught early given my underlying heart condition.

My PCR is positive, without any other details. She has a call into the lab (Quest) to try to get info about "S-gene dropout" which is apparently an indicator of Omicron. The full genetic sequence will take a few days, maybe even a week because of the holidays and lab back-up.

 

[CharlestonGal]

US numbers (so far) for 12/23/21

United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

We're going to hit 250,000 easy. Incredible.

 

[Warwick1991]

Chills are subsiding, so hopefully I can leave soon. Sneezing seems to be accelerating. I counted 47 in the last hour just out of sheer curiosity. There is only 1 other patient sneezing like I am. The rest are coughing.

I got a call from my doctor a few minutes ago. Chest x-ray is fine (no ggo's or other opacities) and my blood work is fine. I will have another EKG, x-ray and blood work on Monday. Not for covid necessarily, but to detect early signs of covid myocarditis which needs to be caught early given my underlying heart condition.

My PCR is positive, without any other details. She has a call into the lab (Quest) to try to get info about "S-gene dropout" which is apparently an indicator of Omicron. The full genetic sequence will take a few days, maybe even a week because of the holidays and lab back-up.

Perhaps the sneezing is from a high viral load in your nose... Just thinking.. I hope you will be well again soon.

 

[CrimeAway]

@CharlestonGal do you have a pulse oximeter and pulse/BP monitor at home?

I really hope that your symptoms improve soon.

 

[CSIDreamer]

US numbers (so far) for 12/23/21

United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

New York is getting hit hard.

 

[CharlestonGal]

@CharlestonGal do you have a pulse oximeter and pulse/BP monitor at home?

I really hope that your symptoms improve soon.

Yes, I have both and check both twice a day. I've been doing that for the last 2-3 years as I've needed several heart caths and stents in that time. I'll up the pulse ox checks to every 3 hours or so for the next few weeks.

 

[Arkay]

These Florida, New York and New Jersey numbers are so stressful. Those are the three states in which I have family, plus another member in Texas where the Covid rules are also very lax.

@CharlestonGal I can imagine that you feel lousy, and all that sneezing is so annoying, and you have your heart condition to consider.

You can't feel guilty about taking a chair for MAB. You "earned" your seat and deserve available treatment to improve your health.

If it were last year, or now and you weren't vaccinated, you might have already been in the hospital. So "enjoy" that you're "only" the amount of sick that while requiring treatment, does not require hospital intervention.

Much, much better to be on a sickbed than a deathbed. I want to say IMO but I'm pretty sure we all share that opinion!

On a lighter note, @ilovewings, I feel personally invested in your hair salon saga. That's because I'm the one who found that vaccinated salon for you on Google, and if they do a bad job I'm going to feel very guilty.
So, for all the reasons, I hope they do a stunning transformation and you feel much more comfortable!!!!!

 

[mickey2942]

@CharlestonGal shucks. Hope you feel better soon. You got this!

 

[CharlestonGal]

New York is getting hit hard.

NJ, too.

N.J. reports 15,482 COVID cases, in a tremendous jump that shattered the state record for 2nd straight day

New Jersey on Thursday shattered its single-day record for COVID-19 cases for a second straight day, reporting another 15,482 confirmed positive tests — as well as another 33 confirmed deaths a day before Christmas Eve.

That’s nearly 6,000 cases more than the record set on Wednesday, when the state reported 9,711 positive tests as a new winter surge and the rise of the omicron variant continue to grip the state and other parts of the world.

Before that, the most cases the state had announced in one day was 6,922 on Jan. 13, when vaccine rollout was still in its early stages.

 

[CharlestonGal]

I just got the all clear and I am getting discharged! And they gave me 500mg of Tylenol. Man, I hope it helps because my head is killing me.

 

[Arkay]

NYC Scales Back Fully Vaccinated Times Square NYE, Adds Mask Rule as Omicron Surge Intensifies

I had really hoped this would be canceled altogether.

I appreciate that a much smaller crowd will be admitted, but that's still 15,000 people standing together within a block or two. Plus a million people that will crowd around outside the designated area and down the side streets.

Even though it's outdoors, people will be breathing on each other. I know it says masks required. While I do believe the NYPD will check for proof of vaccine, I'm 100% sure that people in the designated zone will remove their masks at some point, especially at midnight to kiss and shout "happy new year." And certainly the crowds out of sight of the police and TV cameras will.

Sigh. At midnight NYE de Blasio will no longer be the mayor, but our new mayor is not in office until then and who knows what decision he would have made, either.