Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #104

[acutename]

If you recall, I was recently ranting about a visibly sick person at my workplace.... I am still healthy as near as I can tell, however we had about a dozen reported cases today with 8 in our building and 2 on our floor... so many people are out this holiday week for vacation, I may actually be safer at work than in, say, a store! Sorry to hear about the baby BeckyF... a pandemic surely breeds fear and anxiety There always seems to be something to worry about.

 

[Lilibet]

Thank you!

They're only 95% effective or less I think. Is that right? It's just that it hit so close to home for people who did everything to prevent it and there it is showing it's ugly face again.

A family member died in September from the Delta variant. He was only 58 years old. It's unnerving to watch family and friends go through this horrible disease. It's very hard for me to hear of more. I don't feel safe out there in the world, but there isn't much more I can do to protect myself from it.

I’m really sorry about your family member. You don’t say if he was vaxxed or not, but either way, it’s a tragedy. My dh and I got covid last January, just before we were eligible for our vaccinations, despite being totally obsessive about precautions. And even now, vaccinated and boosted we are very cautious. We don’t want to go through it again. And being cautious is the “more” we can all do to protect ourselves…get our booster, wear KN95 or N95 masks, wash our hands and stay waaaaaay more than six feet away from people whenever possible. If each of us does our part, at least we will know we did the best we could and have a clear conscience about protecting others as well as ourselves. Wishing you well.

 

[LaborDayRN]

N95's instead of cloth or surgical masks, which may have stopped earlier variants to some degree, but don't stop Omicron. jmo

On my unit we were wearing N95's, gowns and protective eye wear during delivery since the start of the pandemic. And some of us wore N95's during our entire shifts. It makes for a very long day.

 

[Lilibet]

If you recall, I was recently ranting about a visibly sick person at my workplace.... I am still healthy as near as I can tell, however we had about a dozen reported cases today with 8 in our building and 2 on our floor... so many people are out this holiday week for vacation, I may actually be safer at work than in, say, a store! Sorry to hear about the baby BeckyF... a pandemic surely breeds fear and anxiety There always seems to be something to worry about.

I wonder if your sick workmate was “Typhoid (covid) Mary.” Glad you’re OK so far.

 

[Lilibet]

On my unit we were wearing N95's, gown and protective eye wear during delivery since the start of the pandemic. And some of us wore N95's during our entire shifts. It makes for a very long day.

BBM

Thank you for all that you do!

 

[Lilibet]

My granddaughter just posted on FB that her 4 month old tested positive for covid. Of course they were all around close relatives over the holiday weekend., not around me as they live in another state. And she is an anti vaxxer. All she put in her post was she is asking for well wishes for her baby. Baby is doing okay. Yay for me that I did not say anything. It would do no good. She should not have that baby around unvaccinated people. The ignorance of some people.

Giving you a high five for keeping your mouth shut and a hug for your worry!

 

[LaborDayRN]

I do not agree with the CDC. (Once again)
IMO everyone should wear a mask anytime they are out of their home whether they are vaccinated, unvaccinated, have tested positive, negative, feel great, feel sick and miserable, or anything in between.

Just wear a mask and stop the spread of this awful virus. It's that simple. No counting and waiting this many days until you can go mask less once again. We all should know this by now - How you can end the pandemic as soon as possible.

I couldn't agree more!

 

[LaborDayRN]

BBM

Thank you for all that you do!

Thanks Lilibet! I actually retired fairly recently so I no longer am on the unit. I miss my coworkers, mommy's and especially the babies! Time however marches on, and it was time for me to retire.

 

[Lilibet]

I do not agree with the CDC. (Once again)
IMO everyone should wear a mask anytime they are out of their home whether they are vaccinated, unvaccinated, have tested positive, negative, feel great, feel sick and miserable, or anything in between.

Just wear a mask and stop the spread of this awful virus. It's that simple. No counting and waiting this many days until you can go mask less once again. We all should know this by now - How you can end the pandemic as soon as possible.

I agree about wearing masks. The messaging on this by the government has not been effective at all from the beginning. I think constant public service announcements, signs explaining the need for masks on the outside of buses and in public places, modeling by government leaders, etc, etc. is crucial. But that ship had sailed early on in mid 2020, and it’s been downhill since then. I agree that the CDC needs to give a strong and consistent mask message…not that it will do much good at this late date. It’s become such a stupidly divisive issue.

 

[Arkay]

I hope she gets vaccinated. We had 2 young unvaccinated moms-to-be die. Thankfully, both babies weren't infected.
My daughter is a NICU nurse practitioner and the new data recommends that delivery room staff should wear full PPE for vaginal deliveries because of the risk of a patient’s Covid positive status. The reasoning is that Covid can be aerosolized during delivery.

On my unit we were wearing N95's, gowns and protective eye wear during delivery since the start of the pandemic. And some of us wore N95's during our entire shifts. It makes for a very long day.

@LaborDayRN I am amazed at the jobs that nurses perform and I cannot imagine the stress of working your job during Covid.

I'm curious about what @Teche said about her daughter's job as well. If either of you can explain to me....

I can understand a vaginal delivery potentially aerosolizing Covid since Covid can affect any cells in the body, but I don't understand how a maskless delivery is not dangerous in and of itself. Deep deep deep breathing, grunting, heaving, vomiting and all we go through during labor; it seems so dangerous for anyone in the room, IMO. Although of course I can't imagine enduring what we endure with a mask on during labor, either.

Also, just again out of curiosity....have any of you in the field noticed any significant change in the birth rate during Covid? Higher, because couples spent so much time at home together? Lower, because people put off having babies during a scary time to be in a hospital or to have a vulnerable newborn? Nothing different?

TIA

ETA: Oops @LaborDayRN , just saw after I posted that you have retired! Congratulations!!!!

 

[Jsizzle]

Just catching up a bit: regarding the new 5 day quarantine. What constitutes “symptoms”? I mean, I’m 10 days out, have felt 100% since day 3/4 but I STILL have post nasal drip. I’m not coughing. I don’t have a runny nose. I guess I’m wondering if 5 days ago I was supposedly ok to be out of my house with a mask on since I had no symptoms. Now that this came out it will interesting to see what the local schools will do. My kids go to a big private school and masks have been optional. We haven’t have any issues. But the local public schools have been a disaster. Not with kids actually testing positive but more so being forced to quarantine due to possible exposures in the school. So this will certainly be interesting

 

[BeckyF]

Giving you a high five for keeping your mouth shut and a hug for your worry!

Thank You. I needed that.

 

[LaborDayRN]

@LaborDayRN I am amazed at the jobs that nurses perform and I cannot imagine the stress of working your job during Covid.

I'm curious about what @Teche said about her daughter's job as well. If either of you can explain to me....

I can understand a vaginal delivery potentially aerosolizing Covid since Covid can affect any cells in the body, but I don't understand how a maskless delivery is not dangerous in and of itself. Deep deep deep breathing, grunting, heaving, vomiting and all we go through during labor; it seems so dangerous for anyone in the room, IMO. Although of course I can't imagine enduring what we endure with a mask on during labor, either.

Also, just again out of curiosity....have any of you in the field noticed any significant change in the birth rate during Covid? Higher, because couples spent so much time at home together? Lower, because people put off having babies during a scary time to be in a hospital or to have a vulnerable newborn? Nothing different?

TIA

ETA: Oops @LaborDayRN , just saw after I posted that you have retired! Congratulations!!!!

Thank you! It's nice to be home but I do sometimes miss my work. Of course our plan was to travel but we've put those plans on hold for the time being.
While we weren't mandated to wear a mask during deliveries prior to Covid, many of us did. Protective gear was available in each labor room. This included gloves, masks, gowns, face shields and goggles. We also wore scrubs that were provided by the hospital so we could change if needed after delivery. We also had showers on the unit for any serious mess.
I've only worked in one hospital so I'm not sure what happens in other hospitals. We had a large number or RN's on my old unit (although never enough! lol) and delivered between 4000 and 5000 babies a year. I spoke with one of my coworkers before Christmas and asked her if things had slowed down during Covid. (I assumed they would). She said things are about the same at our hospital as far as numbers of births go.

 

[BeckyF]

Sorry to hear this. If there is any consolation, babies seem to do okay.

Thank You. She said he did not have a fever, just lots of coughing.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I believe the UK is primarily using Pfizer mRNA for booster doses.

Yes. We had Pfizer.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Thank You. She said he did not have a fever, just lots of coughing.

Poor little mite, hope he's better v soon.

 

[GRT]

I will not be trusting this just yet!

This seems a little like poking a wasp nest with a stick. It seems foolhardy.

The reasoning the CDC gave is because Omicron has less severe symptoms, but I haven't heard any evidence that the person can't still be contagious. I get that they might not want to cripple the economy--again--but tossing highly infectious people back out too early might not be the best course of action.

 

[GRT]

As for the person working here for cash payments from residents....she was a dishwasher at one time in the kitchen here, but then saw a lucrative way to make more money by "helping" the residents. We have one other person working here doing the same.
They are not "hired" by the corporation and I imagine it is this way in a lot of retirement communites.
We have many early dementia residents that should NOT be here and should be in assisted living or memory care units- but this place is cheaper- so the families of these folks pay these "workers" to care for them! I can't stand it myself as I feel like I was lied to about how this was an independent community where they screen people before renting. I know of one family that has hired her for $5 per day to get thier mother up and dressed and to breakfast (this resident should not be here as she has advanced dementia and sits all day in the atrium doing nothing, then wanders the halls at night- nothing is ever done about it)

Sometimes, I think it might be best to contact social services if someone isn't getting the care they need. Or, at least a group that focuses on caring for the elderly. Sometimes, someone just has to step in, although I know it's difficult.

I've learned quite a bit since we had to put my mother in long-term care. The nursing home she's in also has a number of small "cottages" for independent living. Those who live there can go to the main facility for meals and activities (not now, but pre-covid) but the difference is $400 per month rent for a cottage (and they're adorable) or $9,000 per month for the long-term care. And the home will take every dime the person has before Medicaid kicks in. So, they prolong admission when possible. And, I've run into family members who prefer having mom in the cottages even though she's at high risk of falling, than in the nursing home using up their inheritance.

It's such a tough thing.

 

[GRT]

I don't know how to properly explain this, but I hope you can get the gist. It is something that we have learned through reading lots of scientific papers (links have been posted previously).

The antibodies from the vaccines do wane. But the antibodies are teaching our bodies how to fight the virus. The hope being that once the antibodies wane, our bodies have learned how to fight the virus and spring into action.

The vaccines were made to fight the Alpha strain. They seemed to hold up okay against the Delta strain, but boosters were recommended to help our bodies fight. Now we are dealing with Omicron.

We are unable to determine our bodies' learned ability to fight the virus (until we catch the virus) but we can see when the vaccine antibodies wane. By the time they wane, our bodies should have learned how to fight.

Boosters will keep our bodies learning how to fight, while adjusting to new variants.

imo


(This is why we give babies MMR shots and boosters ... so their bodies can learn to fight measles, mumps and rubella, before their little bodies ever have to face those diseases.)

That's a VERY good explanation!

That's the sort of explanation our leaders need to be getting out to the people because it's clear, easy to understand, and makes perfect sense.

The messaging we've been getting for two years now has been lousy.

Perhaps you need a career change? Seriously, that's excellent, and I'm going to start using it to explain to those who are resistant to vaccines myself.

 

[MajorHoople]

You're right, of course, by not getting vaccinated, they increase the risk of covid continuing to mutate, and who knows where that could lead. Nowhere good. I was wrong about this being mostly political--I just read the recent study about who was and who wasn't getting the jab, and politics don't seem to have much to do with it. Age, however, does.

This is really interesting.

Who are the vaccine holdouts? America's real COVID divide might not be what you think

Wow, that article is an eye opener.