Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #104

[CharlestonGal]

Overwhelmed Connecticut Testing Site Forced to Close After Gun Threat

BRISTOL, Conn. — Crowds grew increasingly frustrated and unruly as wait times stretched for hours at a coronavirus testing site here that is run by Genesys Diagnostics, an Oakdale-based company. Some were getting out of their cars to ask how much longer it would take — others were arguing with the staff.

Then, a woman who said she was waiting in line called the company shortly before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, threatening to shoot people at the site.

It was shut down within minutes, forcing many to go home without a test. The police did not find a gun or a credible threat on the scene but were investigating the episode, said Lt. Geoffrey Lund, the public information officer for the Bristol Police Department.

On Wednesday morning, a site in nearby New Britain that is also run by Genesys Diagnostics shut down after people became agitated, the site’s manager, Aaron Williams, said.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

We had plans with a group of friends to eat dinner at a restaurant on New Year's Eve, but I told them that DH and I won't be going. I don't feel safe eating and drinking in an indoor space with people I don't know. They could be asymptomatic but still spreading virus.

We are all in our 70s and triple-vaxxed, but right now I don't know if that's enough. Even if we only had miserable cold-like symptoms, I don't want to catch Covid!!

I think you're wise Anneg. I totally agree with what Tiff and Pirate have said about moving on (and we have just booked two England based holidays for early next year). But restaurants, no. I think with Omicron if anyone in a restaurant has it, be it staff or customers, chances are you'll get it. Its breathing the same air that circulates which bothers me.

 

[CSIDreamer]

I am sorry you have to worry about unvaccinated family. I also have a few unvaccinated friends and family. I am very concerned for them.
Like you, we are triple vaxxed and made the decision to also move forward and return to doing the things we enjoy.
We also have a trip planned for the end of January. I don’t know what things will be like by then but we are traveling to a state without restrictions so as long as we stay healthy we will go as planned.
We got vaxxed, we follow the rules and take COVID seriously. But I am not going to feel guilty for moving forward with our lives as well.
I had to get that off my chest, too.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and also your update on Ohio. The very relatives that are unvaxxed live in Ohio. May you and yours stay healthy!

Asking for reference on this thread.

I've heard of fully vaccinated and boosted.

What is the triple vax series? Is this something new?

 

[Tiff23fr]

I am sorry you have to worry about unvaccinated family. I also have a few unvaccinated friends and family. I am very concerned for them.
Like you, we are triple vaxxed and made the decision to also move forward and return to doing the things we enjoy.
We also have a trip planned for the end of January. I don’t know what things will be like by then but we are traveling to a state without restrictions so as long as we stay healthy we will go as planned.
We got vaxxed, we follow the rules and take COVID seriously. But I am not going to feel guilty for moving forward with our lives as well.
I had to get that off my chest, too.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and also your update on Ohio. The very relatives that are unvaxxed live in Ohio. May you and yours stay healthy!

Positive thoughts to your family as well in OH.
On the personal side, we take it seriously, follow recommendations, and know we do our best. We choose not to live a life of fear.

As for the family members, I learned several years ago that I can not carry the weight of others decisions. I lost someone very close to me after years of trying to convince the individual to do this or that because I could see the path they were on was going to end in unfortunate circumstances.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would spend more time simply loving rather than judging, and embrace the time together by laughing and talking rather than pushing my opinion. It didn’t change the outcome, and many years of memories are based on my trying to get the person help. I see the vaccination discussion in the same light.

I made a conscious decision not to go down that road again. So, I don’t talk vaccines or try to push my opinion on the individuals I love because I know I can’t change their mind. They are aware of the news, and have to choose to get vaccinated by having their own ‘ah ha’ moment.

 

[CharlestonGal]

Asking for reference on this thread.

I've heard of fully vaccinated and boosted.

What is the triple vax series? Is this something new?

People refer to the same thing in different ways. "Triple vaxxed" means the initial 2 dose Pfizer or Moderna plus a booster shot some months later. "Boosted" means the initial 2 dose Pfizer or Moderna or the 1 dose J&J plus a booster shot some months later. Fully vaccinated means you completed the initial 2 dose Pfizer or Modera or 1 dose J&J and are not yet due for a booster. jmo

 

[Yesiamapirate]

Positive thoughts to your family as well in OH.
On the personal side, we take it seriously, follow recommendations, and know we do our best. We choose not to live a life of fear.

As for the family members, I learned several years ago that I can not carry the weight of others decisions. I lost someone very close to me after years of trying to convince the individual to do this or that because I could see the path they were on was going to end in unfortunate circumstances.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would spend more time simply loving rather than judging, and embrace the time together by laughing and talking rather than pushing my opinion. It didn’t change the outcome, and many years of memories are based on my trying to get the person help. I see the vaccination discussion in the same light.

I made a conscious decision not to go down that road again. So, I don’t talk vaccines or try to push my opinion on the individuals I love because I know I can’t change their mind. They are aware of the news, and have to choose to get vaccinated by having their own ‘ah ha’ moment.

Your reply was very inspiring. I also strive to do this as well. We lost my dad in May, non COVID related. I deeply regret not seeing him the year prior to his death.
What I have learned is that the issue of vaccines and isolation is not black and white.

 

[JerseyGirl]

JetBlue cancels 1,280 flights through mid-January due to expected Covid spike

There are already at least 2,561 flight cancellations worldwide on Thursday, with 1,056 of those incidents involving U.S.-bound or -based journeys.

—

3 NYC subway lines suspended due to COVID staffing shortages, testing being offered in some stations

The MTA is opening COVID testing locations in busy subway stations as some subway lines are forced to suspend operation due to understaffing.

The B and Z subway lines have joined the W, now both suspended due to coronavirus staffing shortages.

 

[Lilibet]

It’s funny, but I was able to stay in hotels and enjoy eating in both outdoor and indoor restaurants on the two recent trips we took for necessary medical reasons without tooooo much angst. Maybe because we were trying to make the best of these stressful trips that we had to make. Proactively dealing with cancer outweighs covid risk. And we actually felt “safer” in Calif than in our part of Oregon, despite having no idea if our restaurant servers were vaxxed.

However, at home we are not ready to “move on” socially and recreationally without the compelling reasons we just had. On the downhill slide toward 80 we aren’t willing to take a risk that could lead to our demise. On the “cost-benefit ledger” the cost is too great…for us, recognizing that everyone has to calculate their own risk in this regard. So we aren’t seeing friends and family we haven’t seen in almost two (or even more years). Or eating in our favorite restaurants or going to plays. We’ve done all that enough and had an adventurous life so that we have lots of good memories and few regrets. Naturally, we’d love to go back to normal life and will be thrilled if it ever happens, but not yet. No judgement for those who are moving on and feeling comfortable with that risk. Just wishing everyone well.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

It’s funny, but I was able to stay in hotels and enjoy eating in both outdoor and indoor restaurants on the two recent trips we took for necessary medical reasons without tooooo much angst. Maybe because we were trying to make the best of these stressful trips that we had to make. Proactively dealing with cancer outweighs covid risk. And we actually felt “safer” in Calif than in our part of Oregon, despite having no idea if our restaurant servers were vaxxed.

However, at home we are not ready to “move on” socially and recreationally without the compelling reasons we just had. On the downhill slide toward 80 we aren’t willing to take a risk that could lead to our demise. On the “cost-benefit ledger” the cost is too great…for us, recognizing that everyone has to calculate their own risk in this regard. So we aren’t seeing friends and family we haven’t seen in almost two (or even more years). Or eating in our favorite restaurants or going to plays. We’ve done all that enough and had an adventurous life so that we have lots of good memories and few regrets. Naturally, we’d love to go back to normal life and will be thrilled if it ever happens, but not yet. No judgement for those who are moving on and feeling comfortable with that risk. Just wishing everyone well.

My mum felt the same Lilibet, when they had a holiday to the coast in September. She said she felt in control of the situation in restaurants and wasnt anxious. It would be different now with Omi the vaccine swerver obviously. They've decided only to go out for medical appointments until things settle down, which they are keeping to for "maintenance" purposes!

 

[LaborDayRN]

Woman Tests Positive for COVID-19 Mid-Flight, Isolates for 5 Hours in Bathroom

A Michigan schoolteacher who tested positive for COVID-19 in the middle of a flight to Iceland a few days before Christmas says she ended up voluntarily isolated in the plane's cramped bathroom for the last five hours of the trip to Reykjavik.
...
Fotieo said her throat began to hurt about halfway through her Dec. 20 Icelandair flight out of Chicago. She had brought some rapid test kits with her in case she needed them while traveling.

"I just took my rapid test and I brought it into the bathroom, and within what felt like two seconds there were two lines (indicating a positive test)," Fotieo said.

Fotieo opted to stay isolated in the airplane bathroom for the remainder of the flight, which she estimated was five hours.

"There’s 150 people on the flight, and my biggest fear was giving it to them," she said.

Fotieo said she was able to make it through being cooped up in the bathroom thanks to the care of flight attendant Ragnhildur "Rocky" Eiríksdóttir.
..

Bless her heart. I'm sure it wasn't easy being in the tiny bathroom for 5 hours. I applaud her for recognizing the symptoms, taking the test and then isolating to protect others.

 

[Skigh]

US hits record of nearly 500,000 Covid cases in 24 hours: Experts says US will see 'viral blizzard' | Daily Mail Online

He warns that even fully vaccinated people should avoid large, crowded, environments in the near future because of how infectious the new virus strain is.

As the Omicron variant continues to spread, Osterholm has other dire warnings as well. The former Biden advisor told MSNBC's Morning Joe on Thursday that spread of the variant could cause 'everyday life' to stop operating as normal.

'Right now we have a very imperfect situation that's going to require some very imperfect responses,' he said.

'Over the next three to four weeks, we are going to see the number of cases in this country rise so dramatically that we'll have a hard time keeping everyday life operating.'

'Already we are seeing it in our healthcare settings where we can lose 10 to 20 percent of healthcare workers who are not available to work.

'We are seeing that right now in critical infrastructure areas where people can't come to work.'

 

[Lilibet]

US coronavirus: Omicron surge is 'unlike anything we've ever seen,' expert says - CNN

The CDC is being too harshly criticized for changing the guidelines, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "Everything we're going to do right now is imperfect. Just accept that right now," Osterholm told CNN on Wednesday.
"We don't know a lot of the things we wish we'd know, but what we do know and what is emerging here is that this country is going to be in the soup in just the next few weeks with so many cases and so many locations, that we're going to see critical infrastructure as well as health care challenged," Osterholm added.

With the rapid spread of Omicron, there may not be enough people who are well enough to keep hospitals, grocery stores and gas stations working, Osterholm predicted. The change in CDC guidelines is not just about helping the economy, he said: "It was to play to the very safety of our everyday lives."

BBM

 

[anneg]

US coronavirus: Omicron surge is 'unlike anything we've ever seen,' expert says - CNN

The CDC is being too harshly criticized for changing the guidelines, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "Everything we're going to do right now is imperfect. Just accept that right now," Osterholm told CNN on Wednesday.
"We don't know a lot of the things we wish we'd know, but what we do know and what is emerging here is that this country is going to be in the soup in just the next few weeks with so many cases and so many locations, that we're going to see critical infrastructure as well as health care challenged," Osterholm added.

With the rapid spread of Omicron, there may not be enough people who are well enough to keep hospitals, grocery stores and gas stations working, Osterholm predicted. The change in CDC guidelines is not just about helping the economy, he said: "It was to play to the very safety of our everyday lives."

BBM

Powerful comments! The last bolded paragraph is really frightening.

 

[anneg]

US hits record of nearly 500,000 Covid cases in 24 hours: Experts says US will see 'viral blizzard' | Daily Mail Online

He warns that even fully vaccinated people should avoid large, crowded, environments in the near future because of how infectious the new virus strain is.

As the Omicron variant continues to spread, Osterholm has other dire warnings as well. The former Biden advisor told MSNBC's Morning Joe on Thursday that spread of the variant could cause 'everyday life' to stop operating as normal.

'Right now we have a very imperfect situation that's going to require some very imperfect responses,' he said.

'Over the next three to four weeks, we are going to see the number of cases in this country rise so dramatically that we'll have a hard time keeping everyday life operating.'

'Already we are seeing it in our healthcare settings where we can lose 10 to 20 percent of healthcare workers who are not available to work.

'We are seeing that right now in critical infrastructure areas where people can't come to work.'

Thanks for posting. I'm glad we canceled going to a restaurant tomorrow night. But I'm wondering what else we should be doing.
ETA: in addition to all the things we are already doing, of course!

 

[Tiff23fr]

US coronavirus: Omicron surge is 'unlike anything we've ever seen,' expert says - CNN

The CDC is being too harshly criticized for changing the guidelines, said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "Everything we're going to do right now is imperfect. Just accept that right now," Osterholm told CNN on Wednesday.
"We don't know a lot of the things we wish we'd know, but what we do know and what is emerging here is that this country is going to be in the soup in just the next few weeks with so many cases and so many locations, that we're going to see critical infrastructure as well as health care challenged," Osterholm added.

With the rapid spread of Omicron, there may not be enough people who are well enough to keep hospitals, grocery stores and gas stations working, Osterholm predicted. The change in CDC guidelines is not just about helping the economy, he said: "It was to play to the very safety of our everyday lives."

BBM

This is what concerns me most at this time, an economic situation that causes extreme ripple effects. Sigh…

 

[anneg]

DH has outpatient surgery scheduled in two weeks. It could be postponed without any risk to him. I'm almost hoping that the hospital will do that.

 

[ilovewings]

All those people going to the ER and being hospitalized around the country,
I am going to take a wild and crazy guess that they are infected
with Omicron-- and since this variant is so highly transmissible, and
the incubation period is much shorter, I will take another wild and crazy guess that most of these sick people were partying down for Xmas--- lots of gatherings,
parties and traveling----and many of them are most likely not vaccinated.
I should add that some of those people were no doubt exposed to
those party folks and are just unlucky.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Front-line workers describe symptoms they've observed in latest Covid wave

Dr. Joseph Varon, chief of critical care services and the Covid-19 unit at Houston’s United Memorial Medical Center, said of the roughly 50 patients admitted to the hospital’s Covid unit in the last four weeks, 100 percent of them were unvaccinated.

He said patients who needed to be admitted typically have “shortness of breath, high fevers, being dehydrated like crazy.” He said those who are unvaccinated also “have more illness. What I mean by more illness is more pneumonia, not just a little bit of pneumonia, you have a lot of pneumonia.”

Meanwhile, those who had received the booster shot were “almost back to normal” within several days, he said. Those who had not received the booster have tended to “still feel sick after a week, a week and a half or so,” he added.

Patients who have received the booster shot may still have symptoms such as a sore throat, a lot of fatigue and muscle pain, said Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. Those who are vaccinated but have not got the booster “looked worse, they looked like they felt pretty darn bad. But, again, they didn’t need to be hospitalized,” he said.

Meanwhile, Spencer said almost every patient he has seen who needed to be admitted was unvaccinated.

“We’ve known that there are multiple presentations of this disease, that hasn’t changed. What has changed is that we know that those who are vaccinated are significantly less likely to end up seeing me in the hospital and needing to be admitted. That’s for certain,” he said.

 

[mickey2942]

On a positive note, there has been quite a bit of "lax" on the mask mandate at work.

Today, everyone has their mask on, firmly secured across nose and mouth. Obviously, this Omicron message is getting through even to the most disparaging of deniers here. That is really significant.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Your reply was very inspiring. I also strive to do this as well. We lost my dad in May, non COVID related. I deeply regret not seeing him the year prior to his death.
What I have learned is that the issue of vaccines and isolation is not black and white.

I agree, and I also find myself questioning the efficacy of masks and social distancing. When both were mandated here in Michigan, nearly everyone complied. Once the mask mandate was lifted and the notion of social distancing vaguely remembered, we are still seeing surges in Covid cases and hospitalizations statewide. I have to ask myself what good the mandates were, the bar and restaurant closures (some never to reopen), arts venues shuttered, children learning online instead of a classroom with their peers, etc. What did these mitigation measures accomplish when we seem to be right back where we started nearly two years ago? True, there are now vaccines and antiviral medications and treatments available, but we all know that many people have decided to forego vaccination, and countless others won't wear masks unless it is absolutely required for them to enter some type of establishment. Even then, folks don't wear masks appropriately, so having the mask probably doesn't do them or others much good.

I had my annual physical this morning and was actually surprised that the nurse and my physician were wearing only procedural masks instead of high-quality surgical masks like N95s. At times during the pandemic, Dr. K has also worn a shield that looked pretty cool with her royal blue scrubs They haven't changed their office protocol that requires patients to wear cloth masks. I had wondered if the medical facility would now require hazmat gear but that is not the case. After my appointment, DH and I stopped at Nino Salvaggio's for some groceries. We wore masks, but very few customers or staff did likewise.