Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #107

[jjenny]

I think too many experts used the term "mild" to describe Omicron, lots of people thought it was a little sore throat and a sniffle--: clearly that is not the case
and as you point out, a person can still get long Covid and get very sick with Omicron, not to mention that people are dying as well.

Good that you are on the road to recovery.

Lots of people are dying. US is back to ~ 2,500 people dying per day.

 

[ilovewings]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/01/28/texas-omicron-pandemic/

This is a great article (behind a paywall)- America's split screen pandemic: perfectly describes the state of the pandemic in this country: on one side of the screen are the people living life like there is no pandemic: going to places where there are large crowds unmasked, and many unvaccinated: on the other side of the screen are the hospitals filled with sick and dying patients and people who are living life very carefully. After two years of living with horrible virus, there is a quote from someone who contracted the virus and says she was surprised at how sick she was (or it could have been her child): She says, "I thought it was just like the flu".

Duh-- NO IT ISN'T LIKE THE FLU

Worse, those people who are living life like there is no pandemic, many unmasked and unvaccinated are ensuring the virus continues to spread!!!
The article does not state that and it should!!!!!!!

 

[Fika]

How many people are vaccinated in the US? I tried to find some info but a lot of the articles are behind a paywall or restricted. World tracker seems to be inaccurate ( at least about Sweden).

 

[musicaljoke]

How many people are vaccinated in the US? I tried to find some info but a lot of the articles are behind a paywall or restricted. World tracker seems to be inaccurate ( at least about Sweden).

Are you able to read this article in the NYTimes?
See How Vaccinations Are Going in Your County and State.

 

[CSIDreamer]

How many people are vaccinated in the US? I tried to find some info but a lot of the articles are behind a paywall or restricted. World tracker seems to be inaccurate ( at least about Sweden).

COVID Data Tracker

You want to look at the group called population over 5 years of age. Some people want to use total population but that isn't an accurate representation as we don't have vaccinations for those under 5.

 

[musicaljoke]

How many people are vaccinated in the US? I tried to find some info but a lot of the articles are behind a paywall or restricted. World tracker seems to be inaccurate ( at least about Sweden).

Or this link from the CDC will give you the info you are looking for.
COVID Data Tracker. indicates that 75% of the population has had one vaccine, and 63% have had two vaccines.

 

[Fika]

Or this link from the CDC will give you the info you are looking for.
COVID Data Tracker. indicates that 75% of the population has had one vaccine, and 63% have had two vaccines.

Great thanks!

 

[Fika]

COVID Data Tracker

You want to look at the group called population over 5 years of age. Some people want to use total population but that isn't an accurate representation as we don't have vaccinations for those under 5.

Yes good advise thanks. General population % can be inaccurate because of the age of eligibility of vaccination. Here in Sweden we don’t vaccinate children below 12 years old unless they suffer from immunological diseases.

 

[jjenny]

I got my free tests today. Mine were BinaxNow.

 

[Sundog]

Just received notice from USPS that the free covid self-tests that I ordered from the government will be delivered today. The notice says the packages are from:

US HHS
Detroit, Michigan

I am in Ohio, so I am guessing that the federal government distributed them to various post offices around the country for them to distribute in their regions.

Wonder which manufacturer/brand they will be. With temperatures around 12 degrees F, glad to get the notice so they don't sit in my mailbox too long.

Adding to my post, above.

Mail delivery of Abbott self-test kits just arrived by USPS, and they were not mailed to us from Michigan, but from Topeka, Kansas. I had received an informed delivery notice around 8:30 a.m. this morning that said that a package would be delivered from US HHS Detroit, Michigan. But when I got the package, it clearly said it was mailed from Topeka, Kansas. So not sure how all that worked.

ETA - The tests I received expire in October 2022.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Adding to my post, above.

Mail delivery of Abbott self-test kits just arrived by USPS, and they were not mailed to us from Michigan, but from Topeka, Kansas. I had received an informed delivery notice around 8:30 a.m. this morning that said that a package would be delivered from US HHS Detroit, Michigan. But when I got the package, it clearly said it was mailed from Topeka, Kansas. So not sure how all that worked.

ETA - The tests I received expire in October 2022.

Where's the expiration date? I don't want to open mine. Lol.

 

[Sundog]

Where's the expiration date? I don't want to open mine. Lol.

The expiration date is on the outside of the box, on the back, on the Abbott BinaxNOW tests. It's on the back in the right hand corner , on a white label stuck to the box. It give the lot number, etc. and the expiry date, with the symbol of an hour glass running out. You don't have to poen the box.

Sometimes Abbott extends the deadline after they do more testing and have more information. You can always call Abbott's customer service help line and give them the lot number of your kit and they will let you know if it's use has been extended or not as it gets closer to the expiry date.

 

[CSIDreamer]

The expiration date is on the outside of the box, on the back, on the Abbott BinaxNOW tests. It's on the back in the right hand corner , on a white label stuck to the box. It give the lot number, etc. and the expiry date, with the symbol of an hour glass running out. You don't have to poen the box.

Sometimes Abbott extends the deadline after they do more testing and have more information. You can always call Abbott's customer service help line and give them the lot number of your kit and they will let you know if it's use has been extended or not as it gets closer to the expiry date.

Oh ok. Mine is Dec 2022.

 

[Arkay]

Also, if you sign up for "Informed Delivery" at the USPS site, every day you get an email with a list of items that will be delivered that day, with letters scanned to see what letters you will receive, and packages (not scanned but some notation about where the packages are from). It only takes a few minutes to sign up. I don't open them on a daily basis as I already receive too many daily emails, but when I am expecting something important I often check these delivery notices. I was watching for this o

I'm glad you mentioned this service.

I'm assuming that for most of you, who live in your own homes, getting the mail is not so risky. (Although my sister in a big suburban house still lets it sit a day and then washes her hands after she collects her mail).

For someone like me who lives in a 23-story building, getting the mail has been a problem since Covid started. When I leave my apartment I have to deal with my hallway (which has many other apartments), then the elevator, and then the lobby. At each point there are neighbors without masks, even since masks were mandated in common indoor areas in NYC. This was worse, of course, before vaccines but still feels like any encounter could be "the one."

Therefore, maybe about April 2020, I started the Informed Delivery. Now I know what's coming in the mail and don't go to retrieve it every day. So far, no tests are indicated as about to arrive.

ETA: besides the laws in NY and even more stringently in NYC proper, my co-op has its own laws about masking in the common areas. Very strict. But that's only on paper. I would say about 40% are not masking, even while they are standing in front of signage that says to mask regardless of vaccine status. The security guards who are supposed to help enforce the rules do not wear masks. I have spoken to management many times about this, but nothing changes.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I just hope that it can’t infect people who already had omicron !

Me too!

 

[LaborDayRN]

Adding to my post, above.

Mail delivery of Abbott self-test kits just arrived by USPS, and they were not mailed to us from Michigan, but from Topeka, Kansas. I had received an informed delivery notice around 8:30 a.m. this morning that said that a package would be delivered from US HHS Detroit, Michigan. But when I got the package, it clearly said it was mailed from Topeka, Kansas. So not sure how all that worked.

ETA - The tests I received expire in October 2022.

I finally got an email today that says my tests will arrive at my home by Feb. 2nd so they're on their way.

 

[Sundog]

I finally got an email today that says my tests will arrive at my home by Feb. 2nd so they're on their way.

Great! Today when I saw my daily USPS "Informed Delivery" notice indicating that I would be getting a package from US HHS, I assumed that was the tests. That was at 8:24 a.m this morning, and after I saw that, I didn't really catch up on the rest of my email until a few minutes ago. Now I see that I received three emails from the USPS that have nothing to do with the "informed delivery" notice, these emails are actually from the USPS only related to the ordering of the tests. The first one says "Hello COVID test recipient" . . . and says that I should be receiving my tests by February 2nd. The next email says that I should be receiving them on January 29th. The third email says that they are out for delivery.

I am quite impressed with the USPS and their ability to move these packages and keep everyone informed. Glad that so many of us on this forum got the word that we could order the kits a day before the site opened formally, thanks to @CSIDreamer for the tip!

 

[LaborDayRN]

Great! Today when I saw my daily USPS "Informed Delivery" notice indicating that I would be getting a package from US HHS, I assumed that was the tests. That was at 8:24 a.m this morning, and after I saw that, I didn't really catch up on the rest of my email until a few minutes ago. Now I see that I received three emails from the USPS that have nothing to do with the "informed delivery" notice, these emails are actually from the USPS only related to the ordering of the tests. The first one says "Hello COVID test recipient" . . . and says that I should be receiving my tests by February 2nd. The next email says that I should be receiving them on January 29th. The third email says that they are out for delivery.

I am quite impressed with the USPS and their ability to move these packages and keep everyone informed. Glad that so many of us on this forum got the word that we could order the kits a day before the site opened formally, thanks to @CSIDreamer for the tip!

That's awesome! I'm quite impressed with the USPS too.
And YES! thanks @CSIDreamer for the heads up!

 

[Grouse]

1. just less over 80s people left in the population ?
2. 60-79 more likely to be still working or out and about... ?

Hmm, if due to less over 80s being around wouldn't the death numbers in that age group start to go down?

Seems a bit odd to have started in the last 3 weeks after the two age ranges were in tandem for so long. I'm reluctantly starting to wonder if it is due to a waning of the boosters, as that age group got theirs first. Hoping not.

 

[x_files]

I would keep to what your gut reaction is telling you. Keep wearing your wigs it is not worth risking your health to visit a salon.

scarves and turbans work too.