Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #112

[Gemmie]

Well, I had an "interesting" experience today at the Optometrists office. I walked in, wearing a mask as per usual since I'm in public and not wanting to breath other people's cootie breath when this guy looked at me and uttered a loud 'God!' and jumped back away from me. I didn't want to break the news to the ignoramus that *I* wasn't the one to be scared of. It was him and all the other maskless people in there (99%. I was the only mask wearer).

People are so weird. JMO about that!

 

[Stunned]

Well, I had an "interesting" experience today at the Optometrists office. I walked in, wearing a mask as per usual since I'm in public and not wanting to breath other people's cootie breath when this guy looked at me and uttered a loud 'God!' and jumped back away from me. I didn't want to break the news to the ignoramus that *I* wasn't the one to be scared off. It was him and all the other maskless people in there (99%. I was the only mask wearer).

People are so weird. JMO about that!

That's incredibly rude and thoughtless of him! There are so many reasons for you to be wearing that mask, and not a single one of them is his business!

 

[Gemmie]

That's incredibly rude and thoughtless of him! There are so many reasons for you to be wearing that mask, and not a single one of them is his business!

Thank you. I thought that perhaps he figured that someone wearing a mask was because the mask wearer was contagious and out in public with god only knows what. But it's actually the opposite. I'm the one who doesn't have Covid (Covid virgin here cuz I never go around people without a mask. Not even my own mother (she's not a mask wearer)). My mask is so I don't catch it.

But even if that's the case as to what went through his mind... he assumes the person not risking catching it are the problem people, yet totally OK getting up close and talking face-to-face with people isn't a risky thing to do? It really doesn't make any sense.

 

[Warwick1991]

I'm finally getting better. I went out today. I've tested negative 3 days in a row using the OTC antigen tests. It's been about 20 days since the first symptoms, so hopefully I am not contagious, considering the testing and time elapsed. I would guess that it was that BA 3.2 variant, but I have no way to know. Possibly the vaccines I've been getting right along have made it less severe.

There are probably plenty of people out there with this variant....

Masks can get second looks here, but it isn't anybody else's right to tell anyone they shouldn't mask.

 

[Gemmie]

Influenza vaccination coverage among US health care personnel (HCP) during the 2024–25 respiratory virus season remained similar to coverage during the 2023–24 season, while uptake of the COVID vaccine, though significantly improved from the prior year, remained markedly lower, according to a report published yesterday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Based on a national survey of 2,650 HCP conducted in spring 2025, an estimated 76.3% of HCP reported receiving a flu vaccine, according to the CDC authors. That level of coverage is similar to vaccine uptake during the 2023–24 season (75.4%) and has remained relatively stable since the 2015–16 season. Coverage since the 2015–16 season ranges from 78.4% to 80.6%, with an average of 79.5%.

In contrast, 40.2% of HCP reported receiving the 2024–25 COVID vaccine, up from 31.3% in 2023–24.

US health worker flu vaccine coverage holds steady, but COVID vaccine uptake lags

www.cidrap.umn.edu

 

[dspdenver]

Scientists discover why flu and COVID hit older adults so hard

A new study reveals that aging lungs may play a major role in why flu and COVID can become so dangerous for older adults. Researchers found that certain lung cells can trigger an exaggerated immune response, creating clusters of inflammatory cells that end up damaging lung tissue instead of...

www.sciencedaily.com

[ Older adults are far more likely to develop severe illness from flu or COVID, and new research from UC San Francisco offers an explanation. The study shows that aging lung cells can trigger an overly aggressive immune response, which can turn even mild infections into serious conditions.
...
"We saw during COVID that our most vulnerable patients no longer had the infection but still had persistent and devastating lung inflammation," Peng said. "This circuit of dysfunction between lung and immune cells makes for a promising new therapeutic target." ]

 

[Rikissa]

Influenza vaccination coverage among US health care personnel (HCP) during the 2024–25 respiratory virus season remained similar to coverage during the 2023–24 season, while uptake of the COVID vaccine, though significantly improved from the prior year, remained markedly lower, according to a report published yesterday in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Based on a national survey of 2,650 HCP conducted in spring 2025, an estimated 76.3% of HCP reported receiving a flu vaccine, according to the CDC authors. That level of coverage is similar to vaccine uptake during the 2023–24 season (75.4%) and has remained relatively stable since the 2015–16 season. Coverage since the 2015–16 season ranges from 78.4% to 80.6%, with an average of 79.5%.

In contrast, 40.2% of HCP reported receiving the 2024–25 COVID vaccine, up from 31.3% in 2023–24.

US health worker flu vaccine coverage holds steady, but COVID vaccine uptake lags

www.cidrap.umn.edu

In Sweden and Finland all newborn babies are offered a free vaccination/preventive treatment with antibodies for the RS virus since September 2025. The immunisation is very effective, for example no babies with RS virus had had to be hospitalised in the last six months in the region of Sweden where I worked earlier. Usually there were at least a couple of babies getting treatment each week at the childrens ward. Ordinarily about 2000 babies has had to be hospitalized in Sweden each year.
The immunisation is available for adults also, but they have to pay for it (cost about 200 Euro/230 US$).

 

[Gemmie]

In Sweden and Finland all newborn babies are offered a free vaccination/preventive treatment with antibodies for the RS virus since September 2025. The immunisation is very effective, for example no babies with RS virus had had to be hospitalised in the last six months in the region of Sweden where I worked earlier. Usually there were at least a couple of babies getting treatment each week at the childrens ward. Ordinarily about 2000 babies has had to be hospitalized in Sweden each year.
The immunisation is available for adults also, but they have to pay for it (cost about 200 Euro/230 US$).

What is RS? Are you talking about RSV, or is there a new something or other circulating? My mother was in Pfizer's clinical trial for the RSV vaccine. Lasted a longgggg time.

 

[Rikissa]

What is RS? Are you talking about RSV, or is there a new something or other circulating? My mother was in Pfizer's clinical trial for the RSV vaccine. Lasted a longgggg time.

Yes, it's the RSV, here (Sweden and Finland) we are more familiar using the abbrevation 'RS virus', sometimes the 'RSV' in spoken language becomes 'RSV virus', people tend to 'forget' that the '-V' there stand for virus.