*** OFFICIAL *** COVID-19 CoronaVirus Thread. Fresh epidemic fears as child pneumonia cases surge in Europe after China outbreak. NOW in USA (16 Viewers)

[Willie Neslon]

This is the kind of advice I always hate to give because who knows what can happen. I don’t know your age, comorbidities, etc.  But why are you getting vaccines and boosters if you won’t go socialize?

Do the math for your age group on hospitalizations and deaths. And who knows about organs. I’ve yet to see anything compelling from anyone.  

I got vaccines to knock the odds down for contracting covid. Avoiding certain social situations knocks them down even more. As far as organ issues go here is some info from the Mayo clinic

 

[Scoresman]

I consider myself very cautious with COVID and I would go, but with a KN-95 or N-95 mask.  I've found a good compromise between being overly careful and living my life is to just put the mask on.  But it needs to be one of the good well-fitting ones.  

 

[-fish-]

I'm having trouble understanding these entry requirements for an upcoming vacation.

VACCINATED TRAVELERS: Tests are no longer required

Individuals with a completed vaccination schedule are now exempt from the requirement to take an antigen or RT-PCR test prior to arrival.

Important: When the traveler is over 18 years old, in order for the vaccination schedule to be recognized as complete beyond 9 months, he must have received an additional dose (booster). In other words, when a traveler has completed a full vaccination (1 dose Janssen or 2 doses Pfizer / Moderna / Astrazeneca ), he will have to receive a booster shot before traveling to French Polynesia if his last dose is 9 months old or more. Only a booster is required, it is not needed to redo a complete vaccination process even if this 9 months deadline is exceeded.

So I got 2 doses of Moderna and a booster, but when I travel it will be more than 9 months from when I got the booster.  Do I need another booster?

 

[Willie Neslon]

I consider myself very cautious with COVID and I would go, but with a KN-95 or N-95 mask.  I've found a good compromise between being overly careful and living my life is to just put the mask on.  But it needs to be one of the good well-fitting ones.  

Everyone will be drinking, me included, so probably would not be wearing a mask.

 

[-fish-]

Everyone will be drinking, me included, so probably would not be wearing a mask.

At this point, it's pretty much endemic and odds are you'll get it at some point.   weigh the risk and benefit and choose what you're comfortable with.

 

[Scoresman]

Everyone will be drinking, me included, so probably would not be wearing a mask.

Right but for me that's the tradeoff of being able to go.  Go and at least get to participate or not go at all. 

Another factor is how careful the other people there are with COVID.  I have some friends I'm ok being mask-free around, and others I'd always wear one with.  

 

[AAABatteries]

I'm invited to a poker game tonight and really on the fence. Never had covid, fully vaxed and first booster was a month and half ago. If I got covid now I'd be pissed, then again would be fun to play and see some people. All this recent talk about how it can affect your organs for years to come has had me tapping the brakes a little on get togethers. Am I being ridiculous?

Are you as old as the real Willie?

 

[Willie Neslon]

Are you as old as the real Willie?

no

 

[Doug B]

I'm invited to a poker game tonight and really on the fence. Never had covid, fully vaxed and first booster was a month and half ago.

That's actually kind of a sweet spot, timing-wise. You're probably about as protected from a symptomatic infection as you can get.

Two questions:

1) Would wearing a mask make you stand out in that crowd on a poker night? I am assuming "yes", but just thought I'd bring it up. Still ...with a pair of shades, you wouldn't have to worry about your poker face ("Hey -- it can spread through the eyes, too! You're lucky I'm not in a Vader mask! Now enough COVID talk -- slide me that huge pot!").

2) Is it the kind of crowd you could ask to test themselves before coming to play? Again, I am assuming "no", that's it's too casual for that and probably that most of the crew is past COVID more or less. Corollary: If someone shows up hacking their lungs up, would one or more of the guys say something?

Beyond those questions ... I co-sign shader's post. Not too close to your booster, and not too far away -- you'll be all right. EDIT: Didn't read far enough -- yeah, co-sign not just shader, but Ignatius and the others.

 

[Doug B]

Another factor is how careful the other people there are with COVID.  I have some friends I'm ok being mask-free around, and others I'd always wear one with.  

This is a good point, too. Knowing the room is important.

 

[Doug B]

So I got 2 doses of Moderna and a booster, but when I travel it will be more than 9 months from when I got the booster.  Do I need another booster?

You don't need another booster. In this part:

... he will have to receive a booster shot before traveling to French Polynesia if his last dose is 9 months old or more.

The "last dose" part refers specifically to the second dose of Pfizer/Moderna or lone dose of Jansen. It's a little tricky to parse, but it's clear that they consider a "booster shot" something that comes after the "last dose".

 

[Willie Neslon]

That's actually kind of a sweet spot, timing-wise. You're probably about as protected from a symptomatic infection as you can get.

Two questions:

1) Would wearing a mask make you stand out in that crowd on a poker night? I am assuming "yes", but just thought I'd bring it up. Still ...with a pair of shades, you wouldn't have to worry about your poker face ("Hey -- it can spread through the eyes, too! You're lucky I'm not in a Vader mask! Now enough COVID talk -- slide me that huge pot!").

2) Is it the kind of crowd you could ask to test themselves before coming to play? Again, I am assuming "no", that's it's too casual for that and probably that most of the crew is past COVID more or less. Corollary: If someone shows up hacking their lungs up, would one or more of the guys say something?

Beyond those questions ... I co-sign shader's post. Not too close to your booster, and not too far away -- you'll be all right. EDIT: Didn't read far enough -- yeah, co-sign not just shader, but Ignatius and the others.

yeah nobody else would be in a mask so would stand out. Mostly friends but some with kids. Host has some younger kids

 

[Scoresman]

Ugh, kids are the breaking point for me.  I'd either wear a good mask or not go.  But that's me.  Each situation is different.

 

[Gilroy34]

I'm invited to a poker game tonight and really on the fence. Never had covid, fully vaxed and first booster was a month and half ago. If I got covid now I'd be pissed, then again would be fun to play and see some people. All this recent talk about how it can affect your organs for years to come has had me tapping the brakes a little on get togethers. Am I being ridiculous?

Yes, I have been poker in person once a week without wearing a mask in my local poker room for over a year now.  No issues.

 

[jobarules]

Yes Willie

You're being ridiculous. Live your life. You've done everything right.

 

[jobarules]

The fact that covid still crosses some of your minds in determining whether you should do activities or not absolutely boggles my mind.

The only time I even think of covid now is when I come on these forums.

 

[Willie Neslon]

I ended up not going. Appreciate all the input.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

I guess I'm not worried about short term effects, I'm worried about long term. I'm in pretty decent shape so I'm reasonably sure if I got it I'd be ok-ish but then again who knows.

Let me ask you this: Knowing that Covid is likely to be with us for a long time, what would it take for you to feel comfortable going to a poker night with your friends? Or are you prepared to swear off activities like that indefinitely?

There are a few activities I don’t see myself doing again post-Covid, but they’re generally things I wouldn’t have done much anyway, like going on a cruise. (Side note: anyone remember bobbing for apples as a kid? I’m pretty sure no one will ever play that game again for the rest of eternity. The mere thought of it makes me retch.)

Anyway, I think that’s a useful exercise to go through. If you’re not comfortable, what would change your mind? And is it realistic? Forces you to think about what’s driving your fears

 

[Willie Neslon]

Let me ask you this: Knowing that Covid is likely to be with us for a long time, what would it take for you to feel comfortable going to a poker night with your friends? Or are you prepared to swear off activities like that indefinitely?

There are a few activities I don’t see myself doing again post-Covid, but they’re generally things I wouldn’t have done much anyway, like going on a cruise. (Side note: anyone remember bobbing for apples as a kid? I’m pretty sure no one will ever play that game again for the rest of eternity. The mere thought of it makes me retch.)

Anyway, I think that’s a useful exercise to go through. If you’re not comfortable, what would change your mind? And is it realistic? Forces you to think about what’s driving your fears

I think I was just looking for a reason not to go to this particular poker game. I have played poker since the pandemic started and have done pretty much everything else. There is nothing I wouldn't do because of the pandemic. Still, I've been pretty careful and will continue to be. If this was a game with all my close friends I'd have played but this was more of a friend of a friend deal.

 

[jobarules]

I think I was just looking for a reason not to go to this particular poker game. I have played poker since the pandemic started and have done pretty much everything else. There is nothing I wouldn't do because of the pandemic. Still, I've been pretty careful and will continue to be. If this was a game with all my close friends I'd have played but this was more of a friend of a friend deal.

Ah the "using covid when it's convenient" excuse 

 

[Willie Neslon]

Ah the "using covid when it's convenient" excuse 

I didn't say anything about covid when declining but if there was no covid I'd have played.

 

[jobarules]

I didn't say anything about covid when declining but if there was no covid I'd have played.

There is nothing I wouldn't do because of the pandemic.

 

[shader]

I got vaccines to knock the odds down for contracting covid. Avoiding certain social situations knocks them down even more. As far as organ issues go here is some info from the Mayo clinic

Unfortunately I don’t know that the vaccines knock down the odds of contracting covid.  But that’s really not the important thing. The important thing is that they DRAMATICALLY reduce the odds of serious infection, hospitalization and death. And if you’ve done that, I don’t see any reason not to be in social situations, assuming that someone wants to go.

 

[Scoresman]

Let me ask you this: Knowing that Covid is likely to be with us for a long time, what would it take for you to feel comfortable going to a poker night with your friends? Or are you prepared to swear off activities like that indefinitely?

There are a few activities I don’t see myself doing again post-Covid, but they’re generally things I wouldn’t have done much anyway, like going on a cruise. (Side note: anyone remember bobbing for apples as a kid? I’m pretty sure no one will ever play that game again for the rest of eternity. The mere thought of it makes me retch.)

Anyway, I think that’s a useful exercise to go through. If you’re not comfortable, what would change your mind? And is it realistic? Forces you to think about what’s driving your fears

Covid is going to be with us forever, no doubt. But I dont think it will be around at the level it currently is forever. I think transmission right now is the second highest it’s ever been. Everybody decided they were done with Covid after OG Omicron died down, but for me, it was premature. 

 

[shader]

I didn't say anything about covid when declining but if there was no covid I'd have played.

I feel like you might be overly scared of covid. It’s understandable, it’s been a crazy few years.  I have family that are the same way.  Not everyone is ready to get back to life at the same pace.  But at some point you do want to go back to the way you used to live right? If so, think about what you’ll need to see to do that.  Because the reality is covid is here to stay. 

 

[shader]

Covid is going to be with us forever, no doubt. But I dont think it will be around at the level it currently is forever. I think transmission right now is the second highest it’s ever been. Everybody decided they were done with Covid after OG Omicron died down, but for me, it was premature. 

Yes but this isn’t the same covid.  We use the same words, but it’s not the same disease.

 

[Willie Neslon]

Context/semantics

 

[jobarules]

 Everybody decided they were done with Covid after OG Omicron died down,

Rightfully so

 

[jobarules]

Context/semantics

There is nothing I wouldn't do because of the pandemic... except play poker with friends of friends.

 

[Willie Neslon]

I feel like you might be overly scared of covid. It’s understandable, it’s been a crazy few years.  I have family that are the same way.  Not everyone is ready to get back to life at the same pace.  But at some point you do want to go back to the way you used to live right? If so, think about what you’ll need to see to do that.  Because the reality is covid is here to stay. 

I live pretty much the same. I have 4 friends who have it right now. The new variant is highly transmissible. I don't think keeping your eyes open as to the current covid state and skipping something here and there means you're overly sacred.

 

[Willie Neslon]

There is nothing I wouldn't do because of the pandemic... except play poker with friends of friends.

I still play poker. Just skipped this one. Don't really know the host that well or some others who are playing. Transmission is currently high. Not looking for a gotcha back and forth was just asking for some advice. Have a great night.

 

[Capella]

There is nothing I wouldn't do because of the pandemic... except play poker with friends of friends.

Everybody’s risk tolerance is different for what they are willing to accept in different situations. It’s astonishing to me after like 2.5 years of this you still aren’t capable of understanding that fact. Willful ignorance at this point. 

 

[nysfl2]

I'm invited to a poker game tonight and really on the fence. Never had covid, fully vaxed and first booster was a month and half ago. If I got covid now I'd be pissed, then again would be fun to play and see some people. All this recent talk about how it can affect your organs for years to come has had me tapping the brakes a little on get togethers. Am I being ridiculous?

Is wearing a n95 mask an option for you? That's what I have done when I have gone to get-togethers that I wasn't fully comfortable with. Then again, my friends know that I'm on the high end of the covid-concern scale, and wouldn't think it was strange.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

At this point, it's pretty much endemic and odds are you'll get it at some point.   weigh the risk and benefit and choose what you're comfortable with.

How is it endemic when spread is still wild, global, and all over the country?

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Everybody’s risk tolerance is different for what they are willing to accept in different situations. It’s astonishing to me after like 2.5 years of this you still aren’t capable of understanding that fact. Willful ignorance at this point. 

He just posts condescending replies with little to no value regardless of context. 

 

[Terminalxylem]

How is it endemic when spread is still wild, global, and all over the country?

It’s not. People are using that word as proxy for “get over it, stop worrying about covid.”

 

[humpback]

Let me ask you this: Knowing that Covid is likely to be with us for a long time, what would it take for you to feel comfortable going to a poker night with your friends? Or are you prepared to swear off activities like that indefinitely?

There are a few activities I don’t see myself doing again post-Covid, but they’re generally things I wouldn’t have done much anyway, like going on a cruise. (Side note: anyone remember bobbing for apples as a kid? I’m pretty sure no one will ever play that game again for the rest of eternity. The mere thought of it makes me retch.)

Anyway, I think that’s a useful exercise to go through. If you’re not comfortable, what would change your mind? And is it realistic? Forces you to think about what’s driving your fears

Isn't the obvious answer "when the numbers are lower"? Despite many erroneously calling this "over" for the nth time, spread is now relatively high in many areas. It seems perfectly rational to me to be more comfortable doing certain activities when positivity rates are in the low single digits as opposed to when they're in double-digits, for example.

 

[McBokonon]

You were correct. Negative!

Gonna go see a couple of movies this weekend now. 

How many days did you end up at? I’m on Day 10 of testing positive. Figure I may as well try and break your record and become the Covid King of the FFA.

 

[themeanmachine]

What are you all doing about additional boosters?  I had one booster back in the fall, but that's it.  Was going to wait until this fall when they should have updated versions that account for the Omicron variants.  But reading that some experts I respect (Ashish Jha, Scott Gottlieb) are strongly urging anyone who hasn't had a booster in the past 6mo get one now and not wait until the fall.

 

[Payne]

How is it endemic when spread is still wild, global, and all over the country?

I think the majority now view it as a normal bug. Like a cold or flu. It will never END, but at some point you need to move on and treat it as any other spreadable disease. Right? 

 

[Doug B]

And something I had thought "out loud" to myself as I was reading a few things was "why are we worrying about cases at this point?" and then I read this, which reminded me why:

 If you want to drive down COVID-19 hospital admissions, you need to drive down infection in the first place. The idea of “don’t worry about cases” sort of shifts the burden to healthcare workers to manage an ever-growing patient census, so that life can continue as “normal” outside the hospital walls. Relying on hospital admissions going down when the virus runs out of people to infect means sacrificing a lot of your people in the form of their lives, semi- to long term disability (Long COVID), or missing time from work and daily life because one is out sick. Instead, we’re expected to manage the biggest group project ever as a collection of uncoordinated individuals.

I read this when you first posted it. Something about it didn't ring right to me, though the overall ethic sounded reasonable.

I think I've identified the breakdown: The author conflates "cases" and "hospitalizations". An increasing number of cases may or may not lead to an increase in hospitalizations.

That said ... right now, the counts of COVID hospitalizations and ICU admissions are increasing in an absolute sense. Without firmer case numbers, it's hard to tell whether or not the the rates of COVID hospitalizations and ICU admissions are increasing as well.

 

[Doug B]

What are you all doing about additional boosters?  I had one booster back in the fall, but that's it.  Was going to wait until this fall when they should have updated versions that account for the Omicron variants.  But reading that some experts I respect (Ashish Jha, Scott Gottlieb) are strongly urging anyone who hasn't had a booster in the past 6mo get one now and not wait until the fall.

I went ahead and got my fourth shot of Moderna in May. I can't think of a reason not to get boosters as they become available. If/when Omicron-specific boosters come out, and they say I'm eligible ... I'm first in line.

 

[Doug B]

I think the majority now view it as a normal bug. Like a cold or flu. It will never END, but at some point you need to move on and treat it as any other spreadable disease. Right? 

Depends on the sociological effects. Many spreadable diseases have in fact been fought tooth and nail. There was a time when smallpox, polio, cholera, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, etc. were all treated like "Whaddaya gonna do?".

 

[Capella]

How many days did you end up at? I’m on Day 10 of testing positive. Figure I may as well try and break your record and become the Covid King of the FFA.

 I tested positive for 15 straight days before my negative. Good luck! You can do it! 

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Isn't the obvious answer "when the numbers are lower"? Despite many erroneously calling this "over" for the nth time, spread is now relatively high in many areas. It seems perfectly rational to me to be more comfortable doing certain activities when positivity rates are in the low single digits as opposed to when they're in double-digits, for example.

@Willie Neslon didn't specifically mention that as a motivation, but sure, that makes sense. My view is that everyone should do whatever they're comfortable doing and not do whatever they're not comfortable with. But I also think it's worth interrogating those comfort levels a little and thinking about what's motivating them, if for no other reason than to have a framework for the edge cases: "I'm not going to this event, but if X were different then I might."

 

[[icon]]

What's the scoop on Bivalent Boosters? I'm a bit out of touch on the topic lately. 

Bivalent Booster Results vs BA5?

Bivalent Booster Release Date?
Seeing august? 

I've got 4 concerts in September including two in General Admission / Pit down in front of the stage. 

- Moderna 100mcg Booster 8/21
- Covid Infection 5/22 (Presumed Omicron) 

I'm considering a boost in Aug but wondering if it's even worth the OG boost with BA5 being the New mutation with strong escape. 

 

[Doug B]

I'm considering a boost in Aug but wondering if it's even worth the OG boost with BA5 being the New mutation with strong escape. 

With your social schedule ... were I in your shoes, I'd still get an OG booster in August. Don't really care about BA.5's immunity escape, because that just means you got an infection -- it says nothing about the effects of that infection. IMHO, a well-timed booster still helps your body fight off COVID infections faster than without.

Your May exposure to Omicron wasn't for nothing -- that added to your body's immunological-memory library, too.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

BA.5, Chapter 2  by Dr. Eric Topol - Significant updates from the previous BA.5 story (posted 2 weeks ago)

A new report from the highly regarded Kirby Institute in Australia takes the understanding of the biology of BA.5 a step further. You may remember the term “Deltacron” prematurely used many months ago in the pandemic, but the ability to infect cells for BA.5 is more akin to Delta than the previous Omicron family of variants. 

...

This report is noteworthy because it extends the known immune escape property of BA.5 (shown to be less responsive to Evusheld monoclonal antibodies than prior Omicron variants) to also include enhanced infectivity. There are more copies of the virus because BA.5 has far better ability to get into cells (tropism related to TMPRSS binding efficiency) which may help explain why this version of the virus has caused a lot of trouble, more than other Omicron subvariants. This may align with the anecdotal reports of very long periods to test negative after BA.5 infections, often exceeding 10 days. (Note the CDC still guides us as 5 days as all that is required for isolation without ongoing symptoms and does not recommend the use of rapid antigen tests to screen for persistent infectiousness). ( @Capella ^^see bolded above)

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

With your social schedule ... were I in your shoes, I'd still get an OG booster in August. Don't really care about BA.5's immunity escape, because that just means you got an infection -- it says nothing about the effects of that infection. IMHO, a well-timed booster still helps your body fight off COVID infections faster than without.

Your May exposure to Omicron wasn't for nothing -- that added to your body's immunological-memory library, too.

Agreed. I haven't gotten a booster since December and was kinda waiting around to see what played out with the variant coverage. But then again, I haven't had any high capacity indoor events to attend either, otherwise I might have considered it more seriously. 

 

[[icon]]

With your social schedule ... were I in your shoes, I'd still get an OG booster in August. Don't really care about BA.5's immunity escape, because that just means you got an infection -- it says nothing about the effects of that infection. IMHO, a well-timed booster still helps your body fight off COVID infections faster than without.

Your May exposure to Omicron wasn't for nothing -- that added to your body's immunological-memory library, too.

Thanks! Yeah I think absent a change in variant/vaccine options, I'll probably get boosted in mid/late August. 

Schedule is pretty busy.

Just got back from week in Tampa 

Flying to Denver Fri (private / 8 pax)

In August I have flights/trips to Indianapolis, Ft Polk LA, plus 3x in person fantasy drafts. 

Sept I've got PJ shows in Quebec City, Ottawa, Nashville, and St Louis 

Oct two trade shows (Austin / Orlando) plus flight/trip to Nola.