Getting used to new habits for Coronavirus....

[Stezza]

it happened again!

also the other day in our local Woolies a young lady with three kids in tow paid for an elderly ladies leg ham at the checkout...

link to story

 

[Terre]

Those are great!

 

[Hornet3d]

The rate of new infections of the latest Covid variant is growing at an alarming rate in the UK, first signs appear to be pointing at this variant maybe not having the same impact as earlier strains as it appear it results in less hospital visits on a percentage basis. Only trouble is if it keeps growing at this rate even if the percentage number of hospitalisations is reduced the actual number is going to decimate our hospitals.

Meanwhile the majority of Intensive Care Unit beds is being taken up by Covid patients who have decided not to get vaccinated and they also tend to be young. Putting aside all the arguments for and against the vaccine I can't help but feel this is a tragic loss of life not only for those for whom the visit to the ICU proves to be too little, too late but also for those with other health issues where a stay in a ICU bed may have had a much better chance of extending life had they had been given the opportunity.

 

[Stezza]

I see the UK is at around 120,000 + per day!

here in Oz we are nearly at 10,000 + per day with NSW nearing 6,000

it's really taking off now ... mainly Omricon variant.

 

[unreal]

I see the UK is at around 120,000 + per day!

here in Oz we are nearly at 10,000 + per day with NSW nearing 6,000

it's really taking off now ... mainly Omricon variant.

Walking down our neighborhood shopping area, heaps of people trying to get boosters (we have about a dozen pharmacies and quite a few GP practices in 2km). Everyone trying like crazy to get their booster. They dropped it down from 6 months to 5 months last week. To 4 months end of this month, and to 3 months, end of January. So far, not a lot of dangerous breakthroughs for fully vaxed, less for vaxed and boostered. We're at about 95% in the NSW. Or course, vaxed doesn't mean can't get or spread. But does reduce chances of ending up in hospital.

My cousin in law (back in the states) is a nurse. She has been doing crazy hours all over the states. After 2 years and more deaths than a sane person can take, she's finally quit. Exhausted beyond belief. On her way back home from her last assignment, driving across Texes, she caught Covid. And is quarantined for Christmas. She doesn't want to spread it to her kids or our elderly relatives. For the last 2 years, she voluntarily went to short staffed cities and towns and states. In some places, while she'd walk to work to take care of sick and dying, protestors would verbally abuse her. But she kept on. The two faces of America. One of them I love.

The other, we can all do without.

Fear, ignorance, disagreement... not a justification for being mean.

 

[Hornet3d]

What a great effort by cousin in law, the world needs more people like her and not just when we have a pandemic.

Meanwhile there are reports in the UK of some booking appointments for a jab or booster with no intention of attending, just another way those who are against the vaccine to thwart the efforts of others to have the jab or booster. It is one thing to make a decision for yourself but quite another to try and remove the option for others, irrespective on which side of the fence to stand.

 

[Miss B]

I've not heard anything like that here in the U.S., at least not here in the Northeast U.S. If you don't want it, don't get it, but making it hard for those who do want it to get it? I think that's despicable.

 

[eclark1894]

I've not heard anything like that here in the U.S., at least not here in the Northeast U.S. If you don't want it, don't get it, but making it hard for those who do want it to get it? I think that's despicable.

I think it's made up. Sorry Hornet, but if the person doesn't show, how do you know someone's just making an appointment with no intention of showing up? I mean, I missed a flight once, but I didn't not show up just so somebody else couldn't fly. I mean, granted, if that is indeed what's happening, I agree with Miss B, that's despicable. But I'm not that cynical yet. I need a little more proof than just speculation.

 

[Stezza]

I had my booster last week.. being in the country was just a matter of walking into the pharmacy and getting the jab and then hanging around for 15 minutes..

the city must be bedlam!

I even got a selfie!

 

[Miss B]

Good for you Stezza. I'm getting mine next Thursday.

 

[unreal]

I had my booster last week.. being in the country was just a matter of walking into the pharmacy and getting the jab and then hanging around for 15 minutes..

the city must be bedlam!

Being near City center, it was the same for me. Walk up, jab, sit for 15, walk away. About 500m from the house. It's the bookings that are full. But all the chemists just had a drop of Moderna a few days ago. When I asked about bookings right before the drop, my chemist said "bookings are full, but we expect the drop tomorrow, you can just come over, then." Moderna was what I wanted, anyway. Pfizer was my main 2 dose vax. I had read (anecdotally) that mixed vax & booster might give broader protection. I have no evidence but I figure, why not? Plus, from an engineering perspective, I like the Moderna better. Easier transport, shipping, stability. Moderately more effective. I think AU is ramping up to produce it (finally). We need to get it to the Islands around us.

Of course, 2 days before Christmas, everyone was rushing. Only a week before, AU dropped the time to booster from 6 months to 5. It will be 4 in 10 days. The big mess is airports. As Omicron pops, flight crews are being grounded. Add to that, PCR test and result times have gone from hours to over 3 days (and you need under 3 days to fly), and people are screwed.

The upside is that everything I've seen shows omicron *way* less dangerous. Almost a non-issue for vaxed. Of course, you can still spread it. For less time. But during the max load window, just as contagious. Or so I've read. I've put some time into it. Then I defer to the doctors I know

If someone doesn't show up (in Sydney), there's a waiting list anyway. They just call the next person on the list. This is Pharmacy & GP jabs. I would think in the large vax places, they just open another booking, when someone doesn't show. It's not like they bin the unused vax. Sure, they block a booking slot. If done intentionally, well, that person is an ass. They almost certainly were before, they will probably be right up to the end. Not much we can do about it

 

[Terre]

My mother got her first shot from asking at the right time. The pharmacy had a no show and were giving that person until about 15 minutes before closing to show. They didn't so she got the shot instead.

 

[Miss B]

I don't know of any of the pharmacies around here doing that, but I certainly can't blame them for wanting to use the vaccine while it was still good to use. If I'm not mistaken, there's a specific time frame from when it's taken out of the freezer to when it's used. I don't recall what the amount of time is, but I doubt it could've been used the next day, so your mother hit the right time at the pharmacy.

 

[Terre]

Pharmacies in several areas are doing that. Afterall they can't refreeze the doses and you are right. They are no good by the next day. I think it may be based on the state. State regs governing the jabs do differ. A local clinic was offering shots to walk ins some months ago. They had extra doses that they didn't have appointments for. Not quite the same thing.

 

[Miss B]

Very true. I have 3 pharmacies within a 5 or 6 block walk, but I happened to get an appointment for the vaccine I wanted quicker, at one of the pharmacies I only make non-pharmaceutical purchases at, and it happens to only be 2 1/2 blocks from here. So fast appointments, vaccine I wanted, and closer than the other 2. How could I go wrong?

 

[Hornet3d]

I think it's made up. Sorry Hornet, but if the person doesn't show, how do you know someone's just making an appointment with no intention of showing up? I mean, I missed a flight once, but I didn't not show up just so somebody else couldn't fly. I mean, granted, if that is indeed what's happening, I agree with Miss B, that's despicable. But I'm not that cynical yet. I need a little more proof than just speculation.

I do take your point and there is no real way of being sure which is why my quote stated there been reports which there were in the media, but then we know how reliable some sections of the media are. I does however seem clear that certain testing station almost fully booked and a majority of them are no shows so people began to wonder. Add to that some people on social media are bragging they have done just that it adds to the story, but I accept that even that is not poof as some of those claiming to have done so are probably just trying to add favour with selected groups.

 

[eclark1894]

I do take your point and there is no real way of being sure which is why my quote stated there been reports which there were in the media, but then we know how reliable some sections of the media are. I does however seem clear that certain testing station almost fully booked and a majority of them are no shows so people began to wonder. Add to that some people on social media are bragging they have done just that it adds to the story, but I accept that even that is not poof as some of those claiming to have done so are probably just trying to add favour with selected groups.

I will grant you the likelihood that there is some a-hole out there doing such a despicable thing. I will even grant you the likelihood of said a-hole calling a local news station and squealing on himself. I do find it hard to believe that said a-hole could cause such a massive disruption on his own or even with the help of a few "friends". Especially when if you check, it seems that many testing snafus and hospital shortages were actually caused by governments being inept or not doing what they were supposed to do to prepare.

 

[Hornet3d]

I will grant you the likelihood that there is some a-hole out there doing such a despicable thing. I will even grant you the likelihood of said a-hole calling a local news station and squealing on himself. I do find it hard to believe that said a-hole could cause such a massive disruption on his own or even with the help of a few "friends". Especially when if you check, it seems that many testing snafus and hospital shortages were actually caused by governments being inept or not doing what they were supposed to do to prepare.

I agree with you. To make an appointment and not keep to it or cancel it in a reasonable period of time is unacceptable even in the normal run of things but to do it with the aim it is to prevent others from taking that appointment is an whole new low. Point is that it was reported that some people were sinking that low which I think is unfortunate if true. The impact that behaviour would have I would expect to be so low that is it almost irrelevant, the jab that would have been used during that appointment would almost certainly be used on another patient whether they were booked or had just walked in.

It does add another category to the groups that seem to deal on the misery of others though such as scammers and the like.

 

[Terre]

I would love to be able to lock up the scammers and such so they stop causeing problems. Too many people being hurt and when you prey on people dealing with health care that makes it worse.

 

[unreal]

I will grant you the likelihood that there is some a-hole out there doing such a despicable thing. I will even grant you the likelihood of said a-hole calling a local news station and squealing on himself. I do find it hard to believe that said a-hole could cause such a massive disruption on his own or even with the help of a few "friends". Especially when if you check, it seems that many testing snafus and hospital shortages were actually caused by governments being inept or not doing what they were supposed to do to prepare.

Ultimate snafu here. Hospital SMS'd people a negative result on the 24th. Nearly 1400 people (so far). Day after Christmas, well, turns out they were positive. Big "Oops".

I would think that any of them who went to get togethers pretty much spread it. Hopefully, to no one who will be in danger. Anyone who loses work or life or money that can trace back to event with those people in attendance will be suing. Anyone positive would have had to self-quarantine. The only reason they weren't was because of the result.

Know what I hate about all this (personally, there's a lot to hate, overall)? It's the jumpiness. i have massive hayfever, this time of year. And the weather has been hot cold dry rainy, sometimes all 4 on same day. And I mean 15ºC swings in temp. Poring rain and not a cloud. Which tends to give me colds. So anytime I congest, sneeze, cough, feel sore (and I exercise so I'm sore). And I'm like "omg, do I have Covid?????!

It's starting to wear thin