figmentPez
Staff member
Right now I'm more wearing my mask because of fucking pollen than because of COVID. I am wearing it for both, but pollen seems a more definite threat to my personal well being.
Coronavirus Thread
- Thread starter blotsfan
- Start date
Please stop putting COVID-19 test solution in your eyes and nose, FDA says
FDA says it has received reports that people are injuring themselves with the tests.
arstechnica.com
--Patrick
I wish I could say this surprises me, but I worked retail for too long.Oh COME ON now...RTFM, people!Please stop putting COVID-19 test solution in your eyes and nose, FDA says
FDA says it has received reports that people are injuring themselves with the tests.
--Patrick
The situation in Taiwan over the last few weeks has been... interesting.
Originally we were getting no local infections. The only cases we had were imported cases from overseas, and we generally got maybe 50 to 100 cases per day. To us, at the time, this was an alarmingly high number.
Then inevitably something got through and we saw a few local infections. Not many, just a handful, then two handfuls a few days later, and then the number kept rising. Twenty cases one day, then thirty the next, then fifty the next, then eighty, then a hundred... People started asking if we're going to lock down again like we did last year. Last year the government announced a lockdown when we hit 180 new cases in one day. But this time around the government said no, it's all under control.
Two days ago we had over 400 new cases. Yesterday we had over 500. Today we have more than 700. But the government is stubbornly refusing to go into lockdown mode. And, weirdly enough, it seems like most of the population is nervous but generally supportive of the government's decision not to lock down. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly the government's done an amazing job so far, so there's a widespread sentiment that they've earned the benefit of the doubt, and we can trust them to do what's right. Secondly, despite all these new cases over the last few weeks, there have been remarkably few deaths. I think there's only been like two or three deaths in the last two weeks. Furthermore, virtually all the cases have been mild or asymptomatic, with fewer than 20 cases overall being classified as medium or severe. This may have something to do with Taiwan having decent vaccination rates now.
Still, while the government isn't mandating full lockdowns, many individual organizations and institutions have chosen to err on the side of caution and implement their own measures. For example, some schools that had positive cases have announced remote learning for the next few weeks.
Closer to home, my wife and I decided not to travel back to her hometown for the traditional Tomb Sweeping Festival earlier this month, which was a bit of a big deal to her parents, but they decided we'd made the right choice when it turned out there were a few positive cases on the train we would've taken, and because we would've been in contact with some elderly relatives.
Originally we were getting no local infections. The only cases we had were imported cases from overseas, and we generally got maybe 50 to 100 cases per day. To us, at the time, this was an alarmingly high number.
Then inevitably something got through and we saw a few local infections. Not many, just a handful, then two handfuls a few days later, and then the number kept rising. Twenty cases one day, then thirty the next, then fifty the next, then eighty, then a hundred... People started asking if we're going to lock down again like we did last year. Last year the government announced a lockdown when we hit 180 new cases in one day. But this time around the government said no, it's all under control.
Two days ago we had over 400 new cases. Yesterday we had over 500. Today we have more than 700. But the government is stubbornly refusing to go into lockdown mode. And, weirdly enough, it seems like most of the population is nervous but generally supportive of the government's decision not to lock down. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly the government's done an amazing job so far, so there's a widespread sentiment that they've earned the benefit of the doubt, and we can trust them to do what's right. Secondly, despite all these new cases over the last few weeks, there have been remarkably few deaths. I think there's only been like two or three deaths in the last two weeks. Furthermore, virtually all the cases have been mild or asymptomatic, with fewer than 20 cases overall being classified as medium or severe. This may have something to do with Taiwan having decent vaccination rates now.
Still, while the government isn't mandating full lockdowns, many individual organizations and institutions have chosen to err on the side of caution and implement their own measures. For example, some schools that had positive cases have announced remote learning for the next few weeks.
Closer to home, my wife and I decided not to travel back to her hometown for the traditional Tomb Sweeping Festival earlier this month, which was a bit of a big deal to her parents, but they decided we'd made the right choice when it turned out there were a few positive cases on the train we would've taken, and because we would've been in contact with some elderly relatives.
The same is or was true in large parts of Europe. Case numbers are at all time highs, or quite elevated, or high-and-rising, and yet there are barely any measures being taken.
Omicron has really pushed Covid down to a far more manageable disease; far more transmissible but far less deadly or likely to cause serious symptoms (in vaccinated and boostered populations). Our case count in BE is higher than it was before the beginning of any of our lockdowns, yet we're still not seeing any measures, because the amount of hospitalized people is still far lower ,the number of ICU beds with Covid patients is OK, and the number of deaths are down to more or less "a bad flu season".
What irks/annoys me still is how people just don't seem to be able to take minor measures themselves. Yesterday we went to the zoo; it was great weather and it's Easter holiday here, so it was PACKED. And at a certain moment the power was out, so all ventilation in the indoor parts was out (reptiles, aquarium, South Pole,...) and most of the lighting.
So you're INDOOR in a PACKED, HOT, SMALL environment...And you're still going to look funny at me when I put on a mask? Dude, even without Covid I wouldn't want to be breathing in your sweat and stinky breath. Go away.
Omicron has really pushed Covid down to a far more manageable disease; far more transmissible but far less deadly or likely to cause serious symptoms (in vaccinated and boostered populations). Our case count in BE is higher than it was before the beginning of any of our lockdowns, yet we're still not seeing any measures, because the amount of hospitalized people is still far lower ,the number of ICU beds with Covid patients is OK, and the number of deaths are down to more or less "a bad flu season".
What irks/annoys me still is how people just don't seem to be able to take minor measures themselves. Yesterday we went to the zoo; it was great weather and it's Easter holiday here, so it was PACKED. And at a certain moment the power was out, so all ventilation in the indoor parts was out (reptiles, aquarium, South Pole,...) and most of the lighting.
So you're INDOOR in a PACKED, HOT, SMALL environment...And you're still going to look funny at me when I put on a mask? Dude, even without Covid I wouldn't want to be breathing in your sweat and stinky breath. Go away.
I honestly think the more relaxed govt attitude has less to do with fatality rates and much more to do with overall fatigue and a desire to not piss off voters who would honestly rather get sick with “flu two” than be forced to stay at home, especially what with footage floating around of what “the govt” is doing in Shanghai right now.
—Patrick
—Patrick
I honestly think it's both. Yes, people are tired of lockdowns and masks so the government is trying to avoid those measures. But I do think there is less urgency to it all because this newest wave is so much less dangerous, and the hospitals just aren't as overwhelmed as they once were.
It's case severity driving policy decisions. We don't, from my knowledge, lockdown countries because of Influenza A or B, or Norovirus, so the attitude is why would we do it for omicron? I have to say that I agree with this reasoning, particularly because we have a fairly effective vaccine already available, and hospitalizations have not seen the dramatic rise that would necessitate a lock down. That said, locally there's a segment of the population that instantly clings to negative news about hospitalizations/deaths as if to prove a point. We had 3-4 deaths per day near the end of the last wave, and then we opened up everything, no vaccine or mask mandates, and now they're pointing to 7 deaths a week as indicative of needing to reinstate many of those same measures.
For the people in the back row, I'll say again "Covid Zero is not possible and should not be a goal."
For the people in the back row, I'll say again "Covid Zero is not possible and should not be a goal."
Vaccines and Omicron mean Covid now less deadly than flu in England
Recent rise in hospital admissions shows decision to end restrictions still carries risks
www.ft.com
So long as severity stays low, I'm on the pro "let's get out of the house" side. On the other hand, I'm also on the pro "everyone who can and wants to work from home should work from home. Because it's just...better." I don't really want to ever go back into the office on the regular. For my line of work, it makes absolutely no sense to sell a house and move somewhere for a new job. At my last job, even before Covid, we had a lot of telecommuting because we had people split between offices. Bitch how you will about Microsoft Teams, it's still better than sitting in a conference room with 20 people and trying to hear the other 20 people in the other office on the speakerphone, while everyone looks at a washed out and hard-to-see projected presentation.
If things take a turn for the worse, I'm happy to turtle back up in my dwelling.
This is a perfect mirror to how Australia (and New Zealand) handled this. Being an island is a major advantage, of course.
Possibly related to Krisken's comment:
Bosses Don't Follow Their Own Advice in Returning to the Office
Executives across the world are pushing their employees to return to the office, but only 19% of bosses are fully in-office themselves
www.bloomberg.com
--Patrick
We all are back in the office, but the city council still sessions virtually.Possibly related to Krisken's comment:
Bosses Don't Follow Their Own Advice in Returning to the Office
Executives across the world are pushing their employees to return to the office, but only 19% of bosses are fully in-office themselves
--Patrick
Maybe I'm more cynical, but how many were in the office fully prior to the pandemic?
I'm an executive. And I have a letter on company letterhead saying that I was hired as a fully remote employee and will stay that way. It was actually a bank requirement for my home loan, since I'm buying in a different state that the company is located in.
At my prior job in MD, before COVID, for the last 3 years before the company was sold, my direct boss didn't even come into the office or attend meetings for 3 years. Between me (director of software) and my good buddy who was director of technical ops, we basically ran all of IT, with very little oversight or interference.
<feelsgoodman.png>
At my prior job in MD, before COVID, for the last 3 years before the company was sold, my direct boss didn't even come into the office or attend meetings for 3 years. Between me (director of software) and my good buddy who was director of technical ops, we basically ran all of IT, with very little oversight or interference.
<feelsgoodman.png>
I teach in person and asynchronously. The online courses all fill. The in-person ones barely hit 33% capacity. More to the point, the administrators appear to be more in-person than the faculty and staff right now,
Taiwan hit 2000 new daily infections yesterday.
My department's intern asked if he could start working from home. My company does actually allow remote work if any employee wants to, as long as output level and quality don't suffer, so he's gonna be working remotely now for the time being. I'm staying in the office though because I feel like I need to be here to put out emergency fires when necessary. Also because my Internet connection at home is currently sucking quokka balls.
My department's intern asked if he could start working from home. My company does actually allow remote work if any employee wants to, as long as output level and quality don't suffer, so he's gonna be working remotely now for the time being. I'm staying in the office though because I feel like I need to be here to put out emergency fires when necessary. Also because my Internet connection at home is currently sucking quokka balls.
How 2 years ago.
I'm seeing a lot of emails about staff shortages at my school, too. And more and more kids are calling in sick. California is usually about 2-4 weeks behind the East Coast when there's a surge, which means we should be heading into a new wave of our own right about now...
One of my neighbors in my building's got it. My hot female subordinate's roommate has it. Several students at my wife's school have it.
I've resigned myself to getting it sooner or later, but my wife is still manically disinfecting everything we touch. If we manage to get out of this without getting it, I'm giving her 100% of the credit.
I've resigned myself to getting it sooner or later, but my wife is still manically disinfecting everything we touch. If we manage to get out of this without getting it, I'm giving her 100% of the credit.
My youngest (ex?) step-son caught it 4 times so far that I'm aware of. He's a prison CO
Yeah, I was honestly surprised it took my mother two years to get it as a school teacher.
Sooooo... about that test.
See, the website for the testing service that my doctor uses? It is really non-intuitive. You have to do some hunting to find the latest results.
The lab test they did on Friday wasn't where you'd think it was - under "cultures/testing". It was under the "lab results" pull-down at the top of the page.
Which led me to a result summary PDF that said "Negative for Flu and Negative for COVID."
Good news! I'm just sick.
See, the website for the testing service that my doctor uses? It is really non-intuitive. You have to do some hunting to find the latest results.
The lab test they did on Friday wasn't where you'd think it was - under "cultures/testing". It was under the "lab results" pull-down at the top of the page.
Which led me to a result summary PDF that said "Negative for Flu and Negative for COVID."
Good news! I'm just sick.