Impact of the Coronavirus and Self-Isolation

[Halichoeres]

It's just everywhere right now. I wish you fast healing, Takama, Bokisaurus, and Boki's husband.

[DinoToyForum]

I hope you get well soon and don't suffer too much @Takama

My first booster jab is scheduled for this weekend.

[suspsy]

My older son is stuck doing online learning, which is pretty brutal for any Junior Kindergartener. And my younger son's daycare provider has COVID along with her spouse, so he's been home all week as well. Which translates to their father not working at all. Thank goodness I'm in a profession where I can take time off as needed.

On the plus side, both my wife and myself got our boosters last week.

[UK]

Hope you come through quickly @Takama and B @Bokisaurus . I'm still getting over it after testing positive on 23rd December. The fatigue is the worst but I'm hoping a return to work on Monday will be a boost. I'm not a good moper but covid forces you into it.

[Crackington]

Sorry to hear this B @Bokisaurus and @Takama - wishing you a speedy recovery.

Hope you're feeling better now too @UK

The evidence shows that vaccinated people are experiencing less severe symptoms from Omicron, so stay rationale everyone and follow the (science) advice for jabs, boosters, masks etc.

[Shonisaurus]

I suppose that many infections are due to being in contact with many people, in my case I think I am lucky to date but perhaps the cause is due to the fact that I live alone and that is why I have never been infected.

[SRF]

I suppose that many infections are due to being in contact with many people, in my case I think I am lucky to date but perhaps the cause is due to the fact that I live alone and that is why I have never been infected.

Strangely, here in the Netherlands we are in lockdown since December 19 but the number of infections skyrocketed after Christmas. In last couple of days the record number of daily infections has been broken twice. Only super markets and other crucial stores are opened, everything else has been closed for more than three weeks now.

I haven't been caught by COVID yet, but with this Omicron variant all I'm wondering right now is when I'm going to get it. Not if. Luckily I'm getting my booster this Friday.

[JohannesB]

After all the things coming out about the dangers of the Pfizer shot, I am looking to try and get from another company (although I am highly suspicious of Big Pharma in general, especially in this case concerning the Wuhan virus). But only because I am being pressured to do so. Social pressure is indeed enormous. Well, one could die of worse things than a genetically enigeered shot in the arm, I guess.

[bmathison1972]

After all the things coming out about the dangers of the Pfizer shot, I am looking to try and get from another company (although I am highly suspicious of Big Pharma in general, especially in this case concerning the Wuhan virus). But only because I am being pressured to do so. Social pressure is indeed enormous. Well, one could die of worse things than a genetically enigeered shot in the arm, I guess.

As a professional infectious diseases microbiologist for over 20 years, I can tell you there is no danger associated with the Pfizer vaccine (although for Delta, Moderna appeared a bit more effective and effective for a little longer before the third dose).

[Libraraptor]

@JohannesB  This kind of cynisism is unwanted. It lampoons people who actually DID die and their relatives in my opinion. Plus I think calling the virus the Wuhan virus is probably not the most sensitive thing to do, either.  It is unwanted, too. Take this as a warning and stop provocating, please.

[DinoToyForum]

I had the Pfizer vaccine for my first two doses, and also for my booster at the weekend. And now, thankfully, I'm vaccinated against Covid-19. Just as I was already vaccinated against tuberculosis, hepatitis A & B, whooping cough, polio, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, and so on. And I'm grateful for every one.

@JohannesB – baseless scaremongering like that is not only insensitive, it could kill people. Because of the seriousness of this issue I am immediately introducing a new rule to stop this line of discussion in its tracks:

Do not promote or endorse anti-vaccination, medicine conspiracies, or other anti-scientific misinformation about healthcare.

Thanks for your understanding.

[Dusty Wren]

Thank you for that, @dinotoyforum. Well said.

[JPuggy]

In a few weeks I will be getting my first booster shot! As always, condolences to those who have lost people to the pandemic. Hopefully 2022 will end the threat, once and for all.

[Stegotyranno420]

My school might go back to distance learning after having in-person again for months. Many kids are getting the Coronavirus and having to go home.
They also gave each student self at-home tests.

On a related note, one of my teachers is making a big fuss about vaccines and masks. She tries to convince students multiple times to not wear mask. For instance, there was a student who was feeling awfully tired, and when he notified the teacher, and in short my teacher basically said the it was the lack of fresh air caused by the mask that caused him his troubles.
I also notified other teachers and they were as disgusted as I was about the situation.
I think she is currently is in some kind of argument with the school and isn't showing up to classes or putting in exam grades, or any grades for that matter. We had substitutes since November...

[Shonisaurus]

Thanks to vaccines, not only the main vaccine but also the booster vaccines, many deaths are being avoided, the incidence of infections is high but the number of deaths is lower, I have a co-worker who unfortunately lost her brother and brother-in-law. The Covid has been terrible in the years 2020 and 2021, let's hope that 2022 will remain as one more minor disease like the flu.

[Brontozaurus]

I suppose that many infections are due to being in contact with many people, in my case I think I am lucky to date but perhaps the cause is due to the fact that I live alone and that is why I have never been infected.

Strangely, here in the Netherlands we are in lockdown since December 19 but the number of infections skyrocketed after Christmas. In last couple of days the record number of daily infections has been broken twice. Only super markets and other crucial stores are opened, everything else has been closed for more than three weeks now.

I haven't been caught by COVID yet, but with this Omicron variant all I'm wondering right now is when I'm going to get it. Not if. Luckily I'm getting my booster this Friday.

We had a similar explosion here in Australia after Christmas/New Years, though we only had restrictions rather than a full-on lockdown. It really speaks to how infectious omicron is that lockdown barely puts a dent in it, though that we just had a major time for social gatherings probably didn't help.

I ended up catching it at New Years (ironically, after years of limiting travel to avoid infection, at a pub over the road from my house). Thankfully it ended up a very mild infection, just an annoying flu for a few days, but if I hadn't been fully vaccinated I'm sure it'd have been much worse. The first thing I did in my week of isolation was to book my booster shot for February, and hopefully between that and immunity from the infection I'll be covid-proof for a while yet!

[Faelrin]

I'm late to this but wishing both @Takama and B @Bokisaurus swift recovery, along with anyone else here dealing with this terrible virus.

I also really appreciate @Libraraptor and @dinotoyforum putting their foot down on this issue. Much respect to you both for doing that, because as you said it is getting people killed, not only just those contracting covid, but people unable to be hospitalized for other serious issues because of the shortage of beds and staff due to such a huge influx of covid positive patients (and there's enough data out there showing now that tends to largely be from unvaccinated people). Let's also not forget the huge strain on the healthcare system this is taking overall, particularly for healthcare workers, which has only gotten worse with Omnicron's higher transmission rate.

As far as local stuff goes, several hospitals are already at full capacity in some areas of my state. Some counties had as high as 40% of capacity used from covid positive patients alone, just within the last week or so. It is getting out of hand. The daily reported cases are breaking new records in the past two years in my state, and there's no telling how many more could be out there because of how hard it is to get tested here these days, or from those using at home kits (if they can successfully get their hands on them, many places are frequently out of stock), but not reporting it through official channels. I truly feel for the healthcare workers (including those that are members here) that are having to deal with this nightmare day after day, never mind all those that have lost their lives throughout all of this since it started.

[Shonisaurus]

I am very isolated from television and I only find out about the news in general on the Internet, but my work colleagues have just told me that in Spain yesterday more than 100 people died from covid-19 and on Tuesday more than 200 people died, so that the virus continues to hit very hard unfortunately. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1000 people have died in Spain, it is the sad reality.

[Grimbeard]

The omicron variant starts to spread like wildfire here in Germany, some Public Health Departments have already given up tracking.

AS @SRF said, by now it more of a "when" you get infected instead of a "if".

Thankfully I got my booster shot in mid-december, all of my friends and family members have their booster shot by now as well. In my opinion, this is the best thing you can do right now: get the maximum amount of vaccine protection for you and everyone you care about so when the Virus hits you and them, the consequences are as mild as they can possibly be decreased to.

The lockdown didnt me effecte me personally as much as a lot of other people. I am a rather introverted person and being force to have a reduced active social circle and be alone for longer periods of time is actually plays into my personality.

I am also worried how this pandemic is changing and dividing society in general, at least here in Germany. I have cut my ties with some people ( one guy I have know for 15 year by now) who have fallen pretty deep into the conspiracy rabbithole: rejecting everything scientific or mainstream when it didnt fit them, their revealing sides of their personalities I have never though possible.

I hope this will decline once the pandemic is over/cooled down, but I somehow doubt it. 

Anyways, I hope you all stay stay and healthy and my best wishes to everyone who is currently infected.

[Libraraptor]

As a fellow German I agree, @Grimbeard. Let us keep calm and peaceful. We must not have ourselves infected by disrupters and deniers.