COVID-19/Coronavirus Information and Support Thread (see OP for useful links)

[Outspacer]

It really couldn't be more stark. Source is ICNARC report 2021-12-24, p45.

Of course that was Delta. We'll have to wait a long time for data reflecting Omicron to be as solid but so far there are no signs that the ratio shown above will be less obvious - albeit with much lower numbers all round, hopefuilly.

 

[Jezza819]

Can you let his manager know how short-staffed you are due to his "great decision-making"?

No what I think the only fair thing to do is for each day they've been out, we get a day added to our paid vacation allotment. I get three weeks per year. I would love to have another 5 or 6 days added to my vacation time. I think that's only fair. It should be looked at as a reward for being an intelligent responsible employee.

 

[TB]

Feel free to plug the place and location...?

Amazingly, most people are pretty good about leaving their masks on at airports and when getting on planes. The problem is that everyone gets around to eating and drinking if the flight's at least an hour, so it's kind of pointless. The flight attendants aren't really policing these things much anymore, unless someone's acting up.

Maybe it's a good thing we just flew on Frontier since they're too cheap to give you anything during a 4 hour flight.

But yes, a very large majority are wearing their masks in the airports and planes, and more importantly, they're wearing them correctly.

 

[Touring Mars]

One of my oldest and best friends whose boys both tested positive last week but were looking forward to ending their isolation in the next few days, has just tested positive himself and he is absolutely gutted. He has been pretty open about how the whole pandemic has affected him and so we are all saddened by this second blow that will ensure that his entire holiday season has been wrecked - and then he faces the prospect of home schooling at the end of it, which both he and his wife (who have very demanding jobs) found very hard the last time around.

I so wish I could just dive round to his house with a pack of cards, my 'Dude'-style White Russian kit and make a night of it, but alas that will not happen for some time yet.

-

However, one bit of good news to report... my Dad got home today, just under 6 weeks after suffering a cardiac arrest on a public bus. His recovery has astonished everyone - 90% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests result in death, and survivors are very likely to suffer from serious brain injury. My Dad has suffered some brain injury, but today he walked up four flights of stairs to enter his own apartment for the first time since his cardiac arrest. At 79, he has confounded expectations and just 6 weeks later has already made a 'meaningful recovery' and is delighted to be home.

We are relieved that he is coming out of hospital just as the Omicron wave strikes though... we were glad when he got moved out of A&E, but it is even more of a relief for him to be out of hospital all together. It seems Dad has dodged a few bullets - last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, he and his buddy were in Spain and his pal had a heart attack. Amazingly, after treatment in Spain, the pair flew out of Spain on the same day that Spain closed its borders - hours later and both of them would have been stuck in Spain as the first wave hit. Ironically, my Dad was in the pub with that very same pal just hours before my Dad's cardiac arrest. But, thanks to a medic on the bus who performed CPR on him, Dad not only survived but has also recovered well enough to be back home before Hogmanay - and COVID-free.

 

[Outspacer]

@Touring Mars - obviously, the like is for the second part - brilliant to hear that your Dad's out, and doing really well by the sounds of it!

As for the first... I guess that was the plan - leaders won't ruin the holidays, they'll just stand aside and let Omicron do it for them... ingenious!

 

[Jezza819]

The Mayo Clinic is urging people to ditch the cloth masks:

Mayo Clinic asks all patients and visitors to wear surgical/procedural masks - Mayo Clinic News Network

Updated 12-30 for additional clarity Due to the growing wave of infection from the omicron variant and the urgent need to strengthen all layers of protection against COVID-19, Mayo Clinic is asking all patients and visitors to wear surgical/procedural masks. Several studies have demonstrated the...

newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org

The Ontario Science Advisory Table is saying the same thing too:

If you're still wearing a single layer cloth mask 'ditch it,' head of Ontario's science table says

If you are using a single-layer cloth mask to protect yourself from a new COVID-19 variant that is believed to be up to six times as infectious as Delta 'ditch it, full stop.'

toronto.ctvnews.ca

It makes sense considering there's been more and more research being done that suggests that cloth masks might fair as well against Omicron. For those who don't want to wear a surgical mask, or can't like me, they make cloth masks that allow you to put a surgical mask inside of it. Also, for cloth masks, you'll want to make sure they fit properly since so many of the ones you see on Etsy and whatnot are awful. You can loop the strings before putting it around your ears and that will seal it better to your face. In addition, don't be afraid to try a myriad of different masks. It took me some trial and error to find one that worked with my beard and still provided coverage.

If you're also like me and wear glasses, visit your local SCUBA shop and get the anti-fog stuff that divers put on their masks. It works great and I've been using it for some time now.

KN95 or N95 masks will still be your best defense, but those are uncomfortable to wear for any length of time without ear savers.

===

In other news, hospitalizations are going HAM in most of the country. In DC hospitalizations are up 168% over the last 14 days with a 796% increase in cases and they still haven't felt the Xmas surge yet. Also, going by the US data you're 5x more likely to get COVID if you're unvaccinated and 13x more likely to die.

The "hottest" spot in the country right now is arguably Florida where Miami-Dade has seen a whopping 1,800% increase in cases. There are some oddities though due to population and test lagging, which leaves some areas of Puerto Rico with a 20,000% increase. If you see news stories (or your Uncle Steve posting on Facebook to show vaccines don't work), just be aware that the data is pretty skewed coming from those areas.

The NYT has a pretty good breakdown of all the data:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

It's sufficient to say that this isn't going well.

Thankfully, it's now thought that 2022 will be the end of the pandemic:

Acute phase of pandemic could end in 2022-WHO

The acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic could end next year but the coronavirus will not disappear, the World Health Organization's Mike Ryan said on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

However, it doesn't mean COVID will go away, it'll just end up being another virus that causes something similar to the common cold. With a vaccine though, getting a yearly shot should prevent some of us from getting it or at least reducing how crappy it makes us feel. I could see Pfizer expanding its mRNA vaccine to cover other viruses that cause the common cold as well. We could very well be on the cusp of having a realistic prevention for the cold and that would be a historical breakthrough in medical science.

===

As for what it's like in the hospital at the moment based on my experience. It's a complete cluster. I saw more patients yesterday be absolute scumbags than I've seen in probably my entire 10 years of being in healthcare. And this is coming from someone who once worked in a clinic where the doctor was arrested for dealing drugs and having to tell those patients to take a hike or we were calling the police. I was called some pretty unique insults when I told people to put their masks over their nose and mouth since Mormons do their best not to swear but still want to get their point across. The best? A suburban mom said I was an "empty-headed fetcher". It took my whole being not to say:

So ya be safe for New Year and use your head. You don't want to catch the fetching rona.

This is the disposable types of masks right? Throw away at the end of the day? If it is, actually I would rather have those types than be washing them all of the time.

 

[Blitz24]

I have 3-ply masks that are cloth but I'm not sure if those are what is being referenced here.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I'd rather wash my cloth one once or twice a week than keep throwing more stuff into the landfill. Who knows how many disposable masks I have seen blowing around in parking lots or on the road.

 

[UKMikey]

We are relieved that he is coming out of hospital just as the Omicron wave strikes though... we were glad when he got moved out of A&E, but it is even more of a relief for him to be out of hospital all together. It seems Dad has dodged a few bullets - last year, at the beginning of the pandemic, he and his buddy were in Spain and his pal had a heart attack. Amazingly, after treatment in Spain, the pair flew out of Spain on the same day that Spain closed its borders - hours later and both of them would have been stuck in Spain as the first wave hit. Ironically, my Dad was in the pub with that very same pal just hours before my Dad's cardiac arrest. But, thanks to a medic on the bus who performed CPR on him, Dad not only survived but has also recovered well enough to be back home before Hogmanay - and COVID-free.

That's great news - I hope you were able to get in touch with that guy and show your appreciation.

I was lucky enough to go into cardiac arrest while in a speeding ambulance on the way to the hospital - I had no idea the survival rate was so low.

 

[Spacegoat]

Everything looks to be going fine down here...



We also seem to be taking on the Trump suggested method of less testing = less cases.

 

[Fat Tyre]

Everything looks to be going fine down here...



We also seem to be taking on the Trump suggested method of less testing = less cases.

Yep yep and also had their own original ideas such as "Let's just change the definition of a close contact to only family members and if having been at an exposure site for four hours or more (insert Mento's smile)!"

What is funny is that just three days ago on the news they were saying Australia is to be expected to reach the 10.000 daily cases soon. And the next day NSW alone recorded about 11.000 cases. Today their daily case count was of 21.000 which was a figure that was expected to be reached through modelling in a month's time and Australia as a whole recorded more than 32.000 cases today.

Meanwhile Perrotet and co. keep gaslighting the people saying the healthcare system is in good shape but this email that leaked suggests otherwise. The only good thing is that we have a huge percentage of the population that is vaccinated so that will certainly help but if numbers continue to climb at this rate it might still get ugly.

The Premier says NSW is in a 'strong position' with COVID. A leaked email from a hospital suggests otherwise

Soaring COVID-19 hospitalisations have left one of Sydney's largest hospitals in an "extremely vulnerable" position over the next few days, according to a leaked email obtained by the ABC.

www.abc.net.au

 

[TexRex]

 

[Imari]

Yep yep and also had their own original ideas such as "Let's just change the definition of a close contact to only family members and if having been at an exposure site for four hours or more (insert Mento's smile)!"

What is funny is that just three days ago on the news they were saying Australia is to be expected to reach the 10.000 daily cases soon. And the next day NSW alone recorded about 11.000 cases. Today their daily case count was of 21.000 which was a figure that was expected to be reached through modelling in a month's time and Australia as a whole recorded more than 32.000 cases today.

Meanwhile Perrotet and co. keep gaslighting the people saying the healthcare system is in good shape but this email that leaked suggests otherwise. The only good thing is that we have a huge percentage of the population that is vaccinated so that will certainly help but if numbers continue to climb at this rate it might still get ugly.

The Premier says NSW is in a 'strong position' with COVID. A leaked email from a hospital suggests otherwise

Soaring COVID-19 hospitalisations have left one of Sydney's largest hospitals in an "extremely vulnerable" position over the next few days, according to a leaked email obtained by the ABC.

www.abc.net.au

We're definitely in the "let 'er rip" phase of their plan, and the only question is how long the politicians can keep up the facade that this is all planned and going to be perfectly fine.

 

[Fat Tyre]

We're definitely in the "let 'er rip" phase of their plan, and the only question is how long the politicians can keep up the facade that this is all planned and going to be perfectly fine.

We certainly have and their tricks to keep up this facade as you say are already paying off. Today in NSW they reported 3000 less positive cases, so about a drop of 15% from the day before but obviously it was going to happen if you now only allow people (or strongly recommend) with symptoms to be tested. So from now on daily positive numbers will be practically meaningless. And for the average person who only glances at headlines that will give them a false sense of security which surely will translate into acting in a more laxed manner, then cases will go up even more, etc.

What's troubling me is that most people I speak to think that since Omicron is the prevalent strain, they have no chance of getting Delta or some other one. As if they would no longer be circulating throughout the community.

 

[05XR8]

To me, just looks like ”they” are only looking at deaths, as opposed overall infections.

 

[ToyGTone]

I'm afraid that i might have caught covid 19 somewhere somehow...

It started out as some minor sore throat before progressively becoming worse and getting a slightly runny nose and slight fever increase. FYI, I'm fully vaccinated including recieving a booster shot like the last month.

 

[Populuxe]

I'm afraid that i might have caught covid 19 somewhere somehow...

It started out as some minor sore throat before progressively becoming worse and getting a slightly runny nose and slight fever increase. FYI, I'm fully vaccinated including recieving a booster shot like the last month.

Good luck. Hopefully the vaccine and booster will make this a mild case at most.

 

[UKMikey]

Just sent off for a box of 7 lateral flow tests. No one I know is showing symptoms but it's best to be on the safe side. They've really streamlined the process on the gov.uk website using my NHS login. A few clicks and it's in the post. 👍

 

[TJ13]

What's troubling me is that most people I speak to think that since Omicron is the prevalent strain, they have no chance of getting Delta or some other one. As if they would no longer be circulating throughout the community.

Omicron is displacing delta and some science shows that if you are infected with Omicron you have a 4.4 times on neutralizing Delta.
So while possible but the numbers have it more in Omicron will fully replace delta.

Not peer reviewed yet but science shows.

https://www.ahri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MEDRXIV-2021-268439v1-Sigal_corr.pdf

As here in the US we hit almost 600K a day.
I think mainly because of all the places that you need proof of negative test to go in or vaccination or both.
The holidays didn't help at all with travel and every other thing.
Yet Fauci is still thinking that it's as potent as Delta and that they are following science on a 4th booster. 🤦‍♂️

Everything so far is if you have a cold there is a 50% chance it's omicron.
Guess if you have the sniffles go get tested is what they say.

 

[Blitz24]

Omicron is displacing delta and some science shows that if you are infected with Omicron you have a 4.4 times on neutralizing Delta.
So while possible but the numbers have it more in Omicron will fully replace delta.

Not peer reviewed yet but science shows.

https://www.ahri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MEDRXIV-2021-268439v1-Sigal_corr.pdf

As here in the US we hit almost 600K a day.
I think mainly because of all the places that you need proof of negative test to go in or vaccination or both.
The holidays didn't help at all with travel and every other thing.
Yet Fauci is still thinking that it's as potent as Delta and that they are following science on a 4th booster. 🤦‍♂️

Everything so far is if you have a cold there is a 50% chance it's omicron.
Guess if you have the sniffles go get tested is what they say.

Fauci is going based on Israel's data from what I am understanding.

 

[Joey D]

Pfizer booster shots are now available for all patients 12 years of age and older with an updated timeline of 5 months from the previous 6 months. Also, patients aged 5-11 can now get the third dose 28 days after their second dose (different than the booster dose) if they're immunocompromised or had a solid organ transplant.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Multiple Actions to Expand Use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

The FDA amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to take several actions that will expand the use of the vaccine in certain populations.

www.fda.gov

An interesting bit for healthcare workers, Pfizer is switching from a purple top vaccine to a grey top. With the purple tops, the pharmacy had to reconstitute the vaccine and dilute it while the grey tops come prediluated. While not Earth-shattering, it's going to take one potential error out of the equation and save some time for an already depleted pharmacy industry.

 

[TJ13]

Looks like omicron peak is late Jan maybe Early Feb.
Some people are saying that since it's so much like a cold they are saying they got the omicron cold.
As numbers continue to rise Australia is saying to not look at the infections but looking at the severity of those, as high case numbers don't always reflect the severity of it.

All I know is that I hope this one goes through quick and I can eventually go on my trip that has been postponed due to restrictive entry.

 

[Joey D]

I know many people are saying this, but Omicron really isn't like the cold though. If anything, its closest known virus in terms of symptoms is probably the respiratory syncytial virus or pneumonia. Colds rarely land people in the hospital and we're seeing the highest level of hospitalizations since peak Delta.

What's worse is that healthcare systems are now short on tests, monoclonal antibody treatments, a variety of drugs, and staff. So we're seeing a rapid rise in hospitalizations without the equipment or staff to treat people.

And despite what Uncle Bill is 🤬-posting on Facebook, a vast majority of those in the hospital and in the active process of dying are unvaccinated. Vaccinated people do make up a decent amount of the overall case though, but they're mostly laying around at home trying to get over it.

 

[TexRex]

"Some people are saying" isn't meaningful. It wasn't so long ago that some people were ingesting brightly-colored detergent packets.

Edit:



Wow, that sucks. In the terribly unlikely event that this isn't complete ******** and an example of a nobody trying to gain a following by pandering to the stupidest mother****ers on the planet, since it's not happening to the vaccinated, those who are unvaccinated and are experiencing this should probably stay the **** away from us.

 

[eran0004]

Edit:



Wow, that sucks. In the terribly unlikely event that this isn't complete ******** and an example of a nobody trying to gain a following by pandering to the stupidest mother*ers on the planet, since it's not happening to the vaccinated, those who are unvaccinated and are experiencing this should probably stay the * away from us.

I guess that explains why so many unvaccinated people end up in hospital. Vaccinated people are making them sick 🙃.

 

[Fat Tyre]

Looks like omicron peak is late Jan maybe Early Feb.
Some people are saying that since it's so much like a cold they are saying they got the omicron cold.
As numbers continue to rise Australia is saying to not look at the infections but looking at the severity of those, as high case numbers don't always reflect the severity of it.

All I know is that I hope this one goes through quick and I can eventually go on my trip that has been postponed due to restrictive entry.

I have never seen the common cold get the public health system near the brink of collapse.

‘People will die’: doctors warn Covid surge is filling up NSW hospitals

Urgent routine treatment is being cancelled, with capacity closer to limit than officials admit, medics say

www.theguardian.com

I am supposed to have an endoscopy done on Friday and I am required to be tested for Covid tomorrow and isolate until my admission. Today, however, testing was shutdown by 11am or so because testing sites were overwhelmed. I have been waiting for this endoscopy for over a year thanks to the Pandemic and now I am not sure of whether to cancel given the case numbers are so high, I am fearful I will catch it in the hospital and I am currently going through a course of antibiotics (finishing tomorrow) due to an infection. So I am not in optimal health, but then I have had the booster so...

 

[XJ40]

I have never seen the common cold get the public health system near the brink of collapse.

‘People will die’: doctors warn Covid surge is filling up NSW hospitals

Urgent routine treatment is being cancelled, with capacity closer to limit than officials admit, medics say

www.theguardian.com

I am supposed to have an endoscopy done on Friday and I am required to be tested for Covid tomorrow and isolate until my admission. Today, however, testing was shutdown by 11am or so because testing sites were overwhelmed. I have been waiting for this endoscopy for over a year thanks to the Pandemic and now I am not sure of whether to cancel given the case numbers are so high, I am fearful I will catch it in the hospital and I am currently going through a course of antibiotics (finishing tomorrow) due to an infection. So I am not in optimal health, but then I have had the booster so...

I have been lucky in that I dont live in a densely populated area and my health board, although busy, is still able to carry out procedures for people. When I have been in for something, I just follow the normal procedures for sanitizing etc, and I find the doctors and nurses are really on top of hygiene and cleanliness. I wouldn't put off having something you need done because of everything going on. If your hospital can fit you in, go for it. Just be careful of your own hygiene and mask wearing and the medical team will take care of the rest.
I had a camera down my nose (don't watch Total Recall beforehand) and all the equipment was clean and the doctors and nurses were great at explaining to me that it was all sanitized and when to remove my mask etc.

I should add that I had two vaccinations at that point and got boosted after.

 

[Touring Mars]

@Fat Tyre I can only reiterate what @XJ40 says, and don't cancel it. My family and I have been in and out of hospital this month and we're all fine COVID-wise. Many non-urgent procedures are likely to get cancelled or become hard to arrange so take your opportunity to get stuff done sooner rather than later.

 

[Fat Tyre]

@XJ40 @Touring Mars

Thank you both and I am glad Touring Mars that your family made it fine after been through hospital. What you both say sounds sensible. I will keep the appointment, they are just doubts I get. Partially this fear was also from reading on The Guardian (not sure if it is on the articles I shared) that Hospitals are so understaffed that nurses have been made go back to work when being Covid positive if they are not displaying symptoms. But that is in NSW, hopefully here in Victoria that is not happening.

 

[Blitz24]

@Fat Tyre I can only reiterate what @XJ40 says, and don't cancel it. My family and I have been in and out of hospital this month and we're all fine COVID-wise. Many non-urgent procedures are likely to get cancelled or become hard to arrange so take your opportunity to get stuff done sooner rather than later.

I was actually going to say wait for the hospital to cancel it because trying to get it re-scheduled will be a nightmare.