Coronavirus **personal experiences** thread

I’m with you guys in hoping that the pandemic would end with vaccines, but afraid the new variants would change keep things from getting back to normal.

From the CDC, 2020 excess deaths in the US (where I’m from) is about 300,000. I’m still going to wear a mask, and my kids will too when we go to the park and other kids are around. We’re in it together.

I’m confident that we will have a world without masks again thanks to the vaccins (that we owe to great science, great luck and lots of money), starting with the filthy rich parts of the world like the US and the EU, with parts of Africa last in line. The current vaccins still seem fairly effective against the variants that have emerged up until now, and booster vaccins tailormade for new variants will hit the market even faster than the current vaccins because much of the trials can be skipped. As long as there is money, there will be vaccins helping us out.

That is to say, provided there is not a brand new pandemic virus around the corner, many recommendations are out there already but nothing is done yet to close off the routes to humans for new viruses in the make (slow down destruction of natural habitats, decrease human interference with wildlife, overhaul how intensive lifestock farming is organised, etc.)

Humans are the biggest risk here to this coming back time and time again - there are way too many who still take medical advice with less than a pinch of salt, usually the under 25’s or those who believe without question the ramblings of youtube influencers / idiots who continue to mislead great swathes of society, sadly again the under 25’s.
Even more sadly a good portion of the ethnic/religious groups who are at most risk of serious complications still refuse to have vaccines point blank. The problem again here is misinformation, or twisted information. I worry greatly for these people, but nothing it seems will convince them - not even the higher risk or death.
It will be what it will be, and there is little we can do about it apart from to some degree, look after ourselves - you cannot force others to have vaccinations.

I was talking to my neighbour yesterday about the jabs and this minute amount of deaths through brain blood clots, she’s a retired nurse and is volunteering doing the jabs now - she believes everyone should be forced to have the vaccine, tiny risk or not…… I asked her what she’d do if people refused, she said lock them up! yeah right! covid prisons, or maybe an island of covid vaccine refusers…. what goes on in peoples heads? :person_facepalming: I get she was probaly kinda joking, but in reality what would we do? make special zones in our society where they can and can’t go? jobs they can and can’t do? serious question.
I would never back compulsory vaccines, but for sure if people refuse the vaccines and currently work in say healthcare or old peoples homes it is clear they cannot continue to do that job unless they go to work with some sort of proper sealed mask on all day, and that just wouldn’t work. There are for sure some big questions regarding work etc to be answered in the next year, and I have no idea what those answers can be.

We eradicated smallpox by vaccinating. I believe that was compulsory and that for decades infants had to be vaccinated at birth. The parents of a few friends when I was young, had pox-marked skin; quite bad because they had not been vaccinated.

Yep, I remember growing up in the 1950s there were a lot of people around with smallpox craters on their skin.
If you’re too young to remember, you should look it up to understand why great effort went into eradication.

https://www.google.com/search?q=smallpox+face+skin

In Coronavirus news:

EXCERPT

“… . public health officials are deeply worried that future iterations of the virus may be more resistant to the immune response, requiring Americans to queue up for regular rounds of booster shots or even new vaccines.

“We don’t have evolution on our side,” said Devi Sridhar, a professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. “This pathogen seems to always be changing in a way that makes it harder for us to suppress.” …”

Agreed Don, I’m not old enough to remember it but I know about it. But that was a 1 off vaccine.
This (covid) however is a bit different. It is mainly older people, 60+ that are at risk of death here (which is a smaller slice of the population) whereas smallpox affected anyone of any age. Even considering that, the death rate has to some degree been due to not enough beds being available with respirators and trained medics, and knowledge about it and this has changed dramatically now - and of course stupidity - like here in the UK transferring all those old people out of hospital to old peoples homes, where many perished needlessly. A good portion of those deaths could have been avoided if we’d been more prepared equipment wise, and knew what to do/not to do. Many died on beds unable to get on a respirator. I am not condemning the old here, I’m getting that way myself, I am merely stating what I think.

Also, it hit so quick, whilst all our Governments chose largely to ignore the experts advice, largely down to ‘money’ (which there is PLENTY of, just in 1% of the populations pockets) more so the loss of it for the monetary rulers of this world, who lets face it, run the world.
Forcing people to have 1 vaccination to protect them from a disease/virus (like smallpox) that kills indiscriminately as in any age is one thing, forcing people all to have multiple vaccinations over a lifetime to protect mainly the older section of society is well, more of an ask - as we are finding out now. Even knowing the facts a good number just don’t want it for various reasons.
I think so long as the people at most risk have the vaccinations regularly, and we all remain vigilant going forward then it can be ‘controlled’ to a large extent. I hope and pray, anyway.

Of course as discussed above, this virus changes constantly - forcing the population to have 1 vaccination is one thing when/if the current vaccinations lose their effectiveness, where does it end, forcing the population of earth to have 20 vaccinations, 100 vaccinations? that simply is not enforceable, or for that matter doable - or for that matter ‘right’.
Finally viruses have a really good handle on how to get around vaccines, fascinates me how, but they do - you could end up having 100’s of vaccinations over a lifetime just for covid derivatives. Would be VERY different if it were just one jab, but I doubt very much it will be just 1.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2
NEWS FEATURE 18 March 2021
Five reasons why COVID herd immunity is probably impossible
Even with vaccination efforts in full force, the theoretical threshold for vanquishing COVID-19 looks to be out of reach.

EXCERPT

“Herd immunity is only relevant if we have a transmission-blocking vaccine. If we don’t, then the only way to get herd immunity in the population is to give everyone the vaccine,” says Shweta Bansal, a mathematical biologist at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Vaccine effectiveness for halting transmission needs to be “pretty darn high” for herd immunity to matter, she says, and at the moment, the data aren’t conclusive. “The Moderna and Pfizer data look quite encouraging,” she says, but exactly how well these and other vaccines stop people from transmitting the virus will have big implications.

A Third of COVID survivors suffer neurological or mental disorders
“One in three COVID-19 survivors in a study of more than 230,000 mostly American patients were diagnosed with a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months, suggesting the pandemic could lead to a wave of mental and neurological problems, scientists said on Tuesday.”

On a personal note today my oldest daughter and her husband got the first of their 2 Moderna shots (qualifying medical conditions) and my middle daughter got her Johnson and Johnson shot also today (an end-of-day use it or lose it vaccine shot at Walgreens :slight_smile: ). Since my youngest also got her 2nd Moderna shot this week (essential employee) everyone in my immediate family (less our grandchild) has been vaccinated at least partially (my wife and I got our 2nd shot Feb 28).

Needless to say it’s been a great week for us :partying_face:

Feels good, doesn’t it? My wife and I each have both shots behind us. Hasn’t changed things much. Still wear masks and keep our distance. Don’t cost nothing.

I totally agree. I still follow all the recommended guidelines and I wish everyone else would too, vaccinated or not.

:+1:

I will be getting my first COVID-19 shot (Moderna) on Thursday, this time for real.

I live in Riverside County, and everyone aged 16 and up has been eligible for their shots since yesterday.

I am worried about California, though.

The Governor wants to get rid of almost all COVID-19 restrictions by June 15th.

I don't know if that is a good idea or not.

I’m happy to hear you’re getting the 1st shot Thursday :slight_smile: .

Personally I wish that CA would hold off on getting rid of all restrictions so soon but I wish even more that other states would be more conservative on their openings.

Just my opinion of course.

Yep, that's my opinion too, but I understand that it can be a controversial subject.

Pa is picking up the pace. Signed up for a shot on Friday. Moderna.

And, I got my first shot!

I haven't had any side effects so far, but those tend to turn up with the second shot.

I'll be getting that in about four weeks.

My side effects came the next day….

I expect corona shots will be similar to the flu shot

Will require yearly updates
because flu and corona shots, dont produce lifetime immunity

unlike measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccines, that are not needed yearly.

I got the J&J corona vaccine 1 month ago. I dont know how long my body will retain antibodies… 3 months, 6 months, a year?

I would have preferred J&J if it was available since boosters are in the works anyway.

Moderna here, nothing after #1; after #2 I spent 2nd day in bed with 101.7f fever. Next day tired butt no other symptoms. All good now.
Wife had no concerns other than shot location soreness for a couple days.