This makes me feel so bad for those kids! I’m just thinking about if it were my kids, and I know that that would freak them out. They would know what it meant, and even though I’ve tried to reassure them that much as were trying to avoid catching Covid, that if any of them caught it, it would likely not be a big deal for them, I still know they would be really worried. They especially wouldn’t want to bring it home to me 😢. i’m glad the boy was masked and hopefully it didn’t pass to anyone else and he will be better soon.

I’m watching your thread for ideas. We’ve really enjoyed this teacher’s zoology Outschool classes for that age: https://outschool.com/classes/exploring-the-galapagos-islands-47aPJjRZ#abksifhh36

I interpreted the headline more as one of awe, not ridicule, fwiw. Can you explain what this means about how it got from quarantine into the community? Are you saying it would have been from a border worker?

I think a lot of people think these drugs that help improve outcomes are a lot more effective than they are. They help, and will save lives, but only for a subset of patients. That's one of the things that frustrates me when people say that vaccines aren't necessary because we have effective treatments. We really don't. I mean, we have treatments that help some people a lot, and save a portion of lives that would otherwise die, but a whole lot of people get treated with these things and still die. I heard a lot about dexamethasone when it was first found to be helpful, and still hear that it is pretty standard for severe cases, but I think it doesn't get a lot of talk in the general public, because it's [usually*] only for use in very ill, hospitalized people, and most people are not ever planning on getting that sick, so it doesn't feel relevant to them. * I say usually because Trump's treatment was unique in that he was given both Regeneron, which is indicated only early in the course of disease, and dexamthasone, which is indicated only late in the course of the disease. Obviously it worked out well for him.

That's really odd! I thought initially that you meant you worked at a church library, or a library in a religious school. I agree with your last sentence.

I feel like this thread is predicated on some kind of weird false dichotomy. I haven’t seen anyone saying that Regeneron is bad or that people who get sick shouldn’t have access to it. Quite the opposite. I don’t think there’s an argument here.

I didn’t see the lies you’re referring to (unless you mean the post where someone said regeneron is costly and not available to everyone? Which, both statements are true.), but thanks for starting this thread. Regeneron is one of the few medications with good evidence of benefit early in the course of disease, and I’d like to see more people be able to get it when needed. The topic of people being unwilling to be vaccinated because EUA, but wanting regeneron and everything and anything available to save their life once they become ill reminds me of this op-Ed letter from a Covid unit doctor I read this morning. This is the same scenario she describes. It’s a sad story. https://news.yahoo.com/op-ed-doctor-covid-unit-162841532.html “This was a common excuse people gave for not getting vaccinated, fearing the vaccine because the Food and Drug Administration had only granted it emergency-use authorization so far, not permanent approval. Yet the treatments he had turned to, antibiotics, monoclonal antibodies and hydroxychloroquine were considered experimental, with mixed evidence to support their use. The only proven lifesaver we’ve had in this pandemic is a vaccine that many people don’t want. A vaccine we give away to other countries because supply overwhelms demand in the U.S. A vaccine people in other countries stand in line for hours to receive, if they can get it at all. “Well," I said, “I am going to treat you with, remdesivir, which only recently received FDA approval.” I explained that it had been under an EUA for most of last year and had not been studied or administered as widely as COVID-19 vaccines. That more than 353 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the U.S. along with more than 4.7 billion doses worldwide without any overwhelming, catastrophic side effects. “Not nearly as many doses of remdesivir have been given or studied in people and its long-term side effects are still unknown,” I said. “Do you still want me to give it to you?” “Yes” he responded, “Whatever it takes to save my life.” It did not work.

Fantastic update! Way to go you, for writing all those emails!

It’s eaten two of my replies today. The most recent was regarding the stomach bug transmission and when I went to try again, it did not restore my continent. No matter, because @popmomsaid pretty much everything I had said in my post (except that yikes, if there’s a new stomach bug that is airborne, I’m never going to stop masking 😱).

I’m rooting hard for you guys!

I haven’t seen anything yet about the most common index case in breakthrough Delta infections, but with the people I know, it keeps being the unvaccinated kids who are the index cases. Would be interesting to know just how common that pattern is.

Hopefully they will open it to hypertension and diabetes soon. I read a recent study listing those as two of the most common comorbidities for people with breakthrough infections (hypertension was the most common). I’ve wondered if the reason they haven’t been including those is because so many Americans have one or both of those conditions (especially hypertension) that it would basically open it up to half of all adults.

One thing that struck me about the data from the pediatric Covid study that came out yesterday is that it was from the second half of 2020, way before Delta. I expect the household attack rate is going to look even worse now.

This was tradition for my team sport when I was in high school, except it was like 4 or 5 am. Fortunately, my mom hated the surprise aspect and told me the night before, so I got up extra early, made myself presentable, and got back in bed to wait. I would have been miserable had it happened as a surprise. There was hazing involved in mine as well. The seniors would choose the freshman’s clothes and make them look really stupid—usually underwear worn on top of clothes was involved, but I was a hard no on that and flatly refused. I did wear the other dumb stuff. Then they took us around and made us serenade people on our knees in the grocery store, and that kind of thing. I was actually okay with the rest of it, but it didn’t create any bonding with the others involved, and I would rather have skipped it. The secret Santa kind of things we did on event days were a lot better for bonding, in my opinion. I was also surprised no mention of Covid. We don’t even have anyone else come inside our house or ride in cars with others right now. I’m assuming this will all be done with no masks? I’d let my kid know and then come up with a workable plan. I would question the coach’s judgement though.

I’m noticing that it sounds like those eligible for a third shot didn’t tend to have side effects from either of the first two. That’s interesting to me. I hope this third one gives everyone excellent, lasting immunity.

I see a lot of this. People share a link to something they say supports xyz, but if you actually read the thing they link to, you find it doesn’t say that at all. I don’t know if they don’t actually read the links they share, or if they’re just not understanding what they’re reading.

I got an email from BeHealthy today with an apology and coupon code for running behind and having things go out of stock. They said they had had unprecedented demand in the last couple weeks, and expect to be all caught up and things all restocked within two weeks. For people still looking, Aaron Collins just put out a special video all about kids' masks and has made a separate spread sheet with the data for the kids' ones all in one place. I usually am not a video watcher, but this one he put out was worth it for people wanting to get up to speed on the different kinds of masks and how to make sure they fit. I sent it to my family members. I thought it did an especially good job explaining in a clear way why sometimes more layers (like a multilayer cloth mask with a filter added) can end up performing worse than one that is easier to breathe in, made just of really good filter media. Mask data and sources: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1i06OAItoOwIUaMjElr8mhh0Rw-it6WL-ODIQMZUOQxE/edit#gid=0

Is there a list anywhere keeping track of what universities have what requirements and then that will track how it’s going? I am very eager to know how it goes for the schools that start with a fully vaccinated campus and those that start fully vaccinated plus masks. Really, really hoping that those measures allow for a safe year in person.

In the US, I’ve seen estimates ranging from 40-60%. I think we have some decent numbers for each individual condition, but then it’s hard to know how many are comorbid. If 40% are overweight and 40% have hypertension, it doesn’t mean 80% have those two total. Nor would it be only 40%.

All the epidemiologists I read say the same. Universal masking in schools is expected to make a significant difference in how we get through this Delta wave as schools start. They have pretty depressing predictions of what the pediatric ICU bed situation will be without masking, especially for those too young to be vaccinated.

The home ones and even our local drive through PCR site are easy, just the nostril types. I did one on my 4 year old and he squirmed a bit because I did the full 15 seconds per nostril, but it wasn’t at all painful and it was fine. I would do it again if necessary. Besides the home one on my little one, my adult kids have had several kinds, including the high swab. They didn’t even find that to be an issue. One didn’t mind one bit and the other said it was briefly uncomfortable, but that’s all. I expect people’s anatomy might differ slightly in that area.

That was a study that wasn’t even designed to test which kind of masks worked better. It was a study to test a method for testing masks. They had one mask, a single layer polyester gaiter that had an unexpected result. (I don’t think people should be trying to have a single layer gaiter pass has a mask anyway, but that’s not the point.) It has not been replicated by anyone else. Multiple, multiple statements have been put out explaining that the study does not say what many people are trying to claim it says.

Based on what I’ve seen with multiple family members who have had it with and without the antiviral, I would take it before blisters to be on the safe side. I don’t like taking medications, but I wouldn’t want to take the risk of being too late for the antiviral to work. Those that have taken it in time have had a very easy course of it. I hope you feel better soon!

Can you handle an N95 for what you need masks for? The 3M Aura 9205+ is excellent for not fogging glasses. Otherwise, a KF94 might be your best option. I have only had some glasses fogging outside in very cold weather with one of those.

I’m not personally okay with that scenario with Delta, but the unmasked priest and the singing would be the bigger issue. Talking produces a lot of aerosols, so I would expect the unmasked sermon to be more problematic than the unmasked, but silent, interpreter.