I would be interested in joining, but I am a progressive Christian, not a conservative one. Wasn't sure if that was permissible? (I do love a good conversation though!)

I saw someone linked to an article about % of kids that are likely to get covid once school starts, both with and without mask mandates. I cannot find it now. Can anyone help me out?

Yeah, I recall probably two other names, but I don't have a clear identity for her before a couple years ago. And all of those identities seemed to struggle with depression. So, as someone who also struggles with depression, I worry.

Because she also posts a whole lot of other stuff. She has been here for more than a decade. She posts about her kids, her husband, her house, her yard, her dogs, her writing, her yoga, her walking, her faith. We know a lot about @ktgrok. She gets (understandably, justifiably) frustrated about her area and the lack of anyone taking covid seriously, but we're not worried that she's clinically depressed. You sound hopeless and despairing, and honestly, that's 90% of what we know about you. So, we worry. Because a lot of us have been there, and we don't want anyone else to go there. Maybe you should watch "West Wing." We've been in the hole before, and we want you to find a way out.

I do think there has been a mixture of both *the variants changing the game* and also *noble messaging/ lying for the "public good."* The variants changed the game in that while the initial goal of vaccine development was to prevent severe disease/ death/ hospitalization, fairly early on, it became apparent that at least the mRNA vaccines actually prevented disease. So the messaging rightly changed to "Good news! Not only will the vaccines prevent you from dying, but they will prevent you getting infected and spreading covid!" And that did inspire a lot of people to get vaccinated. But then the variants changed, and that was no longer the case. People could get infected after vaccination and spread it. That wasn't a case of public health screwing up or moving goalposts or being wishy-washy. That was a case of things changing because the virus changed. On the other hand, there have been some clear examples of noble lies designed to engineer public behavior. In March 2020, when the CDC said that healthy people shouldn't wear masks, that was a lie. Those of us who were reading reports knew that masks reduced spread when worn by everyone. The CDC made that announcement because they were worried about people hoarding masks and there not being enough PPE for health care workers. It was a lie, and it did damage public trust, especially since they've never repented and said, "We lied. We screwed up." When the CDC said that vaccinated people did not need to wear masks, that was....not exactly a lie, because at the time, in most parts of the country, viral transmission levels were low enough that it probably was not critical for vaccinated people to do so. But it was misleading, because we KNEW Delta was coming; we KNEW it would change the game, and rolling back that guideline only to need to reinstate it (with a super confusing check the viral spread every day and wear one if you're in an area of significant or high transmission), it made people feel that there had been a bit of a bait and switch. And they're not wrong. The CDC rolled back the masking for vaccinated people rule based largely on an attempt to get more people vaccinated, but it has contributed to distrust.

The Red Cross is no longer testing for covid antibodies. The blood test only showed previous infection, not current ones, anyway.

So, I donate blood every 8 weeks (give or take things like my donation day was the day after I had my second covid shot, so I waited another 8 weeks because the location where I donate only offers it on 8 week cycles). I've gotten information about my antibody status; they can tell that I have been vaccinated but have not been infected with covid because of the kinds of antibodies I have. That said, the Red Cross is suspending covid antibody testing. Not sure why; maybe they've suspended the convalescent plasma thing?

Right. I mean, it's very clear that the vast majority of the population has never played much D&D. Role players know that 2% of things, when they are things that happen pretty often, happens a lot of times. I don't know any role players who aren't freaked out about the 1-2% chance of death or the higher % of hospitalization.

We went out of town for two weeks, and our cats were miserable, even tho we had folks coming in to feed them. Obama the cat ran away and didn't come back at all the whole first week. When we got home, he wrapped his paws around my husband's neck and wouldn't stop head butting him. I'm quite sure that cats do not live only in the moment. They anticipate things and get anxious about things. I think dogs are even more....involved in the human world.

We've been mostly wearing Happy Masks, although I just got an Enro mask, and it seems to fit my younger kid better, and they're also highly rated in testing and also machine washable. Now that N95s are back, I'm considering buying some to have in case we have to do something high risk like go to the ER or something, but for our grocery trips and for when the kids go to school, I think we're going to stick with Happy Masks/ Enro.

I think Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain might be a good place to start?

@ktgrok, I'm on a facebook group for All About Reading, and your YouTube channel got a shoutout from someone looking for recommendations for a kid who is struggling!

But what is the alternative? I mean, obviously I don't want anyone going around covid positive, but if someone has mild symptoms and takes two tests a few days apart and both are negative, it seems reasonable to assume you're negative and resume normal life after symptoms have resolved and not quarantine family members for 2 weeks following your last symptom? Unless everyone is testing every day, which would be really good but really expensive, I don't know how to avoid it practically speaking? What should the protocol be?

I've noticed recently that a lot of places that I think of as fast casual, where you don't have wait staff bringing food/ drinks, are requesting tips when you pay by credit card. In places I've been in the last six weeks or so, Subway, Chipotle, and the ice cream stand all had it. I tend to give a 15% or 18% tip when asked at places like that, whereas at sit down restaurants, I always do at least 20%. But it got me thinking: are the sandwich makers at Subway or the people who scoop ice cream paid regular minimum wage, or are they getting the pitiful $2? Because if that's the case, I should be tipping at least 20% there, too. Anyone have any idea? What is the right thing to do?

Congratulations, Trinqueta!!!!

I would get some of the home tests and test again. If he's negative 5 days after symptoms, I would say it was probably cold/ sinus/ something else. There are other things out there as well as covid.

ARG! That's awful!

Yup. My oldest had a nervous breakdown in the fall of their sophomore year in high school. We pulled them out of school, got on meds/ kept up counselor, and started classes at community college and were pretty stable when covid hit in March. Then transferred to new private high school but was virtual all of junior year. At some point, this kid needs to be in person before going away to college. And also to do in the car driver's ed. I don't see a way around SAT/ ACT for merit for college....we put stuff off all junior year because of pandemic.

Well, there's also the 12-16 yo's now, too. But yeah, teens mostly.

My husband works for the big hospital system here, so I've had some access to things like ICU utilization % throughout the pandemic, and it's always been 95% full. Now, we service a huge area, but even when there were no covid patients in the hospital, the ICU was pretty full. It's not profitable for ICU spaces to sit empty. This has always made us look kinda bad on the covid act now stats, because it is a big ding in local numbers. That said, numbers are rising precipitously.

I'm not sure we can compare what was safe and worked last year with what is safe and will work this year. Delta is just so incredibly more contagious than OG covid. We're all vaccinated, and we'll get boosters as soon as we can. But I don't think I can keep my kids home another year. I figure the odds are high that we'll get covid, even with masking in public/ at school. But I think I have to send them.

Are there not people in China who don't have phones?

Honestly, I think the risk is low with a fully vaccinated person wearing an N95 on a plane. I think a rapid test 3 days and a week out is probably reasonable, but I don't think it's necessary for her to quarantine in a separate location for two weeks or anything.

I struggle with knowing how much to tell my kids about what things were like growing up. We've talked about my mom a bit, in relationship to what it's like for them to interact with her, but I haven't told them about some of the more egregious stuff. And my mom isn't a narcissist. She's just.....I dunno, confusing. She will say things and five minutes later deny she said them. It makes me always doubt my memories and my reality, and it's entirely likely that I am wrong about some stuff. It's just all kinds of awkward. Even though my kids are older, I just am reluctant to tell them too many details about bad things that happened to me. I'm not sure that that's right or not. I started off not telling them because they were little and I didn't want to damage their belief that people are innately good. But at some point I probably should tell them. I guess. It's just awkward to bring up now.

Heck, it might be worth paying for internet for the house for a month! But yes, I'd send him with a thermometer, pulse ox, and some tylenol/ ibuprofen as well as the Vitamin D, C, B, zinc, quercetin, NAC, turmeric, melatonin protocol, and I'd ask about taking baby aspirin. It's possible there are other supplements recommended, but those are the ones I remember.