wuhan - coronavirus

[Arcadia]

42 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Singapore seem to be always well ahead of everywhere else with this stuff.  Hopefully we’ll follow on time. Though the thought of a Covid vax every four months is not exciting.

From the same news link https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-booster-dose-jabs-5-months-vaccination-moh-2327321

”There is an emerging view among the global clinical and scientific communities that COVID-19 vaccination against the Delta variant is “really a three-dose vaccine, like (for) Hepatitis B”, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at a COVID-19 multi-ministry task force press conference on Saturday.”

[Laura Corin]

46 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

@Ausmumof3Singapore changed to five months for booster eligibility. They use mostly Pfizer and Moderna. 

”SINGAPORE: Eligible individuals will be able to receive their COVID-19 booster jabs five months after completing their second dose, instead of six months. 

"It is evident that waning of antibodies can clearly occur by around six months after the second dose and occur earlier for older groups," the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Nov 20). “

The UK is using 24 weeks as the spacing, so roughly 5 1/2 months.

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/11/the-mass-exodus-of-americas-health-care-workers/620713/

[Ausmumof3]

Numbers are hovering fairly steadily in VIC and NSW for now.  I wonder if that will change with air con weather or if summer will be kind to us.  Outbreak in the NT is still going and they are possibly using army to help with transport and isolation logistics.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-21/nt-covid-update-katherine-robinson-river-binjari-outbreak/100637600

Edited November 21, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[TCB]

46 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/11/the-mass-exodus-of-americas-health-care-workers/620713/

Another consequence that the Covid denying people behaving in jerkish ways haven’t thought about. This whole thing would be a little easier to cope with if you felt like you had support from your community and that everyone was pulling together. I have never seriously considered leaving nursing before, but now it’s more a case of when not if. I just don’t quite have the gumption to do anything right now, so haven’t made a move, but I don’t know if I can take another surge. 

[Laura Corin]

BBC News - Covid: Javid orders review of medical device racial bias
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59363544

[Melissa Louise]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

BBC News - Covid: Javid orders review of medical device racial bias
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59363544

Might be nice if they could add onto this a review of medical device sexism bias eg everything built and tested for the AVG male. 

[ieta_cassiopeia]

On 11/18/2021 at 5:18 AM, Arcadia said:

@Laura Corin Cignpost Diagnostics. 

 

This is especially problematic as people in the UK cannot choose their COVID test lab. It's not even always linked to regional geography. And some of us have very good reason not to want certain forms of biometric data in the hands of anyone who doesn't strictly require it.

Depending on how the investigation goes, it may also reduce the accessibility of testing centres (which in my area is already reducing - from triangulation between different sources, it looks like only about 25% of local cases are being picked up on tests now, from a peak of about 40% in August). 

2 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

Might be nice if they could add onto this a review of medical device sexism bias eg everything built and tested for the AVG male. 

And the disablism review (there's currently a review going on in the UK about why people with autism and learning disabilities end up getting such bad outcomes for pretty much every element of the healthcare system, especially when combined with race and/or gender).

It doesn't appear to be in Laura's original link, but 12% of Black patients assessed by one particular oxiometer model as being in the safe range were in fact in a dangerous range of oxidation. I am surprised nobody thought before that a light-based testing device like an oxiometer might be affected by the amount of light someone's skin reflects...

Also, all British 16- and 17-year-olds will be allowed to get a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine from Monday if they had dose #1 more than 6 months ago. 40-50-year-olds will also be able to get boosters if they got dose #2 more than 6 months ago. I suspect nobody will be able to get a booster at 5 months until everyone's allowed to get a booster in the first place. Eligibility to go to venues with COVID restrictions will continue to be based on doses #1 and #2, without reference to boosters, but this means 16/17-year-olds who get dose #2 no longer have to get tests in order to visit mass events, for example. Also, the four countries have different policies about when the tests can actually be booked; for example, Scotland will not offer the booster to over-40s until all over-50s and clinically extremely vulnerable people are offered it, but England will have more of a free-for-all with online booking.

(I'm keeping a careful eye on this because my current employer is strongly recommending everyone get every COVID and flu vaccine to which they are entitled, and for some of my colleagues both will become a formal contractual requirement from April due to a pay-rise-related contract change).

Edited November 21, 2021 by ieta_cassiopeia

[Laura Corin]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/21/icu-is-full-of-the-unvaccinated-my-patience-with-them-is-wearing-thin?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[Corraleno]

11 hours ago, TCB said:

Another consequence that the Covid denying people behaving in jerkish ways haven’t thought about. 

They just claim that all the healthcare workers are quitting because of the vax mandate, not because of thoughtless jerks like them. That's already a major theme being pushed on anti-vax sites and in social media.

Another current theme is that the reason cases are surging is because vaccinated people are "shedding" virus all over the place. I just saw a post the other day in which a woman insisted she must have caught covid from the one masked and vaccinated person in the office, not from any of the unmasked gatherings of unvaxxed people she'd been around.

And the reason unvaccinated people are dying at much higher rates is because hospitals are killing them with remdesivir and ventilators instead of giving them ivermectin that would cure them, because the government pays hospitals to kill the unvaccinated in order to scare people into getting a shot that will change their DNA/insert a microchip/make them magnetic/make them infertile. They will never ever admit they're wrong, even when they or their loved ones are dying. 

[Ausmumof3]

 

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/coronacast/why-is-indigenous-vaccination-so-patchy/13637534
 

Today’s coronacast - some worrying comments on the impact of US religious groups on indigenous community vaccination rates in Aus.

[Happy2BaMom]

On 11/21/2021 at 1:01 AM, TCB said:

Another consequence that the Covid denying people behaving in jerkish ways haven’t thought about. This whole thing would be a little easier to cope with if you felt like you had support from your community and that everyone was pulling together. I have never seriously considered leaving nursing before, but now it’s more a case of when not if. I just don’t quite have the gumption to do anything right now, so haven’t made a move, but I don’t know if I can take another surge. 

The stories I’m hearing from my HCW extended family/contacts are almost unbelievable…. the amount of abuse (physical, verbal, emotional) being thrown at HCWs right now is INSANE. Much of it is from unvaxxed people* (or their family members) who end up needing the hospital. They are usually entitled and enraged. My cousin recently had a family member (of an admitted unvaxxed person) throw a phone at her head for a 20-min delay in delivering water (another patient was coding). She is routinely yelled at, demeaned, accused of everything nefarious, and told what she should be doing/giving/etc (BTW, she says about half of her patients admit to self-treating with ivermectin before ending up at the hospital**, so so much for the wonder drug….). 

Staffing levels are truly dangerous almost everywhere (especially with nurses), more staff are constantly leaving or looking to leave, and so many nurses are traveling that there’s a dearth of experienced teams who know their hospital and how to work with their coworkers. From what I hear, you really want to avoid ending up in the hospital right now. I’m convinced our health care system is in the early stages of collapse. 

And now we’re facing a fourth wave. 

*The remaining abuse comes from the mentally ill population and just jerks in general. 

**This also means that they delay coming to the hospital, which then means it’s too late for them to receive the antibodies when they do come. Which makes me wonder how much the new antiviral pills (which I believe are also time-sensitive) are gonna help these people. 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Happy2BaMom
adding a thought

[Soror]

17 hours ago, Corraleno said:

They just claim that all the healthcare workers are quitting because of the vax mandate, not because of thoughtless jerks like them. That's already a major theme being pushed on anti-vax sites and in social media.

Another current theme is that the reason cases are surging is because vaccinated people are "shedding" virus all over the place. I just saw a post the other day in which a woman insisted she must have caught covid from the one masked and vaccinated person in the office, not from any of the unmasked gatherings of unvaxxed people she'd been around.

And the reason unvaccinated people are dying at much higher rates is because hospitals are killing them with remdesivir and ventilators instead of giving them ivermectin that would cure them, because the government pays hospitals to kill the unvaccinated in order to scare people into getting a shot that will change their DNA/insert a microchip/make them magnetic/make them infertile. They will never ever admit they're wrong, even when they or their loved ones are dying. 

This is what I've heard. The only reason HCW's are quitting is because of mandates and something about they don't like what they are having to do to people (not sure what that part means).

[hshibley]

I’ve also heard from friends who are hcw it’s pay. Nurses are taking loads of abuse from the unvaccinated who end up hospitalized and travel nurse pay is really high. Might as well take a contact and get higher pay if you have the flexibility to be able to do so. 

[Corraleno]

4 hours ago, Soror said:

This is what I've heard. The only reason HCW's are quitting is because of mandates and something about they don't like what they are having to do to people (not sure what that part means).

They think the "good" HCWs are quitting because they don't want to participate in murdering people with remdesivir and ventilators, which means the only HCWs left are the evil ones who know what's happening and willingly participate. Not only does it absolve them of any responsibility for the loss of HCWs, it justifies treating the remaining HCWs like crap if they end up hospitalized.

[TCB]

7 hours ago, Happy2BaMom said:

The stories I’m hearing from my HCW extended family/contacts are almost unbelievable…. the amount of abuse (physical, verbal, emotional) being thrown at HCWs right now is INSANE. Much of it is from unvaxxed people* (or their family members) who end up needing the hospital. They are usually entitled and enraged. My cousin recently had a family member (of an admitted unvaxxed person) throw a phone at her head for a 20-min delay in delivering water (another patient was coding). She is routinely yelled at, demeaned, accused of everything nefarious, and told what she should be doing/giving/etc (BTW, she says about half of her patients admit to self-treating with ivermectin before ending up at the hospital**, so so much for the wonder drug….). 

Staffing levels are truly dangerous almost everywhere (especially with nurses), more staff are constantly leaving or looking to leave, and so many nurses are traveling that there’s a dearth of experienced teams who know their hospital and how to work with their coworkers. From what I hear, you really want to avoid ending up in the hospital right now. I’m convinced our health care system is in the early stages of collapse. 

And now we’re facing a fourth wave. 

*The remaining abuse comes from the mentally ill population and just jerks in general. 

**This also means that they delay coming to the hospital, which then means it’s too late for them to receive the antibodies when they do come. Which makes me wonder how much the new antiviral pills (which I believe are also time-sensitive) are gonna help these people. 

This is all very similar to what we are experiencing here. It’s hard to believe it has come to this.

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-23/grandmother-author-children-books-covid-lockdown-germany/100637822
 

This is really not strictly Covid related but just a nice story that came out of Covid . A granny and her husband from Adelaide had grandkids in Germany.  The parents were needing help due to homeschooling etc so the grandparents wrote books to read to them at night over the phone as well as playing instruments and other things.
 

They’ve now published ten of their Australian themed books.

Edited November 22, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[thewellerman]

Does anyone have a source they like for numbers of vaccinations, infections, and severity of infection by age for different countries?  

I'm curious to see the patterns emerging from this 4th wave. 

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, thewellerman said:

Does anyone have a source they like for numbers of vaccinations, infections, and severity of infection by age for different countries?  

I'm curious to see the patterns emerging from this 4th wave. 

Covid Live has some vaccination rates but you really need a graph for comparisons I guess.  Plus it’s hard to compare accurately given that many countries with low vax rates also have poor recording for deaths and cause of death etc. 

[Laura Corin]

3 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Covid Live has some vaccination rates but you really need a graph for comparisons I guess.  Plus it’s hard to compare accurately given that many countries with low vax rates also have poor recording for deaths and cause of death etc. 

Different vaccines and vaccination schedules too - were people vaxed with AZ at a 12-week interval or Pfizer at 3 weeks? Or another vaccine with lesser efficacy? 

[Terabith]

Not shocking but concerning news:  Breakthrough Covid Cases Increase Risk of Health Problems and Death

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/experts-vaccine-immunity-waning-signs-israel-facing-fifth-covid-wave-1.10410409?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=daily-brief&utm_content=bf4cfcfa7b

The expert health panel advising Israel's government believes that another COVID wave is on the horizon in light of waning vaccine effectiveness, and that the children's vaccination drive would not be enough by itself to halt the pandemic

[Ausmumof3]

So far two cases in the first day of open borders here. One was probably an old infection the other was a child who has been taken back to Vic with minimal contact other than her grandparents who are now quarantining.

[TCB]

This is a link to a Dr in Houston who says she has had hospital privileges withdrawn because she prescribed Ivermectin for Covid. She says she has treated 2000 Covid patients and none have needed to be hospitalized. However she also says that she gave them monoclonal antibodies. Does anyone know more about this particular Dr? How does it make sense to say that you have treated patients with both Ivermectin- not sure what the state of the data is, and Monoclonals - definitely good data that they work, and be so committed to the Ivermectin being a great treatment. She states in the interview that patients come to her because she freely gives monoclonal antibody therapy.
I keep thinking there must be something to Ivermectin because of it’s devoted followers, and then I hear this type of reasoning that makes no sense. I do not understand how you can look at some of this stuff logically and think the way they think. Or maybe I am missing something- quite possible I am - so someone please tell me if so because I remain so confused.

[Corraleno]

14 hours ago, Terabith said:

Not shocking but concerning news:  Breakthrough Covid Cases Increase Risk of Health Problems and Death

I'd also note that this was a VA study, 91% of subjects were male, average age was 66, and by far the highest increase in risk was in hospitalized patients. The most common post-covid sequelae were shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, trouble sleeping, muscle or joint pain, and atrial fibrillation or flutter. For patients with breakthrough cases who were not hospitalized, the increased risk for most of those conditions was only like 1-2 percentage points higher than in people who never had covid.

For context, there was a study from Yale in the Lancet this month which showed that of 969 hospitalized patients who tested positive for covid, only 54 were fully vaccinated, and 25 of those were asymptomatic (hospitalized for other reasons and tested positive while there) and 15 had mild to moderate cases. The 14 vaccinated patients who were severely or critically ill all had high risk factors: median age was 80, 12 had preexisting cardiovascular disease, 7 had lung disease, 7 were diabetic, 4 had cancer, and 4 were on immunosuppressants.

[Corraleno]

3 hours ago, TCB said:

How does it make sense to say that you have treated patients with both Ivermectin- not sure what the state of the data is, and Monoclonals - definitely good data that they work, and be so committed to the Ivermectin being a great treatment. She states in the interview that patients come to her because she freely gives monoclonal antibody therapy.
I keep thinking there must be something to Ivermectin because of it’s devoted followers, and then I hear this type of reasoning that makes no sense. I do not understand how you can look at some of this stuff logically and think the way they think. Or maybe I am missing something- quite possible I am - so someone please tell me if so because I remain so confused.

When Joe Rogan got covid, he was treated with monoclonal antibodies, steroids, antibiotics, and ivermectin, but social media exploded with claims that ivermectin cured him in 3 days, with no mention of the other treatments. 

Maintaining the myth that there is a cheap, effective cure for covid is critical to propping up the narrative that there is a massive conspiracy between the government and Big Pharma to create fear and prolong the pandemic in order to control the population and maximize profits. One of the major themes in the antivax disinformation campaign is that Fauci, Gates, Biden, Soros, and others are financially invested in the vaccines and treatments and stand to make billions in profits by keeping the pandemic going.

If people admit that ivermectin (and HCQ, megadoses of vitamins, etc.) do not cure or prevent covid, then they'd have to admit that vaccines really are the best protection and that maybe saving lives really is the main motivator in pushing them. Believing in ivermectin also allows the unvaccinated to avoid admitting that they made a terrible mistake when they or their loved ones end up severely ill or dead from covid — the vaccine wouldn't have made any difference, the real reason they're critically ill or dying is because evil HCWs purposely make them worse instead of giving them the cheap, simple cure because hospitals make more money by killing people.

[Shoeless]

2 hours ago, Corraleno said:

I'd also note that this was a VA study, 91% of subjects were male, average age was 66, and by far the highest increase in risk was in hospitalized patients. The most common post-covid sequelae were shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, trouble sleeping, muscle or joint pain, and atrial fibrillation or flutter. For patients with breakthrough cases who were not hospitalized, the increased risk for most of those conditions was only like 1-2 percentage points higher than in people who never had covid.

For context, there was a study from Yale in the Lancet this month which showed that of 969 hospitalized patients who tested positive for covid, only 54 were fully vaccinated, and 25 of those were asymptomatic (hospitalized for other reasons and tested positive while there) and 15 had mild to moderate cases. The 14 vaccinated patients who were severely or critically ill all had high risk factors: median age was 80, 12 had preexisting cardiovascular disease, 7 had lung disease, 7 were diabetic, 4 had cancer, and 4 were on immunosuppressants.

People getting VA health care are not in the most robust health to start with, too.  Which isn't much comfort to anyone else that also is not in great health, I know.

[Laura Corin]

I still find these data hard to believe - supposedly there are enough people with antibodies that hospitalisation and death is continuing to fall, even as cases rise. 22 percent of the total population has had a third jab.

I don't know if there's enough protection to take us through  Christmas, but at least there's no Thanksgiving blip.

Eta or it could be just a time delay on a small case drop we had. I hope not.

Edited November 24, 2021 by Laura Corin

[Ausmumof3]

From BNO: BREAKING: Germany reports 73,887 new coronavirus cases, by far the biggest one-day increase on record 

[Ausmumof3]

https://twitter.com/bnodesk/status/1463594522613592073?s=21

[Ausmumof3]

I have to say although there is a distinct 4th wave starting worldwide on worldometer graph deaths look flat. I think that’s a good sign.

[Starr]

5 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

From BNO: BREAKING: Germany reports 73,887 new coronavirus cases, by far the biggest one-day increase on record 

I wonder if they are better at keeping records than many places.

[Ausmumof3]

We’re now at 5 cases since the border opened 2 days ago.  Currently total population for SA at 66pc vaxed. People are being cautious though somewhat.

[Ausmumof3]

Meanwhile in NSW 

This should end well

🙄

[Melissa Louise]

33 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Meanwhile in NSW 

This should end well

🙄

I  am so unhappy about masks going. They protect us from ds' work exposure ( he and customers both wearing them till now). 

QR codes, eh, it's not like there is much constant tracing going on anyway.  And proof of vax - I've been asked for it once. 

But masks? They are still meant to be used on public transport but as soon as masks are dropped elsewhere, mask use on buses/trains drops too. 

Ugh. Of course, I feel like a hypocondriachal idiot, because no-one else I know is bothered. 

 

[Ausmumof3]

17 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

I  am so unhappy about masks going. They protect us from ds' work exposure ( he and customers both wearing them till now). 

QR codes, eh, it's not like there is much constant tracing going on anyway.  And proof of vax - I've been asked for it once. 

But masks? They are still meant to be used on public transport but as soon as masks are dropped elsewhere, mask use on buses/trains drops too. 

Ugh. Of course, I feel like a hypocondriachal idiot, because no-one else I know is bothered. 

 

Yeah.  Even after a polite please mask at work email from my boss no one was masked this week.  I didn’t make it that long with mine either - pretty challenging working through speech language literacy issues without being able to make yourself heard clearly.  Think I will have to explore other ask options over the break.

[Melissa Louise]

39 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Yeah.  Even after a polite please mask at work email from my boss no one was masked this week.  I didn’t make it that long with mine either - pretty challenging working through speech language literacy issues without being able to make yourself heard clearly.  Think I will have to explore other ask options over the break.

If they aren't mandated, they don't get worn. 

I mean, I get it. Masks in summer suck. I'm glad I'm working from home and maskless. But yeah, it's still discouraging. 

Do you at least have good ventilation? 

[Ausmumof3]

16 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

If they aren't mandated, they don't get worn. 

I mean, I get it. Masks in summer suck. I'm glad I'm working from home and maskless. But yeah, it's still discouraging. 

Do you at least have good ventilation? 

Nope it’s really bad.  As in no windows no fly screen to open anything.  I may buy a hepa filter for next year.  This week plus possibly a little bit of next week is the end till Jan/Feb though so I am kind of hoping to get by until then.  Hence my frustration with the five cases already.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

1 hour ago, Melissa Louise said:

I  am so unhappy about masks going. They protect us from ds' work exposure ( he and customers both wearing them till now). 

QR codes, eh, it's not like there is much constant tracing going on anyway.  And proof of vax - I've been asked for it once. 

But masks? They are still meant to be used on public transport but as soon as masks are dropped elsewhere, mask use on buses/trains drops too. 

Ugh. Of course, I feel like a hypocondriachal idiot, because no-one else I know is bothered. 

 

You're not alone. I'm bothered.

I'm here in QLD with no current Covid at all, and I'm bothered by our mask mandate being dropped.

[ieta_cassiopeia]

There was a COVID scare at my workplace yesterday. Thankfully everyone turned out to be negative and the "suspected original case" turned out to be a case of someone getting two weeks of work-from-home as a reward for good work in the office and forgetting to tell anyone (the manager informed us after we all got our test results, having not realised beforehand that the sudden mass of tests being taken yesterday wasn't entirely due to an abundance of caution...)

[Laura Corin]

2 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

I  am so unhappy about masks going. They protect us from ds' work exposure ( he and customers both wearing them till now). 

QR codes, eh, it's not like there is much constant tracing going on anyway.  And proof of vax - I've been asked for it once. 

But masks? They are still meant to be used on public transport but as soon as masks are dropped elsewhere, mask use on buses/trains drops too. 

Ugh. Of course, I feel like a hypocondriachal idiot, because no-one else I know is bothered. 

 

I'm with you. Mask use in Scotland is still pretty high because it's mandated in most indoor public areas. In England it has dwindled where there's barely a mandate.

Edited November 25, 2021 by Laura Corin

[Melissa Louise]

2 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Nope it’s really bad.  As in no windows no fly screen to open anything.  I may buy a hepa filter for next year.  This week plus possibly a little bit of next week is the end till Jan/Feb though so I am kind of hoping to get by until then.  Hence my frustration with the five cases already.

Fingers crossed. 

[Melissa Louise]

2 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said:

You're not alone. I'm bothered.

I'm here in QLD with no current Covid at all, and I'm bothered by our mask mandate being dropped.

It's just such a low-effort mitigation. I'm sure it gets dropped for political reasons. 

 

[Melissa Louise]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

I'm with you. Mask use in Scotland is still pretty high because it's mandated in most indoor public areas. In England it has dwindled where there's barely a mandate.

Yep, 'recommended' isn't enough to change people's behaviours. 

[regentrude]

6 hours ago, Starr said:

I wonder if they are better at keeping records than many places.

They are keeping good records, but the insane surge in numbers isn't just explained by that: the hospitals are full, they have activated the protocol that dictates how to move patients across the country, and they are beginning triage. 
That is a hard fact that is completely independent of test availability and reporting. This shit is for real.

My home state broke the 1,000 mark for 7-day incidence per 100k (some counties as much as 1,600).  That means the past week, 1 in a 100 folks was diagnosed with Covid. This doesn't count the asymptomatic untested cases.

[regentrude]

37 minutes ago, Melissa Louise said:

Yep, 'recommended' isn't enough to change people's behaviours. 

yep. We haven't had a mandate in my state or town forever, but at least my workplace had one until mid-October. I was able to teach in person and feel safe. Since Oct 20, the university only has a "recommendation", and mask wearing has fallen to less than 50%. It's very very uncomfortable.

[Laura Corin]

7 minutes ago, regentrude said:

yep. We haven't had a mandate in my state or town forever, but at least my workplace had one until mid-October. I was able to teach in person and feel safe. Since Oct 20, the university only has a "recommendation", and mask wearing has fallen to less than 50%. It's very very uncomfortable.

I'm sorry. The classes where I work are all masked.  There have still been no reports of transmission in class.

[ieta_cassiopeia]

This is where I am thankful that my workplace (which has a high COVID rate due to patients) still requires basic anti-COVID protocol of everyone to the best of their ability. I feel safer there than in town (despite the scare I reported).

[KSera]

I’m feeling uneasy about the new variant that’s rapidly replacing Delta in South Africa. It appears to have some vaccine evading properties. My hope is that it will turn out to be a much milder form. That’s the only possible good scenario with a variant replacing Delta. I’m not willing to think about the others right now.