What is Covid looking like in your community now?

[catz]

Well our state is surging UP right now.  That said, our most vaccinated metro counties are holding relatively steady and I am weepy seeing all the kids getting vaccinated.  There has been some data lag that will probably take a week to resolve, so I'm watching that closely.  We are still being pretty darn careful.  Teen is out but is in maxed/vaccine mostly required activities.  I am getting boostered next Tuesday cannot wait.  My husband is due too, just needs to get an appointment.   I have a 17 year old who just hit 6 months I'd love to get boostered too, pondering that.  We've been using better quality masks.

My son's university is 95% vaccinated  and is a student/faculty/staff operation probably over 65K.  The non vaccinated are tested weekly.  They do have covid cases on campus but the case numbers are very low and doesn't result in much spread (or hearing about serious cases).  They do have a few more this week, but cases are up in the surrounding county and the campus is pretty urbanish.  They are masking indoors on campus but I get the feeling they don't socially for the most part, though that county does have a mask mandate for businesses running.  

Upper midwest peaked about mid November last year so I'm hoping we're going to come over it in the next couple weeks.  I also hope they open up boosters soon!

[*****]

1 hour ago, TexasProud said:

Because this just isn't making sense to me. At the height of the Delta surge when hospitals were overwhelmed, my community did nothing. I mourned the fact that no masks at the schools and high schoolers meeting and hugging little elementary kids at the door. Packed high school games. Packed community events and yet our rates have continued to fall and fall until now when the community spread is nearly nil DESPITE the fact that no one took any precautions at all.  I have sat over the last month and watch PACKED college football games on tv in our state with no masks at all and yet our rates continue to fall.  Scientifically, this makes no sense to me. Being as careless as they are, according to this board, and heck according to everything I have read the rates should be horrible. I just don't understand. 

I hear what you are saying. I am in a  unique area where there is everything from super tight rules in school/sanitized, to a school/church that has never worn masks or followed even handwashing rules. (I understand they have had covid go through in different waves, but idk specific outcomes.) I don't understand either, except maybe herd immunity?     

Late last night, I happened to stumble upon this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1DgWYdukZU about the Amish population and covid. Hmmm, pretty interesting. I never stopped to think what the Amish were doing during the pandemic. But they did herd immunity. Sure, this vid avoided talking about their worst cases, so we really don't know how many died or outcomes of long covid.   But it would be interesting to learn more.

 

[Faith-manor]

I should also state that Michigan, for most regions had bad time last year from mid-Nov to end of Feb. I expect that again this year because vaccination rates are too low to stop it. However, some few spots did okay. Lots of natural, social distancing and hunkering down in the winter in the U.P., and a few spots do have high vax rates and a higher percentage of mask volunteers. The two big ten schools are going to have a Dickens of a time though. They don't seem to have the will to really crack down on their wilder elements, and it is going through the sports teams again. MSU had that stupid riot of students (criminals really) after the Spartans beat the Wolverines and word on the street is that a bunch of the revelers have it. Sigh....

[Ali in OR]

Forgot to mention our county's vax rate is high--I had heard 78% but I'm not finding that number online. We did not receive any of the age 5-11 doses in our county this week, so still no one in that range vaxxed. I expect that rate to be lower than older ages, but I do think our county will be higher than most for that age range. And I had read that we've had a lot of school-age cases driving up our county rate since school started, so I think it will help when those vaccines are readily available.

[goldberry]

High transmission, opposite behavior.  I wear a mask at the grocery store, and previously there were about 1/2 the people wearing them.   I noticed last time I did not see one other person (other than the employees) with a mask.   Grocery store had a hiring fair last weekend, with many saying they wouldn't go because they required masking.  

 

[Pam in CT]

My state is 71.2% fully vaxed, 80.3% one shot (that's the effect of all the 5-11 kids who've surged in for their first shot over the last week). County cases look like:

My own town in 74.2% fully vaxed; 80.1% one shot.  In my town, there've been 0 new cases in the last week and 1 the week prior. 

There's a ton of testing since the travel soccer leagues are requiring a clean test before each game and a lot of schools are doing surveillance testing; the town positivity rate is 0.6%.

The state lifted the statewide mask mandate over the summer but municipalities are free to impose them as they deem necessary. The small city nearest me has one; my own town does not. And *many* stores do require them.  Compliance around here is good, not quite as good as when the state mandate was in effect but still pretty good.

More and more arts & entertainment venues are requiring proof of vaccination; and we just RSVPed to the first benefit in 2 years, and had to upload our vax cards along with the RSVP.  (CT has yet to adopt the NYC Excelsior Pass statewide, and I wish we just would since that seems to be working pretty well there -- just flash a code & a picture on your phone on the way in rather than the patchwork of stuff we're doing here).

 

I hadn't dug into this until this thread, but the distribution of where new cases are emerging has REALLY shifted since last spring.  In the very beginning, the cases first hit in my county (southwest corner of the state) where folks commute into NYC.  As it wore on, per capita cases were highest in & around Hartford and Bridgeport, the two largest/densest cities with higher % of minority and poorer populations.  Now, the cases are visibly concentrated on the eastern towns, which are fairly wealthy & spread out but with some of the lowest vax rates in the state.  Meanwhile both Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven all are the lighter yellow (not the lowest per capita rate, but the second lowest).  So the demography of transmission has definitely shifted.

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Mask mandate here, thank goodness, but social behaviors have relaxed. Indoor dining is full again, people fuss at store entrances about masking, and I hear a lot of anti-vax/government overreach sentiment. Testing demand is super high—no ability to find tests on store shelves, Walmart online has been sold out for months, and test sites often are out of rapids or PCRs (one or the other).

My kids in public school have gotten constant exposure notices. The district very quietly posts stats. It’s controlled and low level but they can pinpoint classroom and not community exposure. My kids also report most of their teen peers have not been vaccinated. They wear N95s or equivalent to school and eat outdoors for lunch as a result and don’t socialize after hours except online. Ds’s university has pushed as many lecture classes online as they can to try to keep cases low enough to keep all of the labs and other facilities open. They are all on restricted door access. It’s working. 

[lynn]

I have no idea what the rates are here.  Some places over 50% masked others less than.  I will say it was interesting driving on vacation Ashville NC hardly any masked, boone, NC mostly masked but that is a college town I believe then further N forgot the name not a whole lot masked and we've been home a week and not even a sniffle.  All hotels had sanitizer and sanitizer wipes by he elevator so we grabbed a few and wiped every thing we touched in the hotel room.  The breakfast room everyone was unmasked.  

[HomeAgain]

2 hours ago, kbutton said:

I don't know how schools are handling things in your area, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that when schools don't follow CDC guidance about who is a close contact, etc. it contributes to this kind of bending the rules in other activities centered around kids (more so if it's an expensive activity that parents have invested in).

I know how the schools are handling things, thankfully.  Fully masked, strict protocols for distance, hand sanitizing, surface cleaning.  Windows are open and heaters are blasting.
I'm required to do 40 hours in the classroom this semester for my elementary education degree.  

Now, hockey is run by a group of old white men who have a tendency to put sports first, children second, and then are surprised when things run rampant.

[wathe]

We are in exponential spread again.  Locally, my county has had a 95% increase in cases in the last week.  Local rates now greater than 40/100 000 per week.  Rt 1.4.  Public health is officially overwhelmed - they have enacted a modified contact tracing protocol, meaning that they aren't contact tracing all cases.  There are current outbreaks in the hospital, a church community and several homeless shelters.  Every single shelter in the community is closed to new admissions - this is a very big problem in November in Canada.  The majority of new cases are in the under 12 age group.

Vax rates are pretty good: provincially 77% of entire population fully vaxed, 89% of eligible.  County is at 73% of entire population fully vaxxed, 84% of eligible. We still don't have approval for 5-11 yo yet.  Boosters are still restricted - eligibility opened up to HCW, over 70, indigenous and a few other select groups just this week.  Prior to this it was LTC and immune compromised (with strict criteria) only.

Public health measures wise: Universal masking in indoor public spaces with pretty good compliance.  Vaccine passport system for non-essential services like indoor dining at restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theatres etc.  Capacity restrictions were lifted about a month ago, I think.

[rebcoola]

We are under 10% positivity I think for the first time ever. Cases are down.  We had a big surge in August and just seem to be in a natural lull.  We do have a mask mandate.  Though there is a culture of getting into the building and past the gate checkers and than taking it off.   With mandates on teachers etc We have crept upto 50% vaxxed.

[Arcadia]

Locally we see more people wearing their masks without covering the nose. People are more complacent in general. We have a recent outbreak in county jail which push up the active case numbers slightly.

[Loowit]

Our cases, deaths, and hospitalization numbers are looking better than they had been, but I am starting to see a gentle slope upward again.  We are now, in my county, averaging about one death a day.  We are a pretty small county.  Our death percentage is 1.8% (cases/deaths).

My county has 53% of the population fully vaccinated.  It went up slightly with the vaccine mandates for healthcare workers and teachers.  But a number of people would rather lose their livelihood than get a vaccine.  I tried to get my youngest a booster yesterday, but was told he was too young (16).  For some reason I was thinking he was eligible because he has several health conditions, but I was wrong.

People are not masking well, even with a state mask mandate.  We had to run to the store last night to get something for a science experiment, and only about half the people were wearing a mask at all.  People are not taking this very seriously.  We are still doing almost all curbside pick-up for everything and not going out to restaurants or anything.

My brother is a public school teacher and has to send kids home several times a week who are sick.  The parents get furious about it and some have made threats to teachers and the principal.  There are at least weekly protests about "Stop the Mandate". 

[athena1277]

Since our mask mandate ended in May, people are pretty much living like pre-Covid here.  Very few people mask, even in medical offices.  We has the delta surge from mid summer to Sept, but we are definitely past it.  The largest hospital here only has around 30 Covid patients a day, verses 160 at the peak of the surge.  At this point there are very few people who have not had it or been vaxxed.  

[bookbard]

Our vaccination rate is really high, say 90%, but that is I believe either above 18 or 16 - anyway, there are no vaccinations for under 12 and the 12-17 rate isn't as high as adults. Result is school outbreaks, which are creeping closer and closer to me and my kids . . . but actual numbers in our state are fairly stagnant, 200 new cases each day in a state of 8 million for quite a while. Masks still required indoors and only vaxxed people can go to restaurants or shows or gyms. 12 plus kids have to be masked but not younger, which is ridiculous as it's the younger ones who aren't vaccinated and who are spreading it in schools. 

[Corraleno]

In my county 80% of 12+ are fully vaxed, and 75% of the total population have at least one shot. Masking here is pretty close to 100%, most people seem to wear well-fitted cloth masks, and I rarely see anyone wearing it under the nose. Current case rate in the county is 15/100K and local hospitals are in good shape. The main hospital here is ~75% occupancy for both inpatient beds and ICU beds, and only a small percent of those are covid patients (20 out of ~400 total patients). Of the three smaller hospitals, one is at 91% capacity but the other two are 60-63%, and in all three the percentage of patients with covid is only 10-18%. I'm double-vaxed plus boosted with Moderna, so I feel pretty safe here.

[Pam in CT]

re vax rates among *eligible* population

9 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

In my county 80% of 12+ are fully vaxed, and 75% of the total population have at least one shot. Masking here is pretty close to 100%, most people seem to wear well-fitted cloth masks, and I rarely see anyone wearing it under the nose. Current case rate in the county is 15/100K and local hospitals are in good shape. The main hospital here is ~75% occupancy for both inpatient beds and ICU beds, and only a small percent of those are covid patients (20 out of ~400 total patients). Of the three smaller hospitals, one is at 91% capacity but the other two are 60-63%, and in all three the percentage of patients with covid is only 10-18%. I'm double-vaxed plus boosted with Moderna, so I feel pretty safe here.

Yeah, our 12+ rate is also quite good:

there was a yuge uptick once it was approved for 12+ , and as the 5-11 just became available here a week ago I expect there will be another over the next two weeks.

Staring at the above chart, I was a little startled by how (comparatively, not approaching Canada, or CT) high the whole-US rates are for 12+ compared to the entire population rates from CDC/Bloomberg I'm accustomed to staring at:

12+:                   1-shot  79.0%        Fully-vaxed: 68.5%

Total US:            1-shot: 67.7%        Fully-vaxed: 58.5%

[freesia]

27 minutes ago, Pam in CT said:

re vax rates among *eligible* population

Yeah, our 12+ rate is also quite good:

there was a yuge uptick once it was approved for 12+ , and as the 5-11 just became available here a week ago I expect there will be another over the next two weeks.

Staring at the above chart, I was a little startled by how (comparatively, not approaching Canada, or CT) high the whole-US rates are for 12+ compared to the entire population rates from CDC/Bloomberg I'm accustomed to staring at:

12+:                   1-shot  79.0%        Fully-vaxed: 68.5%

Total US:            1-shot: 67.7%        Fully-vaxed: 58.5%

And this is why I am so comfortable doing an indoor masked co-op in CT. Go Connecticut!

[Ausmumof3]

Currently non-existent but we plan to open borders on the 23rd.  There’s a lot of uncertainty as the government hasn’t outlined how they plan to handle quarantine test and trace afterwards other than likely less quarantine for vaccinated or casual contacts, only for close contacts.  I wish they would have waited for kids to get vaccinated first.

[melmichigan]

@Faith-manorsummed up Michigan pretty well. The state is at 16.5% last I looked, at the levels from our outbreak in April, and approaching our highs from the beginning of the pandemic when testing wasn't widely available.  

Covid doesn't exist in my county, we're special. 🙄 There are no requirements for masks or even quarantine with the sole exceptions for busing, and the local CC requires masks.  We just closed another of the elementary schools for cases.  We have 55% of the population with 1 dose and our positivity is currently at 18%.  

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

re vax rates among *eligible* population

Yeah, our 12+ rate is also quite good:

there was a yuge uptick once it was approved for 12+ , and as the 5-11 just became available here a week ago I expect there will be another over the next two weeks.

Staring at the above chart, I was a little startled by how (comparatively, not approaching Canada, or CT) high the whole-US rates are for 12+ compared to the entire population rates from CDC/Bloomberg I'm accustomed to staring at:

12+:                   1-shot  79.0%        Fully-vaxed: 68.5%

Total US:            1-shot: 67.7%        Fully-vaxed: 58.5%

Yeah, this big pool of unvaxxed humans does make a difference in transmission!  My town has over 95% of most age groups fully vaxxed, and the ones eligible that aren't are in the high 80s.  If you look at first dose, all eligible age groups are at over 95% (well except one, it's 93%).  But the total fully vaxxed rate among all the humans is still only 78%.  Lots of small unvaccinated humans.  I am very much looking forward to their being added to the vaxxed pool (and considering how high the uptake is in the 12-18 categories, I'm hopeful the kids will almost all be getting their jabs...)

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, freesia said:

And this is why I am so comfortable doing an indoor masked co-op in CT. Go Connecticut!

CT is doing great.  Even better than we are in MA!  Go CT!!!

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, melmichigan said:

@Faith-manorsummed up Michigan pretty well. The state is at 16.5% last I looked, at the levels from our outbreak in April, and approaching our highs from the beginning of the pandemic when testing wasn't widely available.  

Covid doesn't exist in my county, we're special. 🙄 There are no requirements for masks or even quarantine with the sole exceptions for busing, and the local CC requires masks.  We just closed another of the elementary schools for cases.  We have 55% of the population with 1 dose and our positivity is currently at 18%.  

It's maddening, isn't it! I am so weary. But yet, I know I have to keep my guard up. 

Dh had his booster today, a full single dose of Pfizer. He had JnJ last April and never felt a thing. He is now hunkered down on the bed with me with a terrible headache and a sore arm. He suddenly feels strong compassion for me - the reactor - who spent three days in bed each time I had my Moderna doses...103 temp, migraine, arm so sore I could hardly move without severe pain. I so happy he got it though.

 

[Dmmetler]

Pretty darned lousy, although better than in September. I am frustrated that the health department lifted the mask mandate instead of leaving it in place through the Holiday season and until 5-12 had a chance to be vaccinated. In my city, there were only around 1000 first and second doses given in October at all-the rest were third doses. We're at about 500K at least partially vaccinated, and even the most optimistic "herd immunity" numbers set pre-Delta seem to indicate a need for at least 700K.  I will say that masking still seems pretty common in the city proper, although much less so in the suburbs.  I am expecting masking in schools to be dropped in January, based on the idea that kids can be vaccinated, even though the numbers for 12-15 aren't great. 

I am hoping that 5-12 being eligible will help. When 16-17, and then 12-15 became eligible, there were also spikes in adult vaccinations since under 18 requires parental consent (yes, I know technically it doesn't in TN, but in practice, every site was requiring it even BEFORE the governor got mad at the state Public health person for sending out a memo clarifying the state law in that regard), and parents who had delayed would get it with their kids. I don't know if 5-12 will as much due to the fact that it can't be given at the bigger public, walk in only sites.  And, I also hope that there are a lot fewer sick kids next semester. This term has been pretty awful-I had more kids out with COVID by the end of September than I had all last school year, and I don't think I have a student who hasn't missed 2-3 lessons due to illness. 

 

 

[Amy in NH]

Numbers are rising.  25% of new cases are under 18, but more than 75% of deaths are over 60. I'm masking while out in public, but I'd say less than 1/2 of the people in stores are masking or distancing.  200ish hospitalizations rn in this state with ~1.3 million population. Three cases in my dd's dance studio this week, and now all of the 12+under classes are cancelled until after Thanksgiving (including Nutcracker rehearsals for that age group).  Just found out today the husband of one of my long-time friends has died of it; he was under 60.

 

[lewelma]

We are still good, but the storm is coming.  All of NZ is 18 months covid free with the exception of Auckland. And the government has done an amazing job of keeping the virus in Auckland for 3 full months while they have gotten the country vaccinated (We only opened up the vaccine to under 55s on September 1 because we have had supply problems). Today we reached the milestone of 90% first doses for the entire country (for 12+), and the goal is to get all the second doses in by Christmas. The government has made a commitment to allow double-vaccinated Aucklanders to travel for Christmas, so we have 7 weeks until covid spreads to the entire country. I'm not sure I'm ready for that, gulp. But at 90% double vax (both city and rural) and with strong public health measures to control it, I'm hopeful that I will continue to feel safe during this transition. 

Edited November 12, 2021 by lewelma

[wathe]

Bah!  Just announced that rates are up to 85/100 000 in my nearest town.  Not good.

[Starr]

Our county is one of or the worst in the state. It's so annoying. Vaccine's were easy to get, boosters are available and folks buy into bad information.

[Storygirl]

@regentrude I'm very sorry for the loss of your father. I'm glad that you are able to be there for your mother.

[daijobu]

92% Vax rate in my county (for 16+ yo's).  My parents and DH and I have received our boosters.  My college age kids wear masks outdoors, go figure, but I don't think they've been boosted yet.  

I have no idea if people are masking because I only leave the house to take walks outdoors.   I don't mask outdoors, but I see others that do, and I feel embarrassed.

I needed a few procedures and surgeries over the past few months, and there was a delay (about a week) because me and everyone else postponed medical screening for a year, and now we're all catching up.  

Since this pandemic began 2 years ago, I have yet to know anyone personally who has been sick with covid.    

Edited November 12, 2021 by daijobu

[Carrie12345]

20 hours ago, TexasProud said:

I was also going to ask the Hive, and maybe this thread is a good place to do so. My husband has been wondering why all of these football games are not superspreader events?  I mean the OU/Texas game alone had 100,000 people with no masks

I wonder how many people have it/have gotten it without knowing (or saying.)
Dh and I made an appointment that had to be pushed to December, because the person it’s with has Covid. He says he only knows that because he was required to test. No major symptoms, at least not at the moment.

I’ve tested/had tested/had seen by doctors two of my kids, more than once each, for very minor symptoms and very ‘obvious’ symptoms, but both were just regular sick, from colds to strep.  If I didn’t really care about precautions, I imagine I might chalk up nearly any kind of sick to Not Covid instead of testing.

[TexasProud]

7 hours ago, Storygirl said:

@regentrude I'm very sorry for the loss of your father. I'm glad that you are able to be there for your mother.

???  Somehow I missed this. I just reskimmed the thread and don't see it.  Oh, Regentrude. I am so sorry... 

[lmrich]

Just a really small sample - my students (70 total) have had less Covid and a lot more flu. I got my flu shot this week, and I hope I got it in time. 

[1234]

The county I live in has a mask mandate and is at around 5% positivity. It’s been slowly rising a bit lately. We all wear masks when indoors at places except restaurants. We have gone back to dining inside because we’re fully vaxxed and had our boosters so feel safe doing so. 

[Laura Corin]

8 hours ago, Storygirl said:

@regentrude I'm very sorry for the loss of your father. I'm glad that you are able to be there for your mother.

I didn't know either. I'm sorry.

[Tenaj]

Just read that our county is reporting 407 of 100,000 this week.  We are at 53 percent fully vaccinated.  I just decided to go get my booster this morning.  I really don't qualify except that basketball season is starting and I'm going to be spending a lot of time in gyms with lots of people so I decided that would be high enough risk for me to justify going now for my third shot.  Plus we are heading to Michigan soon for a tournament and the stories of the Michigan people here are making me feel like it's time for the booster!

[Pam in CT]

re contracting/carrying it without even knowing

4 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I wonder how many people have it/have gotten it without knowing (or saying.)
Dh and I made an appointment that had to be pushed to December, because the person it’s with has Covid. He says he only knows that because he was required to test. No major symptoms, at least not at the moment.

I’ve tested/had tested/had seen by doctors two of my kids, more than once each, for very minor symptoms and very ‘obvious’ symptoms, but both were just regular sick, from colds to strep.  If I didn’t really care about precautions, I imagine I might chalk up nearly any kind of sick to Not Covid instead of testing.

This happened to my eldest as well.  She and her boyfriend (both fully vaxxed back in late April) wanted to visit his 96 yo grandmother (vaxed early and subsequently boosted), and rapid-home-tested beforehand just to be triply sure... and she (not he) came back positive. She felt FINE, absolutely FINE, no symptoms whatsoever, so she PCR-tested expecting a negative... and got a positive. A day later with STILL no symptoms she STILL couldn't believe it and rapid-home-tested again: positive.

They deferred the visit, and now we all trust the rapid-home tests a bit more.

 

Last week my (fully vaxxed back in late April) nephew got a call from a friend that the (vaxxed) friend had gotten it (mildly), so H PCR tested, and positive.  He had *some* symptoms a day or two later -- tiredness, achy, maybe a slight fever -- but nothing that would pre-COVID have kept him from work and certainly not anything that would have taken him to a doctor.

 

So based on that vast sample size of 2, I do believe there are vaccinated folks walking around with no/very mild symptoms themselves without knowing it unless they happen to test for a plane ride / special event / surveillance testing etc.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

1 hour ago, Pam in CT said:

re contracting/carrying it without even knowing

This happened to my eldest as well.  She and her boyfriend (both fully vaxxed back in late April) wanted to visit his 96 yo grandmother (vaxed early and subsequently boosted), and rapid-home-tested beforehand just to be triply sure... and she (not he) came back positive. She felt FINE, absolutely FINE, no symptoms whatsoever, so she PCR-tested expecting a negative... and got a positive. A day later with STILL no symptoms she STILL couldn't believe it and rapid-home-tested again: positive.

They deferred the visit, and now we all trust the rapid-home tests a bit more.

 

Last week my (fully vaxxed back in late April) nephew got a call from a friend that the (vaxxed) friend had gotten it (mildly), so H PCR tested, and positive.  He had *some* symptoms a day or two later -- tiredness, achy, maybe a slight fever -- but nothing that would pre-COVID have kept him from work and certainly not anything that would have taken him to a doctor.

 

So based on that vast sample size of 2, I do believe there are vaccinated folks walking around with no/very mild symptoms themselves without knowing it unless they happen to test for a plane ride / special event / surveillance testing etc.

This is honestly a huge concern for me.  I wish we had a better grasp on how virulent most asymptomatic or mild infections are, because I think they’re really prelevant.  We’re havi!g a significant percentage of breakthrough cases here(124 positive on Wednesday and 71 of those were breakthrough cases) and people are getting tested and turning up positive with very few symptoms, but they tested because of an exposure.  Daily testing is unrealistic, so I don’t have any idea who to combat this.  Vaccinations are great and I am thrilled we have them, but not every breakthrough case is asymptomatic and even “mild” cases can be prolonged and miserable.   I don’t believe people are willing to socially distance and mask forever.  I don’t even think that’s ideal.  So I don’t know what the answers are.  

[Dmmetler]

21 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

This is honestly a huge concern for me.  I wish we had a better grasp on how virulent most asymptomatic or mild infections are, because I think they’re really prelevant.  We’re havi!g a significant percentage of breakthrough cases here(124 positive on Wednesday and 71 of those were breakthrough cases) and people are getting tested and turning up positive with very few symptoms, but they tested because of an exposure.  Daily testing is unrealistic, so I don’t have any idea who to combat this.  Vaccinations are great and I am thrilled we have them, but not every breakthrough case is asymptomatic and even “mild” cases can be prolonged and miserable.   I don’t believe people are willing to socially distance and mask forever.  I don’t even think that’s ideal.  So I don’t know what the answers are.  

My kid is at a school doing regular testing, contact tracing, and also testing all contacts (as in, was in the same class, or lives on the same dorm hall) of any positive case. PLUS vax mandates, plus masking, and they seem to catch about 1 positive, asymptomatic case a week. Interestingly, they haven't had any symptomatic cases except right after fall break, which makes me think that the precautions on campus is keeping viral load pretty low-contacts aren't generally coming up with breakthroughs. 

 

I think that in many ways, it would be better to  test all employees at work and kids at school on a regular schedule, regardless of vax status. And that might be more acceptable than a vax mandate. 

[Pam in CT]

re catching asymptomatic cases to tamp down asymptomatic transmission (before the next mutation emerges, which could be either more virulent than Delta, or better able to evade vax or "natural" immunity)

3 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

...I think that in many ways, it would be better to  test all employees at work and kids at school on a regular schedule, regardless of vax status. And that might be more acceptable than a vax mandate. 

This seems to be borne out by the handful of universities & private schools that have actually done universal surveillance testing (and TRACING) throughout this. 

 

(I don't know that it would be any more acceptable than a vax mandate: the test option on the vax-OR-test OSHA mandate has not materially eased the controversy; and I can easily foresee the My Body My Choice refusal to "submit to tyranny" marker being instantly moved to Do Not Tread On My Nasal Passage if a widespread testing mandate were proposed.)

[J-rap]

I posted earlier, but here's an update about what's happening in our state right now.  (Which is currently surging.)  Covid hospitalizations are at their highest level yet in 2021.  My dad was scheduled for a surgery today...  And will stay have it, because he's in extreme pain, but was told last night that because there are no more beds available, they have to do the surgery without general anesthesia.  (I guess the hospital/state? requires any surgery done with general anesthesia to have a bed available if necessary.)  So my 93 year-old dad will have a surgery normally done under general anesthesia with just local anesthesia instead.  Ugh.  I'm trying to talk him into bringing headphones and listening to some nice music so at least he doesn't have to hear the sounds of surgery and surgical conversation.  It's not a major surgery and obviously they wouldn't do it this way if they thought it was ridiculous, but it just shows how bad the situation is here right now.

[MEmama]

My state is surging—we have more covid patients in the hospital (248) than we have since the previous high in September. Like most everywhere, it’s being driven by the unvaccinated but affects everyone.

I am furious. Where did our collective sense of responsibility go?

[mommyoffive]

Why COVID cases are surging in states with high vaccination rates — and what it means for the winter ahead (msn.com)

[Insertcreativenamehere]

35 minutes ago, J-rap said:

I posted earlier, but here's an update about what's happening in our state right now.  (Which is currently surging.)  Covid hospitalizations are at their highest level yet in 2021.  My dad was scheduled for a surgery today...  And will stay have it, because he's in extreme pain, but was told last night that because there are no more beds available, they have to do the surgery without general anesthesia.  (I guess the hospital/state? requires any surgery done with general anesthesia to have a bed available if necessary.)  So my 93 year-old dad will have a surgery normally done under general anesthesia with just local anesthesia instead.  Ugh.  I'm trying to talk him into bringing headphones and listening to some nice music so at least he doesn't have to hear the sounds of surgery and surgical conversation.  It's not a major surgery and obviously they wouldn't do it this way if they thought it was ridiculous, but it just shows how bad the situation is here right now.

I believe we're in the same state and it is bad ... I know so many people with Covid right now - kids, adults, etc. Hopefully the booster I just got will help, and my youngest son's first dose of the vaccine will keep him safe because he is at high risk for complications. An extended family member, fully-vaccinated but older with some co-morbidities, is currently hospitalized with Covid/suspected blood clot and is not doing well at all. He has been shuffled from one hospital to another as his condition worsens. I also know friends of friends who are younger (30s-50s) and are having a pretty tough time of it, including a 50 yo who is in the hospital on a vent. 

I just cancelled a minor surgery for myself and it sounds like I made the right call ...

Edited November 12, 2021 by Insertcreativenamehere

[wathe]

41 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Why COVID cases are surging in states with high vaccination rates — and what it means for the winter ahead (msn.com)

 OMG the photo in the article "A member of the Thornton, Colo., Fire Department distributes doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine" depicting a wilily-nilly double handful of unlabeled filled syringes held above a been heaped with syringes.  We'd get fired quick-smart if we handled vaccine like that!!!!!!!

[TCB]

1 hour ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

This is honestly a huge concern for me.  I wish we had a better grasp on how virulent most asymptomatic or mild infections are, because I think they’re really prelevant.  We’re havi!g a significant percentage of breakthrough cases here(124 positive on Wednesday and 71 of those were breakthrough cases) and people are getting tested and turning up positive with very few symptoms, but they tested because of an exposure.  Daily testing is unrealistic, so I don’t have any idea who to combat this.  Vaccinations are great and I am thrilled we have them, but not every breakthrough case is asymptomatic and even “mild” cases can be prolonged and miserable.   I don’t believe people are willing to socially distance and mask forever.  I don’t even think that’s ideal.  So I don’t know what the answers are.  

I think it is quite possible that vaccinated people are far more likely to get tested, and so the fact that that amount of positive tests are among vaccinated people does not really tell us too much about the extent of breakthrough cases. Your area may be different but around here many, not all, of the same people who are not getting vaccinated are also not testing and not isolating.

[skimomma]

23 minutes ago, TCB said:

I think it is quite possible that vaccinated people are far more likely to get tested, and so the fact that that amount of positive tests are among vaccinated people does not really tell us too much about the extent of breakthrough cases. Your area may be different but around here many, not all, of the same people who are not getting vaccinated are also not testing and not isolating.

That is the case here as well.  It takes way too much effort for people to access testing so you have to really *want* to test to get it done.  The unvaccinated simply will not put in that effort, even if they felt compelled to test.  There is now a culture to NOT test or isolate, even if symptomatic, amongst the "my rights" people.  So our current high infection rates are probably actually much higher and I believe it is artificially inflating the breakthrough rates based on who is testing at all.

[Pam in CT]

re correlation between folks who are vaxxed and folks who regularly test

1 hour ago, TCB said:

I think it is quite possible that vaccinated people are far more likely to get tested, and so the fact that that amount of positive tests are among vaccinated people does not really tell us too much about the extent of breakthrough cases. Your area may be different but around here many, not all, of the same people who are not getting vaccinated are also not testing and not isolating.

Thirding this.  In my town (80% of whole population at least 1 shot, rising daily with 5-11 yo surging), folks test *all the time.*  Before visiting with elders, before certain public events, before and after every plane ride, before every travel soccer game, weekly for certain employers and many schools.  Antigen tests are now widely & easily available and free; PCR tests are easily available by appointment for ~$70-100 ;and available for free if you stand in line (which I've done for as little as 15 minutes and as much as 5 hours over the course of all this) at community health centers.  I couldn't count how many times I've been tested.  The modest inconvenience in *time* is the price we happily pay for return to Nearly Normal.

[ETA: that is all for *elective* testing for people who *have no symptoms or known exposure,* who just want to test for travel or visiting relatives or to go certain public events requiring testing in addition to vaxxing.  If you have either symptoms or exposure, PCR testing is widely and freely available by appointment.  PCR testing has been widely and freely available by appointment in New York City for ages by now for anyone, with or without symptoms or exposure.]

 

It's dismaying to hear how hard testing is to obtain elsewhere, and really, really rather enraging to hear about wilful resistance to testing by folks who realize they're sick / transmitting but avoid testing / isolating / notifying folks they've been in contact with nonetheless.

We're effectively just hoping the next variant will be less deadly and less able to evade existing immunity (from either vax or prior infection) than Delta.  Maybe, or alternatively maybe it'll be worse. Hope is not a strategy.

Edited November 12, 2021 by Pam in CT

[wathe]

1 hour ago, skimomma said:

That is the case here as well.  It takes way too much effort for people to access testing so you have to really *want* to test to get it done.  The unvaccinated simply will not put in that effort, even if they felt compelled to test.  There is now a culture to NOT test or isolate, even if symptomatic, amongst the "my rights" people.  So our current high infection rates are probably actually much higher and I believe it is artificially inflating the breakthrough rates based on who is testing at all.

Testing here is really easy: book a same day appt at the public health run testing centre (plentiful appointments available - can usually get one immediately - like appt time within half an hour of the time you place the booking) and they take walk-ins too.  Show your health card, get swabbed, go home.  It really takes less than 5 minutes.  zero cost out-of-pocket.  Our PP has crept up to 2.7%.

Even during out horrific, healthcare resources strained to the max 3rd wave in the spring, we only ever got as high at 10%.

(elective testing for travel is a different process and is paid for out of pocket)

Edited November 12, 2021 by wathe

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

1 hour ago, TCB said:

I think it is quite possible that vaccinated people are far more likely to get tested, and so the fact that that amount of positive tests are among vaccinated people does not really tell us too much about the extent of breakthrough cases. Your area may be different but around here many, not all, of the same people who are not getting vaccinated are also not testing and not isolating.

I live in a state where people are still able to access payment from the state for mandatory quarantines.  People seem to test for every sniffle because it could be essentially a paid vacation without touching their PTO.  It’s almost impossible to get tests because they book up so quickly(and then they come to the ER for no other reason than to get a Covid test, but that’s another story). And there’s still a lot of employers and other venues requiring a negative test, so people are testing whether or not they’re symptomatic.  So with only 51% vaccinated I think it’s probably not just the vaxxed or we’d have more test slots open. 
 

My personal guess is that we had a Covid surge the last few months and that many unvaccinated people caught it then, so now they’re immune for the moment and it’s the vaccinated who having waning immunity and are catching it.