Omicron anecdata?

[mommyoffive]

People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report: May 29, 2023 (substack.com)

[mommyoffive]

Long Covid Weekly #46: Updated Long Covid prevalence stats, Long Covid damaging brains (substack.com)

[TCB]

Staff are no longer required to wear masks in the hospital where I work, however if the patient requests it then they must wear a mask. I am one of the only ones wearing a mask, may be the only one, but I do not want any part in the potential 7-10% mortality rate for hospital acquired Covid. I think others may want to but the peer pressure not to is hard for them to resist. The other day though, the respiratory therapist helping me with my patient put on a mask when she saw I had one on. It’s sad to see HCW’s response to this situation, especially when you see studies like this one about how masks work.

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00637-20

[mommyoffive]

Truth, trust, and hope. Where to start? (substack.com)

[bookbard]

So there's been more deaths from Covid in Australia from Jan-May this year than there has been from influenza from 2013 to now - last 10 years. And the numbers in the graph aren't including excess deaths from Covid (ie those who died from heart/stroke due to long covid). 

 

[mommyoffive]

I am getting all my apts for my kids done before they get busy.  Nobody at the dentist or the doctor's was masking.  Nobody.  Except us.  The dentist and hygienist put on a surgical when they went to treat you, but that was it.  Even the doctor and nurse when in a small exam room with us didn't put on a mask.  First off if I was in any of those jobs I would, just because I wouldn't want all the junk.  But I would especially if the people there were masked.  UGH.  

[kbutton]

https://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com/home/general-rheumatology/risk-for-covid-19-related-death-elevated-in-rare-autoimmune-rheumatic-diseases/?fbclid=IwAR1As9Ybx9VyygvAKZwHFRXiM_YjWU-p4etQkfSKF3gSmfiI3mEjVZZH81g

 

Quote

Patients with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) vs the general population have a significantly higher risk for COVID-19-related death, with the risk further increasing with corticosteroid use, according to study results published in Rheumatology.

Researchers collected data from Hospital Episode Statistics, a nationwide database with information on every episode of admitted care at public hospitals in England.

Rare AIRDs of interest included antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, Behçet disease, giant cell arteritis, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, juvenile inflammatory arthritis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Takayasu arteritis.

 

 

[bookbard]

On 6/2/2023 at 2:31 AM, mommyoffive said:

  First off if I was in any of those jobs I would, just because I wouldn't want all the junk. 

Yes, this is what I don't get. My Dr has stopped masking (I'm going to change Drs). She has 4 young kids. Why would you risk bringing home flu/covid/rsv etc to them? Let alone not being able to work due to being sick. It's so strange.

I have started at a new dentist, everyone was masked there including admin staff and it was really well-ventilated. My daughter is investigating a new school for next year (I will prob continue to homeschool my son) and the admin staff were masked plus they have air purifiers in every classroom and do not allow kids or teachers in if they're sick. They've not had to combine classes and have had no outbreaks. 

[bookbard]

New study has come out (I can't post links for some reason) showing 70% of first infections in the USA came from kids - opening up schools and esp dropping masking spread Covid like nothing else.

[Shoeless]

22 minutes ago, bookbard said:

New study has come out (I can't post links for some reason) showing 70% of first infections in the USA came from kids - opening up schools and esp dropping masking spread Covid like nothing else.

Remember when everyone at the start of the pandemic was like "But kids don't spread covid!"

I mean, kids are very efficient at spreading every other bug, but no, not covid. Certainly not covid. 

Ha. Ha ha. 

 

[bookbard]

1 hour ago, Shoeless said:

Remember when everyone at the start of the pandemic was like "But kids don't spread covid!"

I mean, kids are very efficient at spreading every other bug, but no, not covid. Certainly not covid. 

Ha. Ha ha. 

I know, right? You know what they did in Australia? Did a study about child spread of Covid - during the school holidays! Funnily enough they didn't show spread, but it was enough to encourage the govt to open up schools.

[Ausmumof3]

Covid was actually mentioned on the news tonight for the first time in ages. 

[mommyoffive]

You're Not a Fearmonger. You're an Orchid. You Have Sentinel Intelligence. (substack.com)

[Harriet Vane]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

You're Not a Fearmonger. You're an Orchid. You Have Sentinel Intelligence. (substack.com)

I'm printing this one out. This is my world to a T. 

To add to the observations in this article--I think orchids are also empathetic individuals. Sensing emotions and values of those around us is one way we sense danger or conversely sense when someone may be a kindred spirit. 

[catz]

Some interesting details in the article

CDC Study: Nearly All Americans Had Some Level of COVID-19 Immunity by Last Fall

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-06-01/cdc-study-nearly-all-americans-had-some-level-of-covid-19-immunity-by-last-fall

[wathe]

11 hours ago, bookbard said:

New study has come out (I can't post links for some reason) showing 70% of first infections in the USA came from kids - opening up schools and esp dropping masking spread Covid like nothing else.

"Smart Thermometer–Based Participatory Surveillance to Discern the Role of Children in Household Viral Transmission During the COVID-19 Pandemic", JAMA Network Open, published June 1.

Here, the kids-don't-spread-it rhetoric dates from the first few months of the pandemic, when schools were closed (March to end of school year 2020) and public health restrictions were at their most stringent.  Really what was proven is that school closures work to prevent spread of infectious disease.

I had a pointed email exchange with our national scouts org when they requested feedback on proposed covid policy, and one of their tenets was "kids don't seem to get it or spread it".  NO, no, no, no!  At that time, what we knew was that that kids who are locked down don't seem to get it or spread it, and that kids did not, in general, seem to get as desperately ill with it as older adults.  We had no specific data at that time to forecast what the burden would be on children and how contagious they would be.   (Other than the knowledge that children, in general, are prodigious spreaders of just of about every other respiratory viral illnesses out there.....)

[prairiewindmomma]

19 hours ago, kbutton said:

https://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com/home/general-rheumatology/risk-for-covid-19-related-death-elevated-in-rare-autoimmune-rheumatic-diseases/?fbclid=IwAR1As9Ybx9VyygvAKZwHFRXiM_YjWU-p4etQkfSKF3gSmfiI3mEjVZZH81g

 

 

 

Yup. I am seeing this in our rheumatology practice. There is a lot more push to get tighter disease control where you can do it than stay on old meds and do steroids for flares. I am also seeing them do three day prednisone bumps rather than five day more.

[Spryte]

19 hours ago, kbutton said:

https://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com/home/general-rheumatology/risk-for-covid-19-related-death-elevated-in-rare-autoimmune-rheumatic-diseases/?fbclid=IwAR1As9Ybx9VyygvAKZwHFRXiM_YjWU-p4etQkfSKF3gSmfiI3mEjVZZH81g

 

 

 

That’s disheartening.
 

I take corticosteroids daily, and will for the rest of my life, to stay alive. 

[prairiewindmomma]

4 minutes ago, Spryte said:

That’s disheartening.
 

I take corticosteroids daily, and will for the rest of my life, to stay alive. 

The risk seems to correlate to dose dependency. Taking 50mg daily is riskier than 10mg. I would totally love to know if it holds true with decadron and the like also (since dexamethasone is so much stronger) or if there is some vascular component tied to these particular diseases that bumps up morbidity. Has anyone seen anything on this? Is the risk immunosuppression or severity of disease?

[mommyoffive]

Hello from Tanzania (with COVID) (substack.com)

[bookbard]

I got majorly hassled by someone for wearing a mask today. There was no reason for them to comment on it, they could have chosen to ignore it, but they chose to try to make me feel bad and stupid about it, and then became aggressive when I explained I didn't want to catch Covid again as it is worse each time. They said 'I feel really upset by your attitude . . .'

This is someone I'd see in a work situation about once a year, and no one likes her, so it's fine (in terms of a power situation - she has none). But it really was eye-opening. Me doing nothing but wearing a mask was somehow an act that 'hurt' her. Probably a tiny bit of insight into people living with a disability or difference or even a person with a different skin colour than mine . . .

 

[I talk to the trees]

5 hours ago, bookbard said:

I got majorly hassled by someone for wearing a mask today. There was no reason for them to comment on it, they could have chosen to ignore it, but they chose to try to make me feel bad and stupid about it, and then became aggressive when I explained I didn't want to catch Covid again as it is worse each time. They said 'I feel really upset by your attitude . . .'

This is someone I'd see in a work situation about once a year, and no one likes her, so it's fine (in terms of a power situation - she has none). But it really was eye-opening. Me doing nothing but wearing a mask was somehow an act that 'hurt' her. Probably a tiny bit of insight into people living with a disability or difference or even a person with a different skin colour than mine . . .

 

Dd22 is still masking indoors in public spaces and has the best comeback for when she is rudely questioned by nosy troublemakers: Oh, I tested positive this morning, but I’m not going to let it ruin my day! *cough loudly*  

On the rare occasion that I do go into stores, I still mask too. I sometimes get strange looks, but so far no one has been rude enough to question me.  I'm keeping that line in my back pocket, should the need arise, though. 

[mommyoffive]

5 hours ago, bookbard said:

I got majorly hassled by someone for wearing a mask today. There was no reason for them to comment on it, they could have chosen to ignore it, but they chose to try to make me feel bad and stupid about it, and then became aggressive when I explained I didn't want to catch Covid again as it is worse each time. They said 'I feel really upset by your attitude . . .'

This is someone I'd see in a work situation about once a year, and no one likes her, so it's fine (in terms of a power situation - she has none). But it really was eye-opening. Me doing nothing but wearing a mask was somehow an act that 'hurt' her. Probably a tiny bit of insight into people living with a disability or difference or even a person with a different skin colour than mine . . .

 

I am so sorry you had to go through that!  I just don't get it at all.  Your mask isn't hurting or effecting anyone else.  If anything you are doing something for them and protecting them incase you had Covid or anything else.  I wish that we as people would have learned some good things from what we went through, acceptance being one of them.  We are still masking for a lot of situations here.  Whenever I see someone in a mask I give them a mental high five.  Good for you for protecting yourself, your family, or not spreading things.  

[mommyoffive]

13 minutes ago, I talk to the trees said:

Dd22 is still masking indoors in public spaces and has the best comeback for when she is rudely questioned by nosy troublemakers: Oh, I tested positive this morning, but I’m not going to let it ruin my day! *cough loudly*  

On the rare occasion that I do go into stores, I still mask too. I sometimes get strange looks, but so far no one has been rude enough to question me.  I'm keeping that line in my back pocket, should the need arise, though. 

Taking a mental note of this.  I haven't gotten anything bad yet, just intrusive questions over and over by the same person asking when we are going to stop masking.

[mommyoffive]

People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report: June 5 - People's CDC (substack.com)

Y’all! Since the end of the Public Health Emergency and the corresponding lack of data tracking and reporting by the CDC, we are IN THE DARK about how much COVID transmission is happening around us. In some areas, wastewater data can be used to give a sense of community transmission, but it is not available everywhere, more specifically in rural or remote communities where they rely on septic tanks. 

 

[mommyoffive]

Coupon code for Bonafide Masks

Please use coupon code TRUST for 25% off sitewide thru July 1st

[Shoeless]

On 6/6/2023 at 3:14 PM, mommyoffive said:

People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report: June 5 - People's CDC (substack.com)

Y’all! Since the end of the Public Health Emergency and the corresponding lack of data tracking and reporting by the CDC, we are IN THE DARK about how much COVID transmission is happening around us. In some areas, wastewater data can be used to give a sense of community transmission, but it is not available everywhere, more specifically in rural or remote communities where they rely on septic tanks. 

 

My anecdata for local rates is whether or not rapid tests are in stock at Walgreens. When they go out of stock, there's a problem.

[Ausmumof3]

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-covid-brain-cells-fuse.html
 

Some interesting new research from Sydney on long covid possible cause:

We discovered COVID-19 causes neurons to undergo a cell fusion process, which has not been seen before," Professor Hilliard said. "After neuronal infection with SARS-CoV-2, the spike S protein becomes present in neurons, and once neurons fuse, they don't die. They either start firing synchronously, or they stop functioning altogether.

 

[bookbard]

 

[TCB]

I would really like to get a CO2 monitor but the Aranet 4 is just a bit pricey for me. Has anyone found a cheaper one that is fairly accurate?

I keep reading the studies about longer term complications from Covid and I just feel I need to take care for longer until more is understood. I really think being able to monitor CO2 levels wherever I go will help me with decision making.

Grateful for any monitor recommendations!

[mommyoffive]

Nobody Thinks It Will Happen to Them: New Research on Covid (substack.com)

[mommyoffive]

Opinion: We are in denial about the huge consequences of long COVID on Canadians’ health - The Globe and Mail

[bookbard]

6 hours ago, TCB said:

I keep reading the studies about longer term complications from Covid and I just feel I need to take care for longer until more is understood. I really think being able to monitor CO2 levels wherever I go will help me with decision making.

 

I don't really understand the purpose of it. I mask everywhere indoors anyway. It could tell you to leave a space quicker I guess but mostly I have to be there. What other decisions can it help with?

[TCB]

4 hours ago, bookbard said:

I don't really understand the purpose of it. I mask everywhere indoors anyway. It could tell you to leave a space quicker I guess but mostly I have to be there. What other decisions can it help with?

One place I’d like to check is where I work. My shift lasts 12 hours so I have to eat and drink and can’t go outside. I’d like to see what the numbers are like so I can figure out the best place to do these things.

I also think that if you can point out to people that the numbers are high maybe they’ll try and improve ventilation which would be good for everyone there. 

[crazyforlatin]

11 minutes ago, TCB said:

One place I’d like to check is where I work. My shift lasts 12 hours so I have to eat and drink and can’t go outside. I’d like to see what the numbers are like so I can figure out the best place to do these things.

I also think that if you can point out to people that the numbers are high maybe they’ll try and improve ventilation which would be good for everyone there. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09P8DTRMQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
 

It’s sensitive, but I need it for the kitchen and it’s beeped at least 3x since I’ve owned it for the past year. It is portable, but the battery doesn’t last more than maybe 4-5 hours. You could get a portable battery charger (usb c). There might be other ones with better battery life, but I didn’t have a chance to look thoroughly when I first bought it.

[wathe]

15 hours ago, TCB said:

I would really like to get a CO2 monitor but the Aranet 4 is just a bit pricey for me. Has anyone found a cheaper one that is fairly accurate?

I keep reading the studies about longer term complications from Covid and I just feel I need to take care for longer until more is understood. I really think being able to monitor CO2 levels wherever I go will help me with decision making.

Grateful for any monitor recommendations!

Vitalight.

I have both the Aranet and the Vitalight.

I bought the Vitalight to send with my kid to school --- cheap enough that I won't cry if it gets lost or broken.  My husband quite likes it also, and takes it places, like restaurants on the very rare occasion that he eats out with a friend. ( ETA: My dad also has one and likes it.  )

The Vitalight is accurate as long as you keep it calibrated.  It needs to be outdoor air for at least a few minutes every week in order to maintain its calibration.  This is easy: in summer, put it on the porch for a while; in winter, take it for a walk in your pocket (to keep it from freezing).  We check the Vitalight against the Aranet periodically.  It's usually within +/- 50pm pf the Aranet, so long as it's kept calibrated.

Battery life advertised at 12h, but mine lasts at least 36h.

It's nice and small and unobtrusive.  It has a carabiner style clip.  DH clips to his man-purse.

The annoying alarm at 1000ppm can be turned off, but you have to remember to do this every time you turn the unit on.

It does not record data, so you have to physically check it in the moment to know what the 
PPM CO2 is at any given time (unlike the Aranet, which stores up to 2 weeks of data and graphs it for you on the phone app, and can download into and Excel spreadsheet etc.  I love my Aranet).  The display is easy to read.

I take my Aranet to work periodically.  The ventilation in our ED is excellent.  PPM never exceeds 600.  Even when we are severely overcrowded.

It is useful for making decisons, especially decisions about where to eat or whether to eat at all when one is stuck indoors (like at work, airports, sports tournaments etc).  I also use it to calibrate the ventilation in the car when carpooling.

Vitalight review that I found useful when deciding on whether or not to purchase.

Edited June 11, 2023 by wathe

[TCB]

12 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09P8DTRMQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
 

It’s sensitive, but I need it for the kitchen and it’s beeped at least 3x since I’ve owned it for the past year. It is portable, but the battery doesn’t last more than maybe 4-5 hours. You could get a portable battery charger (usb c). There might be other ones with better battery life, but I didn’t have a chance to look thoroughly when I first bought it.

Thanks! The reviews sound pretty good on Amazon. They do mention the short battery life.

[TCB]

8 hours ago, wathe said:

Vitalight.

I have both the Aranet and the Vitalight.

I bought the Vitalight to send with my kid to school --- cheap enough that I won't cry if it gets lost or broken.  My husband quite likes it also, and takes it places, like restaurants on the very rare occasion that he eats out with a friend. ( ETA: My dad also has one and likes it.  )

The Vitalight is accurate as long as you keep it calibrated.  It needs to be outdoor air for at least a few minutes every week in order to maintain its calibration.  This is easy: in summer, put it on the porch for a while; in winter, take it for a walk in your pocket (to keep it from freezing).  We check the Vitalight against the Aranet periodically.  It's usually within +/- 50pm pf the Aranet, so long as it's kept calibrated.

Battery life advertised at 12h, but mine lasts at least 36h.

It's nice and small and unobtrusive.  It has a carabiner style clip.  DH clips to his man-purse.

The annoying alarm at 1000ppm can be turned off, but you have to remember to do this every time you turn the unit on.

It does not record data, so you have to physically check it in the moment to know what the 
PPM CO2 is at any given time (unlike the Aranet, which stores up to 2 weeks of data and graphs it for you on the phone app, and can download into and Excel spreadsheet etc.  I love my Aranet).  The display is easy to read.

I take my Aranet to work periodically.  The ventilation in our ED is excellent.  PPM never exceeds 600.  Even when we are severely overcrowded.

It is useful for making decisons, especially decisions about where to eat or whether to eat at all when one is stuck indoors (like at work, airports, sports tournaments etc).  I also use it to calibrate the ventilation in the car when carpooling.

Vitalight review that I found useful when deciding on whether or not to purchase.

Thanks! It’s good to know that it tracks so closely to the Aranet. Also good to see that the alarm can be turned off. I think I have seen this one before but wasn’t sure if turning it off was an option, and difficult to take readings discreetly if not lol. I was also not sure what the calibration entailed but that sounds pretty straightforward.

How long does it take to get a reading in different areas? Is it pretty quick or does it take a longish time?

[wathe]

1 hour ago, TCB said:

Thanks! It’s good to know that it tracks so closely to the Aranet. Also good to see that the alarm can be turned off. I think I have seen this one before but wasn’t sure if turning it off was an option, and difficult to take readings discreetly if not lol. I was also not sure what the calibration entailed but that sounds pretty straightforward.

How long does it take to get a reading in different areas? Is it pretty quick or does it take a longish time?

A couple of minutes.   

It would fit nicely in a scrub pocket 🙂

 

[TCB]

6 hours ago, wathe said:

A couple of minutes.   

It would fit nicely in a scrub pocket 🙂

 

That’s good! Sounds like it would be great for checking at work especially.

Edited June 11, 2023 by TCB

[crazyforlatin]

On 6/11/2023 at 7:53 AM, TCB said:

Thanks! The reviews sound pretty good on Amazon. They do mention the short battery life.

I may have gotten the hours wrong thinking it should last a week. So I'm unplugging it and testing it for this post. So far, 7 hours and full bars of battery life. No beeping yet because there is ventilation. I'll come back to update when it goes to zero battery life.

[mommyoffive]

Long Covid Weekly #47: A possible biomarker, microbiota instability & more (substack.com)

[crazyforlatin]

21 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

I may have gotten the hours wrong thinking it should last a week. So I'm unplugging it and testing it for this post. So far, 7 hours and full bars of battery life. No beeping yet because there is ventilation. I'll come back to update when it goes to zero battery life.

16 hours later, one bar, no alarms due to good ventilation.

[mommyoffive]

People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report: June 12, 2023 (substack.com)

We are still unfortunately in the dark about COVID transmission due to the CDC’s malicious dropping of data tracking. Regardless, we are making efforts to shed some light on the situation. We refuse to back down. 

While people like Ashish Jha step down in a complete abdication of their responsibility for protecting us, we are actively working to organize, analyze, and report state PCR testing data. We hope that our continued efforts give you hope as we reject the darkness that the administration and business interests insist on. 

For now, we have Biobot for wastewater data until at least July. Regional wastewater levels were trending slowly downward but now appear to be leveling off somewhat. The Iowa COVID Tracker is also useful for keeping track of current trends.

 

We also still have PCR testing positivity trackers, such as the Walgreens COVID positivity index, showing a current 23.5% positivity rate nationally, as well as the 4.7% positivity rate over the past 2 weeks from the CDC’s dashboard.

 

 

Let’s continue to be the light in the darkness. We are changing minds, and we can win. 

We would like to remind you that you are NOT alone. We are stronger together. Even if things look dark now, our light is piercing through, one action at a time. They have NO control over what you do with your life. Every single one of you reading this has great power to speak up, shout and make a ruckus to make change. The people in power are afraid of this, and that is why they feel the need to cut off information and cover the harm they are inflicting on us. They are afraid of our collective voices as we continue to reveal such harm to expose them and turn public opinion against them. Let’s continue to band together and fight to win the protections we all deserve. 

The people in power are afraid of our collective power, and that is why they feel the need to cut off information and cover the harm they are inflicting. They are afraid of our collective voices, as we continue to expose them and turn public opinion against them. 

We deserve safety and health, for EVERYONE. Let’s continue to band together and fight to win the protections we all deserve

[crazyforlatin]

2 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

16 hours later, one bar, no alarms due to good ventilation.

19 hours at this point, battery icon is flashing. For less than $60 it’s not too bad, but I would have liked one that lasted longer. 

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report: June 12, 2023 (substack.com)

We are still unfortunately in the dark about COVID transmission due to the CDC’s malicious dropping of data tracking. Regardless, we are making efforts to shed some light on the situation. We refuse to back down. 

While people like Ashish Jha step down in a complete abdication of their responsibility for protecting us, we are actively working to organize, analyze, and report state PCR testing data. We hope that our continued efforts give you hope as we reject the darkness that the administration and business interests insist on. 

For now, we have Biobot for wastewater data until at least July. Regional wastewater levels were trending slowly downward but now appear to be leveling off somewhat. The Iowa COVID Tracker is also useful for keeping track of current trends.

 

We also still have PCR testing positivity trackers, such as the Walgreens COVID positivity index, showing a current 23.5% positivity rate nationally, as well as the 4.7% positivity rate over the past 2 weeks from the CDC’s dashboard.

 

 

Let’s continue to be the light in the darkness. We are changing minds, and we can win. 

We would like to remind you that you are NOT alone. We are stronger together. Even if things look dark now, our light is piercing through, one action at a time. They have NO control over what you do with your life. Every single one of you reading this has great power to speak up, shout and make a ruckus to make change. The people in power are afraid of this, and that is why they feel the need to cut off information and cover the harm they are inflicting on us. They are afraid of our collective voices as we continue to reveal such harm to expose them and turn public opinion against them. Let’s continue to band together and fight to win the protections we all deserve. 

The people in power are afraid of our collective power, and that is why they feel the need to cut off information and cover the harm they are inflicting. They are afraid of our collective voices, as we continue to expose them and turn public opinion against them. 

We deserve safety and health, for EVERYONE. Let’s continue to band together and fight to win the protections we all deserve

I wish I felt some hope. If anything, even the most cautious and vulnerable are dropping precautions now. I am finding it increasingly difficult to be the only ones masking.

[mommyoffive]

Just now, Ausmumof3 said:

I wish I felt some hope. If anything, even the most cautious and vulnerable are dropping precautions now. I am finding it increasingly difficult to be the only ones masking.

Yep.  Me too.  

[bookbard]

31 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

I wish I felt some hope. If anything, even the most cautious and vulnerable are dropping precautions now. I am finding it increasingly difficult to be the only ones masking.

I do feel like there are some good scientific breakthroughs in the pipeline re vaccines, nasal spray etc. I agree that very few people are masking now although we're having a bad wave in our town and a few people are starting to mask again.

[popmom]

It ((is)) upsetting to me the lack of information about transmission on the local level now. I was just trying to find this info recently for my county and found out my state shut down it's COVID dashboard. Now there is just a link to the CDC?? Maybe?? I can't remember. 

The only data I think that matters is wastewater. The Walgreen's positivity data is somewhat helpful I guess. 

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by popmom

[Mom_to3]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

Yep.  Me too.  

Same here. The outlook is very bleak, at least for the short to medium term. I was more hopeful in Jan/Feb 2020 - I never expected that we would accept this level of death and disability. And the "summer wave" may be starting locally according to wastewater (I really do hope they keep at least wastewater beyond July, but at this point, I wouldn't even be surprised if they drop that to remove all signs of covid.).