D&D and the rising pandemic

[Baron Opal II]

This isn’t it, but this is from The Lancet.

Omicron variant and booster COVID-19 vaccines

On Dec 13, 2021, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that a patient in England had died after contracting the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. The previous day, prime minister Boris Johnson launched a drive to offer all adults in the UK a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end...

www.thelancet.com

That puts it right on the heels of the measles.

Some more researchers are chiming in that it may be less dangerous than previous strains, but with its mutations, it looks like omicron is not affected by most of the monoclonal antibody products except GlaxoSmithKline’s.

Yowza. Well, that is the highest estimate I've come across.

Even those of us in health care are learning new things week to week. Keepin' our tap shoes in good repair.

 

[Ryujin]

Damn. Wrong thread. Deleted.

 

[NotAYakk]

I tasted the vaccine rainbow before Christmas. AZ first, Pfizer in July, then a Moderna grey market booster in December.

US/Canada border had been open with no testing for short trips, and Ontario wasn't giving boosters to under 50s yet, and Omicron was coming.

So we drove a few hours into USA towards a walmart that had booster doses. Stopped before getting there because called a pharmacy in a small town we where driving through, and they found our story interesting enough they said we could walk in between scheduled doses.

Turns out NYS system requires a US address. So I gave him one from a relative who lived in the USA (and told them that was what I was doing). It is plausible pharmacies in NYS where not supposed to vaccinate non-americans, but instead send them to state clinics. Hence grey market.

Since then vaccine hunger games took off. Ontario in response to Omicron opened boosters up to age 18+ and 3 months after 2nd shot. Just before christmas. And closed 72 hour border crossing relaxed testing rules.

So "vaccine hunters canada" is again a thing. Provincial system is overloaded, pharmacies use a mix of disconnected scheduling systems and walk ins, everyone is cancelling vacations, etc.

What a mess.

Testing is overwealmed; restricted to high risk and healthcare workers and the like. Everyone else told to treat symptoms as reason to isolate. Contact tracing is busted; case at kid's school got a form letter emailed to kids parents saying what class and what recess group sent like 24 hours later. Large events with exposure are posted on FB pages.

Number of shots per week has exceeded height of first shot blitz. Number of cases is also record high, despite lack of testing capacity.

Rapid tests are being supplied, in theory, but through shambolic means. I did manage to order a bunch pre omicron that just arrived; so I can use them if we get sniffles.

Local health unit leaving bars open but added capacity limits to toboggon hills. ?!?!?!

Omicron looks like it will infect everyone, and it gives immunity to other strains (they are wiped out, not out competed, when it spreads). At this point we can hope a combination of it being milder and vaccines and previous infections rolls boxcars and it doen't give us megadeaths.

Merry Christmas.

 

[Zardnaar]

Went to the supermarket today.



Distancing spaces on the floor.

Covers on self checkouts.



Staffed checkouts have perspex screen.

Mask use was 100% walking around.

Quiet at 8am Monday morning. Avoid the crowds.

 

[Umbran]

The general advice on masks seems to be changing - that the cloth ones we've been using so far just won't cut it for Omicron. However, counterfeit N-95 and KN-95 masks are all over the place.

Reliable KN-95 masks can be had for less than a buck a piece from:

Powecom® KN95 - Page 1 - Bona Fide Masks

Like the N95, the FDA Authorized KN95 face masks sold by Bona Fide Masks™ are rated to provide 95% ore greater filtration of particles larger than 0.3 µm in diameter such as bacteria, viruses, dust & pollution.

bonafidemasks.com

 

[Cadence]

In non-Chicago-area northern Illinois for.the holidays. Mask wearing in stores is 90+%. Self test kits available at Walgreens (one store only had one case and limit 4, another had a lot more -- didn't need enough to find out about limit there). Picked some up for my sibling in Chicago too, where they're sold out.

Guessing mask wearing % will be much lower when we get back to South Carolina.

 

[Ryujin]

Went to the supermarket today.

View attachment 148905

Distancing spaces on the floor.

Covers on self checkouts.

View attachment 148906

Staffed checkouts have perspex screen.

Mask use was 100% walking around.

Quiet at 8am Monday morning. Avoid the crowds.

My practice has been to go to the supermarket before 8:00am on Saturdays. It has been largely successful and mask use is 100%, though some people don't have a clue how to wear them. And then there's the people I mentioned previously who don't understand what a "one way" arrow means.

 

[Zardnaar]

My practice has been to go to the supermarket before 8:00am on Saturdays. It has been largely successful and mask use is 100%, though some people don't have a clue how to wear them. And then there's the people I mentioned previously who don't understand what a "one way" arrow means.

Public holiday here but during lockdown that was our time to visit the supermarket.

Boring stuff.

Hawke’s Bay poised to hit 90% double-dosed; 34 cases in the community; 41 in hospital; 8 in ICU

COVID-19 and vaccine update for 27 December 2021.

www.health.govt.nz

Vax rates 84% to 95%, 34 new cases, 41 in hospital, 8 ICU.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

One of the local Q-Anon groups is ingesting cocktails including chlorine dioxide as an ingredient, possibly as an alternative Covid treatment.

Dallas QAnon Cultists Are Drinking Toxic Chemicals from A Communal Bowl, Family Says

The family of a Dallas' QAnon cult member is sounding the alarm. Multiple members of the Leek family confirmed that their relative, who left her husband and children behind in Delaware to follow a fringe QAnon cult leader to Dallas last month, has been drinking a chemical cocktail containing...

www.dallasobserver.com

 

[Zardnaar]

Dumb question. Chlorine dioxide? Sounds poisonous anyway.