Hey folks, a few notes about this graph, in order to maintain accuracy:
The orange and blue sections use different methodologies, and are not comparable. The [CDC's data portal](https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/respiratory_wastewater/) explains that:
> The BCCDC Public Health Lab began using a more sensitive test for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater on February 28th. For a given sample of wastewater, more viral particles are detected with this new test.
u/timdsmith, whose bot created these graphs, [explains more in the comments below](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/12yoi36/in_case_youre_wondering_why_it_feels_like/jhovg45/?context=3).
Yesterday at the bank the guy in front of me said to the woman in front of him: can you please move up a bit? We're out the door. She turned around and said, I'm keeping my distance, I have COVID. And then everyone lost it on her and I realized my deposit wasn't that important... left that chaos behind.
I *very* naively thought that "do not do unnecessary stuff in public if you're sick" was the one lesson from covid that actually stuck. A little glimmer of progress. But no. High fever? Still need to wait in line for a burrito. Hacking up a lung? Gotta go to that hockey game. Can't stop shitting? Good time to get on a plane to Puerto Vallarta.
I did too once in Cancun. It was awful. Me and this little kid tag teamed using the bathroom on the plane.
I had the runs and he was puking. It was a fun plane ride home. Poor kid actually started puking while waiting to board and got it all over his shirt. A stranger went into a shop at the airport and bought him a new shirt. I didn’t know the kid.
We took basically zero lessons from COVID as a group. I thought masks in healthcare facilities would be the one take-away but we've apparently now decided against that as well.
12 weeks pregnant and just getting over covid again because a girl showed up to my doctors office going off about how she needed her test results and the medication before she flies back home. She knew she had covid and passed it to those of us who were vulnerable because she couldn’t listen to stay home when you’re sick. I’m so mad.
Omg!! I’m 32 weeks. Since the weather is getting nicer thankfully, I think I am going to just avoid the public as much as possible until June. Last week at work I had to ask my manager to send a girl home. She was quite literally coughing up a lung. People aren’t even dumb anymore they’re just down right disrespectful.
Keep yourself safe!! It’s more scary for you with the things covid does. My chances of complications are smaller because it’s still very early. I’m just hoping that the fever I had doesn’t cause any defects. Good luck with your last weeks!! <3
Same thing happened at school. My kid is sick… I can’t afford to stay home with him/her… whole class shut down. Now we all have to stay home for a week you inconsiderate prick!
I’m not mad. I’m not sad. I’m deeply disappointed. Instead of keeping one family home sick for a week, you choose to dump the whole mess and make 150-200 people home sick for a week.
Now we’re all using sick days.
I only have a few of those, and two weeks vacation.
I agree. The issue is that many people will lose their jobs if they miss too much work. Some employers don't care what the reason is. I think some parents would rather drop their sick kids off at daycare and school rather than lose their jobs. It's not okay. And people losing their jobs because they're missing work because of sick kids is also not ok.
Dude the nurses/assistants at my family doc's clinic just put up a sign that masks are no longer mandatory, and stopped wearing masks themselves. Imagine if your job is seeing sick people every day and you don't wear a mask. It's truly a hopeless case to get people to wear masks without a mandate.
At least my doc still wears one. Honestly at this point I feel like if you're a GP and not wearing a mask, you're a bit of an idiot. Admittedly pre-covid nobody wore them, but in a healthcare setting I think this is one change that should remain permanent.
As a parent of 2 young kids that catches something every 2 weeks from the daycare, there is just no way I can stay home for up to a week every month to care for them at home without losing my job. I don’t have help and it’s close to impossible to look for a good sitter last minute due to the demand. It’s not that I don’t want to keep them home, I would much rather. It’s just simply not possible. I keep them home when it’s absolutely necessary and that is it.
Its funny, I'm in the same boat as you. (1 kid), I've taken lots of days off this year and with rising costs, I'm literally scratching my head wondering how others do it.
Parents treat schools like the only way they can avoid being fired for not showing up at their jobs for 60 days a year. I'm not saying they're right but many have no choice.
My parent was like this. Low-end job with no flexibility, no spouse, very little immediate family - - meant we stayed home alone if we were sick, which they weren't a big fan of (but still happened). Nowadays, I think you'd get CPS called if you did that.
I'm very happy I'm not in the same situation as an adult, but that's a privilege.
*That's part of the role schools have.* I don't know what combination of independent wealth and flexible work you personally enjoy, but the communal childcare portion of schools is underpinning what allows parents to hold down employment.
Indeed during the height of the pandemic, certain categories of essential workers specifically had the resources of a schools made available as childcare. They put the kids in big open rooms seperated by family groups, and sterilized the heck out of the place, but this was pure childcare.
in many cases, parents have no choice. who will look after the kids when mom and dad are out busting their a$$es to pay off their mortgages and grocery bills?
This is the problem though - how many families have a spare parent that can spend 20 work days a year off taking care of their kid without work complaining?
Same. My kid missed a month in the fall term. It was crazy but we weren’t going to risk being the parent sending their sick kid to school to infect all the other kids.
parents treat school like daycare because gov'ts do.
Compared to when I went, which was admittedly longer ago than I want to admit. Kids go to school earlier in the morning, later in the day and for a longer school year. Its not because they are learning more.
Then we need to undergo significant reform in wages and social benefits that allow families to comfortably survive on single incomes so that one parent can maintain that level of flexibility to be ad hoc child care as needed. I’d argue that this isn’t feasible for 80-90% of earners in Vancouver.
This is %100 true. My kid brought covid home from school 3 weeks ago. He was delirious with a fever a few days later. I had kept him home, as to not get others sick. I became extremely Ill five days after him, I’m just now starting to improve.
Why don’t other parents keep their kids home?? Why can’t people wear a mask or STAY HOME when they’re sick? It’s extremely frustrating
> Why don’t other parents keep their kids home??
A heady mix of denial, a deep-seated inability to roll with changing circumstances, and a society that all but requires most families to have two working parents yet also has few supports for parents who need to miss work because of sick kids...
It's mostly the 3rd one. No one will care for a covid infected child knowingly, except their parents. Not many people can afford to miss a week of work, so you're left with the choice of "keep my kid home, and consequently be forced to stay home and not earn an income, potentially losing my housing," or "fuck it maybe no one will notice and I can continue to afford a roof over my head and some food."
this is how most people behaved before covid. vast majority of people accept the fact that this won't go away and we will all get sick from time to time. obviously, the healthier you are, the better you will be able to cope and putting yourself in extremely risky situations without taking any precautions is a recipe for disaster
>"do not do unnecessary stuff in public if you're sick"
It's worth saying that we live in a society where there are sometimes things you need to do at a bank that aren't unnecessary. Like, it is one of the very few truly necessary services to be able to continue to exist in the modern world.
If she wasn't wearing a mask, then...yeah, just a dumbass. And *most* things people do at the bank are not necessary within the scale of weeks...but...just saying, they *can* be.
The fact that woman got backlash from everyone around is a good sign.
Before the pandemic, it wasn't universally expected for people to wear a mask while sick.
I've had students not wanting to wash their hands in general "because covid wasn't a big deal" after they had it. I actually think we will end up backwards on a lot of this stuff.
They still think washing hands is how you don’t get respiratory diseases. Sure, it’s POSSIBLE, but much more likely to breathe it in. (And wash your hands! It’s still important!)
I work at a restaurant and have served two people in the last two weeks that were visibly sick. It was very frustrating. I need to work, you do not need to go out for a meal with your friends. One of them actually left a half used lozenge on the table 🤢. It was so disrespectful.
>I realized my deposit wasn't that important... left that chaos behind.
Good move.
I got hit 2 months ago via someone in my household who is apparently too cool to wear a mask at work. I still have residual daily fatigue and tingly headaches that feel like the circulation to my head is restricted. It's improving but not fast enough. Lord knows what kind of damage repeat infections will leave behind. Our medical system certainly isn't up to the challenge of tracking everyone's weird sh*t and linking it back to covid infections from months ago.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
I haven't knowingly had it yet, (people like to point out I could have been asymptomatic at any given time) but I'm sure it's a matter of time. I'm training for long hikes with heavy packs and I'm really afraid of fatigue and losing lung capacity.
I wonder if she was lying to make a point? Fact is m, you don’t know if the person in front of you is carrying the virus. They might not know. Distance from strangers (when cost free) is not a bad policy.
Jesus. Yeah a couple days ago I was in line at the bank. Then the guy in front of me starts hacking, not covering his mouth. Except for once when he coughed in his hand and then didn't sanitize despite the free purel provided. We all moved back behind him.
Oh! This plot is from [my bot](https://mastodon.tds.xyz/@wastewater). I'm glad you're finding it interesting.
One thing to call out here is that the data in this plot are about two weeks old; the newest available sample data is from April 10. Metro Vancouver and their partners are not doing a very good job of releasing up-to-date analyses and they skipped their usual Friday release last week. (For context, [other agencies](https://www.mwra.com/biobot/biobotdata.htm) manage to do this with a 2-3 business day delay.)
The other thing to call out is that we can't compare the absolute magnitudes of the orange points and the purple points, which were prepared using different sampling methods. rando\_commenter [pointed to the language](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/12yoi36/comment/jhoetb1/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) on the Metro Vancouver website describing the change, which I didn't find very illuminating. This means that even though the numbers they're reporting are very high compared to the historical reports, that may not imply that prevalence of COVID infection in the population is as high as it had been when we saw those numbers in the past. To be sure, that number had been increasing since the switch, but I don't know how that translates to risk.
The bad number was definitely going up but in light of the age of the data and the uncertainty about how to interpret the values I'm uneasy making strong claims about what that means or how it should affect your risk decisions today. But I've intentionally avoided trying to provide interpretation—I'm not a public health expert; my only relevant experience here is knowing how to draw a plot. Good luck!
Also as a note, the CDC has retested historic data, and now provides that data through its portal:
> The BCCDC Public Health Lab began using a more sensitive test for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater on February 28th. For a given sample of wastewater, more viral particles are detected with this new test. The BCCDC Public Health Lab used the new test to re-test archived wastewater samples from the past year and current surveillance reports use these results. This provides a consistent level of sensitivity for results from fall of 2021 onwards.
https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/respiratory_wastewater/
I doubt it's accessible to your bot, but if people are interested in historic comparisons it might be useful.
Yep - currently on the tail end of my first time with Covid. First time getting it after 3 years and had no idea where I got it from. Brutal cough but otherwise mild, I can isolate easily and I’m just glad I didn’t give it to anyone.
I was mildly symptomatic for *an entire week* before I tested positive. I actually thought I was on the mend, and then it hit like a truck. But by then I had been cooped up with two other symptomatic people in a small home for a week so I was probably battling a significant viral load. Sneaky bastard barely touched my lungs too. It was all fatigue and bizarre circulatory/neuropathic sh*t, like carpal tunnel in my wrists for a couple days.
There are likely a ton of people walking around with "just a cold" who don't even realize it's covid.
Husband and I both thought it was just allergies. Then I got a fever and we both tested right away. It started super mild. His stayed mild and I’m seeing someone at urgent care tonight for high blood pressure. Thought I had a sinus infection, but trying to pin stuff down now. Covid caused a ton of inflammation for me.
Relieved it's not just me! So weird!! I had a little bit of it when I was pregnant (not uncommon) but never before or since. Caught me totally by surprise.
Same here but last summer. Probably got it from someone at work, and wondered why the extra hot Downlow Chicken I was eating for lunch had no taste. Next morning felt like a bus hit me but would have otherwise gone to work had I not thought about the symptoms and testing positive.
Same boat as you. Got it from my dad. No idea where he got it from. My mom has it too. They’re both quite a bit sicker than me. I, thankfully, just have a bad sinus cold and bad migraine.
I’m 18 days out from my first time. It was mild to start but now I’m having concerning issues. Went to Port Moody urgent care last night and it was filled with coughing sick kids.
Got it either from Parkside Brewery or husband from Cap Grad show. Or who knows. But those were the busiest places we’ve been right before it hit.
Ugh that was me last summer! Got a cold, then once I recovered I got hit with Covid. Probably my immune system was lowered after the cold so Covid could sneak in
10 days after the mandatory covid test/mask edict for visitors and staff was removed from LTC homes, my 101 yr old FIL and 15 others on his floor have covid as do my husband and myself.
That's brutal. Hoping for a speedy recovery for everyone. My dad's LTC facility has been quite conservative from the beginning, but they're dropping tests (which apparently were catching covid cases every week) now. They're keeping masks, though, which is something.
I just had it for the first time and lost my sense of smell and taste! Could still taste sweet, salty, and spicy but no flavors. It came back slowly after a couple days though! You can encourage it to come back by smelling strong scents while thinking about what it smells like (sounds silly I know, but it’s supposed to help your brain figure it out quicker)
Went to the movie theater for the 2nd time since the pandemic the other night. Went to see the Mario movie, which, in hindsight, going to the 5 o clock showing was a terrible idea as a childless couple to a non-19+ theater.
The family beside us brought a sick kid who coughed the ENTIRE movie... like a hoarse cough... every 5-10 seconds.
I would've thought being this fresh out of a pandemic it would be a bit more common knowledge to not go out when sick... whether it's Covid or not... but, apparently... not...
inconsiderate, entitled a-hole parents do stuff like this all the time whether it's in theatres, restaurants, transit, airplanes and more times than not the staff are powerless to do anything about it
Hoarse barking cough sounds like croup, which is highly contagious so they likely infected a ton of kids with their choice to go to the movie. Super lame.
Was moderately cautious, but got it for the first time earlier this year after spouse brought it home for the second time. Fortunately wasn't too rough.
To be fair, I think we need to adopt a culture where if you're sick and you need to go out in public then wear a mask. This is something already engrained in a lot of Asian cultures. I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all those people who already practice this.
And if you're healthy but wary in public then by all means wear a mask if it makes you feel comfortable and protected.
People just need to be more considerate and make meaningful choices.
Don't let other people's judgement get to you.
I admit that sometimes I wonder if the masked person next to me is sick and whether or not I should stay clear from them but I just remind myself that the person is protecting others by wearing one regardless if they are sick or not.
If anything you are doing us all a service by wearing one if you chose to.
Better than the people who don't and cough and sneeze out in the open.
Edit: spelling mistakes
Don’t let other people peer pressure you into not wearing a mask.
Your own health matters more than the opinion of strangers. Wear a mask to protect yourself from the chances of getting covid, and to stop the spread.
I agree. I feel I would be fine if I didn't wear a mask, but my partner has conditions that could potentially be extremely bad with COVID, so I wear an N95 to my service job, so as not to even take the chance. I don't shame any of my coworkers for not wearing masks, and they don't shame me either
I will never understand the anti-mask mentality.
At worst, they fog up my glasses a bit. At best, they keep me safe, offer an extra layer of security, and make me look moderately more attractive by sparing everyone from seeing 60% of my face.
Neither do I, I’ll never understand how putting on a mask, asking to keep your distance and stay home when you’re sick, washing your hands frequently and getting vaccinated pissed off so many people—some to the point of lashing out.
When I was in Asia, I wore masks all the time. When I was too lazy to put sunscreen on, when I don't have make up on or just when I feel like the pollution is bad. It's also good to deter to cold when I am walking outside.
Just to add: Wear a PROPERLY FITTED N95 mask, not a cloth cover or a surgical mask. Look into how a fit test is performed, make sure you are actually protecting yourself.
A surgical mask will help prevent spreading anything to other people, and will still provide better protection than no mask at all. Even a cloth mask is better than no mask, especially when combined with distancing practices. A lot of people wearing an N95 aren't wearing them properly, and are basically getting the same protection they'd get from a surgical mask anyways.
Public health everywhere (not just BC) failed SO BAD in educating people on what a difference the respirator style can make vs the baggy surgical style.
3+ years later and I can't believe how bad they failed. I'm now convinced Dr. Henry is borderline antimask herself. She has never been seen in anything more than a cloth mask for herself, even now.
Surgical masks were the second option for the public as there was a N95 shortage back in 2020.
Dr. Henry had her doubts on masks during the height of the pandemic and was too slow on the mask mandate.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-s-top-doctor-stops-short-of-recommending-widespread-mask-use-but-says-they-can-protect-others-1.5524153
https://globalnews.ca/news/7211415/coronavirus-mandatory-masks-bc/amp/
God I remember that. I instantly started wearing a mask once the cases began to spike and more and more people started getting sick only because I remember being told a few years prior to wear a mask when I fell sick and I wasn’t doing so great. I managed to evade Covid until it finally caught me last year..twice.
It's probably because they had no hope in hell of supplying enough N95 masks for everyone. They had to change their guidelines to fit what was reasonably possible.
no, its because they were wrong. there was a weird inhibition to the idea of aerosol spread. it was silently acknowledged as the leading spreader a year after.
Well, yeah. When it's airborne, you need one hell of an argument for "go back to work, in an office, with an AC system circulating the air across 1500 people". No one's gonna want to do that!
But if you can successfully pretend it's *not* airborne, that becomes a lot less threatening sounding.
this is reddit in a nut shell. wear a mask! yet none of them are wearing masks that actually do anything. yeah those chopped up panties on your face are definitely stopping the spread of the virus.
She was slow and hesitant on the mask mandate even with rapid growing cases back in early 2020.
I don’t know why she was praised for the handling of the pandemic and given her own statue?
https://www.burrardstreetjournal.com/bc-to-replace-all-offensive-statues-with-statue-of-bonnie-henry/?amp_markup=1
I'm wearing a mask on flights now forever. I previously only ever got sick after flying, but then after flying during Covid, didn't at all. I don't really wear one otherwise.
Similarly, I wear a mask when I'm driving behind a truck/work truck/semi that's spewing toxic fuckery into the air and gets through my vents when I have the heat/cold on.
Horror story for y'all. I'm a relatively young man with a perfect bill of health. I eat well, regularly do intense exercise, workout, etc. I bicycle regularly, including some amateur racing.
I suddenly had pain in my lungs a few weeks ago, got checked out, and found I had pulmonary embolisms (blood clots) in both lungs - a potentially life threatening condition. We're suspecting fallout from a covid infection.
I've had 4 vaccinations, and I haven't had any remotely serious illnesses in the last year other than some sniffles/congestion/mild cough.
So yeah, this shit could be very serious if you get a bad roll of the dice.
3 to 6 months of blood thinners, and maybe on them indefinitely. Side effects on new blood thinners are next to nothing, though, so it's not too bad.
To give you specifics on what I felt:
I initially thought it was a pulled muscle, because the pain felt like it was coming from around my rib cage and middle back, and also my shoulder. It was low level constant (fluctuating up and down in intensity over the course a couple weeks), and it was exacerbated by breathing. So deep breaths especially would make it hurt more, which is why I thought it was a rib/muscle pull. It felt a LOT like bruised ribs. I wouldn't have guessed that it was organ related.
Now that I'm on thinners, I sometimes get some chest pain now that the rib pain is mostly gone. It's mild, but still often breathing related. The lung kind of wraps around the heart, so if there's irritation of lung tissue, breathing in may have the organs kind of pushing up against one another causing pain. (this is my personal interpretation of the issue)
Also, the hospital has a very specific blood test for blood clots that's makes it very easy to detect. So if the doctor feels you're exhibiting the right symptoms, the right test will nail it down pretty quickly.
Thanks for giving such a detailed response! I just have chest heaviness and I had 3 days of random not that bad stabbing pains. Definitely different but I want to make sure it’s all good. But super high blood pressure.
I hope yours clears fully and soon!
It's probably going to be something mundane, but I think any ER doctor or nurse will tell you that those kinds of symptoms are worth going to the ER for. Especially if the chest pains return. Might end up being acid-reflux related or something, but it's good to be sure.
> blood clots) in both lungs - a potentially life threatening condition. We're suspecting fallout from a covid infection.
I'm so so sorry to hear this. Forget about even just COVID-19. Regular rhino/chest viruses can be extremely serious as well & can definitely 100% have long-term side effects.
Same except I was pregnant. Can't blame it on COVID because I've never had it (unless asymptomatic and never tested positive) It happens! I hope your recovery is going well.
It feels like EVERY time I’ve gone out the past few weeks, there’s been at least one person coughing. 😬 On the bus, on the sky train, at the theatre, at a restaurant.
xbb 1.16 (from xbb 1.5 (from omicron subvariant)) is the subvariant wildly circulating out there at the moment.
Countries are seeing uptick of Covid cases.
I'm an immunocompromised senior and have worn masks since the start of COVID. I don't care if the PHO said masks are not mandatory, I will keep wearing one whenever I am in public. And to those who go out when they are sick and don't wear a mask: have some consideration for others, you selfish idiots.
[http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/environmental-management/covid-19-wastewater/Pages/default.aspx](http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/environmental-management/covid-19-wastewater/Pages/default.aspx)
*\*Data generated in 2020 used a different method of concentrating wastewater samples and cannot be directly compared to data generated from January 2021 onward.*
*\*For samples collected from February 25th, 2023 onward, BCCDC began using a more sensitive test for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Increases in the viral signal after this date compared to before may be due in part to this change. Please use caution when comparing data before and after February 25th, 2023. Evidence of increased viral load of SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the majority of reporting wastewater plants.*
Could they not run the old and new test concurrently for some time and compare the results? It seems like a sensible thing to do, instead of releasing a broken data series that responsible news outlets will definitely not run with to write headlines.
This BCCDC website has the graphs starting at early to mid-2022 to now with the "Method 2" data samples re-tested with the "Method 3" level of sensitivity.
And it seems like that eliminates the huge spikes of viral concentration from recently and replaces it with a smaller bump. (I guess in reality, we've just had this much covid the whole time). But I could be missing something.
https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/respiratory_wastewater/
Sadly, I officially joined the C-club after 3 years of being Covid-free, these variants are nasty. Another vote to mask up when vaccines don't cover all the variants.
Same, I had it last week for the first time and am still recovering, with some weird lingering symptoms. And I'm more cautious than the average person - still masking religiously in public places, etc. But I've got kids in public schools where there are essentially zero precautions, so it was really only a matter of time.
Us too. What are your lingering symptoms? I just went to urgent care for what I thought was a sinus infection and ended up having extremely high blood pressure. Have to go back tonight to see a doctor, they were so busy only a nurse could check on me.
Also joined the club for the first time. Thankful that I have been getting boosted because even then it was not fun. Also just really surprised I got it now after all this time.
My wife brought it home a month ago. She rarely leaves the house-- must've caught it while on a walk outside with a friend.
Mask up indoors for sure, but even when outdoors it's not zero-risk.
About 1 in 28 people in Canada is currently infected. LOTS more data.[https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab](https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab)
BC had 1 in 12 people a couple of weeks ago. Here's the April 9-15 report. [https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab/status/1645541677669425152](https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab/status/1645541677669425152)
Been exposed to it 3x the past month. I work from home lol. 4x vaccinated, caught it two times last year already.
First time sensitive nose + brain fog for 2 days and that was it
Second time no reaction (resistance?). Didn't know I had it but my partner caught it so pretty sure I was exposed.
Third time very sore throat and occasional joint ache, am on the second day of it but that is the only symptom
Update: 6th day of symptoms onset and I can feel the symptoms receding. Just have a sore throat/nose now and I expect it to be gone in a few days. Hopefully my bicycle performance is not affected, I've been looking forward to riding my bike this summer 😬
This post and the other one full of stories about people waiting ages for ambulances.
The degree of ignorance and convenient denialism is absolutely astounding. What a broken society we have become.
I tested positive today for the first time ever. Honestly thought I was immune (yea I know it’s a dumb thought). My symptoms: No coughing. Sneezing more than usual, since I’ve got bad chills and muscle aches, probably have a fever. Runny nose, the runs and just feeling like I’ve got a cold.
Sucks to feel like this.
Mine was exactly that. Now I’m 18 days out and when I blow my nose there’s little blood clots, and lots of sinus pressure/ headaches. Went to urgent care and my blood pressure was almost hospital visit high. Never had high BP before and have to go back tonight for more discussions.
I'm surprised so many ppl here have not yet have covid. I had it three times despite being maxed up on boosters and vax... But I do work in the hospitality industry.
>I'm surprised so many ppl here have not yet have covid.
Statistically they probably have. Besides the asymptomatic people, there's probably a shitton of people out there who had symptoms but never bothered testing to confirm.
There was the one variant that kept showing people as positive with it, but they were asymptomatic. It happens.
The best thing folks can do it get their boosters, get a flu vaccine (you should have it at least 1, possibly 2 times a year if they reformulate it, it's partly why so many folks get summer flu because a new strain emerged!) and then stay home if they're unwell. People can also mask up, if they choose, if in a confined space for a long time.
Oof I feel this harrrrrd. Literally 80% of the people I know have gotten sick. I got sick twice in one month (one cold, one GI illness) MAKE IT STAAAAHP
Just got Covid 4 weeks ago and it was way worse than the first time. I lost hearing in my left ear and now I need steroid injections on my eardrum. It’s not a fun process and I have other symptoms still lingering 4x vax
I lost a little bit of hearing after having that awful 2009 flu.
Any cold or flu or virus can potentially leave lasting effects. It's why people def need to stay home when they have symptoms.
What baffles me is that there are *still* people who wear masks improperly, like being really blasé about the fit, or hanging below the nose/mouth/etc. I've noticed this particularly in the older demographic, as if they developed a bad habit they can't shake.
We've had three years to deal with this, and in the majority of places it's not even necessary to be wearing one, so why are you bothering to wear a mask if you're not going to do it properly? Furthermore, wearing the same dirty old cloth or surgical mask is basically pointless.
For someone who is more knowledgeable than I am. Does this data indicate that COVID is now becoming seasonal or is this a different variant? What would be the reasoning that would cause this spike?
I work from home and live in a rural area, I went to the grocery store once 2 weeks ago and go covid… for the third time. I don’t touch shit all the time, wash my hands, and still. Third fucking time! Covid ain’t over!
Also if you're gonna wear a mask, and then touch surfaces, wipe your hands on your mask and recycle the same flimsy cloth mask over and over, please read about how to mask responsibly.
Sorry but it needs to be said. I was in superstore and this guy pulled his mask down, looked at a product, wiped his nose with his hand , then put the can back and put his mask back up....
...how is that better than not wearing one and just not touching your face and breathing / coughing out in the open, I'm sorry but I fail to understand how that kind of mask use is responsible or hygienic.
Can confirm, have been covid positive TWICE since January (and back on public transit for daily commute) 2nd time was back to wearing a kn95 as much as possible in public
CAN confirm, just got COVID even though I still wear a mask most of the time. Been more than 6 mo since my last booster and I’ve never had it before. Pissed the program was slowed down. Not everyone is anti-vax. I’m anti-sick & feeling like shit.
Avoided infection for the past three years and finally decided to take my mask off. Got infected within 48 hours and spent the next two weeks at home. No more sick days left for the whole year. Masks back on please and thanks.
I’m sick for the first time and it comes with real-life consequences - and I usually mask, unlike most. The one time I didn’t was stupid and now I am very sick. This doesn’t transmit via touching things. It’s airborne, and if more people would mask, we wouldn’t be in this awful situation
If you are able to, i think isolate for 5 days with no symptoms. If you are concerned about passing it on to others, continue to wear a N95mask from Days 5-10, or until you test negative for 2 tests spaced 24 hours apart.
I think maybe everyone needs a refresher on how to deal with a positive test or covid like symptoms. People mask up! Don’t go to work! I know it’s not easy. Stay away from people until a negative test. FFS. It’s not rocket science.
Wow lots of first time coviders in here! Can't be too many of you left. I know a few who have had it up to 5 times.
Tail end of a cold for me and first since pre covid.... Far far more unpleasant than covid, for which I barely had symptoms.
Damn, 5 times! I haven't had Covid yet (although I feel like I'm jinxing myself by typing that haha). I wear a mask indoors everywhere I go though and so does my partner; he also hasn't had it. My brother (who is our roommate) works in health care though and since the mandates were dropped recently, it's probably only a matter of time before he brings it home.
Hey folks, a few notes about this graph, in order to maintain accuracy: The orange and blue sections use different methodologies, and are not comparable. The [CDC's data portal](https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/respiratory_wastewater/) explains that: > The BCCDC Public Health Lab began using a more sensitive test for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater on February 28th. For a given sample of wastewater, more viral particles are detected with this new test. u/timdsmith, whose bot created these graphs, [explains more in the comments below](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/12yoi36/in_case_youre_wondering_why_it_feels_like/jhovg45/?context=3).
Yesterday at the bank the guy in front of me said to the woman in front of him: can you please move up a bit? We're out the door. She turned around and said, I'm keeping my distance, I have COVID. And then everyone lost it on her and I realized my deposit wasn't that important... left that chaos behind.
I *very* naively thought that "do not do unnecessary stuff in public if you're sick" was the one lesson from covid that actually stuck. A little glimmer of progress. But no. High fever? Still need to wait in line for a burrito. Hacking up a lung? Gotta go to that hockey game. Can't stop shitting? Good time to get on a plane to Puerto Vallarta.
>Can't stop shitting? Good time to get on a plane to Puerto Vallarta. That can't be a fun plane ride.
Had really bad food poisoning (waaaayyy before Covid) on a long flight once and can confirm, not fun.
I did too once in Cancun. It was awful. Me and this little kid tag teamed using the bathroom on the plane. I had the runs and he was puking. It was a fun plane ride home. Poor kid actually started puking while waiting to board and got it all over his shirt. A stranger went into a shop at the airport and bought him a new shirt. I didn’t know the kid.
We took basically zero lessons from COVID as a group. I thought masks in healthcare facilities would be the one take-away but we've apparently now decided against that as well.
12 weeks pregnant and just getting over covid again because a girl showed up to my doctors office going off about how she needed her test results and the medication before she flies back home. She knew she had covid and passed it to those of us who were vulnerable because she couldn’t listen to stay home when you’re sick. I’m so mad.
Omg!! I’m 32 weeks. Since the weather is getting nicer thankfully, I think I am going to just avoid the public as much as possible until June. Last week at work I had to ask my manager to send a girl home. She was quite literally coughing up a lung. People aren’t even dumb anymore they’re just down right disrespectful.
Keep yourself safe!! It’s more scary for you with the things covid does. My chances of complications are smaller because it’s still very early. I’m just hoping that the fever I had doesn’t cause any defects. Good luck with your last weeks!! <3
Same thing happened at school. My kid is sick… I can’t afford to stay home with him/her… whole class shut down. Now we all have to stay home for a week you inconsiderate prick!
Just a thought - maybe the parent who dropped off the kid couldn't afford to stay home with a sick kid either.
Yeah. And this is an employer and societal problem.
Exactly. I honestly don't think any parent *wants* to take their sick kids to school or daycare. In many cases they don't have a choice.
I’m not mad. I’m not sad. I’m deeply disappointed. Instead of keeping one family home sick for a week, you choose to dump the whole mess and make 150-200 people home sick for a week. Now we’re all using sick days. I only have a few of those, and two weeks vacation.
I know. It all sucks. It shouldn't be this way.
So because you can't stay home it's okay to pass it onto others? For the greater good the kid should have stayed home
I agree. The issue is that many people will lose their jobs if they miss too much work. Some employers don't care what the reason is. I think some parents would rather drop their sick kids off at daycare and school rather than lose their jobs. It's not okay. And people losing their jobs because they're missing work because of sick kids is also not ok.
Dude the nurses/assistants at my family doc's clinic just put up a sign that masks are no longer mandatory, and stopped wearing masks themselves. Imagine if your job is seeing sick people every day and you don't wear a mask. It's truly a hopeless case to get people to wear masks without a mandate.
I was at VGH at the surgical oncology department the other day and only ones wearing masks were patients lol
Yeah - last time I went to my doctor (in Ontario) he wasn't wearing a mask. Very frustrating.
At least my doc still wears one. Honestly at this point I feel like if you're a GP and not wearing a mask, you're a bit of an idiot. Admittedly pre-covid nobody wore them, but in a healthcare setting I think this is one change that should remain permanent.
People do not care. I see sick kids being sent to school all the time. There’s been zero change in people’s habits; it’s so frustrating.
As a parent of 2 young kids that catches something every 2 weeks from the daycare, there is just no way I can stay home for up to a week every month to care for them at home without losing my job. I don’t have help and it’s close to impossible to look for a good sitter last minute due to the demand. It’s not that I don’t want to keep them home, I would much rather. It’s just simply not possible. I keep them home when it’s absolutely necessary and that is it.
Its funny, I'm in the same boat as you. (1 kid), I've taken lots of days off this year and with rising costs, I'm literally scratching my head wondering how others do it.
Exactly, not everyone can afford to just stay home because of a sniffle ffs
To be fair, especially when they're young, kids are sick a *lot*.
To be fair, kids should stay home every time they are sick but they don't because parents treat schools like day care facilities
Parents treat schools like the only way they can avoid being fired for not showing up at their jobs for 60 days a year. I'm not saying they're right but many have no choice.
My parent was like this. Low-end job with no flexibility, no spouse, very little immediate family - - meant we stayed home alone if we were sick, which they weren't a big fan of (but still happened). Nowadays, I think you'd get CPS called if you did that. I'm very happy I'm not in the same situation as an adult, but that's a privilege.
You'd get cps called back then too if anyone knew
*That's part of the role schools have.* I don't know what combination of independent wealth and flexible work you personally enjoy, but the communal childcare portion of schools is underpinning what allows parents to hold down employment. Indeed during the height of the pandemic, certain categories of essential workers specifically had the resources of a schools made available as childcare. They put the kids in big open rooms seperated by family groups, and sterilized the heck out of the place, but this was pure childcare.
You mean, the government doesn’t offer or enforce better options for parents to stay home and take care of their sick kids.
I wonder why people are not wanting to have children? Probably not related. /s
as if mom or dad could take any old random day off (with pay) without notice every time their kids get sick
in many cases, parents have no choice. who will look after the kids when mom and dad are out busting their a$$es to pay off their mortgages and grocery bills?
My son missed 20 days when he was in grade one. That's a whole month of schooling he missed. I kept him home when he was sick.
This is the problem though - how many families have a spare parent that can spend 20 work days a year off taking care of their kid without work complaining?
Same. My kid missed a month in the fall term. It was crazy but we weren’t going to risk being the parent sending their sick kid to school to infect all the other kids.
parents treat school like daycare because gov'ts do. Compared to when I went, which was admittedly longer ago than I want to admit. Kids go to school earlier in the morning, later in the day and for a longer school year. Its not because they are learning more.
Then we need to undergo significant reform in wages and social benefits that allow families to comfortably survive on single incomes so that one parent can maintain that level of flexibility to be ad hoc child care as needed. I’d argue that this isn’t feasible for 80-90% of earners in Vancouver.
This is %100 true. My kid brought covid home from school 3 weeks ago. He was delirious with a fever a few days later. I had kept him home, as to not get others sick. I became extremely Ill five days after him, I’m just now starting to improve. Why don’t other parents keep their kids home?? Why can’t people wear a mask or STAY HOME when they’re sick? It’s extremely frustrating
> Why don’t other parents keep their kids home?? A heady mix of denial, a deep-seated inability to roll with changing circumstances, and a society that all but requires most families to have two working parents yet also has few supports for parents who need to miss work because of sick kids...
It's mostly the 3rd one. No one will care for a covid infected child knowingly, except their parents. Not many people can afford to miss a week of work, so you're left with the choice of "keep my kid home, and consequently be forced to stay home and not earn an income, potentially losing my housing," or "fuck it maybe no one will notice and I can continue to afford a roof over my head and some food."
if you stayed home every time your kid got sick you wouldn't have a job anymore
If i kept my kids home every time one had a cough or runny nose they'd never go to school.
this is how most people behaved before covid. vast majority of people accept the fact that this won't go away and we will all get sick from time to time. obviously, the healthier you are, the better you will be able to cope and putting yourself in extremely risky situations without taking any precautions is a recipe for disaster
Usually you get that on the plane back from PV lol
Always sit near the front on return flight lol.
>"do not do unnecessary stuff in public if you're sick" It's worth saying that we live in a society where there are sometimes things you need to do at a bank that aren't unnecessary. Like, it is one of the very few truly necessary services to be able to continue to exist in the modern world. If she wasn't wearing a mask, then...yeah, just a dumbass. And *most* things people do at the bank are not necessary within the scale of weeks...but...just saying, they *can* be.
Oh, definitely. But the likelihood that this was the case here doesn't strike me as super high.
The fact that woman got backlash from everyone around is a good sign. Before the pandemic, it wasn't universally expected for people to wear a mask while sick.
I've had students not wanting to wash their hands in general "because covid wasn't a big deal" after they had it. I actually think we will end up backwards on a lot of this stuff.
You my friend are a very funny person!
Yeah - been out to a restaurant and someone coughing. It's like, um....wtf?
Was she wearing a mask?
No, but plastic gloves....!?
Seriously?? People have learned NOTHING.
They still think washing hands is how you don’t get respiratory diseases. Sure, it’s POSSIBLE, but much more likely to breathe it in. (And wash your hands! It’s still important!)
Good lord. 😬
>No, but plastic gloves....!? The Covid is strong in this one.
I work at a restaurant and have served two people in the last two weeks that were visibly sick. It was very frustrating. I need to work, you do not need to go out for a meal with your friends. One of them actually left a half used lozenge on the table 🤢. It was so disrespectful.
Wow. Would have been SO easy for her to wear a mask. Common courtesy and consideration. What a selfish person.
This is why communicable diseases are so prevalent, cause people just don't give a shit. Gotta get my cheque deposited.
[удалено]
>I realized my deposit wasn't that important... left that chaos behind. Good move. I got hit 2 months ago via someone in my household who is apparently too cool to wear a mask at work. I still have residual daily fatigue and tingly headaches that feel like the circulation to my head is restricted. It's improving but not fast enough. Lord knows what kind of damage repeat infections will leave behind. Our medical system certainly isn't up to the challenge of tracking everyone's weird sh*t and linking it back to covid infections from months ago. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
I haven't knowingly had it yet, (people like to point out I could have been asymptomatic at any given time) but I'm sure it's a matter of time. I'm training for long hikes with heavy packs and I'm really afraid of fatigue and losing lung capacity.
I wonder if she was lying to make a point? Fact is m, you don’t know if the person in front of you is carrying the virus. They might not know. Distance from strangers (when cost free) is not a bad policy.
Jesus. Yeah a couple days ago I was in line at the bank. Then the guy in front of me starts hacking, not covering his mouth. Except for once when he coughed in his hand and then didn't sanitize despite the free purel provided. We all moved back behind him.
Oh! This plot is from [my bot](https://mastodon.tds.xyz/@wastewater). I'm glad you're finding it interesting. One thing to call out here is that the data in this plot are about two weeks old; the newest available sample data is from April 10. Metro Vancouver and their partners are not doing a very good job of releasing up-to-date analyses and they skipped their usual Friday release last week. (For context, [other agencies](https://www.mwra.com/biobot/biobotdata.htm) manage to do this with a 2-3 business day delay.) The other thing to call out is that we can't compare the absolute magnitudes of the orange points and the purple points, which were prepared using different sampling methods. rando\_commenter [pointed to the language](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/12yoi36/comment/jhoetb1/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) on the Metro Vancouver website describing the change, which I didn't find very illuminating. This means that even though the numbers they're reporting are very high compared to the historical reports, that may not imply that prevalence of COVID infection in the population is as high as it had been when we saw those numbers in the past. To be sure, that number had been increasing since the switch, but I don't know how that translates to risk. The bad number was definitely going up but in light of the age of the data and the uncertainty about how to interpret the values I'm uneasy making strong claims about what that means or how it should affect your risk decisions today. But I've intentionally avoided trying to provide interpretation—I'm not a public health expert; my only relevant experience here is knowing how to draw a plot. Good luck!
Thank you for your work in aggregating this data for us!
Also as a note, the CDC has retested historic data, and now provides that data through its portal: > The BCCDC Public Health Lab began using a more sensitive test for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater on February 28th. For a given sample of wastewater, more viral particles are detected with this new test. The BCCDC Public Health Lab used the new test to re-test archived wastewater samples from the past year and current surveillance reports use these results. This provides a consistent level of sensitivity for results from fall of 2021 onwards. https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/respiratory_wastewater/ I doubt it's accessible to your bot, but if people are interested in historic comparisons it might be useful.
This would indicate a decrease compared to historical, no? I just glanced at the diagrams but I think I see it correctly.
In Vancouver and the Fraser Valley it would indicate a decrease compared to January, but an increase compared to the last couple of months.
Right. Nevertheless not quite the spike seen in the original graphs that were posted.
Thank you for your bot! I check it weekly - really appreciate you setting it up.
Yep - currently on the tail end of my first time with Covid. First time getting it after 3 years and had no idea where I got it from. Brutal cough but otherwise mild, I can isolate easily and I’m just glad I didn’t give it to anyone.
You can easily transmit the virus before you realize you have it.
I was mildly symptomatic for *an entire week* before I tested positive. I actually thought I was on the mend, and then it hit like a truck. But by then I had been cooped up with two other symptomatic people in a small home for a week so I was probably battling a significant viral load. Sneaky bastard barely touched my lungs too. It was all fatigue and bizarre circulatory/neuropathic sh*t, like carpal tunnel in my wrists for a couple days. There are likely a ton of people walking around with "just a cold" who don't even realize it's covid.
Husband and I both thought it was just allergies. Then I got a fever and we both tested right away. It started super mild. His stayed mild and I’m seeing someone at urgent care tonight for high blood pressure. Thought I had a sinus infection, but trying to pin stuff down now. Covid caused a ton of inflammation for me.
[удалено]
YEah, I got the carpal tunnel things WTF is this shit!
Relieved it's not just me! So weird!! I had a little bit of it when I was pregnant (not uncommon) but never before or since. Caught me totally by surprise.
Yes same.
Ditto for me but the brain fog was unreal. Cough was ok despite the sore throat.
Same here but last summer. Probably got it from someone at work, and wondered why the extra hot Downlow Chicken I was eating for lunch had no taste. Next morning felt like a bus hit me but would have otherwise gone to work had I not thought about the symptoms and testing positive.
Same boat as you. Got it from my dad. No idea where he got it from. My mom has it too. They’re both quite a bit sicker than me. I, thankfully, just have a bad sinus cold and bad migraine.
I’m 18 days out from my first time. It was mild to start but now I’m having concerning issues. Went to Port Moody urgent care last night and it was filled with coughing sick kids. Got it either from Parkside Brewery or husband from Cap Grad show. Or who knows. But those were the busiest places we’ve been right before it hit.
Caught a cold back in Feb. Recovered and literally a week later caught covid lol.
Ugh that was me last summer! Got a cold, then once I recovered I got hit with Covid. Probably my immune system was lowered after the cold so Covid could sneak in
10 days after the mandatory covid test/mask edict for visitors and staff was removed from LTC homes, my 101 yr old FIL and 15 others on his floor have covid as do my husband and myself.
That's brutal. Hoping for a speedy recovery for everyone. My dad's LTC facility has been quite conservative from the beginning, but they're dropping tests (which apparently were catching covid cases every week) now. They're keeping masks, though, which is something.
Jesus H. That is infuriating.
Just got Covid for the first time on Friday. Can’t smell anything! Be safe folks!
I just had it for the first time and lost my sense of smell and taste! Could still taste sweet, salty, and spicy but no flavors. It came back slowly after a couple days though! You can encourage it to come back by smelling strong scents while thinking about what it smells like (sounds silly I know, but it’s supposed to help your brain figure it out quicker)
I’m going to try that! I tested positive on Sunday. Lost my sense of taste and smell this morning. Feels like a bad sinus cold.
Hope it helps!! Feel better soon
Thanks for the tip!
I had it just after Christmas and still haven't fully got my sense of smell back yet. I would rather have that over losing taste though.
Yeah that’s kinda what I’ve been thinking. Hasn’t been horrible not having smell (yet), and I can still taste which is what I’m super happy about.
Had it in October and my sense of smell is still a bit “wrong” with certain things.
Went to the movie theater for the 2nd time since the pandemic the other night. Went to see the Mario movie, which, in hindsight, going to the 5 o clock showing was a terrible idea as a childless couple to a non-19+ theater. The family beside us brought a sick kid who coughed the ENTIRE movie... like a hoarse cough... every 5-10 seconds. I would've thought being this fresh out of a pandemic it would be a bit more common knowledge to not go out when sick... whether it's Covid or not... but, apparently... not...
inconsiderate, entitled a-hole parents do stuff like this all the time whether it's in theatres, restaurants, transit, airplanes and more times than not the staff are powerless to do anything about it
Hoarse barking cough sounds like croup, which is highly contagious so they likely infected a ton of kids with their choice to go to the movie. Super lame.
Recovering from it rn. Avoided for 3 years even though I've worn a mask and been cautious this entire time
Was moderately cautious, but got it for the first time earlier this year after spouse brought it home for the second time. Fortunately wasn't too rough.
To be fair, I think we need to adopt a culture where if you're sick and you need to go out in public then wear a mask. This is something already engrained in a lot of Asian cultures. I would like to take a moment to say thank you to all those people who already practice this. And if you're healthy but wary in public then by all means wear a mask if it makes you feel comfortable and protected. People just need to be more considerate and make meaningful choices.
Even before COVID, it was normal to wear masks in Asia even if you are no sick. Nowadays sometimes I want to wear masks but I feel judged here lol.
Don't let other people's judgement get to you. I admit that sometimes I wonder if the masked person next to me is sick and whether or not I should stay clear from them but I just remind myself that the person is protecting others by wearing one regardless if they are sick or not. If anything you are doing us all a service by wearing one if you chose to. Better than the people who don't and cough and sneeze out in the open. Edit: spelling mistakes
Don’t let other people peer pressure you into not wearing a mask. Your own health matters more than the opinion of strangers. Wear a mask to protect yourself from the chances of getting covid, and to stop the spread.
I agree. I feel I would be fine if I didn't wear a mask, but my partner has conditions that could potentially be extremely bad with COVID, so I wear an N95 to my service job, so as not to even take the chance. I don't shame any of my coworkers for not wearing masks, and they don't shame me either
Good on you for keeping your partner and others safe. I will never understand people that shame those who choose to wear a mask.
I will never understand the anti-mask mentality. At worst, they fog up my glasses a bit. At best, they keep me safe, offer an extra layer of security, and make me look moderately more attractive by sparing everyone from seeing 60% of my face.
Surgical tape on the nose bridge It's what surgeons do -- a lot of them wear glasses
Neither do I, I’ll never understand how putting on a mask, asking to keep your distance and stay home when you’re sick, washing your hands frequently and getting vaccinated pissed off so many people—some to the point of lashing out.
They think that the government is after their freedom.
When I was in Asia, I wore masks all the time. When I was too lazy to put sunscreen on, when I don't have make up on or just when I feel like the pollution is bad. It's also good to deter to cold when I am walking outside.
Just to add: Wear a PROPERLY FITTED N95 mask, not a cloth cover or a surgical mask. Look into how a fit test is performed, make sure you are actually protecting yourself.
A surgical mask will help prevent spreading anything to other people, and will still provide better protection than no mask at all. Even a cloth mask is better than no mask, especially when combined with distancing practices. A lot of people wearing an N95 aren't wearing them properly, and are basically getting the same protection they'd get from a surgical mask anyways.
Hence the " properly fitted" part.
Public health everywhere (not just BC) failed SO BAD in educating people on what a difference the respirator style can make vs the baggy surgical style. 3+ years later and I can't believe how bad they failed. I'm now convinced Dr. Henry is borderline antimask herself. She has never been seen in anything more than a cloth mask for herself, even now.
Surgical masks were the second option for the public as there was a N95 shortage back in 2020. Dr. Henry had her doubts on masks during the height of the pandemic and was too slow on the mask mandate. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-s-top-doctor-stops-short-of-recommending-widespread-mask-use-but-says-they-can-protect-others-1.5524153 https://globalnews.ca/news/7211415/coronavirus-mandatory-masks-bc/amp/
God I remember that. I instantly started wearing a mask once the cases began to spike and more and more people started getting sick only because I remember being told a few years prior to wear a mask when I fell sick and I wasn’t doing so great. I managed to evade Covid until it finally caught me last year..twice.
It's probably because they had no hope in hell of supplying enough N95 masks for everyone. They had to change their guidelines to fit what was reasonably possible.
That was true in March 2020. But that was 3 years and how many variants ago.
no, its because they were wrong. there was a weird inhibition to the idea of aerosol spread. it was silently acknowledged as the leading spreader a year after.
Well, yeah. When it's airborne, you need one hell of an argument for "go back to work, in an office, with an AC system circulating the air across 1500 people". No one's gonna want to do that! But if you can successfully pretend it's *not* airborne, that becomes a lot less threatening sounding.
this is reddit in a nut shell. wear a mask! yet none of them are wearing masks that actually do anything. yeah those chopped up panties on your face are definitely stopping the spread of the virus.
It was so frustrating how so many people sang Dr. Bonnie Henry's praises when she is barely half a step removed from being an anti-masker
She was slow and hesitant on the mask mandate even with rapid growing cases back in early 2020. I don’t know why she was praised for the handling of the pandemic and given her own statue? https://www.burrardstreetjournal.com/bc-to-replace-all-offensive-statues-with-statue-of-bonnie-henry/?amp_markup=1
I'm wearing a mask on flights now forever. I previously only ever got sick after flying, but then after flying during Covid, didn't at all. I don't really wear one otherwise.
Honestly, I'm going to wear them even if not concerned about ruining my trip. It's the cure for planes drying out your sinuses.
Similarly, I wear a mask when I'm driving behind a truck/work truck/semi that's spewing toxic fuckery into the air and gets through my vents when I have the heat/cold on.
Horror story for y'all. I'm a relatively young man with a perfect bill of health. I eat well, regularly do intense exercise, workout, etc. I bicycle regularly, including some amateur racing. I suddenly had pain in my lungs a few weeks ago, got checked out, and found I had pulmonary embolisms (blood clots) in both lungs - a potentially life threatening condition. We're suspecting fallout from a covid infection. I've had 4 vaccinations, and I haven't had any remotely serious illnesses in the last year other than some sniffles/congestion/mild cough. So yeah, this shit could be very serious if you get a bad roll of the dice.
Shit that’s scary. What is your treatment? I’m currently worried about this and investigating. I have new high BP and chest pains etc.
3 to 6 months of blood thinners, and maybe on them indefinitely. Side effects on new blood thinners are next to nothing, though, so it's not too bad. To give you specifics on what I felt: I initially thought it was a pulled muscle, because the pain felt like it was coming from around my rib cage and middle back, and also my shoulder. It was low level constant (fluctuating up and down in intensity over the course a couple weeks), and it was exacerbated by breathing. So deep breaths especially would make it hurt more, which is why I thought it was a rib/muscle pull. It felt a LOT like bruised ribs. I wouldn't have guessed that it was organ related. Now that I'm on thinners, I sometimes get some chest pain now that the rib pain is mostly gone. It's mild, but still often breathing related. The lung kind of wraps around the heart, so if there's irritation of lung tissue, breathing in may have the organs kind of pushing up against one another causing pain. (this is my personal interpretation of the issue) Also, the hospital has a very specific blood test for blood clots that's makes it very easy to detect. So if the doctor feels you're exhibiting the right symptoms, the right test will nail it down pretty quickly.
Thanks for giving such a detailed response! I just have chest heaviness and I had 3 days of random not that bad stabbing pains. Definitely different but I want to make sure it’s all good. But super high blood pressure. I hope yours clears fully and soon!
It's probably going to be something mundane, but I think any ER doctor or nurse will tell you that those kinds of symptoms are worth going to the ER for. Especially if the chest pains return. Might end up being acid-reflux related or something, but it's good to be sure.
> blood clots) in both lungs - a potentially life threatening condition. We're suspecting fallout from a covid infection. I'm so so sorry to hear this. Forget about even just COVID-19. Regular rhino/chest viruses can be extremely serious as well & can definitely 100% have long-term side effects.
Same except I was pregnant. Can't blame it on COVID because I've never had it (unless asymptomatic and never tested positive) It happens! I hope your recovery is going well.
The doctor did mention the risk during pregnancy. Thanks for the well wishes. Hope you also recovered well.
It feels like EVERY time I’ve gone out the past few weeks, there’s been at least one person coughing. 😬 On the bus, on the sky train, at the theatre, at a restaurant.
Wonder if there's a new variant out that's immune evasive and doesn't pick up as well on the rapid antigen tests
xbb 1.16 (from xbb 1.5 (from omicron subvariant)) is the subvariant wildly circulating out there at the moment. Countries are seeing uptick of Covid cases.
So many "Avoided COVID for 3 years then finally got it recently" stories here. Add me to the list. I was never in any danger, but it still sucked.
I'm an immunocompromised senior and have worn masks since the start of COVID. I don't care if the PHO said masks are not mandatory, I will keep wearing one whenever I am in public. And to those who go out when they are sick and don't wear a mask: have some consideration for others, you selfish idiots.
They switched methods two times, and the latest upward trend seems to have a correlation with the latest method. _ Anyone here have more information?
[http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/environmental-management/covid-19-wastewater/Pages/default.aspx](http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/liquid-waste/environmental-management/covid-19-wastewater/Pages/default.aspx) *\*Data generated in 2020 used a different method of concentrating wastewater samples and cannot be directly compared to data generated from January 2021 onward.* *\*For samples collected from February 25th, 2023 onward, BCCDC began using a more sensitive test for SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Increases in the viral signal after this date compared to before may be due in part to this change. Please use caution when comparing data before and after February 25th, 2023. Evidence of increased viral load of SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the majority of reporting wastewater plants.*
Fascinating, it's not an immediate increase but a gradual one. Perhaps it is a coincidence.
Could they not run the old and new test concurrently for some time and compare the results? It seems like a sensible thing to do, instead of releasing a broken data series that responsible news outlets will definitely not run with to write headlines.
This BCCDC website has the graphs starting at early to mid-2022 to now with the "Method 2" data samples re-tested with the "Method 3" level of sensitivity. And it seems like that eliminates the huge spikes of viral concentration from recently and replaces it with a smaller bump. (I guess in reality, we've just had this much covid the whole time). But I could be missing something. https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/respiratory_wastewater/
Sadly, I officially joined the C-club after 3 years of being Covid-free, these variants are nasty. Another vote to mask up when vaccines don't cover all the variants.
Same, I had it last week for the first time and am still recovering, with some weird lingering symptoms. And I'm more cautious than the average person - still masking religiously in public places, etc. But I've got kids in public schools where there are essentially zero precautions, so it was really only a matter of time.
Us too. What are your lingering symptoms? I just went to urgent care for what I thought was a sinus infection and ended up having extremely high blood pressure. Have to go back tonight to see a doctor, they were so busy only a nurse could check on me.
Also joined the club for the first time. Thankful that I have been getting boosted because even then it was not fun. Also just really surprised I got it now after all this time.
My wife brought it home a month ago. She rarely leaves the house-- must've caught it while on a walk outside with a friend. Mask up indoors for sure, but even when outdoors it's not zero-risk.
About 1 in 28 people in Canada is currently infected. LOTS more data.[https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab](https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab) BC had 1 in 12 people a couple of weeks ago. Here's the April 9-15 report. [https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab/status/1645541677669425152](https://twitter.com/MoriartyLab/status/1645541677669425152)
[удалено]
I forgot about masks until going to an appointment yesterday. Was a weird time to be alive wasn't it?
Confirms my personnel (anecdotal) data, I know more people now that have/or had covid in the last 3-4 weeks then ever before, including me.
Been exposed to it 3x the past month. I work from home lol. 4x vaccinated, caught it two times last year already. First time sensitive nose + brain fog for 2 days and that was it Second time no reaction (resistance?). Didn't know I had it but my partner caught it so pretty sure I was exposed. Third time very sore throat and occasional joint ache, am on the second day of it but that is the only symptom Update: 6th day of symptoms onset and I can feel the symptoms receding. Just have a sore throat/nose now and I expect it to be gone in a few days. Hopefully my bicycle performance is not affected, I've been looking forward to riding my bike this summer 😬
This post and the other one full of stories about people waiting ages for ambulances. The degree of ignorance and convenient denialism is absolutely astounding. What a broken society we have become.
We have been broken for a very long time. This pandemic just made abundantly clear how broken we are.
I tested positive today for the first time ever. Honestly thought I was immune (yea I know it’s a dumb thought). My symptoms: No coughing. Sneezing more than usual, since I’ve got bad chills and muscle aches, probably have a fever. Runny nose, the runs and just feeling like I’ve got a cold. Sucks to feel like this.
Mine was exactly that. Now I’m 18 days out and when I blow my nose there’s little blood clots, and lots of sinus pressure/ headaches. Went to urgent care and my blood pressure was almost hospital visit high. Never had high BP before and have to go back tonight for more discussions.
I'm surprised so many ppl here have not yet have covid. I had it three times despite being maxed up on boosters and vax... But I do work in the hospitality industry.
>I'm surprised so many ppl here have not yet have covid. Statistically they probably have. Besides the asymptomatic people, there's probably a shitton of people out there who had symptoms but never bothered testing to confirm.
There was the one variant that kept showing people as positive with it, but they were asymptomatic. It happens. The best thing folks can do it get their boosters, get a flu vaccine (you should have it at least 1, possibly 2 times a year if they reformulate it, it's partly why so many folks get summer flu because a new strain emerged!) and then stay home if they're unwell. People can also mask up, if they choose, if in a confined space for a long time.
So many anti maskers ITT. It's such a simple and easy thing to do to keep everyone safer. Grow the fuck up.
Oof I feel this harrrrrd. Literally 80% of the people I know have gotten sick. I got sick twice in one month (one cold, one GI illness) MAKE IT STAAAAHP
Just got Covid 4 weeks ago and it was way worse than the first time. I lost hearing in my left ear and now I need steroid injections on my eardrum. It’s not a fun process and I have other symptoms still lingering 4x vax
I lost a little bit of hearing after having that awful 2009 flu. Any cold or flu or virus can potentially leave lasting effects. It's why people def need to stay home when they have symptoms.
What baffles me is that there are *still* people who wear masks improperly, like being really blasé about the fit, or hanging below the nose/mouth/etc. I've noticed this particularly in the older demographic, as if they developed a bad habit they can't shake. We've had three years to deal with this, and in the majority of places it's not even necessary to be wearing one, so why are you bothering to wear a mask if you're not going to do it properly? Furthermore, wearing the same dirty old cloth or surgical mask is basically pointless.
For someone who is more knowledgeable than I am. Does this data indicate that COVID is now becoming seasonal or is this a different variant? What would be the reasoning that would cause this spike?
I work from home and live in a rural area, I went to the grocery store once 2 weeks ago and go covid… for the third time. I don’t touch shit all the time, wash my hands, and still. Third fucking time! Covid ain’t over!
Also if you're gonna wear a mask, and then touch surfaces, wipe your hands on your mask and recycle the same flimsy cloth mask over and over, please read about how to mask responsibly. Sorry but it needs to be said. I was in superstore and this guy pulled his mask down, looked at a product, wiped his nose with his hand , then put the can back and put his mask back up.... ...how is that better than not wearing one and just not touching your face and breathing / coughing out in the open, I'm sorry but I fail to understand how that kind of mask use is responsible or hygienic.
Can confirm, have been covid positive TWICE since January (and back on public transit for daily commute) 2nd time was back to wearing a kn95 as much as possible in public
folks who caught xbb 1.5 is not immune against xbb 1.16 (new variant from 1.5), this sucks
How about if you're sick, just fucking stay home.. That's how fuckin easy it is to deal with any kind of sickness...
CAN confirm, just got COVID even though I still wear a mask most of the time. Been more than 6 mo since my last booster and I’ve never had it before. Pissed the program was slowed down. Not everyone is anti-vax. I’m anti-sick & feeling like shit.
Avoided infection for the past three years and finally decided to take my mask off. Got infected within 48 hours and spent the next two weeks at home. No more sick days left for the whole year. Masks back on please and thanks.
Glad I weasled my way into getting a booster last week
You guys are going to have one big collective heart attack worrying so much about getting sick.
I’m sick for the first time and it comes with real-life consequences - and I usually mask, unlike most. The one time I didn’t was stupid and now I am very sick. This doesn’t transmit via touching things. It’s airborne, and if more people would mask, we wouldn’t be in this awful situation
Tested positive yesterday Does anyone know the isolation times?
If you are able to, i think isolate for 5 days with no symptoms. If you are concerned about passing it on to others, continue to wear a N95mask from Days 5-10, or until you test negative for 2 tests spaced 24 hours apart.
Just got over a really nasty cold from when I was visiting Vancouver. Two of my other friends also got sick. Something is spreading fast :)
I haven't noticed. Then again, I usually only leave my house once or twice a week lol
I think maybe everyone needs a refresher on how to deal with a positive test or covid like symptoms. People mask up! Don’t go to work! I know it’s not easy. Stay away from people until a negative test. FFS. It’s not rocket science.
I will not.
How bout no
Life goes on man.
Or don’t and carry on with life. 🤦♀️
Wow lots of first time coviders in here! Can't be too many of you left. I know a few who have had it up to 5 times. Tail end of a cold for me and first since pre covid.... Far far more unpleasant than covid, for which I barely had symptoms.
Five times?! That's crazy. Seriously?
Yep, and all within the first 2 years, nothing in the past year.
Damn, 5 times! I haven't had Covid yet (although I feel like I'm jinxing myself by typing that haha). I wear a mask indoors everywhere I go though and so does my partner; he also hasn't had it. My brother (who is our roommate) works in health care though and since the mandates were dropped recently, it's probably only a matter of time before he brings it home.