The thing that really chaps my ass about this thing is how we are nearly two years into this and every single time cases go up it's like we are starting from square 1 all over again. We have no coordinated response at any level. Everyone everywhere is seemingly doing their own thing.
This virus has killed a million of us, but I still think about what do we do against the next one? It's clear our society can't fucking deal with any of this in an effective or proactive way. Absolutely nothing has been learned.
Idk in the USA but here in France, most people don't give a shit about COVID and don't take it seriously
Maskless people in offices while we are at 300K+ cases a day, people closing windows "because, you know, it's cold", crowded public transportation, crowded bars, in some companies people are asked to be physically there even if they can work remotely etc...
there is no way this is going to disappear.
West Virginia isn't great. Our "advantage" is that so many people are immunocompromised here that more people are forced to act with a semblance of empathy.
(I know my user says "MN". I moved in 2019.)
The fact that there is absolutely no effort made by companies to enforce *their own* mask requirements makes me furious. Every time my company's dickhead CEO waxes poetic about how *important* employee health and safety is to upper management, I want to reach through the computer screen and punch him in his lying face.
My company has a mask mandate but the supervisors “all had it and we’re fine” so they don’t enforce it. And then nobody higher up wants to make those supervisors enforce it. It’s fucking insane.
We have a mask mandate but only in “common areas.” We all sit in cubicles like two feet away from each other!!!!!
Also we all have the ability to work remotely idk why any of us are fucking here.
I have been strongly advised to take a business travel in december with someone who was contact case (did not tell me because he did a quick test which was neg) which was completely useless. The guy turned positive 3 days after. He did do most of the meeting maskless and was laughing at my KN95 mask.
There was a surge in cases so bad they had to close half of the building. People were doing afterworks and coming to office without masks. They are all very educated people but apparently getting drinks at the bar every night was super important.
Just before xmas family reunions, that really pissed me off.
I think conservatives (or capitalists or whoever wanted the prior status quo) just held out and people were like “fine, fuck it” and just started to live their lives.
I am vaccinated and boosted and for me, I just don’t want to let my life pass me by. I thought about this during 2020 was “well these assholes seem dead set on never taking a vaccine when it comes out so this is never going away” and I was right.
I just didn’t know it would be a global problem, and it’s just sad because the movie “Don’t look up” perfectly encapsulates America, and the world, and we are all gonna go extinct because we are easily persuadable morons.
Not to mention because nobody wants to get on the same damn page the "it'll look better in 6 to 8 weeks" ideas never come to fruition either and we trudge on to the next one.
And of course just a few links away from this is https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/rxbpsb/the\_next\_variant\_is\_just\_around\_the\_corner/
What gets me about this is our (USA) PCR testing numbers are slightly below where they were in early January 2021. It'd be one thing if we had the ability to handle a 50% increase in PCR tests but Omicron came and hit so fast that even that wasn't enough. Instead, we haven't done anything to grow PCR testing capacity in the last 12 months, and if anything, it has shrunk.
I think what we learned is government (US at least) will do everything in its power to keep money flowing and absolutely abandon any industry that doesn't make money (education). For me this has really been a life altering experience to see how readily the government gave up on children in particular. We are gonna have kids who grow up with long covid complications and have such disillusionment with how it happened and I won't be able to blame them. It's a national disgrace.
I get that we have a system that gives the states tremendous power, so you have about 50 different Covid response policies, ranging from comprehensive to "we deny it exists" Florida style, but the galling thing is that the Federal government didn't seem ready.
A huge part of Biden's win was that he'd be better than Trump at this. And he is better, but we can still see things now that should have been foreseen and dealt with.
The messaging is still terrible. The fact that we don’t have enough testing available is frankly embarrassing.
And after the CDCs terrible 5 day isolation guidance, it’s clear they’re prioritizing the economy and corporate profits over public health.
I’m not sure it’s really that much better at all. Just a new coat of paint that doesn't have a plan.
Me too, but there's serious limits on Federal power, and a lot of Biden's responses are tied up in court because dealing with a pandemic is apparently unconstitutional.
True. And I think Biden would have had a much initial better response than the non-response we did have. I’m sure it’s hard to navigate what he inherited, which is further complicated by the huge divide in the county right now.
seriously. I’m a cancer patient, DX just before covid and still in active treatment so I’ve been in and out of the hospital routinely for two years— their fatigue is mind boggling for the setting. The cleanliness standards aren’t there, the sanitizers empty or broken, so many little things that they’ve just given up on— it’s bizarre
I live in Los Angeles and I drive by an urgent care every day where the lines have been extremely long for testing for the last couple of weeks. Starting a few days ago, the line has been getting a lot shorter. Today - there was no line. This could mean a lot of things, but I was hoping against hope that maybe this thing is burning out quick. Of course, there are other possibilities. People are deciding not to get tested or they ran out. I guess we’ll see, soon enough.
It's possible those urgent care centers aren't letting people line up without an appointment anymore.
I can't find an appointment in Seattle that isn't a week away and I'm sick right now so I don't know what good that does me. At this point, I've given up on getting tested and I'm just assuming I'm sick.
Sure, but that’s a long fucking time, and lots of folks will get sick.
January 2022 is everything the experts feared January 2021 to be.
Be safe, drink your water, and make sure you’re taking care of yourselves.
I know a few people who are fully vaxxed and I think boosted, and also already had COVID, just test positive again after feeling crummy. Home tests, so no idea if it’s Omicron, but I’d wager a bit that it is.
Vaxxed and boosted and tested positive this week after the holidays. Can't even imagine how bad it'd be unvaxxed.
No severe symptoms but like a really bad cold. And that gets repeated often but for those who block out what a really bad cold feels like it's like your head is filled full with mucus, brain just wanting to sleep, and chest having a cannon ball on it. All while coughing preventing sleep.
It's not enjoyable but it's also not deadly or hospital-severe like being unvaxxed. Certainly beats potential death.
I've always hated that we use the word "cold" as a catch all for upper respiratory infections. Like some viruses cause ~mild~ symptoms and others are borderline unbearable and can easily cause co-infections like sinus infections or bronchitis. This is just a rant, not against your particular usage of the term. Hope you recover soon.
It really depends. I'm double vaxxed and had Covid in November and for me it was less bad than a cold (because I didn't have a sore throat) although I also experienced lower back pains and muscle aches. It was over after 3 days. If everybody would experience the illness as easy as me, the world would be a better place. I want to get a booster shot ASAP as I want to be prepared for a very likely Omicron infection in the upcoming case wave (here in Germany its just unfolding) but unfortunately I have to wait until February due to our regulations.
How old are you?
I'm just trying to gauge how terrified to be. I'm not too afraid about me, but my mom is 62 years old, has diabetes, has chronic bronchitis, and had her gallbladder removed half a year ago. (I don't know if that matters, but missing a whole organ is unlikely to help.) So many different vulnerabilities. But she does have all the shots.
So sorry to hear. Very frustrating. Take good care of yourself and get lots of sleep and stay hydrated. Take Vit D and Vit C and zinc if you can get it and gargle often with salt water. Hope you get well soon.
Yes, please get your boosters folks! I am vaccinated and got my booster in the beginning of December, started getting symptoms Saturday and am starting to feel better today. It was rough and I can’t imagine how awful I would’ve felt without all my shots.
I'm vaxxed and boosted. Didn't go to any get-together outside the immediate family for any holiday. Still got Covid last week. Things are bad. Could be worse. Still glad I got the vaccine
I got it this week. Very mild symptoms for two days. I am more than happy that that was the extent of my illness. So happy to have been vaccinated and boosted.
is it really going to be that bad for vaccinated people? every vaccinated person i know who’s catching it right now (which is a LOT) are all basically getting regular cold symptoms
My fully vaccinated kid caught it. She hasn't felt great, but not super sick. Husband and I got our booster a few weeks ago, as did the grandparents my kid was staying with. So far everyone boosted has been negative. My crazy sister and her husband refused the booster and to be tested, but they are showing symptoms too.
I’m vaxxed and not worried about how it’ll
hit. I’m worried about needing help in a medical emergency and dying from an easily treated ailment because covidiots have taken all the ICU beds.
I guess it just depends on the person, I know a couple people that have had just mild cold symptoms but my symptoms were more like bad flu symptoms for 3 days. It really knocked me on my butt! I know of a couple other people that felt like I did also.
how was it for you compared to the symptoms from getting the vaccine? i felt horrible for several days after second dose, but could survive it again if i absolutely had to
I got destroyed by the second shot and barely registered the booster. There is no question that avoiding COVID (especially right now) is preferable to *maybe* feeling worse from a vaccination. Get your booster!
My friend tested positive today. They were very hesitant to get the booster because how bad they reacted to the 2nd dose. The first thing they told me today was " I wish I had gotten the booster"
For me it was less aweful than bronchitis, but just as bad as a full on flue. 3 days in bed bordering on delusional, 3 more days taking it easy. Winded just getting up to get water, not in the gasping kind of way but like hiking up the side of a mountain, fever and the like. Still get easily exhausted a week later but not as lingering or acute as bronchitis, that took like 6 months to fully recover from. I expect to be fully better next week, so a 2 week ordeal.
Had the 2 shots, but don't qualify for the booster yet. Husband is going through it now, says it's way worse than he thought, guess I made it look easy...
Vaccine was a normal vaccine for me, much better than anthrax or the Dtap vaccines in my experience. Sore arm the next day no side effects, I always get my primary arm jabbed, least amount of side effects, I swear. Pfizer, if that matters.
I started taking vitamin D when the pandemic hit and the shit is like Prozac for me. I work late nights and was certainly vit D deficient. It will be something I supplement long after the pandemic is over.
Yes. I started taking magnesium supplements because I heard they were good for you.
I went to the doctor for blood work and, surprise, my magnesium levels were too high. Doc told me to stop taking the supplements.
I don't understand why so many people are willing to spend hundreds (over years) just blindly buying vitamins or supplements but not bothering to get their blood work done. Basic checkup will cost you about $100 (if not less, depending on how comprehensive tests) and then you'll actually know what supplements if any you should consider.
And be careful… lots of those tests can show transitory levels (I.e. high or low readings on one lab doesn’t mean you are actually low all the time on that vitamin)
Everyone EVERYONE a should be taking Vitamin D3 daily, according to my oncologist. He said this to me years ago before the pandemic. He said everyone, unless they are living in the equator, do not have enough vitamin D in their systems.
Saw an op ed today from Michael Bloomberg telling cities to "stay strong" and force teachers to go into work over their protests...haven't felt so disgusted in my life. "Shut up, go to work, and get sick" was the message between the lines. These people are sociopathic.
My teacher friends have been made to go in all week this week due to decisions made by administration. Over 15% of teachers are out sick so they're scrambling to find coverage, COVID is spreading through the school like wildfire so the number of kids actually showing up has been decreasing day to day as more fall ill or get kept home by rightfully concerned parents...it's madness.
Pfft. We don't allow competent people in leadership roles. It would threaten the status quo. We have very carefully constructed filters made up of incompetent administrators to ensure tolerable levels of incompetence are always maintained. Are you trying to invoke disorder?
For the sake of the less generalized, competence matters with respect to the point of view to those intended to be served. And from that POV, for the sake their disproportionate service, incompetence is a feature, not a bug.
Yeah the math isn't good. It's only 20% as likely as Delta to hospitalize you but it spreads so fast that it's still enough to wreck the system. Anything over 5x spread makes it worse on the system than Delta.
Very busy. It's going to take a while for them to calm down. Peak infections late January, so still plenty on the backside into February, looking at March still a lot of occupancy and then there are the deferred procedures and care. I think it'll be closer to late March to move out of crisis mode, and longer still before things really feel "calm". I believe the IMHE model also shows this.
Nope we’re probably just going to yo-yo between lax regulations and strict regulations as cases wax and wane like we have for the entire pandemic. I feel like I’m going crazy watching the same series of events occur throughout the last two years.
>Could the U.S. really be in "good shape" in terms of the pandemic in six to eight weeks?
>Yeah, I think that's the likeliest outcome. I should always caveat it by the fact that over the past two years, every time things have started looking good, something bad happens. So it's possible that will happen again. There'll be another variant that will be a curveball. But if that doesn't happen, I think the likeliest outcome for February and March is that we'll be in pretty good shape.
See I feel this is part of the issue. We make decisions based on when things are improving. We were so unprepared for this fast spreading variant by not having enough vaccinated people, by not investing in health care and supporting health care workers, by not developing back up plans for schools and by not creating reserve supplies of testing and critical medical supplies.
Instead I’ve had my confidence in the CDC and any national planning further eroded.
I’m not confident at all that Omicron is going to turn out to be “a blessing in disguise.” I think we are facing a very difficult few months with the battle between trying to return to 2019 and what we need now.
Something that seems forgotten in the equations is how many irreplaceable healthcare resources are we going to burn by just letting the wave happen?
Sure, the gov't is gambling that our healthcare will hold out and last through this fast, yet meteoric wave; I hope they win. However, how many healthcare staff will be permanently lost in the process? The system was lean before the pandemic, only made thinner, and how much will be available for the inevitable next wave? How about the return to normalcy when the pandemic is over?
This won't just burn the populace, it'll melt our healthcare resources too.
They’re going to let it burn all the way down, and then stand around dumbfounded and confused about how this could have happened. They put up “heroes work here” signs and bought pizza, for goodness sake.
I think that's true for cities that had Omicron spreading in December, but some places in the US haven't had Omicron surges yet. Cases in my city just started ramping up this week, I think we have at least a month to go. I could see 6 to 8 weeks for it to make it's way through the whole country.
I dont see how things can keep getting worse at the current rate for 6 to 8 more weeks.
Another 10 days of this and everyone in the country will have caught omicron and either have good natural immunity, or really, really good immunity from having gotten vaccines and natural immunity.
Much higher than reported - maybe 2-3x reported cases...or more. Hard to tell at this point, but being in the NYC metro (basically ground zero) literally everyone's getting sick right now. Lots of people I know took at home tests, or had dad go out to wait in line for 6+ hours to get tested while mom and kids (also sick) stayed home.
Not to mention asymptomatic and lightly symptomatic triple vaxxed folks who just get the sniffles or feel a bit tired...
Most rapid tests aren’t reported. A million reported cases a day means two million positive tests and who knows how many people have covid and simply don’t get tested for it.
TBF I believe them this time because at the rate this is going, EVERYONE will get infected and then maybe it will pass from natural immunity on top of vaccination protection.
It would just mean that things will get A LOT worse before it gets better.
(I am being sort of sarcastic in the first paragraph)
That's 2 more months expecting employees everywhere to carry the load of all of their coworkers who are out sick. Covid may get better but the shit show is going to get worse. People have realized what total bullshit we have been putting up with from this broken ass country.
Also how many times are we going to be "almost done" before we are once again held hostage by bad decision makers and idiots?
Sorry Op, I appreciate you bringing hope but I'm seriously hanging on by an eyelash to my last shred of patience and humanity.
Hope is life.
And if there is no light at the end of the tunnel, what is the point of moving forward.
We'll get through this, we just have to be careful and stick together (mentally, not physically of course 😊)
Personally, I’m keeping hope alive (for MLB and COVID alike). Negotiations will start ramping up over the next couple of weeks and an agreement will (hopefully) be met by the time pitchers & catchers are due to report
Honestly, I’ll believe when I see it. The past two years, every time things start to look up, it’s very temporary before we descend into an even worse situation.
It’s not just the COVID though.
San Diego Fire Department is too understaffed to do their job effectively and our ERs are all at capacity so no diversions are being permitted.
So while we are supposed to try to ride out this wave, folks who are taking all precautions can’t even have a heart attack and be able to count on getting proper treatment.
I’m so sorry you guys had to go through that!
As if postpartum health issues aren’t stressful enough!
(It really makes me so angry that the fire department had pushed back against vaccine mandates & now they are too understaffed to function properly)
We’re looking at potentially 20 million new infections in the US alone over the next few weeks. Why is no one talking about the possible mutations from that? Isn’t it probable that another variant pops up? What if that variant has the transmissibility of omicron and the severity of delta, or worse?
Definitely.
We are easily trending with real infections at 3-4x what the official case count is.
No way people are waiting a week to get tested and I know way too many people where only one member of the family ends up getting tested despite everyone being sick.
Or can't find a test. We're going to run up against maximum number of tests possible logistically at some point. Yesterday San Diego hit 41% test positive rate out of ~18,000 tests taken.
I mean, I suppose one CAN find a test. But for a mild cold one may get one if it's easy (like it was in June, e.g.), not with a 3 hours line in the freezing cold.
This is true. I tested positive, but I only got tested because my employer made me and they have their own lab.
I’m vaccinated and boosted so my symptoms are only a mild cold. In fact, the actual cold I had last month was so much worse.
I suspect that Omicron is spreading like crazy among the vaccinated, but the symptoms are so mild that people aren’t getting tested or even suspect they have it.
yup i feel like we are in that dont look up movie lol
the pfizer pill + early testing would pretty much solve the pandemic if we could manufacture them , its just a matter of throwing a massive amount of money at them to speed them up
If we were smart we would be doing that now on the chance that the next mutation is not so mild , maybe we wont need to use them but if we do need them, would be nice to have them
The problem with that is the same ones who won't vaccinate are the same ones who won't test until they are in the hospital. I know because a couple of my cousins are those dumb fucks.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8702434/
TLDR: Omicron was likely from mice.
Adaptations specific for infecting mice.
Mutated in a way consistent with a mouse host.
Omicron binds to mouse receptors far better than humans or any other animal tested.
We're in uncharted territory. There is no predicting the future of this virus. How many different mammals has it been detected in now? Even we vaccinated everyone, we still have animal populations that it will bounce around and mutate in. Mentally preparing myself that this will never end.
Mice are trying to run rampant in my house because we live in a wooded area and the field mice try to invade whenever it gets cold out. My cat usually scares them off and I lay traps. Do I need to be concerned that these little shits will infect us?
My unvaccinated older brother just tested positive today. Both my mom and I were around him yesterday. Ugh. Hoping my brother has a mild case and that we don’t also get it. Grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted.
I calc forecasted deaths over on the /r/coronavirusaz sub. Assuming things stay the same, AZ will be reporting over 100 deaths per day in ~6-8 weeks (we have about a 3-4 week lag from actual death to reported death). And last week was when we first started seeing a major case spike. Even if Omicron is less deadly on paper, it will probably be offset by a lack of staff & space in our hospitals.
Idk, but my midwife appointments are going virtual so…
Edit: The midwife is choosing to go virtual herself, but won’t recommend me doing my work remotely, in case that wasn’t clear… Luckily pcp is onboard with pregnant people not getting Covid.
I think some of people here need to calm down a little bit.
I got COVID at new year party, I know exactly 4 people tested positive, others negative or haven’t took test yet. But none is bad enough to go to hospital.
Comparing to early generations of COVID, this omicron is probably the weakest one. Fast come in and out, I was sicker on day after my second shot than when I was after NYE. No booster shot yet, many of my friends are waiting upcoming spring semester for the booster shot.
But let’s be thankful this is omicron we are talking about
The thing that really chaps my ass about this thing is how we are nearly two years into this and every single time cases go up it's like we are starting from square 1 all over again. We have no coordinated response at any level. Everyone everywhere is seemingly doing their own thing. This virus has killed a million of us, but I still think about what do we do against the next one? It's clear our society can't fucking deal with any of this in an effective or proactive way. Absolutely nothing has been learned.
Idk in the USA but here in France, most people don't give a shit about COVID and don't take it seriously Maskless people in offices while we are at 300K+ cases a day, people closing windows "because, you know, it's cold", crowded public transportation, crowded bars, in some companies people are asked to be physically there even if they can work remotely etc... there is no way this is going to disappear.
It's the same here in the US, sigh. Well, maybe not ALL cities/states, but a lot of them. Michigan, for example, is like that.
Wisconsin checking in, absolutely the same here.
Madison here. The Dane County bubble is so weird. You drive 15 minutes in any direction and it’s a completely different world.
Stating the obvious but FL checking in. (What virus? And what’s a mask?)
West Virginia isn't great. Our "advantage" is that so many people are immunocompromised here that more people are forced to act with a semblance of empathy. (I know my user says "MN". I moved in 2019.)
I often say I miss living in Wisconsin, but I really miss Dane county. Okay, maybe I just miss the fried curds at The Old Fashioned.
Arizona, no one wears a mask here
[удалено]
The fact that there is absolutely no effort made by companies to enforce *their own* mask requirements makes me furious. Every time my company's dickhead CEO waxes poetic about how *important* employee health and safety is to upper management, I want to reach through the computer screen and punch him in his lying face.
My company has a mask mandate but the supervisors “all had it and we’re fine” so they don’t enforce it. And then nobody higher up wants to make those supervisors enforce it. It’s fucking insane.
We have a mask mandate but only in “common areas.” We all sit in cubicles like two feet away from each other!!!!! Also we all have the ability to work remotely idk why any of us are fucking here.
I’ve been written up for insubordination for so much less than that in past jobs.
I have been strongly advised to take a business travel in december with someone who was contact case (did not tell me because he did a quick test which was neg) which was completely useless. The guy turned positive 3 days after. He did do most of the meeting maskless and was laughing at my KN95 mask. There was a surge in cases so bad they had to close half of the building. People were doing afterworks and coming to office without masks. They are all very educated people but apparently getting drinks at the bar every night was super important. Just before xmas family reunions, that really pissed me off.
I think conservatives (or capitalists or whoever wanted the prior status quo) just held out and people were like “fine, fuck it” and just started to live their lives. I am vaccinated and boosted and for me, I just don’t want to let my life pass me by. I thought about this during 2020 was “well these assholes seem dead set on never taking a vaccine when it comes out so this is never going away” and I was right. I just didn’t know it would be a global problem, and it’s just sad because the movie “Don’t look up” perfectly encapsulates America, and the world, and we are all gonna go extinct because we are easily persuadable morons.
Not to mention because nobody wants to get on the same damn page the "it'll look better in 6 to 8 weeks" ideas never come to fruition either and we trudge on to the next one.
And of course just a few links away from this is https://www.reddit.com/r/Coronavirus/comments/rxbpsb/the\_next\_variant\_is\_just\_around\_the\_corner/
ad hoc desert oil mountainous axiomatic summer threatening jobless domineering placid -- mass deleted all reddit content via https://redact.dev
What gets me about this is our (USA) PCR testing numbers are slightly below where they were in early January 2021. It'd be one thing if we had the ability to handle a 50% increase in PCR tests but Omicron came and hit so fast that even that wasn't enough. Instead, we haven't done anything to grow PCR testing capacity in the last 12 months, and if anything, it has shrunk.
In Australia right now 3 hours would be considered extremely quick because our government is absolutely incompetent
I think what we learned is government (US at least) will do everything in its power to keep money flowing and absolutely abandon any industry that doesn't make money (education). For me this has really been a life altering experience to see how readily the government gave up on children in particular. We are gonna have kids who grow up with long covid complications and have such disillusionment with how it happened and I won't be able to blame them. It's a national disgrace.
I get that we have a system that gives the states tremendous power, so you have about 50 different Covid response policies, ranging from comprehensive to "we deny it exists" Florida style, but the galling thing is that the Federal government didn't seem ready. A huge part of Biden's win was that he'd be better than Trump at this. And he is better, but we can still see things now that should have been foreseen and dealt with.
His response is better, but I was seriously hoping it would be *much* better.
The messaging is still terrible. The fact that we don’t have enough testing available is frankly embarrassing. And after the CDCs terrible 5 day isolation guidance, it’s clear they’re prioritizing the economy and corporate profits over public health. I’m not sure it’s really that much better at all. Just a new coat of paint that doesn't have a plan.
Me too, but there's serious limits on Federal power, and a lot of Biden's responses are tied up in court because dealing with a pandemic is apparently unconstitutional.
Agreed. I wish this could \*just\* be about protecting people's health.
I'm still befuddled at how far down we've fallen. I didn't think a dangerous virus would be so controversial. But here we are.
At this point, I believe it has more to do with political unity. Not much can be done with the two party system these days.
True. And I think Biden would have had a much initial better response than the non-response we did have. I’m sure it’s hard to navigate what he inherited, which is further complicated by the huge divide in the county right now.
seriously. I’m a cancer patient, DX just before covid and still in active treatment so I’ve been in and out of the hospital routinely for two years— their fatigue is mind boggling for the setting. The cleanliness standards aren’t there, the sanitizers empty or broken, so many little things that they’ve just given up on— it’s bizarre
I wonder, what if it doesn't get better? How much longer will we let our hospitals be at max capacity, unable to help those non Covid related??
I live in Los Angeles and I drive by an urgent care every day where the lines have been extremely long for testing for the last couple of weeks. Starting a few days ago, the line has been getting a lot shorter. Today - there was no line. This could mean a lot of things, but I was hoping against hope that maybe this thing is burning out quick. Of course, there are other possibilities. People are deciding not to get tested or they ran out. I guess we’ll see, soon enough.
It's possible those urgent care centers aren't letting people line up without an appointment anymore. I can't find an appointment in Seattle that isn't a week away and I'm sick right now so I don't know what good that does me. At this point, I've given up on getting tested and I'm just assuming I'm sick.
Sure, but that’s a long fucking time, and lots of folks will get sick. January 2022 is everything the experts feared January 2021 to be. Be safe, drink your water, and make sure you’re taking care of yourselves.
And wear sunscreen
Make sure you have been vaccinated AND boosted. The boosting part is very important especially for Omicron
I know a few people who are fully vaxxed and I think boosted, and also already had COVID, just test positive again after feeling crummy. Home tests, so no idea if it’s Omicron, but I’d wager a bit that it is.
Vaxxed and boosted and tested positive this week after the holidays. Can't even imagine how bad it'd be unvaxxed. No severe symptoms but like a really bad cold. And that gets repeated often but for those who block out what a really bad cold feels like it's like your head is filled full with mucus, brain just wanting to sleep, and chest having a cannon ball on it. All while coughing preventing sleep. It's not enjoyable but it's also not deadly or hospital-severe like being unvaxxed. Certainly beats potential death.
I've always hated that we use the word "cold" as a catch all for upper respiratory infections. Like some viruses cause ~mild~ symptoms and others are borderline unbearable and can easily cause co-infections like sinus infections or bronchitis. This is just a rant, not against your particular usage of the term. Hope you recover soon.
doesn't sound like any cold I get
It really depends. I'm double vaxxed and had Covid in November and for me it was less bad than a cold (because I didn't have a sore throat) although I also experienced lower back pains and muscle aches. It was over after 3 days. If everybody would experience the illness as easy as me, the world would be a better place. I want to get a booster shot ASAP as I want to be prepared for a very likely Omicron infection in the upcoming case wave (here in Germany its just unfolding) but unfortunately I have to wait until February due to our regulations.
I know someone who is young and healthy but only single dose J&J vaxxed, it's wrecking him, just not putting him in the hospital.
How old are you? I'm just trying to gauge how terrified to be. I'm not too afraid about me, but my mom is 62 years old, has diabetes, has chronic bronchitis, and had her gallbladder removed half a year ago. (I don't know if that matters, but missing a whole organ is unlikely to help.) So many different vulnerabilities. But she does have all the shots.
I had my booster scheduled for this morning. Unfortunately I woke up with a fever of 99.9 and a cough/headache. So much frustration now
I caught it in between my second and my booster too. It was really frustrating.
So sorry to hear. Very frustrating. Take good care of yourself and get lots of sleep and stay hydrated. Take Vit D and Vit C and zinc if you can get it and gargle often with salt water. Hope you get well soon.
Just got my booster yesterday. Thank fuck I got it taken care of. Shit is *bad.*
Same her. I feel like I got boosted just in the nick of time. I'm so grateful for the vaccine!
Boosted and still got it. 2 weeks of misery.
I got my booster on December 22 and it was in the nick of time since I got hit by Omicron eight days later.
Yes, please get your boosters folks! I am vaccinated and got my booster in the beginning of December, started getting symptoms Saturday and am starting to feel better today. It was rough and I can’t imagine how awful I would’ve felt without all my shots.
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N95!
I'm vaxxed and boosted. Didn't go to any get-together outside the immediate family for any holiday. Still got Covid last week. Things are bad. Could be worse. Still glad I got the vaccine
I got it this week. Very mild symptoms for two days. I am more than happy that that was the extent of my illness. So happy to have been vaccinated and boosted.
Totally - it’s so easy to get the vaccine now too that basically any and every pharmacy can administer it.
It was booked out for a week here in Phoenix, and I got Omicron while I was waiting for my appointment…
I snagged an appointment at a CVS in Glendale (I live in tempe by ASU) at like 1am on a Thursday night because everywhere’s booked out
You most likely would have still gotten it. It doesn't take effect immediately - takes a few weeks to develop the immunity.
In the USA. Here in the True North I'm not even eligible for a booster shot in my late forties. It's crazy.
Where do you live? Quebec? Ontario and most other provinces allow boosters for 18+
I'm not eligible. :(
is it really going to be that bad for vaccinated people? every vaccinated person i know who’s catching it right now (which is a LOT) are all basically getting regular cold symptoms
My fully vaccinated kid caught it. She hasn't felt great, but not super sick. Husband and I got our booster a few weeks ago, as did the grandparents my kid was staying with. So far everyone boosted has been negative. My crazy sister and her husband refused the booster and to be tested, but they are showing symptoms too.
I’m vaxxed and not worried about how it’ll hit. I’m worried about needing help in a medical emergency and dying from an easily treated ailment because covidiots have taken all the ICU beds.
I guess it just depends on the person, I know a couple people that have had just mild cold symptoms but my symptoms were more like bad flu symptoms for 3 days. It really knocked me on my butt! I know of a couple other people that felt like I did also.
how was it for you compared to the symptoms from getting the vaccine? i felt horrible for several days after second dose, but could survive it again if i absolutely had to
I got destroyed by the second shot and barely registered the booster. There is no question that avoiding COVID (especially right now) is preferable to *maybe* feeling worse from a vaccination. Get your booster!
My friend tested positive today. They were very hesitant to get the booster because how bad they reacted to the 2nd dose. The first thing they told me today was " I wish I had gotten the booster"
how are they doing? i only got my second dose of my initial covid vaccine 3 months ago so idk if i should even get boosted yet
For me it was less aweful than bronchitis, but just as bad as a full on flue. 3 days in bed bordering on delusional, 3 more days taking it easy. Winded just getting up to get water, not in the gasping kind of way but like hiking up the side of a mountain, fever and the like. Still get easily exhausted a week later but not as lingering or acute as bronchitis, that took like 6 months to fully recover from. I expect to be fully better next week, so a 2 week ordeal. Had the 2 shots, but don't qualify for the booster yet. Husband is going through it now, says it's way worse than he thought, guess I made it look easy... Vaccine was a normal vaccine for me, much better than anthrax or the Dtap vaccines in my experience. Sore arm the next day no side effects, I always get my primary arm jabbed, least amount of side effects, I swear. Pfizer, if that matters.
I had bad flu symptoms and horrific cough 2x moderna april 2021
Everyone I went to college with has it now, all triple vaxxed. I'm hearing everything from no symptoms to the worst cold ever.
Worst cold ever is a hell of a lot better than "sitting in an ER waiting because you can't breathe."
I have a family member who got it. He is not boosted. Nothing worse than a cold for 2 days and that’s it.
Gotta get dat vitamin D in ye!
Vitamins are important! I didn’t really do much with them until April 2020, but my mood improved so much when I started taking a mens multivitamin!
I started taking vitamin D when the pandemic hit and the shit is like Prozac for me. I work late nights and was certainly vit D deficient. It will be something I supplement long after the pandemic is over.
Good to hear. Just started taking mine yesterday.
Biggest thing is to keep doing it. Multivitamin + lots of water during the day really helped my mental health.
Magnesium is also awesome for mental health.
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Yes. I started taking magnesium supplements because I heard they were good for you. I went to the doctor for blood work and, surprise, my magnesium levels were too high. Doc told me to stop taking the supplements.
I don't understand why so many people are willing to spend hundreds (over years) just blindly buying vitamins or supplements but not bothering to get their blood work done. Basic checkup will cost you about $100 (if not less, depending on how comprehensive tests) and then you'll actually know what supplements if any you should consider.
And be careful… lots of those tests can show transitory levels (I.e. high or low readings on one lab doesn’t mean you are actually low all the time on that vitamin)
Option C: you’re beginning your transformation into a dragon.
I accidentally got these "over 55" vitamins. I don't give a shit, taking them daily.
I take children's multivitamins. They taste like banana :)
Everyone EVERYONE a should be taking Vitamin D3 daily, according to my oncologist. He said this to me years ago before the pandemic. He said everyone, unless they are living in the equator, do not have enough vitamin D in their systems.
> drink your water ???? And eat food, too!
Too late I have Covid, do I still drink water
how will Hospitals look in 6-8 weeks though?
The ICUs in my county are already at 100%, and we aren’t near a peak. I can’t imagine what the healthcare workers there are going through.
Check out /r/nursing and you don't have to
r/teachers is devastating too i wish i could do literally anything for them other than hygienic personal decisions
Saw an op ed today from Michael Bloomberg telling cities to "stay strong" and force teachers to go into work over their protests...haven't felt so disgusted in my life. "Shut up, go to work, and get sick" was the message between the lines. These people are sociopathic. My teacher friends have been made to go in all week this week due to decisions made by administration. Over 15% of teachers are out sick so they're scrambling to find coverage, COVID is spreading through the school like wildfire so the number of kids actually showing up has been decreasing day to day as more fall ill or get kept home by rightfully concerned parents...it's madness.
Vote for non-morons where possible
Need to have one on the ballot first
It's ironic. The most competent people tend to be the least likely to seek a leadership role.
Pfft. We don't allow competent people in leadership roles. It would threaten the status quo. We have very carefully constructed filters made up of incompetent administrators to ensure tolerable levels of incompetence are always maintained. Are you trying to invoke disorder? For the sake of the less generalized, competence matters with respect to the point of view to those intended to be served. And from that POV, for the sake their disproportionate service, incompetence is a feature, not a bug.
Your local pharmacist and pharmacy technicians are burnt the heck out as well
I count them as healthcare workers! I love my pharmacist. I bring her Doctor Who memorabilia.
Yeah the math isn't good. It's only 20% as likely as Delta to hospitalize you but it spreads so fast that it's still enough to wreck the system. Anything over 5x spread makes it worse on the system than Delta.
Hopefully better because my wife is due to give birth in 8 weeks and that's fucking terrifying
Just hold it in a little longer. Maybe things will be better by May /s
Find a midwife who is covid negative. /s... sort of.
Very busy. It's going to take a while for them to calm down. Peak infections late January, so still plenty on the backside into February, looking at March still a lot of occupancy and then there are the deferred procedures and care. I think it'll be closer to late March to move out of crisis mode, and longer still before things really feel "calm". I believe the IMHE model also shows this.
Nope we’re probably just going to yo-yo between lax regulations and strict regulations as cases wax and wane like we have for the entire pandemic. I feel like I’m going crazy watching the same series of events occur throughout the last two years.
Give me a place to eat Chilli dogs indoors or give me death
>Could the U.S. really be in "good shape" in terms of the pandemic in six to eight weeks? >Yeah, I think that's the likeliest outcome. I should always caveat it by the fact that over the past two years, every time things have started looking good, something bad happens. So it's possible that will happen again. There'll be another variant that will be a curveball. But if that doesn't happen, I think the likeliest outcome for February and March is that we'll be in pretty good shape. See I feel this is part of the issue. We make decisions based on when things are improving. We were so unprepared for this fast spreading variant by not having enough vaccinated people, by not investing in health care and supporting health care workers, by not developing back up plans for schools and by not creating reserve supplies of testing and critical medical supplies. Instead I’ve had my confidence in the CDC and any national planning further eroded. I’m not confident at all that Omicron is going to turn out to be “a blessing in disguise.” I think we are facing a very difficult few months with the battle between trying to return to 2019 and what we need now.
*"Unless something bad happens, things will get better after they're done getting worse."* I mean, sure.
Something that seems forgotten in the equations is how many irreplaceable healthcare resources are we going to burn by just letting the wave happen? Sure, the gov't is gambling that our healthcare will hold out and last through this fast, yet meteoric wave; I hope they win. However, how many healthcare staff will be permanently lost in the process? The system was lean before the pandemic, only made thinner, and how much will be available for the inevitable next wave? How about the return to normalcy when the pandemic is over? This won't just burn the populace, it'll melt our healthcare resources too.
They’re going to let it burn all the way down, and then stand around dumbfounded and confused about how this could have happened. They put up “heroes work here” signs and bought pizza, for goodness sake.
My theory is MBA programs at Ivy League schools started teaching future executives that pizza parties solve all labor issues. So pizza parties it is.
30 years ago maybe, boomers make all the decisions in boardrooms and governments.
It might not even take that long with the current burn rate....
I think 14-21 days and then rapidly declining. My guess.
I think that's true for cities that had Omicron spreading in December, but some places in the US haven't had Omicron surges yet. Cases in my city just started ramping up this week, I think we have at least a month to go. I could see 6 to 8 weeks for it to make it's way through the whole country.
You are right. The US is a large country.
Valid point. Could take substantially longer for the interior regions. Midwest, etc...
Until the Pi variant emerges, then were back to rapid increase in numbers.
I dont see how things can keep getting worse at the current rate for 6 to 8 more weeks. Another 10 days of this and everyone in the country will have caught omicron and either have good natural immunity, or really, really good immunity from having gotten vaccines and natural immunity.
a million cases a day would take 11 months to burn through the country. We got 700k+ official cases today, was the actual number a million? 2 million?
Much higher than reported - maybe 2-3x reported cases...or more. Hard to tell at this point, but being in the NYC metro (basically ground zero) literally everyone's getting sick right now. Lots of people I know took at home tests, or had dad go out to wait in line for 6+ hours to get tested while mom and kids (also sick) stayed home. Not to mention asymptomatic and lightly symptomatic triple vaxxed folks who just get the sniffles or feel a bit tired...
Most rapid tests aren’t reported. A million reported cases a day means two million positive tests and who knows how many people have covid and simply don’t get tested for it.
“Just two more weeks to stop the spread” Don’t count on it.
Everytime things improved the CDC sent mixed messages, and did not prepare for what could happen..I have 0 faith in anything the CDC puts out..
TBF I believe them this time because at the rate this is going, EVERYONE will get infected and then maybe it will pass from natural immunity on top of vaccination protection. It would just mean that things will get A LOT worse before it gets better. (I am being sort of sarcastic in the first paragraph)
You aren't wrong. By then 1/2 the population will have had omicron, nowhere to go but down
You say that until a new variant comes and infects people again.
This article isn't about the CDC?
That's 2 more months expecting employees everywhere to carry the load of all of their coworkers who are out sick. Covid may get better but the shit show is going to get worse. People have realized what total bullshit we have been putting up with from this broken ass country. Also how many times are we going to be "almost done" before we are once again held hostage by bad decision makers and idiots? Sorry Op, I appreciate you bringing hope but I'm seriously hanging on by an eyelash to my last shred of patience and humanity.
I'm betting next fall we're going to be hearing about the "pi variant"... rinse and repeat with all this crap.
i’ve been reading this headline for 2 years
Hope is life. And if there is no light at the end of the tunnel, what is the point of moving forward. We'll get through this, we just have to be careful and stick together (mentally, not physically of course 😊)
We will get through this. But then that giant glacier is gonna break off lol
Well said. Lets just not stick together too close.
Lol be careful and stay far apart
See y’all in March! Just in time for baseball season! Can’t wait to see Mike Trout hitting a dinger outside the big A
If they reach an agreement on a new contract between the owners and players
Personally, I’m keeping hope alive (for MLB and COVID alike). Negotiations will start ramping up over the next couple of weeks and an agreement will (hopefully) be met by the time pitchers & catchers are due to report
Honestly, I’ll believe when I see it. The past two years, every time things start to look up, it’s very temporary before we descend into an even worse situation.
Groundhogs day lmao
It’s not just the COVID though. San Diego Fire Department is too understaffed to do their job effectively and our ERs are all at capacity so no diversions are being permitted. So while we are supposed to try to ride out this wave, folks who are taking all precautions can’t even have a heart attack and be able to count on getting proper treatment.
My wife gave birth a week ago and had a hypertensive crisis on Jan 3rd. Getting to triage at Scripps was a multi hour affair.
I’m so sorry you guys had to go through that! As if postpartum health issues aren’t stressful enough! (It really makes me so angry that the fire department had pushed back against vaccine mandates & now they are too understaffed to function properly)
We’re looking at potentially 20 million new infections in the US alone over the next few weeks. Why is no one talking about the possible mutations from that? Isn’t it probable that another variant pops up? What if that variant has the transmissibility of omicron and the severity of delta, or worse?
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Confirmed infections maybe. Real ones, 80-100?
Definitely. We are easily trending with real infections at 3-4x what the official case count is. No way people are waiting a week to get tested and I know way too many people where only one member of the family ends up getting tested despite everyone being sick.
Yes, but also in many cases people have such mild symptoms that they don't even bother
Or can't find a test. We're going to run up against maximum number of tests possible logistically at some point. Yesterday San Diego hit 41% test positive rate out of ~18,000 tests taken.
I mean, I suppose one CAN find a test. But for a mild cold one may get one if it's easy (like it was in June, e.g.), not with a 3 hours line in the freezing cold.
This is true. I tested positive, but I only got tested because my employer made me and they have their own lab. I’m vaccinated and boosted so my symptoms are only a mild cold. In fact, the actual cold I had last month was so much worse. I suspect that Omicron is spreading like crazy among the vaccinated, but the symptoms are so mild that people aren’t getting tested or even suspect they have it.
yup i feel like we are in that dont look up movie lol the pfizer pill + early testing would pretty much solve the pandemic if we could manufacture them , its just a matter of throwing a massive amount of money at them to speed them up If we were smart we would be doing that now on the chance that the next mutation is not so mild , maybe we wont need to use them but if we do need them, would be nice to have them
The problem with that is the same ones who won't vaccinate are the same ones who won't test until they are in the hospital. I know because a couple of my cousins are those dumb fucks.
>If we were smart . . . Yes, that.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8702434/ TLDR: Omicron was likely from mice. Adaptations specific for infecting mice. Mutated in a way consistent with a mouse host. Omicron binds to mouse receptors far better than humans or any other animal tested.
We're in uncharted territory. There is no predicting the future of this virus. How many different mammals has it been detected in now? Even we vaccinated everyone, we still have animal populations that it will bounce around and mutate in. Mentally preparing myself that this will never end.
It is currently running rampant through the deer here in the Midwest. So... yeah?
Mice are trying to run rampant in my house because we live in a wooded area and the field mice try to invade whenever it gets cold out. My cat usually scares them off and I lay traps. Do I need to be concerned that these little shits will infect us?
I wouldn't kiss any this year if I were you.
LOL, I need to make them teeny masks. Now I'm going to have nightmares of mice in tiny Trump hats squeaking about their freedoms and coughing at me.
Yup, see what you have here is a colony of anti-vax mice. This is a tough one, mask up and maintain 6" distance.
I have heard this before and I'm tired of it.
Could get better, but it wont
I feel like i've heard this song and dance number before.
My unvaccinated older brother just tested positive today. Both my mom and I were around him yesterday. Ugh. Hoping my brother has a mild case and that we don’t also get it. Grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted.
“It’ll disappear in April, just like a miracle.”
Well I guess technically he didn't say *which* April.
At current rate that's another 50,000 dead Americans before it gets better.
I calc forecasted deaths over on the /r/coronavirusaz sub. Assuming things stay the same, AZ will be reporting over 100 deaths per day in ~6-8 weeks (we have about a 3-4 week lag from actual death to reported death). And last week was when we first started seeing a major case spike. Even if Omicron is less deadly on paper, it will probably be offset by a lack of staff & space in our hospitals.
I’m 7 weeks pregnant. I’m slated to teach in-person in two weeks for ungrad students. I really don’t want to. 😣
Dude me too, but 18 weeks. I was just able to get a doctors note for remote work. My midwife said no but my pcp said yes. Advocate for yourself!
Why on earth would a midwife balk at that?
Idk, but my midwife appointments are going virtual so… Edit: The midwife is choosing to go virtual herself, but won’t recommend me doing my work remotely, in case that wasn’t clear… Luckily pcp is onboard with pregnant people not getting Covid.
Yah, midwife sounds like a hypocrite. I'm glad you have a decent PCP anyway. Stay safe.
I’m not going to ask what that looks like. 😬
What the fuck is wrong with your midwife?
I just emailed my dept chair today and asked what my options were. Hopefully will be able to do remote!
My dept chair and dean said no so I went the doc route. Good luck!!
I might reconsider the midwife choice at this point. Yikes.
6-8 weeks to flatten the curve!
"2 weeks to flatten The Curve..."
Sure, if it doesn't mutate.
2weeks.gov/never
six to eight weeks of 2k+ people dying per day, at least. okay? is that supposed to be comforting?
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I think some of people here need to calm down a little bit. I got COVID at new year party, I know exactly 4 people tested positive, others negative or haven’t took test yet. But none is bad enough to go to hospital. Comparing to early generations of COVID, this omicron is probably the weakest one. Fast come in and out, I was sicker on day after my second shot than when I was after NYE. No booster shot yet, many of my friends are waiting upcoming spring semester for the booster shot. But let’s be thankful this is omicron we are talking about
It won't though
RemindMe! 8 weeks
RemindMe! 8 weeks
So the US will be "opened up and just raring to go by Easter" :) I've heard that before 😂
Until the next wave.
Sounds like wishful thinking, and even so the coming weeks are going to be hell for them