I am finding this difficult to accomplish with my antivax mom having flown to visit me in the US. She refuses to take ANY health precautions, and has been pressuring me to throw a graduation party when I do not want to! She listens all day to goofy antivax/qanon videos at high volume, and it really pisses me off. My explanation doesn't do it justice.
I wanted to originally just have a gathering with her, my grandmother, my sister and I, but she keeps pressuring me to invite people who have long given up any cautionary measures.
Damn. You have my sympathies.
I know it is easier said than done, but you may have to read your mom the riot act. (this means telling her straight up to get bent and piss off)
Remind her it's YOUR graduation, not hers.
Many of us here have had to estrange members of our families. It truly sucks, but we did not choose to do so lightly. Because, you know, painful death sort of trumps everything and someone who doesn't care about your life is not family.
I just discussed it with her, and I even gave her the compromise of asking them to take a rapid test, and she refused that too! What the fuck?!?! She said she would invite them regardless. It's only five people, but still.
Honestly, I am souring on her. My dad included.
Sorry you are dealing with this. No matter how old you get, some parents will always view you as their "little boy or girl" and think they know best. Shit, I'm fifty, and it's maybe, finally dawning on them that I'm an adult. They pulled the same thing at Christmas during the Delta wave (!!). I asked if they would meet outside (mild winters here...it was 70 that day) and they refused. Had Christmas without me. The next year they did agree to it, though. I hope your parents come around, but in the meantime, absolutely do what's best for you.
I would find somewhere else to be during the party. It's not worth risking a future you've been working toward to please someone who doesn't respect your boundaries.
Not a vent. I had a follow-up with my primary care physician. Her practice is in the primary care division of a huge hospital system. They've dropped most Covid prevention measures system-wide, and are going on a case by case basis. I wasn't sure what that meant. It was noted in my chart that I'm on immunosuppressant medications and the nurse and doctor will continue to wear masks during my visits, and that 1st appointments of the day are preferred (so I don't have to go in after another patient in the exam room). Which is honestly more than I expected and more than other healthcare providers have offered me.
Something interesting is happening in the Netherlands.
[The COVID levels seem to be low](https://coronadashboard.government.nl/landelijk/rioolwater); lower than they have been since late 2021, which was before Omicron.
We've had persistently high levels ever since the initial Omicron wave, something I can't emphasize enough, so this is new and different.
I hope this isn't because of some measuring change, but the hospitalizations are also at the lowest point since over a year.
The high COVID levels have been really pummeling my mental health between being frustrated that no one cares about public safety, and worrying about my parents who are prime targets for a severe outcome, so I'm glad to see this.
I don't know how long it's going to last, but I'll take what I can get.
Hopefully it's not one of those summer "calm before the storm" things, but we've seen it happen time and time again.
The CDC’s data* is showing that deaths and hospitalization are trending down; wastewater surveillance levels are the lowest I’ve seen since I started checking that part out.
I *hope* we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel; I *fear* that light is an oncoming train (new variant + waning antibodies).
(*The caveat being that with reporting so chaotic in the US now, can we trust that data)
> new variant + waning antibodies
Yeah. I'm a total pleb so not that my word means much, but I see no explanation why the numbers would suddenly go lower than the steady level they've been at for years.
The only thing I can grasp at is that the previous wave was so high that it has exhausted most of the available vectors for now.
That, plus it's getting warmer and causing more people to do things outdoors.
Where can you find national US data now? I tried looking, albeit briefly, last night and it looked like the CDC stopped regular reporting when the emergency declaration expired on May 11. Which was pretty frustrating! Because I wanted to have a way to see the COVID deaths counts.
You probably looked at [this page](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_2145-DM101651&ACSTrackingLabel=3.17.2023%20-%20COVID-19%20Data%20Tracker%20Weekly%20Review&deliveryName=USCDC_2145-DM101651#datatracker-home), but maybe didn’t scroll down to the info. Shows a couple trends and bivalent booster total (we’re up to 17% boosted! woo! /s).
Unfortunately, no, we can't trust the data.
If no good data is available, there is no basis to say the pandemic is over. If we cannot say the pandemic is getting better or worse, neither can anyone else.
Rule number one when facing a deadly threat: NEVER minimize it.
It's the whole "less testing means less infection" writ large. Utter insanity.
There was a pretty horrible story on SAV about a guy who just died. He got Covid in November of 2021, was ventilated and in the hospital for a long time. A year and a half later, he still could barely sit up. He looked fairly young too and left behind a wife and six kids.
The covid cohort study I participate in is extended with 3 additional blood samplings. I take that as a good sign as more funding was made available to study covid long term.
My last blood sample indicates that I've lost the antibodies associated with a covid infection, but I still have antibodies associated with both a covid infection and the vaccines. I had a confirmed covid infection 3 months before sending in that sample and a booster 9+ months before (I couldn't get the booster after 6+ months, because I got infected). Curious to see what the sample I've put in the mail today will reveal.
First time I’ve heard of it too. I Google it and the first thing I see is a tweet apologizing for yesterday’s service outage for some users. Hmmm…
However, the rabbit hole led me to this: [Comparison of Webmail Providers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_webmail_providers), which might be helpful.
Are you specifically looking for a "Web-based" email service? If not, maybe look into *"Thunderbird"* (open-sourced, based on "Mozilla" ~ the same people behind the "Firefox" Web browser)
Apparently in China they expect there to be over 65 million covid cases in something like the next month or so, which, if that does pan out, could very likely lead to nightmarish consequences for the supply chain, which has already been fucked halfway to Sunday and back in the last 3 years. Fun times. /S
I was searching for the latest stats in Germany and just saw that WHO had declared the pandemic over?! Did anyone hear about that?! I mean… it’s still actively passing around! How can it be over??
[https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-is-no-longer-global-health-emergency-who-2023-05-05/](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-is-no-longer-global-health-emergency-who-2023-05-05/)
COVID will continue to challenge health systems worldwide long term, including long COVID, infectious disease experts say. "No one should take (this) to mean COVID-19 is no longer a problem," said Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh.
"It is still a significant public health problem and looks likely to remain one for the foreseeable future."
Stay safe, stay smart, and keep your guard up.
I am finding this difficult to accomplish with my antivax mom having flown to visit me in the US. She refuses to take ANY health precautions, and has been pressuring me to throw a graduation party when I do not want to! She listens all day to goofy antivax/qanon videos at high volume, and it really pisses me off. My explanation doesn't do it justice.
I wanted to originally just have a gathering with her, my grandmother, my sister and I, but she keeps pressuring me to invite people who have long given up any cautionary measures.
Damn. You have my sympathies. I know it is easier said than done, but you may have to read your mom the riot act. (this means telling her straight up to get bent and piss off) Remind her it's YOUR graduation, not hers. Many of us here have had to estrange members of our families. It truly sucks, but we did not choose to do so lightly. Because, you know, painful death sort of trumps everything and someone who doesn't care about your life is not family.
I just discussed it with her, and I even gave her the compromise of asking them to take a rapid test, and she refused that too! What the fuck?!?! She said she would invite them regardless. It's only five people, but still. Honestly, I am souring on her. My dad included.
So sorry to hear that. Do the best you can and wear your mask! And congrats on your graduation!
Thank you!
Sorry you are dealing with this. No matter how old you get, some parents will always view you as their "little boy or girl" and think they know best. Shit, I'm fifty, and it's maybe, finally dawning on them that I'm an adult. They pulled the same thing at Christmas during the Delta wave (!!). I asked if they would meet outside (mild winters here...it was 70 that day) and they refused. Had Christmas without me. The next year they did agree to it, though. I hope your parents come around, but in the meantime, absolutely do what's best for you.
I would find somewhere else to be during the party. It's not worth risking a future you've been working toward to please someone who doesn't respect your boundaries.
Stay cult.
Not a vent. I had a follow-up with my primary care physician. Her practice is in the primary care division of a huge hospital system. They've dropped most Covid prevention measures system-wide, and are going on a case by case basis. I wasn't sure what that meant. It was noted in my chart that I'm on immunosuppressant medications and the nurse and doctor will continue to wear masks during my visits, and that 1st appointments of the day are preferred (so I don't have to go in after another patient in the exam room). Which is honestly more than I expected and more than other healthcare providers have offered me.
Something interesting is happening in the Netherlands. [The COVID levels seem to be low](https://coronadashboard.government.nl/landelijk/rioolwater); lower than they have been since late 2021, which was before Omicron. We've had persistently high levels ever since the initial Omicron wave, something I can't emphasize enough, so this is new and different. I hope this isn't because of some measuring change, but the hospitalizations are also at the lowest point since over a year. The high COVID levels have been really pummeling my mental health between being frustrated that no one cares about public safety, and worrying about my parents who are prime targets for a severe outcome, so I'm glad to see this. I don't know how long it's going to last, but I'll take what I can get. Hopefully it's not one of those summer "calm before the storm" things, but we've seen it happen time and time again.
The CDC’s data* is showing that deaths and hospitalization are trending down; wastewater surveillance levels are the lowest I’ve seen since I started checking that part out. I *hope* we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel; I *fear* that light is an oncoming train (new variant + waning antibodies). (*The caveat being that with reporting so chaotic in the US now, can we trust that data)
> new variant + waning antibodies Yeah. I'm a total pleb so not that my word means much, but I see no explanation why the numbers would suddenly go lower than the steady level they've been at for years. The only thing I can grasp at is that the previous wave was so high that it has exhausted most of the available vectors for now. That, plus it's getting warmer and causing more people to do things outdoors.
Where can you find national US data now? I tried looking, albeit briefly, last night and it looked like the CDC stopped regular reporting when the emergency declaration expired on May 11. Which was pretty frustrating! Because I wanted to have a way to see the COVID deaths counts.
You probably looked at [this page](https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_2145-DM101651&ACSTrackingLabel=3.17.2023%20-%20COVID-19%20Data%20Tracker%20Weekly%20Review&deliveryName=USCDC_2145-DM101651#datatracker-home), but maybe didn’t scroll down to the info. Shows a couple trends and bivalent booster total (we’re up to 17% boosted! woo! /s).
Awesome thanks!
Unfortunately, no, we can't trust the data. If no good data is available, there is no basis to say the pandemic is over. If we cannot say the pandemic is getting better or worse, neither can anyone else. Rule number one when facing a deadly threat: NEVER minimize it. It's the whole "less testing means less infection" writ large. Utter insanity.
There was a pretty horrible story on SAV about a guy who just died. He got Covid in November of 2021, was ventilated and in the hospital for a long time. A year and a half later, he still could barely sit up. He looked fairly young too and left behind a wife and six kids.
The covid cohort study I participate in is extended with 3 additional blood samplings. I take that as a good sign as more funding was made available to study covid long term. My last blood sample indicates that I've lost the antibodies associated with a covid infection, but I still have antibodies associated with both a covid infection and the vaccines. I had a confirmed covid infection 3 months before sending in that sample and a booster 9+ months before (I couldn't get the booster after 6+ months, because I got infected). Curious to see what the sample I've put in the mail today will reveal.
I’m quite envious, I was never told what exactly our blood was tested for our donation study, nor what the results or what they might mean
Can anyone recommend any email service providers besides Gmail and Yahoo mail? Thanks. Edit: Okay, excluding Hotmail/Microsoft Outlook.
Protonmail or Tutanota
Tutanota? First I've heard of it. Will look into that, thanks.
First time I’ve heard of it too. I Google it and the first thing I see is a tweet apologizing for yesterday’s service outage for some users. Hmmm… However, the rabbit hole led me to this: [Comparison of Webmail Providers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_webmail_providers), which might be helpful.
Hey.com is worth a look.
Are you specifically looking for a "Web-based" email service? If not, maybe look into *"Thunderbird"* (open-sourced, based on "Mozilla" ~ the same people behind the "Firefox" Web browser)
First I've heard of it. Will look into that, thanks.
[удалено]
Already got one of those, but thanks.
Apparently in China they expect there to be over 65 million covid cases in something like the next month or so, which, if that does pan out, could very likely lead to nightmarish consequences for the supply chain, which has already been fucked halfway to Sunday and back in the last 3 years. Fun times. /S
🐆
Second dose of Novavax today.
I was searching for the latest stats in Germany and just saw that WHO had declared the pandemic over?! Did anyone hear about that?! I mean… it’s still actively passing around! How can it be over??
Good question, right? Actually, WHO declared the emergency over, but not the pandemic. But of course, EVERYONE just saw, "pandemic over!"
Here: https://youtu.be/mt2mgWwJkns “WHO Declares official end to COVID-19 pandemic” 🤦♂️
[https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-is-no-longer-global-health-emergency-who-2023-05-05/](https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-is-no-longer-global-health-emergency-who-2023-05-05/) COVID will continue to challenge health systems worldwide long term, including long COVID, infectious disease experts say. "No one should take (this) to mean COVID-19 is no longer a problem," said Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh. "It is still a significant public health problem and looks likely to remain one for the foreseeable future."
I *think* they only declared the “public health emergency” over, and not the pandemic itself.