Pandemic: Life on the ground

[Chap]

I guess what that means for me is that, there is a selfish and a selfless reason to get vaccinated,

Just do it, please.

[Res Ipsa]

in my opinion, Ed Yong has been one of the best journalists covering COVID-19. He just published his first piece on the Omicron variant.https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... er/621027/ Based on what I'd read so far, I'm back in hunker down mode. It looks like I'll be that way for the next couple of months.

Chap, I'm seeing some scary looking graphs from your neck of the woods. How are things looking to you?

[Chap]

in my opinion, Ed Yong has been one of the best journalists covering COVID-19. He just published his first piece on the Omicron variant.https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... er/621027/ Based on what I'd read so far, I'm back in hunker down mode. It looks like I'll be that way for the next couple of months.

Chap, I'm seeing some scary looking graphs from your neck of the woods. How are things looking to you?

Yup. Lots of rapidly spreading Omicron. As yet the picture of what this means is too indefinite to count as 'scary'. I am trebly vaccinated myself, as are those close to me, so I am probably at low risk of any serious consequences of meeting the virus.

The point that does concern me is that Johnson and his buddies hate the idea of having to tell hospitality and other related businesses that Christmas is in effect cancelled - because then the government could reasonably be expected to provide financial support for the said businesses. But at a recent press conference with Johnson (who burbled noncommittally) the chief medical officer (an official, not an elected Tory politician) was asked about Christmas socialising, and gave the correct answer for a medical scientist - i.e. that it should be kept for the most important people in your life. Surprisingly , the British public decided that he was the right one to listen too, and cancellations of Christmas party reservations began forthwith.

Meanwhile, the Queen cancelled her usual large family gathering. Her decision was discussed by one Guardian journalist in the following terms:

It was with regret, Buckingham Palace announced, that the Queen was cancelling her annual pre-Christmas bash at Sandringham.

Apparently she didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s plans for the big day, a sentence so meekly un-regal I had to read it twice to check it was the right way round. But at least someone seemingly remembers how to lead from the front. Her government, meanwhile, appears to have chosen this particular moment to abdicate.

Boris Johnson shimmied out of doing the dirty work at this week’s pandemic press conference, fervently insisting that even though Covid-19 cases are now thought to be doubling slightly faster than every two days – which suggests they could be up eightfold by Christmas – his government wasn’t cancelling parties or closing hospitality. Instead it was left to Professor Chris Whitty, a man notably unconstrained by fear of mutinous backbenchers or self-serving anxieties about byelections in North Shropshire, to advise the nation not to go out and see people in the run-up to Christmas unless they really had to. And so overnight, Britain plunged into the form of Covid purgatory that everyone in business dreads the most: not an official lockdown, but something that to all intents and purposes is going to feel like it, except without any of the guaranteed financial support.

[Res Ipsa]

in my opinion, Ed Yong has been one of the best journalists covering COVID-19. He just published his first piece on the Omicron variant.https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... er/621027/ Based on what I'd read so far, I'm back in hunker down mode. It looks like I'll be that way for the next couple of months.

Chap, I'm seeing some scary looking graphs from your neck of the woods. How are things looking to you?

Yup. Lots of rapidly spreading Omicron. As yet the picture of what this means is too indefinite to count as 'scary'. I am trebly vaccinated myself, as are those close to me, so I am probably at low risk of any serious consequences of meeting the virus.

The point that does concern me is that Johnson and his buddies hate the idea of having to tell hospitality and other related businesses that Christmas is in effect cancelled - because then the government could reasonably be expected to provide financial support for the said businesses. But at a recent press conference with Johnson (who burbled noncommittally) the chief medical officer (an official, not an elected Tory politician) was asked about Christmas socialising, and gave the correct answer for a medical scientist - i.e. that it should be kept for the most important people in your life. Surprisingly , the British public decided that he was the right one to listen too, and cancellations of Christmas party reservations began forthwith.

Meanwhile, the Queen cancelled her usual large family gathering. Her decision was discussed by one Guardian journalist in the following terms:

It was with regret, Buckingham Palace announced, that the Queen was cancelling her annual pre-Christmas bash at Sandringham.

Apparently she didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s plans for the big day, a sentence so meekly un-regal I had to read it twice to check it was the right way round. But at least someone seemingly remembers how to lead from the front. Her government, meanwhile, appears to have chosen this particular moment to abdicate.

Boris Johnson shimmied out of doing the dirty work at this week’s pandemic press conference, fervently insisting that even though Covid-19 cases are now thought to be doubling slightly faster than every two days – which suggests they could be up eightfold by Christmas – his government wasn’t cancelling parties or closing hospitality. Instead it was left to Professor Chris Whitty, a man notably unconstrained by fear of mutinous backbenchers or self-serving anxieties about byelections in North Shropshire, to advise the nation not to go out and see people in the run-up to Christmas unless they really had to. And so overnight, Britain plunged into the form of Covid purgatory that everyone in business dreads the most: not an official lockdown, but something that to all intents and purposes is going to feel like it, except without any of the guaranteed financial support.

Thanks, Chap. Ms. Ipsa and I are also trebly vaccinated. But the two young adults still living at home don't have appointments until January. I might have to search for places that take walk ins located in "red" areas of the state.

[Gunnar]

The Chorale group in which I sing in the tenor section recently had two performances of our annual Christmas concert. We decided as a group that everyone attending and performing either had to show proof of being fully vaccinated or wear a mask during the concert, and all of us singers had to have had, in addition, a negative covid test taken within the last two days before the concert, so we could sing without having to wear masks while doing so. Even so, we all agreed that we would don masks before greeting the audience in the after-concert reception line. It all went rather well, I think, and the concert was well received and appreciated. Only two people had to be turned away because of refusing to either wear a mask or show proof of vaccination. I didn't see that myself, but they were reportedly quite indignant about it.

It was not a huge audience, but those who turned up and stayed were quite grateful and appreciative of our musical offerings, and some of them thought it was our best concert yet. I don't necessarily agree with that, but I'm glad that some enjoyed our efforts.

[Some Schmo]

The Chorale group in which I sing in the tenor section recently had two performances of our annual Christmas concert. We decided as a group that everyone attending and performing either had to show proof of being fully vaccinated or wear a mask during the concert, and all of us singers had to have had, in addition, a negative covid test taken within the last two days before the concert, so we could sing without having to wear masks while doing so. Even so, we all agreed that we would don masks before greeting the audience in the after-concert reception line. It all went rather well, I think, and the concert was well received and appreciated. Only two people had to be turned away because of refusing to either wear a mask or show proof of vaccination. I didn't see that myself, but they were reportedly quite indignant about it.

It was not a huge audience, but those who turned up and stayed were quite grateful and appreciative of our musical offerings, and some of them thought it was our best concert yet. I don't necessarily agree with that, but I'm glad that some enjoyed our efforts.

Nice. I liked all of that.

[Gunnar]

Nice. I liked all of that.

Thanks! It occurred to me that it seems somewhat peculiar that the two who showed up who refused to mask (though we provided free masks to anyone who requested them) even showed up. In all the literature and media we used to promote the concert, it was explicitly stated that no one who refused to either mask or show proof of vaccination would be admitted. There was no way they could have even known about the concert, without also being made aware of that. I strongly suspect that the only reason they even showed up was they saw it as an opportunity to create a scene and promote their anti-vaccine and anti-mask extremism, while billing themselves as victims of unjust discrimination.

[Some Schmo]

Thanks! It occurred to me that it seems somewhat peculiar that the two who showed up who refused to mask (though we provided free masks to anyone who requested them) even showed up. In all the literature and media we used to promote the concert, it was explicitly stated that no one who refused to either mask or show proof of vaccination would be admitted. There was no way they could have even known about the concert, without also being made aware of that. I strongly suspect that the only reason they even showed up was they saw it as an opportunity to create a scene and promote their anti-vaccine and anti-mask extremism, while billing themselves as victims of unjust discrimination.

Some people have nothing better to do than to go make a public scene. It's pathetic, I know, but when you're sporting a particularly stupid idea, you've got to be forceful about it to make it stick... or something.

I think everyone who is anti-vax should seek all medical treatment from the internet. Hospitals are for suckers. Need a hip replacement? Talk to Joe Rogan.

[Res Ipsa]

Here's today's article by Ed Young explaining why he canceled his 40th birthday party. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... on/621041/

Hyperindividualism is morally bankrupt. I hope that's a lesson we learn from the pandemic.

[Jersey Girl]

in my opinion, Ed Yong has been one of the best journalists covering COVID-19. He just published his first piece on the Omicron variant.https://www.theatlantic.com/health/arch ... er/621027/ Based on what I'd read so far, I'm back in hunker down mode. It looks like I'll be that way for the next couple of months.

Chap, I'm seeing some scary looking graphs from your neck of the woods. How are things looking to you?

I have been following both the U.S. and the U.K. re:Omicron. I haven't read the above article yet, but I'm reading elsewhere that Omicron doesn't produce as severe symptoms as Delta. I'm sick of even thinking about all of this as I am sure everyone here is as well.

That said, I'm happy to report that where our family here had a couple of vaccine hesitant members, ALL adults are now vaxxed.

Thanks for the new article, RI. I'll read it later tonight.