When will you move on from pandemic?

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2021 16:31:03 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Dec 20, 2021 16:08:32 GMT -5 @beckaroo said:

What baffles me are the people doing their own at-home tests. Those aren't recorded anywhere. How can that even be? What is the meaning of the numbers we see? Why do a test if you aren't going to do anything about it?

I can understand it.  I've had a couple of incidences where I was around people who later developed COVID, most recently at a weekend of classroom sessions for a course I'm taking.  Drive-through PCR testing is widely available in my state and I tested negative.  If I couldn't do that I would have bought an at-home test and then stayed home for the required time if I tested positive even if I didn't have any symptoms.  I could also see DS and DDIL using them- they and 2 of the 3 kids got COVID- mild cases, thank God.  DS and DDIL were vaccinated.  Better to test at home and see who has it and who doesn't than run round town getting tested.  I don't think any of them ever got medical attention.

My sister did the at home test. Positive results. End of story.

My adult niece did the at home test. Positive results. End of story.

The at-home positive tests don't get recorded anywhere. I always followed the numbers for the county I live in. Apparently those aren't accurate because there must be a lot of positive (and negative) results that no one knows about.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Dec 20, 2021 16:37:18 GMT -5 @beckaroo said:

Dec 20, 2021 16:31:03 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I can understand it.  I've had a couple of incidences where I was around people who later developed COVID, most recently at a weekend of classroom sessions for a course I'm taking.  Drive-through PCR testing is widely available in my state and I tested negative.  If I couldn't do that I would have bought an at-home test and then stayed home for the required time if I tested positive even if I didn't have any symptoms.  I could also see DS and DDIL using them- they and 2 of the 3 kids got COVID- mild cases, thank God.  DS and DDIL were vaccinated.  Better to test at home and see who has it and who doesn't than run round town getting tested.  I don't think any of them ever got medical attention.

My sister did the at home test. Positive results. End of story.

My adult niece did the at home test. Positive results. End of story.

The at-home positive tests don't get recorded anywhere. I always followed the numbers for the county I live in. Apparently those aren't accurate because there must be a lot of positive (and negative) results that no one knows about.

Because you need to be tested to do just about anything, testing at this point negative doesn’t necessarily mean an exposure.  This is just a hoop you need to jump through to cross into Canada, have a colonoscopy, get on some flights, enter just about all countries.  

At this point, I have probably been tested 60+ times, just for jumping through hoops.  Not once have I been tested because I felt ill, or had been exposed.  So knowing negative data isn’t really useful.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 19, 2021 16:47:39 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Dec 19, 2021 13:19:05 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Of course not all of those 88.9 million followers were pro-trump.  Some followed trump just to read what stupid lie he would come up with next.

BF, who is very liberal, will watch content from QAnon, Fox and very right-wing commentators- not because he agrees with them but because he wants to know what makes them tick and why they think they're right. I just can't, but I admire him for wanting to understand them.

He does get on interesting e-mail lists, including solicitations to re-elect Trump.

We did (still kinda do) this for a long time. It's important to me to know both sides to a topic. When Trump was elected, I made it about 18 months into his presidency before I just had to turn off all news. It's really just in the last two months or so I've been able to start reading and watching the news again. 

[billisonboard]

I am double shot, boosted, and wear a mask in all indoor public situations. I pay almost no attention to any of the numbers in the country, my state, my county, nor my little town. They won't change my behavior so why bother.

[Deleted]

I feel safer in saying this now, but Saturday BF and I went to our favorite Mexican place for dinner.  A large family group came in- probably 20- and were seated around tables arranged in a rectangle.  A few had masks but then took them off as they sat down.  No rules requiring them here so we couldn't really say anything.  Even though we were 8 feet away from the closest people (who had their backs to us) and we were in a booth, we were very uncomfortable.   Both of us were vaccinated and boosted, but the stakes are high.  BF had cataract surgery done on one eye last month and the other is scheduled for tomorrow.  He's still working and on his employer's insurance (not Medicare) and has a large deductible. So, he REALLY wants that second surgery to get done this year. 

He had a COVID test yesterday morning in preparation for the surgery and so far hasn't heard anything 24 hours later.  I'm taking that as a hopeful sign that it was not positive.   He'll be calling to confirm if he doesn't hear by early afternoon.

Those bozos in the restaurant really put a damper on our evening.  I'm hopeful that was the only effect.


 

[Ryan]

Dec 21, 2021 10:25:41 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I feel safer in saying this now, but Saturday BF and I went to our favorite Mexican place for dinner.  A large family group came in- probably 20- and were seated around tables arranged in a rectangle.  A few had masks but then took them off as they sat down.  No rules requiring them here so we couldn't really say anything.  Even though we were 8 feet away from the closest people (who had their backs to us) and we were in a booth, we were very uncomfortable.   Both of us were vaccinated and boosted, but the stakes are high.  BF had cataract surgery done on one eye last month and the other is scheduled for tomorrow.  He's still working and on his employer's insurance (not Medicare) and has a large deductible. So, he REALLY wants that second surgery to get done this year. 

He had a COVID test yesterday morning in preparation for the surgery and so far hasn't heard anything 24 hours later.  I'm taking that as a hopeful sign that it was not positive.   He'll be calling to confirm if he doesn't hear by early afternoon.

Those bozos in the restaurant really put a damper on our evening.  I'm hopeful that was the only effect.


 

I think it's pretty generally accepted that people take masks off when they get to the table at a restaurant, my state has had a mask mandate for 3 months and that's always been the case here.  I don't think that is out of line, I think it's expected for the most part.

I think we're at the point where everyone just needs to be responsible for themselves.  You'll stress yourself worrying whether other people are going to be wearing masks in a crowded place, I would just assume that some people will not be and make your decision accordingly.

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2021 10:56:14 GMT -5 Ryan said:

I think we're at the point where everyone just needs to be responsible for themselves.  You'll stress yourself worrying whether other people are going to be wearing masks in a crowded place, I would just assume that some people will not be and make your decision accordingly.

I know- like everyone else I've had to decide which risks are acceptable and which aren't and I've even managed a couple of plane flights and multiple road trips and hotel stays safely (knock wood) so I'm not living in total fear- but that just looked like a super-spreader event to me and I was really concerned because BF had his surgery coming up.

[Value Buy]

Dec 21, 2021 10:25:41 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I feel safer in saying this now, but Saturday BF and I went to our favorite Mexican place for dinner.  A large family group came in- probably 20- and were seated around tables arranged in a rectangle.  A few had masks but then took them off as they sat down.  No rules requiring them here so we couldn't really say anything.  Even though we were 8 feet away from the closest people (who had their backs to us) and we were in a booth, we were very uncomfortable.   Both of us were vaccinated and boosted, but the stakes are high.  BF had cataract surgery done on one eye last month and the other is scheduled for tomorrow.  He's still working and on his employer's insurance (not Medicare) and has a large deductible. So, he REALLY wants that second surgery to get done this year. 

He had a COVID test yesterday morning in preparation for the surgery and so far hasn't heard anything 24 hours later.  I'm taking that as a hopeful sign that it was not positive.   He'll be calling to confirm if he doesn't hear by early afternoon.

Those bozos in the restaurant really put a damper on our evening.  I'm hopeful that was the only effect.


 

In our neck of the woods, this situation would be considered very safe for you. When we are seated, I admit we remove our masks after receiving menus, and put them on when we order for the wait person, then take them off again after beverages are delivered.  Eight feet away and not facing your booth seems acceptable.
There have been bars/restaurants where the space was much less between everyone this fall, and if a close table booth to us was filled after our seating we have asked for our check and left if we did not feel comfortable. I refuse to ask to be seated elsewhere in the place as mgmt should have spaced everyone out in the first place. As long as the group was not boistrous, etc, it should have been ok.

[minnesotapaintlady]

Dec 21, 2021 11:41:39 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Dec 21, 2021 10:56:14 GMT -5 Ryan said:

I think we're at the point where everyone just needs to be responsible for themselves.  You'll stress yourself worrying whether other people are going to be wearing masks in a crowded place, I would just assume that some people will not be and make your decision accordingly.

I know- like everyone else I've had to decide which risks are acceptable and which aren't and I've even managed a couple of plane flights and multiple road trips and hotel stays safely (knock wood) so I'm not living in total fear- but that just looked like a super-spreader event to me and I was really concerned because BF had his surgery coming up.

How was 20 people together in a restaurant any more risky to you than if you had come in and there were 5 tables with 4 people each sitting at them?   

[raeoflyte]

Dec 20, 2021 16:08:32 GMT -5 @beckaroo said:

What baffles me are the people doing their own at-home tests. Those aren't recorded anywhere. How can that even be? What is the meaning of the numbers we see? Why do a test if you aren't going to do anything about it?

We use the at home tests when we have any cold symptoms. Pcr's are pretty easy to get but are 48 hours for results.

[Deleted]

Dec 21, 2021 15:14:20 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

How was 20 people together in a restaurant any more risky to you than if you had come in and there were 5 tables with 4 people each sitting at them?   

The restaurant isn't usually that crowded- we deliberately go early so it's not. There's also a lot more talking in a large group like that- mostly they get couples at this place and half the time one or both are checking their phones.

Regardless- BF's surgery is on for tomorrow AM so the test must have been negative. I knew that was the likely outcome but I'm still relieved.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Dec 21, 2021 10:25:41 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

I feel safer in saying this now, but Saturday BF and I went to our favorite Mexican place for dinner.  A large family group came in- probably 20- and were seated around tables arranged in a rectangle.  A few had masks but then took them off as they sat down.  No rules requiring them here so we couldn't really say anything.  Even though we were 8 feet away from the closest people (who had their backs to us) and we were in a booth, we were very uncomfortable.   Both of us were vaccinated and boosted, but the stakes are high.  BF had cataract surgery done on one eye last month and the other is scheduled for tomorrow.  He's still working and on his employer's insurance (not Medicare) and has a large deductible. So, he REALLY wants that second surgery to get done this year. 

He had a COVID test yesterday morning in preparation for the surgery and so far hasn't heard anything 24 hours later.  I'm taking that as a hopeful sign that it was not positive.   He'll be calling to confirm if he doesn't hear by early afternoon.

Those bozos in the restaurant really put a damper on our evening.  I'm hopeful that was the only effect.


 

In my experience, for both colonoscopy and cataracts was that assume negative unless they contact you to tell you it is canceled.  Not once did I get a phone call telling me I was negative.

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2021 4:51:11 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

In my experience, for both colonoscopy and cataracts was that assume negative unless they contact you to tell you it is canceled. Not once did I get a phone call telling me I was negative.

He's at the hospital for his surgery as I write this. Very relieved. I agree- they didn't call him with results before they did the other eye- but it's good to have it confirmed.

[TheOtherMe]

Didn't confirm mine either when I had my colonoscopy and I have never been able to find the test results in my online account.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I don't know if I've moved on so much as accepted it.  COVID is not going to go away.   I've maintained since day one that odds were good that we would end up needing regular yearly boosters just like the flu.  Corona viruses mutate too much for their to be an actual "cure".   Data seems to be heading that direction.

So it is what it is.  I will get my booster and keep living life at this point.   I am going to have to trust science, the fates and the ever moving cycle of evolution at this point.   Dumb people are going to do what dumb people do just like they do with the flu.  Eventually we will get to an "acceptable" level of deaths and move on.   Nature has always culled the stupid/weak from the herd, especially when the population gets too big for its britches as Homo sapiens have.

I'm more afraid I am going to end up with serious medical issues that won't get addressed due to this more so than COVID itself at this point.   THAT is going to last far longer than the pandemic will and it will be even longer before we fully understand the impact on non-COVID related issues.  

I'm also worried about what might crawl out of the ashes politically.  I feel like Trump was a test run by the Republicans for something possibly way worse.  Nazi Germany didn't happen overnight it was a series of events over the course of years.

We seem to be moving ever closer to Idiocracy as more and more small businesses close and Walmart takes over the world.  So that's something I ponder a lot.

I'd like to hope that society will evolve and we'll move into a new era, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2021 11:18:06 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I'm more afraid I am going to end up with serious medical issues that won't get addressed due to this more so than COVID itself at this point.   THAT is going to last far longer than the pandemic will and it will be even longer before we fully understand the impact on non-COVID related issues.  

I agree- a cousin who's a dental hygienist told me that after vaccines were more plentiful she ended up having to do a LOT of work on people who hadn't had their teeth cleaned in over a year.  I'm sure that a lot of routine screenings got postponed, too, and that many people didn't seek treatment for things because they didn't want to be in a waiting room full of possible COVID cases.

Ordinarily I don't bother with vaccinations but I got flu and pneumonia vaccinations this year (in addition to COVID) because I didn't want to end up in the hospital with a serious case of either one.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I will say and I know some people disagree that I LIKED waiting in my car instead of being in a waiting room.  Even pre-COVID it was icky to be sitting in a room full of people who potentially had God knows what.

And then for some strange reason decide to sit right freaking next to you despite there being AN ENTIRE ROOM FULL OF CHAIRS they could choose from. .. and then they cough.