Stay away from crowds and "events." It ain't that deep.

[Cyrano]

Yeah, it's been a tough year and a half. And it's going to be tough going for a while to come. But staying as safe as possible sure as hell beats even a mild case of Covid-19. No one knows the long-term effects even a "mild-case" can have.

A vaccinated couple I know decided to go to a cookout a little over a week ago where there were about 20 people. I told them it wasn't a good idea, but they insisted that everyone who was going was vaccinated (How could they be sure?) and that they'd be fine.

One of them has been feeling "beneath the weather" for a couple of days and has decided to go for a test. (I don't know if you get same-day results.) I care about my friends and I hope they're all right.

As for me, I still wear a mask in stores, maintain as much distance from others as possible and stay away from crowds. There's nothing we can do about the zombies who refuse shots for political reasons, but we can take care of ourselves and should do so.

One day, this will all be behind us. The important thing is to be around to see that day.

[Wounded Bear]

1. I got my recent test results back overnight...

but I'm sure it varies with location. Best wishes and all, but your strategy is sound.

Mask up when you have to go out, avoid crowds, etc.

[MLAA]

2. I agree, stay safe and pass on the cookouts and parties!

[Hugin]

3. It's the same as it always has been...

The number one most important thing to realize is that we are in a global pandemic.

- Avoid touching your face.
- Wash hands frequently.
- Practice distancing as much as possible.
- Wear a damn mask.
- Avoid crowded situations. Particularly indoors or in poorly ventilated areas.

The vaccines are a powerful tool to end this thing, but, with the number of unvaccinated they alone are not sufficient to do the job on their own.

It looks like this is how things are done. Until the all's clear is sounded.

[Cyrano]

5. I always have a small bottle of disinfectant with me

Sometimes, I feel like I'm going to be carrying one of those around for the rest of my life. Nonetheless, I always spray my hands before, during and after a trip to the store. I wonder if the alcohol is removing some paint from my car door handle.

[Hugin]

8. +1

A good move.

Keep in mind, there are plenty of other diseases out there you're thwarting as well.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Do keep in mind that the virus is NOT passed by hands or

any such contact.

I think the constant disinfecting is in the long run a very bad idea. And if it is removing some of the paint from your car door handle, well, think about it.

[wnylib]

16. I think the comment about

removing paint from the car door handle was a joke.

Regarding the spread from contact, covid is primarily spread through inhalation because it is aerosolized. But it is possible to pick it up from surfaces if someone has sneezed or coughed on something that you later touch. If you then touch you nose, mouth, or eyes without first washing or sanitizing your hands, you can give the virus entrance into your body.

Fauci and the CDC are still recommending frequent hand washing and sanitization of frequently touched surfaces for that reason.

[AllyCat]

18. No. Avoiding other illness that has the potential to cause

One’s immune system to become overwhelmed or to require hospital admission is a GOOD THING right now.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. It's Not Removing Paint

For the polymers that form in paint, low chain alcohols are very poor solvents.
And, since they evaporate so fast, the weak solvent effect they have lasts only seconds.
It's more likely that the paint is wearing off, not being solubilized away.
In fact, the oils in your skin are more effective polymer solvents than ethanol.
So, I wouldn't concern myself about the side effects of hand sanitizer on your car.

[Klaralven]

4. Especially stay away from religious events

A Samoan Assembly of God congregation is responsible for a cluster in the outbreak in New Zealand. https://democraticunderground.com/100215775632

Religious events that involve close quarters, singing, and loud talking or chanting are superspreader events. A person with their mouth open and their vocal cords vibrating produces a fog of viral droplets.

It is also why bars and restaurants with people talking loudly face to face are also a bad idea. It seems to have been a fad in recent decades to have mostly hard surfaces in restaurants in order to increase the volume of chatter. This should be avoided in favor of restaurants with ceiling and wall coverings that deaden noise and make it easier to converse at normal volumes.

[LisaM]

12. If they can fix the sound problem in restaurants...

That would be a positive outcome. I am tired (well, WAS tired) of the cacaphony. And it's discriminatory to hearing-disabled and elderly people.

Not that I wanted anyone to get sick to effect this change.

[wnylib]

17. Karaoke bars are especially to be avoided.

[lagomorph777]

21. Also, God hates idiots.

Or so I hear, from people that God talks to. As an atheist, I wouldn't know for sure.

[lagomorph777]

22. Who goes inside restaurants?

I really don't care what the sound treatments are - they're full of unmasked people. Yikes.

[brush]

6. Spot on advice. I do the same as this pandemic is dragging on...

Last edited Tue Aug 24, 2021, 02:30 PM - Edit history (1)

and will mostly likely extend into its third year because of trump-influenced anti-maskers/anti-vaxxers following his stupid antimask/it's a hoax foolishness.

We would've had this behind us if trump had modeled wearing mask early on in the pandemic last year.

[wnylib]

19. Same thing happened with the

1918 flu pandemic which lasted from 1918 to 1920. After initial waves (3 if I remember right what I read), there was a lull for a few months and people started going out in groups and crowded public places again so that the flu returned in a final wave.

I'm guessing that each new wave back then was caused by mutations of the original virus.

[brush]

24. Right. We're seeing the same thing. I edited my post to say "extend into a third year...

instead of a second as we're already in the second year. And no chance covid will be under control the four + months left in this year.

[wnylib]

26. True, covid will last the rest of this year.

And it will get worse this fall and winter as people are indoors more in enclosed places.

But I read something encouraging yesterday in two different articles. One was about the booster shots in Israel. I don't remember where I got the other one from.

The booster mRNA shots are working exceptionally well in Israel and expected to provide at least a year of protection and probably more. There will likely not be a need for yearly boosters.

Another article said that the mRNA shots could have been given in 3 separate doses from the start, and that was considered early on. But, the two shots gave such good results and there was need to get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible that "they" (companies? FDA?) decided to go with the two shots.

So, the third shot should eliminate or cut back considerably on the breakthrough infections that are contributing to the spread. As the delta variant causes more hospitalizations and deaths, there is beginning to be an increase in people getting vaccinated. With the vaccine approval, more places are mandating it

By this time next year, covid might really be behind us.

[brush]

27. Good news from Israel. God, I hope the same results happen here with the 3rd shot.

[Texaswitchy]

7. We stay home.

Have the basis groceries we need home delivered.

Gives someone a job.

[Mme. Defarge]

9. I love my grocery pickup service so much

I may not go back to in-store shopping when the pandemic is over. My shoppers are great and I ‘m getting much better “Sell by” or Best by” dates than I ever got when filling my own non-virtual grocery cart.

[lagomorph777]

23. That's great if you're wealthy and don't need to see the stuff yourself.

[Texaswitchy]

28. Not expensive.

Free delivery.

Just milk and eggs, stuff like that.

I do not want the virus.

I had pneumonia once, it was not fun.

Also makes jobs.

[CrispyQ]

10. Totally agree!

A small group of friends, all vaccinated, got together last week for a BBQ. I abstained. Covid is like sex. You're not just exposed to your friends, your exposed to everyone your friends have been exposed to the past two weeks. I haven't played it close to the vest for a year and a half to catch this crap now. No way!

[wendyb-NC]

11. I agree

Well said, Cyrano, I've been fully vaccinated since the end of February. I have never stopped wearing a mask at the store, or anywhere that is not my house. I eat at home and avoid dining in public indoors or out. I feel it is the prudent thing to do for all concerned, including me. I do not want to get Covid-19.

[Texin]

14. I'm the same way wendyb-NC.

I was fully vaccinated by the end of March, and I have never stopped wearing a mask anywhere, except the occasional times I've gone walking and realized I didn't have it with me. Fortunately, I didn't encounter anyone who wasn't masked or that I couldn't skirt around. I simply refuse to dine in public and I am not comfortable with anyone I don't know coming into our house even if they themselves are vaccinated. If they know others who work in a public setting, there's simply no way to know who the "others" are who may not be vaccinated and whether they are having symptoms or soon will. I had been exclusively using online grocery pickup at the supermarkets and ordering supplies, books, anything that I had previously gone to the store for from Amazon, Ebay, Etsy and other online shopping merchants - and boy did the Covid pandemic increase the number of those sites! I cautiously returned to shopping on a limited basis at the grocery stores I frequented previously, but I've cut back those forays a lot in the past several week as the Delta variant surges and more and more breakthrough case of infections arise.

I actually believe that we will never be able to eradicate this virus as, like the flu, there are too many mutations that circulate. We will undoubtedly have to vaccinate and probably boost semi-annually from here on out. Frankly, I've never thought we'd be able to do anything else, especially after listening to Laurie Garrett early on. If people want to politicize this, they do so at their peril - and, unfortunately, to the peril of everyone else.

[Iggo]

15. Yeah, even if they don't cancel or postpone the SOAD concert, I ain't goin'.

(System Of A Down)

Bought the tickets almost two years ago. It’s a shame. Even money this is their final go-round. But it’s not worth dying for and it’s not worth risking my family’s lives for either.

I’ve seen them before. I’ll live.

[Another Jackalope]

20. I've cancelled attending a small family memorial gathering this weekend.

It will be a small outdoor family event to scatter the ashes of my father who died a month ago and my mother who died 3 years ago. There will be seven others there, all of whom except the two young children are fully vaccinated. The two kids have tested negative.

However, I considered my age of 70, my asthma, heart failure and generally poor physical condition; I factored in the contagiousness and breakthrough ability of Delta; I considered that we come from four separate bubbles, one of which is on the other side of the continent and will have to fly in.

I loved my parents fiercely and I feel like a shit for opting out, but the risk is just too high for me. Covid doesn't give you a do-over if you catch it - if you get it, you've got it. Luckily the family understands my concerns, and will Zoom me in.

Even if you think your risk is small, take it seriously. It's the smart thing to do.

[Grammy23]

25. I have an appointment for a mammogram tomorrow.

It was postponed from February when I was not quite fully vaccinated and then read I should postpone it if I had no symptoms. As a breast cancer survivor of 31 years, I know the value of mammograms and being aware of symptoms. But I felt like the Covid risk was far greater to me. So I postponed and scheduled for late summer and was fully vaccinated by Feb 6th. I am 72 years old, overweight, have hypertension and assorted other risk factors. The facility requires masks for staff and I’ll mask up. It usually only takes a few minutes. Hoping to get another good report and come back next year!

Listen to the real experts and not some whack-a-doodle on the internet. Better to be too cautious and not need it than to be cavalier about Covid and learn the hard way how deadly or devastating it can be.

[geardaddy]

29. It really isn't rocket science

I don't understand even some reasonably smart friends of mine going to concerts, movies, restaurants, etc.

[Skittles]

31. I am absolutley disgusted with so many selfish people

even DUers brag about going to "multi-generational get-togethers"...WTF