So we have contracted our social sphere due to Covid. Anyone else?

[Stinky The Clown]

Last week we did an in person Christmas party for our company. Seven couples in a restaurant. Everyone is vaxed and boosted but for the entirety of the meal and merriment, we were unmasked. Prior to that we were out and about a little more, but always with caution.

That was then. This is now.

All through the worst of the pandemic, before Delta and Omicron, we limited our contact to our "Covid Coven" - friends from nearby. We are all vaccinated and boosted. Two of us worked out of home but now we are all working only from home.

Our Christmas will be the Feast of The Seven Fishes, but only the four of us.

Their son will be visiting from out of town, but not until Dec 27. They will quarantine from us for the 10 days after he leaves or until they can get tested.

I am doing our shopping, but only with N95, nitrile gloves, and an atomizer of 96% isopropyl alcohol.

Things are pretty bad right now. In Maryland, our positivity rate is nearly 11%. Our governor and the county executive of the next county over both have Covid. Hospitals are filling up.

This ain't over, boys and girls.

[Thunderbeast]

1. We just cancelled out family holiday gathering for the second time...

My anger with the MAGA Anti-Vax stupidity has ruined the holiday season.

They have killed millions with their strident resistance. We are watching a mass suicide that is taking innocents with them.

NO MORE HOSPITAL CRITICAL CARE FOR THEM!

Let them test their faith in Jeebus, horse wormer, and bleach!

[hlthe2b]

18. Yes. The unvaccinated have caused this, but seeing the recent explosion of aggressive driving

and anger-fueled recklessness even on 35mph boulevards in my normally quiet part of town or the fights breaking out in stores and public venues--we are all at risk of being turned away from hospitals should we need it and that is ignoring any pre-existing health problems.

We will all pay the price, sadly.

[Grasswire2]

2. On Sunday I saw two of my grandchildren for the first time in two years...

....even though they live in the same town as I do. Emma is thirteen now. She held on to me and cried, and cried, and cried. "It's been so long" she said. William is fifteen now. He's an inch taller than I am and can take Drivers Ed. Our whole lives have been up-ended, tragically, in service of Donald J. Trump's sociopathy and narcissism.

And now we seem to be entering the worst phase, just as we thought we were exiting the worst. And we are just one family.

If someone doesn't hold the MONSTER accountable for what he has done to our people and our world, all is lost. Now.

[Sugarcoated]

12. I have a granddaughter Emma, also 13. She and her sister

Karli, 16, are transitioning back to school in our township, both living at our place until their mom (my daughter) finds a house or apartment (very very scarce). They grew up around here so it's coming home in many ways...and I can be hands on keeping them safe. My daughter was supposed to be coming tomorrow to help get the spare room ready for her move in to join them, but one of the girls told me late tonight they talked, their mom is sick and won't be able to make it. She said it's not Covid but I'm sure she hasn't been tested. I have a bad feeling...

[hlthe2b]

20. Influenza is on the rise too. A colleague in an Atlanta ER texted me that out of 25 pts in isolation

two nights ago, 12 test positive for COVID-19 and 8 for influenza. So, we do have the makings of a dual epidemic, something we escaped last year largely as a result of more strict distancing, hygiene, and masking.


There is also a problem with false-negative rapid COVID tests that I posted about two days ago that you might want to ensure is not an issue with your daughter:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216165071


And, on the flu front, there is not a great match in this year's vaccines against the currently circulating predominant strain (H3N2). Still flu vaccination can help, along with masking.

[Skittles]

3. it boggles my mind that people are still having Christmas parties

that was then? last week?

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Yes. You know. Delta dominant. Omicron 1%. That was then.

Feel free to argue as you wish.


We're about two weeks behind the UK. A week is significant in this context.

[Skittles]

6. what part of social distancing are people not getting

I just wish people would put shit like Christmas parties on the backburner

[hlthe2b]

21. I had an argument with someone planning on attending a large party because they felt "obligated"

due to past assistance/relationships. It was all I could do not to grab him through the phone and throttle him, but I merely asked him (vaccinated, yes, but he knows better) if his life was worth the risk and "obligation?"

I do not get people right now.

[Skittles]

25. I don't either

I am seriously tired of these "what should I do" threats - they KNOW what to do but seem to need to be talked into it, WTF

[lapfog_1]

4. 1 week ago I went to a small Christmas lunch

with around 9 people from my work... My new director invited us and I felt it was political to go... I haven't seen (in person) anyone from work other than 2 personal friends in almost 2 years (except in video conf).

I came home and tested (negative) the next day... and again 2 days later.

Tomorrow I go to get boosted... and that will be the last time out of my home for at least 4 weeks.

I fully expect Omicron to sweep the nation and put a lot of the unvaccinated into the hospital. The South Africa data is skewed because most of the people there with Omicron in the last 5 weeks have been 1) young and 2) previously infected with another variant.

TBD what Omicron means to the unexposed and unvaccinated.

The good news is that whatever happens, almost everyone will be exposed to Omicron in the next 4 weeks... and I've done all I can do to prepare. If it turns out to be a nothing burger... it's just another 4 to 6 weeks of isolation for me... if it turns out to kill off 1% to 4% of the unvaccinated. At this point I am only sad if that person cannot be vaccinated for some reason or is immune compromised (Colin Powell), but for the rest, I am only upset that they will take hospital resources away from people who have other health issues.

[agingdem]

7. I'm 73, a widow, and I live alone...

my children and their families live in Denver and Atlanta...three weeks ago I had what I thought was a very bad cold..I was wrong..covid, the omicron variant...how I contracted this I really don't know..I'm vaxxed and boostered.. I rarely leave my home and when I do, I shop early to avoid crowds and I'm masked..my symptoms were relatively mild considering my age and my crap immune system and I recovered quickly...in two weeks I'm getting on a plane to Las Vegas, and returning by way of Denver and Atlanta ....probably not the best idea but I've had it with hiding in my home..hell, I was so desperate for conversation last week, I had a lively chat about parsnips with the Whole Foods produce manager..and if I'm going to die I would rather die sitting in front of a slot machine with my hand on the re-bet button than die in my bed from boredom...

[orleans]

10. i wish i could talk you out of it.

traveling, plane, vegas, so many people around. you got it once and you could get it again. and that "crap immune system" you speak of.

zoom or face time with family? same with friends?
a spare bedroom that a friend could come and stay in and hang out for awhile?
a cat? a little dog?
zoom dinner parties with friends?
a (masked) walking buddy you can stroll with and converse with?
write? (stories/letters/notes to kids/grandkids, journal, create tales that end with "maybe i did or maybe i didn't&quot

i certainly don't want you to die in your bed from boredom
but traveling and being in crowds during omicron isn't necessarily the answer to life's pressing issues/problems

please stay safe.

[hlthe2b]

22. Please find a way to obtain N95 or similar grade respirator masks.

Even if you've already had Omicron and are vaccinated...and don't forget hand hygiene. I can not tell you how many people I see who have forgotten this, once the need to disinfect every bag of peas or box of cereal was largely discounted. Hand-washing importance has never gone away--whether for COVID-19, influenza, colds, or noroviral gastrointestinal ("stomach flu" )viruses.

I'm not recommending you go at all and I do understand. But, if you do...

[LastDemocratInSC]

8. I've always been reclusive by nature

so it's a natural and easy step for me.

[yellowdogintexas]

9. We are still sticking close to the house, not visiting, not going out

just grocery and doctor appts.

My husband is so anxious about the virus even with three vaccines. He has comorbidities out the wazoo.

No family Christmas

My shopping was all done on Amazon or other sites.

Another year without visiting our daughter and her husband and daughter. I hate that
most of all. That baby is 2 and the last time I saw her was when she weighed 8 pounds.

I have not seen one of my sisters since 2014 and the other since 2017.

It is really getting to me.

I have a lot of anger over the events that led to this.

We are spending the week and probably next week watching our vast collection of Christmas movies. Tonight is "A Christmas Story"

Not even baking very much, which is not good since baking is my therapy! Keeps me from hitting people.

[progree]

11. Look next door, WASHINGTON D.C. - worst "state" in the nation, +440% in past 14 days

The ranking of the states plus counting Washington D.C. as a state is (ranked by 7 day moving average of daily new cases per 100k):

Ranking, 7 day moving average of new cases, and 14-day change (average of 7 days ending Dec 21 compared to average of 7 days ending Dec 7)

#1 Washington D.C.: 134 per 100k, +440%
#2 Rhode Island: 118 per 100k, +40%
#3 New York: 100 per 100k, +102%,
#4 New Hampshire: 88 per 100k, -5%
#5 Ohio: 86 per 100k, +32%
#6 Illinois: 83 per 100k, +45%
#7 Massachusetts: 83 per 100k, +22%
#8 Maryland: 82 per 100k, +271%
#9 New Jersey: 81 per 100k, +86%
#10 Delaware: 76 per 100k, +30%

States with highest 14 day percentage change, counting Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. as states: highest growth first:

Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Washington D.C., Florida, Maryland, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia,

For the U.S. overall: the 7 day moving average of daily new cases has skyrocketed from 126,303 on Dec 18, to 157,412 on Dec 21, an increase of 25% in just 3 days. It is just 7,006 cases away from breaching the fall wave peak of 164,418 on September 1.

When that is breached, like tomorrow, then the 7 day moving average will be the highest since January.

Extremely very oddly, considering the above paragraph, 26 states have increasing cases and 24 states have decreasing cases (talking about the 14-day change as defined above, and counting only the actual states). This is the most favorable ratio I've seen in at least 2 weeks.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html
(no paywall, no quota, the "last 90 days" button is very helpful

Things are pretty bad right now. In Maryland, our positivity rate is nearly 11%. Our governor and the county executive of the next county over both have Covid. Hospitals are filling up.

===================================================

The WORLD has just breached its summer peak (daily new cases, 7 day moving average), set on August 26, and now is the worst since May 15 or so. (The world's all time peak was about April 27)

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-cases.html

[Wounded Bear]

13. Was pretty much a recluse before this started...

so my "small circle of friends" hasn't shrunk much.

[Silver Gaia]

14. We stay home.

We drive to the doctor or to get curbside pickup. Most groceries and other household supplies, even prescriptions, we have delivered. I have been in a store once since covid began.That was in August 2020. I asked a woman if she could please pull her mask up (it was actually just a bandana) so I could go past her safely. She called me a "fucking bitch," then stomped over and coughed in my face. I haven't been back. I worked retail for many years and actually enjoyed shopping... the colors, the textures, the scents. I miss it.

We talk to friends on the phone or in texts. We do not go to parties, or to bars or restaurants. We did before covid. We have no grandkids, so we aren't missing anything there. My only family left is a brother I rarely saw anyway,, and my hubby has no living family left at all. My only child, who is 41, lives with us. She was already here for financial reasons prior to covid, and now she's stuck here. She had planned to spend her 40th birthday in Paris, but that was in 2020 and her plans had to be canceled. She works virtually as a tutor now and I teach college classes virtually. Hubby is retired. I used to teach at a campus. My daughter worked in the public schools.

We like watching quality movies and TV shows, we all have our own computers and things we do on them. I like to garden, too, and that helps. We are all somewhat introverted, so we don't mind the solitude. But it will be nice to have a choice again. Sometimes I like and want to be social. We love hosting parties, and had planned on having a big summer party in 2020, but covid made that impossible. That will be one hell of a party when we are finally able to do it!

So, there are things we miss, but we know it won't be like this forever (surely not, right?). It would be nice to spend some of our "golden years" doing something besides hibernating. I think it's harder on my daughter than on me or hubby. She feels like her life is on hold and it makes her angry and anxious sometimes. She visited friends a few times this fall, but all were vaxxed and careful. We went out once to see friends this fall, too, but all those plans are now on hold. For now, we are all hunkering down again to weather the next covid storm, and hoping this will be over sometime... soon?

[John Ludi]

15. Since moving to the woods

ten years ago I have become more and more of a hermit...so this has been almost a natural evolution for me. Most of my family is hundreds of miles away or deceased (and the same with a lot of my close and long term friends), so without hitting the road I have no obligations.

My GF (who lives with me) is planning on visiting family between Christmas and New Years though (and she works at a school)...so a higher risk factor for me even without leaving the house. Moderna vaxxed and boosted in October, both of us, so we'll see how it all plays out.

[Shrek]

16. We're down to just three for Christmas

Just my dad, my wife, and me.

Traditionally my dad is the host and my brother and I both attend with our families. This year my nephew isn't vaccinated and my dad banned him since he and I both have elevated risk (heart patients).

Sister-in-law got upset at the ban so now their whole family isn't coming. Usually she cooks a nice breakfast so I guess we'll have cereal this year.

[hlthe2b]

17. I have only attended funerals and memorial lunches with small numbers of known vaccinated...

Otherwise, I see anyone I might socially OUTSIDE (usually at the dog park or spaced out on a deck on a sunny, if cold day). I have enough exposure through work risk despite full PPE and being fully vaccinated myself. My grocery shopping is early AM with few other shoppers and is like one of those timed grocery shopping competitions in how rapidly I get what I need and get the hell out of there.

Perhaps I'd be more lonely if not for how damned busy I am (and exhausted) and of course if not for my sweet pup (and facetime with friends/family). But, honestly? The amount of socializing so many are doing (and visiting restaurants, bars, theaters, concerts--even a minimum risk fast-food drive-through for a burger) are just not something I've done the past two years... (Well, one drive-through burger to remind me how damned salty they are).

Everyone manages their own risk. Mine is high enough already.

[Violet_Crumble]

19. Me! Nearly bailed on the xmas ham raffle at the local club!

It's tomorrow night with my siblings, but all the exposure sites seem to be pubs and clubs or gyms. I was assured we'll get there early enough to get a table outdoors, but we're not sure if we'll be able to hear the badge draw or ham raffle. Also, the pokies are inside, so what's the point? We're all going to get it and as long as I don't get really sick or even die, I think I'm just going to run with weaingr a mask indoors or crowded outdoor areas, getting vaccinated and then a booster and don't do stupid shit like hang out with conspiracy theorists who are unvaccinated and don't wear masks or wash their hands. Fucking Plague Rats...

[luvs2sing]

23. Very drastically.

Pre-Covid, Hubster was working in a large office. I am retired, but sang in a 500-voice choir and had volunteer projects going on several days a week. We got together regularly with family and friends. We went out to eat a lot and enjoyed going out to hear live music. Hubster had a couple band practices every week and usually at least a couple gigs every month.

Post-Covid, Hubster is retired. My choir did masked rehearsals in small groups this fall with a brief outdoor performance. I felt safe in rehearsals, but not at the performance so stayed home. My volunteer jobs fell by the wayside.

We have regularly spent time with friends throughout the pandemic. Many of our friends have large porches and patios where distancing is possible. We have gathered in small groups. We have seen the grandkids (who are now vaccinated) regularly, again, outdoors.

We spent Thanksgiving with two friends who we know are as careful as we are. We will be spending Christmas with them, too. Last year, I brought them plates of the feast I had prepared for all of us. We’re all going to test tomorrow.

Ohio is going crazy with Covid. Honestly, the most dangerous thing I do is go to the grocery. I’m a homebody by nature, so I handle it better than my ADD extroverted Hubster.

[Klaralven]

24. Finished our family visits in mid-December. Only getting together with one at Christmas.

Grew up in a rural area with about 15 people per square mile.

I've never understood the need for socializing.

Solitude is wonderfull.

[Ms. Toad]

26. We had an early Thanksgiving with my parents and siblings.

All 9 of us vaccinated, boosted, and cautious.

Given what folllowed Thanksgiving (Omicron) that was fortuitous, since we (my parents and I) have not had to cancel Christmas - indirectly because of COVID.

I've got the creepy crud of some sort (low grade fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose). It appears not to be COVID (3 negative antigen tests; PCR test pending), but we can't take the risk.

COVID has also cancelled my critical every-three-month follow-up for the aggressive cancer I was diagnosed with a year ago. Survival rate is generically 50% at 5 years; my odds are likely better - but finding it at the stage I found it is rare enough that no one really know. The scans are critical to identify metastasis and have the best chance of stopping it. My hospital was one of the ones who placed the single-word ad: Help. They can't take the risk - the state in which I live is #5 in the country for cases. Because of a boss who was so pissed that people hate his leadership that he decided to punch down and kick me to the curb on his way out - couped with the miracles of Medicare rules which don't accommodate job/insurance loss which overlaps with your initial enrollment period - I won't be able to schedule the appointments until February (at the earliest) - 5 months, rather than 3 unless I feel like paying out-of-pocket. Fortunately, I was able to reschedule the scan before year end. Figuring out what I have to do if the scan turns something up and Medicare screws up so I don't have coverage until February is another story . . .