Omicron Protection

[Cdn_Gringo]

Coffee hour and bridge have been cancelled.

The sad reality is still not in favor of normality. Even with three shots most people are not sufficiently protected from catching Covid and then passing it on to others. Omicron being as contagious as it is with an R value of between 3-5, the only thing one can do is to avoid other people as much as possible. This would mean skipping coffee hour and bridge. It shouldn't be too much longer before Health agencies begin to make the case that supports or refutes Omicron being "milder" and thus less of a concern for the majority of those who will catch this variant which will probably be most of us based on current modeling. Seemingly healthy people you were with around yesterday and today may have already been contagious and might be feeling ill for the first time tomorrow. Nothing else you can do with any hope of long term success other than stay away from others.

 

[MGD]

I tried to follow this link but it said "Due to technical difficulties the vaccination status of the persons are not available".

I suspect because most are vaccinated

You suspect wrong.

In Ontario ICU right now, 45 are vaccinated, 73 unvaccinated, 2 partially vaccinated.

Plus the 73 are from a pool that is 1/9 the size.
If you want to compared apples to apples, it is like 45 to 600+.

 

[Ecoman1949]

I don't think you can dispute the success of the curfew..... worked a couple of times here- IMO

$6000 fine in La Belle Province if you caught outside after the curfew with no valid reason. WW. Ouch!

 

[MGD]

"My mind is made up. Do not confuse me with facts." I will admit that there is a certain chuckle about the fact that the Republicans here in the US are the ones who seem to be anti-vac... and thus more likely to die... Because it is hard to understand why political leaders would want to kill off their constituents.

Here are some charts - of the difference in rate of death by vaccination status - from around the world - England, Switzerland, Chile, US etc...

How do death rates from COVID-19 differ between people who are vaccinated and those who are not?

To understand how the pandemic is evolving, it’s crucial to know how death rates from COVID-19 are affected by vaccination status.

ourworldindata.org

Here in the US, the hospitals are now filling up with CHILDREN...

Fortunately, around where I live, the majority of people still at least wear masks in public places.

Nice clear and simple illustration in your link.
Unfortunately, it will still go right over the heads of some people.

 

[windeguy]

The worlds toughest restrictions do not stop Omicron:

Hong Kong's health officials said the Omicron variant has made its way past some of the world's toughest COVID 19 restrictions, with the city reporting its first cases outside its strict quarantine system.

 

[mountainannie]

The worlds toughest restrictions do not stop Omicron:

Hong Kong's health officials said the Omicron variant has made its way past some of the world's toughest COVID 19 restrictions, with the city reporting its first cases outside its strict quarantine system.

I guess that they are not really able to "socially distance" in Hong Kong-- certainly the photo with that article belies a "strict quarantine"

One friend in France described how strict his quarantine was - He could not drive outside his own HOUSE without having to explain to a police officer where he was going and why.

Who knows what the right system is/was? Sweden didn't lock down at all and they appeared to be surviving Delta well in the beginning.

And it ought to be easier for an island like Hispaniola -- which I think banned travel for a while.

SOoo many people have lost their livelyhoods over this - little restaurants that closed - etc.. and now places can not find anyone to work at least in the lower end of pay scale.

It is the children that I fear who will bear the worst of it... missing school and all that healthy interaction.

I do not weep for those of us who are elders - We have already had our share.

But - The Children...When I see the local high school kids who have to wear their masks ALL day?!?!? I can barely tolerate it for the few hours when I go shopping...
Heartbreaking.

 

[windeguy]

But - The Children...When I see the local high school kids who have to wear their masks ALL day?!?!? I can barely tolerate it for the few hours when I go shopping...
Heartbreaking.

The masks kids wear are useless versus Omicron.

 

[chico bill]

Medical experts are now taking about Omicron being the "injection for herd immunity". Just last night on DR television I heard this yet again.
Remember when a very long two years world leaders who said such things were labeled as criminals?

Yes well it takes An opinion that does not appear to be supported by the data collected - https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths-by-vaccination

The masks kids wear are useless versus Omicron.

Useless for everything except hiding blemishes, but people around the world still pretend these cheap masks or cloth masks help.
It is stupidity wrapped in insanity

 

[mountainannie]

The masks kids wear are useless versus Omicron.

Most of us here do not wear the N-95 -- I think that there is still a terrific shortage- certainly there was at first and we were advised to not buy them if we were not health care workers...

The county of Palm Beach mailed everyone a package of two cloth adult masks and two children sized ones.

Most of us wear the blue/white sorta paper/cloth ones that cost about $1 each? Something like that.

And my sister, who is still working retail, has been DOUBLE masked - paper and then cloth - for - OMG - what? 2 years?!?!?

I bought here this gizmo that sorta looks like a badminton shuttlecock that sits over the nose and mouth to give more breathing space. She says it helped..

I have to rig my mask with two paper clips on the back, otherwise it just pains my ears....

Due - I suppose - to my fat head...
Which is also a hard one...

I HATE ALL OF THIS!!

(and thus have just a bit of RAGE against all the anti vaxxers... I am learning to live with it... And it does not match the rage that I feel about the guy who broke into the Tiger's cage here in Naples in order to PET him -- and was thus attacked... So the TIGER had to be shot....
Which - imho - should have been the other way around.)

 

[windeguy]

Sadly MA, all those cheapie masks are not up to the job when it comes to OMICRON:

A simple cloth mask might not be providing enough protection, she says, because the material is thin. Experts recommend using N95s, FFP2s and KN95s. Popescu says to check those masks against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines to make sure it isn’t counterfeit.

 

[Ecoman1949]

Most of us here do not wear the N-95 -- I think that there is still a terrific shortage- certainly there was at first and we were advised to not buy them if we were not health care workers...

The county of Palm Beach mailed everyone a package of two cloth adult masks and two children sized ones.

Most of us wear the blue/white sorta paper/cloth ones that cost about $1 each? Something like that.

And my sister, who is still working retail, has been DOUBLE masked - paper and then cloth - for - OMG - what? 2 years?!?!?

I bought here this gizmo that sorta looks like a badminton shuttlecock that sits over the nose and mouth to give more breathing space. She says it helped..

I have to rig my mask with two paper clips on the back, otherwise it just pains my ears....

Due - I suppose - to my fat head...
Which is also a hard one...

I HATE ALL OF THIS!!

(and thus have just a bit of RAGE against all the anti vaxxers... I am learning to live with it... And it does not match the rage that I feel about the guy who broke into the Tiger's cage here in Naples in order to PET him -- and was thus attacked... So the TIGER had to be shot....
Which - imho - should have been the other way around.)

 

[chico bill]

The sad reality is still not in favor of normality. Even with three shots most people are not sufficiently protected from catching Covid and then passing it on to others. Omicron being as contagious as it is with an R value of between 3-5, the only thing one can do is to avoid other people as much as possible. This would mean skipping coffee hour and bridge. It shouldn't be too much longer before Health agencies begin to make the case that supports or refutes Omicron being "milder" and thus less of a concern for the majority of those who will catch this variant which will probably be most of us based on current modeling. Seemingly healthy people you were with around yesterday and today may have already been contagious and might be feeling ill for the first time tomorrow. Nothing else you can do with any hope of long term success other than stay away from others.

Or just live your life, carry on and quit listening to all the negative fear mongers because that is exactly where they want to lead you

 

[Ecoman1949]

Could be worse Annie. There are situations where medical staff have to wear one of these for 12 to 24 hours. 100% protection but extremely uncomfortable.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Or just live your life, carry on and quit listening to all the negative fear mongers because that is exactly where they want to lead you

I'm going to regret replying...

I am not yet ready to throw out all the science just because some guy in the DR or elsewhere in the internet states that I should run around with wild abandon and let the chips fall where they may. Omicron and Delta are still killing people. Most of those like me already have existing conditions that make them more vulnerable to a take over respiratory illness.

You do what you want, and preferably stop telling people that their efforts are pointless. I try to stay away from people because rolling the dice does not come with a zero chance of coming up snake eyes. I do have to go out from time to time and yes there are lots of people not wearing masks and keeping their distance but that is just the reality of the situation. Whatever I can do to protect myself and my family as long as possible makes more sense to me than just giving up. In the end even the best efforts might not keep a person from catching some form of this virus, then the chips will definitely fall where they may, but at least I tried for myself and others. You and lots of others clearly have just given up and are tossing "chips" about willy-nilly while you are getting on with YOUR life and the lives and well being of others doesn't seem factor into your personal reasoning. You moving on and infecting someone else while doing so without any sort of legitimate self reflection and concern for others comes across as pretty callous and selfish to me. "You and like minded people" are why it is so difficult for me to keep myself as safe as I would like to be and are setting me up for failure. When I get Covid, I just hope its mild and doesn't separate me from my dependent wife for a long time or forever...

A self serving justification of a reply is not necessary. You will not change my mind nor I yours.

 

[chico bill]

I'm going to regret replying...

I am not yet ready to throw out all the science just because some guy in the DR or elsewhere in the internet states that I should run around with wild abandon and let the chips fall where they may. Omicron and Delta are still killing people. Most of those like me already have existing conditions that make them more vulnerable to a take over respiratory illness.

You do what you want, and preferably stop telling people that their efforts are pointless. I try to stay away from people because rolling the dice does not come with a zero chance of coming up snake eyes. I do have to go out from time to time and yes there are lots of people not wearing masks and keeping their distance but that is just the reality of the situation. Whatever I can do to protect myself and my family as long as possible makes more sense to me than just giving up. In the end even the best efforts might not keep a person from catching some form of this virus, then the chips will definitely fall where they may, but at least I tried for myself and others. You and lots of others clearly have just given up and are tossing "chips" about willy-nilly while you are getting on with YOUR life and the lives and well being of others doesn't seem factor into your personal reasoning. You moving on and infecting someone else while doing so without any sort of legitimate self reflection and concern for others comes across as pretty callous and selfish to me. "You and like minded people" are why it is so difficult for me to keep myself as safe as I would like to be and are setting me up for failure. When I get Covid, I just hope its mild and doesn't separate me from my dependent wife for a long time or forever...

A self serving justification of a reply is not necessary. You will not change my mind nor I yours.

Not trying to change your mind. Nor will you change mine, so wear your mask every where, but don't ask me to do so.

I'm not into all the virtue signaling required to be a woke Covid lemming

 

[william webster]

NEW STUDY

Sinovac COVID-19 shot with Pfizer booster less effective against Omicron - study

https://www.reuters.com/business/health … 021-12-31/

Sinovac's two-dose COVID-19 vaccine followed by a booster Pfizer-BioNTech shot showed a lower immune response against the Omicron variant compared with other strains, according to a study by researchers.

The study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, was conducted by researchers from Yale University, the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Health and other institutions.
Perhaps time for DR government to review giving Pfizer boosters?

Antibodies are not the only body defence in keeping one safe. DR still has 4 million Sinovac doses according to the Minister two days ago so maybe it is time to use these shots?

 

[mountainannie]

Could be worse Annie. There are situations where medical staff have to wear one of these for 12 to 24 hours. 100% protection but extremely uncomfortable.

I had NO IDEA! I feel so very sorry for all the health care workers who have had to go through this for two years... It must be awful for them - having to hold all those hands of the dying... and now seeing CHILDREN come in

 

[mountainannie]

I'm going to regret replying...

I am not yet ready to throw out all the science just because some guy in the DR or elsewhere in the internet states that I should run around with wild abandon and let the chips fall where they may. Omicron and Delta are still killing people. Most of those like me already have existing conditions that make them more vulnerable to a take over respiratory illness.

You do what you want, and preferably stop telling people that their efforts are pointless. I try to stay away from people because rolling the dice does not come with a zero chance of coming up snake eyes. I do have to go out from time to time and yes there are lots of people not wearing masks and keeping their distance but that is just the reality of the situation. Whatever I can do to protect myself and my family as long as possible makes more sense to me than just giving up. In the end even the best efforts might not keep a person from catching some form of this virus, then the chips will definitely fall where they may, but at least I tried for myself and others. You and lots of others clearly have just given up and are tossing "chips" about willy-nilly while you are getting on with YOUR life and the lives and well being of others doesn't seem factor into your personal reasoning. You moving on and infecting someone else while doing so without any sort of legitimate self reflection and concern for others comes across as pretty callous and selfish to me. "You and like minded people" are why it is so difficult for me to keep myself as safe as I would like to be and are setting me up for failure. When I get Covid, I just hope its mild and doesn't separate me from my dependent wife for a long time or forever...

A self serving justification of a reply is not necessary. You will not change my mind nor I yours.

Thank you for expressing my feelings so very coherently. I don't know where Chico Bill lives nor have I met him in person but I agree with your observation that his behavior is callous and selfish.

 

[fuchs4d]

DR still has 4 million Sinovac doses according to the Minister two days ago so maybe it is time to use these shots?

Use them or loose them.

Alexander

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Antibodies are not the only body defence in keeping one safe. DR still has 4 million Sinovac doses according to the Minister two days ago so maybe it is time to use these shots?

Only Pfizer available at City Hall in Sosua. I asked what they were serving when I went past yesterday. They haven't seen any Sinovac in a while but didn't clarify how long it's been.