Are you worried about the Coronavirus?

[Jade Sinapu]

Well shoot... I was wondering when that was going to be the case.
All I know is my grandmother was in the womb when that flu pandemic struck the world.  She had second had stories from her parents to tell us.
It was awful.  Well here we are in a pandemic.

[Kobuk]

Don't forget to get your flu shots this year, folks! We don't want a double whammy of sick people in the hospital who didn't get the covid and flu shots. That will really tax the health care system to the breaking point.

And don't give me or others any damn excuses for not getting one!  Suck it up and get the shot!

[cause the rat]

Getting the flue shot as soon as they are offered for free at work.

200+ a week now. That's how many in the county I live in are coming down with covid.

[cause the rat]

Three people at work now have covid. Until further notice we all have to go back to wearing masks. So if the delta variant has an incubation period of three to four days than it's a bit to late.  Those unvaxed who have been exposed to it may already have it.  And if they have it they have already spread it. A mask isn't going to do them any good.

[Jade Sinapu]

A mask will grab some exhaled particles from the infected persons.  Since viruses are so tiny, they can be stuck against fabrics from moisture or static.  So they work still, just need changed or cleaned periodically.

I do worry about the next variant.  People are still allowing themselves to be breeder reactors for this germ. 
It is tiring, and I want it to be over.  So I wish all people would do all they can do to stop this thing.

[cause the rat]

Jade. I know masks work. Just seems kinda silly to mandate wearing masks after the fact. All three employees have already been at work. I know it will help keep it from spreading farther. To a point. Most of the anti vaxer and anti mask people are wearing masks that do them no good. You can see right through them.

[Jade Sinapu]

I call those the ' I dream of genie ' masks.  See though sheer fabric.  Wear pantyhose on your head might do more.

[Jade Sinapu]

Just heard a co-workers mother has had a so-called break through case.
She was vaccinated 2 times and healthy.  She slipped into a coma within 3 days of symptoms.  Her future is in the hands of fate/gods/non-science things now.

Yeah, this virus still bothers me!

[cause the rat]

And now there is a new Delta variant. AY 4.2 Not much is known about it yet. Mostly in England. But there has been cases of it here in the states.

[Kobuk]

And now there is a new Delta variant. AY 4.2 Not much is known about it yet. Mostly in England. But there has been cases of it here in the states.

I have not heard of cases of this new variant in the U.S.. Only in the UK. But I shouldn't be surprised. The coronavirus will keep mutating whenever possible.

[Kobuk]

How low can politicians go? Ted Cruz just proved it.  What an imbecile. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/08/politics/ted-cruz-vaccines-big-bird/index.html

[Jade Sinapu]

Just heard a co-workers mother has had a so-called break through case.
She was vaccinated 2 times and healthy.  She slipped into a coma within 3 days of symptoms.  Her future is in the hands of fate/gods/non-science things now.

Yeah, this virus still bothers me!

I neglected to mention that 2 weeks ago I was with my coworker when he was talking with his mom.  The week after that she died.
Her breakthrough case went real bad fast, and then got better, then bad again.  The virus is unpredictable for some people.
We all thought she was in the clear.

Unlike the flu.  I have had the full blown flu.  It makes me progressively sicker, till I beat it, then it goes away.  Same with colds.  The COVID-19 seems to be a real sneaky thing. 
So yeah it worries me some.

[cause the rat]

Just read an article from "Republicanworld". Yes, a republican publication. And they are telling the truth!!!? A republican publication? Anyway the AY 4.2 variant is more  transmissible but has the same level of danger. It's been found in both NY and Cal now.

Just spent 5 hours in a hospital this morning. All but 15 minutes without a mask. I'll know in five days.

[cause the rat]

There's a new variant. B.1.1. 526. It's significant enough to have been named. Omicron. It has 30 variants in it's protein. This makes it even more contagious. However it's not known if it's deadlier. It is prompting travel bans to South Africa and surrounding countries.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/new-covid-variant-south-africa-11-26-21

[Kobuk]

There's a new variant. B.1.1. 526. It's significant enough to have been named. Omicron. It has 30 variants in it's protein. This makes it even more contagious. However it's not known if it's deadlier. It is prompting travel bans to South Africa and surrounding countries.

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/new-covid-variant-south-africa-11-26-21

Yep, it's all over the news. But am I worried about another variant? Sort of. I mean, yeah, it is concerning. But people have to realise that this is what viruses do all the time: they mutate. They don't stand still. Anybody who has ever taken Biology (or other science) in school should understand this. Will Omicron be the last variant of the coronavirus? Nope. Will the coronavirus ever go away or be beaten? Nope. Not as long as this virus keeps mutating. This is what nature does, folks.
Will travel bans work? Not likely. It's like closing the barn doors after the cows have already left the barn. People are going to travel in one way or another. We humans are a "migratory species". We are constantly going from one place on this planet to another for various reasons. We can't sit still.
Viruses don't sleep. They are everywhere. Other than the scientists and medical professionals trying to combat this virus, it also falls on the ordinary citizens to do their part as well by maintaining social distancing, washing hands, covering mouth when sneezing or coughing, and the most important thing of all: getting vaccinated. Until scientists are able to come up with a 100% effective vaccine against this virus, I'll continue with the Phizer or Moderna ones that are 90%+ effective. I'd rather have "something" to help protect me than "nothing".

Lies, conspiracies, half truths, and fake news will not protect you.

Science, listening to your doctor, and getting vaccinated will!

[cause the rat]

Another murder has died of Covid. Unfortunately his wife is continuing with his message. Making it sound as if it wasn't covid that killed him. "His heart just gave out."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/01/media/marcus-lamb-covid-death/index.html

[Jade Sinapu]

I do worry about Omicron.  Sounds like a lot of mutations at once.  The virus is adaptable. 
People let it mutate, they will now think vaccines do nothing, people will give up and it will mutate more.
I see a potential for acceleration due to people's stupidity.
The virus takes advantage of our social and political weaknesses.
The virus is putting up more of a united front against humanity than we are against it.  And it has no intelligence.

[Kobuk]

Just got my booster shot today. As the old saying goes: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

[Alex]

Nice, Kobuk! I got mine on Black Friday. My arm was sore for a few days after I got it, but other than that it wasn't bad.

[cause the rat]

Well would you look at that. X president trump told the truth on right wing media about the vaccine. Now right wing media is explaining away what was said. Why? Because you can't continue to kill people if those you rely on start telling the truth.

[Chewy, God of Rats]

As someone who has several "Trump can do no wrong" "Vaccine is bad" family members. When I asked what they thought about Trump saying to get the vaccine they respond with either "no, he's just saying that to please the fake news media" and "well actually, he may have said that, but what he actual means is the vaccine is bad but he can't say its bad". Absolutely delusional.

[cause the rat]

Chewy. I have friends at work who refuse to get the vaccine. They're always saying "well you hear this from these people and that from those..." I asked them about research done by hospitals and universities. The answer I get is "That doesn't matter." I stopped caring. As fare as I'm concerned if if your dumb enough to think that actual research doesn't matter you deserve what you get. Let them die.

[Jade Sinapu]

I also have run into this with some coworkers as well.  Particularly one.
He was encouraged to get the shot because he needed it for the job.  He was given the ability to work from home and also skirt the laws.  He  was allowed to work without a vaccine if he did the tests, wore mask, kept distance, etc. 
He quit after faking a bad lower back accident (to buy time) and that is another story altogether.
Why did he quit?

He wasn't going to get the shots, and work needed them.  He believed that all vaccines were some sort of plot to control him.

He still sends me texts to this day (6 months now) about blatant misinformation regarding all vaccines.
I had no idea so many people felt this way.

This guy and I were like brothers.  We chatted about everything, went to lunches together, and helped each other with non works things at times.
I was sad to see him go.  He did good work, was and is smart, and a good person.

But somehow, despite all those great qualities, he believed so strongly in something that has so little evidence to support.  It blew my mind. 
I kept trying to use logic to show him he had less to worry about than he thought.  I appealed to his sense of logic and scientific thinking.
But I failed. 

I pointed out all the coworkers who were vaccinated and how free they were, and how they are not having reactions to the shots.  He would say that we do not know the long term effects.  I would respond , true, but that is true of many things in life, we all take on risks.  He would respond that he didn't want the risk.  I said we were in a pandemic, if there ever was a time for heroisim, now was it, what was the hold up?
No matter what I would say, he would say against it.

I appealed to his sense of doing right, and morals.  That did not work either.
I wanted him to stay.

He got sick from covid, his pregnant wife got sick, his daughters did too.  His stay at home wife was the most ill.  This makes sense to me.  His young kid was young and that helps her.  HI unborn is protected by placenta and fluids and mom.  He got ill and it took him like 2 weeks to be able to breathe well enough to walk.  But his wife, being of different genes than him and the kids, suffered worst.  I've see her, she is fit and active.  This does not matter. 
I watch everything unfold before me unto him, and it was as I expected.  I got angry and told him that THIS is why he should have gotten a shot.  To protect her, kids, him.  Kids need him.  Family needs all to be well.  This made him mad and did not change his mind at all.

I learned it was futile dealing with him on this topic.  So I let it "die".

How can some people blatantly choose to not see what is in their face, and yet believe so strongly in things that have no evidence whatsoever.  Like conspiracy theories, and more.

So I worry about Coronavirus because people are not taking it as serious as any other virus.  They think we are not in a pandemic, for reasons that outwardly look to me, ridiculous.
And I am being gentle with that statement.

And what burns me up is these same people will not believe the science behind the covid vaccines, and yet use things everyday which revolve on sound science.  How can one pick and choose what they want to be truth?  Madness!

[Kobuk]

Jade, no matter how hard some people try to convince others to get the vaccine, stop believing lies and conspiracies, etc., etc., some people just won't listen. They've made up their minds. All you can do is let them go. The fools will eventually learn the consequences of their actions at some point and time. And when they do, it will be too late.

I'd say a lot more, but I don't want to turn this into a giant soapbox. I'm as frustrated as you are, Jade. But there's little I can do when nobody will listen.

As the old saying goes, "You can't fix stupid."

[Kobuk]

The more I keep reading on the news about the covid pandemic, the more I am seeing various places like stores, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. require people to be vaccinated, show proof of vaccination, and/or wear a mask. Actually, this might be a good thing.

State and/or Federal mandates to be masked and/or get vaccinated are facing a lot of pushback from people. I think if we were to drop the mandates and instead let businesses make their own policies, that might work out better. Let me give you an analogy:

When you were young, your parents probably told you to eat what's on your plate or there'd be no dessert or you could go to bed. Well, the same could almost be said for vaccines and such. You want to watch that movie in the theater? Then get vaccinated. You want to shop in our store? Then wear a mask. And if people don't want to do those things, then too bad. They can go without while the rest of the fully vaccinated people can enjoy society.

The more people see that stores and businesses are requiring customers to be vaccinated and such, the more incentive they might have for going to get vaccinated, etc.

It's like the old phrase: "You have to pay if you want to play.".