Coronavirus thread

[Holden]

Got my second dose on Saturday and felt a bit poorly yesterday. Just a runny nose, slightly elevated temperature, headache and slightly sore muscles. I'm assuming it's after effects as this rarely happens to me. I'm already feeling better today with just a little fatigue remaining. I'm glad that I've done this as I took it up as soon as I became eligible.

The rollout has been slow here in OZ all caused by political dithering (federal and state). The escalated case numbers in NSW seems, however, to have accelerated the uptake and I hope this continues. The husband of a friend of mine is a relatively high ranking policeman in Qld. He told her that lockdowns will become a thing of the past after November. All I can think is that the Qld government's projected vaccination targets will be met by then and that they already have a plan in place. Let's hope so and that's it's an end to all this political manoeuvring which frankly has been both shameful and cringeworthy.

[greg]

China Invents Fake Swiss Scientist For Wuhan Lab Propaganda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed1xOylQBu0


This is hilarious. China making up the name "Wilson Edwards" for a Swiss person, and not even one person in Switzerland has that name. 

[71 dB]

China Invents Fake Swiss Scientist For Wuhan Lab Propaganda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed1xOylQBu0


This is hilarious. China making up the name "Wilson Edwards" for a Swiss person, and not even one person in Switzerland has that name. 

That way nobody in Switzerland can sue them for slander. That's why they didn't choose Hans Huber. 

[Mirror Image]

Got my second dose on Saturday and felt a bit poorly yesterday. Just a runny nose, slightly elevated temperature, headache and slightly sore muscles. I'm assuming it's after effects as this rarely happens to me. I'm already feeling better today with just a little fatigue remaining. I'm glad that I've done this as I took it up as soon as I became eligible.

The rollout has been slow here in OZ all caused by political dithering (federal and state). The escalated case numbers in NSW seems, however, to have accelerated the uptake and I hope this continues. The husband of a friend of mine is a relatively high ranking policeman in Qld. He told her that lockdowns will become a thing of the past after November. All I can think is that the Qld government's projected vaccination targets will be met by then and that they already have a plan in place. Let's hope so and that's it's an end to all this political manoeuvring which frankly has been both shameful and cringeworthy.

Excellent to read and, yes, I find it a disgrace that this pandemic has been politicized to the point of polarization. Vaccines need to be mandated and it's the only way we're going to effectively defeat COVID. We just had some huge spikes in non-vaccinated COVID cases here in Georgia and the governor here sees no reason to mandate masks, but he hasn't done anything for this state since he's been elected. A lame duck and a worthless human being.

[Holden]

I'm ambivalent about masks, in particular the mass produced ones that everyone seems to wear. Research strongly suggests that they don't work and can actually cause or exacerbate other health issues. They were originally designed to stop the inhalation of large particles such as you would find in cities with high air pollution levels and that design has not radically changed. Their ability to significantly stop the inhalation and exhalation of micro droplets is extremely limited.

[Mirror Image]

I'm ambivalent about masks, in particular the mass produced ones that everyone seems to wear. Research strongly suggests that they don't work and can actually cause or exacerbate other health issues. They were originally designed to stop the inhalation of large particles such as you would find in cities with high air pollution levels and that design has not radically changed. Their ability to significantly stop the inhalation and exhalation of micro droplets is extremely limited.

I actually wear two masks in one, but, yes, they don't free you from exposure to COVID and this goes for anyone who wears them. I suppose it's a false sense of security in the long run. I'm not sure whether they've helped me, but I suppose watching who I'm around and what I'm walking into helps.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I actually wear two masks in one, but, yes, they don't free you from exposure to COVID and this goes for anyone who wears them. I suppose it's a false sense of security in the long run. I'm not sure whether they've helped me, but I suppose watching who I'm around and what I'm walking into helps.

My understanding is that one wears masks to protect others.  That's what I've been hearing over the news--and also my experience in Japan, i.e., if one has a cold or virus, one puts on a mask to protect the greater society.

PD

[Mirror Image]

My understanding is that one wears masks to protect others.  That's what I've been hearing over the news--and also my experience in Japan, i.e., if one has a cold or virus, one puts on a mask to protect the greater society.

PD

Yeah, which is why it's so difficult to get people to wear them, because they selfishly would rather spread their germs, then look out for others.

[Holden]

My understanding is that one wears masks to protect others.  That's what I've been hearing over the news--and also my experience in Japan, i.e., if one has a cold or virus, one puts on a mask to protect the greater society.

PD

The problem with this is that a sneeze or a cough sends the breath micro droplets straight through this type of mask. Even breathing hard will cause this to happen. There have been some interesting experiments done.

[MusicTurner]

Scrolling down through 5 different studies, they show a reducing infection effect between 25-50 %, but the conclusions are often made with some reservations. However, that is an effect to count with.

Masks have been used by medical staff during operations  etc for decades, due to their various benefits.

[Spotted Horses]

The problem with this is that a sneeze or a cough sends the breath micro droplets straight through this type of mask. Even breathing hard will cause this to happen. There have been some interesting experiments done.

The mask doesn't work by stopping droplets.

When you cough or exhale forcefully you produce a "jet." A jet occurs when a collimated flow such as a pipe flow enters an open fluid volume. The collimated flow can project a surprising distance into the fluid volume before is dissipates. When you wear a face covering, even a simple cloth covering, the jet is disrupted and you produce a diffuse cloud, rather than a jet. This can reduce the chances that you project virus particles to a nearby person, even though the virus laden droplets are not stopped by the mask.

You can do your own experiment. Try to blow out a candle while wearing a mask.

[Mandryka]

Obviously if you wear a good mask correctly it will effect the flow from your mouth and nose. I don't know how significantly that effects the spread of delta, and I don't know whether the actual uses of face coverings significantly neutralise the effect.


More interesting to me is the way that masks have become fetishised, like a visible token of good citizenship, or a talisman against infection.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The mask doesn't work by stopping droplets.

When you cough or exhale forcefully you produce a "jet." A jet occurs when a collimated flow such as a pipe flow enters an open fluid volume. The collimated flow can project a surprising distance into the fluid volume before is dissipates. When you wear a face covering, even a simple cloth covering, the jet is disrupted and you produce a diffuse cloud, rather than a jet. This can reduce the chances that you project virus particles to a nearby person, even though the virus laden droplets are not stopped by the mask.

You can do your own experiment. Try to blow out a candle while wearing a mask.

Thank you for that explanation!  Quite helpful.

How many people have double-masked here?  I've only done so a few times (when near a friend who has asthma and is older even though she had been vaccinated; I was still waiting to be eligible at the time.).  They're extremely hot and uncomfortable though thankfully it wasn't 90 degrees out.

Some neighbors of mine also made those clear plastic face shields.  I haven't tried to do that.  Anyone here wear one of those?

PD

[Karl Henning]

Thank you for that explanation!  Quite helpful.

How many people have double-masked here?  I've only done so a few times (when near a friend who has asthma and is older even though she had been vaccinated; I was still waiting to be eligible at the time.).  They're extremely hot and uncomfortable though thankfully it wasn't 90 degrees out.

Some neighbors of mine also made those clear plastic face shields.  I haven't tried to do that.  Anyone here wear one of those?

PD

No, but when I see my PCP, she dons one.

[Karl Henning]

The mask doesn't work by stopping droplets.

When you cough or exhale forcefully you produce a "jet." A jet occurs when a collimated flow such as a pipe flow enters an open fluid volume. The collimated flow can project a surprising distance into the fluid volume before is dissipates. When you wear a face covering, even a simple cloth covering, the jet is disrupted and you produce a diffuse cloud, rather than a jet. This can reduce the chances that you project virus particles to a nearby person, even though the virus laden droplets are not stopped by the mask.

You can do your own experiment. Try to blow out a candle while wearing a mask.

Yes, there are actual benefits to both the wearer and those around the wearer. Which is nothing like a "fetish."

[krummholz]

Apparently, booster shots for fully vaccinated people will soon be authorized in the US, with the shots becoming available mid to late September. Here's a link to a WaPo "live update" - the link will probably point to a different story by day's end and is likely paywalled, but FWIW...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/17/covid-delta-variant-live-updates/

[Mirror Image]

Apparently, booster shots for fully vaccinated people will soon be authorized in the US, with the shots becoming available mid to late September. Here's a link to a WaPo "live update" - the link will probably point to a different story by day's end and is likely paywalled, but FWIW...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/17/covid-delta-variant-live-updates/

Yes, when I got my first dosage of Pfizer, I talked to the pharmacist and she said I'll definitely want to get the booster shot after I've had my second dose. It'll probably be October before I'm able to get the booster, though.

[T. D.]

I'm 63, have long expected booster to be recommended and will get it when available. I got the Pfizer, 2nd shot April 5.
From what I've read, booster discipline will follow the same course as the initial vaccinations: mainly inverse age order, with [this part my assumption] certain jobs (medical, first responder, ...) also getting priority.
So if boosters begin in October, my dose might be in Nov, even Dec.

[Spotted Horses]

I read somewhere that boosters are recommended 8 months after completion of the initial vaccine. There was talk of a vaccine re-designed to be more effective against the Delta variant. With the mRNA vaccines it should be very simple to switch over to the delta variant sequence. But that would presumably entail a new round of testing.

[André]

The talk from Health authorities here is that booster shots might be considered for immuno-depressed people (chemotherapy, leukemia etc) but not for the general population.