@@ November thread - covid/rsv/flu and general

[Velar Fricative]

Also, of the two people I know who got covid after getting the bivalent booster, both said they had very very mild cases. My case in June wasn't very mild at all so I really hope if I get it again, I don't feel as awful.

[formerlyak]

Nov 15, 2022 9:17:29 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Nov 15, 2022 9:04:02 GMT -5 formerlyak said:

I feel anxious like when Covid started again. We haven’t had Covid yet, despite many close contact exposures. We test like mad after exposure because my dad was battling cancer and we didn’t want to bring Covid to him. The younger one had a cold about a month ago, but only missed one day of school. The teen has a cold now, but is on the mend. Yesterday was his worst day and, luckily, it was the only Monday he wasn’t scheduled to work after school since he started working so he got to go to bed early. DH and I have had some mild variety of the cold, but nothing bad at all. The teen even has littles who go to preschool at his dad’s house and that whole household got Covid and DS hasn’t had any of it until the current cold.

I a total negative Nelly these days, and assume Thanksgiving week will be when we all get hit with the crap.

Most of us have had covid before, but we are also hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the extended family and I am so nervous one of us will come down with covid (or the flu, or something else) that week. Then we'll just buy everyone Boston Market to have delivered to their houses lol.

We do Thanksgiving a second time when the teen is with us, because his dad gets Thanksgiving day. We’ve already ordered a brisket for delivery from Goldbelly and just have to heat and eat. I’m starting to think that will be helpful if we are all sick.

[pixy0stix]

I seriously can't believe we went through a whole fucking worldwide pandemic where millions of people died, more millions of people are actively living with the long term effects of the disease, and we're still fighting our workplaces and schools to put in some semblance of mitigation for illnesses.

What's it going to take? Our whole healthcare industry is crumbling. Pediatric hospitals are treating kids in hallways. We have learned nothing. This is how the human race disappears, isn't it? Gasping, "but I have to work..."

[Jalapeñomel]

Nov 15, 2022 9:49:00 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I seriously can't believe we went through a whole fucking worldwide pandemic where millions of people died, more millions of people are actively living with the long term effects of the disease, and we're still fighting our workplaces and schools to put in some semblance of mitigation for illnesses.

What's it going to take? Our whole healthcare industry is crumbling. Pediatric hospitals are treating kids in hallways. We have learned nothing. This is how the human race disappears, isn't it? Gasping, "but I have to work..."

If there's one thing I've learned about this whole thing is that we don't want to change, and we will actively resist change, even if it is to our detriment. 

[pixy0stix]

Nov 15, 2022 9:59:47 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Nov 15, 2022 9:49:00 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I seriously can't believe we went through a whole fucking worldwide pandemic where millions of people died, more millions of people are actively living with the long term effects of the disease, and we're still fighting our workplaces and schools to put in some semblance of mitigation for illnesses.

What's it going to take? Our whole healthcare industry is crumbling. Pediatric hospitals are treating kids in hallways. We have learned nothing. This is how the human race disappears, isn't it? Gasping, "but I have to work..."

If there's one thing I've learned about this whole thing is that we don't want to change, and we will actively resist change, even if it is to our detriment. 

I know I'm spiraling, so bear with me for a bit.

It's like climate change. We KNOW that we are the problem. We have known. Yet did we change anything? Fuck no. I just got done reading an article in WaPo about CA and how a record number of wells dried up this year. The main focus of the narrative is a guy who is so busy drilling new wells that his phone never turns off. It's not until the very end of the article that this appears, "The backyard well he drilled for the Morris brothers solved their immediate problem, but the trends in the valley worry Harmon as much as anyone. The deeper agriculture wells have also been failing or producing less water."

He's drilling wells that are going to fail, and fail in the near future, at $50k a pop. There's no talk in the article about cutting back water intensive agriculture. There's no talk about relocating people. Just the hope that a new well is going to bring people. A doomed new well. Like... wtf are we DOING?! Seriously. What are we doing?

Article (gift link) for the absurdity of it all - wapo.st/3Akd9fs

[Velar Fricative]

Nov 15, 2022 9:49:00 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I seriously can't believe we went through a whole fucking worldwide pandemic where millions of people died, more millions of people are actively living with the long term effects of the disease, and we're still fighting our workplaces and schools to put in some semblance of mitigation for illnesses.

What's it going to take? Our whole healthcare industry is crumbling. Pediatric hospitals are treating kids in hallways. We have learned nothing. This is how the human race disappears, isn't it? Gasping, "but I have to work..."

I had to close a site today because almost everyone in that building is sick - none with covid either, "just" all the other crud. Thankfully, my direct supervisor is very much supportive because she knows if we don't have people, we can't open and I can't magically make more people appear. But the pressure is still there from the c-level officers (who are the ones who reduced staffing so much over the last decade or so that we're in this spot in the first place, but I digress), and also from visitors because now we're not open to them. They don't understand how Target and shit can always stay open but we can't, meanwhile the reason other places stay open is likely because they aren't union shops like we are and don't offer much sick leave than we do beyond what the city/state offers, and we're not assholes who make people come in when they should be in bed. 

How soon we forgot all the disruptions we had less than a year ago from the first omicron surge.

[breezy8407]

DS tested positive for influenza A and is on his 5th day of having a fever. My thoughts in no particular order:

- That masking has become so polarizing, but was clearly helpful even if not perfect the last 2 years, is infuriating. (So agree with above sentiments)
- That one or the rest of the 3 of us will most likely catch this, in time for our first thanksgiving or Xmas with family in 3 years. Last years holidays were both cancelled due to one of us having covid.
- That its damn near impossible for H, a teacher, to take a sick day to care for our kids. The burden falls on me, but at the same time I am extremely aware of my privilege to be able to work from home.

[scm1011]

Nov 15, 2022 10:50:21 GMT -5 breezy8407 said:

DS tested positive for influenza A and is on his 5th day of having a fever. My thoughts in no particular order:

- That masking has become so polarizing, but was clearly helpful even if not perfect the last 2 years, is infuriating. (So agree with above sentiments)
- That one or the rest of the 3 of us will most likely catch this, in time for our first thanksgiving or Xmas with family in 3 years. Last years holidays were both cancelled due to one of us having covid.
- That its damn near impossible for H, a teacher, to take a sick day to care for our kids. The burden falls on me, but at the same time I am extremely aware of my privilege to be able to work from home.

Solidarity on the bolded - same deal in our house. My 3 year old was home for 2 weeks recently and I almost lost my mind juggling both.

I'm so sorry about the flu and I hope the rest of you stay negative  

[Velar Fricative]

breezy8407 , I know school districts vary considerably but is it truly impossible for your H or does he *feel* it's impossible? Because for H, it's the latter. He has an unbelievable amount of sick leave banked from 20 years of teaching because he rarely gets sick and honestly, our kids rarely get sick too (I just jinxed it now). But he feels so indispensable at school that if either kid is sick, the default is me, since I can also work from home. It took a big CTJ talk a while back and now he immediately comes up with a plan if a kid has to be out for several days about which days he'll take off.

Obviously, if it's a matter of not getting paid or some other punitive issue (which is obviously messed up) to calling out, that's different but if your H is like mine, flip your shit so he comes around lol.

I hope your kiddo feels better and that the rest of you are spared!

[underwaterrhymes]

H and my oldest tested positive for COVID this AM for the first time. My youngest did too, but he had it last Thanksgiving, so it’s his second bout.

I’m now the only one who has never tested positive, but I suspect it’s only a matter of time. Keep your fingers crossed I somehow avoid it.

Also, the school said that since my oldest started exhibiting symptoms on Friday (but had tested negative at that time), he can come back the day after tomorrow.

I agree with the epidemiologists who say the current CDC standards are bullshit and will be keeping him home until next Monday at the earliest.

[breezy8407]

Nov 15, 2022 12:13:16 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

breezy8407 , I know school districts vary considerably but is it truly impossible for your H or does he *feel* it's impossible? Because for H, it's the latter. He has an unbelievable amount of sick leave banked from 20 years of teaching because he rarely gets sick and honestly, our kids rarely get sick too (I just jinxed it now). But he feels so indispensable at school that if either kid is sick, the default is me, since I can also work from home. It took a big CTJ talk a while back and now he immediately comes up with a plan if a kid has to be out for several days about which days he'll take off.

Obviously, if it's a matter of not getting paid or some other punitive issue (which is obviously messed up) to calling out, that's different but if your H is like mine, flip your shit so he comes around lol.

I hope your kiddo feels better and that the rest of you are spared!

Thank you. And yes, its more that it requires up front/ahead of time work to "plan" to be sick. He has a ridiculous amount of sick time banked up, its hard to actually use it or just be sick. Its the subject matter he teaches as well and requires that he records videos for a sub to play so the kids are still getting instruction. 

My leadership is extremely understanding and flexible, but at the same time, they've turned up the pressure on being in the office in the last 6-9 months.

[Jalapeñomel]

Nov 15, 2022 10:07:32 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Nov 15, 2022 9:59:47 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

If there's one thing I've learned about this whole thing is that we don't want to change, and we will actively resist change, even if it is to our detriment. 

I know I'm spiraling, so bear with me for a bit.

It's like climate change. We KNOW that we are the problem. We have known. Yet did we change anything? Fuck no. I just got done reading an article in WaPo about CA and how a record number of wells dried up this year. The main focus of the narrative is a guy who is so busy drilling new wells that his phone never turns off. It's not until the very end of the article that this appears, "The backyard well he drilled for the Morris brothers solved their immediate problem, but the trends in the valley worry Harmon as much as anyone. The deeper agriculture wells have also been failing or producing less water."

He's drilling wells that are going to fail, and fail in the near future, at $50k a pop. There's no talk in the article about cutting back water intensive agriculture. There's no talk about relocating people. Just the hope that a new well is going to bring people. A doomed new well. Like... wtf are we DOING?! Seriously. What are we doing?

Article (gift link) for the absurdity of it all - wapo.st/3Akd9fs

Oh dear god. This is...awful. 

[pixy0stix]

Nov 15, 2022 12:36:16 GMT -5 breezy8407 said:

Nov 15, 2022 12:13:16 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

breezy8407 , I know school districts vary considerably but is it truly impossible for your H or does he *feel* it's impossible? Because for H, it's the latter. He has an unbelievable amount of sick leave banked from 20 years of teaching because he rarely gets sick and honestly, our kids rarely get sick too (I just jinxed it now). But he feels so indispensable at school that if either kid is sick, the default is me, since I can also work from home. It took a big CTJ talk a while back and now he immediately comes up with a plan if a kid has to be out for several days about which days he'll take off.

Obviously, if it's a matter of not getting paid or some other punitive issue (which is obviously messed up) to calling out, that's different but if your H is like mine, flip your shit so he comes around lol.

I hope your kiddo feels better and that the rest of you are spared!

Thank you. And yes, its more that it requires up front/ahead of time work to "plan" to be sick. He has a ridiculous amount of sick time banked up, its hard to actually use it or just be sick. Its the subject matter he teaches as well and requires that he records videos for a sub to play so the kids are still getting instruction. 

My leadership is extremely understanding and flexible, but at the same time, they've turned up the pressure on being in the office in the last 6-9 months.

Eh. You can't plan being sick. He's going to have to suck it up, and the class will have to deal with watching Monty Python reruns. (Or was that just my old biology teacher in high school that did that, lol!) But really, this is the shit I'm talking about. People have to start pushing back on this nonsense.

[pixy0stix]

Nov 15, 2022 13:21:20 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

Nov 15, 2022 10:07:32 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I know I'm spiraling, so bear with me for a bit.

It's like climate change. We KNOW that we are the problem. We have known. Yet did we change anything? Fuck no. I just got done reading an article in WaPo about CA and how a record number of wells dried up this year. The main focus of the narrative is a guy who is so busy drilling new wells that his phone never turns off. It's not until the very end of the article that this appears, "The backyard well he drilled for the Morris brothers solved their immediate problem, but the trends in the valley worry Harmon as much as anyone. The deeper agriculture wells have also been failing or producing less water."

He's drilling wells that are going to fail, and fail in the near future, at $50k a pop. There's no talk in the article about cutting back water intensive agriculture. There's no talk about relocating people. Just the hope that a new well is going to bring people. A doomed new well. Like... wtf are we DOING?! Seriously. What are we doing?

Article (gift link) for the absurdity of it all - wapo.st/3Akd9fs

Oh dear god. This is...awful. 

Yup. And we just tweedle-dee-fucking-dee and continue to use almond milk, and make avocado toast like it's not going to decimate CA in the near future. (See this interactive map from 2015 about how much CA water we, the rest of the US, consume each week - www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/21/us/your-contribution-to-the-california-drought.html )

I'm having a fucking day today, lemme tell you.

[Jalapeñomel]

Nov 15, 2022 13:26:51 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Nov 15, 2022 12:36:16 GMT -5 breezy8407 said:

Thank you. And yes, its more that it requires up front/ahead of time work to "plan" to be sick. He has a ridiculous amount of sick time banked up, its hard to actually use it or just be sick. Its the subject matter he teaches as well and requires that he records videos for a sub to play so the kids are still getting instruction. 

My leadership is extremely understanding and flexible, but at the same time, they've turned up the pressure on being in the office in the last 6-9 months.

Eh. You can't plan being sick. He's going to have to suck it up, and the class will have to deal with watching Monty Python reruns. (Or was that just my old biology teacher in high school that did that, lol!) But really, this is the shit I'm talking about. People have to start pushing back on this nonsense.

No teacher should be required to make videos while out on a sick day.

[mention]pixy0stix [/mention] thanks for your continued push on this board to make us think about our contribution to the climate. Seriously.

[lo]

I teach in an urban area and our sub situation this year is dire. This is the first year where we aren’t allowed to pull other teachers, like reading or AIS, to cover classes. So now when we can’t get subs (which I think we’ve had 2 subs the whole year) the classes get split. We have a bunch of teachers out with covid and basically the kids are losing out on a week of schooling, because I doubt the 7 4th graders who spent the day in my room today really learned much. Mostly “worked” on their Chromebook’s, which totally distracted my 2nd graders. Also we didn’t have enough desks so they sat on my rug. And these kids are already so far behind that it sucks they are paying the price for adults fucking it all up. There was just an article in the paper about how far behind my district is behind in math.

[fortnightlily]

For what it's worth, in the latest Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter she says data indicates that the flu shot is a good match this year. A study out of Chile showed a 49% efficacy.

yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/state-of-affairs-november-16-2022

[seeyalater52]

One more day at a work conference (we are hosting) and the first 3 days have exhausted me beyond belief. Meeting was originally masks required and covid precautions spelled out at registration, no announcement but it became mask optional and with “working meals” in the ballroom without alternate options for takeaway meals/eat in rooms for those who opt to. I’m frustrated. I do not eat indoors or spend any time around large groups of people indoors (or sometimes outdoors) without a mask. I’ve worn an N95 every day, eaten every meal in my room or outdoors (it’s cold and rainy though) and I’m so ready to leave tomorrow. I have no idea how this is sustainable in the long term and many of my colleagues who have little kids who can’t get a booster/updated booster tell me they feel similarly but can’t hold up to the expectations at work or don’t want to burn political capital on insisting on masking and separate meals.

The last thing my household needs is me bringing back even more viruses from air travel and superspreader conferences so my toddler can get them and spread them to the rest of the daycare kids who are already sick enough as it is. Our childrens hospital is overflowing. Parents are constantly missing work because our kids are sick. It’s not even December yet.

[rubytue]

Nov 16, 2022 22:06:52 GMT -5 seeyalater52 said:

I have no idea how this is sustainable in the long term and many of my colleagues who have little kids who can’t get a booster/updated booster tell me they feel similarly but can’t hold up to the expectations at work or don’t want to burn political capital on insisting on masking and separate meals.

This right here is so much how I feel about the workplace right now, but I love how you phrase it. It does burn political capital to go against the social norms.  I’m at the no-fucks-given point in my career, and I know I burn capital on the issue (and other) sometimes. And, sometimes I roll with it, mask up (only one), and sit in a room with 50 people. 

Like today - they are having a big thanksgiving day lunch thing. And it’s been so hyped up as “It’s Back!!” So many people asked if I’ll be there. Nope. Biggest reason is shoving 100 people in a room with tables and seating for 70. And then, management makes a big deal about how they pay for the meal. But, it’s trays if thanksgiving food from Safeway. The stuffing tray is always the consistency of and wiggles like jello. I don’t do meat. The Mac and cheese is gone after 10 people. The only reason to go is networking. Nope nope nope. 

[underwaterrhymes]

seeyalater52 - ❤️ I didn’t want to like your post, but I feel it so hard.

[madDawg228]

I'm also the only one consistently masking at work, and not attending full office holiday parties. solidarity  

[gretchenindisguise]

A keeps bringing home crud and sharing it with me. I woke up with a fever again today. I was just sick in September, we had the flu go through our house in October (I avoided with antiviral prophylaxis). I'm so over it.

[bugandbibs]

Nov 15, 2022 6:48:48 GMT -5 aprilsails said:

Ontario hospitals are being slammed. Our local childrens hospital has opened up a second ER/ICU.

I’ve asked DD to mask up at school and she has been for the past week.

Someone has been sick in my house at all times for the past 3 weeks. DS(3) has some horrific disease right now where his snot is coming out of his eyes. He was sick with something completely different last week. We had everyone booked for flu shots this past Friday (first chance we could get them from our local clinic) but then had to cancel because DS and DH were sick and DD was barely recovered.

My office has been decimated. At the same time that upper management was making a big push for people to return to the office more we wound up with some daycare disease going around as well as CoVID. Our entire second floor staff got sick all at once.

While I feel ok, the double whammy of dealing with sick family members while also trying to keep shit afloat at work is murder. I’m going to crash and burn hard in the near future. I can tell.

The hospital situation in Ontario is truly frightening.  The staffing/bed issues are untenable and coupled with over half of new grads failing the nursing exam this year, I don't see how there can be any meaningful relief. Ford is a nightmare for public health (and everything else). Public, indoor masking works- I hate that this is political.

[Jalapeñomel]

Just got a call from daycare, baby has a fever again. She had one whole week of recovery, only because she was home with my mom.

[nothingcontroversial]

Nov 17, 2022 16:58:43 GMT -5 bugandbibs said:

Nov 15, 2022 6:48:48 GMT -5 aprilsails said:

Ontario hospitals are being slammed. Our local childrens hospital has opened up a second ER/ICU.

I’ve asked DD to mask up at school and she has been for the past week.

Someone has been sick in my house at all times for the past 3 weeks. DS(3) has some horrific disease right now where his snot is coming out of his eyes. He was sick with something completely different last week. We had everyone booked for flu shots this past Friday (first chance we could get them from our local clinic) but then had to cancel because DS and DH were sick and DD was barely recovered.

My office has been decimated. At the same time that upper management was making a big push for people to return to the office more we wound up with some daycare disease going around as well as CoVID. Our entire second floor staff got sick all at once.

While I feel ok, the double whammy of dealing with sick family members while also trying to keep shit afloat at work is murder. I’m going to crash and burn hard in the near future. I can tell.

The hospital situation in Ontario is truly frightening.  The staffing/bed issues are untenable and coupled with over half of new grads failing the nursing exam this year, I don't see how there can be any meaningful relief. Ford is a nightmare for public health (and everything else). Public, indoor masking works- I hate that this is political.

Any reason why so many new grads failed the nursing exam? Was it because of schooling disruptions as a result of Covid? (For instance, was it due to remote / online classes?)

[bugandbibs]

nothingcontroversial,

Supposedly, the exam is the same one they have been using for a couple of years (although there was controversy when they changed it too). Students say the exam didn't reflect what they are learning in school. I would guess that in the midst of the pandemic practical/real life nursing was prioritized and less to the book tests. My university required us to take a year long test prep course specifically for passing the NCLEX because this can be an issue even in normal times.

www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/investigation-launched-into-nursing-exam-results-after-more-than-half-fail/ar-AA148Dn1#:~:text=The%20nurses%27%20order%2C%20known%20by%20its%20French%20acronym,%E2%80%94%20the%20highest%20rate%20recorded%20in%20four%20years.

[babsbunny]

I tested pos on a rapid this morning. Sore throat yesterday, fever and chills last night, stuffy nose today. This is my first covid.

I'm 90% sure I got it on our 13 hour flight on Monday. There were multiple people coughing and sneezing and I was so pissed they were on the plane. I wore my mask a bunch, but not during meals. DH is ok so far (and he masked less). I'm thankful we didn't get sick before or during our vacation, but I am sad we won't be driving to see my family for Thanksgiving.

I feel pretty good. Any opinions on if I should ask my doc for anti-virals?

[wanderingback]

Nov 18, 2022 15:35:35 GMT -5 babsbunny said:

I tested pos on a rapid this morning. Sore throat yesterday, fever and chills last night, stuffy nose today. This is my first covid.

I'm 90% sure I got it on our 13 hour flight on Monday. There were multiple people coughing and sneezing and I was so pissed they were on the plane. I wore my mask a bunch, but not during meals. DH is ok so far (and he masked less). I'm thankful we didn't get sick before or during our vacation, but I am sad we won't be driving to see my family for Thanksgiving.

I feel pretty good. Any opinions on if I should ask my doc for anti-virals?

I would. There seems to be some evidence that it might help reduce chance of getting long covid. I’ve been a little busy so haven’t read too many of the in-depth articles, but also saw that concerns about rebound aren’t a huge problem either. So overall the benefits seem to outweigh the risks.

[babsbunny]

Thank you wanderingback. Sincerely, for all you do for us.

[wanderingback]

Nov 18, 2022 18:18:16 GMT -5 babsbunny said:

Thank you wanderingback. Sincerely, for all you do for us.

No problem! Sorry I also meant to say I hope that your symptoms stay mild and get better asap.