My cousin and her relatively young autistic son have it in NY. I haven’t seen them in decades (have never seen her son), so I don’t know whether to call that close to home or not. I know my aunt and uncle are super concerned. Having a son who is a long hauler, I understand completely.
My cousin did nothing to try to avoid the virus according to my sister.
My aunt has been in and out of the hospital. She has Covid but the hospital isn’t sure how to treat her problems. Don’t ask me, I’m getting this from my mom who’s getting it from my uncle. None of whom are very literate in medical terms.
My mom was sick for 3 days and then got blood clots in her legs. We suspect that she had Covid but her physician never tested her. When she called to request a test, she was told that it was too late and she didn’t need to be tested. She’s feeling great now. She can not remember going anywhere without a mask and the other people she saw also wore masks. She also never lost her sense of taste or smell.
My niece is still quarantining from a roommate who tested positive. She and her boyfriend luckily have tested negative so far.
A handyman in my building just got tested positive for Covid. Someone told me that he is having a hard time breathing. The management agent is having all staff tested. I hope they are ok. I rarely go outside of my apartment, so I am not too concerned for myself.
Son’s roommate is now admitting he “may have” also gone out with friends, and seen his girlfrriend, etc, before flying back today. Through Philly and O’Hare.
A covid-cautious friend of son’s is letting him crash there for 10 days (I couldn’t talk him into 14). And locally, cases continue to rise…
Ideally it is the roommate who needs to be quarantined.
This is probably similar to most places, but my nephew who works at the local hospital texted H to let us know it is getting bad. I’m not sure if the beds are full. Last week, the paper printed an article saying they had room and were ready. However, Nephew says they don’t have staff at night to take care of the patients. They had 5 in the ED waiting for hours to be moved. It just hit home more hearing it directly from him.
I have upgraded to wearing my good masks with the nose wire and filter all day in the office. I get a bit perturbed at my coworker who says it wasn’t that horrible. He felt sick so a few days. But then in the next breath he will say how he’s not quite back yet. He was unpacking Xmas decorations and would have to stop and rest. If I’m still worrying about that 2-3 weeks later (not to mention months), it will be a big deal to me. I may weigh 140 pounds less (same height), but I am 10 years older. Sigh. I am just not happy working in this environment. Usually, I’m super chipper during Xmas season decorating the office and such. I’m not doing anything this year. I’m saving any Xmas spirit for my family and those who appear to care about me. bah humbug
Yes, the roommate should be quarantining – but they share a 2 bdr townhouse and this roommate is thoroughly incapable of doing that – his idea of quarantine was to stay home, and that was only after my son said hey, what is the plan. Roommate has no adulting skills at 23, and can’t be trusted to isolate effectively.
Rather than worry about exposure, son is just decamping for more reliable and responsible company.
Several new deaths and cases around me. A friend’s dad got Covid at church and quickly perished. She was livid. Angry he went to church in person, angrier that the church took no precautions. Then she got it from him. She is doing okay, but feels like it is the last straw. She has been so careful, but had to go check on her dad and drive him to the hospital.
A few other deaths of folks in their early sixties with preexisting conditions. Bleh.
This wave is hitting closer to home. In the spring I didn’t know anyone who had it. Yesterday one of my closest colleagues’ 6 year old daughter tested positive. She had no symptom. My colleague decided to get her tested because a kid at her daycare was infected. They were shocked when the result came back positive because she didn’t display any symptoms. My colleague is immune compromised and they also have a baby at home. They are trying to figure out how to manage the situation. My colleague is going to quarantine himself in the basement until his daughter tests negative, so his wife is going to be the primary care for 2 young children (no one is going to come to the house).
Now I do wonder if it makes sense for kids to be back in school. They may not get as sick, but they are spreaders.
My younger sister, my BIL, and my nephew who lives with them have all tested positive, according to my niece. She says her father (my BIL) has cold symptoms and the others are so far OK.
Both my sister and my BIL are very overweight, and my sister is also severely asthmatic. I’m just crossing my fingers that they get through this easily. I say to myself, most people who get it are OK. And right now I can’t call my sis and ask how she is, because she didn’t tell me, and… it’s weird.
@Cardinal_Fang Hoping for the best for your family - definitely weird that your sister didn’t tell you.
Further reports from sis: My BIL was diagnosed just before Thanksgiving. The others were negative then, and turned positive Thursday or so. Thus if BIL gets through the next two or three days, he’s probably past the most dangerous part of the disease, the beginning of the second week where many go south quickly. Sis has mild symptoms so far, and nephew has none. Crossing fingers, and I told her to get a pulse oximeter and use it.
I just heard of 2 colleagues who have had it, They are ok, but it wasn’t an easy go of it (though I don’t think either was hospitalized). I have a question: The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have 2 sequence shots with a 21 and 28 day vaccine sequence. Does anyone know if there is a window of time for the second shot, or is it a fixed “get you second shot on this date” ?
I assume the 21 vs. 28 day interval is tied mostly to the protocols that were used in the trials. They have tested interval X on thousands of trial participants and came up with a 95% effectiveness rate; they haven’t tested alternative intervals… so how could they know, yet? (If they maintain very good tracking data once the vaccines are available to the population at large, then I suppose we will find out over time.)
The AstraZeneca trials had a glitch which provided some unexpected information – that is also a 2 dose regimen, but by mistake some trial participants only received a half-dose the first time around. Surprisingly, that seems to be more effective than the full dose – but that could also be a statistical glitch caused by the fact that the number of half-dose receipients was very small.
More sick people I know. This time it was a family of five. Science deniers who kept going to church in person, every one of them got it, four wound up in the hospital. Now just dad is still there.
These are people of modest means and I have to wonder if their insurance will cover all their expenses.
my 79 yr old dad had it for several weeks. Mild symptoms, kept him away as much as possible from my mom. He’s tested negative now, she too. They are being careful, but going to church and going out and about.
my D23 had it; not from my dad. We isolated her in the basement for 10 days. People she saw right before getting symptoms (family and one friend) all tested negative during her isolation.
My bro’s wife has tested 21 times for it for her work. Positive (but no symptoms) on test 21. She isolated from my bro (compromised) and he’s not had it.
I’m so thankful that it’s been very mild for our crew. We are absolutely staying away from our 89-yr old inlaws though. 
For my parents: we instituted a strict protocol on them monitoring twice a day with temps, and noting any sore throats, headaches, runny noses, and most importantly breathing issues. My OOS sis was on high alert to come back if any of the symptoms worsened. So thankful it was mild.
A relatively local EMT worker just died from it. He was my age (50s).
Very sobering news to wake up to.
I wish all of those who essentially dismiss Covid could go live somewhere by themselves and get no one sick except themselves. (Health care provided by those who also dismiss it.)
Front page of the paper has a headline about how local numbers are skyrocketing.
Numbers are skyrocketing here too. Every day multiple teachers/students are reported to be positive. Two are in H’s school. One is not surprising. She’s the spouse of a preacher who has been having services with no distancing or masks - and they sing.
My co-worker who had it shortly after election day swears it’s no big deal. It’s only 1-3 days of feeling bad. Uh huh. And then he said he had trouble catching his breath carting xmas boxes around. Yesterday he said he went hunting over the weekend and thought he was going to die walking up the big hill - but he kept going. He was supposed to go the following day, but his lungs hurt too bad. Today he mentioned that while his taste has come back, his sense of smell is still wonky. But yet he shrugs it off and says it’s no big deal. To me, this would not be OK. I don’t want a sedentary life.
And my online workout group leader has been battling it for about a week now. She lives with her elderly parents and shrugged off cold like symptoms for 3 days saying she always got sick this time of year. After she lost her sense of smell, she got tested - positive. She thinks she’ll be back to normal in a few days. I hope so, but not optimistic. She’s in her early 50s. But I guess people have different versions of normal.
Yeah, we’re active people - hiking, scuba diving, walking places, taking stairs, etc. I do not want a sedentary life.
It also bugs me when people who just had mild or no effects shrug it off and talk about it as if that’s what happens to everyone. They should be thankful they didn’t draw the short straw and sympathetic to those who did, but I guess they just figure those folks are inferior and it’s no big deal?
In an email received yesterday from my health system employer we were updated that one of our entities, a smaller community hospital is at 80% capacity and from Thursday to Monday there were 7 COVID deaths. That is horrible. This is one of many local hospitals - seven deaths in a a few days?! This is what needs to be on the front page of papers, social media, first story on local news - or sent in a text alert (like the Code Adam alerts)!!! Wake up people!!