I’m 6+ months from the 3rd shot. I went in for my annual physical and my PCP recommended it. One of her arguments was that the more people that have the optimal protection from Covid, the better it would be for community transmission. I thought it was a valid argument and since I was there, I decided to go for it.
If we get enough people with enough protection, then hopefully Covid won’t have anywhere to go. And maybe we can stop the variants from forming.
That is a good point I hadn’t thought of.
Went to the grocery store this afternoon. Other than some of the employees, the only people who were masked were the very elderly and me. I didn’t care-it was easy to do and maybe, just maybe, I will have gotten through another weekend unscathed.
With Omicron BA.2 starting to spread in the US, the possibility of another wave soon may tip the decision a little more toward getting a booster as soon as conveniently possible, as opposed to waiting, unless you know that you had Omicron BA.1.
Where we live, Bay Area, masking is down a lot, but definitely still normal.
I don’t know what to think for my own vulnerability- I am immune compromised, got J&J, then boosted in Oct with Moderna, then got covid in January (only one in my family or workplace).
It took me out of commission for a couple of weeks, and I think I have some lingering brain fog and fatigue, but hard to say. Those long covid slides are sobering.
Now I just got the new Evusheld infusion (AstraZenica monoclonal antibodies) - as a preventative. Thanks UCSF! My doc got me on the list. He also said boosters every four months. So I figure I’ll do Pfizer in May - I feel like I have drawn a covid straight flush! One of every option!
It is tempting to give up the mask - I don’t wear it outside, but I do wear it inside when I am around anyone I don’t know. Ironically, I had to take public transit to UCSF to get the infusion, but it wasn’t horribly crowded, and masks are still required.
After that, would your next vaccine be Novavax if it gets approved in the US, or one of the many approved in Mexico, to keep building your vaccine diversity?
It is very easy for me to remove the unvaccinated. They are not taking one of the most effective methods to protect themselves. Just because public health officials have to take account for them doesn’t mean that I do (hence my saying “personal calculus”).
The fact that I and those that I love are fully vaccinated and boosted along with most in our society having at least some sort of limited protection between natural Immunity, vaccination, or both means that we are living under different circumstances than even 3 months ago.
The hospitals currently have the lowest number of ICU patients since very early in the pandemic along with a 10 fold decrease in Covid admissions from 3 months ago. My own “village” has had little to no impacts with Covid or any long Covid related illnesses, so I am moving on when it comes to masking (now wearing only where requested and in very crowded indoor spaces) while also going out more. We all get to make our own choices and we will see the long-term consequences of those choices.
You may be right that it won’t change anyone’s mind at this point, but it just goes to the distrust that I see from some with the American public health apparatus. My own connections within that apparatus have even have qualms about the way that some information has been communicated and withheld and we need to learn from those possible errors.
When I see countries like Israel and England come out with much more comprehensive data sets (they just so happen to have much higher vaccination rates) we like to think it is because Americans are just naturally more distrusting (that may have some merit), but I watch data get used to make compelling arguments in my day job and our public health apparatus has not done a good enough job, in my opinion. So I will keep mentioning it because it is hard to build trust and easy to lose it.
Considering that only 45% of the population eligible for boosters has gotten them, the percentage getting their 2nd boosters will most certainly be even less, so I doubt there will be much effect on community transmission (which CDC doesn’t even care about anymore, anway – it’s all about Community Level). I will be listening in on the FDA’s advisory committee meeting about boosters this week, but unless I hear some compelling information about why I need to get another booster now, I will be waiting a bit.
I’ve done plenty to lower community transmission already, more than most. At this point I’m only looking out what’s best for me, and that may not be getting one immediately, but rather closer to the time when I will be in a riskier situation (family event this summer).
I won’t eat in indoor restaurants (still) and always mask with N95 when in public indoor settings. And there aren’t many indoor public settings I go to, still. Some would say I’m “living in fear” or “in a bubble,” but it doesn’t matter to me. And by not agreeing to live with the heightened risk of contracting covid that many are comfortable with (going maskless, for example), I am already lowering the community transmission rate.
The selfishness exhibited by many in the US during the pandemic has probably permanently affected me at this point. I’m not interested in contributing to the greater good. I have quit volunteering in schools, and as I’ve mentioned before, won’t consider donating blood (and we have O+ and universal donor type O- in my family), because the covid mitigation protocols probably won’t be up to my standards. I also volunteered with a community organization, and unless the activity is outside-only, won’t be participating with them anymore, either.
(I do still donate money to worthy organizations.)
I am glad you found a situation that works for you.
We also have appointments with CVS next Wednesday. I just checked their website and started a dummy appointment with no problem. Maybe you could try again?
So, the selfishness exhibited has caused you to become selfish. I support your choices because it’s what you want to do. But don’t call me or anyone else selfish for making the choice to live our lives in our way. I have and will continue to live a normal life, eating inside (I have for two years), volunteering in the community, donating blood, going to church, going to large events such as concerts and sporting events. I am contributing to society through participation and support for our local economies. I support your choices, I would expect you to support mine.
Some might see it that way, that I reacted to others’ selfishness by becoming selfish. Whatever! I was never one to buy, buy, buy anyway. As I wrote, I still give financially to charities. Eating out was never a big part of my life, anyway. I don’t hide in my house. I enjoy doing things outside. And by still masking indoors, I am helping to prevent the spread of covid, which isn’t selfish. I know that’s not important anymore, including not to the CDC. Interesting that they still have testing/isolation/quarantine guidelines, because I don’t think many people are following them anymore.
I guess my ending my long relationship of volunteering in the schools is the biggest change for me. I was so disgusted with what I learned was happening in the school system during the pandemic that I lost all interest in being involved with the schools in any way at all.
Yes, I consider my relatives selfish, the ones who continued to hold church services (and potluck lunches afterwards!) with my elderly dad in attendance. NOT attending was not an option for my father, in a denomination that believes attendance is required, period. Those people should have stopped having services, or at least told my dad it was OK for him not to attend.
And after vaccinations were available, one of those unvaccinated relatives got VERY ill with COVID, and it was just a matter of luck that she wasn’t around my dad when she was contagious. She had to to go to the ER twice - an unvaccinated cousin drove her once. The other time, her unvaccinated PREGNANT granddaughter took her.
I am just flabbergasted at their selfishness. I used to go to church with Dad out of respect for him, but since I’ve lost respect for these relatives, I will never darken their doorstep again.
You seem to suggest your father is not capable of making his own decisions. Surely he would not feel the same way, about you or him.
It seems like different people have different definitions of selfishness. Can we get off trying to put labels on people please?
I will just suggest that you cannot understand the religious atmosphere of this church. In a congregation in which attendance is required for salvation, the leaders have an obligation to keep their vulnerable members safe and close the doors during a pandemic. Or at least tell the vulnerable people NOT to attend.
While I agree with you, many people have religious practices and beliefs I find very odd. I do not adhere to them, but I accept their right to do so.
cttc - so interesting on all the different view points. My 81 yr old parents (had cv and now vaxxed) - are so disappointed in what was happening with the local schools too - but in a complete opposite way.
They are saddened; their 8 yr old 2nd grade neighbor can not read; doesnt know all the alphabet. is very very far behind. they drive the kid to school every day (mom is disabled); they tutor the kid. they went to the kid’s open house; have met the teachers and are advocating for that kid. They are living their lives how they want in service of others; they do not have fear.
i dont mean to be trite; or non-understanding of your choices. but i wanted to share how some others are acting on it all.
I take it the church in question kept doing indoor services without videoconference options, unlike many churches that offered outdoor services and/or videoconference options?