How are you dealing with life now with the Covid-19 virus situation? (3 Viewers)

[Tino]

An important bit of info from the WHO statement above.

“However, that does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat.

Last week, COVID-19 claimed a life every three minutes – and that’s just the deaths we know about"-@DrTedros”

 

[ChristopherG]

An important bit of info from the WHO statement above.

“However, that does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat.

Last week, COVID-19 claimed a life every three minutes – and that’s just the deaths we know about"-@DrTedros”

So another way in the thousands of other possibilities in which you might inevitably pass away...I'll take my chances and live life the best way I can.

 

[Robert Crawford]

So another way in the thousands of other possibilities in which you might inevitably pass away...I'll take my chances and live life the best way I can.

That's a decision that each of us make without having to say it.

 

[Tino]

So another way in the thousands of other possibilities in which you might inevitably pass away...I'll take my chances and live life the best way I can.

Of course. The difference is this one is mostly preventable.

 

[ChristopherG]

That's a decision that each of us make without having to say it.

I'm sorry if that broke a rule here - not the intention.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm sorry if that broke a rule here - not the intention.

A rule wasn't broken, but as individuals we make personal decisions every day that we think is best for us, the person.

 

[Mark Booth]

My wife and I are scheduled for our 2nd bivalent booster on May 25. In the meantime, thanks partly to a 10-day visit by my wife's sister, we've been living a little bit "riskier". We are still wearing our N95 masks when around anyone we do not know. We still are not eating in crowded places. But we have been going to indoor restaurants during their off hours when crowds are lower. We still wear our masks until the food is in front of us. So far, so good. We are among the very few people (we know) who have not tested positive for COVID yet. Only a handful of our friends can say that, the vast majority have already had it, some as many as 3 times.

I need to get my second shingles shot. I was originally planning to get it around May 24 but there's no way I'd get both shots that close together. The second shingles shot can be 2-6 months after the first, so I'll wait a month or so after the bivalent booster.

Mark

 

[Malcolm R]

I'd be willing to get another booster, but as far as I can tell it's only available to over 65's and those with immunocompromised conditions like cancer/chemo.

Are some places making them available "on request"?

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

All the key classical music concert and Broadway venues/orgs in NYC apparently stopped requiring masking over the last 6 months -- most as early as last Oct -- although the People's Symphony Concerts (for very inexpensive, classical chamber music performed by most of the same world class musicians) only finally stopped requiring a month ago due to popular demand/requests.

That's particularly significant since such concerts tend to draw largely older folks -- I'd guess over 50% are my age (in the 50's) or older definitely w/ quite a lot of seniors (I'm guessing typically at least 1/3 of the audience).

I didn't even remember/realize most of those various major venues/orgs already made it optional a long while ago (mostly because I only actually made it to 1 such concert back in Nov out of a few originally planned ones so far)... and was quite surprised at the sudden change at the last PSC concert (w/ Richard Goode performing some late-Beethoven works) I attended a couple weeks ago. At this point, I'm not particularly concerned for myself, but do wonder about all the seniors who make up large portions of the audience at such...

_Man_

 

[Jack P]

Masks aren't effective. That's been established a long time ago.

AMEN!

 

[Tino]

I'd be willing to get another booster, but as far as I can tell it's only available to over 65's and those with immunocompromised conditions like cancer/chemo.

Are some places making them available "on request"?

My local pharmacy pretty much told me just to mark off that im
Immunocompromised if I want to get the shot. They’re not confirming anything.

 

[Clinton McClure]

My local pharmacy pretty much told me just to mark off that im
Immunocompromised if I want to get the shot. They’re not confirming anything.

The CVS in my local Target is of the same opinion. They don’t even care that I’m 17 years below the recommended age and am not even immunocompromised. All they care about is preventing serious illness and death. I got the first bivalent booster in October and picked up Covid not long ago while in Memphis. I’ll wait a few more months before I go in for my 2nd bivalent booster. I’m really hoping Covid vaccines/ boosters become a regular yearly inoculation like influenza.

 

[DaveF]

My wife and I are scheduled for our 2nd bivalent booster on May 25. In the meantime, thanks partly to a 10-day visit by my wife's sister, we've been living a little bit "riskier". We are still wearing our N95 masks when around anyone we do not know. We still are not eating in crowded places. But we have been going to indoor restaurants during their off hours when crowds are lower. We still wear our masks until the food is in front of us. So far, so good. We are among the very few people (we know) who have not tested positive for COVID yet. Only a handful of our friends can say that, the vast majority have already had it, some as many as 3 times.

I need to get my second shingles shot. I was originally planning to get it around May 24 but there's no way I'd get both shots that close together. The second shingles shot can be 2-6 months after the first, so I'll wait a month or so after the bivalent booster.

Mark

I did shingles and flu shots together. Covid boosters didn’t really affect me, but I can understand wanting to space out the pain: the shingles shot hit me hard (and has a reputation for that among my friends).

 

[Malcolm R]

I did shingles and flu shots together. Covid boosters didn’t really affect me, but I can understand wanting to space out the pain: the shingles shot hit me hard (and has a reputation for that among my friends).

Interesting. I had some arm pain from the first shingles shot, but no reaction at all to the second which they warned me could be worse even if I had a mild reaction to the first. Was also due for pneumococcal pneumonia, but they didn't want to give it to me at the same time as the second shingles shot. Had it 3 months later with also no reaction at all.

I hear about other people's reactions and sometimes wonder if they're actually giving me anything other than saline.

 

[Mark Booth]

I did shingles and flu shots together. Covid boosters didn’t really affect me, but I can understand wanting to space out the pain: the shingles shot hit me hard (and has a reputation for that among my friends).

Yes, my first Shingrix vaccine hit me harder than any other vaccine. My arm was sore for about 2 weeks and, starting about 24 hours after the first Shingrix dose, I was feeling pretty lethargic, running a mild fever, and had body aches all over. That's how a couple of the COVID shots hit me too (the first bivalent booster produced the least symptoms) but the Shingrix shot side effects lasted longer.

Friends have said they had a stronger reaction to the second Shingrix shot, presumably because the body has already built up some immunity following the first dose and antibodies are doing their thing. So, not really looking forward to the second dose.

Mark

 

[Mark Booth]

Do face masks work? Here are 49 scientific studies that explain why they do

Reasons for mask hesitancy and doubt include conflicting data from health officials, political biases and cultural unfamiliarity (studies showed mask wearing was lower in countries where face maski…

www.kxan.com

Mark

 

[JohnRice]

Do face masks work? Here are 49 scientific studies that explain why they do

Reasons for mask hesitancy and doubt include conflicting data from health officials, political biases and cultural unfamiliarity (studies showed mask wearing was lower in countries where face maski…

www.kxan.com

Mark

What I know is that I closely followed the infection rate in our County as mask rules came and went. They were increased, decreased, increased and decreased again throughout 2020, 2021 and into 2022. Every time, there was a distinct change in the infection rate. When rules were eased, infection rates increased. When rules were increased, infection rates decreased.

 

[Nelson Au]

My iPhone has a notification saying that the Exposure Notifications off and will no longer log near by devices and I won’t be notified of possible exposures. Of course Covid is still out there and I’ll still be taking care to avoid exposure.

 

[Nelson Au]

I made another change in my routine, I’ve finally gone to the dentist. I went a month ago and again last week for an exam and cleaning. I was very much concerned about being in that environment with my mask off. But it turned out ok, the dentist and assistants all were covered up with masks and the other protections.

I might be going on a modern home tour too, those are fun, I did those before the pandemic. But I’ll still be wearing my mask.

 

[Mark Booth]

My wife and I each needed a new crown, me in 2022 and my wife just a few months ago. We had been avoiding the dentist too, but we each broke a tooth and needed to see our dentist. My wife had her teeth cleaned and the tech said there was hardly any plaque.

A month or so after my booster, I'll got in for a cleaning.

Mark