How are you dealing with life now with the Covid-19 virus situation? (1 Viewer)

[jayembee]

My wife and I still wear masks in places where they are required or requested. We also still wear them in places where there are a lot of people in close proximity (like the movies). And we still don't eat in restaurants.

In uncrowded stores however, we don't bother with them.

 

[DaveF]

Normalcy has snuck up on me the past 12 months, I realize.

I’m an office worker, and that didn’t stop during the pandemic, though the specifics of personnel density and works went through great upheaval in 2020. But it’s now normal daily office work. People come in with whatever cold or thing they got from their kids being in school or vacationing with family or whatever. And work is back to its social events. Last week for Cinco de Mayo, the conference room was packed with 50-some people eating and drinking and talking. A couple weeks before that, a promotion ceremony with a room similarly packed and raucous. Business travel is normal. I stopped masking in airports and airplanes earlier this year.

I’ve been back to the gym at least two days a week the past year or more (I’d go more but it’s easier for me to exercise at home weekday mornings).

Dentist visits resumed 2021. And they’d adopted new protocols with better air flow and filtration, masking, and everything back then.

Likewise Doctor appointments: I’ve not skipped preventative care for three years now.

We’ve been eating at restaurants since 2021, and dining out is now completely normal again.

We’re vacationing. It was more pandemic-y Fall of 2021 when we visited friends in Portland for Thanksgiving. But now, vacations are the same as they used to be. And this year we’re finally resuming our international travel with a Paris & London vacation coming up.

What got lost is our former Saturday afternoon gaming group attendance. COVID broke that routine, we filled weekends with other activities (and our closest gaming friends moved to Portland), and that routine got lost.

Likewise, playing Star Wars Armada with a friend got broke by the pandemic. And the time got filled, and work got busy, and we haven’t figured out how to get it back.

I can strongly see the how personal experience and social circles affect post-pandemic behavior. I know people who inexplicably know no one affected by the pandemic, and in part I assume, they view the whole experience as a freak out over a mild cold. I lost two aunts, an uncle, and have friends who were nearly killed, and others with long covid going on months or years. I took it seriously.

But I work in an office and office life continues. I’m not going to be one guy wearing a mask all day every day in an office where no one wears a mask. (And wearing a mask for extended durations is not pleasant to say the least.) And my friends are out and about. And we’re socializing. And kids are back in school. And we’re all vaccinated and boosted. Everything in my life pushes me back to pre-pandemic living.

And so life continues.

 

[Mike2001]

My family has been dealing with COVID for the first time over the last two weeks. My son brought it home from somewhere. Ironically, he tested positive on the day the WHO ended the world health emergency. Three days later my wife tested positive and three days after that my daughter tested positive. Somehow, I’ve managed to avoid it still. We are all up to date on our vaccines/boosters and all have had mild cases. My son went back to school on Thursday of this week (day 8 after having a negative test result on day 7). My wife is still testing positive on day 9, although she hasn’t had any symptoms in 4 or 5 days. Today is day 5 for my daughter and we are hoping for a negative test result today so she can go back to school tomorrow. Her positive line was extremely faint yesterday and she has been asymptomatic this whole time.

 

[DaveF]

My family has been dealing with COVID for the first time over the last two weeks. My son brought it home from somewhere. Ironically, he tested positive on the day the WHO ended the world health emergency. Three days later my wife tested positive and three days after that my daughter tested positive. Somehow, I’ve managed to avoid it still. We are all up to date on our vaccines/boosters and all have had mild cases. My son went back to school on Thursday of this week (day 8 after having a negative test result on day 7). My wife is still testing positive on day 9, although she hasn’t had any symptoms in 4 or 5 days. Today is day 5 for my daughter and we are hoping for a negative test result today so she can go back to school tomorrow. Her positive line was extremely faint yesterday and she has been asymptomatic this whole time.

Three years and a sick husband later, my wife still hasn't gotten COVID. Here's hoping that continues.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Three years and a sick husband later, my wife still hasn't gotten COVID. Here's hoping that continues.

I think timing was everything with my last bout with Covid. I believe I was exposed on a Thursday or Friday morning while in Memphis. I spent the entire weekend at home around my wife and parents and didn’t become symptomatic and test positive until Monday afternoon while I was in Baton Rouge. They never got sick.

 

[jayembee]

Three years and a sick husband later, my wife still hasn't gotten COVID. Here's hoping that continues.

Yeah, I'm still Covid-free even while my wife was down for a week with it.

 

[Mark Booth]

COVID stopped our Booth Bijou Garage Theater movie nights. We are planning to finally resume them this Fall. We might consider resuming during the Summer but we generally plan and announce them at least 2 weeks in advance and we never know how hot it will be 2 weeks forward. The portable A/C in the garage can keep the temp in the 75-80 range when it's 100+ outside but that's still a little bit too warm.

My wife and I are scheduled for our next bivalent booster at the end of next week.

Mark

 

[Mark Booth]

We got shot on Friday. Our arms are sore but not horribly so. I woke up at 3am on Saturday with significant body aches but did not experience fever or chills. By 5pm I was feeling mostly normal, except for the sore arm. My wife only has the sore arm, no other symptoms.

We're all ready for the many indoor crowded events we have coming up over the next few months. We will still be wearing masks when we aren't eating/drinking.

Mark

 

[Robert Crawford]

We got shot on Friday. Our arms are sore but not horribly so. I woke up at 3am on Saturday with significant body aches but did not experience fever or chills. By 5pm I was feeling mostly normal, except for the sore arm. My wife only has the sore arm, no other symptoms.

We're all ready for the many indoor crowded events we have coming up over the next few months. We will still be wearing masks when we aren't eating/drinking.

Mark

I had my third booster shot in October. I don't know if they're coming out with a fourth booster or not.

 

[DaveF]

I had my third booster shot in October. I don't know if they're coming out with a fourth booster or not.

New annual shot in work for this fall. Probably moving to annual shots timed with flu shot, and away from boosters. From what I’ve read recently.

New shot might be fully based on current global dominant strain and not be bivalent with Omicron or original variants.

 

[DaveF]

We’re on vacation in Paris, France. Then to London, England tomorrow. Been wearing masks in airport, airplane pre-takeoff, and in the Metro stations, and in museums when they’re packed (lots of school field trips this week).

I’m not concerned about getting sick per se. But we’ve had friends get sick on vacation and taking some steps to reduce that risk. Being stuck in a Parisian hotel an unplanned five days would be an unfortunate expense and sucky vacation “bonus”. And my wife wants to see friends in UK next week.


So being more careful than we have been the last year.

 

[DaveF]

Progress being made understanding long Covid.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/05/25/long-covid-symptoms-recover-study/

Study narrows long COVID’s 200+ symptoms to core list of 12

Loss of taste/smell and post-exertional malaise were the top two symptoms.

arstechnica.com

 

[DaveF]

I had my third booster shot in October. I don't know if they're coming out with a fourth booster or not.

New annual shot in work for this fall. Probably moving to annual shots timed with flu shot, and away from boosters. From what I’ve read recently.

New shot might be fully based on current global dominant strain and not be bivalent with Omicron or original variants.

Next Covid Boosters to Target New Strain — The Wall Street Journal

Shots aimed for fall vaccinations are expected to target an XBB variant

apple.news

This the WSJ article I saw on the latest booster update.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hi guys, thought I’d make a quick off the cuff post.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been slowly emerging from my self imposed cocoon and explored outside more. So far, I went to the dentist a couple of times the last month for an examine and cleaning.

I did go on the Modern Home Tour in Silicon Valley last weekend and that was fun. But hardly anyone wore masks, even the home owners and architects who participated. But I still wore my mask. Part of the fun was driving to each house in some interesting higher end neighborhoods. So it was great to get out and explore again.

I also finally brought my car to the dealer for the Takaka airbag recall. That was big as I wasn’t comfortable to let another person I didn’t know in my car. Happy my car is safe now and has new tires too as they found the tires were just about due.

I’m still not ready to board a plane to travel.

Dave, I was interested in reading that WSJ booster article. But it’s locked behind a paywall. Maybe I can search for it on the web. I have not subscribed to Apple News yet.

 

[DaveF]

Dave, I was interested in reading that WSJ booster article. But it’s locked behind a paywall. Maybe I can search for it on the web. I have not subscribed to Apple News yet.

There’s probably similar reporting elsewhere. And the topic will certainly get more reporting everywhere as the new vaccine is determined.

 

[Clinton McClure]

New annual shot in work for this fall. Probably moving to annual shots timed with flu shot, and away from boosters. From what I’ve read recently.

New shot might be fully based on current global dominant strain and not be bivalent with Omicron or original variants.

I’ve been hoping for an annual Covid vaccine to go along with my flu shot every fall. This makes me happy.

 

[DaveF]

I’ve been hoping for an annual Covid vaccine to go along with my flu shot every fall. This makes me happy.

Annual Covid shots are a given.

Semi-annual boosters have been the big TBD. Durability of the vaccines has proven short. But people hardly get an annual shot, forget about multiple shots yearly. And the FDA or CDC have said they’re looking to go annual only, IIRC.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I’d personally be ok if they decided yearly was too long and wanted to do a 6-month or even a 3-month recurring booster, because: science.

 

[jayembee]

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Not sure I understand why they can't just offer a booster to anyone who wants it 6 months after the new shot (circa Sept) each year going forward.

Sure, they won't get a lot of people opting to get the booster, but it's probably just the same shot they'll likely need to keep available in (much) lower supply year-round after the initial window anyway, no?

OR do they plan on only offering each new shot during that initial window and not beyond w/ few exceptions? Even then, they can probably just offer the booster for another limited window at whatever good point (like 6 months) after the initial one for the new shot, no?

Also, since the original strain and early variant seemed much more dangerous than later variants, one would think they should keep including those in the shot... unless they're sure those won't return...

_Man_