COVID-19 2nd wave - Texas only - Stats and such

[Johnny Sack 8397]

17 minutes ago, Bookman said:

I'd just like to give a shoutout to all the unvaxxed snowflakes who are too scared to get vaccinated during a pandemic. You're a big the reason this shit is still around.

Not really.  Omicron doesn't give a shit about vaccines (and I have mine and I have Omicron).

[Goofyboy 3296]

Not really.  Omicron doesn't give a shit about vaccines (and I have mine and I have Omicron).

Tell me you don’t understand vaccines without telling me you don’t understand vaccines.

[dcbc 14510]

2 hours ago, Don Johnson said:

still playing hide and seek.

"Hide and seek champion" is an old meme and was an imperfect analogy I used to reflect that some of us who are vaccinated somehow, for whatever reason haven't managed to contract any strain of COVID19 yet.  It in no way was intended to convey that some of us who have avoided infection thus far have done so by isolation or "hiding."   It was meant to be tongue in cheek. 

 

Although some people still may be refusing to get on with their lives for fear of contracting COVID, I and others who are out and about, though we may engage in bare minimum preventative measures, i.e., wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces during periods of high transmission, are not "hiding" from the world or otherwise not living our lives.  Please don't make my admittedly, imperfect analogy worse by repeating it to make a different point  so that it can be misconstrued further.  Use the dodgeball one instead if you like.

/returned to the office in June 2020

//ate at restaurants three times in the last week

/// have two kids in public schools in-person post-spring2020 closures.

 

Hide-and-Seek Champion Meme

Edited January 13, 2022 by dcbc

[Johnny Sack 8397]

18 minutes ago, Goofyboy said:

Tell me you don’t understand vaccines without telling me you don’t understand vaccines.

You think vaccines are slowing the spread of Omicron?  Israel has the highest vaccination rate in the world and just hit its record high spike.

[Hawndoh 2388]

They can slow hospitalizations and deaths for sure. That's the point.

[DDD Dad 14351]

22 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

What if we would like to discuss the lyrical brilliance of the Chili Peppers' "Californication," and how music can heal everything, even COVID?  What about that, smart guy?

[DDD Dad 14351]

21 hours ago, Trey3216 said:

Super weird.  There was most certainly a tweet there earlier from Bloomberg with the exact thing you posted about.  I guess the powers that be made it disappear or something.  

 

This one...

 

 

 

 

Haha my wife posted this to our kids on Instagram this morning with the comment, "Now we know why [youngest son] hasn't caught it".  Daughter (DDD), who caught it over the holidays, responded, "what about me?"

 

[Deej 76930]

Thinking I may have dealt with it for the past few days after being exposed to people at work. Headache, weird fatigue, left nostril wouldn't stop running for two days, scratchy throat. Triple Pfizered.

Wasn't horrible, but feel noticeably better today. 

I guess I'll find out after my next Texas Cares draw.

[Don Johnson 4756]

21 minutes ago, dcbc said:

"Hide and seek champion" is an old meme and was an imperfect analogy I used to reflect that some of us who are vaccinated somehow, for whatever reason haven't managed to contract any strain of COVID19 yet.  It in no way was intended to convey that some of us who have avoided infection thus far have done so by isolation or "hiding."   It was meant to be tongue in cheek. 

 

Although some people still may be refusing to get on with their lives for fear of contracting COVID, I and others who are out and about, though we may engage in bare minimum preventative measures, i.e., wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces during periods of high transmission, are not "hiding" from the world or otherwise not living our lives.  Please don't make my admittedly, imperfect analogy worse by repeating it to make a different point  so that it can be misconstrued further.  Use the dodgeball one instead if you like.

/returned to the office in June 2020

//ate at restaurants three times in the last week

/// have two kids in public schools in-person post-spring2020 closures.

 

Hide-and-Seek Champion Meme

Gotcha, and it wasn't intended to address you "hiding and seeking".  It was referring to Loco's comment about UT faculty that are "worried sick" about returning to campus.

[4th_and_18 687]

Any of you with breakthrough cases who had the "brain fog," how long until it went away?

About a week.

[dcbc 14510]

Anyone have any data on false negatives of PCR tests with omicron?  My wife was told, along with her negative PCR test and negative flu test that she had some unrelated upper respiratory infection.  Her symptoms were dry cough, fatigue, and, eventually, full body aches.  Doesn't sound like a respiratory infection.  I figure an antibody test at some point will clear things up, but I'm just wondering if she got a false negative.

[dcbc 14510]

3 minutes ago, Don Johnson said:

Gotcha, and it wasn't intended to address you "hiding and seeking".  It was referring to Loco's comment about UT faculty that are "worried sick" about returning to campus.

No worries.  S. Austin and I were kicking the phrase around a few pages back.  I just didn't want to get lumped in with irrational behavior.  My response to all of this has been ever evolving based on science and rationality.  I've always said that I'll probably catch it, but it'd be a lot cooler if I could be the last one to catch it (because the longer I go, the more likely they'll have the therapeutics figured out).  But that doesn't necessarily dictate my behavior.

 

Last kid in the dodgeball game:

[DDD Dad 14351]

9 minutes ago, dcbc said:

No worries.  S. Austin and I were kicking the phrase around a few pages back.  I just didn't want to get lumped in with irrational behavior.  My response to all of this has been ever evolving based on science and rationality.  I've always said that I'll probably catch it, but it'd be a lot cooler if I could be the last one to catch it (because the longer I go, the more likely they'll have the therapeutics figured out).  But that doesn't necessarily dictate my behavior.

 

Last kid in the dodgeball game:

We used to call it war ball. My PE coach (csb he coached A-Rod in HS) would have about half of the balls deflated so you could grab and really sling it hard at folks.

Good times.

[dcbc 14510]

5 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

We used to call it war ball. My PE coach (csb he coached A-Rod in HS) would have about half of the balls deflated so you could grab and really sling it hard at folks.

Good times.

When we played "one side versus the other," they called it "bombardment."  Back then, at our school, dodge ball was a free-for-all, where we ran rampant all over the gym pegging other kids with the ball.  No teams.  No center dividing line.  Total carnage. 

This one time, I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Gimme five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we . . . oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones . . . .

Edited January 13, 2022 by dcbc

[South Austin 52616]

A lot of folks at my firm getting the Omicron over the past two weeks, way more than during Delta or OG COVID.  Most have pretty tame and short-lasting symptoms. 

[GreenspointTexas 9675]

17 minutes ago, dcbc said:

No worries.  S. Austin and I were kicking the phrase around a few pages back.  I just didn't want to get lumped in with irrational behavior.  My response to all of this has been ever evolving based on science and rationality.  I've always said that I'll probably catch it, but it'd be a lot cooler if I could be the last one to catch it (because the longer I go, the more likely they'll have the therapeutics figured out).  But that doesn't necessarily dictate my behavior.

 

Last kid in the dodgeball game:

This is where im at as well

[BTW 370]

17 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Anyone have any data on false negatives of PCR tests with omicron?  My wife was told, along with her negative PCR test and negative flu test that she had some unrelated upper respiratory infection.  Her symptoms were dry cough, fatigue, and, eventually, full body aches.  Doesn't sound like a respiratory infection.  I figure an antibody test at some point will clear things up, but I'm just wondering if she got a false negative.

This was basically my experience (2x vaxxed, not boosted,) I started feeling shitty on Dec 23.   Body aches, headache, fatigue, low grade fever.  Tested negative at home that day.  Went to the doc in a box on the 24th and got tested for flu, Covid and strep, negative for all 3.  About a week later, my wife and daughter started showing symptoms and they both tested positive, so I tested again through a health care provider and was, still negative.

[dcbc 14510]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

A lot of folks at my firm getting the Omicron over the past two weeks, way more than during Delta or OG COVID.  Most have pretty tame and short-lasting symptoms. 

Just about every unvaxxed person at my office has a bad cough and sinus symptoms. Really achy.  I don't think they are bothering to get tested.  Winter rules.  Thankfully, I don't have to interact with them and just stick to interacting with the smart people.

[South Austin 52616]

4 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Just about every unvaxxed person at my office has a bad cough and sinus symptoms. Really achy.  I don't think they are bothering to get tested.  Winter rules.  Thankfully, I don't have to interact with them and just stick to interacting with the smart people.

We're pretty much vaxxed with maybe two exceptions.  But we're having our annual partner dinner tonight.  It's outdoors, but we're all tempting fate.  The hide-and-seek championship may be all on you.

[Celery Man 21001]

 

 

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

Not really.  Omicron doesn't give a shit about vaccines (and I have mine and I have Omicron).

Do you think the fact that there are a large number of breakthrough Omicron cases illustrates that vaccine resistance has nothing or little to do with the continued spread and mutation of the virus over the past ~year?

 

52 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

You think vaccines are slowing the spread of Omicron?  Israel has the highest vaccination rate in the world and just hit its record high spike.

Do you think that Israel hitting a new case record shows that vaccinated populations spread the virus at the same rate as unvaccinated populations?

[BTW 370]

I think this has pretty much been covered, but my anecdotal experience is that vaccination status does not seem to be affecting rather or not people get omicron.  I know people with zero, one, two & three shots who have all gotten it and for the most part their symptoms seem to all be similar.  The disclaimer is that those I know who are unvaxxed and gotten it are young and healthy.   

[Herbie Hancock 7376]

Anyone have any data on false negatives of PCR tests with omicron?  My wife was told, along with her negative PCR test and negative flu test that she had some unrelated upper respiratory infection.  Her symptoms were dry cough, fatigue, and, eventually, full body aches.  Doesn't sound like a respiratory infection.  I figure an antibody test at some point will clear things up, but I'm just wondering if she got a false negative.

I can tell you that if I had a dollar for every person that came to my hospital in the last five years that tested negative for flu/rsv/covid at their doc or a quack shack earlier that day or the day before that subsequently tested positive for us I would be Oprah rich and you could all kiss my ass. The tests are not dummy proof, and unfortunately there’s plenty of dummies doing the testing.

There’s also the possibility that she does not possess the viral load at this particular time to trigger a positive test but has obviously triggered an immune response.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

5 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

 

 

Do you think the fact that there are a large number of breakthrough Omicron cases illustrates that vaccine resistance has nothing or little to do with the continued spread and mutation of the virus over the past ~year?

 

Do you think that Israel hitting a new case record shows that vaccinated populations spread the virus at the same rate as unvaccinated populations?

You think we are ever going to reach a critical mass of vaccinations in third world countries where these mutations originate?

[Don Johnson 4756]

6 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

You think we are ever going to reach a critical mass of vaccinations in third world countries where these mutations originate?

Or that it is anyone's fault that we weren't able to so far?  We are talking close to 4 billion people.

[Celery Man 21001]

8 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

You think we are ever going to reach a critical mass of vaccinations in third world countries where these mutations originate?

That's a deflection rather than an answer to either question. Do you believe those things?

I think that we could have done a lot more to help get vaccines to third world countries if we didn't have a giant population of mouthbreathing rubes refusing to do the decent thing here in America. I think that hitting "critical mass" of vaccination globally is not something that is within America's power to achieve and I'm sure there are a lot of challenges to getting vaccines to third world countries. I do think that having less spread here and being able to focus more elsewhere would have helped, I wouldn't venture to guess rather that would have prevented or contained omicron. If what you're attempting but failing to say is that nothing that we do matters at all, just say that.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Celery Man

[JimmyJames 12271]

27 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

We used to call it war ball. My PE coach (csb he coached A-Rod in HS) would have about half of the balls deflated so you could grab and really sling it hard at folks.

Good times.

Do the kids today still play “smear the queer?” That was big in the early 80s. It also went by another name that I probably shouldn’t say on the net. 

[South Austin 52616]

1 hour ago, Deej said:

 left nostril wouldn't stop running for two days

Try snorting through your right nostril.

[Immaculate Vibes 114]

27 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

This is where im at as well

Wow. Ballgame, for real this time. 

[Ghost of LL 15540]

17 minutes ago, BTW said:

I think this has pretty much been covered, but my anecdotal experience is that vaccination status does not seem to be affecting rather or not people get omicron.  I know people with zero, one, two & three shots who have all gotten it and for the most part their symptoms seem to all be similar.  The disclaimer is that those I know who are unvaxxed and gotten it are young and healthy.   

Counter-anecdotal experience: I know a lot of people who are fully vaxxed and have been in very close contact with people who have tested positive.  If it weren't for the vaccine, there's no doubt they would've contracted it given Omicron's transmissibility.

[pearlandhorn 3274]

Son's teacher popped positive yesterday (she wasn't at the school yesterday).  Two or three kids are absent from his class too.  My wife has been feeling unusually tired this last week as well.  I have been feeling a bit off the last few days - just feeling a bit fatigued, muscles sore, almost like a hangover.  Wife and I are double vaxxed back in April and had COVID in January/February 2021.  Our son gave it to us via daycare.  Wife supposed to be running the half marathon on Sunday.

When we had the rona last year, the brain fog was absolutely awful - almost 3 weeks of some sort of "out of body" experience.  Currently feeling just a bit of it for the last 24 hours or so.  Kid isn't running a fever but maybe a little less energetic.  We all 3 took PCRs yesterday and should get the results back this afternoon or tomorrow.  We'll see.

[DDD Dad 14351]

2 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Counter-anecdotal experience: I know a lot of people who are fully vaxxed and have been in very close contact with people who have tested positive.  If it weren't for the vaccine, there's no doubt they would've contracted it given Omicron's transmissibility.

(raises hand)

[B00M 6465]

9 hours ago, Okie State said:

Wife and I have something. Test scheduled for the morning. Both Pfizer X2, but no boosters. I got my flu shot back in September/October. So far I seem to be getting it worse with aches, chills, pounding headache and fever. Basically everything I felt after the second shot except ramped up.
 

According to our doc, this year's flu vaccine is only effective vs 30% of strains. While I'm Pfizer boosted, I forgot to get my flu vaccine and took sneezes and wet coughs point blank to my eyes and open mouth. Kids are so fucking gross. I somehow didn't get the flu. Which baffled and almost disappointed the wife, lol... Anecdotal as fuck obviously but don't rule out the possibility that you've got flu. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by B00M

[Anastasis 23485]

11 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Counter-anecdotal experience: I know a lot of people who are fully vaxxed and have been in very close contact with people who have tested positive.  If it weren't for the vaccine, there's no doubt they would've contracted it given Omicron's transmissibility.

This is the right perspective.  It is just frustrating as all hell to see people catching cases with this wave. 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

Wife and I both took vaccines and both have it.  Same with most of our friends.  Not a big deal.  Time to start ignoring it and treating it like the flu instead of the bubonic plague. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Johnny Sack

[Okie State 3848]

According to our doc, this year's flu vaccine is only effective vs 30% of strains. While I'm Pfizer boosted, I forgot to get my flu vaccine and took sneezes and wet coughs point blank to my eyes and open mouth. Kids are so fucking gross. I somehow didn't get the flu. Which baffled and almost disappointed the wife, lol... Anecdotal as fuck obviously but don't rule out the possibility that you've got flu. 

I was thinking that as well, but we both tested positive for the 'vid.

[Helobious 9464]

36 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Do the kids today still play “smear the queer?” That was big in the early 80s. It also went by another name that I probably shouldn’t say on the net. 

Millennial here. We called it “Cutthroat” as a kid. “Smear the queer” is homoerotic and makes it sound gay as hell /nttawwt. No way anyone was going to play a game called that. 

[MoJames 8254]

The only metric that counts at this point is ICU availability. Past that let this thing do what it will do. I'm beyond hopeful that Omicron continues to have less severe outcomes and continues to spread like wildfire. The data continues to suggest this. As well, the vast majority in the ICU within my hospital system are unvaccinated. So I continue to suggest getting vaccinated, but I'm assuming the options have been available for a while now and those that will get it have obtained it. The rest of the population has made their decision and so be it.

Most recent data.

[Helobious 9464]

33 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Counter-anecdotal experience: I know a lot of people who are fully vaxxed and have been in very close contact with people who have tested positive.  If it weren't for the vaccine, there's no doubt they would've contracted it given Omicron's transmissibility.

Already said this but I’ve had 3 unmasked, lengthy close contacts with infected people. Nothing. I think the booster has helped me out.

[Immaculate Vibes 114]

43 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Do the kids today still play “smear the queer?” That was big in the early 80s. It also went by another name that I probably shouldn’t say on the net. 

Never stopped you before. 

[DDD Dad 14351]

1 minute ago, Immaculate Vibes said:

Never stopped you before. 

Hmm.  I wonder how you would have such knowledge having just joined Surly last month? 

[Jiggy-Z 3435]

46 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Do the kids today still play “smear the queer?” That was big in the early 80s. It also went by another name that I probably shouldn’t say on the net. 

Tackle the person with the football and the alternative lifestyle 

[Don Johnson 4756]

43 minutes ago, JimmyJames said:

Do the kids today still play “smear the queer?” That was big in the early 80s. It also went by another name that I probably shouldn’t say on the net. 

My kids play "smear the deer."  For real.  I guess someone made that change along the way.

[InkaUtexas 26117]

5 minutes ago, Don Johnson said:

My kids play "smear the deer."  For real.  I guess someone made that change along the way.

I bet the NRA was behind that. 

[JimmyJames 12271]

31 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

Hmm.  I wonder how you would have such knowledge having just joined Surly last month? 

Tis a mystery. 

[South Austin 52616]

33 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

Hmm.  I wonder how you would have such knowledge having just joined Surly last month? 

Shit, I lurked on shaggy for about five years before joining.

[Homercles 10206]

34 minutes ago, Helobious said:

Already said this but I’ve had 3 unmasked, lengthy close contacts with infected people. Nothing. I think the booster has helped me out.

Same here.  We spent 11 days in Orlando, most of it an insanely crowded Disney where mask usage outside of the rides was dubious…it was asshole-to-elbow by 1pm everyday.  The three friends we went with did an at-home when we got back which were negative, wife was feeling crummy and took an at-home on day 3 which was also negative. 
 

Understanding that rapids aren't as accurate, gonna do round 2 of my Cares draw tomorrow.  Wife and I both had full strength boosters in august (Moderna, before the actual half dose boosters came out) and kids had 2x Pfizer.  Wondering if that’s kept it at bay because we were surely around folks with it.  
 

Ive been having allergy symptoms and some headaches, but not going to burn one of my last two tests because they are 100% unavailable right now. Will see what Cares says. 

[InkaUtexas 26117]

Good friend's work makes her do a rapid everyday and has been for the past 2 weeks. All negative. She has been on her ass for about a week. All signs of covid. Two colleagues came down positive. Of course work says you tested negative, get back to your ward. Now a few of the kids she treats have it. What a shit show. 

[Homercles 10206]

Just now, South Austin said:

Shit, I lurked on shaggy for about five years before joining.

Same here.  Didn’t have the guts to join in, and thought very carefully about what I’d post the first time on ShaggyBevo…was actually a little relieved when I got pos rep.  You assholes are scary to a non-UT outsider.  
 

Which is why it cracks me up when ‘new’ accounts come in all cock strong into the most divisive threads acting like they’ve been around for years.  Either long time lurker or sock.  

[JimmyJames 12271]

38 minutes ago, Immaculate Vibes said:

Never stopped you before. 

Shouldn’t you be telling us about a friend of yours daughter who took the Covid vaccine which caused her to have a spontaneous abortion even though she never had sex? 

[Hefeweizen 5333]

52 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Wife and I both took vaccines and both have it.  Same with most of our friends.  Not a big deal.  Time to start ignoring it and treating it like the flu instead of the bubonic plague. 

Maybe if you keep repeating it this will finally happen?  
 

Meantime those of us who would rather not catch the flu or covid are still trying but I’m glad you survived.