The new COVID thread

[Gregg]

Even Trump had a booster.

[Bene Futuis]

What kind of stupid clown do you need to be to want to attack Anthony Fauci? Republicans held some sort of extremist clown show event where Fox News jackasses were talking about ambushing and killing Dr. Fauci and other right wing nutjobs were talking about having him thrown in jail (crowd: lock him up!).

Fuck all these people so hard.

[umjewman]

Seems like Omicron is running wild in my town. We got an email from our school district with 44 cases disclosed among students yesterday. Two of our friends now just tested positive. Good times - hopefully the symptoms are indeed mild.

[Ken]

Never heard back from either person who was suggesting aspiration. This wasn't rhetorical, it was a serious question that I'm interested in hearing about.

Did your doctor agree? Did they provide any recommendations or cautions?

I find it hard to believe that someone would be this interested in a topic and not even talk to their own doctor, so I have to assume there was a conversation. How did it go?

Its amazing how quiet it gets when you ask people who have medical options about what their doctor said.

[umjewman]

Its amazing how quiet it gets when you ask people who have medical options about what their doctor said.

Stop trying to invade people's doctor-patient confidentiality, JERK.

[Sour Masher]

Stop trying to invade people's doctor-patient confidentiality, JERK.

For real. What is said between an internet celebrity and his viewers is confidential. I kid, I kid. But for real, if nullnor has a primary doc and I don't, that is a wake up call for me. I have not had a primary doc since I was a teenager, cuz I am super dumb (didn't have insurance in grad school and never got around to finding one since). On the rare occasion something seems horribly wrong, I have used the walk-in. I gotta find one though. Getting old.

[Ken]

For real. What is said between an internet celebrity and his viewers is confidential. I kid, I kid. But for real, if nullnor has a primary doc and I don't, that is a wake up call for me. I have not had a primary doc since I was a teenager, cuz I am super dumb (didn't have insurance in grad school and never got around to finding one since). On the rare occasion something seems horribly wrong, I have used the walk-in. I gotta find one though. Getting old.

I have a primary care doc but thankfully I don't see her much.

That said, the question did not even have to involve your primary care doctor. I have a sister and cousin who are ER doctors. I ask them medical questions regularly, much more regularly than I see my main doctor. Some of those questions have involved COVID. They are great sounding boards.

I think it's irresponsible to make medical suggestions without at least talking to a doctor that you trust about it. Heck, I didn't even ask that they *agreed* with their doctor, just that they had the conversation, and I was curious how that conversation went.

It's so strange to me now that people think they are experts at complex topics and reject the advise of the actual experts who have devoted significant portions of their lives to study. But I googled it and read 2 biased sources so it must be true!

[The Feral Slasher]

I have a primary care doc but thankfully I don't see her much.

That said, the question did not even have to involve your primary care doctor. I have a sister and cousin who are ER doctors. I ask them medical questions regularly, much more regularly than I see my main doctor. Some of those questions have involved COVID. They are great sounding boards.

I think it's irresponsible to make medical suggestions without at least talking to a doctor that you trust about it. Heck, I didn't even ask that they *agreed* with their doctor, just that they had the conversation, and I was curious how that conversation went.

It's so strange to me now that people think they are experts at complex topics and reject the advise of the actual experts who have devoted significant portions of their lives to study. But I googled it and read 2 biased sources so it must be true!

I got vaccinated without a second thought. Went to a football game in the fall with a friend who is an MD. We asked him about vaccinations. He put it so simply..."Vaccines are safe and effective". I assume most doctors give the same message.

[Ken]

I assume most doctors give the same message.

they certainly do

[The Feral Slasher]

they certainly do

It was kind of funny because other people were asking him other detailed questions, and you could tell he had been asked a million times. He just kept saying "vaccines are safe and effective" Some people just don't want to believe this.

[Sour Masher]

I have a primary care doc but thankfully I don't see her much.

That said, the question did not even have to involve your primary care doctor. I have a sister and cousin who are ER doctors. I ask them medical questions regularly, much more regularly than I see my main doctor. Some of those questions have involved COVID. They are great sounding boards.

I think it's irresponsible to make medical suggestions without at least talking to a doctor that you trust about it. Heck, I didn't even ask that they *agreed* with their doctor, just that they had the conversation, and I was curious how that conversation went.

It's so strange to me now that people think they are experts at complex topics and reject the advise of the actual experts who have devoted significant portions of their lives to study. But I googled it and read 2 biased sources so it must be true!

Pssh. Experts. All in the pocket of Big Pharma. My wife's best friend is a pediatrician who had her kid vaxxed the 1st day eligible. The lengths these MDs will go to appease their Big Pharma overlords.

[Bene Futuis]

Oh god

[The Feral Slasher]

I believe there are already apparently effective treatments being studied or in the approval process (though not sure how they would work with Omicron). I'd have to do some more digging to confirm, but pretty confident that is the case. I think throwing up your hands and calling for a free for all at this moment might not be the best decision, although we may decide soon that we have no other option. I'm relatively certain we won't have large scale lockdowns in the US, at least until/unless Omicron takes a heavy, heavy toll, but it sounds like that is more likely in the UK and Europe.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/22/health/pfizer-antiviral-pill-authorized/index.html

Last week, Pfizer released updated results that showed the treatment cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% if given to high-risk adults within a few days of their first symptoms. If given within the first five days of symptoms, the efficacy was similar: 88%.

[johnnya24]

Corroborating data starting to roll in:

Risk of hospital stay 40% lower with Omicron than Delta, UK data suggests

Also, the Aussie PM and their Chief Medical Officer became the first world leader(s) to explicitly take the covid-data-over-covid-habit line, and rejected the wildly conservative (anti-data?) worst-case-scenario "expert" advice from a leading research institute. I would say, "at last, a politician with some cajones", but it probably appeals to his demographic.

Hopefully this becomes the way forward and not the Euro-lockdown-approach (though in fairness, many European countries are still struggling badly with Delta).

[GwynnInTheHall]

Corroborating data starting to roll in:

Risk of hospital stay 40% lower with Omicron than Delta, UK data suggests

Also, the Aussie PM and their Chief Medical Officer became the first world leader(s) to explicitly take the covid-data-over-covid-habit line, and rejected the wildly conservative (anti-data?) worst-case-scenario "expert" advice from a leading research institute. I would say, "at last, a politician with some cajones", but it probably appeals to his demographic.

Hopefully this becomes the way forward and not the Euro-lockdown-approach (though in fairness, many European countries are still struggling badly with Delta).

You may have already mentioned it, but if you don't mind, can you tell me if you are vaccinated, and if so when you got the shots?
Thanks