Coronavirus

[Strangeite]

24 yo son and fiancé have it. Luckily both are feeling ok and their jobs have excellent policies in place to quarantine.

Told them that we were going to drop some food off on their porch tomorrow and asked if we could pick anything else up. A couple of hours later received a pretty extensive list of items (they have been learning to cook) and then an hour later asked if instead we could just pick up an order that they placed from the grocery.

They want to use their quarantine time to try and make all of their meals from scratch and didn't want us to buy everything they thought they needed. I'm proud. My wife and I also looked at their list and added a few things to our order to throw into their bags that they probably don't realize they will want.

 

[BoSoxGal]

Told them that we were going to drop some food off on their porch tomorrow and asked if we could pick anything else up. A couple of hours later received a pretty extensive list of items (they have been learning to cook) and then an hour later asked if instead we could just pick up an order that they placed from the grocery.

They want to use their quarantine time to try and make all of their meals from scratch and didn't want us to buy everything they thought they needed. I'm proud. My wife and I also looked at their list and added a few things to our order to throw into their bags that they probably don't realize they will want.

Aww. Hope they’re still feeling okay!

 

[Strangeite]

Aww. Hope they’re still feeling okay!

We dropped the food off in a box they left on the porch. However, had to turn around two minutes later because we had forgotten the D&D character sheets he asked me to print (I’m judging my son for not having a preference on character sheet style) so KN95 masked up he opened the door for the folder.

I was in the car and when I saw him thought he looked like crap or really high. When my wife got back in the car she said she could smell weed through her mask and being socially distanced.

So I think they are ok.

 

[A Tripper]

That brings back memories. I haven't used these guys in nearly 30 years.


Edited to say: I should have said, nearly 40 years.

 

[geek1997]

My daughter has recently expressed a desire to learn to play D&D. So we got her the 5th edition starter set for Christmas. And now I'm spending some of my "free" time trying to figure the basics out. The learning curve is very steep, which is why we've never tried before.

 

[Anne]

That brings back memories. I haven't used these guys in nearly 30 years.
View attachment 11598View attachment 11599

Edited to say: I should have said, nearly 40 years.

This is a blast from the past. My brother had both of these. He'd twist my arm to play, I'd spend more time than I wanted setting up a character, and then He'd kill me off. He couldn't understand why I didn't enjoy the game

 

[projectx]

Uh-Oh. Our district superintendent just reimplemented the school mask mandate. Can't wait to hear all the crying from the anti-maskers.

In effect for the next two weeks, and will be revaluated at that time.

 

[Anne]

Our testing turn around has really gone up. My son was tested at 3 pm Friday and we didn't get results (negative) until Monday at 10:30 am. Even with Delta this fall we were getting results in 12-18 hrs even over the weekend (it's run by the hospital lab). He was thrilled to get a 2nd day home from school, but my husband, who is working from home, is not.

 

[bnoble]

Our asymptomatic screening tests (saliva) have been turning around in less than 24 hours (which is new---it used to be more like 36). I suspect we are doing them in-house at Michigan Medicine and have invested in more capacity this term, though.

I have another coming up Wednesday (I'm screening weekly) so we will see.

 

[Strangeite]

That brings back memories. I haven't used these guys in nearly 30 years.
View attachment 11598View attachment 11599

Edited to say: I should have said, nearly 40 years.

My daughter has recently expressed a desire to learn to play D&D. So we got her the 5th edition starter set for Christmas. And now I'm spending some of my "free" time trying to figure the basics out. The learning curve is very steep, which is why we've never tried before.

I have the second of those books in my basement currently. Back in the mid-80’s in Appalachia, I became friends with Kevin. His dad taught computers at the community college and they asked if I wanted to have sleepovers and play D&D.

Yes please!

 

[Anne]

This is a really good podcast with Paul Offit, my favorite pediatric expert who is on the ACIP.

‎In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt: The Omicron Episode for Parents (with Paul Offit) on Apple Podcasts

‎Show In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt, Ep The Omicron Episode for Parents (with Paul Offit) - Jan 12, 2022

podcasts.apple.com

Not only does he talk about kids and schools during the Omicron wave, he also gives some perspective and reassurance for adults at about 30 minutes in.

 

[Nia]

Spain seeks to lead a shift in Europe’s handling of Covid-19

New strategy would see virus managed more like the flu rather than as a pandemic

www.irishtimes.com

It could be of interest.

 

[lovett1979]

Since NYC is a week or two ahead of the rest of the country, you might be interested to know that our cases are falling pretty steadily now. We are at around 23,500 cases, a number last seen around Dec 22. We reached our peak on Jan 3 with 42,000 cases. I'm thankful that I've been able to work from home these last few weeks because the trains are crowded (Covid-related staffing issues for the MTA) with people who still (!) don't know how to mask properly.

ETA This wave is obviously far from over, but I think it we can confidently say it's on the downswing.

 

[George]

Since NYC is a week or two ahead of the rest of the country, you might be interested to know that our cases are falling pretty steadily now. We are at around 23,500 cases, a number last seen around Dec 22. We reached our peak on Jan 3 with 42,000 cases. I'm thankful that I've been able to work from home these last few weeks because the trains are crowded (Covid-related staffing issues for the MTA) with people who still (!) don't know how to mask properly.

South Africa recently saw a sharp decrease in positives, which, it is said could very well be the trend for this variant. The falling NYC numbers certainly bear this out. Hopeful here.

 

[lovett1979]

South Africa recently saw a sharp decrease in positives, which, it is said could very well be the trend for this variant. The falling NYC numbers certainly bear this out. Hopeful here.

Yes. Though there was discussion that the population differences between countries (sadly, much of South Africa's older population died during the first wave of Covid) and that they are in summer and we are in winter meant that they were not completely comparable.

 

[George]

Yes. Though there was discussion that the population differences between countries (sadly, much of South Africa's older population died during the first wave of Covid) and that they are in summer and we are in winter meant that they were not completely comparable.

True, but we’ll hopefully be headed in the right direction sooner or later.

 

[User56767]

Fingers crossed and all that but this was supposedly over last summer and then all the models predicted the delta wave would peak and fade out by mid September and now everyone is saying this has peaked and things are improving and I hope they are but how does the saying go fool me once shame on you fool me four times shame on me?

 

[George]

Fingers crossed and all that but this was supposedly over last summer and then all the models predicted the delta wave would peak and fade out by mid September and now everyone is saying this has peaked and things are improving and I hope they are but how does the saying go fool me once shame on you fool me four times shame on me?

Who's trying to fool you?

 

[Nia]

I am not sure if Novak deportation from Australia his NoVax statement, having a positive test and socializing after got a lot of media coverage in US. My husband and son love tennis and were all over it. This is the highest profile case I know that someone was denied access, to something they are currently number 1 at for not being vaccinated.

I hope this year to return to international travel in the summer. We have not been away for last two years but I am feeling more positive now. The current isolation rules & testing is unsustainable and it's draining resources that are short to start with and considering omicron is mostly mild ... time to lay off testing as much and let people live I hope, and deal with high risk groups and the ill.

Having said that I am no expert, if experts say something else I reserve the right to change my mind. But generally that's the direction I see things going

 

[George]

I am not sure if Novak deportation from Australia his NoVax statement, having a positive test and socializing after got a lot of media coverage in US. My husband and son love tennis and were all over it. This is the highest profile case I know that someone was denied access, to something they are currently number 1 at for not being vaccinated.

I still can't believe he was ousted from a tennis tournamnent just because he missed two shots!