Masks

[tower912]

Good luck to you.

[MU82]

health care worker here... despite being vaccinated I tested positive yesterday after sudden onset of fever and chills.  I'm actually surprised I haven't been infected sooner due to continual exposure at work.  This strain is no joke as vaccinated people are supposed to get milder illness and I have never been so sick with fever, chills and borderline pulse-ox.   My employee health is seeing cases in vaccinated employees skyrocket due to delta variant.  Delta variant causes 1200 times higher viral load than original sars-cov-2 virus.  This is what viruses do to survive... they mutate into more pathogenic variants.  If more people got vaccinated we would have avoided this, but now we are screwed.  We will be back to lockdowns and mask mandates again due to the unvaccinated folks.  If more were vaccinated to the point of herd immunity, the delta variant would have never happened.  Now it's too late.

So sad to hear this, BRMT.

COVID-19 is NOT over, even for the fully vaccinated, because selfish people just don't care about their fellow human beings.

I hope that other health-care heroes are somehow spared what you are going through, and I wish you a swift, full recovery from this effen virus.

[jesmu84]

So sad to hear this, BRMT.

COVID-19 is NOT over, even for the fully vaccinated, because selfish people just don't care about their fellow human beings.

I hope that other health-care heroes are somehow spared what you are going through, and I wish you a swift, full recovery from this effen virus.

Why shouldn't it be?

[cheebs09]

Why shouldn't it be?

My only thought would be if the vaccinated can pass on the Delta variant or if the vaccines are no longer protecting against serious illness. Previous guidance made it sound like it was very unlikely to pass along, so if that hasn’t changed, then I agree.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

My only thought would be if the vaccinated can pass on the Delta variant or if the vaccines are no longer protecting against serious illness. Previous guidance made it sound like it was very unlikely to pass along, so if that hasn’t changed, then I agree.

This has changed from what I understand (vaccinated transmission) the protection has not.

[MU82]

Why shouldn't it be?

Did you not read BRMT's post, jes?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

The delta variant emerged in Dec 2020,  we'll before vaccinations were available to most people.

Honestly surprised that an E variant hasn't been discovered yet. 

BRMT, what's worse:  covid or giving Bo a back rub?  Get well soon, pardner.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

The delta variant emerged in Dec 2020,  we'll before vaccinations were available to most people.

Honestly surprised that an E variant hasn't been discovered yet.

BRMT, what's worse:  covid or giving Bo a back rub?  Get well soon, pardner.

I am sure they are out there, but if this is 1000X more contagious like has been thrown about, that seems like a really high bar for something to out-compete it, right?

[Jockey]

Unvaccinated people kill.

[MUBurrow]

Did you not read BRMT's post, jes?

If we define "over" as "the vaccinated never get sick" then this will never be over.  To borrow from the earlier erroneous comparison, so long as the vaccine makes this like the flu and anyone who wants a vaccine can get one, then this is over for the vaccinated.  I don't say that to undermine how much it sucks to be as sick as BRMT is right now - BRMT, my well wishes for a speedy and full recovery.  But covid is here to stay, and if we don't think this is over until its been eradicated, it will never be "over."

My only thought would be if the vaccinated can pass on the Delta variant or if the vaccines are no longer protecting against serious illness. Previous guidance made it sound like it was very unlikely to pass along, so if that hasn’t changed, then I agree.

This I agree with.  My only hesitation to declare this over is that we still don't have a vaccine that is approved for kids.  If the vaccinated can spread delta to unvaccinated children, then even the vaccinated gotta be adults and do what we have to do.  This is already falling disproportionately on kids, so re-masking up isn't too much to ask.

[jesmu84]

Did you not read BRMT's post, jes?

I did.

Breakthrough illness will happen in the vaccinated.

But, as far as we know, the vaccines are preventing serious illness/death. Even with Delta.

Therefore, this should, for all intents and purposes, be over for vaccinated with regards to pandemic level restrictions.

[Its DJOver]

Going to a Covid-19 board to declare that Covid-19 is over has similarities with going to a UW-Madison basketball board to declare that there is no rivalry with MU right after MU beats UW-M.  The fact that this board still has activity kind of proves that this is not over. 

To be clear, I'm not of the opinion that in order to classify Covid-19 as over there need to be zero cases.  Remember when the biggest virus threat to an Olympics was the Zika virus?  There were still confirmed Zika cases in the US in 2020, but the fact that no one has posted on the Zika thread in 5 years suggests that that threat is over for all intents and purposes.  I'm not sure what my exact criteria for declaring this over would be, but we certainly aren't there yet.

[MU82]

I did.

Breakthrough illness will happen in the vaccinated.

But, as far as we know, the vaccines are preventing serious illness/death. Even with Delta.

Therefore, this should, for all intents and purposes, be over for vaccinated with regards to pandemic level restrictions.

Yes, it "should" be over.

Of course I'm heartened by the research that most vaccinated people aren't getting hospitalization-level sick and definitely that they're not dying. But not all that long ago, none of us had even heard of the Delta variant. Viruses find ways to mutate and invade. What will the next variant be like?

I guess I'm just uncomfortable with the certainty, because I don't think we're anywhere near certain.

Having said all that, as a vaccinated person, I have not been living in a bunker. I have been enjoying as close to a level of "normalcy" as we can have given the circumstances, and I've not been wearing a mask.

It looks like mask-wearing indoors again will be a thing, and if so I'll go back to wearing one. As a couple others have said, it does piss me off that the acts of selfish twats make those of us who are doing the right thing have to take a big step backward -- especially since those twats will continue to refuse to get vaccinated and to wear masks -- but that's life when you share a country with selfish twats.

I feel especially bad for red-state residents who have been doing the right thing. Not only are their "friends" and neighbors letting them down, but in many cases the leaders of those states have been actively working to undermine the life-saving vaccines.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Yes, it "should" be over.

Of course I'm heartened by the research that most vaccinated people aren't getting hospitalization-level sick and definitely that they're not dying. But not all that long ago, none of us had even heard of the Delta variant. Viruses find ways to mutate and invade. What will the next variant be like?

I guess I'm just uncomfortable with the certainty, because I don't think we're anywhere near certain.

Having said all that, as a vaccinated person, I have not been living in a bunker. I have been enjoying as close to a level of "normalcy" as we can have given the circumstances, and I've not been wearing a mask.

It looks like mask-wearing indoors again will be a thing, and if so I'll go back to wearing one. As a couple others have said, it does piss me off that the acts of selfish twats make those of us who are doing the right thing have to take a big step backward -- especially since those twats will continue to refuse to get vaccinated and to wear masks -- but that's life when you share a country with selfish twats.

I feel especially bad for red-state residents who have been doing the right thing. Not only are their "friends" and neighbors letting them down, but in many cases the leaders of those states have been actively working to undermine the life-saving vaccines.

For example, news in Connecticut last week said of 2.4mil fully vaccinated state residents there were only 936 recorded breakthrough infections.
Get vaccinated.

[pbiflyer]

I did.

Breakthrough illness will happen in the vaccinated.

But, as far as we know, the vaccines are preventing serious illness/death. Even with Delta.

Therefore, this should, for all intents and purposes, be over for vaccinated with regards to pandemic level restrictions.

That will be such good news to our fully vaxxed next door neighbor who is currently in the ICU with Covid. I’ll be sure and pass along your assurances. I’m sure it will be a huge comfort to him and his wife.
He is older, but that was his only issue.
We are starting to see more and more break through cases. Ignoring that isn’t a wise move.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

That will be such good news to our fully vaxxed next door neighbor who is currently in the ICU with Covid. I’ll be sure and pass along your assurances. I’m sure it will be a huge comfort to him and his wife.
He is older, but that was his only issue.
We are starting to see more and more break through cases. Ignoring that isn’t a wise move.

Yes, we should base all of our public health decisions on your next door neighbor.

[Hards Alumni]

Dose of reality here, guys.  If delta was breaking through vaccinated people and getting them hospitalized, we'd see the numbers that show it.  But we don't.  99% of people who are ending up in the hospital with covid are unvaccinated.  Period.  While I don't dispute what our fellow doctor claims to see, the numbers don't lie.

There is a section of this board that doesn't want to follow science anymore, and I find it a tad disturbing.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Dose of reality here, guys.  If delta was breaking through vaccinated people and getting them hospitalized, we'd see the numbers that show it.  But we don't.  99% of people who are ending up in the hospital with covid are unvaccinated.  Period.  While I don't dispute what our fellow doctor claims to see, the numbers don't lie.

There is a section of this board that doesn't want to follow science anymore, and I find it a tad disturbing.

The only reason vaccinated people are likely going to be masking up again is because unvaccinated people can't be trusted to do it on their own.  So yet again, the people who follow the science are being dragged down by those who won't.

[Hards Alumni]

The only reason vaccinated people are likely going to be masking up again is because unvaccinated people can't be trusted to do it on their own.  So yet again, the people who follow the science are being dragged down by those who won't.

Correct. 

[rocky_warrior]

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/

"The introduction of J&J’s one-shot option should make it easier to vaccinate hard-to-reach populations. So far, 189 million Americans have received at least one dose of a vaccine—73.3% of the adult population."

This website is updated daily.

Maybe I'm misreading it. Does it mean that 189 million Americans are vaccinated, which would be enough to cover 73.3% of the adult population? Odd to throw that line in there, if so.

That's a source, but I don't know where they got the data.  I always go right to the CDC:
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
As of today

% of Total Population
At Least One Dose
57.1%
Fully Vaccinated
49.3%

% of Population ≥ 12 Years of Age
At Least One Dose
66.8%
Fully Vaccinated
57.6%

% of Population ≥ 18 Years of Age
At Least One Dose
69.3%
Fully Vaccinated
60.2%

% of Population ≥ 65 Years of Age
At Least One Dose
89.6%
Fully Vaccinated
79.9%

[ZiggysFryBoy]

That's a source, but I don't know where they got the data.  I always go right to the CDC:
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
As of today

% of Total Population
At Least One Dose
57.1%
Fully Vaccinated
49.3%

% of Population ≥ 12 Years of Age
At Least One Dose
66.8%
Fully Vaccinated
57.6%

% of Population ≥ 18 Years of Age
At Least One Dose
69.3%
Fully Vaccinated
60.2%

% of Population ≥ 65 Years of Age
At Least One Dose
89.6%
Fully Vaccinated
79.9%

So if 70% is the magic number for herd immunity, the buffalo theory should kick in about now, hey?

[jesmu84]

Yes, it "should" be over.

Of course I'm heartened by the research that most vaccinated people aren't getting hospitalization-level sick and definitely that they're not dying. But not all that long ago, none of us had even heard of the Delta variant. Viruses find ways to mutate and invade. What will the next variant be like?

I guess I'm just uncomfortable with the certainty, because I don't think we're anywhere near certain.

Having said all that, as a vaccinated person, I have not been living in a bunker. I have been enjoying as close to a level of "normalcy" as we can have given the circumstances, and I've not been wearing a mask.

It looks like mask-wearing indoors again will be a thing, and if so I'll go back to wearing one. As a couple others have said, it does piss me off that the acts of selfish twats make those of us who are doing the right thing have to take a big step backward -- especially since those twats will continue to refuse to get vaccinated and to wear masks -- but that's life when you share a country with selfish twats.

I feel especially bad for red-state residents who have been doing the right thing. Not only are their "friends" and neighbors letting them down, but in many cases the leaders of those states have been actively working to undermine the life-saving vaccines.

A group of this country will never mask or get vaccines or follow pandemic protocols.

So, with regards to fear of new variants (which are driven by spread from those not following protocols/getting vaccines), how long do we need to go through this? Until every non-compliant person gets the illness?

[4everwarriors]

Yes, it "should" be over.

Of course I'm heartened by the research that most vaccinated people aren't getting hospitalization-level sick and definitely that they're not dying. But not all that long ago, none of us had even heard of the Delta variant. Viruses find ways to mutate and invade. What will the next variant be like?

I guess I'm just uncomfortable with the certainty, because I don't think we're anywhere near certain.

Having said all that, as a vaccinated person, I have not been living in a bunker. I have been enjoying as close to a level of "normalcy" as we can have given the circumstances, and I've not been wearing a mask.

It looks like mask-wearing indoors again will be a thing, and if so I'll go back to wearing one. As a couple others have said, it does piss me off that the acts of selfish twats make those of us who are doing the right thing have to take a big step backward -- especially since those twats will continue to refuse to get vaccinated and to wear masks -- but that's life when you share a country with selfish twats.

I feel especially bad for red-state residents who have been doing the right thing. Not only are their "friends" and neighbors letting them down, but in many cases the leaders of those states have been actively working to undermine the life-saving vaccines.

Let's just let those unvaccinated come right over the Mexican border, aina?

[tower912]

Yeah, that is the problem in Arkansas, Missouri, Alaska.    Reddest of red herrings.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Yeah, that is the problem in Arkansas, Missouri, Alaska.    Reddest of red herrings.

The 2 aren't mutually exclusive, but nice try.