When everyone was following basically the same rules it was relatively easy. Now I have gatherings happening, but there’s my sense of “don’t want to get plague, don’t want to give plague to my wife” pointing in the same direction as my being basically antisocial anyway.
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We went to our favorite winery last week-end and it was outdoor seating but the place was packed, so that for our 6 seat table with only the 3 of us… we got quite a few people asking to join. I was always like “are you vaccinated? then yes, please have a seat.”
Not that being vaccinated does a whole lot for the elderly who got their vaccines over 6 months ago at this point. My dad wants to go on a skiing vacation at the start of December where it is unclear if everyone is vaccinated and that’s like a whole all-inclusive-tons-of-people hanging out together at Club Med thing. we used to go there with him in the before times and it scares… something out of me to even think about going there myself and worse for him going. He says he wants to get his booster shot and only wants to go if they announce a “vaccinated only” policy but even so…
I invited him to come with us to a “vaccine only” small family owned hotel in January precisely so he would NOT go on that other vacation.
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@RogerBW @yashima Those are highly understandable. One of my team mates end up with a rough cold and it turns out to be COVID and she’s vaccinated. I can only hope that there’s no long term effects to her. Not a thing to be taken lightly.
Even without the threat of COVID, I still don’t have the energy to do this sort of thing. Seeing new people and stuff. Have I moved on from my former long-term GF? Yeah. Do I want to go out and date? No, thanks. I watched Dune by myself and had a great time. I think it’s only because of board games that I didn’t became a recluse.
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This week has been internal grade approval, and has gone bizarrely smoothly. I keep waiting for the dropping of additional shoes. So that’s good.
We’re going to view a house on Saturday. I hate every part of accommodation-hunting and had to cancel my usual game for this so not precisely in the warmest frame of mind. Because we’re looking in places we could afford (as opposed to our rented appt in the city) and rely on buses, evenings are out (the estate agents aren’t working that late. Or Sundays, of course). I don’t really want to start burning leave for these things either but will probably have to. It’s making me rather grumpy.
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Is that true? I thought this was still very much an unsettled question, leaning towards evidence for long-term protection.
Looks like a piece of graph paper held rather too close to the face. I’ve got an appointment next week, we’ll see what they say and what they test.
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Just this week, I saw numbers (don’t have a link though) that said hospitalization rates for 80 years and older are way up again, I based my statement on that. I will see if I can dig that up. Edit: see my next post for the link and some clarification. It is not “way up” but in the age group 60+ among those hospitalized 30% have had a vaccine.
Anecdotal evidence: my dad who is 77 himself did not go to this Stammtisch, but quite a few older men of his acquaintance did and they caught covid on that night (5 or 6 of them) despite all of them being vaccinated. He said the only one of them who didn’t get it had their booster shot already. My assumption would be that if the virus was present that not ALL of them had caught it, if the vaccine was at full strength.
Going by what I am reading in the newspaper and anecdotes like that I am assuming that the vaccination is significantly less efficient after 6 months and that seems to include breakthrough infections and hospitalization as well. And who was vaccinated first over here? Those 80 and over. My dad has almost reached the date where he can get his booster. Atm here, it is only recommended for 70 and up and medical personnel. Despite the vaccine campaign having stalled out around 66% in Germany (of the remaining adults who are unvaccinated and could take the vaccine we are seeing more and more evidence that almost NONE of them will get the vaccine unless forced)—there still isn’t that much vaccine and our local Dr Fauci argued a few weeks back that it would be unethical if the the likes of me would get a booster shot while many countries around the world still haven’t had their first shots.
Here, numbers are on a steep rise. I think we saw them double from last week, including hospitalizations (which are the new stat everyone looks at). Since last year though hospitals have lost doctors and nurses and they reduced the number of beds from last year around this time. So there is a lot of worry that it takes only one more doubling to overwhelm the German hospital system.
This means in turn for us that we don’t change much. We are not going places where a lot of people will be and where we would be longer than for a shopping trip. We will keep meeting privately with friends because not seeing our friends in person was the worst part of the lockdown. We still work from home and while we have one more restaurant thing planned, we aren’t doing any of those things. We are planning a private Weihnachtsmarkt at one of our friends places where we will make Glühwein, Langos and Bratwurst and stand around in the cold… I think we’ll skip the decorations though.
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In der wöchentlichen Statistik des Robert Koch-Instituts findet sich dazu noch ein besorgniserregendes Detail: Unter den Intensivpatienten ab 60 Jahren sind inzwischen ein Drittel Geimpfte. Das ist auf den ersten Blick überraschend, schließlich schützt die Impfung gerade vor solchen schweren, intensivpflichtigen Verläufen sehr gut. Aber eben nicht perfekt, ein geringer Prozentsatz der geimpften Infizierten erkrankt dennoch schwerwiegend. Und da in der Altersgruppe 60 plus mindestens 85 Prozent vollständig geimpft sind, gibt es eben auch einige schwere Impfdurchbrüche. Und dieses Phänomen nimmt nun an Fahrt auf: Da die Älteren ab Jahresanfang als Erste geimpft wurden, lässt bei ihnen nun auch als Erstes die Wirkung der Impfstoffe wieder etwas nach.
Das Risiko für einen schweren Covid-Verlauf ist zudem stark altersabhängig. Der Alterseffekt schlägt den Impfeffekt: Ein vollständig geimpfter 80-Jähriger hat ein deutlich höheres Risiko, nach einer Corona-Infektion auf die Intensivstation zu müssen, als ein ungeimpfter 30-Jähriger – das gilt für Frauen wie Männer
The quote is from this article from Zeit Online. This is an analysis how unpredictable covid is right now here (please always assume both those modifiers “right now” and “here” b/c obviously I can only speak very time+location specific).
It basically restates that even with vaccinations the risk for someone older is way higher to have bad symptoms than someone younger without vaccine. And with many older people having been vaccinated more than 6 months ago, the risk is rising again. Edit: the first paragraph also says that in hospitalized people 60 and up 30% of those have had a vaccine and that this is worrying. It then goes on to explain that with a very high percentage of older people vaccinated it is more likely for some to still get very sick despite the vaccine.
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We are at nearly 85% vaccination for over 16’s. There is definitely people vaccinated and within 6 months since vaccination getting covid. My brother in law and their 4 year old got a positive result the other day. Although weirdly my sister in law who also lives with them has tested negative.
Thankfully he is asymptomatic and my nephew just has signs of a cold.
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It’s not going to be the best case.
Our vet is closed until Monday. We’re giving Bean subdermal saline solution, and she walks around a little and sits by the heaters in the mornings after having her anti-nausea meds. She eats a little, she drinks a little, and she gives us these looks that just break your heart.
I put about a tablespoon of catnip near her this morning. She hasn’t touched it, but it’s there.
I’m sorry to keep bringing everyone down, but I can’t talk to anyone else about this right now. And in 10 minutes I have to go to work and be positive and bubbly with customers, so I kinda gotta get this stuff locked down quick.
We’re going to pet her very gently for the next two days, and then I think, barring a miracle, we’re going to say goodbye.
She is so soft.
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Marx, I am so sorry. Losing a cat is so painful.
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I wish Bean all the best and I know you will do everything to make her comfortable and let her know she is loved.
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Been there, my dude. It’s been nearly a year since we had to say goodbye to our beloved Lucky. Talking about this is important. You can’t just bottle this up, it’ll just make things worse. We’re here for you. You need to talk, hit us up.
Bean is surrounded by love right now and that’ll comfort her immensely. You gave her her best life, a life with her humans. That has value. So much value.
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Went and saw Dune in full IMAX, and it was a heck of an experience. Perfect escapism after a rough couple weeks. If you are considering it, I would recommend earplugs for the IMAX version. Hans Zimmer pulls no punches with the score.
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It is brutal. Don’t worry about venting, you’re not bringing anyone down and I’m certain many of us are thinking of you and Bean right now and sending well wishes. Here when you need to vent more.
Take care.
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Don’t worry about bringing us down, thank you for sharing. Thinking of you and your companion. Hugs from here and best wishes.
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Wishing comfort for dear wee Bean and her humans.
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So I got COVID. Mild symptoms thanks to the vaccine (I assume), hoping it’s a false positive flow test.
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I have no idea how many false positives there are but I am assuming you’re getting a PCR test done to be sure?
I hope you have a quick recovery and nothing more than those mild symptoms. With current cold weather here, those symptoms could just as well be anything else…
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