Coronavirus prep

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  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    A moment of dark irony in an interview I heard today**: One factor that has speeded Covid vaccine development is that some countries have done an execrable job of containing the virus. (US is the poster child, of course.) If everywhere were controlling well (like Australia, for one), the phase 3 trials would take longer.

    Why? The more rampant the viral infections in the population, the faster evidence accumulates that there's a difference in the vaccinated vs. placebo arms of the trial, because more people are getting exposed/sick, rolling up the evidentiary case counts among trial participants.

    I assume it's an extra plus (for the trials' speed, not for the country) that it's running rampant in a developed country, with more resources for keeping track of trial participants and that sort of thing.

    ** It was a good interview, diverse topics related to the virus. NPR's "Fresh Air" program, interviewing Ed Yong, a science journalist from The Atlantic who's been covering the pandemic long term. Full interview audio, text summary: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/12/17/947094492/without-resources-vaccine-rollout-could-fall-at-the-last-hurdle-journalist-says

    Back in early summer, I read a couple of articles stating that the British trials were in trouble because the number of cases had dropped so much they couldn't be sure of sufficient exposure. With the second wave, hopefully enough of the vaccinated got exposed to the virus to show effectiveness. I can see why it would be a problem. How can they know a vaccine is 95% effective if there aren't many cases in the community? Ethics doesn't permit the researchers to deliberately expose people to a virus that might kill them or have long term consequences, so they have to rely on community spread.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
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    From what I understand, trials of the vaccine in the UK would have taken so long to show much so because this is a big international effort many of the trials were carried off shore. I think some may well have taken place in Brazil, though it may well have been somewhere else in the southern Americas. It was somewhere where the cases and "R" number and cases were much higher than our own.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    amart4224 wrote: »
    My company is taking surveys about how we would feel WFH 3 days/wk, in office for two, but no assigned cubes. (i.e. you just get assigned one on the two days you're in).

    I'm all for that. I work more from home without the 45 min commute each way.

    My company has tossed around a similar possibility and I have to say, the thought of sitting at a desk that some other random person sat at the day before makes me gag. There's the in-office nail clippers, the people that eat all kinds of greasy or crumbly food at their desks, etc. There are not enough sanitizing wipes in the world to make me comfortable 😷

    So you never use public transportation?

    I haven't since March 16 (I remember since it was a Monday after the week in which covid gradually became the biggest thing, and immediately after the St Patrick's Day observed weekend when lots of people locally were acting like complete idiots in the bars). After I got to work that day, I was "am I crazy." I rode it home that night (the L, brown line) and it was already pretty much empty (had been that morning too), and drove to work the next three days (worked from home on that Friday). Since then, I've driven every time I've come into the office or gone somewhere I would ordinarily take public transit since (unless close enough to walk).

    Personally, though, pre covid, it never bothered me (some lines were cleaner than others), but it's also a limited time and IME you don't feel like it's yours so you are touching things in the way I do when sitting in my office. It is likely irrational, but I'd really hate having a communal desk. (Probably not likely, but I do think there will be a movement to reduce/consolidate office space after this, and to let people work more from home. I like the flexibility, but I miss working in the office with my co workers a lot, and still do about once a week (was doing it more before the cases spiked up again). However, I also do like that it takes me no time to get to work. Back in the day even the L was faster than commuting, but now driving is way faster. Parking would be too expensive to be worth it if my employer weren't currently paying, however.)
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    amart4224 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    amart4224 wrote: »
    My company is taking surveys about how we would feel WFH 3 days/wk, in office for two, but no assigned cubes. (i.e. you just get assigned one on the two days you're in).

    I'm all for that. I work more from home without the 45 min commute each way.

    My company has tossed around a similar possibility and I have to say, the thought of sitting at a desk that some other random person sat at the day before makes me gag. There's the in-office nail clippers, the people that eat all kinds of greasy or crumbly food at their desks, etc. There are not enough sanitizing wipes in the world to make me comfortable 😷

    So you never use public transportation?

    Nope, owned my own car since the age of 16. I've never lived in an area where public transport was a big thing.

    I'm in the same situation with car since 16. We have public transit were I live now but have never been on it. Have been on subways, etc. on trips to larger cities as well as planes, airport and other shuttles. Those are dirty as all get our but I just suck it up and figure I'm building my immune system.

    They were redoing some of our offices before 'rona and in the new designs nobody had an assigned area (except for a small locker) with typically working there 5 days a week. You just came in and sat down in an open slot.

    ...I find the discussion about working from home being distracting interesting, because in my experience it’s the opposite. I work as a video game artist and being in an office meant everyone was always hanging out together or gaming or eating, when it wasn’t time for a pointless meeting. Working from home, you do what needs done to meet the deadline in a focused fashion, then the rest of your time is your own.

    Yes, I found my coworkers FAR more distracting when I was in the same building with them as opposed to 1,000 + miles away.

    ITA. In office, I spent at least an hour a day with someone standing in my office doorway rambling on about something I did not need to know. Not to mention people having loud conversations, smelling their food. I get more sleep now too, minus the commute, so I get more done in the AM than I used to. I intend to ask to WFH at least a day or two a week when the apocalypse is over.

    To be fair, I'm 100% an introvert, and have no trouble focusing and ignoring the world when I'm by myself :blush:

    @kimny72

    When asked "What will you miss about 2020?" one person responded they will miss having the ability to mute their colleagues.

    :smiley:

    Lol! That is very true!
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,365 Member
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    Italy here. We just had an announcement (last minute) by the government. We're in Lockdown for Christmas-Dec 24th to 27th, then again Dec 29th to Jan 3rd, then again Jan 5th to 7th. All stores, coffee bars, and restaurants are to be closed (we already have had gyms, museums, theaters, sports, etc all closed for 2 months). If you leave your residence you need a permission form downloaded on internet stating your destination and reason. The police will stop and fine anyone noncompliant. No driving anywhere. So, we're trapped in our homes. I've been behind most of the COVID measures in the past, but this time I'm just mad.

    Those date ranges seem a little counterproductive, I'd think that would mean everyone would mob the shops on Dec 28th and Jan 4th whether they needed to or not, just to get out of captivity. At the very least, people will be saving their errands for "legal" days.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    ythannah wrote: »
    Italy here. We just had an announcement (last minute) by the government. We're in Lockdown for Christmas-Dec 24th to 27th, then again Dec 29th to Jan 3rd, then again Jan 5th to 7th. All stores, coffee bars, and restaurants are to be closed (we already have had gyms, museums, theaters, sports, etc all closed for 2 months). If you leave your residence you need a permission form downloaded on internet stating your destination and reason. The police will stop and fine anyone noncompliant. No driving anywhere. So, we're trapped in our homes. I've been behind most of the COVID measures in the past, but this time I'm just mad.

    Those date ranges seem a little counterproductive, I'd think that would mean everyone would mob the shops on Dec 28th and Jan 4th whether they needed to or not, just to get out of captivity. At the very least, people will be saving their errands for "legal" days.

    I suspect the first two (Christmas and New Year) are designed to discourage large gatherings for those events.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    edited December 2020
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    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    ythannah wrote: »
    Italy here. We just had an announcement (last minute) by the government. We're in Lockdown for Christmas-Dec 24th to 27th, then again Dec 29th to Jan 3rd, then again Jan 5th to 7th. All stores, coffee bars, and restaurants are to be closed (we already have had gyms, museums, theaters, sports, etc all closed for 2 months). If you leave your residence you need a permission form downloaded on internet stating your destination and reason. The police will stop and fine anyone noncompliant. No driving anywhere. So, we're trapped in our homes. I've been behind most of the COVID measures in the past, but this time I'm just mad.

    Those date ranges seem a little counterproductive, I'd think that would mean everyone would mob the shops on Dec 28th and Jan 4th whether they needed to or not, just to get out of captivity. At the very least, people will be saving their errands for "legal" days.

    I suspect the first two (Christmas and New Year) are designed to discourage large gatherings for those events.

    I agree with this. Our governor (Minnesota) is opening a few things up, but holding off on others until after the new year. Restaurants are opening today for outside dining only if the temperature is above 27F. Gyms @ 25% capacity or limited to 100 persons in larger gyms. Gatherings limited to 2 families if indoors, 3 families if outdoors. I’m pretty sure it’s to get us through the New Year without any new surge. This is Minnesota. I’ve never heard of people celebrating Christmas or dining outside in the winter. It’s been unseasonably nice here. We got a dusting of snow last night. but, still, JMHO, not warm enough to dine outside or celebrate outside. 🤷🏻‍♀️ No changes in our plans for Christmas or new year’s from months ago. It’s frustrating, but hoping for a better 2021.

    Also, as with most states, an issue of not receiving allotments of the vaccine that were supposed to be here. Looks like it will be a long process.