Coronavirus prep

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  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited March 2022
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    FWIW, as others are saying or implying: I was out and about in stores and such today, and it looks like people are still masking up in about the same numbers as before the recent guidance changes. (We didn't have a full mandate here, though, so there was already some individual discretion in nearly all but health care scenarios.)

    My experience was different. We did have a full mandate, and where I am (the specific areas I am mostly in in my deep blue city), the mandate was pretty well followed -- I'd see maybe one person not wearing a mask on the L, everyone was masked in a store normally, everyone at church consistently, and if anyone walked in my building lobby or gym without one, they would be required to put one on.

    Our mandate is only gone as of this past Monday, and since then -- certainly by Friday/this weekend -- I'd say the numbers wearing them have dropped down quite a bit. It has ranged from about 50% with them (they are still required on public transit, so I'm not including that) to 0% (I didn't see anyone at my gym in one). Based on when they dropped them for a short while in the summer, I expect that number to decrease over the near short term.

    I'm totally fine with this (I actually find people bemoaning the awfulness of people not wearing masks when they are not required by the law/particular establishment to be irritating -- not saying anyone here is doing it, but it's something I've run into), and I am not wearing them unless they are required (which they still are some places) or I'm with someone who is uncomfortable without them (and generally not since those people whom I know are also largely avoiding public in-person stuff still).

    The people in these places, given the area (the vax rate in my city varies quite a bit by neighborhood/zip) are also extremely likely to be vaxxed (the gym in question has a vax requirement and I know a number of businesses in my office building also do, and so on).
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Back to the antigen testing topic, my first government test order delivery took 3 weeks. A friend alerted me 2 days ago that second orders are available for addresses that already received one order. I ordered and it's out for delivery today. USPS is definitely doing something different with distribution, at least in my city.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    I know the drug companies are continuing to work on figuring out vaccine dosages for children under 5, and I know they're feeling urgency about that. I wonder if it's feeling extra urgent now, with disease incidence in the population starting to trend down a bit?

    As I recall, one factor (among many) in initial vaccine development being able to happen fast was that Covid was so widespread that accumulating evidence of effectiveness against controls was faster than in diseases that are not very common to start with; especially since there was a desire to avoid challenge trials (i.e., exposing people deliberately) given how serious Covid can be for some individuals.

    Presumably, if our contagion levels in the population drop materially (inarguably a good thing!), it will take longer to collect enough data to validate vaccine effectiveness in children (not a great thing).
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    I didn't really do anything different when the pandemic hit. I still did most of my "crap" food shopping online at Walmart and Target and then made weekly jaunts to Trader Joe's and Vons for refrigerated/frozen/produce and any "crap" foods with a good sale items (Hello, 5 packages at one time of smoreos! You didn't last long, didja?!) .
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    The_Enginerd wrote: »
    I never did curbside grocery shopping. I buy a significant amount of fresh produce and I like to see what I'm buying. Also, it's easier to work out alternates when I can see what is in and not in stock right then.

    Ditto re produce. And their idea of an acceptable substitute might end up being too high in sodium or too low in protein or otherwise not my idea of acceptable.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Seeing many more people without masks now, I'm just curious as to area's numbers of Covid cases and deaths. I haven't kept up but have things improved that much?
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Seeing many more people without masks now, I'm just curious as to area's numbers of Covid cases and deaths. I haven't kept up but have things improved that much?

    In most areas, yes, it has improved that much. But it depends on where you are...there are still hotspots. For in the U.S., here's a county-by-county map from the CDC...
    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Is anyone else planning to continue (permanently, for now) anything you started doing during the pandemic, that you didn't do previously? I was thinking about this, this morning.

    I'll probably keep buying milk a few cartons at a time, instead of just one, and freezing them: I think it reduces grocery trip frequency, so reduces gas use a tiny bit, as well as requiring less time. Probably ditto for lemon/lime wedges I like in my morning iced matcha, which I can cut up then freeze rather than keeping a smaller number of the fresh fruits on hand.

    This is all "luxury trivia" of privilege, though. I admittedly - so far, fingers crossed - have a pretty pleasant, uncomplicated life, including (speaking relative to others) during the pandemic.

    It makes me wonder, though, if others have stumbled over convenient or happy life changes that are worth continuing.

    I plan to continue working from home as much as possible. I have been going into the office throughout, lock downs affected how much time I spent at the office, but we were never locked out completely. I don't ever plan on going back to the office 5 days a week - right now I am doing 2 in the office and 3 at home which works well for me.

    Other than that nothing much changed for me. We isolated at the very beginning out of fear of health care capacity if we got sick, but we have been vaccinated for close to a year now. Since we got our vaccines the only restrictions we have followed are those that were mandated - as soon as restaurants opened we went back to dining in, when stores opened we went back to shopping in person, since gatherings were allowed we have family/friend get togethers. Took a little local trip which included hotel stay earlier this month. Pretty much back to my regular life. Was planning a vacation in January which Omicron ruined - now I can't go until May (because of work) - but plan on taking one then. I rarely even thing about Covid anymore.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Seeing many more people without masks now, I'm just curious as to area's numbers of Covid cases and deaths. I haven't kept up but have things improved that much?

    In most areas, yes, it has improved that much. But it depends on where you are...there are still hotspots. For in the U.S., here's a county-by-county map from the CDC...
    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html

    Thanks for that :) We're in a medium level.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    edited March 2022
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Seeing many more people without masks now, I'm just curious as to area's numbers of Covid cases and deaths. I haven't kept up but have things improved that much?

    In most areas, yes, it has improved that much. But it depends on where you are...there are still hotspots. For in the U.S., here's a county-by-county map from the CDC...
    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html

    The CDC currently has my county and all surrounding areas in the Low category.

    The cases were low and continuing to drop rapidly here when the mask mandate was lifted, and cases has continued to drop. Masking seems to average around 50% right now the several times I've gone to the grocery store this week. I kept wearing a mask the first week after the mandate was lifted and kept an eye out on our case numbers. They continue to drop rapidly, so at this point, it feels safe to stop for day to day life.
  • oocdc2
    oocdc2 Posts: 1,361 Member
    Couple of thoughts:

    1. No more "Disagree" button, which was a big issue on this thread and others. I'm glad it's gone.
    2. I work in state government, and they just relaxed the mask mandates and health surveys for employees starting today. Employees only have to be masked if they have been exposed to COVID per CDC protocols. Testing for unvaccinated employees continues.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    oocdc2 wrote: »
    Couple of thoughts:

    1. No more "Disagree" button, which was a big issue on this thread and others. I'm glad it's gone.
    2. I work in state government, and they just relaxed the mask mandates and health surveys for employees starting today. Employees only have to be masked if they have been exposed to COVID per CDC protocols. Testing for unvaccinated employees continues.

    I need the disagree button for this. :p
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited March 2022
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    Seeing many more people without masks now, I'm just curious as to area's numbers of Covid cases and deaths. I haven't kept up but have things improved that much?

    My state is pretty much back to pre-pandemic overall hospitalization levels and COVID deaths are way, way down to almost be non-existent. Tracking new cases is pretty much meaningless at this point...there have been a ton of them since December but it's like trying to count the number of new cases of the common cold. My state saw the brunt of it in January and numbers have fallen off substantially over the last couple of months...which is either attributable to declining new cases or people just going about their lives and no longer testing every time they have a sniffle...probably a combination of both.

    My state lifted all COVID related mandates, including mask requirements. We were pretty heavy mask compliant here, and I hardly see anyone with a mask on these days. I had a dentist appointment this morning and took one with me because I wasn't sure...but they weren't even required there except by employees.

    According the the CDC, most of my state is Green

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