Coronavirus prep
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My company has not given any required back in the office dates yet. The virus is so rampant in Tx that we have almost 50 people isolating at this point due to contact or other. It's really tough and I feel gratitude that I can WFH and almost a responsibility to be especially careful. I expect my vaccination will be when they start giving them for work or at HEB for regular folks.
As far as masks I have been using the KN95 under a less official but still filtered mask whenever I have to go to the store since things started spiking in Nov. Mostly for the extra protection and also to keep the KN95 outside a little cleaner. I also try to limit the time IN the store to 15 minutes or less. It will be interesting in several years or more to find out exactly what has helped or not helped to limit spread. I think the more we find out the less we find out we know.
517 pages and we are still prepping...
When I looked back at the timeline of the previous pandemic it looked like it took 2 years for things to start returning to "normal". And even tho we have vaccines rolling out I expect we may be in the same timeline. I am encouraged to see a lot of talk online about folks getting first or 2nd shots tho. More so because I also see so many getting sick or having family who is sick. 7 -
What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.3 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
I agree with you, as long as side effects are minimal. 67% is way better than 0%, but, moot point unless approved.2 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).12 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).
Just a thought, can you do curbside pick up?4 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
In the Phase 2 trial, they saw effectiveness continue to rise from the 4 week to the 8 week mark. Phase 3 hasn't been going on for long enough to have enough long term data, so they are only reporting the 4 week numbers. So it's quite possible those numbers will increase as the study continues!
I agree right now I'd rather get one of the mRNA vaccines, but if my choice is get J&J in May or mRNA in September, I'm with you in line for J&J
What's crazy is 67% effectiveness for a vaccine is great, most vaccines in use aren't anywhere near 100% effective. It just goes to show how historic these mRNA vaccines are, 95% is just unheard of.9 -
I thought I saw they weren’t recommending J&J for people 65+. Has anyone else seen this?
A little ways back I was saying gkids in school since Sept, no problems. Well, just found out gson in OK is in quarantine from school exposure.
I think I am usually optimistic, but the vaccine rollout is discouraging. Seems like the chance of getting a shot, now that I am eligible, is the equivalent of winning the lottery.9 -
With respect to N95 masks, here is what I read today:
"...the CDC isn't currently recommending N95 masks for the general public, partly due to a shortage of the masks for health care workers, and also due to concerns that people will tolerate the masks, which can hinder breathing.
"I worry that if we suggest or require that people wear N95's they won't wear them all the time," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the new head of the CDC told CNN's Anderson Cooper and Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in a town hall Wednesday.
"They're very hard to breathe in when you wear them properly," Walensky said. "They're very hard to tolerate when you wear them for long periods of time."
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/health/double-masks-covid-19-wellness-trnd/index.html]\
I had a blood drawn today so I wore a surgical mask and a cloth one on top of it. I had difficult breathing properly and I developed a HA for few hours, so I am glad that the process was short and fast, and that I don't go inside crowded places very often. I do have a N95 mask but I found them very uncomfortable to wear and painful on my face.
I have a N95. It is more comfortable to me than a surgical mask. But I agree it is hard to tolerate for long periods, or to wear when working, working out, or even just walking fairly fast. It also doesn’t fit in my pocket. So I wear it when going into stores, but when I go for a walk, I just stick a surgical mask in my pocket.5 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
In the Phase 2 trial, they saw effectiveness continue to rise from the 4 week to the 8 week mark. Phase 3 hasn't been going on for long enough to have enough long term data, so they are only reporting the 4 week numbers. So it's quite possible those numbers will increase as the study continues!
I agree right now I'd rather get one of the mRNA vaccines, but if my choice is get J&J in May or mRNA in September, I'm with you in line for J&J
What's crazy is 67% effectiveness for a vaccine is great, most vaccines in use aren't anywhere near 100% effective. It just goes to show how historic these mRNA vaccines are, 95% is just unheard of.
Yeah, and I guess we'll be masked up for a long time! Though, at this point, I really don't mind.
@missysippy930 -- they are saying sometime in the next week or so, it should be approved. I hope it's easier to produce.
@RetiredAndLovingIt - don't be too discouraged. I saw, I think it was Pfizer, is working with another drug company to start producing a lot more vaccines. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel -- we're all pretty exhausted, like you, at this point.5 -
RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »I thought I saw they weren’t recommending J&J for people 65+. Has anyone else seen this?
A little ways back I was saying gkids in school since Sept, no problems. Well, just found out gson in OK is in quarantine from school exposure.
I think I am usually optimistic, but the vaccine rollout is discouraging. Seems like the chance of getting a shot, now that I am eligible, is the equivalent of winning the lottery.
It's the Astra-Zeneca vaccine that they are saying to only give to people under 65. I don't know why.1 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
I had read that they are going to do a trial to see if a second dose of the J&J might boost its effectiveness closer to the level of the other two. Everyone was excited about the J&J vaccine, because they had been saying only one dose was needed. That might not end up being the case.3 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
In the Phase 2 trial, they saw effectiveness continue to rise from the 4 week to the 8 week mark. Phase 3 hasn't been going on for long enough to have enough long term data, so they are only reporting the 4 week numbers. So it's quite possible those numbers will increase as the study continues!
I agree right now I'd rather get one of the mRNA vaccines, but if my choice is get J&J in May or mRNA in September, I'm with you in line for J&J
What's crazy is 67% effectiveness for a vaccine is great, most vaccines in use aren't anywhere near 100% effective. It just goes to show how historic these mRNA vaccines are, 95% is just unheard of.
Yeah, and I guess we'll be masked up for a long time! Though, at this point, I really don't mind.
@missysippy930 -- they are saying sometime in the next week or so, it should be approved. I hope it's easier to produce.
@RetiredAndLovingIt - don't be too discouraged. I saw, I think it was Pfizer, is working with another drug company to start producing a lot more vaccines. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel -- we're all pretty exhausted, like you, at this point.
Oh that's another good point! The mRNA vaccines are more labor intensive to produce, so yep J&J has that as an advantage too.
And ITA, there is def a light at the end if the tunnel. Previous pandemics have taken years to get to the spot we're in now. I think it's just frustrating because when the mRNA vaccine trial results dropped it was like this huge moment of relief like "it's over!". But once you take logistics and the fact that nothing goes perfectly into acct, we have to go back to being patient
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Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).
That's a great step for you to wear a mask. Congrats on that. Curbside delivery, like @L1zardQueen said, is a great idea. Would it be too much of a stretch to try to get a KN-95 instead of a cloth mask? With those, you don't need two masks, just one, assuming the quality is good. Personally, I don't find them much worse than a cloth mask. That's what I do wear when I'm shopping at the grocery store (I do all the grocery shopping for my family).5 -
@spiriteagle99 Thanks.. I couldn’t remember which one.0
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FWIW, just for consideration:
Report on NPR station a little while ago (didn't notice whether it was national or state level) says double masking is now a good idea, partly because of the new variants that are more highly contagious. The expert ** they were interviewing suggested a disposable filter-type mask next to the face because of better filtration, cloth mask over that to add layers but especially to keep fit to the face better (fewer, smaller gaps).
** I didn't catch the intro; could've been anything from a science journalist regurgitating info to a high-level epidemiologist/doctor. Don't know, sorry. 😐🤷♀️
Other comments: N95 should still be primarily reserved for health care workers & similar. KN95 are fairly available, but lots of substandard/fake ones on the market (said CDC website has a list of reliable brands). Interviewee said she wouldn't worry about double mask for (say) walking the dog, but a good idea for places like grocery stores
Curious about the bolded because I've heard that many times in the last year, but the hospital I worked at only used surgical masks or PPAP hoods. I've even heard anecdotal stories that hospitals didn't allow nurses to bring in their own higher quality masks.
my understanding is that in the mask hierarchy it goes like this:
1. N95 mask - Filters out 95% of particles, most effective.
2. Surgical Mask - filters out about 50% of particles
3. Cloth Masks - filters out like 10% of particles and is basically worthless...
I am slightly generalizing on the percent's in point 2 and 3..but I can probably dig up the article/study that I read it in.0 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »What does everyone think about the J&J results? If you haven't heard, it's not nearly as effective as Moderna or the Pfizer (both 95%). It's like 67% effective, but keeps 85% from being severe and out of the hospital.
My two cents. I'd take it and wait on Moderna or Pfizer being more widely available. I think they also said the the J&J is only like 50% effective against the S Africa strain.
I had read that they are going to do a trial to see if a second dose of the J&J might boost its effectiveness closer to the level of the other two. Everyone was excited about the J&J vaccine, because they had been saying only one dose was needed. That might not end up being the case.
Besides the one-dose thing, I'd heard that another plus of the J&J vaccine is that it doesn't have the extreme cold storage requirement.
Even at the lower efficacy number, with a one-shot regimen, it would seem like the J&J has the potential to be very useful in an overall global sense. It can potentially be delivered effectively to areas with less infrastructure, and used in populations for which it's much more difficult to reliably carry out a 2-shot, time-sensitive regimen.
What I'd heard is that it's *very* effective in reducing the cases that require hospitalization (to zero or near), which, if true, would be a pretty big deal to recipients, especially if the comparison is waiting longer for a 2-shot, difficult-storage, yet more effective alternative to arrive, in particular areas. Realistically, that difference - not needing hospitalization - seems like it could reduce death risk in remote areas or underserved populations.
*IF* all of that is true, I do see the potential for a arguably-rational distribution strategy that still could be seen as two-tiered and unfair. To put it baldly, if the people who are underserved by health care and hard to reach (homeless, maybe economically disadvantaged, nomadic, whatever) get a less effective vaccine in larger proportions, it may be perpetuating systems that overall disadvantage the already disadvantaged, in some views.
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RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »I thought I saw they weren’t recommending J&J for people 65+. Has anyone else seen this?
A little ways back I was saying gkids in school since Sept, no problems. Well, just found out gson in OK is in quarantine from school exposure.
I think I am usually optimistic, but the vaccine rollout is discouraging. Seems like the chance of getting a shot, now that I am eligible, is the equivalent of winning the lottery.
I hear you. I’m 69, they’re certainly not making it easy to get either of the vaccines. It really is a lottery with limited doses available 🤷🏻♀️5 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »My large US company announced we are extending WFH for those that can from April 1 to July 6 for the earliest return to office date.
We have been working from home since last March and have had no updates on our status. While there is no way I will be going back in office 5 days a week (they redid our work space as 2 floors instead of 3 so there are less spots for employees), it is possible at some point it will be a couple days of the week... or not at all. They supposedly have a policy that they came up with, but have yet to share it even though word of that came out like 6 months ago.
I am worried about the double mask remarks. As many of you know from the start of this, I had issues with masks early on due to anxiety and PTSD. I was able to finally get myself wearing them without panic attacks and working through the issues that caused said panic attacks. There is no way in heck I think I can handle two masks. So now I am all stressed about doing my grocery shopping (which is the only time I really go anywhere except for medical stuff).
If you maintain physical distancing, don't touch your face, and don't spend an extended period of time in the store, any mask you can manage to wear will be a useful part of your risk reduction. Like we say in diet related threads, don't let perfection be the enemy of progress 14 -
Y'all made me curious
I pulled these effectiveness figures from the CDC for reference:
Flu vaccine is typically 40-60% effective
HPV vaccine 86% in teens, 71% in adults
MMR is 93% for measles, 78% for mumps, and 97% for rubella
DTAP is 80-90% initially then drops slowly over time, is around 70% after four years
Chicken pox vaccine is 82%
Shingrix is 90% and stays above 85% for at least 4 years
Pneumonia vaccine is 60-70%
Fun!13 -
FWIW, just for consideration:
Report on NPR station a little while ago (didn't notice whether it was national or state level) says double masking is now a good idea, partly because of the new variants that are more highly contagious. The expert ** they were interviewing suggested a disposable filter-type mask next to the face because of better filtration, cloth mask over that to add layers but especially to keep fit to the face better (fewer, smaller gaps).
** I didn't catch the intro; could've been anything from a science journalist regurgitating info to a high-level epidemiologist/doctor. Don't know, sorry. 😐🤷♀️
Other comments: N95 should still be primarily reserved for health care workers & similar. KN95 are fairly available, but lots of substandard/fake ones on the market (said CDC website has a list of reliable brands). Interviewee said she wouldn't worry about double mask for (say) walking the dog, but a good idea for places like grocery stores
Curious about the bolded because I've heard that many times in the last year, but the hospital I worked at only used surgical masks or PPAP hoods. I've even heard anecdotal stories that hospitals didn't allow nurses to bring in their own higher quality masks.
my understanding is that in the mask hierarchy it goes like this:
1. N95 mask - Filters out 95% of particles, most effective.
2. Surgical Mask - filters out about 50% of particles
3. Cloth Masks - filters out like 10% of particles and is basically worthless...
I am slightly generalizing on the percent's in point 2 and 3..but I can probably dig up the article/study that I read it in.
It depends on the cloth mask - a properly fitting, three layered cloth mask can have comparable effectiveness to an N95. However, a woven, one layer mask doesn’t do much except stop the larger particles emitted by the wearer from traveling as far.10
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