Begonia
Ideal_Rock
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Has Omicron changed your Christmas Plans?
- Thread starter Calliecake
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Admittedly, I am still surprised at the increasing number of people in indoor public places unmasked. I would have expected people going back to being more cautions not the other way. That scares me the most.
But no changes to Chrismas plans. It's my mom, my family and my brother's family. Everyone is vaxed, boosted and have scheduled PCR tests before coming. Some haven't seen my mother for 2 years.
I always take my mom to Atlantic City for New Years and suggested we might want to cancel. But she still wants to go so we will unless there is a surge of people with boosters getting severely ill. (We always wear our KN95's in public spaces and if we need to eat in, do it off hours to avoid crowds)
My mom had all these plans that Covid cancelled that now won't ever materialize because of her brain hemorrhage/stroke. She's 86 so I now am trying to balance quality of remaining life vs the risk of severe illness from Covid.
But no changes to Chrismas plans. It's my mom, my family and my brother's family. Everyone is vaxed, boosted and have scheduled PCR tests before coming. Some haven't seen my mother for 2 years.
I always take my mom to Atlantic City for New Years and suggested we might want to cancel. But she still wants to go so we will unless there is a surge of people with boosters getting severely ill. (We always wear our KN95's in public spaces and if we need to eat in, do it off hours to avoid crowds)
My mom had all these plans that Covid cancelled that now won't ever materialize because of her brain hemorrhage/stroke. She's 86 so I now am trying to balance quality of remaining life vs the risk of severe illness from Covid.
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I think you're a gorgeous person and I would have loved it if you were my Mumma!!!!!
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MamaBee
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Daisys and Diamonds
Super_Ideal_Rock
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I declined this year's holiday party at work.
I can't believe they even had one.
I responded to the email invite with ...
"No thanks. Not yet safe enough for me."
If it affects my job I don't care.
I rather like living and not contributing to the deaths of others.
If others can't recognize that, F 'em.
so far we only have cases of the new starin at the baorder in managered issolation but work cancelled the christmas party at the last minute
im not keen to go down the mall now to get tinsel
most of us are double vaxed and arnt due the boaster for a couple of months yet but at one of our three branches we have antivaxers
Voldemort
Super_Ideal_Rock
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This is also where we are at regarding my mother. She's 77 now & lives alone, so last Christmas was hard on her given she has 4 children & 9 grandchildren that she couldn't see for the first time ever. She had a knee replacement in Aug & is due to have the other one done in March. She very much appreciates that life can be cut short due to the sudden loss of my dad 20 years ago, and so she is insisting we all go to her house for dinner, eat promptly (dining room has huge doors that push back & she has told us to bring coats as the doors will be open) do presents & then head home relatively early. She has dished out the menu for us all to cook & she will cook the turkey, make gravy & stuffing. She is very keen to get us all together.
Like you, it's about balancing risk with needs & emotions. We are all double jabbed & boosted, and have started the rapid home Lateral Flow Tests this morning, which we'll do every day including Christmas day. Thankfully these tests are free & have been readily available here for 12 months now, so every household has plenty of them
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"
Been writing a lot about omicron this month, including the attached story, and getting questions from friends and family. Wanted to share what we've reported and know, if helpful.
First: Omicron is real, and the reports of it being “milder” appear mostly based on the generally mild breakthrough cases in vaccinated and previously infected people.
If you've been vaccinated and boosted, there's reason to expect your omicron infection will lead to minimal symptoms.
If you haven't previously been infected, and you haven't been vaccinated, there's no reason to expect a "mild" case.
Second: Many, many people who are vaccinated or previously infected are going to test positive in the next few weeks, given omicron’s sheer transmissibility and ability to evade antibodies.
Every expert I've interviewed, including some of the nation's top health officials, has adjusted his or her mindset and now is mentally bracing to test positive after spending two years dodging the virus. "Breakthrough" cases are going to be normalized in a hurry, if they aren't already.
To put it very simply, while earlier forms of the virus got stopped at your body's front door if you were "fully vaccinated" or previously infected, omicron can get inside. Still, vaccines and boosters hold the power to defang the worst consequences of omicron and fight off infections. It’s possible that some folks reading this have omicron right now and don’t know it because their immune system is doing such a good job containing the infection and the symptoms are small or non-existent.
Boosters can specifically help by boosting your antibodies back to a level where there are enough of them, like bouncers at a club, to often keep omicron from getting inside.
Underlining that point: boosters are one of the best tools to fend off omicron, per every study so far.
We also have far better testing than in early 2020 — though the U.S. dropped the ball on ensuring access to rapid tests, as anyone hunting for a test now has experienced. There is one monoclonal antibody treatment that appears to still work against omicron, but it's in short supply.
So what does this mean, big-picture view?
Federal officials are bracing for U.S. infections to skyrocket into January 2022, with numbers that could top 500,000 new cases per day. (The previous peak was 250,000 cases per day in January 2021.) Some experts predict daily case rates that could be much higher, because so many vaccinated Americans are going to test positive, although we may not capture all the data from people taking at-home tests.
Even if only a small percentage of those people need hospital care, it will tax a health system that is already straining under pandemic fatigue and treating cases linked to the older delta variant. It's also going to be a psychological blow after the past two years of fighting the pandemic, and businesses, families and others will surely be racing to adjust plans.
Officials hope that the peak of the omicron wave will be over by early February.
The bulk of the pain will be felt by Americans who remain unvaccinated, have had immunity wane from prior vaccines and are yet to get boosted, or are immuno-compromised.
But anyone who swears that omicron will *surely* lead to a mild case in a vaccinated person is over-promising. Again, there's good reason to expect it, but we don’t have the data to know for sure. This variant was only detected a month ago. Researchers are racing to keep up and study it in real-time.
And the picture from overseas isn't always clear, especially because the demographics in southern Africa, where omicron first exploded, don't line up perfectly with the older U.S. population.
We also need to wait and see before rendering a national verdict on omicron, as much as we all want it to be mild. A rise in covid cases is followed days later by a rise in hospitalizations, which is followed days later by a rise in deaths. This has been the consistent pattern for two years.
As a result, the next month in America could rival the worst days of the pandemic, as a sheer wave of cases crashes into our country. Every expert I spoke to is cutting back on scheduled plans, and several urged: don't take risks that could land you in a doctor’s office or hospital emergency room at a moment when demand on our health care system is going to surge.
If you are passing through an airport or train station, you are undoubtedly being exposed to someone with omicron at this point.
As someone who's been boosted and wears an N95 mask in public, I feel like I'm taking the best precautions I can. I'm also exhausted with the pandemic and had started to get back to hobbies like swimming, going to movies, having dinner with friends.
But for me, omicron means I'm going to pause some of those activities, and I'm going to resume double-masking when I'm in public. Even if infections are inevitable, I don't want to help omicron along, especially until we get more data in the coming weeks.
And I don't want to unwittingly get sick and carry an infection to family members this holiday season.
It's been a hard two years, and I understand why so many are so frustrated this week. (I'm frustrated too, personally and professionally; as a reporter, I had a lot of non-covid stories I planned to tell this month.) I hope this post only provides clarity at a confusing time.
Best wishes for a safe holiday season, at a moment when we all could use some joyful news.
Dan Diamond
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Omicron outbreak inducing whiplash for many Americans
Boosters appear to provide good protection, and studies suggest omic
Been writing a lot about omicron this month, including the attached story, and getting questions from friends and family. Wanted to share what we've reported and know, if helpful.
First: Omicron is real, and the reports of it being “milder” appear mostly based on the generally mild breakthrough cases in vaccinated and previously infected people.
If you've been vaccinated and boosted, there's reason to expect your omicron infection will lead to minimal symptoms.
If you haven't previously been infected, and you haven't been vaccinated, there's no reason to expect a "mild" case.
Second: Many, many people who are vaccinated or previously infected are going to test positive in the next few weeks, given omicron’s sheer transmissibility and ability to evade antibodies.
Every expert I've interviewed, including some of the nation's top health officials, has adjusted his or her mindset and now is mentally bracing to test positive after spending two years dodging the virus. "Breakthrough" cases are going to be normalized in a hurry, if they aren't already.
To put it very simply, while earlier forms of the virus got stopped at your body's front door if you were "fully vaccinated" or previously infected, omicron can get inside. Still, vaccines and boosters hold the power to defang the worst consequences of omicron and fight off infections. It’s possible that some folks reading this have omicron right now and don’t know it because their immune system is doing such a good job containing the infection and the symptoms are small or non-existent.
Boosters can specifically help by boosting your antibodies back to a level where there are enough of them, like bouncers at a club, to often keep omicron from getting inside.
Underlining that point: boosters are one of the best tools to fend off omicron, per every study so far.
We also have far better testing than in early 2020 — though the U.S. dropped the ball on ensuring access to rapid tests, as anyone hunting for a test now has experienced. There is one monoclonal antibody treatment that appears to still work against omicron, but it's in short supply.
So what does this mean, big-picture view?
Federal officials are bracing for U.S. infections to skyrocket into January 2022, with numbers that could top 500,000 new cases per day. (The previous peak was 250,000 cases per day in January 2021.) Some experts predict daily case rates that could be much higher, because so many vaccinated Americans are going to test positive, although we may not capture all the data from people taking at-home tests.
Even if only a small percentage of those people need hospital care, it will tax a health system that is already straining under pandemic fatigue and treating cases linked to the older delta variant. It's also going to be a psychological blow after the past two years of fighting the pandemic, and businesses, families and others will surely be racing to adjust plans.
Officials hope that the peak of the omicron wave will be over by early February.
The bulk of the pain will be felt by Americans who remain unvaccinated, have had immunity wane from prior vaccines and are yet to get boosted, or are immuno-compromised.
But anyone who swears that omicron will *surely* lead to a mild case in a vaccinated person is over-promising. Again, there's good reason to expect it, but we don’t have the data to know for sure. This variant was only detected a month ago. Researchers are racing to keep up and study it in real-time.
And the picture from overseas isn't always clear, especially because the demographics in southern Africa, where omicron first exploded, don't line up perfectly with the older U.S. population.
We also need to wait and see before rendering a national verdict on omicron, as much as we all want it to be mild. A rise in covid cases is followed days later by a rise in hospitalizations, which is followed days later by a rise in deaths. This has been the consistent pattern for two years.
As a result, the next month in America could rival the worst days of the pandemic, as a sheer wave of cases crashes into our country. Every expert I spoke to is cutting back on scheduled plans, and several urged: don't take risks that could land you in a doctor’s office or hospital emergency room at a moment when demand on our health care system is going to surge.
If you are passing through an airport or train station, you are undoubtedly being exposed to someone with omicron at this point.
As someone who's been boosted and wears an N95 mask in public, I feel like I'm taking the best precautions I can. I'm also exhausted with the pandemic and had started to get back to hobbies like swimming, going to movies, having dinner with friends.
But for me, omicron means I'm going to pause some of those activities, and I'm going to resume double-masking when I'm in public. Even if infections are inevitable, I don't want to help omicron along, especially until we get more data in the coming weeks.
And I don't want to unwittingly get sick and carry an infection to family members this holiday season.
It's been a hard two years, and I understand why so many are so frustrated this week. (I'm frustrated too, personally and professionally; as a reporter, I had a lot of non-covid stories I planned to tell this month.) I hope this post only provides clarity at a confusing time.
Best wishes for a safe holiday season, at a moment when we all could use some joyful news.
Dan Diamond
WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Omicron outbreak inducing whiplash for many Americans
Boosters appear to provide good protection, and studies suggest omic
People who don't have experience with asthma or breathing issues have no idea how scary it can be. This would be a huge no thanks for me. I enjoy breathing. If anyone else wants to stop, they are free to do so.
Someone i know nearly died last week from the no vaccine/visiting everyone/too stubborn to go to the hospital trifecta. His family dragged him to the hospital where they saved him with a monoclonal antibody infusion. Apparently science is a lot easier to accept when the reaper is rattling your doorknob.
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yes, I will just see my daughter. The original plan was for her to come to my house and then later we'd go to a relatives house where we typically spend Christmas. They are all fully vaccinated, but one works in a hospital and one works in a salon so around a lot of people. I'm staying home and my daughter will go to represent us. Everyone who I know who has gotten Covid in the last few weeks has been vaccinated. Some got fairly sick, others didn't, but I can't afford to get too sick so I'm just not taking any chances.
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Worth posting here FYI
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My goodness. I'm glad family is vaxxed and sending lots of dust for your family for an uneventful surgery.
Its been a series of bad days for Lucky, but not so bad that its time type days. Last week I woke up to her yelping in pain. Thats not her, she's extremely stoic, so that type of yelping means something is really wrong. Xrays are clear of anything that would resemble Osteo. Blood work also exceptionally normal and in greyhound ranges, heart murmur still at a 2, great kidney function. But, she's getting old and we have to respect that fact. She does have increased arthritis (don't we all) and its taking a toll. So we changed pain management and things are looking up. My biggest concern has been the amount of weight lost. She's now 61lbs and really cannot afford to lose any more. The good is that she will eat still. Picky yes but if its the right thing, she will eat it. And these days the food has to be warm (unless its ice cream!)
Amazingly through all this she still takes time to play with her sister but does not allow her sister to cuddle too much (typical). And she does still cuddle with me, which is always a blessing. Yesterday was eVet because while they were playing she took a tumble (normally she will pop right up but not this time!!). She's fine, (though one of my remaining 9 lives are gone...lol) but we're limiting her play time. It will also limit our Christmas beach time.
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Yes, although I was holding off on making any plans until this week anyway, as I wanted to see where Covid was at closer to the big day.
We won't be visiting with anyone inside. We came up with the idea to try to meet up with some family to go sledding. The snow did not quite cooperate though, so I'm not sure that will happen either.
We won't be visiting with anyone inside. We came up with the idea to try to meet up with some family to go sledding. The snow did not quite cooperate though, so I'm not sure that will happen either.
jaysonsmom
Ideal_Rock
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Up until today, no change in plans yet. Our family (4) were going to host my brother's family (4), plus my husband's sister's family (5) and my aunt and uncle for total of 15 people....it was going to be indoors, and everyone cozying around 1 table. Everyone is double vaxed, and about half are boosted.
President Biden will be addressing the country on the Covid surge tomorrow, so plans may change. Doing Christmas dinner outdoors is not an option right now because it is supposed to be cold and rainy Christmas Day....Not sure what we are going to do.
President Biden will be addressing the country on the Covid surge tomorrow, so plans may change. Doing Christmas dinner outdoors is not an option right now because it is supposed to be cold and rainy Christmas Day....Not sure what we are going to do.
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Well, my Cousin’s daughter just called me to ask what i thought: her fiancées mother just tested positive for Covid and her fiancee has 102 fever now and she was over there yesterday (right before all of this happened). They are all triple vaxxed.
She wanted my opinion on if he likely has it (yes) and if she will get it (yes) and when would she test positive (2-3 days). I told her to mask up and go get a couple of binax tests and start testing herself tonight.
i forgot to buy a few packs yesterday at Sam’s, so I’m about to go get some before they sell out. They still had plenty last time I checked…
She wanted my opinion on if he likely has it (yes) and if she will get it (yes) and when would she test positive (2-3 days). I told her to mask up and go get a couple of binax tests and start testing herself tonight.
i forgot to buy a few packs yesterday at Sam’s, so I’m about to go get some before they sell out. They still had plenty last time I checked…
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MamaBee
Super_Ideal_Rock
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My DIL called me crying a few hours ago. A one year old in my grandson Noah’s day care class tested positive. Noah has been having a runny nose all weekend. The boy that tested positive has a brother in the same school that may be in my other grandson’s class. They can’t tell my DIL and son due to privacy issues. OMG.. My son went to pick both boys up from school. They’re going to get them tested..They have to keep them home for ten days. There is no way they will be able to keep the boys separated. I told them I would mask everyone but the 1.5 year old...and do daily antigen tests until they do the PCR. She asked if I would be comfortable with them coming on Friday if the tests are negative. It would be one week from when the boy tested positive. I told her no…That was too short a time frame for me to feel comfortable. We’re older….of course. I feel horrible but we can’t take a chance. She texted me later saying she hoped she didn’t make me feel guilty..that it was better safe than sorry..So…I change my answer to yes..it’s changed. I’m still going to pick up my mom from the nursing home…My oldest son will also come. He will get a PCR test on Tuesday..My husband will get one on Wednesday. They will also get tested by me on Friday and Saturday with the quick antigen tests. David and I will do the antigen tests Friday and Saturday. My mom is getting the antigen test at the home on Friday before she’s picked up. She’ll get another one by me on Saturday. Then we will be hold our breath and hope for the best. I have to continue seeing my mom at the home during all this uncertainty..It’s scary..Covid sucks..
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Better to be ridiculed than possibly dead.
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Fiancee’s BIL just tested positive with no symptoms.
it’s here, y’all. Omicron is here.
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I think the CDC says to test 5-7 days after exposure. I'd have to double check that on their website.
yes, it says 5-7 days after
Last edited:
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“
Denmark has some of the world's best data on the omicron variant, and the country's top epidemiologists say the outlook has never been more dire. Danish disease models show infections spiraling out of control in the coming weeks, marking what one scientist called “the hardest period of the pandemic.” Even in the best-case scenario laid out by Danish experts, the country's daily hospitalizations match last year's peak. In most other forecasts, they climb to unprecedented heights. Scientists expect similar patterns will follow in much of the world. The best hope for now lies in early evidence suggesting omicron might cause less severe illness, but there's still not enough data to know for sure.
In the United States, Anthony S. Fauci said the country could soon see record numbers of infections and hospitalizations. The nation's leading infectious-disease expert described omicron as “extraordinary” in its transmissibility, with a doubling time of two to three days, meaning it will swiftly overtake delta as the dominant variant. For many Americans, a grim sense of déjà vu is setting in. “It feels like 2020 all over again,” one D.C. resident said. “Same vibes,” said a woman in New York, where new cases are shattering previous daily records.
Vaccine booster shots appear to protect against severe illness from omicron, based on the little data we have so far. Moderna's chief executive said Monday that a third dose of the company's vaccine significantly raised antibody levels, offering people “some good level of protection.” Pfizer and its partner BioNTech also recently said boosters of their vaccine are effective against the new variant. But only about 60 million booster doses have been administered in the United States, enough to cover just 30 percent of the fully vaccinated population. Health officials are using increasingly urgent messaging to encourage people to get the additional shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could eventually change its definition of “fully vaccinated” to include boosters, Fauci told CNBC Friday.
Two years into the pandemic, it's still hard to find a coronavirus test. Many Americans spent the weekend scouring stores and websites looking for at-home or laboratory tests only to come up empty-handed. Store shelves were cleared, appointments were booked up. “You feel like you are penalized for doing the right thing,” said one father who struggled to find tests for his sick daughters.
In Washington, the coming omicron wave is rekindling concerns about the U.S. economy. Lawmakers, business leaders and consumer advocates worry that there might not be enough federal aid to shield Americans from another financial blow brought on by rising caseloads. Funding has dried up for key programs meant to keep businesses afloat and help households pay bills. But the White House has expressed confidence that billions of dollars in aid from this year's American Rescue Plan remain available to blunt the variant's impact.
“
Washington Post
December 20, 2021
Denmark has some of the world's best data on the omicron variant, and the country's top epidemiologists say the outlook has never been more dire. Danish disease models show infections spiraling out of control in the coming weeks, marking what one scientist called “the hardest period of the pandemic.” Even in the best-case scenario laid out by Danish experts, the country's daily hospitalizations match last year's peak. In most other forecasts, they climb to unprecedented heights. Scientists expect similar patterns will follow in much of the world. The best hope for now lies in early evidence suggesting omicron might cause less severe illness, but there's still not enough data to know for sure.
In the United States, Anthony S. Fauci said the country could soon see record numbers of infections and hospitalizations. The nation's leading infectious-disease expert described omicron as “extraordinary” in its transmissibility, with a doubling time of two to three days, meaning it will swiftly overtake delta as the dominant variant. For many Americans, a grim sense of déjà vu is setting in. “It feels like 2020 all over again,” one D.C. resident said. “Same vibes,” said a woman in New York, where new cases are shattering previous daily records.
Vaccine booster shots appear to protect against severe illness from omicron, based on the little data we have so far. Moderna's chief executive said Monday that a third dose of the company's vaccine significantly raised antibody levels, offering people “some good level of protection.” Pfizer and its partner BioNTech also recently said boosters of their vaccine are effective against the new variant. But only about 60 million booster doses have been administered in the United States, enough to cover just 30 percent of the fully vaccinated population. Health officials are using increasingly urgent messaging to encourage people to get the additional shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could eventually change its definition of “fully vaccinated” to include boosters, Fauci told CNBC Friday.
Two years into the pandemic, it's still hard to find a coronavirus test. Many Americans spent the weekend scouring stores and websites looking for at-home or laboratory tests only to come up empty-handed. Store shelves were cleared, appointments were booked up. “You feel like you are penalized for doing the right thing,” said one father who struggled to find tests for his sick daughters.
In Washington, the coming omicron wave is rekindling concerns about the U.S. economy. Lawmakers, business leaders and consumer advocates worry that there might not be enough federal aid to shield Americans from another financial blow brought on by rising caseloads. Funding has dried up for key programs meant to keep businesses afloat and help households pay bills. But the White House has expressed confidence that billions of dollars in aid from this year's American Rescue Plan remain available to blunt the variant's impact.
“
Washington Post
December 20, 2021
MamaBee
Super_Ideal_Rock
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My DIL said she just tested the baby with a antigen fast test. He was negative. She will test him again tonight and tomorrow. I don’t know if she is feeling me out about coming on Friday. He was with the positive child in his class on Friday. If he continues to test negative for one week..is that safe? I’m not comfortable but I’m wondering if I’m overreacting. He could still test positive up to two weeks after exposure, right? It would be only one week at that point..I hate to ruin everyone’s Christmas if I’m overreacting.
Past, Present, Future: The Meaning of Three-Stone Engagement Rings
Past, Present, Future: The Meaning of Three-Stone Engagement Rings - 04/14
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