Coronavirus

[AvastMH]

That wretched virus gets everywhere

[Randi]

Governor Dunleavy Urges Alaskans to Practice Common Safety Measures as Hospitals Near Capacity

[AvastMH]

Hadn't thought about the tourism situation there. With the Delta variant running rife, and Alaska being so accessible, it's not going to be a good summer.

[Randi]

They now sell counterfeit masks
How to Buy a Real N95 Mask Online

[Hanibal94]

Anybody else send a face mask through the wash in their pants pocket?

[Randi]

Not yet....

[studentforever]

Ah, was it a disposable or a reusable mask?
I use fabric masks with a disposable filter if I venture into really crowded environments (like trains) so it wouldn't matter too much unless the colours ran.
Haven't tried the disposable ones through a washing machine, I do sometimes have to deal with a forgotten tissue though.

[Randi]

A goofy paper horse became an Australian pandemic sensation. Now he’s going in a museum.

[Michael]

[Randi]

That email asking for proof of vaccination might be a phishing scam

[Michael]

If I put this in a short story, would anyone believe it?

Anti-vaxxers poison themselves by taking cattle deworming drug against covid.

At least one of the side effects isn't autism!

[Randi]

[Randi]

At least one of the side effects isn't autism!

How do you know?

[Michael]

My astrologer told me. She used crystals.

[studentforever]

Talk about confusion. We are now running at over 700 cases per 100,000 locally despite a 90% rate for dose 1 and 80% dose 2 vaccine. OK we have to wear masks on public transport, in shops & healthcare facilities and a few other public spaces, like churches but otherwise it's all open. Football clubs, night clubs, pubs etc all packing them in. When we were running at 300+ all sorts of things were forbidden. No-one has explained what is going on. One theory is that it is increased testing, but since they aren't giving any breakdown of positive tests by age it is difficult to decide whether it is vaccine breakdown, youngsters getting infected or what (only clinically vulnerable 12-16s being offered vaccination and no-one under 12). I've got a staycation booked in England in September and I'm just waiting for Nicola to close the border (I live in Scotland) although most of England has a lower level of infection.

[Randi]

[Michael]

[Hanibal94]

Rates in Germany are rising again - yesterday, the 7-day average passed 10.000!
Saxony is comparatively OK, but Cologne and other Rhineland cities are seeing huge levels. Delta sure is speedy.
Gotta admit: No matter how bad it gets, I'll still be going out to eat and shop and stuff. I've simply had enough of doing the same old, same old all the time, and I am vaccinated with Moderna, which seems to be the most effective against Delta.

Also: Couple days ago, there was an article in my employer's intranet about how they were able to hold an "introduction day" event for new employees in real life, at the office.
I took a look - and immediately noticed that in the photos, NOBODY was wearing a mask or maintaining social distance, even though they were indoors, in the German state with the highest case levels by far!
If I'd been there, I would not have kept quiet about that...

[studentforever]

I know the sort of feelings. Here we have higher rates than those at Christmas, you still see photos of people in night clubs, no masks packed like sardines. It's bad enough when they pack together out of doors but indoors and maskless is plain stupid. There are some advantages in being old and falling apart, temptation is not so great, you just think of your poor feet, ... (supply your own bit of anatomy) and decide to pass up the opportunity. At least for you any infection is likely to be mild and apparently the vaccines also reduce the risk of long covid. We keep being told that our elderly immune systems do not respond as well ...

On Sunday I shall have a new experience, hymn singing through a mask. Fortunately our socially distanced choir can remain mask free so they should drown the worst problems in the pews.

[Randi]

Gotta admit: No matter how bad it gets, I'll still be going out to eat and shop and stuff. I've simply had enough of doing the same old, same old all the time

I know what you mean. About the only changes I have made so far are going to the farmer's market (outdoors) and doing my own grocery shopping rather than having it delivered. Masked in both cases! However, I would hate to give those up
Masks are required at the grocery store, but they are optional at the farmer's market and not too many people are wearing them.
Of course, even this cautious attempt to return to normal is a (very) small part of why covid is thriving