Covid....... Interested in people's opinions.

[W109driver]

Is this allowed?

Non-political views please.....
Hearing today that it is unlikely that getting covid will protect you in the long term from re infection.
Meaning any vaccination is unlikely to offer long-term protection.

How do we get through this?
Constant rolling lockdown or just let rip and learn to live with it?
I'm totally split about what is the right direction.

[tamathumper]

Virus gonna virus, response or not.

[OL_ROAD_DAWG]

LET IT RIDE. People with high risk need to protect themselves,both my wife and I included. World needs to keep on trucking.

[Rednaxs60]

Interesting dilemma. What have we done in the past regarding flue season, gone to work, no PPE, send our kids to school (the petri dish) with runny noses and such. Historically, some 9,000 people in Canada succumb to the flu and pneumonia yearly without C-19. The more we remove ourselves from the issue, the greater the risk down the road. Do what you must for yourself, but we live in a democracy, so the choice is/should be yours. We need to get the economies going again. As an aside, had chemo and radiation for throat cancer 6 years ago, but I live in the retirement capital of Canada, Victoria BC. If riding a motorcycle doesn't get me, or the carcinogenic from painting my two Gold Wings, taking up bicycle riding in support of the MRS will. C-19 has to take a number. Time to open up and roll with the punches.

[Viking]

Pretty much just like the flu and flu vaccines. Gotta get em every year if at risk for a poor outcome, like age, diabetes, overweight, smoker, lots of other adverse conditions. Isolating helps till we get a vaccine that really works, and that could be another year to year and a half to happen.

Probably more important for Covid even than for annual flu due to the possible results of Covid.

Also, with the right connections and an unlimited budget for drugs and medical procedures, could get all the available treatments possible to lessen the effects and walk away in four days all cured.

[winguyjo]

those most at risk are the VERY old with pre-existing conditions. at 66 i am getting up there but am as healthy as a horse; i don't think of myself as a potential casualty at all.

to be honest, i sometimes think that we SHOULD just "let 'er rip". does anyone want to be the one to tell those who struggled through the great depression/ww2/korea/viet nam that we are "lettin' 'er rip" ?

tell ya what ... let's poll everyone who is either in long-term care, or over the age of 80 to see whether they think we should let 'er rip or not.

[AZgl1800]

I am 78 and most of the time, very healthy.

but yesterday, it went to the clinic and got a Pneumonia shot, as I have had "walking Pneumonia" twice in my life before this, doctors said that predisposes me to catch it again.... so I got the shot.

Flu shot?
a real Catch 22, it is only about 15% effective, so choose your poison.

I last took one when employed in Government circles and it was not my decision, you just simply got one. they always made me sick..... so, now that I am retired, I have not had a Flu shot in 12 years, and never caught the flu.

I have Six Acres of grass and trees to take care of, I do not leave home unless it is a real necessity, and if I enter a public building, I put on a Mask, for their protection , not mine. when I leave, I go to the wash-room and wash my hands, or at the car I get the jell out and soak my hands.

[W109driver]

Interesting, thoughtful answers.
Aww we I proud of you guys! Lol.

I think that taking personal responsibility is fine except for one clause.
Here in the UK we have a national health service (NHS).
Example...... If 17 million self shielded and 50 million let rip. That 10/20% that would need some form of hospital treatment would totally swamp all hospital capacity.
Meaning all other health concerns would be overwhelmed and resources diverted.

[nwkwinger]

I have found where the CDC says that there's a 99% chance of survival up age 70, and a 95% chance of survival over 70. NYU's Grossman School of Medicine says that about 80% of people who get Covid 19 don't need any type of extra treatment. I know a guy who's in his later 50's, smokes heavily, has a bad heart and lungs who caught it. The only way that he knew it was because his cardiologist told him that he had it. He was completely symptom free. Other than his age, he's one in most of the high risk categories. I don't see how this is anything that resembles being scary and is certainly not worth shutting anything down. It's a virus. It's not going away. You could live in a sterile bubble for 10 years and still get it after you come out. I feel that we just have to deal with it.

[kwthom]

<...>
Hearing today that it is unlikely that getting covid will protect you in the long term from re infection.
Meaning any vaccination is unlikely to offer long-term protection.

People tend to have short memories...

Very early on, once confirmed that the COVID-19 illness was caused by a coronavirus, a few scientists out there were a bit crushed with the discovery.

Many types of colds and other respiratory illness we've been exposed to over the millennia are *also* coronaviruses. Over time, our bodies have learned to cope with exposure to them. Now, most healthy humans do build a bit of immunity, so the next exposure a decade later may not have you on your butt for a week.

So, we jump forward to what your initial reference was - scientists there in the U.K. are confirming what had only been speculated as a possible outcome. It's possible to get re-exposed to COVID and to potentially get sick again.

The initial shut-down was a stop-gap measure by scientists and governments to give us all a chance on figuring out what we're dealing with. Seven months later, and with another spike of infections getting ready to hit the northern hemisphere, we are better able to treat those that are worse off with the illness.

Influenza inoculations are a 'best guess' and have been for decades, simply because of the time it takes to brew up a few hundred million doses of medication. COVID-19 might possibly end up in a similar situation. If you have to get a shot every three years for the rest of your life to minimize exposure to COVID-19 - if that turns out to be the short-term fix...worth it?

For some, yes. For others...maybe not.

EDIT: Still seems like our best defenses are (*) mask wearing where appropriate (*) social distancing (*) frequent, proper hand washing.

Let's note the amount of change with influenza this season. If it's lower, one would think those three COVID mitigations are valid *and* they also mitigate colds and flu.

[W109driver]

Well all of the UK is following France and Spain back into Lockdown.
Forecasts predict our hospitals will be overwhelmed in 3 weeks if nothing extra is done.
Schools, work and food shopping allowed, everything else shutdown.

[brettchallenger]

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[W109driver]

We're gonna have to rename you..... DoomedChallenger! Ohhhh hold on...

[kwthom]

Quite a change in just a short amount of time - four months - hasn't it?

Interesting perspective from the current U.S. head honcho on vaccine distribution:

https://www.cbs.com/shows/60_minutes/video/

300 million vaccines delivered by June?

(yes, you do have to turn your ad-block off, or you can find the video elsewhere)

[RockportDave]

Looks like we’re opening Texas 3/10/21.
Washing hands is always a good idea.
Wearing masks IMO is a crap shoot. Most people are pulling them up/down constantly and most viruses we pick up from touching things (door handles, products at stores, etc.) and the constant grabbing the mask is constant hands in face.
I’ve had 1 flu shot in my life, 1975 swine flu. Got deathly ill for a few days, so I opted to not take any more flu shots.
Had the flu late December 2019 and nurse asked if I had the flu shot. Told her no and she said probably wouldn’t have helped, they are the strains of the previous year. They tested and came up flu B very quick.
Haven’t decided about the C-19 shot yet. Leaning towards not getting it.
We have been blessed. Haven’t missed a day of work and everyone is staying healthy.
Hope everyone stays safe and healthy in their own way.
Dave

[Big Bob]

I'm in my young 60's, medically challenged. I have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, both are fairly well maintained. I get a yearly flu shot, it doesn't stop me from getting the flu every year, but it's been over 10 years since I had a really bad bout of the flu. I wear a mask, maintain social distancing at work and when I go out, shopping, etc. So far it's working I plan on getting the covid vaccine when it becomes available. I would like to return to vacationing sometime soon, but we are fortunate that we have a cabin on a lake to spend time at.

Bob

[DenverWinger]

I'm 63, usually get flu shot every year, rarely if ever sick and if I do come down with something the effects are usually gone the next day.

Deb got COVID in November (she works in health care), we took precautions here at home keeping distant from each other for two weeks (I work at home since last Feb), but due to proximity and COVID being airborne I have to assume I had it too, and was lucky enough to be asymptomatic. She wasn't so lucky, lost taste and smell a while, and her energy was shot a couple months.

That said, I'm in no rush to get vaccinated, but it has also been said the natural immunity starts to fade after some months, so when it is convenient for me to go get a vaccine without waiting in line for hours, probably late spring I likely will do that to re-establish immunity. I don't expect it to be any different from a flu shot where your arm is sore and you feel a little crummy the next day.

[brettchallenger]

so when it is convenient for me to go get a vaccine without waiting in line for hours

I was vaccinated against C19 a couple of weeks ago, it was a refreshing experience. I had to drive 35 miles to the vaccine centre after booking it online, and arrived 10 minutes early. I was vaccinated and sat back in my car before my actual appointment time had elapsed. I take every vaccine offered to me. Never been ill with any of them.

I am not really convinced about face coverings except when in close proximity with others in confined spaces. I suspect most transmission occurs in the family home anyway. I recall a few months ago, a newspaper article praising the Czech Republic for having contained C19 by their zealous use and policing of mask wearing (these ex-communist countries can never fully throw off their police state credentials); this week there is a report about how bad C19 is in the Czech Republic and that their hospitals are overwhelmed.

[AZgl1800]

I am 78 come Sunday.

I am afraid of the vaccine for Covid....
I have read all of the pro, and the con news releases.

my son at 46 is going to avoid taking the shot, he too is really worried about the RNA factor, and what effects that will have on our body in a year or 3?

at some employers, we had to take the flu shots, they always made me sick.
the years I did not take the flu shots, I did not get sick.

I'm lucky in that we have six acres of ground to isolate us from the other neighbors...
If, I go to a store, I wear a mask to make "them" feel good.
IMO, the masks are a joke, they do not seal your face period..... more air escapes around them, than goes thru them.

I'm just going to ride it out.

[brettchallenger]

I am afraid of the vaccine for Covid....

Go for a recombinant vaccine. Though whichever one you get I am sure you will be fine. You don't want to be going down with Covid-19 at 78 yrs. But it's your choice of course and I wish you well and good health.

[OldguyGlen]

I'm 79 and a half (I like to emphasize the "half'... makes my grandkids laugh).
I wear the mask when I have to. I've been socializing with family and known friends all year. Kids and grandkids all have jobs, some in grocery stores. I do NOT consider myself a vulnerable person. A lot of people my age are couch potatoes, and get winded going to the refrigerator. And isolation is aggravating that condition to the detriment of many older folks. I am strong, active and fit for my age. I did get a flu shot 'cause I didn't want to get the "regular" flu and have everyone assume it's covid and expect me to isolate 2 weeks. My daughter is in the pharmaceuticals industry and advises me to wait on the vaccine. I don't think I'm running much of a risk even if I do get covid, so why rely on an unproven (long term) vaccine. I am not an anti-vaccine type, so I might get one later on, but not yet.
Ordinary precautions around strangers is a good idea, but I don't want to give up living, just to maybe avoid a couple weeks feeling poorly.

[tamathumper]

Or in new mother terminology, you're only 954 months old. Pretty soon you'll be wearing 960-month-sized onesies.

[OldguyGlen]

Tamathumper... Thanks for the mental "imagery". Those elastic waist jumpsuits (the 960-month onesies) some of the "elderly" wear are embarrassing. I'd rather wear a hospital gown in public... maybe one gown in the front, and one on the rear. Good reasons to stay fit enough to wear the riding gear. Gonna hit 60 degrees here in Minnesota next week. Maybe I should polish up the Wing. And No, I don't wear a mask under the helmet.

[Solo So Long]

The lady I hope to share a ride down PCH with got the vaccine about 6 weeks ago. She had some minor reaction, that eventually got better.

Last week, she tested positive, and is quarantined at home for another several days. No symptoms.

Myself, I'm not really going to worry about a virus with a 99.6% survival rate, which 98.9% of victims only know they caught because someone stuck a stick a foot and a half up their noses.

Let's get some perspective -- the virus is a lot less of a risk to us than is simply riding down the highway.

[OldguyGlen]

She was vaccinated and yet tested positive 5 wks later ??? And no symptoms !
My honest "guess" (that I personally believe, but your mileage may vary) is she got a "false positive" on this last test. False positives are very common, and I believe are the answer to most "asymptomatic" cases of Covid.