Corona Virus Now Spreading

[mani]

No not here in Australia. We get a few new cases and go into lockdown, and that hasn't happened in a while.
New Zealand is the same. It helps to be so isolated and to have very restricted overseas visitors.

It looks like I might have tempted fate.
A man who was in contact with the one new case Brisbane is keeping an eye on was meant to self-quarantine for 24 hours until he got the result of his test. He chose to have a party for that one night, and has tested positive. We will probably now go into lockdown.
He is not popular.

 

[Micaela227]

I think it is rising everywhere.

It definitely is here in Argentina. November, December and January were pretty quiet, people started hanging out with friends and family more often. But now, even with the vaccines going around (very slowly, though) the numbers are going up again. Everybody says that by April we will probably be in lockdown again. And the cold months are approaching, so yeah, it's not looking good over here. Schools, bars, public transport for everyone and not just essentials, everything will probably be closed.
Is it weird that it doesn't really bother me? I mean, I'm tired of being stuck home, but I kind of forgot how it was before. Going out and taking the bus every day sounds exhausting and dirty, lol.

 

[di and bob]

Yeah, it's funny what we think of as 'normal' now. Everything is back open fully again here in SW Nebraska, and it is weird to see it. I can finally see my mom again in her apartment at the assisted living, just have to wear a mask and goggles to her room. We started watching old reruns of 'Monk' the detective with uncanny detecting powers, who was OCD about cleanliness. It used to be SO funny how he acted around germs, now it seems normal!

 

[Tobermory]

We started watching old reruns of 'Monk'

We binge-watched the entire series last fall and wondered how Monk would have reacted to the pandemic. We decided that he would have spent it in a hazmat suit!

 

[denice]

I had never used hand sanitizer before. I would wash my hands before eating and after using the bathroom. I would also wash them before starting to cook and after handling raw meat. That was pretty much it. I am also now in the habit of using the disinfecting spray on the grocery cart before shopping followed by using hand sanitizer.

 

[susanm9006]

I had never used hand sanitizer before. I would wash my hands before eating and after using the bathroom. I would also wash them before starting to cook and after handling raw meat. That was pretty much it. I am also now in the habit of using the disinfecting spray on the grocery cart before shopping followed by using hand sanitizer.

I really hated the gel sanitizer but I love the alcohol based spray sanitizer. I have a small bottle in my purse, one in the car, a large spray bottle in the kitchen and a couple gallon jugs in the cupboard. It feels good on your hands and you can also use it to spray doors and other high touch areas.

 

[rubysmama]

I had never used hand sanitizer before.

I've been a bit of a germaphobe for a while, and had been carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse ever since they became readily available in stores. Around H1N1 maybe? So though they disappeared off shelves last year, I had enough to last till they finally reappeared.

 

[susanm9006]

I've been a bit of a germaphobe for a while, and had been carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse ever since they became readily available in stores. Around H1N1 maybe? So though they disappeared off shelves last year, I had enough to last till they finally reappeared.

I had a bunch of bottle left from H1N1 but I wasn’t sure how much they would protect me when they were that old. I added alcohol to them but even with that I didn’t trust them and so as soon as I got fresh stuff I tossed them,

 

[rubysmama]

The one bottle I had from pre-covid times, surprisingly hadn't expired. And the bottles I bought last summer/fall have a 2023 expiry date, so they must hold their effectiveness 3-ish years.

 

[KittyFriday]

We binge-watched the entire series last fall and wondered how Monk would have reacted to the pandemic. We decided that he would have spent it in a hazmat suit!

I love Monk. Early on in the pandemic last year they did a Monk "reunion" short where the characters met over Zoom. I think it's on YouTube - it was hilarious.

 

[susanm9006]

I really do love that they give you those sanitizer wipes now to clean your cart at the grocery store. I always grab an extra one and use it to dampen my fingers so I can get those pesky plastic produce bags open.

 

[muffy]

I really do love that they give you those sanitizer wipes now to clean your cart at the grocery store. I always grab an extra one and use it to dampen my fingers so I can get those pesky plastic produce bags open.

I wish every one would do that. I used to gag when I saw people lick their fingers to open the bags and then handle the fresh produce.

 

[Willowy]

Got my first vaccine! The clinic was only doing Pfizer. It was very assembly-line; they really had a flow going. Hope the next appointment goes as smoothly; it'll be open to everyone at that point so it might get crazier.

No side effects yet. I actually hope I get mild side effects at least, if I don't I'll worry that my immune system isn't working up some good immunity :/. But just a little achiness would be fine, thanks.

 

[rubysmama]

Vaccine rollout is still slow here in Canada, so I'm still waiting for my first shot. I had been thinking of going with the AstraZeneca, which I'd be able to get sooner, but with all the uncertainty about it, I now think I'll wait the few weeks longer so I can get either Pfizer or Moderna.

 

[Mr. Meow]

I'd be nervous to get the Johnson and Johnson one after that major screw up that just happened. Up to 15 million doses ruined.

 

[denice]

All of those doses ruined when vaccines are so needed is really bad. I don't know that I would be nervous about that particular vaccine though. It was a major screw up but they had the protocols in place to catch it and they didn't try to cover it up. That kind of shortfall in vaccines would be tough to cover up but it is amazing what people will try to cover up. They didn't try they were completely transparent about it.

 

[Willowy]

Yeah it's good that they released that info at all. I don't think they're required to tell us about it unless a defective product actually goes out, so the transparency is a good sign.

More good news: the Pfizer vaccine has been proven to confer immunity for at least 6 months, and is effective against the South African variant. Probably the other vaccines are too, they just haven't done the tests yet.
Ongoing trial shows Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine remains highly effective after six months

 

[Lari]

Two weeks until I'm vaccinated! Not sure which one, and obviously assuming it's Pfizer or Moderna (don't know what vaccine yet), won't be fully covered yet, but I'll be able to start breathing a bit easier.

 

[Mr. Meow]

Two weeks until I'm vaccinated! Not sure which one, and obviously assuming it's Pfizer or Moderna (don't know what vaccine yet), won't be fully covered yet, but I'll be able to start breathing a bit easier.

There's a neat little way to tell. If your 2nd shot is 3 weeks after your first, it's Pfizer. If it's 4 weeks after, it's Moderna. If you don't have a second one, it's J&J.

 

[Lari]

There's a neat little way to tell. If your 2nd shot is 3 weeks after your first, it's Pfizer. If it's 4 weeks after, it's Moderna. If you don't have a second one, it's J&J.

Oh, I know that. It's through my brother's work and they haven't told him details yet. He was assuming it was Pfizer or Moderna because they started planning the event before J&J was approved, but nothing about when a second event would be yet, so maybe they're doing J&J. I'm happy with any!