Covid 19 - Thoughts and feelings

[Windfighter]

Over here I think a lot of people are still convinced that wearing a mask will kill you due to the fact that that's what our health department told us when the whole thing started, and then kept saying for like 9 months until they finally admitted that it will only kill you if you don't use it correctly (it took another couple of months before they started telling us how to use them but the recommendations are still pretty much just wash your hands and keep at arm's lenght from people (masks are recommended on the train during rush-hour tho which progress???))
I've started seeing a few masks in the stores tho!

But! Vaccinations are rolling around! I think we may have started vaccinated regular people as well now??? I count as in the risk-group because I'm in LSS (it's some governmental thing for people with certain diagnoses but I don't know exactly what it is) due to my asperger-diagnosis so I got my first shot last month and the second one today! I have pretty supergood immunesystem already so I was a little sad that I got the vaccine before people who have health issues that would not have fared well with covid, but still happy that I got it. I think the latest projections was that everyone that wants to get the vaccine should be done at the end of next month or at least close to that. Lots of people who don't want it tho because it's new and we don't know the sideeffects (understandable) and because "covid is just like a cold so how bad can it be?" (eyeroll)

Not much changed for me due to covid. We weren't allowed at our usual workplaces at work (we have people who live in special needs-housing and therefore we had a lot of restrictions on workplaces) so we had to invent some new things for us to do. The only thing that really changed was I started to wear a mask in stores and on the train (and a breakup with my family but I think that had less to do with covid and more to do with me deciding I was done with the emotional abuse ). I'll... probably keep doing that? It depends on a lot of things, but for now I think I'll keep it up.
I've never really had the problem of people asking me to smile when I'm out, they mostly stare at me and wish I'd smile a bit less You're supposed to be in a sour mood when waiting for the train after all! (somehow I've internalized that I always need to smile anyway tho so y'know *shrugs*)

anyway I'm vaccinated woo! >w< apparently I'm supposed to celebrate this so I guess this counts as the celebration 

[JoB]

Over here I think a lot of people are still convinced that wearing a mask will kill you due to the fact that that's what our health department told us when the whole thing started

Well, sure, that's what masks designed to be worn for an entire shift of physical work in actually particle-saturated environments do all the time. Obviously. [desperately rifles through drawers for a "straight face" mask]

[Sc0ut]

Over here I think a lot of people are still convinced that wearing a mask will kill you due to the fact that that's what our health department told us when the whole thing started, and then kept saying for like 9 months until they finally admitted that it will only kill you if you don't use it correctly (it took another couple of months before they started telling us how to use them but the recommendations are still pretty much just wash your hands and keep at arm's lenght from people (masks are recommended on the train during rush-hour tho which progress???))

They said what??? 

But, congratulations on the vaccine and on putting a stop to your family's abusive behaviour, that's really great to hear

[Windfighter]

well, the more exact quotes were "If you wear a mask you're going to catch covid" and "if you wear a mask your immune system will stop working completely" which in the long run means even a regular cold would most likely kill you 

apparently they said that so people wouldn't go out and use masks the wrong way but you know.... they could have said how to use them instead?

What's done is done and I hope they don't pull that same stunt if this ever happens again but at least sweden is pretty quick with the vaccinations (which obviously is easier for us than a lot of other countries because 1) we have a comparatively small number of inhabitants and b) we're a kinda rich country)

[JoB]

apparently they said that so people wouldn't go out and use masks the wrong way but you know.... they could have said how to use them instead?

And even if there's a part of the populace that they cannot bring up to speed, that's still not a problem unless they a) use up resources (masks) that would be of more use elsewhere and/or b) feel encouraged by wearing a mask (but non-effectively) to get sloppy with other precautionary measures.

Other nations countered a) by allowing the general populace to wear non-certified masks that, if necessary, people could DIY, and upped the requirements only after the production volumes of certified masks had been upped to cover the combined demand.

(Not sure that there's an ultimate solution to b) so far, though, but given that you want people to mostly wear masks from some point on, there might not be a better response than "try training them harder".)

[chucao]

I'm tired of this situation, it really sucks. Since the pandemic started, all the issues my homeland was having before increased: economical, social, political, educarional, cultural and environmental.

Slowly, I'm losing hope on a bright future. Though I'm trying to stay positive on these hard times, because I'm aware that one day everything is going to be alright. We just need to wait for it 😔

[Jitter]

I’m just, you know








Sick and tired of being sick and tired.

[Róisín]

Sympathy, Jitter! Covid-wise things here are not as bad as they might be, probably because folk here have been fairly stringent about masks, handwashing and social distancing, and all the worst outbreaks have been from either interstate truck drivers, stupid tourists or from infections spread from badly managed  ‘hotel quarantine’. But the level of existential angst from people being confined to home is still pretty high. People want to get out and see family and friends, especially as we approach the summer holiday season, and don’t have enough experience with patience, waiting, or coping with less than ideal situations. Still, we go on.

[wavewright62]

We're about a week in to a new system, with vaccine passes required to enable access to hospitality inside their premises. My vaccine pass is not printed out  - a screenshot from the pdf is my new phone background.
Many workplaces now require all their employees to be double-jabbed, including mine, and most of the construction sites we service. One of our number (40 total) has given notice, as he didn't like how he felt after the first jab & refuses to take the 2nd.  The dude is a first responder in his rural volunteer search & rescue team, and can't do that either.
I shrug, the mentality escapes me.

[Opaque]

Honestly, I've been getting angrier about the unvaccinated people who are unnecessarily taking up room in the hospitals. Or maybe that's just me grieving. My uncle was injured a few months ago and every hospital in the area was over capacity so he couldn't get a room. He did manage to see a doctor but there was not much he could do until he could get surgery which wasn't going to happen right away with how full the hospital was. A few days later he had his surgery but it turns out that there was too much damage. Then another few days later he passed away.
Maybe I'm just looking for people to blame for this. Maybe he would have died anyway even if he got surgery right away. I don't know. I just feel bad about this whole thing...

[Róisín]

Quite understandable, Opaque. Several people I know have caught covid while at a hospital for other reasons, which is just awful. And given that my husband has chronic health problems and sometimes has to spend days or weeks in hospital, I can’t help but worry. Here at present all but the worst cases of covid are being asked to isolate at home, because the system is overwhelmed, and testing for travellers and for all except the most obvious symptomatic cases is being scrapped. Helps to keep the case numbers artificially low and business going, at least until too many people start to die. And of course our conservative government has refused to distribute free RATS tests because they don’t want to interfere with commercial sales of the test kits. The hell with public health, mustn’t put the big-donor pharmaceutical industry offside. Our PM has actually said in public that he hasn’t approved distribution of the easy to use at home test kits because “people shouldn’t get used to being given free stuff”. I can see why he is so commonly nicknamed ‘Scummo’.

[Grade E cat]

In France, they stopped making tests free for the non-vaccinated at some point because a negative test was technically enough to go into places and people who didn't want to get vaccinated (alongside people who wanted to and simply didn't manage to do so in time) would instead get tested on a regular basis. People did point out that it risked making the numbers artificially, low, however.

[catbirds]

In France, they stopped making tests free for the non-vaccinated at some point because a negative test was technically enough to go into places and people who didn't want to get vaccinated (alongside people who wanted to and simply didn't manage to do so in time) would instead get tested on a regular basis. People did point out that it risked making the numbers artificially, low, however.

By the first sentence, I'm assuming this means it can be done for a fee? That would also mean it's only possible for people with enough disposable income

[Grade E cat]

It's another problem with doing this that has been pointed out, indeed.

[Yastreb]

And of course our conservative government has refused to distribute free RATS tests because they don’t want to interfere with commercial sales of the test kits. The hell with public health, mustn’t put the big-donor pharmaceutical industry offside. Our PM has actually said in public that he hasn’t approved distribution of the easy to use at home test kits because “people shouldn’t get used to being given free stuff”. I can see why he is so commonly nicknamed ‘Scummo’.

A friend is in self-isolation and can't get a test kit, so I offered to find a pack and drop it off to him. Unfortunately my pharmacy has run out of them; I'll check other pharmacies but I'm less than sanguine about finding any test kits. And to make things worse, as Róisín and Star let me know just today, profiteers are blatantly cashing in.

Businesses mark up rapid antigen tests for profit on Uber Eats as demand soars
Desperate consumers searching for rapid antigen tests can order their kits alongside a burger as restaurants and convenience stores list the in-demand tests for exorbitant prices on delivery platforms.
Businesses in some states have listed RATs for as much as $65 on Uber Eats — in stark contrast to Tasmania, where the state government is providing free testing for those that require them under its rules.
South Australian roadside restaurant The Big Grill Bolivar is known for selling burgers and chips 24/7, but the food stop recently added RATs to its menu. The venue is among the businesses that have capitalised on the high demand for the DIY tests as Omicron cases surge across the country.
Management shared a statement on social media on Tuesday addressing “confusion” surrounding their justification for the prices of the tests. “These are priced in accordance to the current market prices,” it said. “We sell a two pack of rapid antigen tests for $40 in store and we sell a two pack of rapid antigen tests for $50 through our delivery partners, the price increase is due to their exorbitant fees.”
However, this did little to ease frustrations online, with some social media users claiming some businesses are “extorting people in a pandemic”.
Convenience store Crystal Mart Waterloo was on Tuesday selling a two-pack of RATs for $60 on the delivery platform.
Ultra Convenience in Edgeworth was also selling a two-pack on Uber Eats for $42.95, while Ready To Go Convenience in Hurlstone Park was selling two RATs for $65.
Australia’s consumer watchdog on Tuesday warned it would name and shame suppliers following reports of price gouging RATs. “We are seeking information from suppliers about their costs and the current pricing of rapid antigen tests,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. “We are also contacting major retailers and pharmacies seeking similar information and reminding them that they need to be able to substantiate any claims they make to consumers about the reason for higher prices. We won’t be shy to name and shame suppliers and retailers we consider to be doing the wrong thing.”
It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Sunrise on Monday rapid tests would not be rolled out for free to the public, despite COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalisations spiking. “We’re now in a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just go around making everything free. When someone tells you they want to make something free, someone’s always going to pay for it, and it’s going to be you.”[/size]

https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/businesses-mark-up-rapid-antigen-tests-for-profit-on-uber-eats-as-demand-soars--c-5182768