Jump to content

Covid-19 #38: As the Worm Turns


Fragile Bird

Recommended Posts

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/09/hospital-staff-must-swear-off-tylenol-tums-to-get-religious-vaccine-exemption/

A hospital system in Arkansas is making it a bit more difficult for staff to receive a religious exemption from its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The hospital is now requiring staff to also swear off extremely common medicines, such as Tylenol, Tums, and even Preparation H, to get the exemption.

Quote

 

Apparently people are claiming that the fetal cell lines used to develop the Covid vaccines violate their religious beliefs, so the hospital is requiring them to attest that they also avoid other medications developed the same way, including Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, aspirin, Tums, Lipitor, Senokot, Motrin, ibuprofen, Maalox, Ex-Lax, Benadryl, Sudafed, albuterol, Preparation H, MMR vaccine, Claritin, Zoloft, Prilosec OTC, and azithromycin.

The intent of the form is twofold, Troup says. First, the hospital wants to ensure that staff members are sincere in their stated beliefs, he said, and second, it wants to "educate staff who might have requested an exemption without understanding the full scope of how fetal cells are used in testing and development in common medicines."

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why the fuck can anyone get a religious exemption from vaccines? What the fuck is wrong with that bloody country? Unless on purely medical ground, no exemption should be considered acceptable in any self-respecting sensible society.

 

5 hours ago, Zorral said:

Alas, I think they're merely going to be fined.  But then Bolsanaro has publicly proclaimed his refusal to obey either US or NY regs as to vaccination and masking as he arrives to take his triumphant place at the UN General Assembly.  So, then. :crying:

Bolsonaro isn't that young, unvaccinated, and not in perfect health. I say, there's still hope there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Clueless Northman said:

Why the fuck can anyone get a religious exemption from vaccines? What the fuck is wrong with that bloody country? Unless on purely medical ground, no exemption should be considered acceptable in any self-respecting sensible society.

"God made the virus, man made the vaccine. Clearly God wants me to get the former, not the latter."

It's science. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From Bro --

Quote

This week, after the Biden mandate on COVID vaccinations for government workers and contractors, our company is instituting mandatory vaccinations whether on site or not.  If you can’t prove your vaccinated, the penalty is termination due to the government requirements.  If they are working off site, folks have until mid-November to get vaccinated.  I’m sure this will cause a lot of consternation as there are lot of non-vaccination folks at work.  We could find some folks may walk away due to this issue.  Fortunately, all the folks that work for me are already vaccinated.  The next few months could have a lot turmoil.  Of course, all the folks already vaccinated are all for the requirement.  The non-vaccinated, are very much against the requirement.

 And here we are folks.  People who are vaccinated are for being vaccinated. Those who aren't, aren't.  It isn't about education, persuasion, facts or anything else now and hasn't been for a long time.  Send the vax refusniks to a Coventry where they won't infect the rest of us, and take up all the oxygen -- literally.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

"God made the virus, man made the vaccine. Clearly God wants me to get the former, not the latter."

It's science. 

A young woman I work with won't get the vaccine because of the excuse, "If it's my time to die, then that's God's decision".

Even though I'm an atheist, I can't help but think of that joke I first heard on BoJack Horseman.

I can't remember it word for word, so I'll have to paraphrase a bit.

 

There was a religious man who lived by the river. One day the religious man hears on his radio, "Get to safety! The river is going to flood!" But the religious man thinks, "No need, God will save me"

The next day the river floods and water rises up to the religious man's knees. Someone comes along in a boat and tells the religious man, "Get on my boat! I will take you to safety!" The religious man says, "No need, God will save me"

The next day the river rises more, forcing the religious man onto his roof. A helicopter comes by and the pilot yells, "Get on, I will take you to safety!" The religious man replies, "No need, God will save me"

The next day the river rises further and the religious man drowns.

 At heaven's gate the religious man yells at God, "Why did I drown? I thought you would save me!"

God looks at the religious man in shock and replies, "What the fuck are you doing here? I sent a radio warning, a boat, and a helicopter to save you!"

 

If you believe there is a God that can decide you will die of a virus, shouldn't you also believe that the same God is behind a vaccine for that virus?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

After everything, I am truly shocked that I haven’t yet caught the virus. I would probably know if I had because my close contacts would be sick, even if I were asymptomatic. I’d like to note that my close contacts all take the same risks I do, because we are right along side each other at the restaurants, the boxing matches, the spa, the airports. (Actually, they knowingly take a higher risk, given their risk profiles.)

My close contacts are “65 with uncontrolled high blood pressure and heart issues” (Peebs) and “obese with possible other health risks” (my best friend). Also, my obese and 60+ year old colleagues, separately.

We are all vaccinated, Peebs has had a third Moderna shot on doctor’s orders, so maybe we have all been asymptomatic? That would be statistically unlikely, though.

ETA - I’m NOT trying to downplay the virus; rather, pointing out the capriciousness of it.

Confirmed cases are still about what? 40,000,000? Out of over 300,000,000?

It's very possible you haven't had it yet.

Or if you have had the virus, it's also very possible you were asymptomatic, along with all of your close contacts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally some fragments of good news out of Alberta. I guess the announcement of vaccine "don't-call-them-passports", a quasi-lockdown, and no more ICU beds sufficiently scared the shit out of people. 

The latest data on the Alberta health website indicates a substantial spike in the number of doses administered on 16-September. They have also added 3rd-dose data to the chart. 

28,158 doses administered, with 16,231 of those being 1st doses. For context, 15-September 1st doses totaled 5,682, and that was the highest single day peak since early June.  2nd doses also saw a significant bump with 8,550, which is roughly double the previous 7 day average.

One day isn't enough to equal a trend, but if we can keep up numbers like that for a while, that's extremely good news.

80.1% of 12+ population has received at least one dose (68.1% total population)

71.8% of 12+ population fully vaccinated (61% total population)

(Alberta lags the national average by 5-10 percentage points in those categories)

12-19 year olds have crossed 70% with a 1st dose. 20-29 year olds are close behind.

A total of 42,745 3rd doses have been administered since the end of August.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

Given the health status of my close contacts, I would find it wildly unlikely that they would also be asymptomatic. Frankly, at least one of them (Peebs) would be extremely unlikely to do well if he caught it.

I’m just thinking we’ve all avoided it, so far.

Or the vaccine is working exactly as intended!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally I'm not sure if I avoided it.

I started testing myself on a regular basis after self tests became available at the local pharmacy and never tested positive (never had symptoms just a better safe than sorry thing) but my antibody test after I got the vaccines was a bit higher than expected (at least above the values for double vaccinated people I found online). Not a big thing but maybe I should have gotten an antibody test before the vaccines (for reasons of curiosity).

100% social distancing was not possible because I work with a huge number of fuckwads who only kept their distance if you went confrontational at a regular basis.

I still know nobody here in Austria who got it who followed strict social distancing, masked and did not give a shit when the government eased restrictions. All people who claimed otherwise actually lived with careless people or did not social distance at work. This is not about blaming people but many people actually think that they are social distancing when they are not. I was never able to do it completely because of work and would not claim otherwise.

Edit: I'm not properly social distancing at all in some private situations since two weeks after I got both doses and I would not be surprised if I test positive (I still test myself regularly). I still demand it at work because while I'm willing to risk things for quality time with friends and family the job is not a place I'm willing to risk things mainly because of the huge number of completely untrustworthy and unvaccinated people there(official tests are worthless in Austria because you can upload self tests into the system except for Vienna which is controlled by the opposition which is led by an MD and not a far right populist like our chancellor).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, A True Kaniggit said:

A young woman I work with won't get the vaccine because of the excuse, "If it's my time to die, then that's God's decision".

Even though I'm an atheist, I can't help but think of that joke I first heard on BoJack Horseman.

I can't remember it word for word, so I'll have to paraphrase a bit.

If you believe there is a God that can decide you will die of a virus, shouldn't you also believe that the same God is behind a vaccine for that virus?

Exactly.
Besides, I don't think bozos who consider God to be a cheat card that allows them to do dumb shit have more than very basic religious or theological knowledge. God isn't there to save them when they act fucking dumb, God is there to help them when they do things right yet still are in trouble. I mean, FFS, Jesus himself chose not to act stupid when tempted and didn't jump from a cliff, even though he knew he would be saved, because wasting God's goodwill in ludicrous endeavour is fucking nuts and should only piss him (or it, or her) off.

I'm glad I didn't need to point this out to my evangelical co-worker or to his wife; they were a bit late to get vaxxed but are bloody glad they did it and are growingly pissed off at their anti-vaxx conspiracy loon acquaintances.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh brother the Gawd wants it this way arguments. They are really the flipside of the Devil made me do it excuses.

In that World we are expected use mental gymnastics to explain why anyone would be responsible for anything at all when Gawd and the Devil are calling all these shots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A friend got his booster.  He advises do NOT get booster and flu shot at the same time.  He's been just flattened and his arm is so sore he can't move it.  This has been going on for about 5 days.

Just anecdotal, but thought I'd pass this along.  He and wife got their shots the moment in January there were shots to get for people with 'special needs' such as immuno-compromised.  I don't know what their special thing was -- other than where they live the vaccine was right there being administered in local synagogue, so they were right there, at the head of the line.  Why not? when the community for which it was being targeted refused to show up?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, A True Kaniggit said:

A young woman I work with won't get the vaccine because of the excuse, "If it's my time to die, then that's God's decision".

 

2 hours ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

Oh brother the Gawd wants it this way arguments. They are really the flipside of the Devil made me do it excuses.

In that World we are expected use mental gymnastics to explain why anyone would be responsible for anything at all when Gawd and the Devil are calling all these shots.

Just tell her that if God's will can be defeated with 30 micrograms of some junk a bunch of clowns cooked up in a lab, either it ain't "God's will" or she ain't talking to God.

Then ask if you can have her stuff if she kicks off. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210916173428.htm

COVID-19 virus is evolving to get better at becoming airborne, new study shows
Study suggests need for better ventilation and tight-fitting masks, in addition to widespread vaccination to help stop spread of the virus
Date:
September 16, 2021
Source:
University of Maryland
Summary:
A new study finds that SARS-CoV-2 is evolving toward more efficient aerosol generation, and loose-fitting masks provide significant but only modest source control. Until vaccination rates are very high, continued layered controls, including improved ventilation, increased filtration, UV air sanitation, and tight-fitting masks are critical to protect people in public-facing jobs and indoor spaces, researchers urge.

Results of a new study led by the University of Maryland School of Public Health show that people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 exhale infectious virus in their breath -- and those infected with the Alpha variant (the dominant strain circulating at the time this study was conducted) put 43 to 100 times more virus into the air than people infected with the original strains of the virus. The researchers also found that loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks reduced the amount of virus that gets into the air around infected people by about half. The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. . . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, we've been living with Alpha for 6 to 11 months depending on the place. Now, pretty much all of them are living with Delta; would be nice to know if Delta is even better airborne or not. It it's not, it wouldn't be as much of a big deal.

Then, at the end of the day, there's a limit to how far a virus can evolve, for instance physical limitations to how effective the spike can be. I mean, no virus can keep mutating and gain +3 reproduction rate every single time, at some point this will stabilize.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The benefits of having a fully vaccinated family: being able to get together to celebrate my grandfather's 90th birthday. :)

However, the downside is far too many Minnesotans don't like sunny weather and for the second year in a row the family croquet tournament was cancelled. :tantrum:

So that makes me the three year reigning champ, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...