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Lipk Jan 7, 2023

@augieray @remindme in 2 hours

RemindMe Bot 🤖Jan 7, 2023

@Lipk your reminder for https://mastodon.social/@augieray/109647674514722397 is set at January 7th, 2023 @ 15:09 Europe/Amsterdam!

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RemindMe Bot 🤖Jan 7, 2023

@Lipk here is your reminder for https://mastodon.social/@augieray/109647674514722397.

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Idealistic Pragmatist

Jan 7, 2023

@augieray and add to the first one: “if you have had COVID, there is a real chance you already have some of this damage without realizing it (even if you’re otherwise young and healthy), and being infected again could make it worse”

@IPEdmonton True (of course)!

laurey19 Jan 7, 2023

@augieray Masking here. Following the local trends via the wastewater levels of virus. I’ll unmask in public spaces when (if?) those ever get back to low.

Lee Jan 7, 2023

@augieray
I thought cv19 was over when McDonald's open up their playgrounds in their restaurants

Helchose Jan 7, 2023

@augieray This is exactly what my wife's doc told her, since she is immunocompromised after 2 bouts with cancer when she was younger.

I caught COVID while away visiting with family and I recovered before I came home--and she stayed home because of that very risk. My experience was a mild, if uncomfortable, short illness which lasted 3 days and tapered off. My wife can't get COVID for fear of going into long COVID situation.

Nancy Jan 7, 2023

@augieray
I had a relatively mild case of Omicron COVID this summer. I took Pavloxid as soon as I tested positive. While the acute illness lasted 2 weeks, I later developed post/long COVID symptoms for another 2 months. That included a thrush-like "COVID tongue" and nasty brain fog. The brain fog caused me to make serious mistakes at work, which I'm still correcting. It also made my asthma worse. I waited the required 3 months post infection and got the latest booster shot.
Wear your masks!

@ngaines I hope you're fully recovered, Nancy!

Nancy Jan 8, 2023

@augieray
I'm recovered, but need to use my inhaler more often.

midwesterner 🦬Jan 7, 2023

Would not be surprised if covid kills 1,000,000,000 before 2030

@midwesterner I certainly hope that's not the case. That would be a considerable acceleration of the deaths in the first three years. I do worry about a more lethal variant and about the lingering damage of repeated COVID infections, but I wouldn't expect the mortality to be that horrifying. Nonetheless, I wish people were being more careful!

Melody Cooper Jan 7, 2023

@augieray this is so important to remember. So many people I know who’ve gotten mild Covid treat it as if it’s not that big a thing because they haven’t been hospitalized, and they act like they’ve dodged a bullet. But I keep looking at them, puzzled because it seems as if they’ve never heard of long Covid.

Bethby Jan 7, 2023

@augieray I'm masking up.

hester Jan 7, 2023

@augieray Thank you. After all 5 vaccines / booster I got Covid. It was mild, not annoying and 4 months later am dealing with the sequelae of insomnia. Covid is no joke.

Deb Thuman Jan 7, 2023

@augieray As much as I hate wearing a mask, it looks like I'm going to have to if I want to attend services at my temple. Plus, when I went off cymbalta, I had brain fog that mimicked dementia. Never again! Long covid scares the snot out of me.

Stark Jan 7, 2023

@augieray I permanently lost my smell and taste, and now everything leaves this horrible diesel taste in my mouth, after 2 years. I hate eating and don't wish this on anyone.

@Stark9837 I'm very sorry. I hope it improves.

Lee Jan 7, 2023

@augieray I truly hope the US continues to fund long COVID research. It will become a major part of American health trends.

OtisTheZombie Jan 7, 2023

@augieray Makes sense why Republicans don’t care about it… no brains and certainly no hearts.

Deirdre Jan 7, 2023

@augieray I always felt we "modern" people would use every technology we could to make our lives better - even if it was just simple distancing and handwashing, in the case of covid. Even with all our education and tools, we act in complete ignorance. It's not just covid, though - there is such great tech available to make life better for everyone, but so many are indifferent.

Ned Wilcox Jan 7, 2023

@augieray Good info. Unfortunately there is a boatload of ignorant folks in these United States. 90% are not masking--even on airplanes, busses, grocery stores... I don't know what the answer is. Folks seem bent on sleepwalking into the abyss.

Rich 🔶UK #RejoinEU Jan 7, 2023

@augieray one of these in every classroom would help

Annette Licitra Jan 7, 2023

@augieray My pulmonologist thanked me for postponing my appointment because I have Covid. He said patients with Covid have actually snuck into his office, endangering everyone there, even though he readily does telehealth and phone calls. Let’s all act like responsible adults, for goodness’ sake.

Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE Jan 7, 2023

@augieray I think I've known all those for quite a while now ... and like you, I wish everybody else did too.

Perspective Jan 7, 2023

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/belgium-imposes-ventilation-rules-for-businesses-to-combat-new-covid-surge-1.4612101

From July 2021:

"Across Belgium public venues from restaurants to swimming pools are being fitted with sensors that display how much air [CO2] customers are sharing with others in an attempt to combat further surges of Covid-19 into the autumn and winter."

That's world class leadership!

For governments to NOT require safety measures to protect the population is a clear indication of the value they place on the people they supposedly represent.

Belgium imposes ventilation rules for businesses to combat new Covid surge

Carbon dioxide monitors must be on public display so customers can see level of fresh air

The Irish Times

geraldz Jan 8, 2023

@augieray I’m still Covid-free. Wear a mask when possible. If I can’t wear a mask (meeting with food, etc) I’ll spray my nose before and after with a Xylitol product; then nasal flush when I get home (netipot)

Tofu Golem Jan 8, 2023

@augieray
Sorry, but the short-term profits of large corporations are more important than preserving human life.

@augieray ok but what does it mean in every day life ? Especially for the youngsters: considering others as possible threat. Reduced social interaction. Wearing mask and not seing faces. Terrible for people who need to read on lips. Do we know the side effects of wearing constant masks? What about personal relationship and sex for people who are not living together? How young people can develop sexual life?

@clarinette It's not that you don't raise valid questions, but I find it annoying when people ask these sorts of "what it" questions without data to counter the very real, immediate, and known risks of illness, disability and death presented by COVID. It's like someone saying seatbelts work, and without any data or info, someone else says, "but what about wrinkles on clothes or the risk a seatbelt might trap you in a burning car?" Maybe we should worry first about the pandemic killing millions?

@augieray I have presented the official figures published by the UK gov on side effects of COVID vaccins. I am not a scientific. I have lost trust on the industry long ago. I have around me 2 cases of stroke with no predisposition. One being my mother with 4 jabs. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-reactions

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines adverse reactions

A report covering adverse reactions to approved COVID-19 vaccines

GOV.UK

@augieray I am not an anti vax before you’d accused me. COVID would not have killed so many if our health system could cope with. Have you seen any high level politician with access to cure, having strong illness caused by COVID? Many had the virus and went back to work after one or 2 weeks. Do they have access to a cure? When I had COVID they would not even record my case.

@clarinette I'm really not sure what you're suggesting. We know the vaccine works and that the tiny risks associated with the vaccine are worth the protection it provides. And we have seen politicians, the famous and the wealthy die from COVID. Certainly, the privileged get better access to care, but since most people aren't privileged, that only makes the vaccines that much more important, doesn't it?

@augieray again I am not a scientist. Are you a doctor? Where do you bring your absolute knowledge? I relayed information by a cardiologist in UK. https://twitter.com/clarinette02/status/1611924414446051329?s=46&t=mRGrfirV3gexJP8OTAvEuQ

COMPLIANCE 🌈 Privacy Advocate on Twitter

“UK official reports of COVID vaccins side effects recorded. My own mother, no excess weight. Usually healthy+her close friend had stroke https://t.co/NJ9W2IK5L3”

Twitter

@augieray and these are official side effects published by the UK Gov. It happens that around me as I mentioned two recent cases of stroke came after 4 vaccinations. I have no proof of direct correlation. I have seen throughout my life several medical scandals initially denied. Toledomid, blood transfusion HIV, mediator, Lactalis just to site a few https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-reactions

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines adverse reactions

A report covering adverse reactions to approved COVID-19 vaccines

GOV.UK

@clarinette Still not sure what you're arguing. If you're suggesting the vaccines are dangerous, please keep in mind that 13.19 billion doses have been administered globally. Of course we're going to see some side effects in a vaccine that blankets the world almost twice over.

Karsten™️Jan 8, 2023

@augieray I always mask in public. Here's why:

It's easy

It's fun

When I don't, I get permanently disabled

I was ridiculously cautious the First Year of Covid. I figured the dystopian future I always read about is finally here, killer plague and all. So Ihad fun with it. I made elaborate masks and bought a bidet.

The Second Year of Covid I was up at midnight the first day vaccines were available like I was buying a new PS5. When Delta hit, we went back to masks - n95s this time.

The Third Year of Covid my work made me go to Las Vegas for a huge conference. I wore a mask except while eating dinner. But many people didn't, and I still caught Covid. Luckily, I had a very mild case.

The Fourth Year of Covid is upon us, and that mild case six months ago became Long Covid that makes my lungs seize up if I run a few feet. I wear a mask because if I catch Covid again, it will get worse. My nurse sister-in-law has had Covid 3 times already.

There is no "back to normal." This is the New Normal.

Kudra

Jan 8, 2023

@karstenbondy @augieray

One thing I wish people posting lists of things they wish people realised about covid, would add to their list:

#Novavax and other protein subunit vaccines appear to be MUCH more efficacious and potentially sterilising. If people going on about masking and protecting people with improved ventilation would also start spreading this just as important information, it would SAVE LIVES . So few people even those who are talking about covid, are aware of this, most never even reply when I point this out - really? This is likely a real way out of the pandemic and you just ignore it?? Cuba hasn't had a covid death since August 2022!

@kudra @karstenbondy I'm no expert. I only track the data and studies more than most. But even Novavax didn't find their vaccine to be sterilizing in it's studies. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/novavax-covid-vaccine

And my understanding is that Cuba has it's own vaccine: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(22)00183-1/fulltext

Novavax's COVID-19 Vaccine: Your Questions Answered

The Novavax vaccine is one of three vaccines that are FDA-approved in the United States for the prevention of COVID-19. Yale Medicine answers commonly asked questions about the shot.

Yale Medicine

https://donford.substack.com/p/the-benefits-of-novavax-explained

Kudra

Jan 8, 2023

@augieray @karstenbondy no, it is not sterilising with two doses as noted in the link you post. But it is looking like it does create sterilising immunity with *3* doses. While Cuba has several vaccines, the two most prominent are both protein subunit (Abdala and Soberana-2) and they have vaccinated something like 90% of their population *over 2 yo* with these vaccines. And that's why they have virtually no covid.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/cuba/

It is possible, and in fact even likely, that they will see an uptick in cases, and we may all need annual boosters - but Novavax are already in clinical trials for annual booster flu vax combination. If the world at large gets that rather than mRNA (which wanes too quickly), we probably will see covid become a disease largely controlled, like measles or polio.

I am at this stage very confident that the world is going to look back at this stage of history with sadness because a great deal of suffering and death could have been avoided if mRNA had not dominated earlier - but not really much difference to the other diseases which caused huge mortality before vaccination, a lot due to PVS, especially measles - we now know that much of the damage caused by measles was to the immune system, which wiped out immune memory for other diseases.

The benefits of Novavax explained.

Answering the big question, does Novavax create sterilizing immunity?

The People's Strategist

Lincoln Jan 8, 2023

@augieray and get your god damn bivalent booster! the percent of GOP-fearing liberals I know that aren't up to date on their shots is absurd. no excuse for it, they're available at like every pharmacy.

Alexey Merz Jan 8, 2023

@lincolns @augieray THIS. RIGHT HERE. Your mask won’t help you if you are infected.

Hilary Allanson Jan 8, 2023

ニルス・スキニール Jan 8, 2023

@augieray
And quite possibly cancers

@Skirnir Yes, I've seen some research that suggests that's possible, but we're a long way from knowing that. Alas, by the time we do know for sure, it'll be too late.

@augieray
And there is not much one can do about it.

Even the draconian measures in China did not eliminate the virus, so they gave up.

Sweden never really tried elimination. We did not use masks and excess mortality here is lower than in most countries.

@pietkuip You are correct excess mortality isn''t much higher in Sweden than elsewhere, however, Sweden's death rate from COVID certainly is much higher than most comparable nations: https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2020-03-01..latest&facet=none&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&Metric=Confirmed+deaths&Interval=Cumulative&Relative+to+Population=true&Color+by+test+positivity=false&country=USA~GBR~CAN~DEU~ITA~IND~OWID_WRL~SWE~FIN~NOR

Draconian measures in China never would've eliminated COVID, but it did control it. China's mistake was not using the time it bought to implement better longer-lasting solutions.

COVID-19 Data Explorer

Explore global data on COVID-19.

Our World in Data

@augieray
That graph shows that Sweden's cumulative death rate from covid is comparable to Germany (where masks are still mandatory in trains). And lower than UK, US and Italy.

Higher than "world" but that just means that Sweden was testing better than the global average.

So what do you suggest Sweden and other countries should do?

@pietkuip Comparing any nation's COVID outcome to the US's is a tell of your bias, as is ignoring how Sweden compares to neighboring Norway & Finland. What I suggest:

- Masks in public places/mass transit
- Alter activities as infection rate/COVID in wastewater rises/falls
- Keep up to date on vaccines
- New rules on ventilation/filtration for fresh air in public spaces

None of it is perfect, but we don't need perfect. We need to reduce infections, disabilities & mutation.

@augieray
But in reality, what _measures_ do you propose?

What masks (cloth, paper, sophisticated filters)? How would you enforce masks? Fines?

How would you keep people up to date on vaccines? Forcibly? Or "just" threaten to get them fired if they don't comply?

And do you really have damned good evidence that those measures have an effect?

@pietkuip I think, like many who prefer to argue than to encourage safety, the focus on enforcement is a strawman argument. We need to start by having leaders and public health people do their jobs. We start by elevating mask advisories, promoting the risks, and not pretending the pandemic is over. We can accomplish a lot with the right information and guidance. It doesn't all need to be rules and punishment.

@augieray
"Promoting the risks" translates as trying to scare people, I guess.

That won't work, many people have had it now and know from their own experience that they recovered.

@pietkuip I will stop arguing with you, but I'd point out that once leaders and public health agencies stopped raising concerns, people got lax. In fact, a recent survey in the US found most Americans would welcome a mask mandate. People KNOW what they should do, but they don't want to appear panicky by acting alone. The first step is info and to help overcome social stigma associated with masking. The alternative? Millions of deaths and billions of disabilities worldwide.

@augieray
Ah, you are talking "mask mandate" again.

And you did not answer my question about what kind of mask (paper, textile, advanced filters).

You also dodged the question how to enforce such a mandate.

Jedigal007 Jan 8, 2023

True patriots get fully vaccinated and wear masks in crowded spaces not because they care only about themselves, but because they care about others too.