COVID-19

[ulukinatme]

Damm that's heartbreaking to read ulukinatme.

My wife is a front line worker. We've been debating whether or not she should get vaccinated because we also just found out she's expecting our first. We wanted to wait until our first doc appointment to ask her opinion. Before we were even able to land on a decision it turns out she caught covid.

Can't say it didn't cross my mind that autism or some other unforeseen medical challenge could come from the vaccine or covid itself. Even if everything I've read on the subject logically should reassure me.

Stay strong brother. Sounds like you're doing all the right things. I hope if I ever find myself in a similar situation I have the strength to deal with it the way you have.

My wife is a nurse too, but not on the front line in a hospital. She used to do assisted living, but just recently she moved to a small clinic nearby for a shorter drive. Now it's COVID tests all day for her, so she definitely gets exposed more often than her previous job. They'll have 15 or more positive cases in a day right now. I'm sorry to hear your wife was infected, I pray for her speedy recovery and for your unborn.

Knowing what I know now I probably wouldn't have done much of anything differently with my son. He still would have been absolutely vaccinated, but I probably would have gone with a slightly delayed schedule as we did with my 3rd child. Studies have shown regression only occurs 10% of the time after they're past age 3. Other than that, I have no regrets. They always say early intervention is important, but it doesn't necessarily mean victories either. We took my son to his doctor early with questions and they seemed to think he was on target for normal development despite his regression. We went back after six months or so later to a different doctor and got a completely different diagnosis, then immediately put him into speech and occupational therapies. That crap is expensive...and unfortunately he hasn't gotten anything really out of it in the years since to be honest. I can't say we didn't at least try, so there's no what if's. Last year his speech therapist swore he was close to a breakthrough, but since then nothing has changed and so we're going to quit throwing money at the issue for now. It just feels like we've been strung along for this long, paying $50 or more for half hour sessions just feels like insanity when there's no real progress over the years. So, while they say early intervention is important, people shouldn't look at that as a guarantee either. Still, you have to do it if you're in that situation.

It is what it is though. Every kid is different, that's why I count my blessings he's not worse off. You never know what can trigger him or what he'll enjoy. He somehow does incredibly well in sports bars with all the background noise, but Chuck E. Cheese with it's bells and noisy games has proven to be a problem on 2 out of 3 trips (The other visit was awesome, no idea why). He absolutely loves the water, to a point we have to be extra diligent up at Lake Erie at my grandparent's cottage because he will sneak off the second your back is turned. We've found he hates being at the front of stores with automatic doors, because to him all doors must be shut at home or away and if the automatic doors are constantly opening and staying open it drives him crazy for whatever reason. It makes you want to avoid public places all together to avoid these kinds of stimulants, but then you take a chance and take him horseback riding near Gatlinburg only to find out he absolutely loves it and he giggles for an entire hour straight. Boggles the mind.

The good outweighs the bad though, even if the bad can be incredibly frustrating and mentally break you down at times. When he's happy, which I said is most of the time, he has a sweet personality that just wants to be squeezed (sort of like compression therapy but with hugs) and tickled. Most of the students in his Abilities First class are fairly verbal and neurotypical in some way outside of some social ticks, but his teacher says she wishes she had a whole class of Landons because of his personality. When he gets giggly for no reason it can be infectious and those are moments you enjoy.

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[NorthDakota]

God bless you and that boy.

 

[Legacy]

God bless you and your family. Every time you post, I think of your family and the joy and love you have and challenges you may face. Nice to see his face. Thank you for sharing.

 

[tussin]

#3 here, sort of...I should say first that all my children are up to date on vaccines though, so I don't want anyone giving me shit on that front. I do have a child that is on the lower end of the spectrum but not the most severe. He's still in diapers at 8 and can only repeat a handful of words, but only when they're spoken to him first. He never really speaks on his own. Makes diagnosing what is bothering him on a daily basis very difficult. The basic things like hunger or thirst are easy enough, but when those needs are met and he's still upset and there's no obvious triggers around you begin second guessing, "Do I need to make a trip to the ER again? Could be nothing, but what if it's serious?" You don't know, could just be a headache, could be a bowel blockage, could be an ear infection, could be absolutely nothing because they can't tell you otherwise. It can be a weekly thing, and it really breaks you after awhile. If we had more answers it would maybe alleviate that frustration a bit. The long and short of it is he was progressing normally and could speak in short sentences up until he was about 2. Literally within a week of getting a round of shots he just started to regress quickly and began picking up little quirks like spinning and ordering his toys in lines.

Could it all be a coincidence? Quite possibly, sure. I'm not an anti-vaxer by any means, as I said all my children are up to date. It's hard not to consider the possibility though when science has given us no clear causes yet. It makes you second guess everything when you have whistle blowers like Snowden that tell you how the government lies to us. Makes you wonder things like if big pharm has paid off people to keep things hush hush so they don't lose that income. I'm not a real conspiracy theorist, I don't push that stuff out like it's the truth. Still, I'm just not willing to discount the possibility there could be a connection given my own experience.

I truly empathize with your struggle and I'm happy you have found peace and joy through the challenges. I have a cousin that is 15 years old and still non-verbal, his Mom has told me the exact same story with the same general attitude towards the debate as you.

They've read all the science on the issue and know it's not an accepted theory, but they can only speak to their experience with their child as parents.

 

[IrishRazor82]

God bless you Ulukinatme and thank you for sharing.

 

[IrishLax]

Repasting this question.

People probably aren't answering it because it would be just as easy for you to Google. All of the conjecture about MMR goes back to a single UK study from 1998. That's what suggested the link between MMR and Autism, and also put forward that stuff about MMR crossing the BBB. The "study" had a sample size of 12 children. People tried to recreate the results of the study with actual clinical trials, and no one has ever produced the same results. After the findings were disproven, the paper was retracted.... and then it turns out that the guy who wrote it was a paid shill of the anti-vaxxers. Like I said, there is almost always an ulterior motive for these "professionals" pushing the narrative.

Anyways, fast forward 20 years and we're still talking about this. The idea that vaccines cross the BBB is usually attributed to the mercury... but they don't have methylmercury, they have ethylmercury. And ethylmercury can't do that. I have no idea what you mean by "nano-particles" that are "intentionally" put in the vaccine to help it cross the BBB but I would guess it's total hogwash.

 

[IrishLax]

Or #3, they are a parent with a severely autistic child that is desperate and searching for answers.

Regarding COVID, my wife literally wrote the Pfizer / NEJM study on the vaccine. It's one of the most effective vaccines ever developed -- a true medical miracle -- and there is no reason not to take it. I could see a rationale for someone young and healthy in the medical field declining it if they were somehow able to reassign their dose to someone in an at-risk population group, but that's not the case. Unfortunately, we are seeing the effects of months (if not years more broadly) of COVID vaccine misinformation rear it's ugly head with this rollout.

Yes, good point. I was referring strictly to "professionals" who push this stuff.

My wife has a friend from work who had a child develop autism shortly after getting vaccinated. She now gets all of the vaccines for her other children without preservatives. When explaining why she said "all the science says vaccines are safe and that there is no link, but if I have the option of getting them without a bunch of extra shit in them I'm going to". There are a lot of people who for a lot of different reasons simply cannot shake the feeling that there is something wrong or risky or dangerous vaccines, and until they prove what does cause autism I don't see that changing.

 

[NDohio]

My wife is a nurse too, but not on the front line in a hospital. She used to do assisted living, but just recently she moved to a small clinic nearby for a shorter drive. Now it's COVID tests all day for her, so she definitely gets exposed more often than her previous job. They'll have 15 or more positive cases in a day right now. I'm sorry to hear your wife was infected, I pray for her speedy recovery and for your unborn.

Knowing what I know now I probably wouldn't have done much of anything differently with my son. He still would have been absolutely vaccinated, but I probably would have gone with a slightly delayed schedule as we did with my 3rd child. Studies have shown regression only occurs 10% of the time after they're past age 3. Other than that, I have no regrets. They always say early intervention is important, but it doesn't necessarily mean victories either. We took my son to his doctor early with questions and they seemed to think he was on target for normal development despite his regression. We went back after six months or so later to a different doctor and got a completely different diagnosis, then immediately put him into speech and occupational therapies. That crap is expensive...and unfortunately he hasn't gotten anything really out of it in the years since to be honest. I can't say we didn't at least try, so there's no what if's. Last year his speech therapist swore he was close to a breakthrough, but since then nothing has changed and so we're going to quit throwing money at the issue for now. It just feels like we've been strung along for this long, paying $50 or more for half hour sessions just feels like insanity when there's no real progress over the years. So, while they say early intervention is important, people shouldn't look at that as a guarantee either. Still, you have to do it if you're in that situation.

Just curious - have you tried hippotherapy?

https://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/

I am a board member of a charity that specializes in helping fund children like yours go to hippotherapy. Our primary partner in your area is a place called Triangle Therapy in Eaton, OH. If you are at all interested in learning more about it, let me know.

 

[NDLS_USMC]

When he gets giggly for no reason it can be infectious and those are moments you enjoy.

Really got a smile out of that video! Super cute kid. Thanks for posting.

Have to say, I've always liked your comments and knowing a bit about your family and the strength you're bringing daily...Big Respect, Brother. Keep the love flowing. Your son helped me have a great day today.

 

[TorontoGold]

Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine

Thanks for sharing, I can only really understand the the abstract lol (been awhile since reading an actual paper/study). 95% efficacy is insane from what I know about vaccines, truly the product of having the best and brightest working on these.

I think what we know from yesterday is;

1.Uluk is father of the year.
2. Tussin's wife is a genius

 

[Irishize]

#3 here, sort of...I should say first that all my children are up to date on vaccines though, so I don't want anyone giving me shit on that front. I do have a child that is on the lower end of the spectrum but not the most severe. He's still in diapers at 8 and can only repeat a handful of words, but only when they're spoken to him first. He never really speaks on his own. Makes diagnosing what is bothering him on a daily basis very difficult. The basic things like hunger or thirst are easy enough, but when those needs are met and he's still upset and there's no obvious triggers around you begin second guessing, "Do I need to make a trip to the ER again? Could be nothing, but what if it's serious?" You don't know, could just be a headache, could be a bowel blockage, could be an ear infection, could be absolutely nothing because they can't tell you otherwise. It can be a weekly thing, and it really breaks you after awhile. If we had more answers it would maybe alleviate that frustration a bit. The long and short of it is he was progressing normally and could speak in short sentences up until he was about 2. Literally within a week of getting a round of shots he just started to regress quickly and began picking up little quirks like spinning and ordering his toys in lines.

Could it all be a coincidence? Quite possibly, sure. I'm not an anti-vaxer by any means, as I said all my children are up to date. It's hard not to consider the possibility though when science has given us no clear causes yet. It makes you second guess everything when you have whistle blowers like Snowden that tell you how the government lies to us. Makes you wonder things like if big pharm has paid off people to keep things hush hush so they don't lose that income. I'm not a real conspiracy theorist, I don't push that stuff out like it's the truth. Still, I'm just not willing to discount the possibility there could be a connection given my own experience.

That said, most days I consider myself blessed. He's a happy guy most of the time and he doesn't really hurt himself. There are certainly kids that are worse off, I've seen some in his Abilities First class. I've seen kids that are far better off too though. I see parents in Autism support groups that say shit like, "I wouldn't change my kid for the world." Really? Well, lucky fucking you then, because I would give the world for my boy to be able to tell me what's troubling him, or to say how he's feeling, or something as simple as, "I love you, daddy." He can say it with a hug or a smile, but you'd be surprised how much words can carry weight when you take them away. I'd love to be able to go into a store or take him for a haircut and not have people look at you like you raised a monster. People will even come up and tell you that you're a horrible parent, or to "Get your kid under control." Every once in awhile someone will come along and give an encouraging word, and those moments make the difference.

I was quite on board the train that Autism was probably genetically linked because my wife has two cousins on the spectrum, and then two weeks ago one of my sister's twins was diagnosed and we had no previous history in my family before my son. Now I'm on the fence once more...both my son and her twins were problem births, were they affected as a result of that? Is it genetics? Is it dietary? Is it something else? Just lots of questions with no real answers. The one fact we do know is Autism is on the rise with no clear indication of what causes it and we lack the funds/support to take care of these individuals once the parents pass on. There will have to be a much greater number of group homes and other support structures in place in the coming years to accommodate this growing demographic. We've already been mentally grooming our daughter since age 6 to be his caretaker once we pass on, and while she loves her brother and will always take care of him it's a scary thought that it will one day be her burden too.

Sorry if this was long winded. Like I said, I'm no anti-vaxer. My experience was likely all coincidental. Still, with so many questions and so few answers...given my situation and how it all went down...it feels somewhat condescending when people berate those that question the possible side effects. People with no experience with Autism, who don't have to deal with the daily stress, and who didn't personally participate in any Autism related studies/testing will tell you you're an awful person when you just want answers. I believe in vaccines and I believe in science, I just don't trust the government to give us the full story.

Much respect for you & your wife. Thank you for sharing as I cannot imagine the roller coaster of emotions the two of you have to navigate. I do see the frustration in friends & folks like yourself who go through this w/ the feeling to remind most that they’re not “anti-vaxxers” b/c they don’t want to be condescended to by some pseudo-intellectual who hasn’t shared your experience. I pray you get answers to all the questions surrounding your sweet son. Thanks again for sharing.

 

[Old Man Mike]

To GATTACA: I've never heard that joke so italics would definitely have been necessary. So, OK I guess to all of that (in the spirit of collegiality.) I am apparently out of touch with what passes for modern humor --- the imagery of the joke seems too crude and ugly to be funny to me. But people find barfing (and worse) funny, so I'll never get up to modern speed.

I recall the sy-fy writer Harlan Ellison remarking how he sat in a theatre watching a horror movie when the evil guy whacked the head off his next victim. He was nearly shattered by the audience response to this as their roaring laughter escalated to the roof as the camera for many seconds focused on the severed head bouncing and rolling down the street. He said that he just about lost faith in humanity or at least a big part of it, as he experienced that overwhelmingly violence-loving utterly unempathic manic outburst.

I just can't get from something stupidly childishly "violent" like the three stooges (at whom I laugh) to ugliness and grossness (which for me includes staring into old persons' underwear --- to phrase it mildly) and onto worse. The poet laureate of the United States (during the 1970s) was asked about modern creativity. He balked at that. Most of this, he said, was "grossness masquerading as creativity." He viewed that trend as a degeneration of the culture.

 

[ulukinatme]

Don't have much time for a lengthy response at the moment, but want to say you guys are all awesome. The replies and reps we're both unexpected and touching. Know they are very appreciated. I'll be sure to share with my wife too. Sorry if the thread got hijacked on a tangent a bit.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

Don't have much time for a lengthy response at the moment, but want to say you guys are all awesome. The replies and reps we're both unexpected and touching. Know they are very appreciated. I'll be sure to share with my wife too. Sorry if the thread got hijacked on a tangent a bit.

God bless you guys and your beautiful son.

 

[Legacy]

States ranked by percentage of COVID-19 vaccines administered: Jan. 14
Updated 11 hours ago (Becker Hospital Review)

Top 3
West Virginia
North Dakota
South Dakota

Providence closes a hospital unit after major COVID-19 outbreak infects 49 (Oregonlive)

Providence Health & Services has shut down a unit of its Northeast Portland hospital after a major COVID-19 outbreak that has led to 49 staffers and patients contracting the virus.

The outbreak, the largest to date at a metro-area hospital in the Portland area, is believed to have begun around Dec. 20 and was centered in the hospital’s 4-k unit. That is not a a COVID unit, but rather treats patients who are stable but in need of ongoing, intense care, like stroke and traumatic brain injury victims. (Cont)

Providence, a multibillion-dollar operation, only tests its healthcare workers when they are exhibiting symptoms.

Queen’s Medical Center changing policies after second COVID cluster (Star Advertiser)

Hopefully with the vaccine rollouts to HC workers these instances will decrease the chances that the transmission will come from them.

 

[ulukinatme]

Just following up on my unintentional thread derailment here. I've given out too much rep in the last 24 hours, but I'll hit everyone soon that I haven't responded to yet.

Just curious - have you tried hippotherapy?

https://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/

I am a board member of a charity that specializes in helping fund children like yours go to hippotherapy. Our primary partner in your area is a place called Triangle Therapy in Eaton, OH. If you are at all interested in learning more about it, let me know.

I have not. Given how much he really enjoyed horseback riding when he was 5 this could be a really cool thing. As mentioned on a trip to Gatlinburg around 2017 my wife got the itch to go riding and Landon absolutely loved it (I just wrote out an account here because a funny story about my other son is included: https://www.irishenvy.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2231923&postcount=660). Needless to say, hippotherapy sounds like something he might really enjoy. Eaton is a bit of a drive for us, but we've tried a number of different methods that do nothing for Landon and this one at least has promise given how much he enjoyed his ride. Send me the details in a PM please!

Thanks for sharing, I can only really understand the the abstract lol (been awhile since reading an actual paper/study). 95% efficacy is insane from what I know about vaccines, truly the product of having the best and brightest working on these.

I think what we know from yesterday is;

1.Uluk is father of the year.
2. Tussin's wife is a genius

I'm absolutely not father of the year, but the sentiment is very kind. I have as many failures as I do successes, and sometimes more so. Landon can be quite stubborn (Don't know who he gets it from...me or the Mrs!), and he tends to take baby steps when it comes to development. That can be very frustrating when you're teaching him new things. It's one of the challenges with potty training him because he doesn't really want anything to do with the toilet besides flushing the handle over and over. He can take direction well at times, it just depends on the task. He's very good about throwing away his trash from lunch if you tell him. He can put on his own shoes and put on his coat. Socks are still a work in progress. His last real big achievement was buckling himself into the car about 6 months ago, that took some time. He's mastered it now, and even if those little wins are few and far between it means a lot when they do occur.

That said, I have my moments of frustration where I give up. I have plenty of selfish moments where I'll turn on Peppa Pig or Pocoyo on Netflix and let him watch TV while I go decompress with a video games. I would say in the last year I've employed more "TV babysitting" (Along with my daughter keeping tabs on him) than usual as I had to fix things up around the house when we were forced to move (That's another story), in addition to extra time I've had to spend schooling the other two kids during the pandemic. I see these fathers like Rob Laffan who made the app Tippy Talk to help his non-verbal child communicate with him and it makes me feel lazy in comparison. We've tried to get Landon to interact with tablets, but right now he just pushes them away so an app like that is a no go. The kinds of toys he does like to play with are often preschool toys that make sounds and music, bouncy balls (He dribbles fairly well with basketballs too), expandable pop tubes, pin art toys, and anything else musical. One of his favorite toys from this Christmas was a ceramic tongue drum my mother found. He's not like the other kids that want expensive tablets or Nintendo games, which means it can be hard to find stuff he likes sometimes. Christmas is always interesting though...when you do get him to open a present he tends to chuck it to the side as soon as he gets the wrapping off lol. Sorry, Grandma!

Anyway, like I said I appreciate the kind words, but there's definitely fathers out there that give more and I salute them. I have my moments where I crawl into the man cave and just shut down for awhile so I can achieve a bit of sanity. I will say that typing this all out is a bit therapeutic though. I probably should have these posts moved to the IE Dad thread or their own place. Another poster or two reached out to me with similar circumstances, might be a good thing for others to have a thread and discuss parenting challenges with special needs children. Might be eye opening for others too that don't get to experience these things first hand.

 

[GATTACA!]

Just following up on my unintentional thread derailment here. I've given out too much rep in the last 24 hours, but I'll hit everyone soon that I haven't responded to yet.



I have not. Given how much he really enjoyed horseback riding when he was 5 this could be a really cool thing. As mentioned on a trip to Gatlinburg around 2017 my wife got the itch to go riding and Landon absolutely loved it (I just wrote out an account here because a funny story about my other son is included: https://www.irishenvy.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2231923&postcount=660). Needless to say, hippotherapy sounds like something he might really enjoy. Eaton is a bit of a drive for us, but we've tried a number of different methods that do nothing for Landon and this one at least has promise given how much he enjoyed his ride. Send me the details in a PM please!



I'm absolutely not father of the year, but the sentiment is very kind. I have as many failures as I do successes, and sometimes more so. Landon can be quite stubborn (Don't know who he gets it from...me or the Mrs!), and he tends to take baby steps when it comes to development. That can be very frustrating when you're teaching him new things. It's one of the challenges with potty training him because he doesn't really want anything to do with the toilet besides flushing the handle over and over. He can take direction well at times, it just depends on the task. He's very good about throwing away his trash from lunch if you tell him. He can put on his own shoes and put on his coat. Socks are still a work in progress. His last real big achievement was buckling himself into the car about 6 months ago, that took some time. He's mastered it now, and even if those little wins are few and far between it means a lot when they do occur.

I had never heard of the term hippotherapy so I had to look it up. It's funny you guys brought this up because my brother is also very slightly neuroatypical. Nothing near the level your son struggles with, almost unnoticeable to a stranger, just some odd quirks and sensory issues. But anyways he's also a huge animal lover and was heavy into horse riding a few years back when things got rough for him at school (kids suck!). So it's funny hearing these other similar stories.

My family ended up becoming friends with the stable owner where my brother was riding and they would let them go up there just to lend a hand with other horse related things. Like brushing the horses and sweeping up some stalls. I don't know what Landon's capabilities are like for stuff like that, but that might be another option in addition to riding that probably wouldn't cost anything. I know therapy can get out of control in that regard.

Anyway, like I said I appreciate the kind words, but there's definitely fathers out there that give more and I salute them. I have my moments where I crawl into the man cave and just shut down for awhile so I can achieve a bit of sanity. I will say that typing this all out is a bit therapeutic though. I probably should have these posts moved to the IE Dad thread or their own place. Another poster or two reached out to me with similar circumstances, might be a good thing for others to have a thread and discuss parenting challenges with special needs children. Might be eye opening for others too that don't get to experience these things first hand.

I would never apologize for this man. I doubt most kids are going to dislike being left alone to watch TV from time to time, if they even notice at all. You need your space and you need to decompress. Better for him to get caught up on Peppa the Pig than you stick around and let him see you become frustrated.

 

[Old Man Mike]

To ULUK: add my sincere blessings to your mantlepiece. Heroes are mostly in the home in my book.

(don't bother including me in reps; I've plenty, and certainly don't want any reward for something that everyone on IE should be doing spontaneously.)

 

[NDohio]

Just following up on my unintentional thread derailment here. I've given out too much rep in the last 24 hours, but I'll hit everyone soon that I haven't responded to yet.



I have not. Given how much he really enjoyed horseback riding when he was 5 this could be a really cool thing. As mentioned on a trip to Gatlinburg around 2017 my wife got the itch to go riding and Landon absolutely loved it (I just wrote out an account here because a funny story about my other son is included: https://www.irishenvy.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2231923&postcount=660). Needless to say, hippotherapy sounds like something he might really enjoy. Eaton is a bit of a drive for us, but we've tried a number of different methods that do nothing for Landon and this one at least has promise given how much he enjoyed his ride. Send me the details in a PM please!

Will do. I'll put something together this weekend.

 

[Old Man Mike]

This is nowhere near the level of importance as Uluk's post, but just news.

I literally (20 minutes ago) got the COVID vaccine. I'd like to thank modern technology for the creation of very sharp needles, as I didn't even feel the inoculation.

My arm is not sore. In fact I can't tell that the vaccination happened unless I focus attention just on the spot. Several of my friends here at The Fountains have told me the same thing. (Our whole village was down to get it.) One said it hurt. He is a fellow whose one flaw is that he likes to mention bad things about his health, so take that for what it's worth.

My only current feeling is the urge to eat cheeseburgers .... but then I always have that urge.

 

[NorthDakota]

This is nowhere near the level of importance as Uluk's post, but just news.

I literally (20 minutes ago) got the COVID vaccine. I'd like to thank modern technology for the creation of very sharp needles, as I didn't even feel the inoculation.

My arm is not sore. In fact I can't tell that the vaccination happened unless I focus attention just on the spot. Several of my friends here at The Fountains have told me the same thing. (Our whole village was down to get it.) One said it hurt. He is a fellow whose one flaw is that he likes to mention bad things about his health, so take that for what it's worth.

My only current feeling is the urge to eat cheeseburgers .... but then I always have that urge.

Awesome! Hopefully now you guys will be able to get more friends and family to come visit. I was speaking with one of my professors on the phone yesterday and his big thing was "I can go see my grandkids now."

 

[dublinirish]

This is nowhere near the level of importance as Uluk's post, but just news.

I literally (20 minutes ago) got the COVID vaccine. I'd like to thank modern technology for the creation of very sharp needles, as I didn't even feel the inoculation.

My arm is not sore. In fact I can't tell that the vaccination happened unless I focus attention just on the spot. Several of my friends here at The Fountains have told me the same thing. (Our whole village was down to get it.) One said it hurt. He is a fellow whose one flaw is that he likes to mention bad things about his health, so take that for what it's worth.

My only current feeling is the urge to eat cheeseburgers .... but then I always have that urge.

congrats Mike

 

[Old Man Mike]

Visitation loosening?: We hope so but are not optimistic. The ownership of the residency is a business. In these matters it is VERY conservative --- in fact I've gotten from my neighbors that its conservatism has become increasingly heavy over the last several years, beyond what might be reasonable in many things.

As to the limitations due to COVID specifically: the management telling us (if/when they do) that things will not loosen up until after the second dose, well, we expect that and are generally OK with the logic there.

What we would like is that after the booster dose, management would decide that activities INSIDE our community's bubble could return to near normal, while rational restrictions of interactions from outside would be maintained. The loosening of inside restrictions would involve re-opening the dining hall, allowing Catholic Mass and protestant services in house, allowing movies and talks in the auditorium, AND the suspension of the mask requirements for activity inside the building (though required for outside interactions/excursions.)

Our guess: NONE of that will happen from the business end. And our guess is that it won't happen until the entire country generally gets its act together (which even if this new federal plan goes wholly through, probably won't happen within a year due to uncaring idiots.)

But we're old. We persist.

 

[ulukinatme]

This is nowhere near the level of importance as Uluk's post, but just news.

I literally (20 minutes ago) got the COVID vaccine. I'd like to thank modern technology for the creation of very sharp needles, as I didn't even feel the inoculation.

My arm is not sore. In fact I can't tell that the vaccination happened unless I focus attention just on the spot. Several of my friends here at The Fountains have told me the same thing. (Our whole village was down to get it.) One said it hurt. He is a fellow whose one flaw is that he likes to mention bad things about his health, so take that for what it's worth.

My only current feeling is the urge to eat cheeseburgers .... but then I always have that urge.

This absolutely is important. This is how we get back to some semblance of normalcy in the future, everyone getting vaccinated and achieving herd immunity.

 

[NDFAN420]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-co...nant-u-s-strain-in-march-cdc-says-11610733600

U.K. Covid-19 Strain Likely to Become Dominant in U.S. in March, CDC Says

Public-health agency calls for increased masking, social distancing to help limit more-contagious variant

A highly transmissible coronavirus variant that was first identified in the U.K. is spreading rapidly in the U.S. and likely to become the dominant strain circulating domestically in March, unless steps are taken to slow it, federal health authorities said.

Health officials called Friday for increasing measures like wearing masks and social distancing to curb the spread of the more contagious variant. Otherwise, it will intensify the squeeze on hospitals that are struggling to treat surging cases.

A year after a new coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China, the pandemic it spawned has reached a perilous point. There are now vaccines to stop it, but their rollout in the U.S. has been slow and new, faster-spreading variants of the virus are now threatening surges in illness.

The U.K. variant, known as B.1.1.7, had infected at least 76 people in 12 states as of Jan. 13 and threatens to worsen the pandemic in the U.S.—where the numbers of daily cases and hospitalizations are already at record levels—the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report modeling the strain’s potential impact.

“We expect these numbers to rise in the coming weeks,” Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases, said in an interview.

The variant could fuel exponential growth in new cases, becoming the dominant strain by late March if more public-health measures aren’t put in place to stop it, said Michael Johansson, a biologist and modeler for the CDC’s Covid-19 response.

While the new variant doesn’t appear to cause more severe illness, it is more contagious than the currently dominating strain of the coronavirus, the CDC said. That means it could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths by infecting more people overall, the agency said, exacerbating pressures on health-care systems that are already at or near capacity.

“If you’re not wearing a mask or if you’re getting sort of lax about it because you’re getting tired of wearing the mask, I really encourage you to wear the mask,” Dr. Butler said.

He urged the same stamina in avoiding gatherings with people outside one’s own household: “This is not the time to let up by any means.”

“It doesn’t mean that businesses need to be shut down or things like that, but it does mean that we have to take steps to be able to protect ourselves and limit our contacts with others,” Dr. Butler said.

 

[Legacy]

Two fam members working in hospitals have had their second doses. Reports on symptoms afterwards "not bad" and "headache and fatigue" with "not so great" the following day. Another fam member has volunteered to administer them and did one day and will again tomorrow. Had mine yesterday. No discomfort, felt warm only and definitely not in fever territory. Otherwise just fine. Held off of any Ibuprofen - not that I needed it.

Rollout here has been efficient. Register on the Dept of Health website, fill out the sections on the form, get notified when and where, pick out your time, etc. All on-line, links to your phones. Software already scheduled my booster shot. Good turnout. Now more sites than a central one will be opening up across town.

Kudos to the state.

 

[Legacy]

COVID-19 vaccine distributed in hard-hit Navajo Nation

70% of the doses they received from the feds have been given.

 

[ab2cmiller]

Here's the real problem

We don't really know for sure how well these vaccines will work (or what their side effects might be) on the most vulnerable population. Most of the clinical studies either intentionally or unintentionally (had trouble getting volunteers) for the age group of 75 and older.

That age group of 75 and older constitutes roughly 60% of the deaths, but for the Pfizer trials, only 4.3% of the clinical trial population came from that age group.

https://www.fda.gov/media/144416/download Page 20

 

[Old Man Mike]

Not running trials on the most vulnerable population is a moral decision. Medical ethics does not like to do that. What happens is that general results are used to predict expended populations due to a lot of past histories of such treatment types. Are there unknowns? obviously. Why question that. Certainly that is no reason to look pessimistically at the vaccine before any real negative elements manifest in any serious percentages.

So, it's not "the real problem" until an actual problem occurs. The "real problem" HAS manifested: people not getting the vaccine, people not wearing their masks, people not really giving a damm about continuing to spread the damm thing. That plus new strains coming into the country are the "real problems."

 

[TheRealLynch51]

Got my first vaccine injection today in Dallas. They set up like 3 or 4 "megahubs" to get them in the DFW metroplex. Gave them all between 6K and 10K vaccines to distribute this week. I signed up through a local hospital's app, then was able to schedule an appointment. Pretty smooth process. You drive up and they have two tents you drive through. First one checks you in, confirms your appointment, then you get you CDC vaccine card. Then you drive to the second tent where they inoculated me in the arm while sitting in the vehicle, then put the info on the card. You then drive to a supervised parking lot where you are advised to wait for 15 minutes, then you're off. I'm due back for the second one early to mid February.