I am starting to get nervous for my kids to return to school in a few weeks. As of now, there will be no mitigation efforts in place - everyone back full time, no mask mandate, and students under 12 still ineligible for the vaccine.
Of course I'll be sending my kids to school in a mask but with as quickly as Delta spreads, it won't much matter, as they'll be exposed during their lunch break.
I know a lot can happen in a few weeks, so I try to remain hopeful and see what transpires during August.
It seems like everyone in my neck of the woods has moved on from covid, for better or for worse.
@sistermoon I agree. I feel the same for my grandchildren. They are under 6 and not yet eligible. I have taken to wearing my mask in my office again after a few weeks of letting it go and only wearing when in crowded places or stores. I live in New Jersey and not everyone is taking precautions. I don’t care if I look odd. I have little ones and vulnerable loved ones to care for. I have been vaccinated but worry about passing the virus along. I pray those people wake up. Time will tell in the meantime I will be careful for my family.
Ellsworth Elementary School in AZ started the new school year 2 weeks ago.
They now have 53 confirmed cases of Covid and are making all 5th and 6th graders move to remote learning for 2 weeks.
Our Governor has mandated that school districts are not allowed to mandate masks in the classroom this school year.
I am not going to comment on the subject, the facts speak for themselves and we all already know we are witnessing a crime against humanity.
Thank all of you who are posting on the breakthrough cases and Lovendures for the elementary school warning. It is an important reminder for all of us to be vigilant. Because of high viral counts in nasal passages, by the time vaccinated people who are carrying the virus test positive, they can have spread it far and wide.
Albeit reluctantly, I am going to return to avoiding hugs, keeping my distance even from vaccinated people, and wearing masks almost everywhere including outside wherever there are groups of people. I have been surprised by people standing too close to me, many times now.
One ailment to consider in the COVID world: My husband ran a fever of 104 degrees. He tested positive for influenza A, negative for COVID. But after three mostly bedridden weeks and more doctor visits, I finally took him to the ER so multiple specialists could try to figure it out why his extreme malaise persisted. That very day, the universe gifted him with a huge bullseye rash (the size of a serving platter) on his stomach so it was obvious that he had Lyme disease. Two previous Lyme tests were negative. Apparently, both COVID and Lyme can take a while to show up in blood tests so if symptoms continue, additional tests may be warranted.
While it is hard to feel like we are moving backwards, I hope like in India and the UK, that the Delta variant suddenly runs out of steam. Stay safe everyone....
Here in San Diego you'd think the pandemic was over and done. Not so.
I am aware of about 3 people locally (and another 3-4 on the east coast), all fully vaccinated, all continuing basic precautions, all sick with Delta. ONly 1 hospitalized but is recovering well.
Meanwhile the county made all the restaurants dismantle their outdoor dining areas, no mask mandates anywhere (not even in food service) except in medical facilities.
Hubby and I continue to pursue outdoor activities as much as possible, but I am back to restricting myself significantly. No more socializing with other vaxxed folx for now. Take-in only (and must be microwaveable-no raw foods).
The only new indoor thing I will start soon is to volunteer at our local humane society. They require masks and I have already indicated I have no interest in interacting with humans, especially since they do not require the public to wear masks (only staff & volunteers). I'd rather be knee deep in dog poop, cat litter and bunny droppings than deal with unmasked humans right now. Most likely I will be folding laundry and doing the dishes. Sounds good to me - very zen.
I'm sorry Governor Abbott, but I can't hear you over all those roosting chickens...
Well here we go again. NW Ga hospitals are at severe levels: ER saturation, ER Diversion,ICU/CCU saturation/ diversion medical saturation /diversion psych diversion .... in other words at max capacity once more and pray you do not get sick or injured! A friend/client I know who is a teacher, had covid last year, did not get vaccinated, got sick Friday ( after school started Wednesday) another friend, former coworker has a 9 month old baby in Scottish Rite ICU. The Delta variant is in full swing here in the South, red states. Asking for prayers for us... the poor kids have no choice... parents need to wake up!
Wow!
This gives me hope that the right thing can happen for our school children and school employees.
A San Antonio Judge has put a restraining order for the ban on mask mandates in schools. Dallas has filed a suit for one as well. The San Antonio one is only temporary until a formal hearing.
Austin, Dallas and Houston independent school districts are all requiring masks despite an executive order despite Gov. Abbott’s executive order that bans agencies that receive state dollars from implementing mask mandates.
Broward CO. Fl schools have also gone against their Governor's mandate and are requiring masks as is a school district in Tallahassee, Florida.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has criticized schools’ mask mandates but has not said yet whether he’ll take action against them—a separate non-governmental lawsuit has been filed by a Phoenix-area teacher against that district’s mask mandate—and some Arizona Republican lawmakers have called for legislators to impose “financial sanctions” on mask-requiring schools and for a special session to be held to tackle the issue.
There are currently 10 school districts in Arizona currently defying Ducey's anti mask mandate. School is already back insertion here. My daughter's previous school district in AZ is one on the ones defying his order. Her current one in Texas is not defying Abbott's order and will not have a mask mandate.
May more districts defy their state's insane rules and require a mask mandate anyway.
Your news is heartbreaking. I will pray for that poor baby, your former co-worker and your friend. I have heard of others getting Covid a second time, what a nightmare. I think having a baby with covid in the hospital would just undue me.
@lovendures Thank you! I am just so weary with hearing it all and still hearing the anti-mask, anti-vaccine rhetoric......idiots like Marjorie Taylor Greene given air time... SMDH. All the deaths of the GQP and elected officials that died from Covid recently ( like Tx H.Scott Apley who tweeted anti vax memes and more on Twitter just days before dying of covid) bring no joy or comfort.... only feelings of despair at how many remain so blind and dense and hellbent on wreaking havoc at any cost...including their own lives.) So....weary.
The latest information on the Delta variant suggests that the Pfizer vaccine is 42% and the Moderna is 76% during July when Delta was dominant. Still highly effective against serious illness requiring hospitalization, but not as powerful against they were against the earlier variants. So the fact that many of us have noticed that we either know someone or a friend knows someone who was infected inspite of being vaccinated, fits this new finding.
https://news.yahoo.com/data-suggests-pfizer-modernas-vaccines-090012364.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
@jeanne-mayell These are the moments we need a DISLIKE button on the forum.
I think it's important to keep an eye on the stats on hospitalization and severe illness coming out of vaccinated individuals. I've been Pfizered for example, and the "42% effective" suggested by the findings in the paper sounds scary at this exact second. But - from the same report:
Overall, it found that the Moderna vaccine was 86% effective against infection over the study period, and Pfizer's was 76%. Moderna's vaccine was 92% effective against hospitalization and Pfizer's was 85%.
So, it's possible that if Michigan starts to look like Florida in a few weeks that my wife (Moderna) has a higher chance of escaping infection (which is good since she's with kids all day) and I've got a higher chance of picking one up (which - with an office based job that only ventures "sometimes" into classroom waters is good) - but the likelihood of hospitalization is still very low. At least - if I'm reading that part right. This stuff is so confusing sometimes!
That said I'd rather not have it - period. And I'd take a booster if offered (and if the data suggest it could help)
What my brother wants to see is some sort of lottery for booster shots for people who want them. He worked a clinic over the weekend and threw away unused doses that they didn't have arms for. This is becoming the norm for him when he works a clinic, more of it is getting disposed of than is going into arms.
Side note: I have never been prouder of my brother. As a vice president at his company his day job position is not one that has him doing this kind of work, but on his days off he volunteers to work anywhere in the state they need an extra person to put shots in arms, at the very same clinics across the state that he helps set up as a member of the Governor's advisory team. He's kind of my super hero right now. :-)
This article from the Atlantic really resonated with me today.
"Doctors feel compassion fatigue about vaccine refusers" https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/08/health-care-workers-compassion-fatigue-vaccine-refusers/619716/
The point of the vaccinations in this case is to mitigate serious disease and avoid death.
Most seasons, regular flu shots are only about 60% effective anyway. About every 7 years I get a bad flu despite being vaccinated, due to mutations in the virus. Still worth it!
The fact that Moderna & Pfizer are working against Delta at all is actually good news IMHO.
I do think that the scientists should consider adjusting the mRNA recipe for a booster to cover both Delta and Lambda variants, though.
Most seasons, regular flu shots are only about 60% effective anyway. About every 7 years I get a bad flu despite being vaccinated, due to mutations in the virus. Still worth it!
Depending on the year, even less than that! The seasonal flu is the worlds greatest guessing game each season!
The fact that Moderna & Pfizer are working against Delta at all is actually good news IMHO.
I do think that the scientists should consider adjusting the mRNA recipe for a booster to cover both Delta and Lambda variants, though.
With you 100% on both fronts. I don't know how this works, though I could ask my brother - I wouldn't be surprised if the groundwork on that isn't already being laid given the attention and scope of the problem. Obviously you can't test on anyone without approval, but if they think it could come I wouldn't be surprised if they're already doing the necessary research to get one out of the gate quickly should the request arise.
Hi, we have a Delta outbreak here in Sydney & NSW area which is biting because of our low levels of vaccination, not from hesitancy but more from lack of vaccines. We have had Astra Zeneca for a couple of months (my husband & I are fully vaccinated because we were in the age group they started from) and now Pfizer is starting to arrive in higher numbers and they are also bringing in Moderna in about a months time so hopefully we can get on track to get a high percentage of people vaccinated. So we are in lockdown at the present time and have been since mid June and it has been extended to 28th August. Hopefully we can have some more flexibility by then.
The type of information we get from our Governments are worlds away from what you guys seem to get. I will put a bulletin from yesterday down below for you. Our Premier and Health officer give a news conference at 11.00 each day with the information.
NSW Health
NSW recorded 344 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Of these locally acquired cases, 115 are linked to a known case or cluster – 97 are household contacts and 18 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 229 cases is under investigation.
One hundred and forty-three cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 36 were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Sixty-five cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 100 remains under investigation.
No new cases were acquired overseas in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is now 11,713.
Sadly, NSW Health has been notified of two deaths of people with COVID-19.
A man in his 30s from northern Sydney died at Northern Beaches Hospital.
A man in his 90s from south west Sydney died at Concord Hospital.
We extend our sincere sympathies to their loved ones.
This brings the number of COVID-related deaths to 34 during the current outbreak, and the number of lives lost to 91 since the beginning of the pandemic.
There have been 6,149 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in this recent outbreak was reported.
There are currently 374 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 62 people in intensive care, 29 of whom require ventilation.
There have been 119,256 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 95,037.
NSW Health administered a record 30,510 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 8,100 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 4,591,966 with 1,728,339 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 2,863,627 administered by the GP network and other providers to 11.59pm on Monday 9 August 2021.
Of the 344 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 112 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 110 are from Western Sydney LHD, 43 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 29 are from Sydney LHD, 23 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, 14 are from Hunter New England LHD, seven are from Northern Sydney LHD, two are from Central Coast LHD, one is from Northern NSW LHD, one is from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD.
There are now two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD). These cases, who are members of the same household, will be included in tomorrow’s numbers.
To protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for the Dubbo Local Government Area (LGA), which includes Wellington, Wongarbon, Geurie, Brocklehurst, Stuart Town, Mumbil and Eumungerie, effective from 1pm today until the beginning of 19 August 2021.
Following updated health advice from NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant, stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in the Dubbo LGA or have been there on or after 1 August 2021.
The rules for this area will be the same as those already in place across Greater Sydney, as well as Tamworth, Northern Rivers, Armidale, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Cessnock.
Everyone in these areas must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They also cannot have social visitors in their home from outside their household, including family and friends.
People still can have one visitor at one time to fulfil carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together.
People also cannot enter the Dubbo LGA without a reasonable excuse to do so. Dubbo residents are urged to limit their movements in the community at this time and to come forward for testing for even the mildest of symptoms.
There are 14 new cases in the Hunter New England Local Health District (LHD). Eleven are linked to previously reported cases, and the source of three cases is still under investigation.
Seven of these cases are in the Newcastle area, six are in Lake Macquarie, and one is in the Maitland area.
This brings the total number of cases in the District to 53.
There are two new cases in the Central Coast LHD. The source of these infections is under investigation. This brings the total number of cases in the District to 23.
One new case is in the Shellharbour area. Investigations are ongoing.
NSW Health's ongoing sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the Wollongong sewage treatment plant. The sewage treatment plant serves 56,000 people.
As there are no known cases of COVID-19 living in this area, NSW Health urges local residents to be particularly vigilant for the onset of symptoms that could signal COVID-19, and if they appear, to immediately be tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
If you are directed to get tested for COVID 19 or self-isolate at any time, you must follow the rules whether or not the venue or exposure setting is listed on the NSW Health website.
It remains vital that anyone who has any symptoms or is a close or casual contact of a person with COVID-19, isolates and is tested immediately. When testing clinics are busy, please ensure you stay in line, identify yourself to staff and tell them that you have symptoms or are a contact of a case.
Please check the NSW Government website regularly, and follow the relevant health advice if you have attended a venue of concern or travelled on a public transport route at the same time as a confirmed case of COVID-19. This list is being updated regularly as case investigations proceed.
we also get lists of venues transport routes etc and the times that people were on them and whether you would be a close contact or a casual contact and what you should do.
eg.
Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days since they were there, regardless of the result. NSW Health sends a text message to people who have checked in at close contact venues with further information. We also make a follow-up call to close contacts to discuss the isolation and testing requirements. If you have not received a text message, please call 1800 943 553.
Glendale, Boho Black Café: Tuesday 3 August, 9am to 9.30am
Lidcombe, Toohey’s Brewery, 29 Nyrang St: Tuesday 3 August, 1.55pm- 4pm
Charlestown: Super Vape Store: Thursday 5 August, 3.00pm to 3.30pm
Dubbo, Tim Koertz Pharmacy, 98 Tamworth St: Monday 9 August, 1pm-1.15pm
Dubbo, Covid Safe Clinic, 77 Myall St: Tuesday 10 August, 7.45am-8.35am
eg.
Anyone who travelled on the following bus routes at the listed times is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result, and call 1800 943 553 unless they have already been contacted by NSW Health. Please get tested even if you have had a test in recent days:
Bus 941, From Bankstown Station, Stand E to Hillcrest Ave after Rawson Rd, Greenacre: Sunday 1 August, 1.13pm to 1.24pm
Bus 941, From Hillcrest Ave opp Gosling Park, Gosling Park
to Bankstown Station, Stand C: Monday 2 August 6.05am to 6.15am
Just some of the information we receive
Regards to all
WOW! That is a big difference between Moderna and Pfizer. It seems HUGE.
Well, no wonder Pfizer wants to have a booster. They better have it work on Lambda too. Pfizer was the company for most of the mass stadium vaccination locations out in AZ.
Yikes.
@dannyboy @Laura-f, Thank you for being more diligent than I was in breaking down that study. (I should have been more careful before posting). It takes a village and I'm glad you are both in it.
I am always glad to get vaccinated. I can't wait for the booster. And I get flu vaccines too. I didn't get one about five years ago because people said they weren't effective, and I got the flu and have never been so sick. I even got a touch of pneumonia that year and it was brutal.
I thought I had heard at least Pfizer had done that and included Delta. Lambda would be very important.