Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Reading, Newburyport: home, universities, deed)

[Boston Shudra]

Well I was joking, but 1456 per day is definitely an improvement.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Well I was joking, but 1456 per day is definitely an improvement.

Probably not much testing on Easter.

[Boston Shudra]

Guess we'll have to see if the numbers tomorrow are still ~1500 or if they jump back up to ~2500.

[in_newengland]

Well, I don't know. Just got off the phone with my friend who is in the hospital with COVID and he sounds better. He's the one who had one shot of Moderna and was due for the next one April 9th. He said he's hoping to get out in time to get the shot. I told him I don't think he'll be getting the shot any time soon. He is immune now and they make people who have had COVID wait for...? months? before getting the shot. What a mess--does he start all over again with shot #1 or does he get shot #2 and when does he get them?

At least he said he got the drug Remdesivir or at least that's what he thinks he got. Said it started with an "R." Could have been the other "R" drug but whatever it is, he sounds better than he did.

From talking with him I also found out what happened to his elderly woman friend who is homebound and was exposed to COVID when he visited her. Turns out she is now in the hospital too. She called 911 and was admitted today. She wasn't returning my calls and I was concerned since she lives alone and twice tried to get the vaccine but both times there was not enough vaccine available when the time came.

I am a bit upset! This woman is almost 80 years old, legally blind, lives alone and should have had the vaccine when it first came out. Now younger people can get vaccinated but they still haven't figured out how to get the vaccine to a homebound elderly person who was in the first group! This is in the Newburyport area.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by msRB311

is this really in the clear?

https://www.boston.com/news/coronavi...y-april-5-2021

He's referring to the apparent drop to zero, which is attributed to no reporting on Easter Sunday.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

From talking with him I also found out what happened to his elderly woman friend who is homebound and was exposed to COVID when he visited her. Turns out she is now in the hospital too. She called 911 and was admitted today. She wasn't returning my calls and I was concerned since she lives alone and twice tried to get the vaccine but both times there was not enough vaccine available when the time came.

I am a bit upset! This woman is almost 80 years old, legally blind, lives alone and should have had the vaccine when it first came out. Now younger people can get vaccinated but they still haven't figured out how to get the vaccine to a homebound elderly person who was in the first group! This is in the Newburyport area.

This is alarming. I sincerely hope this all turns out OK for her. It's too bad that she slipped through the cracks during the initial rollout.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

This is alarming. I sincerely hope this all turns out OK for her. It's too bad that she slipped through the cracks during the initial rollout.

Yes. She was in the first group! Somehow (and I don't know how) they should have contacted people either through their doctors or the senior center or somehow. There are plenty of elderly people who have no one. Someone should have gone to her home and vaccinated her early on.

The one younger relative she still had in MA died of COVID a couple of months ago, her daughter is somewhere around but is a druggie, and the friend who tried to help her is in the hospital with COVID. A distant relative had set her up for appointments twice but both appointments were cancelled due to no vaccine. I don't think she is going to make it. She has other things wrong with her.

[rach5]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Yes. She was in the first group! Somehow (and I don't know how) they should have contacted people either through their doctors or the senior center or somehow. There are plenty of elderly people who have no one. Someone should have gone to her home and vaccinated her early on.

The one younger relative she still had in MA died of COVID a couple of months ago, her daughter is somewhere around but is a druggie, and the friend who tried to help her is in the hospital with COVID. A distant relative had set her up for appointments twice but both appointments were cancelled due to no vaccine. I don't think she is going to make it. She has other things wrong with her.

This is really really awful. Truly - she should have been amongst the very first to receive the vaccine - still living independently (and therefore likely with a higher quality of life than many nursing home residents), but not able to isolate due to disabilities. A true, entirely predictable, oversight of the system that may cost this lady her life (and, I suspect, if she dies, your friend will have a feeling of guilt for what they had assumed was a good deed helping a friend). I have an older homebound relative who booked an ambulance to make it to a mass vaccination center (not in MA), as the homebound vaccinations kept being postponed. Second shot this week, again via an ambulance-type transportation service. However, had help getting signed up and getting the ambulance...so one of the lucky ones.

[yesmaybe]

Biden is moving up the date to "encourage" states to allow anyone to get the vaccine to April 19th. Doesn't help MA at all but thought it was notable.

[BostonMike7]

Looks like Northeastern is now requiring vaccines for the Fall

https://news.northeastern.edu/2021/0...nts-this-fall/

Northeastern will require proof of inoculation with vaccines that are approved in the country where the campus the student is attending is located. The method by which students can show proof will be announced in the coming days.

Guess that means incoming students from other countries need to get the trio of vaccines available here.

All full-time and part-time students at Northeastern University are required by the state of Massachusetts to submit documentation of immunizations against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (tdap), hepatitis B, varicella/chicken pox, meningitis.

My only hesitation is the fact that the Covid Vaccines are fully approved yet and EUA at this time. I know that Pfizher is requesting full approval now, and likely will have it for the fall so that should settle that issue.