Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: camp, costs, vs.)

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by redplum33

I'm disputing exactly what you wrote earlier:

"We are *much* better off than a year ago by all objective metrics."

It is a false statement.

I don’t understand your point. Of course we’re better off. We have vaccines and boosters for everyone. Treatment is vastly improved. We have new antivirals about to show up that should really help with breakthrough infections. At this point, I’ve lost all sympathy for Herman Cain award winners.

The pandemic has put the spotlight on our deficient public health system. It was broken 2 years ago. It’s broken now. When rich while people can’t access essential health care services because everyone quit, maybe we’ll actually fix our broken public health system.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I don’t understand your point. Of course we’re better off. We have vaccines and boosters for everyone. Treatment is vastly improved. We have new antivirals about to show up that should really help with breakthrough infections. At this point, I’ve lost all sympathy for Herman Cain award winners.

The pandemic has put the spotlight on our deficient public health system. It was broken 2 years ago. It’s broken now. When rich while people can’t access essential health care services because everyone quit, maybe we’ll actually fix our broken public health system.

Wouldn't let me rep you again, but this is spot on, and exactly the point(s) I was trying to make.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by redplum33

I'm disputing exactly what you wrote earlier:

"We are *much* better off than a year ago by all objective metrics."

It is a false statement.

If you agree that the vast majority of the current hospitalizations and deaths are unvaccinated (which is not a matter of opinion), then by definition we are better off than a year ago. Why? Because those folks had free and widespread access to effective vaccines, whereby this fate could have been avoided. Not to mention the improved treatment protocols vs. a year ago. These options were not available a year ago.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

If you agree that the vast majority of the current hospitalizations and deaths are unvaccinated (which is not a matter of opinion), then by definition we are better off than a year ago. Why? Because those folks had free and widespread access to effective vaccines, whereby this fate could have been avoided. Not to mention the improved treatment protocols vs. a year ago. These options was not available a year ago.

I think this is just an instance of splitting hairs. You said "EVERY" metric and I think redplum is fixated on that little piece of it (though I'm not sure what metric is actually worse today than a year ago). Otherwise, of course it's clear as day that we're better off.

Personally, we skipped Thanksgiving with my mother last year because vaccines didn't exist, she has some health concerns, and we couldn't schedule a test that would get us our results quickly enough. She spent it with my brother and his fiancee and all three of them ended up sick - my mother was close to needing to be hospitalized. This year, we're spending it together. It's not perfect, there's still some risk involved even though we're all vaccinated (and boosted). We're still getting tests (though they were easy to schedule), and there's a possibility that we could all get sick anyway. But the odds, especially of serious illness, are much lower than they were last year. This is anecdotal, but it's generally true for anyone who has had the vaccine that we all have access to. We're unquestionably better off. By far.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

I don’t understand your point. Of course we’re better off. We have vaccines and boosters for everyone. Treatment is vastly improved. We have new antivirals about to show up that should really help with breakthrough infections. At this point, I’ve lost all sympathy for Herman Cain award winners.
:

Yes, personally I do worry, because I know a lot of people will die, needlessly, but for most of them, they are choosing to ignore all the medical advice and to run that risk - you can't fix that. This winter, it may well get a lot worse than it is today, but hospitalizations and deaths shouldn't be at the levels they were in the peaks of spring 2020 or even last year's winter.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I think this is just an instance of splitting hairs. You said "EVERY" metric and I think redplum is fixated on that little piece of it (though I'm not sure what metric is actually worse today than a year ago). Otherwise, of course it's clear as day that we're better off.
.

Well, duh, total deaths are higher. I mean, the total death toll hasn't decreased.

But no sane person would make that argument. Of course we're far better off.

[BostonMike7]

All 18+ are now eligible for boosters?

https://www.westernmassnews.com/news...b73476981.html


What's the appropriate timing? Is it 6 months after your second shot? Or 6 months after your 2-week delay after the 2nd shot? Or does it not really matter?

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I think this is just an instance of splitting hairs. You said "EVERY" metric and I think redplum is fixated on that little piece of it (though I'm not sure what metric is actually worse today than a year ago). Otherwise, of course it's clear as day that we're better off.

Personally, we skipped Thanksgiving with my mother last year because vaccines didn't exist, she has some health concerns, and we couldn't schedule a test that would get us our results quickly enough. She spent it with my brother and his fiancee and all three of them ended up sick - my mother was close to needing to be hospitalized. This year, we're spending it together. It's not perfect, there's still some risk involved even though we're all vaccinated (and boosted). We're still getting tests (though they were easy to schedule), and there's a possibility that we could all get sick anyway. But the odds, especially of serious illness, are much lower than they were last year. This is anecdotal, but it's generally true for anyone who has had the vaccine that we all have access to. We're unquestionably better off. By far.

Yeah, OK, fair enough. I tend to use generalized terms such as "every" as figures of speech. But your experience, and what you're planning to do over T'giving, captures the point I'm making too.

In general, I think all of us have recalibrated our risk tolerances vs. a year ago. We've figured out what works, and where we need to be extra cautious. For me personally? The 10 days I spent in the UK in October, where there were zero restrictions in public, has made me realize how safe we really are here in Massachusetts (by comparison).

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

All 18+ are now eligible for boosters?

https://www.westernmassnews.com/news...b73476981.html


What's the appropriate timing? Is it 6 months after your second shot? Or 6 months after your 2-week delay after the 2nd shot? Or does it not really matter?

If you're 18+, and 6+ months past your second shot, you can get one. I signed up at CVS.com 3 weeks ago, and there was no issue even though I'm not 65+. If in doubt, you can always check the box that asks whether you work in a high risk environment.

[OutdoorLover]

Plot of average daily deaths in the USA over the past 6 months, with separate curves for vaccinated and unvaccinated Americans. Leading political hacks look at this data, blithely ignore the fact that deaths are 12x higher for unvaccinated, focus on the fact that some vaccinated still die, and say "Well if people who get the vaccine are still dying, then it doesn't really work, it's a scam, it's only about mind control". Even some intelligent people seem to fall for this bull, though clearly those people have a strong preference for "alternative facts".



https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...vid-cases.html