NON_POLITICAL China Coronavirus THREAD

[jpiniero]

"Too early" may well prove to me "never" for MANY people.... these big companies are under-estimating how many Americans are fed up with the "live to work" status-quo BS they love to push.

That's what I mean by too early. Should wait until closer/after the midterms. Either the economy's going to crash or The Man has something really sneaky up their sleeve. Either way people's desire to remain WFH will be overridden by their desire to remain employed.

Especially given how expensive housing is there.

 

[Captante]

That's what I mean by too early. Should wait until closer/after the midterms. Either the economy's going to crash or The Man has something really sneaky up their sleeve. Either way people's desire to remain WFH will be overridden by their desire to remain employed.

One never knows.... I'm never going back to a full-time office job I can promise you that much. The last 2.5 years have changed me forever and I no longer have any fvcks to give.

I mean to be fair every man has his price including me but it would be so excessively high I very much doubt anyone would pay it.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Nm

 

[jpiniero]

^^^

That's what I mean about desire to remain employed. The max unemployment benefit in CA is $450 a week. That's not going to pay your rent in Cupertino, let alone anything else.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Apple Sets Return-to-Office Deadline of Sept. 5 After Covid Delays

Apple Inc. set a Sept. 5 deadline for corporate employees to be in the office at least three days a week, marking its latest return attempt after Covid-19 spikes delayed its plans several times.

www.bloomberg.com

Apple trying again to force people back in the office. Again, they are still too early.

They just spent billions of dollars building that new shiny office in the shape of a toilet wax ring, so they want to make full use of it!

I don't get what is the obsession with companies and the location of employees though. Why purposely make employees less happy if the work is getting done either way. My company is being lenient in allowing hybrid but like, just cut the chase and let us work 100% from home already. Worse is our new boss wants to move us to the main office. WHY?! We're already hybrid anyway so what's the point? We also spent a lot of money on our current office setting and we actually are setup decently now. It took a while to get there. Originally they also used an excuse that they want at least 1 person in the central office (telephone exchange) but now that the boss wants to move us to the call centre suddenly it's ok to leave the CO empty. They just make up logic as they go along it seems.

Either way, at the end of the day just have to be thankful to even have a job these days.

 

[njdevilsfan87]

My go to excuse is now: 28 years left on a 2.7% fixed rate mortgage, so I'm non-relocatable. It would take something like a (heavily taxed) $500,000 sign on bonus just to cover 5 years of the increased monthly payments at whatever the new mortgage rate would be.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

My daughter had symptoms last Thursday and we thought it was just allergies because they're shaking almond trees in our region. Complained of a s/t on Saturday so we tested her and she ended up positive. I've been home taking care of her the last few days but returned to work this morning. I've been testing negative with no symptoms for the last 5 days but we'll see. I'm pretty much bracing for the fact that I'll catch it again, but I'm masking back up at work for the time being in case I don't get any symptoms but still a carrier. Daughter's doing better the last day or so, just has a cough and s/t. Hopefully she'll be able to go back to school soon.

 

[nakedfrog]

My son just came down with Covid again, doesn't seem to be suffering too much this time around.

One never knows.... I'm never going back to a full-time office job I can promise you that much. The last 2.5 years have changed me forever and I no longer have any fvcks to give.

I was ahead of the curve and got officially moved to full-time WFH in early 2020

 

[Captante]

I've been wanting to use up my "free" Covid tests before they expire and I have to chuck them in the next few weeks but SO FAR zero positive tests for me since day-one. (knock on some SERIOUS wood!)

Right now Connecticut is hovering right around 10% daily positivity rate and New Haven has to be higher with all the college kids coming back so I'm still being careful BUT I'm not wearing a mask anywhere now.

When (if lol?) it gets colder this fall and people are hanging out indoors with the windows shut more often I may start masking up again unless that number drops.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Most schools are starting back up right now, so expect the usual spike up.

 

[balloonshark]

My nephew started back to school last Wednesday. I normally visit on Fridays for "game night". He was coughing all evening and I thought for sure I was finally going to catch Covid but he self tested negative on Sunday. The kid was only in school 3 days and got sick and it's his first year of high school.

People still getting sick here in WV. It seems like it's been that way for months. Just a steady level of cases. I see my doc in a couple of weeks so hopefully I can finally get my 2nd booster.

 

[Captante]

As others have mentioned there's still plenty of other stuff wafting around out there to catch! Last time I had the flu it came close to killing me and may have damaged my heart (plus did kill a co-worker) so take potentially catching anything seriously.

 

[dullard]

I've been wanting to use up my "free" Covid tests before they expire and I have to chuck them in the next few weeks

Just checking, but did you update the expiration dates on your tests (I hand-write in the true expiration date on the box)? They were initially given a very conservative expiration date just to rush them out the door before completing a very lengthy expiration experiment. But, as real data has come in, many expiration dates have been extended significantly. Check the true Expiration dates in the right-most column here: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices...vices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list

 

[Captante]

Just checking, but did you update the expiration dates on your tests (I hand-write in the true expiration date on the box)? They were initially given a very conservative expiration date just to rush them out the door before completing a very lengthy expiration experiment. But, as real data has come in, many expiration dates have been extended significantly. Check the true Expiration dates in the right-most column here: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices...vices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list

Sadly yes but I'll double-check. (the last round I got are still good for awhile yet)

 

[Muse]

CDC panel approves BA.5 updated mRNA boosters, 12 and up for Pfizer, 18 and up for Moderna.

The C.D.C. advisory panel’s advice will now go to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the C.D.C. director, who is expected to make a formal recommendation soon.

I suppose, any day...

This link to New York Times article from today should work for the next 14 days, i.e. through Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022:

Updated Booster Shots Expected Within Days as C.D.C. Signs Off (Published 2022)

The debut of Omicron-specific vaccines raises a thorny question: How long should you wait between shots?

www.nytimes.com

 

[Captante]

Just checking, but did you update the expiration dates on your tests (I hand-write in the true expiration date on the box)? They were initially given a very conservative expiration date just to rush them out the door before completing a very lengthy expiration experiment. But, as real data has come in, many expiration dates have been extended significantly. Check the true Expiration dates in the right-most column here: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices...vices/home-otc-covid-19-diagnostic-tests#list

Update: I went with your suggestion and wrote the new EXP's on the packages

My "Flowflex" tests (made in China) have now been extended from Dec 22 to April 23.

My Siemens "Clinitest" tests were not extended but are good until Dec 22

I also have one Roche test left which I had thought WAS expired (had 4) but it was recently granted a 90 day extension so good until October 8th now.

 

[Muse]

I have never taken a covid test, had no reason to, the govt. issued tests are sitting in a drawer. I'm hoping to get the new booster in the next week so I can attend a Sept. 24 event with lots of people. If I don't get boosted by Sept. 10 or so, I figure it's risky. My 2nd Moderna booster was 5 months ago.

 

[allisolm]

CDC panel approves BA.5 updated mRNA boosters, 12 and up for Pfizer, 18 and up for Moderna.

The C.D.C. advisory panel’s advice will now go to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the C.D.C. director, who is expected to make a formal recommendation soon.

I suppose, any day...

She signed off on it the same day.

"Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Thursday on the recommendation of the agency's independent vaccine advisers in favor of updated Covid-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna."

Supposedly shots could be available as early as today. I guess everyone will have to check their local pharmacies.

CDC signs off on updated Covid-19 boosters | CNN

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Thursday on the recommendation of the agency's independent vaccine advisers in favor of updated Covid-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

www.cnn.com

 

[Muse]

So, is there a quicker way to find where/when I can get my booster than calling local pharmacies, supermarkets, my HMO (called them last night, they will take a while). Just got a live person at a pharmacy, who refused to engage me in conversation, just said they don't know, they don't have it yet, figured it would be a couple weeks, said "thank you," and hung up on me. Must be a better way.

 

[Brainonska511]

Just give it a week or two. Most recent article on the new boosters said Pfizer and Moderna are to start shipping in the next few days, but supplies may be limited at first.

 

[K1052]

I just checked via Walgreens website and they are scheduling updated Moderna boosters starting September 8 at a few stores nearish me. Didn't look for Pfizer.

 

[allisolm]

So, is there a quicker way to find where/when I can get my booster than calling local pharmacies, supermarkets, my HMO (called them last night, they will take a while).

CVS and Walgreen's say:
"A CVS spokesperson said its pharmacies expect to get updated booster doses on a rolling basis over the next few days. People can make appointments as usual on CVS’ website or its app.

Walgreens similarly said people can make appointments to get updated boosters through its website or its app or over the phone."

https://www.vaccines.gov/search/ doesn't seem to have them yet.

 

[Captante]

Me ATTEMPTING to reach my local CVS pharmacist on the phone (and failing multiple times!) just now was the straw that broke MY back when it comes to that $hit company. (15 minutes stuck on hold and then hung up on TWICE!)

Just got off the phone with a pharmacist at the new "Unity" pharmacy (who was on the phone within 30 seconds) and transferred all my prescriptions.

What a joke.... how can they think anyone will trust them for medical care when they open as a clinic down the road when they can't even handle answering the phone in the middle of a business-day?

 

[K1052]

Me ATTEMPTING to reach my local CVS pharmacist on the phone (and failing multiple times!) was the straw that broke MY back when it comes to that $hit company.

Just got off the phone with a pharmacist at the new "Unity" pharmacy (who was on the phone within 30 seconds) and transferred all my prescriptions.

What a joke.... how can they think anyone will trust them for medical care when they open as a clinic down the road when they can't even handle answering the phone in the middle of a business-day?

I've found Walgreens and CVS to be severely understaffed. I don't blame the people working the pharmacies there, they're mostly doing the best they can.

 

[VashHT]

I've found Walgreens and CVS to be severely understaffed. I don't blame the people working the pharmacies there, they're mostly doing the best they can.

Walgreens operates under the idea that if a pharmacy is doing well then they can cut hours until it starts performing badly. Of course they blame the people working there when that happens too, couldn't possibly be the lack of workers.