NON_POLITICAL China Coronavirus THREAD

[K1052]

On the economic front apparently apartment leasing in the urban cores is going off the charts. Landlords with new buildings have had to slow leasing because they don't want them all coming up at the same time. Also I keep in touch with my broker in Chicago and condo interest is now aflame too, people are snapping them up.

I don't think, contrary to some opinions, that cities are dead.

 

[Brainonska511]

On the economic front apparently apartment leasing in the urban cores is going off the charts. Landlords with new buildings have had to slow leasing because they don't want them all coming up at the same time. Also I keep in touch with my broker in Chicago and condo interest is now aflame too, people are snapping them up.

I don't think, contrary to some opinions, that cities are dead.

Yeah - we're moving to another place in the Boston region in a few weeks. When I first started assembling places to consider moving to, there were a lot of options in our price/size range, but as the months ticked towards the summer, prices continued to rise and supply has largely plummeted.

If my spouse wasn't starting med school, I feel like we would seriously consider buying a place and/or moving to a secondary city that offers huge quality of life improvements like neighborhood walkability.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Crap. This might explain why some people's sense of smell haven't fully returned even after covid recovery.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/new...-of-brain-tissue-dr-scott-gottlieb-warns.html

I think @vi edit mentioned in a thread I read that he got covid and his sense of smell was still messed up even after recovery.

I'm fairly certain that, at least in America, alcohol also contributed to loss of brain cells this past year.

 

[vi edit]

I was trying to figure that out. I'd assumed that the loss of smell and taste had to do with the destruction of either taste buds or olfactory sense cells by the virus, but evidently that may not be it. Seems it could be destruction of brain tissue that processes smell/teste sensations.

TBH, it's not death from the virus I have been concerned about for the last year so much as the potential debilitating effects. Even though vaccinated now, I don't figure I'm safe from SARS-CoV-2. I have not seen any evidence or assertions by anyone with credibility that breakthrough cases are inconsequential.

CA officially reopened 3 days ago. I went into Costco Richmond yesterday and EVERYBODY was masked. I asked, I don't believe Costco has a mask-up mandate. I don't mind wearing a mask, never have, never will unless I'm eating or drinking. Even doing aerobic exercise it doesn't bother me.

Most early data was pointing to damaged receptors/cells in the nose/nerve endings in the nose. It's been a wild ride for me. There's a whole range that are just...gone. A lot of spices, fruits, body care products, ect I'm just absolutely blind to. Some things I'm basically blind to it unless I just jam my nose in there. Instead of being able to smell when I open a fresh can of coffee beans, I now have to take the can and stick my nose in there and it's so faint that it's basically an essence of coffee. There's a lot of things that fall in this range. And once I take a big whiff of it, I basically burn out whatever that smell is and it's gone for hours/days. Can't pick it back up. There's a couple weird things I consistently smell. I'm ultra sensitive to seafood now. To the point I almost can't go into the meat counter in a lot of grocery stores. I get about 40 feet from it and it's like someone took 3 day old shrimp that sat out in the sun and stuck it under my nose. Same thing with some artificial flavors. Artificial strawberry and watermelon are very strong. I also was at an artisan market that had essential oils and there was a vanilla scent there that sent my entire body tingling. It was so bizarre.

My sense of smell was by far my "best" sense before Covid. I could identify a wide range of bourbons by their nose, could recreate dishes based on seasoning between taste and smell, and now that's all gone. It feels silly to be depressed over it, but it really is a very significant change in quality of life. Not just for me, but also my family. My wife has anxiety in cooking/planning meals because I don't crave anything any more. I used to be a micro-meal eater. I'd space out 3-5 small snacks throughout the day and a modest, nice dinner. Now I can go an entire day and unless my stomach starts churning from raw hunger, I just don't eat. I crave nothing. Very little food is satisfying. I can't taste sweet or salty. I can sort of pick up richness in ice cream but most other flavors going on there are muted. There's absolutely no point in my spending money at a fancy restaurant or a number of cultural cuisines that rely on herbs/aromas to balance out the flavors. I used to love Thai food, but now I can't pick up cilantro or basil well. Same with green onions and peanuts. It's all just gone.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Isn't it possible that there was some modification on a zoonotic strain in the lab, a subsequent leak and that we'll find out by virtue of evidence some day/year? I'm not saying this happened, it's just hypothetical. IOW, I'm not saying "we'll never know its origin."

It also seems possible to me that a zoonotic source will be pinpointed sometime in the future. Yes, it should have been established by now if it's there, but AFAIK that doesn't mean it won't be in the future.

I mean yeah, that's what I suspect... It's pretty hard to determine at this point if enough evidence is destroyed, but someone does know, or knows enough to state the likelihood.

 

[jpiniero]

Ooh this is an interesting... Pro athletes might be unwilling to take the vaccine because either it could expose them to testing positive for god knows what or perhaps unknown side effects. Your average healthcare worker who was in the Pfizer trial isn't taking HGH or steroids or masking agents.

 

[ponyo]

Most early data was pointing to damaged receptors/cells in the nose/nerve endings in the nose. It's been a wild ride for me. There's a whole range that are just...gone. A lot of spices, fruits, body care products, ect I'm just absolutely blind to. Some things I'm basically blind to it unless I just jam my nose in there. Instead of being able to smell when I open a fresh can of coffee beans, I now have to take the can and stick my nose in there and it's so faint that it's basically an essence of coffee. There's a lot of things that fall in this range. And once I take a big whiff of it, I basically burn out whatever that smell is and it's gone for hours/days. Can't pick it back up. There's a couple weird things I consistently smell. I'm ultra sensitive to seafood now. To the point I almost can't go into the meat counter in a lot of grocery stores. I get about 40 feet from it and it's like someone took 3 day old shrimp that sat out in the sun and stuck it under my nose. Same thing with some artificial flavors. Artificial strawberry and watermelon are very strong. I also was at an artisan market that had essential oils and there was a vanilla scent there that sent my entire body tingling. It was so bizarre.

My sense of smell was by far my "best" sense before Covid. I could identify a wide range of bourbons by their nose, could recreate dishes based on seasoning between taste and smell, and now that's all gone. It feels silly to be depressed over it, but it really is a very significant change in quality of life. Not just for me, but also my family. My wife has anxiety in cooking/planning meals because I don't crave anything any more. I used to be a micro-meal eater. I'd space out 3-5 small snacks throughout the day and a modest, nice dinner. Now I can go an entire day and unless my stomach starts churning from raw hunger, I just don't eat. I crave nothing. Very little food is satisfying. I can't taste sweet or salty. I can sort of pick up richness in ice cream but most other flavors going on there are muted. There's absolutely no point in my spending money at a fancy restaurant or a number of cultural cuisines that rely on herbs/aromas to balance out the flavors. I used to love Thai food, but now I can't pick up cilantro or basil well. Same with green onions and peanuts. It's all just gone.

As someone who loves food more than sex, the loss of smell and taste like this would devastate me. This sounds absolutely awful. I'm sorry you're going through this. I really hope your sense of smell and taste eventually return to normal. Or least to a point where it doesn't impact your quality of life so much. Thanks for sharing your story. I know I will be more careful going forward after hearing your story.

 

[vi edit]

Yeah I don't recommend. If you worked in the food industry and relied on smell and/or taste for your job, your career as you knew it would be over.

I got sick the first week of March 2020. I was already symptomatic before the first case was detected in Oregon. And within 2 weeks of me getting sick our world as we knew it went sideways. Between the 1st of March and 2nd week of March 2020 would mark the last time I'd work in an office (for at least my current employer) and the last time until September 2021 that my 9 year old will be in classroom.

I got better through the spring but then in July of 2020 I started getting really crazy storms of symptoms. My GI was an absolute disaster for about 6-8 weeks. I couldn't climb a set of steps without my HR screaming and my heart feeling like it was going to beat out of my chest. And it was the last time I remember being able to reliably taste or smell things. I had an initial loss the 10 days or so I was symptomatic. But it got better. Same with my HR. I was having some of the best running pace I'd had in months in April. And then whatever happened in July happened and it all went sideways.

 

[nakedfrog]

I was trying to figure that out. I'd assumed that the loss of smell and taste had to do with the destruction of either taste buds or olfactory sense cells by the virus, but evidently that may not be it. Seems it could be destruction of brain tissue that processes smell/teste sensations.

TBH, it's not death from the virus I have been concerned about for the last year so much as the potential debilitating effects. Even though vaccinated now, I don't figure I'm safe from SARS-CoV-2. I have not seen any evidence or assertions by anyone with credibility that breakthrough cases are inconsequential.

CA officially reopened 3 days ago. I went into Costco Richmond yesterday and EVERYBODY was masked. I asked, I don't believe Costco has a mask-up mandate. I don't mind wearing a mask, never have, never will unless I'm eating or drinking. Even doing aerobic exercise it doesn't bother me.

I've been varying my mask-wearing based on situation. Going into O'Reilly Auto or Lowe's where there aren't many people, and it's easy to remain distant? Feels okay to not wear one. Walmart? Mask-on. Or any store that has a sign requiring masks.

 

[MrSquished]

Was just at Costco in the North Jersey burbs. Over 90% mask wearing was going on

 

[nakedfrog]

Most early data was pointing to damaged receptors/cells in the nose/nerve endings in the nose. It's been a wild ride for me. There's a whole range that are just...gone. A lot of spices, fruits, body care products, ect I'm just absolutely blind to. Some things I'm basically blind to it unless I just jam my nose in there. Instead of being able to smell when I open a fresh can of coffee beans, I now have to take the can and stick my nose in there and it's so faint that it's basically an essence of coffee. There's a lot of things that fall in this range. And once I take a big whiff of it, I basically burn out whatever that smell is and it's gone for hours/days. Can't pick it back up. There's a couple weird things I consistently smell. I'm ultra sensitive to seafood now. To the point I almost can't go into the meat counter in a lot of grocery stores. I get about 40 feet from it and it's like someone took 3 day old shrimp that sat out in the sun and stuck it under my nose. Same thing with some artificial flavors. Artificial strawberry and watermelon are very strong. I also was at an artisan market that had essential oils and there was a vanilla scent there that sent my entire body tingling. It was so bizarre.

My sense of smell was by far my "best" sense before Covid. I could identify a wide range of bourbons by their nose, could recreate dishes based on seasoning between taste and smell, and now that's all gone. It feels silly to be depressed over it, but it really is a very significant change in quality of life. Not just for me, but also my family. My wife has anxiety in cooking/planning meals because I don't crave anything any more. I used to be a micro-meal eater. I'd space out 3-5 small snacks throughout the day and a modest, nice dinner. Now I can go an entire day and unless my stomach starts churning from raw hunger, I just don't eat. I crave nothing. Very little food is satisfying. I can't taste sweet or salty. I can sort of pick up richness in ice cream but most other flavors going on there are muted. There's absolutely no point in my spending money at a fancy restaurant or a number of cultural cuisines that rely on herbs/aromas to balance out the flavors. I used to love Thai food, but now I can't pick up cilantro or basil well. Same with green onions and peanuts. It's all just gone.

I don't think it's silly to be depressed over something like that, personally.
Even back in high school when I first met a kid who had no sense of smell, and therefore no sense of taste, it felt like he was missing out on such a large part of life's experiences. But at least he never had them in the first place.

 

[manly]

In-depth reporting on the Lab-Leak theory, no paywall today (for some Conde Nast sites):

The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins

Throughout 2020, the notion that the novel coronavirus leaked from a lab was off-limits. Those who dared to push for transparency say toxic politics and hidden agendas kept us in the dark.

www.vanityfair.com

 

[Red Squirrel]

Damn that sounds horrible that it's basically permanent, I never realized it was that bad that it was actually damaging brain cells and that the loss of taste/smell was permanent.

At the end of all this I really hope China is held accountable for all the damage and hardship they caused. Sadly I doubt they will, China basically runs the economy and supply chain of the world and nobody is willing to change that.

 

[MrSquished]

Most early data was pointing to damaged receptors/cells in the nose/nerve endings in the nose. It's been a wild ride for me. There's a whole range that are just...gone. A lot of spices, fruits, body care products, ect I'm just absolutely blind to. Some things I'm basically blind to it unless I just jam my nose in there. Instead of being able to smell when I open a fresh can of coffee beans, I now have to take the can and stick my nose in there and it's so faint that it's basically an essence of coffee. There's a lot of things that fall in this range. And once I take a big whiff of it, I basically burn out whatever that smell is and it's gone for hours/days. Can't pick it back up. There's a couple weird things I consistently smell. I'm ultra sensitive to seafood now. To the point I almost can't go into the meat counter in a lot of grocery stores. I get about 40 feet from it and it's like someone took 3 day old shrimp that sat out in the sun and stuck it under my nose. Same thing with some artificial flavors. Artificial strawberry and watermelon are very strong. I also was at an artisan market that had essential oils and there was a vanilla scent there that sent my entire body tingling. It was so bizarre.

My sense of smell was by far my "best" sense before Covid. I could identify a wide range of bourbons by their nose, could recreate dishes based on seasoning between taste and smell, and now that's all gone. It feels silly to be depressed over it, but it really is a very significant change in quality of life. Not just for me, but also my family. My wife has anxiety in cooking/planning meals because I don't crave anything any more. I used to be a micro-meal eater. I'd space out 3-5 small snacks throughout the day and a modest, nice dinner. Now I can go an entire day and unless my stomach starts churning from raw hunger, I just don't eat. I crave nothing. Very little food is satisfying. I can't taste sweet or salty. I can sort of pick up richness in ice cream but most other flavors going on there are muted. There's absolutely no point in my spending money at a fancy restaurant or a number of cultural cuisines that rely on herbs/aromas to balance out the flavors. I used to love Thai food, but now I can't pick up cilantro or basil well. Same with green onions and peanuts. It's all just gone.

This is crazy dude. I know you aren't dying of cancer but it's a big deal to me. That's a lot of pleasure gone from life from something you do every day multiple times a day. Try to focus on the stuff that you can enjoy at least. I hope they find some sort of cure for long-haul symptoms of Covid.

I think you have convinced me to wear my mask more indoors for now, even when not required, even though I live in a highly vaccinated area and I am fully vaxxed. Not going to the hospital is great, but I don't want any other long haul symtpoms either.

 

[ponyo]

Yeah, I'm no longer scared about possible covid death since I'm vaccinated. But I'm terrified I might suffer and lose my sense of smell, taste, messed up heart, etc from covid. vi edit story is disturbing and eye opening. The long haul symptoms scare me.

 

[Zorba]

Most early data was pointing to damaged receptors/cells in the nose/nerve endings in the nose. It's been a wild ride for me. There's a whole range that are just...gone. A lot of spices, fruits, body care products, ect I'm just absolutely blind to. Some things I'm basically blind to it unless I just jam my nose in there. Instead of being able to smell when I open a fresh can of coffee beans, I now have to take the can and stick my nose in there and it's so faint that it's basically an essence of coffee. There's a lot of things that fall in this range. And once I take a big whiff of it, I basically burn out whatever that smell is and it's gone for hours/days. Can't pick it back up. There's a couple weird things I consistently smell. I'm ultra sensitive to seafood now. To the point I almost can't go into the meat counter in a lot of grocery stores. I get about 40 feet from it and it's like someone took 3 day old shrimp that sat out in the sun and stuck it under my nose. Same thing with some artificial flavors. Artificial strawberry and watermelon are very strong. I also was at an artisan market that had essential oils and there was a vanilla scent there that sent my entire body tingling. It was so bizarre.

My sense of smell was by far my "best" sense before Covid. I could identify a wide range of bourbons by their nose, could recreate dishes based on seasoning between taste and smell, and now that's all gone. It feels silly to be depressed over it, but it really is a very significant change in quality of life. Not just for me, but also my family. My wife has anxiety in cooking/planning meals because I don't crave anything any more. I used to be a micro-meal eater. I'd space out 3-5 small snacks throughout the day and a modest, nice dinner. Now I can go an entire day and unless my stomach starts churning from raw hunger, I just don't eat. I crave nothing. Very little food is satisfying. I can't taste sweet or salty. I can sort of pick up richness in ice cream but most other flavors going on there are muted. There's absolutely no point in my spending money at a fancy restaurant or a number of cultural cuisines that rely on herbs/aromas to balance out the flavors. I used to love Thai food, but now I can't pick up cilantro or basil well. Same with green onions and peanuts. It's all just gone.

Man that sucks. There are support groups for people that have lost their sense of smell, might be worth looking into.

Human smell is actually very strong and important, it has just been downplayed throughout history due to human exceptionalism and being upset that other animals are better than us.

 

[Zorba]

Was just at Costco in the North Jersey burbs. Over 90% mask wearing was going on

My Costco looks like 2019 now.

 

[Spacehead]

A lot of people who acted like contracting the virus was no big deal because the vast majority survive seriously failed to consider the possibility of stuff like this.

I've got a family member that keeps telling me i shouldn't be so scared of getting Covid. "I know you're really scared of getting it but it's just like a cold". Meanwhile, she hasen't fully recovered her sense of smell/taste from December 2020. Last i talked to her about it was a couple weeks ago. It has come back some but not entirely.

Yeah, because all these centuries people have been getting colds & losing those senses

I've been varying my mask-wearing based on situation. Going into O'Reilly Auto or Lowe's where there aren't many people, and it's easy to remain distant? Feels okay to not wear one. Walmart? Mask-on. Or any store that has a sign requiring masks.

I'm sort of the same way. Depends on if a store is crowded or not & how long i plan on being in there. Seems like most of the stores around here have removed the mandatory mask requirement. Optional with vax or no notice at all.
According to the TV news the county is less than 50% vaccinated still.

 

[Muse]

As someone who loves food more than sex, the loss of smell and taste like this would devastate me. This sounds absolutely awful. I'm sorry you're going through this. I really hope your sense of smell and taste eventually return to normal. Or least to a point where it doesn't impact your quality of life so much. Thanks for sharing your story. I know I will be more careful going forward after hearing your story.

I think it's the story you needed to hear, man. It got to me too, I don't want to take any chances with this. There's going to be a family affair in Sept. requiring me to fly and mingle, I'm not sure I want to go now, even Thanksgiving. If I don't go I won't feel deprived. I hope herd immunity happens.

Is there any possibility they could make vaccination mandatory?

 

[MrSquished]

My Costco looks like 2019 now.

Yeah they have the signs up here, not required to wear a mask if vaccinated. But it was more than 9 in 10 who had one on.

 

[Muse]

Yeah, I'm no longer scared about possible covid death since I'm vaccinated. But I'm terrified I might suffer and lose my sense of smell, taste, messed up heart, etc from covid. vi edit story is disturbing and eye opening. The long haul symptoms scare me.

I think exactly the same way. I think I first got this way



about long-haul covid after watching this (60 Minutes Australia segment, which I've seen twice):

American 60 minutes segment on covid-19 long-haulers, which I just watched:

 

[Muse]

Yeah they have the signs up here, not required to wear a mask if vaccinated. But it was more than 9 in 10 who had one on.

I didn't spot a single mask-less person at my local Costco yesterday.

 

[Zorba]

I didn't spot a single mask-less person at my local Costco yesterday.

Must be nice to not live in hicksville.

 

[Muse]

Dr. Mike Hansen's treatment (from 2 days ago) of the question: did SARS-CoV-2 leak from the Wuhan lab, and if so, was it part of a gain of function involving experiment set or was it strictly zoonotic in origin, etc.:

 

[Geekbabe]

Most early data was pointing to damaged receptors/cells in the nose/nerve endings in the nose. It's been a wild ride for me. There's a whole range that are just...gone. A lot of spices, fruits, body care products, ect I'm just absolutely blind to. Some things I'm basically blind to it unless I just jam my nose in there. Instead of being able to smell when I open a fresh can of coffee beans, I now have to take the can and stick my nose in there and it's so faint that it's basically an essence of coffee. There's a lot of things that fall in this range. And once I take a big whiff of it, I basically burn out whatever that smell is and it's gone for hours/days. Can't pick it back up. There's a couple weird things I consistently smell. I'm ultra sensitive to seafood now. To the point I almost can't go into the meat counter in a lot of grocery stores. I get about 40 feet from it and it's like someone took 3 day old shrimp that sat out in the sun and stuck it under my nose. Same thing with some artificial flavors. Artificial strawberry and watermelon are very strong. I also was at an artisan market that had essential oils and there was a vanilla scent there that sent my entire body tingling. It was so bizarre.

My sense of smell was by far my "best" sense before Covid. I could identify a wide range of bourbons by their nose, could recreate dishes based on seasoning between taste and smell, and now that's all gone. It feels silly to be depressed over it, but it really is a very significant change in quality of life. Not just for me, but also my family. My wife has anxiety in cooking/planning meals because I don't crave anything any more. I used to be a micro-meal eater. I'd space out 3-5 small snacks throughout the day and a modest, nice dinner. Now I can go an entire day and unless my stomach starts churning from raw hunger, I just don't eat. I crave nothing. Very little food is satisfying. I can't taste sweet or salty. I can sort of pick up richness in ice cream but most other flavors going on there are muted. There's absolutely no point in my spending money at a fancy restaurant or a number of cultural cuisines that rely on herbs/aromas to balance out the flavors. I used to love Thai food, but now I can't pick up cilantro or basil well. Same with green onions and peanuts. It's all just gone.

I am so sorry this is happening to you