Topic: Corona Virus Panic/Discussion Thread

@Th3solution Yeah I still can't find anything concrete on that. In fact, where I've found it mentioned that the vaccine is covered, it also mentioned providers can still charge for the syringe etc, and the service more generally which is kind of funny in it's own ridiculous way.

Guess I'll see though whenever my state gets to 30-40 year olds who aren't essential and have no pre-existing conditions.

@Thrillho Thanks for article. Haven't checked it out yet but I will.

@nessisonett I thought of you yesterday as I saw my neighbors outside and I brought up the vaccine during our extremely socially distanced conversation about things hopefully returning to normal by mid year but my neighbor wasn't having it. He said he wasn't trying to turn into a zombie and then literally cited the movie Legend (the Will Smith one not the Tom Hardy one) as his reason.

So I feel less of an ass for my mild trepidation.

Edit: my bad, I believe the Will Smith film is called I Am Legend. It's that old Tom Cruise film that shares a name with the Tom Hardy gangster flick.

@zupertramp That line of reasoning kinda baffles me. Like, at this point, Covid is fact and we know that it’s at the very least having dreadful, long-lasting effects on your respiratory system. Whereas the vaccine having side-effects is a mostly unknown quantity. So it’s like... ‘no vaccine that might, if I’m very very unlucky, turn me into a zombie, I’ll take my chances with the widely reported virus instead’?

@nessisonett I'm not gonna lie, I mostly just don't like the idea of injecting obscure sounding ingredients into my body. Kinda have the same view with processed food. But the idea of becoming a zombie really doesn't factor into my assessment at all.

For what it's worth, I tried to reason that he and I both will at least have quite some time to observe whether anyone turns into a zombie but I still don't think he was sold.

@TheIdleCritic
What if it was trump or biden?

Throw in the lack of support from much of the African American community on account of the Tuskegee thing and we might have a real hard time getting the coverage we need.

There's this large local hospital that was hit extremely hard by Covid received an allotment of vaccines but had so few takers on staff they had to open it up to other segments of the community they thought could benefit. Really seems like something the employer should make mandatory in this case but I guess not.

https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/2020/12/21/health-workers-d...

@Gaming365247
"Yeah, okay"
as in
"Yeah, seems about right. Sigh. What else can go wrong?"

@TheIdleCritic that was the meaning i got from it. Kinda like, oh, a spontaneous combustion on live tv... So business as usual for 2020 then.

@zupertramp Yes lol. Standard stuff. The earth literally splitting into two would elicit a bigger response but still be like, so that's the big finale huh?

@TheIdleCritic If the Earth split in two, I’d be right pissed. I’d never find out what happened in Eastenders.

@nessisonett Phil will probably get shot again.

@TheIdleCritic You say that but Ian got his head caved in and then married Sharon in the space of like 2 days. Sharon then poisoned his Christmas pudding because Ian locked her son in a room on a sinking ship like 9 months ago and he died. Phil getting shot again is tame compared to the fever dream that is Eastenders.

@nessisonett What on earth is happening on that show? You miss a week and you might as well miss them all.

New Year's Eve curfew issued in my area for everyone 17 and under to help curb spread of covid. So basically problem solved. Pandemic cancelled everyone.

https://www.krgv.com/news/hidalgo-county-issues-curfew-for-ne...

What an absolute joke.

Lockdown 4: This Time It’s Personal

I'm just popping out to buy shares in Joe Wicks

@Gremio108 Last I heard, a single hair on his head was going for £15. Bet he’s rubbing his meaty hands together in glee.

@nessisonett Keeping a beady Eye out for when I can go back to Australia. What with the mandatory hotel quarantine costing around £2000 in total, and all the restrictions with flying, I need to take my earliest chance. Not that Australia has done amazingly with this pandemic, but the climate certainly makes things easier!

Well that's me off work til mid Feb or whatever.

I'm not even going in to look after the children of essential workers this time round (Mainly cus other people are going to be doing that). Kinda surprised I did have to go into work yesterday tbh as we didn't have a whole lotta kids turn up as many were kept at home.

I haven’t been following this very closely internationally (Push Square is about my only foray into international news) but I’m surprised to see more increased lockdown on the other side of the pond. I mean, I agree with it actually, but it seems that despite COVID cases soaring over here that hope springs eternal with a vaccine (despite most people not wanting to receive it) and the momentum feels to be toward further relaxation of societal restrictions. NFL games are having crowds in the tens of thousands, the NBA is going full steam ahead (although without fans), businesses are open, fewer people are wearing masks, schools are starting back up after Christmas break, and theaters are attempting to lure people back.

I’m actually quite in favor of a shut down right now because of the stupidity of most people having Christmas gatherings, parties, and travel and the resultant spike in cases going on. But it seems the momentum of the “Yay! It’s 2021! We have a vaccine! We have a new President! The pandemic is over!” societal mindset is just too much to overcome. I think people don’t realize how long it’s going to take for the average Joe to get the vaccine and then it’s going to take what, a month or two for the vaccine immunity to kick in? We’re looking at March at the earliest before a substantial downshift in this thing can occur. We could all be dead by then with how quickly this spreads.