Topic: Corona Virus Panic/Discussion Thread

@Kidfried so... How'd it go? Nothing like the gif I hope.

@Kidfried Yeah, but I bet you’re so magnetic that you can just attach your keys to your arm. No more need for pockets!

@Th3solution Funny I just literally, in the last couple hours, lost my set of car keys at the mall. Being magnetic would have saved me an hour or so of backtracking and dealing with an unhelpful mall security. Also would have saved me the $120 it cost to recut the key.

So I say if there's a vaccine that magnetizes you, bring it on!!

Edit: Wouldn't mind having better 5G cell reception either, if that's also a side effect.

@zupertramp Also, sterility for free! Save money on a vasectomy!

@Th3solution that's very true. I've already done my part in contributing to overpopulation so that'd work for me too.

I got my vaccine! The Pfizer one apparently and now my arm is killing me, I feel like I’m on fire and I have a thumping headache. Hooray! Bizarrely one of my friends I went to high school with got theirs at the same centre and got the Moderna one. And another few people I know got the AZ one from there.

@nessisonett You should do some arm exercises, it'll save you a bunch of muscle strain tomorrow.

@Octane I’ve been swinging it around like a windmill. I look like a character from Donkey Kong 64.

My arm that is. For clarification.

@nessisonett I was going to ask Wanky Kong, but thanks for the clarification.

@Octane

What’s the latest in Europe/UK as far as COVID cases and society returning to normalcy?
It seems like the US has pretty quickly been heading back to “normal” state and most public spaces are gathering again. However, I’m hearing that the new strains have some resistance to vaccines and so for the first time in a while the case counts and hospitalizations are trending up again. So I was curious if you’re seeing similar things on the other side of the pond.

The Olympics ought to be interesting. Not sure if they have decided about crowds yet. I hear Japan has a really low vaccination rate, so not sure I’d want to cram into a stadium or a subway with a bunch of people from all over the world. Seems a perfect set up for spreading a pandemic — bring a bunch of people together, mix them up and spread things around for a couple weeks, then let them all go back home and spread it back to their home countries. For a virus trying to reach maximal exposure it would be the ideal set up.

@Th3solution Are the Olympics happening? I wasn't paying attention.

Here in Poland daily confirmed new cases are down to under 100 (from a 35k peak in early April) but not much has changed yet. Small events (mostly outdoor) are starting to happen now. There's a pretty low attendance cap but if I understand correctly, fully vaccinated people don't count towards it.
Still gotta wear a mask in public transport and indoor public spaces.

Cases are surging again after night clubs have been opened. We went from 300 or so last week to around 5000/6000 yesterday. I just had myself tested as well. Not feeling so well today.

@Voltan Honestly I’m not following news very closely either, but I’ve caught a few tidbits and I know the Olympic trials in some of the events have been occurring over here in preparation for it. However, I’ve not heard definitively about the Olympics actually firmly happening, but all signs point that they will. Rumor was that the competition will occur but with no spectators?

@Octane Wow, hopefully your test is negative and you get feeling better. I have noticed that concurrent with increased cases of COVID, all the other viruses that were kept in check in 2020 while we stayed shut in are now popping up again. The colds, flu, sinus infections and the like. So hopefully that’s all you have.

Good news: today I'm finally going to get my first shot of vaccine, with paid time off.
Bad news: Sunday I'll work 22.30-02.30 so I'll be able to watch only the first half ot the Euro final... 😭
@Voltan Olympics will have no crowds.

@Th3solution Yeah, that's true, but the thing is, I keep my distance, and limit social gatherings. COVID spreads much faster than regular flu and whatnot, so if anything, I expect to get a positive result later today. Would be a bummer, cause I can't use quarantine at the moment at all, but it is what it is.

@Octane Ugh, that sucks man. Well, someone said the new strain that are spreading (I think they are calling it delta. Or is it now lambda… whatever) is more infectious but less deadly than the early original strain. Not sure the accuracy of that statement, but if you have it I sure hope that it ends up a mild case!

@Octane Hope you get well soon.

@Th3solution The lifting of most Covid guidance and legal restrictions in England is expected on 19 July.

The move will be confirmed on Monday, depending on a review of data.

So that means no face mask required by law and social distancing is scrapped, apart from in places such as hospitals. Also means we will no longer have to work from home, although my work has confirmed full capacity at our offices will not be at least until September.

Personally I'm still not comfortable go to pubs and stuff just yet. Maybe I will feel more confident once I've had my second jab, which is next month brought forward from the original date in September .

@Th3solution I wouldn't be worried about vaccine resistance but it's getting both of them that is vital. The tweets below are from someone who works for the Financial Times newspaper and has been excellent at collating and presenting information on Covid throughout the pandemic. The numbers here back up my opening sentence. And even the levels with the Astrazeneca giving 60% protection against symptomatic infection would be seen as good many other vaccines.

From a UK perspective, the opening up so soon is ridiculous. Things are already fairly normal again (or they are to me but I am still being cautious about things) so I can't see why we don't wait for another 6-8 weeks until the double jabbed numbers are even better.

I have felt pretty safe the last couple of months in restaurants etc with the current guidelines in place and things like increased outdoor seating and table service have been great (although I can appreciate that it must be a nightmare for staff in restaurants and bars having to do full table service at times).

@nessisonett All I had side effect wise from Pfizer was a dead arm for 3 or 4 days after my first and nothing after my second.

@Octane Fingers crossed for you. Some people have had stinking colds recently so fingers crossed it turns out to be "just" that.