COVID-19/corona virus mega thread/prepping thread

[MillCreek]

Nosocomial.

One of the reasons that I was so enthusiastic for the immunes was the fact that every work day I am in a building filled with sick people and opportunistic infections.

[Bogie]

You phrased your statement very carefully, and I agree that there is not likely to be a "vast suppression conspiracy among the medical folks that actually research these things."

I don't think that there was a vast conspiracy to fix the 2020 election - but I do think that a whole lot of people "did what they thought was right."
 
I mean, everyone KNEW that the earth was flat, and that the sun and stars revolved around it.

[BobR]

There is a reason I haven't been to the oncologist since right before this crap started.

Not doing your preventative visits to the Oncologist is your call but cancer is an insidious beast. I have taken the precautions needed and kept up my oncology visits, which is a good thing in my case or maybe not so good, it is a hard call to make. IMO people with a potentially fatal disease should continue their regular checkups for that particular disease. YMMV

bob

[Fly320s]

One of the reasons that I was so enthusiastic for the immunes was the fact that every work day I am in a building filled with sick people and opportunistic infections.

You work in Congress?

[RocketMan]

Is it possible that the insistence in some corners that Ivermectin helps COVID despite (at best) conflicting, low quality results be the political science in this particular case?  There have been lots of  [not great] trials done over the last year or so, some done as an anti-viral, some done as prophylactic, some vs placebo, some vs standard of care, and many other permutations.  There's no real evidence it helps.

I agree that it has a pretty solid safety history, and if you and your Dr. want to include it as a "kitchen sink" drug regimen, that should be between you and your Dr., but I see no vast suppression conspiracy among the medical folks that actually research these things.  As always, the media tends to hew more to a narrative.

There have been studies that show ICQ and Ivermectin do have a positive effect for treatment of Covid patients.  And there have been studies showing the opposite.  Dueling studies, absolutely.  And again, I think many of the studies were driven by politics more than science, with the researchers wanting a desired outcome for whatever reason(s).
I agree there is no vast suppression conspiracy among medical folks.  However, many of the people involved are of the same political and/or cultural, emotionally driven mindsets.  With them thinking much alike, it is not unexpected for them to work individually toward the same ends.
To me, claiming that many things are nut job conspiracy theories is kind of like saying everything under the sun is racism.  It's such an overused claim that it has lost much of its validity.

[Ben]

Not doing your preventative visits to the Oncologist is your call but cancer is an insidious beast. I have taken the precautions needed and kept up my oncology visits, which is a good thing in my case or maybe not so good, it is a hard call to make. IMO people with a potentially fatal disease should continue their regular checkups for that particular disease. YMMV

bob

I was due for my "every five years because heredity" ass *expletive deleted*ing, but put it off this year because of all the screeching in this state that med services were overwhelmed, plus as Millcreek said, I like to stay out of packed hospitals if I can avoid it.

I probably should still schedule it though, maybe for early next year, or else at least take the whatchyamacallit test. Regardless of medical staffing issues, I think I might only do the colonoscopy no more than two more times. It's my non-medical opinion, but I'm starting to work the odds on number of invasive tests versus probability of nicking something I don't want nicked. At the rates the polyps grow, if I stop at 70, I should be dead of something else before the (that) cancer gets me.

[Ben]

Worth the read:

https://twitchy.com/dougp-3137/2021/12/01/i-have-been-stunned-doctor-who-first-idd-omicron-variant-has-a-must-read-op-ed-taking-on-govt-over-reactions/

[zxcvbob]

I agree there is no vast suppression conspiracy among medical folks.  However, many of the people involved are of the same political and/or cultural, emotionally driven mindsets.  With them thinking much alike, it is not unexpected for them to work individually toward the same ends.
To me, claiming that many things are nut job conspiracy theories is kind of like saying everything under the sun is racism.  It's such an overused claim that it has lost much of its validity.

The sun is racist too, now.  HTH

[Bogie]

My 2nd turn is this year...

[Bogie]

I'm just the guy who sells auto parts. I'm not a doctor or a scientist, or...
 
oh, wait...
 
I spent 10 years in the of the most high-powered research labs of the Fortune 500, and then 100, big pharma, doing what amounted to technical/research publishing/communication.
 
Which included vetting the data BEFORE people who would be asking awkward questions would see it. I was one of the people who could, and did, call project leads, or even C-level execs, and say "Uh... did you _really_ mean to say this?" And... I was right more often than not.
 
And when I saw the first 'Rona numbers, and this is a theme that has prevailed throughout the past "two weeks to flatten the curve," my first reaction was "why aren't they presenting all the data?" Because that wouldn't fly.
 
Politicians won't admit that they may have overreacted. The media won't until it becomes a thing. They're going to keep doubling down, using our money, our lives, and our childrens' futures...

[MillCreek]

I was due for my "every five years because heredity" ass *expletive deleted*ing, but put it off this year because of all the screeching in this state that med services were overwhelmed, plus as Millcreek said, I like to stay out of packed hospitals if I can avoid it.

I probably should still schedule it though, maybe for early next year, or else at least take the whatchyamacallit test. Regardless of medical staffing issues, I think I might only do the colonoscopy no more than two more times. It's my non-medical opinion, but I'm starting to work the odds on number of invasive tests versus probability of nicking something I don't want nicked. At the rates the polyps grow, if I stop at 70, I should be dead of something else before the (that) cancer gets me.

Ben, in consideration of your history, talk to your provider about if Cologuard is a reasonable alternative for you.

[Ben]

Ben, in consideration of your history, talk to your provider about if Cologuard is a reasonable alternative for you.

Thanks, I'll check into this.

[WLJ]

We're all gonna die!

A person in California who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 became the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant, the White House announced Wednesday as scientists continue to study the risks posed by the new virus strain.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters that the person was a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive on Nov. 29. Fauci said the person was vaccinated but had not received a booster shot and was experiencing “mild symptoms.”

First US case of COVID-19 omicron variant identified in California
https://www.wave3.com/2021/12/01/omicron-keeps-world-jittery-more-information-drips-out/

[Ben]

"That's a different issue."

Science, y'all!

https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2021/12/01/peter-doocy-backs-dr-anthony-fauci-into-an-extremely-tight-corner-with-question-about-testing-requirements-for-everybody-entering-the-us-video/

[French G.]

I am just happy that the first person to get it was vaccinated.

[WLJ]

"That's a different issue."

Science, y'all!

https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2021/12/01/peter-doocy-backs-dr-anthony-fauci-into-an-extremely-tight-corner-with-question-about-testing-requirements-for-everybody-entering-the-us-video/

[BobR]

I was due for my "every five years because heredity" ass *expletive deleted*ing, but put it off this year because of all the screeching in this state that med services were overwhelmed, plus as Millcreek said, I like to stay out of packed hospitals if I can avoid it.

I probably should still schedule it though, maybe for early next year, or else at least take the whatchyamacallit test. Regardless of medical staffing issues, I think I might only do the colonoscopy no more than two more times. It's my non-medical opinion, but I'm starting to work the odds on number of invasive tests versus probability of nicking something I don't want nicked. At the rates the polyps grow, if I stop at 70, I should be dead of something else before the (that) cancer gets me.

I am like you, I am on a 5 year schedule and will probably only do one, maybe two more. By then if my particular form of incurable cancer hasn't gotten me I figure I can outlive any colon cancer. The reason I keep my oncologist appointments is because it can go from indolent (slow growing) to extremely aggressive at the drop of a hat. As it is I have been doing visits every 4 months since this started and have yet to have the Covid  :   so it must be avoiding me as I am also usually maskless in public.

If I did not have an active disease but was just doing screening exams I would be tempted to put them off also. I have worked in hospitals, people go there to die all the time!

bob

[MillCreek]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/01/severe-covid-infection-doubles-chances-of-dying-in-following-year-study

https://gizmodo.com/many-severe-covid-19-survivors-go-on-to-die-within-a-ye-1848144418

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.778434/full

You have a twice higher risk of death within the year of having a severe covid infection.  It will be interesting to see additional studies on this.

[Bogie]

And how are severe covid infections treated? Could the higher risk of mortality be linked to the treatment?

[BobR]

And how are severe covid infections treated? Could the higher risk of mortality be linked to the treatment?

And how many of the severe covid infections are a result of contracting covid on top of already existing co-morbidities that are still there following survival from severe covid.

too many questions.


bob

[dogmush]

You could try reading the study, it might answer some of those questions.....

Methods: An analysis of electronic health records (EHR) was performed for a cohort of 13,638 patients, including COVID-19 positive and a comparison group of COVID-19 negative patients, who were followed for 12 months post COVID-19 episode at one health system. Both COVID-19 positive patients and COVID-19 negative patients were PCR validated. COVID-19 positive patients were classified as severe if they were hospitalized within the first 30 days of the date of their initial positive test. The 12-month risk of mortality was assessed in unadjusted Cox regressions and those adjusted for age, sex, race and comorbidities. Separate subgroup analyses were conducted for (a) patients aged 65 and older and (b) those <65 years.

....


Outcome Variables
The primary outcome investigated in this study was the 365-day all-cause mortality rate. Mortality data was sourced both from EHR data and the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), allowing for the assessment of deaths which occurred outside of UF's healthcare system. When conflicting dates of death were observed between the EHR and SSDI, the date recorded in the patient's medical record was used. Patients who died within their 365-day follow-up window were censored at the date of their recorded death. Patients who died within the first 30 days of their baseline COVID-19 test were excluded from the analysis as well patients whose mortality status was unknown. Based on previous literature regarding organ systems affected by COVID-19 and likely complications, additional analyses on condition-specific mortality were performed for cardiovascular or respiratory-related causes of death (8–10). As the cause of death was not directly recorded in the either the SSDI or EHR, causes of death were estimated algorithmically. For patients who were hospitalized within the 30 days preceding their death, a patient was considered to have died of a cardiovascular, or respiratory-related condition if an ICD-10 code corresponding to one of these conditions was associated with an inpatient encounter. The targeted conditions investigated as cardiovascular outcomes were myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke. The respiratory conditions were pneumonia, hypoxemia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The ICD-10 codes used to define these outcomes are given in Table 1.

....

Among patients under 65, a greater significantly increased risk of death between severe COVID-19 and no COVID-19 was observed. The ratio of hazard ratios derived from the interaction between age-grouping and severe COVID-19 was statistically significant (HRR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.51), suggesting that patients under 65 with severe COVID-19 have a higher mortality risk than patients aged 65 and older with severe COVID-19 relative to patients with no COVID-19.

....

The number of deaths when attempting to classify them by cause of death indicated the majority of patients who had COVID-19 died of other causes than respiratory or cardiovascular.

Obviously it's one study, and like Millcreek I'd be interested in if this correlation continues with more people, but it seems like they at least thought of your concerns and attempted to isolate for them.

[MechAg94]

Australian Police ARREST Three Binjari Quarantine Camp Escapees, Australia Pushes DESPERATE Cover Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbhPSP15XDQ

Multiple People Escape From a Totally Not Coof Concentration Camp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKxczRYl0qs
 

News link:
Teenagers from remote NT community arrested after escape from Howard Springs COVID quarantine facility
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-01/multiple-people-escape-howard-springs-quarantine-facility-darwin/100663994

At a COVID update press conference, NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner confirmed the teenagers, aged 15, 16 and 17, tested negative for the virus yesterday.

He said all three were from the Binjari community near Katherine and had been sent into quarantine as close contacts of positive cases.

Just a resort hotel. 

[Jim147]

Looks just like the last hotel I stayed in.

[dogmush]

Looks like North Fort Hood.

[brimic]

My son has recovered  from the ‘vid. Despite being constantly pressured at the University to get vaccinated, he hasn’t, and the Covid gave him a scratchy throat and a cough for a couple of days.
He just got a notice in the mail that he has to be vaccinated by Jan 3rd for his campus job because of the Biden Executive order. I told him to ignore that bullshit, there is no legal mandate for vaccination from Biden.