Post by Gelquie on Jan 6, 2022 18:35:36 GMT -5
I hope things work out for you and your friend, Carolyn, and that you did indeed stay negative.
Also, no worries about not having a lot to say; there's a lot to understand, much less unpack.
As for the other stuff... Yeah. While I'm pretty sure the current spike in cases is due to omicron and transmissibility, I tend to not take it to heart until it's been more properly sequenced by epidemiologists. Because I recall a previous small wave that was attributed to omicron but turned out to be delta. I think this one's more likely to be omicron, though.
I'd like to hold hopes that there is a silver lining to this, and that this one will burn itself out while causing smaller infections, and signal a beginning of the end. But I've been riding this pandemic long enough to not hold hope anymore. Don't get me wrong, it's a good educated guess from epidemiologists and there's a good chance for it. There's just also still chance for things to go awry, especially in the US. I just take things as they come.
Which yeah, the main problem is that the US has terrible rates for vaccinations, and local governments keep trying to pass laws to prevent restrictions. And then the US has a strong culture of individualism, while not necessarily having a good education system to make personal decisions over systemic situations such as these. I actually look to other countries with strong enforcements and wish that we had half the restrictions they have, because what we have now isn't working and is making politicized something that should never have been politicized.
A large reason for a lot of this (besides "but muh freedom!") is because of economy focus. The economy has kind of tanked since the start of the pandemic, it's true, and small businesses do struggle. There is a balance between keeping things afloat and health and safety. I just think it's taken too far one way or another. Especially when these businesses don't bother enforcing masks or other bare minimum stuff that would ironically help keep their business going if an infected person entered.
So... yeah, in light of all of that, I don't really respond too well to restriction-balking. Because in my view, it can be so much worse.
As for the booster: Yeah, I'm well aware that it'll just go to waste since it's already here. I mostly brought it up because global vaccine equity is a serious issue that I wish people talked about more often, because large unvaccinated areas--in addition to being unfair to those other places--are the reasons we keep getting these variants that only drag this out longer. Not that I think there's anything an individual can do about it besides talk about it, I guess, so that the people buying these vaccines understand where the sentiment is. (Ideally.)
Part of the problem is that the mRNA vaccine makers are not super generous with giving their formula to other makers, and have instead selectively sold rights to produce them (if I recall correctly). I actually read some good news on this front the other day, though, in that there are other vaccines being made, and there's one in the process that's a lot cheaper, is effective, and will have the recipe available so that other countries can create them. Currently, it has Emergency Authorization in India, so maybe it'll grow more from there.
As for myself: ...I really don't like the sentiment that I'm super anxious about it, because... I'm not? The phrase implies that I'm super panicked about it and taking impulsive reckless kneejerk reactions when I'm really not. I would say it's more accurate that it's a legitimate concern and stress that I respond to accordingly. Each action I take is measured with what I know, and if I think I need to be more flexible then I just work on that. And I understand that there is no going back to normal even after the pandemic, and I'm okay with that. I just get annoyed when others don't take covid concerns seriously, or try to downplay it, or get belligerently reckless about it, because it's not something to be dismissive about. For me personally, I may have been locked down for a year, due to my circumstances and the pandemic's circumstances, but that in itself wasn't particularly trying for me. Anything bad that came of that came from other factors that at best was compounded by the situation. I'm more concerned about other people than myself, to be honest, particularly those who would fare worse. I just prefer not to take chances either.
In any case, here I'm just discussing it. Worries go to the support thread. \ o /
In any case, I sorta decided to get the booster as of my last post (albeit still with some wibbling) just because things are bad enough now and I prefer not to think about it anymore. I considered doing it during my last trip, but all the pharmacies were closed by the time I got there, and the next day would have enough going on that I didn't want to deal with side effects as well as all of that. Maybe next time.
Also, no worries about not having a lot to say; there's a lot to understand, much less unpack.
As for the other stuff... Yeah. While I'm pretty sure the current spike in cases is due to omicron and transmissibility, I tend to not take it to heart until it's been more properly sequenced by epidemiologists. Because I recall a previous small wave that was attributed to omicron but turned out to be delta. I think this one's more likely to be omicron, though.
I'd like to hold hopes that there is a silver lining to this, and that this one will burn itself out while causing smaller infections, and signal a beginning of the end. But I've been riding this pandemic long enough to not hold hope anymore. Don't get me wrong, it's a good educated guess from epidemiologists and there's a good chance for it. There's just also still chance for things to go awry, especially in the US. I just take things as they come.
Which yeah, the main problem is that the US has terrible rates for vaccinations, and local governments keep trying to pass laws to prevent restrictions. And then the US has a strong culture of individualism, while not necessarily having a good education system to make personal decisions over systemic situations such as these. I actually look to other countries with strong enforcements and wish that we had half the restrictions they have, because what we have now isn't working and is making politicized something that should never have been politicized.
A large reason for a lot of this (besides "but muh freedom!") is because of economy focus. The economy has kind of tanked since the start of the pandemic, it's true, and small businesses do struggle. There is a balance between keeping things afloat and health and safety. I just think it's taken too far one way or another. Especially when these businesses don't bother enforcing masks or other bare minimum stuff that would ironically help keep their business going if an infected person entered.
So... yeah, in light of all of that, I don't really respond too well to restriction-balking. Because in my view, it can be so much worse.
As for the booster: Yeah, I'm well aware that it'll just go to waste since it's already here. I mostly brought it up because global vaccine equity is a serious issue that I wish people talked about more often, because large unvaccinated areas--in addition to being unfair to those other places--are the reasons we keep getting these variants that only drag this out longer. Not that I think there's anything an individual can do about it besides talk about it, I guess, so that the people buying these vaccines understand where the sentiment is. (Ideally.)
Part of the problem is that the mRNA vaccine makers are not super generous with giving their formula to other makers, and have instead selectively sold rights to produce them (if I recall correctly). I actually read some good news on this front the other day, though, in that there are other vaccines being made, and there's one in the process that's a lot cheaper, is effective, and will have the recipe available so that other countries can create them. Currently, it has Emergency Authorization in India, so maybe it'll grow more from there.
As for myself: ...I really don't like the sentiment that I'm super anxious about it, because... I'm not? The phrase implies that I'm super panicked about it and taking impulsive reckless kneejerk reactions when I'm really not. I would say it's more accurate that it's a legitimate concern and stress that I respond to accordingly. Each action I take is measured with what I know, and if I think I need to be more flexible then I just work on that. And I understand that there is no going back to normal even after the pandemic, and I'm okay with that. I just get annoyed when others don't take covid concerns seriously, or try to downplay it, or get belligerently reckless about it, because it's not something to be dismissive about. For me personally, I may have been locked down for a year, due to my circumstances and the pandemic's circumstances, but that in itself wasn't particularly trying for me. Anything bad that came of that came from other factors that at best was compounded by the situation. I'm more concerned about other people than myself, to be honest, particularly those who would fare worse. I just prefer not to take chances either.
In any case, here I'm just discussing it. Worries go to the support thread. \ o /
In any case, I sorta decided to get the booster as of my last post (albeit still with some wibbling) just because things are bad enough now and I prefer not to think about it anymore. I considered doing it during my last trip, but all the pharmacies were closed by the time I got there, and the next day would have enough going on that I didn't want to deal with side effects as well as all of that. Maybe next time.