Flu shot & COVID vaccine, who is getting it or not?

[disneysteve]

herd immunity will never happen anyway.

Here immunity will happen once there is a widely adopted vaccine. But no, it won't happen just from natural exposure.

My mother only ever had the flu once in her life--two weeks after getting her only flu shot.

Just to be crystal clear on this myth, you CAN NOT contract the flu from the flu vaccine. It is absolutely impossible. If someone actually gets the flu after having a vaccine, it is purely coincidental.

I'm still waiting to hear that someone I know--neighborhood, job, wherever--actually had covid. So far, still not a single one.

That's good. You should be very grateful that you haven't been touched by this disease yet. You must live in an area that wasn't greatly affected. Just understand that much of the country hasn't been so lucky. Tens of millions of people have been impacted either directly by being one of the 9 million confirmed cases or 230,000 deaths or by having a friend or loved one who has been in those groups. Personally, I know many people who have had COVID and a few who have died from it. Again, be very grateful if COVID hasn't found it's way into your circle yet. Keep wearing your mask, social distancing, avoiding indoor dining and large gatherings.

We in the medical field are really dreading the next few months as people attend Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas parties and dinners, New Years Eve parties, etc. Far too many people are acting as if COVID is done and over with. Meanwhile, the US set a record of nearly 100,000 new cases yesterday and the death rates are rising in about 30 states.

Please be careful everyone.

[Like2Plan]

This comes under the category of it's too early to tell the impact from this disease, but here are some more links:

COVID-19 May Cause Decrease in Life Expectancy This Year

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/covid-19-may-cause-decrease-in-life-expectancy-this-year

Estimated impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy in New York City

https://preventepidemics.org/covid19/science/insights/life-expectancy-in-new-york-city/

COVID-19 could cause declines in life expectancy

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200917181301.htm

It is disappointing that some people are trying to trivialize or explain away or rationalize the death toll that Covid has caused so far. (We don't even know the total extent at this point because the pandemic is far from over).

I believe we spend the most on health care and yet we currently have an enormous death toll. If we are so smart, why is our death toll so high? There are other countries who have been able to get his disease under control to the extent that they are back to relative normal. Here thousands of people die from the disease in a week and there are some folks who are blaming Drs. for shining a light on it.

We don't know the extent of the long term ramifications from this disease, so that isn't even being counted. Like what about folks who recover from the disease, but their lungs are all shot to heck from blood clotting? Or, folks who incurred blood clots in the brain during the disease process and are going to be neurologically impaired for the rest of their life? Or, the folks who had blood clotting and had to have a limb amputated?

So, good for you if you get the disease and come off with a light case. But, the next guy might not be so lucky. I would like to add that some of the folks who have died from Covid were health care professionals providing care to Covid patients.

So, how about we all do what we know to be effective? Wear a mask whenever you go out, social distance and wash your hands. If everybody did this--then, I would say we were doing our best.

[disneysteve]

If we are so smart, why is our death toll so high? There are other countries who have been able to get his disease under control to the extent that they are back to relative normal.

Unfortunately, in the US we have leadership that believes in actively denying science, downplaying the risks, and encouraging followers to ignore the experts and disregard the rules and laws put into place to protect everyone.

I sincerely hope that will change but even if the GOP loses on Tuesday, we're still stuck in this mess for nearly 3 more months. Sadly, that also corresponds with what will likely be the very worst part of the pandemic to date. Between now and late January, at the rate we're going, there will be millions of new cases and tens of thousands of additional deaths.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

There are many people who have gotten it. Maybe people are hiding if they have it and you know people who have had it and they wont' share they have it especially if asymptomatic

[disneysteve]

I'm still waiting to hear that someone I know--neighborhood, job, wherever--actually had covid.

Another of my friends, this one in central Florida, just tweeted that she tested positive today. She’s 40-ish with 3 kids (single mom). She’s been sick for a couple of days.

[Snicks]

I just got my flu shot. I figure it would suck to get the flu AND covid simultaneously. I will not take a covid vaccine unless I am forced too.

[GoodLiving]

I got my flu shot at the very end of October, CVS gave me $5 to do it. I've not always gotten flu vaccines despite normally working on a college campus but this covid thing seems like nothing I've ever seen before. I did get seriously sick (three weeks +) in January 2020 that took forever to go away but I don't think it was covid but it sure looked like it in retrospect. We have a friend who just tested positive for the second time. A couple of friends on social media shared their experience day by day, don't even want to deal with it. The after effects almost sound worse. I hope everyone stays healthy and safe. Love and support to all the essential workers, and parents with online learning kids.

[frugal saver]

That's good. You should be very grateful that you haven't been touched by this disease yet. You must live in an area that wasn't greatly affected. Just understand that much of the country hasn't been so lucky. Tens of millions of people have been impacted either directly by being one of the 9 million confirmed cases or 230,000 deaths or by having a friend or loved one who has been in those groups. Personally, I know many people who have had COVID and a few who have died from it. Again, be very grateful if COVID hasn't found it's way into your circle yet. Keep wearing your mask, social distancing, avoiding indoor dining and large gatherings.

Actually, according to our local website, there are/were over 27,000 cases and over 500 deaths. My neighbor went into a senior care home just before all this started and the news was full of how many people in nursing homes were dying. She said no one in her home even got it, and none of her friends (all over 80) appeared to have gotten it.

But it must be everywhere. Our schools are still shut down and might be until next year some time. Our governor's kids go to a super fancy private school here, so of course they're open, but we're not supposed to notice that.

So far I'm up to (personally knowing people affected): 1 suicide due to job loss/potential home loss, 2 divorces due to job loss/potential home loss, 1 friend who started dealing with her March job loss with alcohol and is now a mess, and a neighbor who's long-standing well-controlled mental health issues are now truly scary as he lost his job/medical insurance and is apparently off his medication.

But hey, it could be worse, right? They could have "flu symptoms."

[disneysteve]

Actually, according to our local website, there are/were over 27,000 cases and over 500 deaths.

I don't know how large of an area or what size population that refers to.

Here in NJ, we've had over 245,000 cases and around 15,000 deaths so it makes more sense that I would know more people impacted than you would, although I also know numerous people affected who don't live in NJ, including the one I mentioned above in Florida as well as a good friend of mine in Chicago.

[QuarterMillionMan]

On a related note I made a $200 profit (realized gain) on Regeneron (ticker symbol REGN), not much but better than a $200 loss.

[frugal saver]

I don't know how large of an area or what size population that refers to.

Here in NJ, we've had over 245,000 cases and around 15,000 deaths so it makes more sense that I would know more people impacted than you would, although I also know numerous people affected who don't live in NJ, including the one I mentioned above in Florida as well as a good friend of mine in Chicago.

Our population is slightly over 500,000.

Also on a related note: Philip Morris PM owns, or partially owns a pharma company that is in trials for a covid vaccine that will be available in Canada. From what I've heard, they're the only company in Canada working on a vaccine. Could be a big boost for PM.

[QuarterMillionMan]

A doctor on my local news said the death rate was 25% during April/May for those who were seriously ill with COVID. Today the death rate is 7% with the knowledge gained about treating COVID among those who get severely ill with COVID. That is quite an amazing advancement.

[disneysteve]

A doctor on my local news said the death rate was 25% during April/May for those who were seriously ill with COVID. Today the death rate is 7% with the knowledge gained about treating COVID among those who get severely ill with COVID. That is quite an amazing advancement.

Absolutely. We have learned a great deal about the disease and how best to treat it. So while case numbers are climbing pretty rapidly in many areas (like mine), the death rate isn't climbing nearly as quickly.

That doesn't mean the disease isn't still a very serious threat, of course. We are still seeing bad stuff. We are still seeing patients whose symptoms linger for weeks or longer after onset. We are likely still getting patients who will have some permanent impairment due to having had Covid. Death is not the only bad thing that can happen here.

Here in NJ, our cases numbers are up a lot. In my hospital system, the number of inpatients with Covid has roughly tripled in just over a month. Part of my job is processing all of the Covid test results and the percentage of positives is up sharply. Many more people are coming down with Covid. This is not unexpected because as the weather gets cooler, people are indoors more. People ignored guidance and went to Halloween parties last weekend. People are eating indoors more because it's getting too cold for outdoor dining at night. And it's only going to get worse as the holidays approach and people insist on gathering with friends and family.

[QuarterMillionMan]

On CNBC stocks jumped today on Pfizer’s announcement of 90% effectiveness of their vaccine.

[QuarterMillionMan]