Can we talk COVID and how it affected you financially, emotionally, physically, etc?

[disneysteve]

Tripledemic coming in winter per main stream media, RSV, flu, & COVID. I’m over it already. Anyone believe main stream media anymore?

The media doesn’t make this stuff up. Yes, we started seeing flu last month in fairly significant numbers for it being early in the season. I have a few friends in the ERs and they’ve been swamped with RSV cases. And we’re seeing COVID pick up too.

[kork13]

A (not-)good old fashioned cold is working its way through my family right now... Pretty typical for us this time of year -- lots of allergies that run amok with season changes. But I think if COVID taught the world anything, it's the importance of basic hygienic practices... "Wash your grubby hands" and "if you're sick, stay home."

It's currently my turn in our illness cycle, plus apparently my 7 y/o ... I worked from home today & DS7 got sent home after he randomly vomited at school. Gratefully we've got the long weekend to hopefully get over it.

[rennigade]

It seems like people forgot that people just get sick from time to time. These things are all around us all the time. Because of the media pounding propaganda into everyone's heads over that last 2 years, now it's cool to talk about viruses that have always existed. However this time, it scares people and it's better for ratings.

I encourage everyone to stop watching mainstream news, especially the nightly news. Heck stop watching all news. How has your life improved by watching the news? Again, it's fear porn and people are addicted.

I gotta say quarter, you do know how to keep a thread going. Kudos to you. I used to be better at trolling and heating up discussions but as I age it's just not fun anymore.

Im waiting patiently for a new thread to be started after results are in and how it will impact our finances. Only a matter of time.

[ua_guy]

I got my flu shot yesterday and satisfied my “condition of employment”. No biggie.

Rennigade, to your point, I’m thankful more people are mindful about illness after Covid.

[QuarterMillionMan]

IMHO, CDC missed an opportunity w/COVID to emphasize taking better care of one's health focusing exclusively on vaxing "get your shot, your booster, the new bivalent shot, etc." They should have also accentuated lose weight to combat obesity, eat healthier, drink less sugary drinks & alcohol, etc. Opportunity lost in my honest opinion focusing too much on the vax.

[terri77]

Personally, I tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday. I tested positive after what I thought was allergies took a turn for the worse overnight. I was so upset that after avoiding it for almost 3 years it got me. I’m already doing better, but we lost my younger cousin to the Delta variant last summer, my sister lost her mother-in-law in 2020, and my co-worker lost his wife. I could go on, but I won’t.

Financially? Honestly, it’s been lucrative as I work in the healthcare field and was able to work as many hours as I wanted.

Emotionally, this pandemic has been exhausting.

[brandonbond]

I think that the most COVID affected me emotionally. When it started, I thought that there will be nothing serious, and everything will be over in a few weeks. So I was trying not to worry and just live my life. But then I started working and studying remotely, more and more restrictions appeared, and then I understood that everything is serious. It was so hard to accept a new lifestyle, because I missed my friends, eating out, partying, and traveling. I was thinking that it will never end, and I lost hope.
Physically - I gained some weight, but then I started working out at home and having longer walks with my dog, and it was enough for me
Financially - nothing changed much, we just transformed everything to online format, and that's all

[disneysteve]

Folks, please keep the thread on topic - specifically the financial impacts of the pandemic. Those are vast and ongoing and the current situation in China is definitely playing into it as we saw with the stock market's performance today. The shutdowns in China are causing new supply chain problems. Apple is predicted to be short 6 million phones as a result, for example. If you own Apple stock, which most of us probably do either directly or through funds, that impacts you to some extent.

[QuarterMillionMan]

My last shot was 5/13/22, when is my next shot due? With all the changes it is hard to keep up. I am looking at maybe 1 year from my last shot on 5/13/22, so 5/13/23 (just like the flu shot once a year). Enough is enough already.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

now? I think you should get one now

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ha-ha, I don't think so although it was 6 months since my last so you could be correct.

[ua_guy]

Ha-ha, I don't think so although it was 6 months since my last so you could be correct.

So I'm in your area-ish, was actually in Los Angeles twice this week and I'm continually impressed how many people still take Covid seriously here. Masks are no longer required but many businesses have signs posted saying masks are welcome, or recommended, and a lot of people still wear them. Where I'm staying (Indio) is an older community and it's seeing an uptick in both Flu and (seasonal) covid and there are plenty of people who still wear masks for day-to-day shopping and interaction in crowded indoor spaces.

Personally, part of my time down here is to try to shed some of the pounds I put on during Covid. So much easier to be active and energized in warm, sunny weather versus back home where we just got snow.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ah yes I'm familiar with Indio, nice area and more laid back than the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. And yes people can be walking on the sidewalk alone fully masked with not another person anywhere in sight. Los Angeles' Department of Health Director Barbara Ferrere Ph.D. (not MD), came on the news last night fully masked for show, making the case that if the numbers continue to increase in Los Angeles indoor masking will be making a return, hooray, not. Enjoy your stay and the nice weather here in my neck of the woods.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Is it safe to say we beat the most dangerous part of COVID? Now we just have to deal with the lesser strains (ie, Delta, Omicron, BA.2, BA.5, etc) which are more like flu strains and not as deadly as original COVID?

And which ever strains comes along will it be lesser lethal?

[disneysteve]

Is it safe to say we beat the most dangerous part of COVID? Now we just have to deal with the lesser strains (ie, Delta, Omicron, BA.2, BA.5, etc) which are more like flu strains and not as deadly as original COVID?

And which ever strains comes along will it be lesser lethal?

It isn't necessarily that newer strains are less dangerous. It's that most people now have some level of immunity either from vaccination and/or having had the disease. Plus we have treatments that we didn't have early on like Paxlovid and Remdesivir.