As a retired RN, I’ve been following the pandemic since around October/November 2019 when the first cases started to appear. Sadly, it’s a bit of an occupational hazard to be drawn to anything in your field even when you’ve been retired for some time. In short, I knew ahead of time that it would be a BFD. The incompetence and politics of Donald Trump and his cult of “best people” turned it into a catastrophe of biblical proportions.
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Now that people are getting vaccinated, there’s a lot of misinformation that’s circling around and I’d like to set the record straight. There’s a great article assembled by AARP (please let me know if it’s behind a paywall) which uses information from the CDC and their team of experts to let us know what we can and can’t do once we’re fully vaccinated (2 weeks after the second shot).
I’m trying to spread that information to everyone who isn’t an AARP member as the vaccine rollout continues and confusion abounds:
- You still need to wear a mask. The vaccine prevents you from getting horribly sick, but doesn’t prevent you from getting asymptomatic Covid or transmitting it. It also won’t remind others to wear their masks when a bunch of us start to go in public without one.
- Remember, you can still catch Covid-19. The vaccines prevent us from getting severe disease requiring hospitalization.
- You can infect someone else. You may not have symptoms, but could still be a carrier and transmit the disease to someone else.
- You can visit friends and family that have been fully vaccinated. Yes, you can visit fully vaccinated people inside without masks or social distancing as long as everyone is fully vaccinated. You can also visit unvaccinated people from a single household inside without masks or distancing as long as no one in the household is at increased risk for severe Covid*. This means it’s now OK to hug your children and grandchildren.
- You don’t have to quarantine after exposure to Covid. If you get symptoms, however, you should get tested.
- Keep you vaccine card handy. You may need proof of vaccination in the future to attend events or travel.
- Travel remains discouraged at this time. Surges in travel have systematically produced surges in the virus. It’s best to stay home — after all, we don’t have “fully vaccinated” tattooed on our foreheads so it would look like we’re flouting the rules.
- This is a good time to get that medical or dental care you’ve been putting off due to the pandemic. This is, however, not a good time to have a mammogram because the vaccination sometimes produces swelling in the lymph nodes under the arm as the immune system is charged up. That could be seen as an abnormality in a mammogram and lead to unnecessary anxiety and procedures.
- It’s possible that a booster shot might be needed in the future. Nobody know how long the immunity lasts or whether or not the vaccine is going to be effective against future variants.
- Fully returning to normal requires herd immunity. That’s when enough people have been vaccinated to prevent the spread of any disease. Experts are now expecting that in summer 2022, but restrictions will likely be lifted before then if enough people are vaccinated.
OK, that’s the list of 10 things you need to know. I hope this helps end the confusion and misinformation.
Thanks to the AARP for pulling this information together. I hope it helps everyone in these times.
* From this article:
The CDC has zeroed in on 10 health conditions that increase an individual’s risk for severe illness from a coronavirus infection. The list includes cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), obesity (BMI of 30 or higher), severe obesity (BMI of 40 or higher), sickle cell disease, smoking, a weakened immune system from a solid organ transplantation, type 2 diabetes, and serious heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy. People of any age with these conditions may require hospitalization, intensive care or help breathing to overcome COVID-19.
Meanwhile, being overweight (BMI between 25 and 30), pregnant or having asthma, cerebrovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure, neurologic conditions (including dementia), liver disease, pregnancy, pulmonary fibrosis, smoking, thalassemia (a type of blood disorder) and type 1 diabetes might increase a person’s risk for severe illness from COVID-19. A weakened immune system from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, or use of corticosteroids or other immune weakening medicines may also impact how sick a person gets.
Now, on to Top Comments, Top Mojo, and Jotter’s always amazing picture quilt.
TOP COMMENTS from March 27, 2021
Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU when you find that proficient comment.
From siab:
A bit of wry humor by kurt. It took me a couple of minutes looking at it before it clicked, and then I spluttered for a couple more minutes. I thought you might enjoy it. From Civility, part II: Don't flag when you're angry. Or upset. Open Thread for Community Moderation by siab.
From my Top Comments colleague gizmo59:
This comment posted by AKAlib about finally budging the Ever Given was a delight. From EVER GIVEN - It moved! There is hope for a recovery this weekend at the Suez Canal by AKALib.
From joniworx:
This photo by 88keys that made everyone giggle. From When the Good News Lady has a Very Bad Day: Saturday's GNR by GoodNewsRoundup.
Perhaps it was time for some traffic problems on the Suez Canal by Inland Jim. From The Suez Canal crisis sparked truly hilarious memes, but also, you might want to buy toilet paper by Jen Hayden.
From that same diary, I had to keep nodding and snickering as I read this comment from Trumptohell comparing the stuck ship to the filibuster.
Also from the same diary, I spewed coffee when I read the new name that procrastn8 has given the ship. It’s much better than Ever Given.
TOP MOJO from March 26, 2021(excluding Tip Jars and first comments) *Got mik!* How incredible is this? For an explanation of How Top Mojo Works, see mik's FAQing Top Mojo |
TOP PHOTOS from March 26, 2021
Enjoy jotter's wonderful *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
Thank you jotter for the awesome image magic!
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The poll got a bit glitchy for one user who checked “fully vaccinated” and the vote changed to “I don’t want to be vaccinated”. The user blames the phone app, but I blame DK for being glitchy.