Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

[skiJ]

Darwinism

[Cisco Kid]

At this point the onus is on you. If large group gatherings aren’t your thing because of Covid, don’t go or wear a mask, but I’m not playing that silly game any longer to make you feel safe.

Well you're honest about being it's all about you. That's something.

I know quite a few that have gotten Covid. None want's to get it again. I go N95 in high density, high risk crowds.

[old goat]

The way I look at it--not wearing a mask in a crowd is a lot like not using a condom having sex with someone you don't know well. Actually, I'm a lot more careful about the former than I was with the latter, but I was a lot younger then and I think the window has closed for someone to show up claiming to be my kid.

[jfost]

The way I look at it--not wearing a mask in a crowd is a lot like not using a condom having sex with someone you don't know well. Actually, I'm a lot more careful about the former than I was with the latter, but I was a lot younger then and I think the window has closed for someone to show up claiming to be my kid.

Dad?!? Is that you???

[jfost]

At this point the onus is on you. If large group gatherings aren’t your thing because of Covid, don’t go or wear a mask, but I’m not playing that silly game any longer to make you feel safe.

You know, you were never really forced to get vaccinated or to wear a mask… you always had the choice to isolate from society. Come to think of it, I’m tired of playing this silly game too!

[riser4]

The way I look at it--not wearing a mask in a crowd is a lot like not using a condom having sex with someone you don't know well. Actually, I'm a lot more careful about the former than I was with the latter, but I was a lot younger then and I think the window has closed for someone to show up claiming to be my kid.

Heh.

[SumJongGuy]

Stadium capacity 10,000. Sold out but heat kept a few away, maybe 8K people.. Community spread map level orange.
Conditions hot and still. I saw two people wearing masks.. cloth.

I think someone here said the boiling frogs metaphor works for pandemics too..

[KQ]

Spoke to someone yesterday who said his wife got Covid (vaxxed/boosted) but he did not. Said he was going to get his 2nd booster but since he didn't get sick when his wife did he doesn't think he can catch Covid. He's 68 with all kinds of underlying conditions.



I've got tickets for Jackson Browne at our outdoor amphitheater in September. Will probably wear a mask and sit near the back/side. It's one of those "bring your own chair" things.

[raisingarizona13]

So you’ve died before?

J/K.


Sort of. And facing death is close, but…


I’m still in the camp that transmission to others in certain environments requires some form of barrier like a mask.

I will be attending an outdoor music festival this coming weekend. Not wearing a mask. But I already am someone who really likes their personal space. This will not be a crowded venue, but certain to attract a lot of anti-vaxers.

Damn pandemic.

Hey, I feel it's best to be exposed to the funk as much as possible. It seems like the only way we're going to get to a very weak strain of covid and move on. Once I know I've been heavily exposed I'll test and if I'm positive or feeling sick I'll stay away from others. Other than that I'm not doing the mask crap anymore. If it kills me it kills me. It was meant to be. I'm ok with that.

[skiJ]

So you’ve died before?

J/K.


Sort of. And facing death is close, but…


I’m still in the camp that transmission to others in certain environments requires some form of barrier like a mask.

I will be attending an outdoor music festival this coming weekend. Not wearing a mask. But I already am someone who really likes their personal space. This will not be a crowded venue, but certain to attract a lot of anti-vaxers.

Damn pandemic.

' I'm still in the camp that transmission to others in certain environments requires some sort of barrier like a mask. '

BC - I was really hope-ing someone else would address this, and I think my best course is simply to ask that you explain your belief and cite any Reference supporting this 'belief' ( I don't doubt your sincerity. Maybe I am missing sarcasm. I usually do miss sarcasm )


please clarify (?)

Thank you. skiJ

[old goat]

Hey, I feel it's best to be exposed to the funk as much as possible. It seems like the only way we're going to get to a very weak strain of covid and move on. Once I know I've been heavily exposed I'll test and if I'm positive or feeling sick I'll stay away from others. Other than that I'm not doing the mask crap anymore. If it kills me it kills me. It was meant to be. I'm ok with that.

Well, you're already in paradise, so there's that.
(JFC, Covid parties are so 2020.)

[LongShortLong]

Darwinism

It's not deadly enough to make any difference. Besides, there should be selective pressure towards those who get infected. Probably overlaps with those having kids. Again though it's not deadly enough to make a difference. It takes a virus like the one Aussies unleashed on their rabbits to get an evolutionary effect. Say, a hypothetical HIV that spreads like Covid, and we didn't have modern treatments (very high mortality) - that would select for that HIV resistance gene, and probably also a massive social change to limit contact (and the social change would limit the genetic change).

For me, I'm balancing my love of outdoor activities against cumulative long-covid risk from repeated infections and restricting indoor activities. And I might be overweighting the long-covid risk... I think it's 5-30% chance of lost smell, lost brain function, lost lung function, or lost heart function with each infection (every 6-12 months), and I'm unwilling to accept any of those in exchange for eating with others indoors. When/If it becomes clear the risk is far, far lower, or covid prevalence becomes far, far lower, I'll adjust.

[Buzzworthy]

Checking in. Positive this morning, daughter too. Wife nope.
All three of us have 2 shots and a booster.

It feels like a head cold.

[SumJongGuy]

Is it really that the variants are significantly weaker or that the vaccines are protecting us better than not? Maybe both? Doesn't it actually take GENERATIONS, not 5 years for the human body to build immunities significant enough to actually totally block something? i.e. how small pox, measles, and even flu took out native americans for decades and decades while being exposed to it. They didn't magically adapt to it they europeans had who were exposed for generations.

Sans these vaccines we'd still be in quite a lot of chaos and mandated shutdowns..

[AK47bp]

Checking in. Positive this morning, daughter too. Wife nope.
All three of us have 2 shots and a booster.

It feels like a head cold.

That was my family last 2 weeks. Your wife will get it in like 3-4 days.

My Kid came home with clogged nose, tested positive. 2 days later my wife tested positive and had bad cold symptoms. 5 days later I caught it. I’m Finally negative after 8 days of testing positive.




Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Ted Striker]

It takes a virus like the one Aussies unleashed on their rabbits to get an evolutionary effect.

For anyone with an hour+ to kill, here's a funny/awful podcast on Macquarie Island

skip to 6:00 and it's a little slow to start, but just keeps getting better (worse)


it's on apple too

[LongShortLong]

Is it really that the variants are significantly weaker or that the vaccines are protecting us better than not? Maybe both? Doesn't it actually take GENERATIONS, not 5 years for the human body to build immunities significant enough to actually totally block something? i.e. how small pox, measles, and even flu took out native americans for decades and decades while being exposed to it. They didn't magically adapt to it they europeans had who were exposed for generations.

Sans these vaccines we'd still be in quite a lot of chaos and mandated shutdowns..

I generally agree with this. Except the last part. Prior infection provides protection similar to vaccination against future exposure, so societal impact would be similar. The part that seems to confuzzle even experts, is that vaccination or prior infection in some diseases confers lifelong protection, whereas other diseases can recur repeatedly.

Re:immunity: Not only that, but there's in-between levels of protection. I've heard exposure to flu protects you against that specific flu strain for decades. (Flu has a genetic recombination scheme that results in many many strains). The current polio vaccine (IPV) protects you against paralyzing disease (all 3 strains), but may still allow gut infection and some transmission to others. I'm not sure the story is clear with colds or covid - can we be reinfected by the same strain? HPV vaccine appears to prevent infection entirely (for the strains in the vaccine). Many vaccinations, while they may not perfectly protect everyone, do reduce transmission enough to eliminate that disease in a population.

[ötzi]

You two are talking about different things, SJG you're wondering about an evolutionary response, you're not gonna be alive to see that manifest unless this thing turns really really ugly real quick and kills about everybody. But assuming there was a genetic reason for the surviving few continuing to live, those folks' kids would presumably also carry that protective gene (or genes).

This is probably happening now but the small numbers are almost certainly not detectable in the huge population we have.

[jono]

SJG refers to us evolving to address a virus over 5 generations, during which there would be, what, 5 billion generations of the virus? A trillion? Seems a bit fantastic. Maybe epically so.

[yeahman]

Biggest talkers are the biggest pussies IME. "Jesus will take care of me" is a narcissistic cop out.

Who said anything about Jesus? That's the second time I've seen you bring up that bullshit for no reason. Leads me to believe you're pretty fucking stupid.

[raisingarizona13]

Is it really that the variants are significantly weaker or that the vaccines are protecting us better than not? Maybe both? Doesn't it actually take GENERATIONS, not 5 years for the human body to build immunities significant enough to actually totally block something? i.e. how small pox, measles, and even flu took out native americans for decades and decades while being exposed to it. They didn't magically adapt to it they europeans had who were exposed for generations.

Sans these vaccines we'd still be in quite a lot of chaos and mandated shutdowns..

If everyone keeps insisting on wearing masks it will probably take a lot longer to grow strong immunities against this junk.

If Biden isn't dead by next week I think we are all ok and those that can't fight it off were probably just one step from death anyways.

[jono]

Who said anything about Jesus? That's the second time I've seen you bring up that bullshit for no reason. Leads me to believe you're pretty fucking stupid.

You referred to your feelings as if they matter. If you were basing that on an acknowledged choice of faith it might make more sense--at least to other people. He's just trying to create a rational basis for an irrational argument.

If everyone keeps insisting on wearing masks it will probably take a lot longer to grow strong immunities against this junk.

If Biden isn't dead by next week I think we are all ok and those that can't fight it off were probably just one step from death anyways.

The problem with this is that the faster we spread it around the more people die while it looks for ways to evade our immunity. If it happens slower more people have a chance to die going over the bars or pissing their pants in an avalanche like good humans.

It doesn't take 5 generations for humans to change behaviors, though. As a dead man once said, "A scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents, but because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."

Asians got a head start, but we're moving there, too. My nephew was 9 when he got a fat lip skiing. Super embarrassed about it. A couple days later my wife asked him if anyone noticed at school. "No, I just wore a mask." NBD. Sounded kinda proud of himself, in fact.

[yeahman]

He's just trying to create a rational basis for an irrational argument.

Nah, I've read enough of his posts to know he's an idiot.

[old goat]

Is it really that the variants are significantly weaker or that the vaccines are protecting us better than not? Maybe both? Doesn't it actually take GENERATIONS, not 5 years for the human body to build immunities significant enough to actually totally block something? i.e. how small pox, measles, and even flu took out native americans for decades and decades while being exposed to it. They didn't magically adapt to it they europeans had who were exposed for generations.

Sans these vaccines we'd still be in quite a lot of chaos and mandated shutdowns..

For the most part population resistance to a pathogen is not an evolutionary adaptation (sickle cell trait conferring resistance to malaria is an exception). Small pox remained a deadly disease in Europe until vaccination became common. There were enough people exposed to the virus while still carrying maternal antibodies to slow the spread, compared to the rapid spread through naive populations in North Americas. (BTW smallpox vaccination is good for 3-5 years, not for life, although people would still have some resistance.) Before good sanitation many people were exposed to polio as infants and toddlers when paralysis is rare (I had polio at age 2) and so had antibodies when exposed later in life. The only disease ever considered eliminated is smallpox. All the others would become significant problems in the this country if we stopped vaccinating.

[Cisco Kid]

Who said anything about Jesus? That's the second time I've seen you bring up that bullshit for no reason. Leads me to believe you're pretty fucking stupid.

Well what magic fairy are you counting on to stay cootie free? Maybe you are just "special" somehow?