But I also think that the wildfire nature of this particular brand of Coronavirus means we could mitigate a lot of illness if we took less time than we take for Christmas break to wait it out. This thing burns so very, very fast, that two weeks from now the situation will be drastically different.
The thing is, I had far fewer years growing up where we DIDN’T have extra school days tacked on to the end of the school term because of a week long blizzard than I did years where school continued into the summer. Ordinary problem, ordinary solution.
This strain is a lot like an early Spring blizzard: you can see it approaching, and watch for yourself as it accumulates around you. And then….it starts to melt. It’s already doing that in many of the places that it reached first. It’s not like we’re taking about a problem that lasts a semester.
Meanwhile, by insisting that things get back to goddamn normal already on our goddamn timeline and on our goddamn terms, we’re admitting 670 children to the hospital every day in this country, and barely gaining an education from it. Schools or entire districts in places as disparate as Milwaukee, Madison, Detroit, Pontiac, Atlanta, Ann Arbor, Cleveland, East St Louis, Newark, Columbus, Hamden, and Pittsburgh have all had to go remote for stretches of the past month due to staff shortages or concerns about. Omaha is currently hanging on by a thread. Boston had to delay service after more than a hundred teachers fell sick in a two day period. The list will grow before the week ends. For a lot of communities, the result of rejecting a planned, organized disruption of service is getting to enjoy one or more unplanned (and far more complete) ones.
We love to turn every problem in this country into an “A or B” solution choice, with option B inevitably being “don’t do A (or anything).” Omicron’s effect on education just seems like a problem that could be mitigated substantially by the most temporary and mundane solutions we ever used to handle inclement weather.
Agreed.
"I want to see the whole picture--as nearly as I can. I don't want to put on the blinders of 'good and bad,' and limit my vision."-- In Dubious Battle
spike wrote:My kid hasn’t had a fever for a few days, but some congestion still lingers. Seems great otherwise.
My wife seems to be over all symptoms except for fatigue. She says it comes and goes throughout the day, unlike any virus she’s had before.
I tested again a day or two ago and was still negative.
Spike, if you had tested positive what would you be doing differently? For the sake of this conversation, what would you be doing differently for the next week.
Assuming you feel exactly the same regardless of positive or negative result.
spike wrote:My kid hasn’t had a fever for a few days, but some congestion still lingers. Seems great otherwise.
My wife seems to be over all symptoms except for fatigue. She says it comes and goes throughout the day, unlike any virus she’s had before.
I tested again a day or two ago and was still negative.
Spike, if you had tested positive what would you be doing differently? For the sake of this conversation, what would you be doing differently for the next week.
Assuming you feel exactly the same regardless of positive or negative result.
He'd probably stay home from work. Or if he's staying home anyway, his job might have something in place that designates time off specifically for covid (and how to return to work) differently than normal sick days.
"I want to see the whole picture--as nearly as I can. I don't want to put on the blinders of 'good and bad,' and limit my vision."-- In Dubious Battle
I went back to Minnesota for the holiday. Gathered with family most notably on christmas eve.
My girlfriend rolled into town the sunday night after christmas.
Monday afternoon she got a text from her brother that he had tested positive. She was with him all weekend. She tested negative before boarding the plane and again monday evening (after receiving the text)
Tuesday she started feeling off and ended up testing positive. She felt awful bringing the plague onto my family. Turns out, after she tested positive, my nephew also tested positive. We had all gathered the week prior.
Her mom ended up testing positive, as did her niece/nephew and sister in law. Over the course of the next few days my siblings/nieces tested positive. My 72 year old dad never felt a thing.
We cancelled our flights and decided to rent a car and drive back to Colorado so as to avoid continuing to expose my father and of course airline passengers.
I started to develop a, what we are referring to as, zoolander cough. Minor lung fatigue. Otherwise absolutely fine. I tested 3 times over 7 days and all negative. At home tests. PCR testing was a week out. We basically sat at home in Colorado and just relaxed and kept out of everyones hair. My girlfriend overall had minor symptoms including cough, congestion, fatigue. She had maybe 2 bad days all together.
Totally fine today.
Not a bad time to get it being off work and laying low at my home in the mountains!
B wrote:Bammer's gonna sue you from ruining his sick burn, 4/5!
Honestly, I had the same thought he did on Monday when a student told me about spending a couple hours in line to get tested and then going to the ER to get tested once the place she was at originally turned people away. My instinct was the same as Bammer's. Why? She had mild symptoms, so why not just assume she has it and stay home until she's not symptomatic, but the answer is that her job needed the positive test not just her saying she felt sick.
"I want to see the whole picture--as nearly as I can. I don't want to put on the blinders of 'good and bad,' and limit my vision."-- In Dubious Battle
As tests are limited and low on supply, i figure just assume you have it if you are feeling sick and have been exposed. Might as well save it for more severe cases or those that need it for particular reasons?
Though, i would kind of like to know if i officially got the 'rona or not. My brother in law recently had covid (just prior to thanksgiving) and he didn't catch it during this outbreak in our family. I know data is varied regarding people getting covid multiple times but i would like to know if I actually got it this past week for future reference? I dont know
Strat wrote:As tests are limited and low on supply, i figure just assume you have it if you are feeling sick and have been exposed. Might as well save it for more severe cases or those that need it for particular reasons?
Though, i would kind of like to know if i officially got the 'rona or not. My brother in law recently had covid (just prior to thanksgiving) and he didn't catch it during this outbreak in our family. I know data is varied regarding people getting covid multiple times but i would like to know if I actually got it this past week for future reference? I dont know
You could have a PCR test done; supposedly, will pop a positive if you’ve had covid within the last couple months. There are also antibody tests, though I’ve heard those don’t necessarily confirm if you’ve had it.
Strat wrote:As tests are limited and low on supply, i figure just assume you have it if you are feeling sick and have been exposed. Might as well save it for more severe cases or those that need it for particular reasons?
Though, i would kind of like to know if i officially got the 'rona or not. My brother in law recently had covid (just prior to thanksgiving) and he didn't catch it during this outbreak in our family. I know data is varied regarding people getting covid multiple times but i would like to know if I actually got it this past week for future reference? I dont know
You could have a PCR test done; supposedly, will pop a positive if you’ve had covid within the last couple months. There are also antibody tests, though I’ve heard those don’t necessarily confirm if you’ve had it.
My sister, niece, and nephew tested positive with PCR tests. The rest had at home tests and also tested positive that way - Except me and my dad.
spike wrote:My kid hasn’t had a fever for a few days, but some congestion still lingers. Seems great otherwise.
My wife seems to be over all symptoms except for fatigue. She says it comes and goes throughout the day, unlike any virus she’s had before.
I tested again a day or two ago and was still negative.
Spike, if you had tested positive what would you be doing differently? For the sake of this conversation, what would you be doing differently for the next week.
Assuming you feel exactly the same regardless of positive or negative result.
Not a whole lot. I’m masking around the patients, and sleeping in the guest room - so wouldn’t be a point to those if I was also positive. I went to the grocery store for the first time today, since I’m still asymptomatic and the girls are supposedly past their infection window.
spike wrote:My kid hasn’t had a fever for a few days, but some congestion still lingers. Seems great otherwise.
My wife seems to be over all symptoms except for fatigue. She says it comes and goes throughout the day, unlike any virus she’s had before.
I tested again a day or two ago and was still negative.
Spike, if you had tested positive what would you be doing differently? For the sake of this conversation, what would you be doing differently for the next week.
Assuming you feel exactly the same regardless of positive or negative result.
Not a whole lot. I’m masking around the patients, and sleeping in the guest room - so wouldn’t be a point to those if I was also positive. I went to the grocery store for the first time today, since I’m still asymptomatic and the girls are supposedly past their infection window.
spike wrote:My kid hasn’t had a fever for a few days, but some congestion still lingers. Seems great otherwise.
My wife seems to be over all symptoms except for fatigue. She says it comes and goes throughout the day, unlike any virus she’s had before.
I tested again a day or two ago and was still negative.
Spike, if you had tested positive what would you be doing differently? For the sake of this conversation, what would you be doing differently for the next week.
Assuming you feel exactly the same regardless of positive or negative result.
Not a whole lot. I’m masking around the patients, and sleeping in the guest room - so wouldn’t be a point to those if I was also positive. I went to the grocery store for the first time today, since I’m still asymptomatic and the girls are supposedly past their infection window.
So there’s no reason for you to get tested.
Sure there is. If I test positive, I’ll know when to start my quarantine, and also if I should get a PCR test on the books so we can travel to see my wife’s family abroad in the coming months.
spike wrote:My kid hasn’t had a fever for a few days, but some congestion still lingers. Seems great otherwise.
My wife seems to be over all symptoms except for fatigue. She says it comes and goes throughout the day, unlike any virus she’s had before.
I tested again a day or two ago and was still negative.
Spike, if you had tested positive what would you be doing differently? For the sake of this conversation, what would you be doing differently for the next week.
Assuming you feel exactly the same regardless of positive or negative result.
Not a whole lot. I’m masking around the patients, and sleeping in the guest room - so wouldn’t be a point to those if I was also positive. I went to the grocery store for the first time today, since I’m still asymptomatic and the girls are supposedly past their infection window.
So there’s no reason for you to get tested.
Sure there is. If I test positive, I’ll know when to start my quarantine, and also if I should get a PCR test on the books so we can travel to see my wife’s family abroad in the coming months.
So wait, is it “not a whole lot” or is it “quarantine”?
Pretty sure I’ve had it this week. Sore throat, head cold, aches and lots of being uncomfortable. My wife has the same symptoms. Her kids are at their dad’s this week so we aren’t resting until the day they are supposed to come back.
E.H. Ruddock wrote:Pretty sure I’ve had it this week. Sore throat, head cold, aches and lots of being uncomfortable. My wife has the same symptoms. Her kids are at their dad’s this week so we aren’t resting until the day they are supposed to come back.
Agreed.
