We are so special!
My wife got her COVID booster shot today, and I’m scheduled to get mine tomorrow. Just in time, too, because we just learned of a signal distinction: Minnesota is now the #1 COVID-19 hotspot in the United States! And within Minnesota, the east central and west central regions (where I am) are the very worst areas for COVID hospitalizations and with the lowest vaccination rates!
I’ve mentioned before how lazy and awful the locals here are about wearing a mask. Do you believe me now? I’ve got to get the booster, as well as wear the mask every time I go out, because this place is a plague pit.
In related news, the Department of Defense is now flying in military medical teams to provide relief to overwhelmed health care professionals. Our useless governor, who is more concerned with appeasing the rabid outstate yokels than in preventing citizens from dying, asked them to come in and help, because he sure as hell isn’t going to re-invoke the safety measures, like a mask mandate, that he cancelled months ago.
Help me! I’d like to escape, but I’m stuck here with a Spring teaching load that is going to require that I teach all of my courses in-person, because the university administration is similarly blasé about an ongoing pandemic. FML.
UFB. Everyone masks in my region (f/t inside, but I live in CA). I test every student and staff member every week. There are no active cases in my zip code.
My twin brother is in Hospital ,I managed to visit him today .They are still taking all the proper steps ,I had to mask up ,put rubber gloves on ,also a plastic apron .And I had to stay two meters away from him .
Yet out shopping not a lot of people wearing masks .
Your county is just over 20 times worse in average cases per 100000 than mine in what was wasteland Florida!
https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/map/minnesota
We have been dropping down somewhat in positivity (MN- 11.1% vs FL- 2.7%) Things may get worse here, so I’m going to enjoy the respite. I regret not doing that in May. Guess three shots may become the definition of fully vaccinated eventually:
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/11/17/world/coronavirus-newsletter-intl-17-11-21/index.html
Good you’re getting yours. Got mine two weeks ago. I’ll think about remasking if the curve slopes steeply up again. Another hurricane eye before the wall slams us?
I just hope DeSantis doesn’t do another crass victory lap after all the people who died after the last time he tried that. He’s got a freebie reelection promotion in the state legislature right now. Talk of a Florida OSHA:
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/474337-bill-exploring-osha-options-ready-for-gov-desantis-signature/
Funhouse mirrors.
PZ, with the poor participation of most people around you on this work/life issue, I think you are totally correct to say to them: “Fix My Lighthouse!”, referring to the missing safety infrastructure where you are.
(Of course, there is a second meaning to FML which might also be considered appropriate.)
Here’s a difficult map to share that might work:
https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/2021/coronavirus-tracking/images/maps/USA/hotspots.png
AVERAGE DAILY CASES PER 100,000 PEOPLE IN PAST WEEK
I just had my Pfizer booster shot. And have had my flu shot. And I have had a pneumonia vaccination shot. Don’t forget that one! Pneumonia can be a major problem, a complication for flu, covid. and even cold sufferers. And do get a flu shot if you haven’t yet. It can be a killer. In these days of diseased plague rats and anti-vaxxers running amok, take no chances. Next month, my shingles vaccination. I suffered a shingle attack a few months ago AND YOU DO NOT WANT THIS! It is sheer misery and pain.
Become a vaccination junkie today.
Truly a sad day in America when Trump country is doing better than everyone else. Thanks, anti-vaxxers.
@6 Having my flu shot on Saturday .I had shingles in Dec 2016 ,it hurt like a bastard .