The COVID-19 coping thread

[sweeterthan]

i’m getting my first vaccine on thursday. i told my friend this and she asked me what lie i told to schedule it. i’m like i’m pretty sure i qualify for the BMI requirement so no lies detected.

one of my only family members who is in a few risk groups is refusing to get it. i’m scared for this person. i want to believe that because they’ve gone a whole year and have not gotten the virus that they will be ok.

a few days ago an old family friend on facebook shared some youtube video that was titled “VACCINE ADDICTION IS JUST LIKE HEROIN ADDICTION”. it got several likes. i’m baffled how any grown adult would buy into this. Vaccine addiction is not a thing. these things are different. what a weird connection to try to push on people.

[Magnetic]

Yah, my partner's sisters & their husbands are anti-COVID vax conspiracy idiots in the UK. Their education level is high school at best, but somehow they know more than doctors. I've tried explaining things, but you can't reason with stupid.

What distresses me is that they all teach martial arts, and they're in a place of trust. I have no doubt they're spreading this cacophony of disinformation to their students.

[allegro]

I have a friend who lives in Wisconsin, I told her I got the first dose of Moderna. She asks if I’m worried that they’re “stealing my DNA.”

Me: “that’s literally impossible, think about it. How could they possibly do that?”

Her: “yeah I guess it does sound kind of impossible but you hear it everywhere.”

Me: “it’s a conspiracy theory that’s bullshit.”

Her: “well, they at least shouldn’t give it to kids. Because it will make them sterile.”

[allegate]

i’m getting my first vaccine on thursday. i told my friend this and she asked me what lie i told to schedule it. i’m like i’m pretty sure i qualify for the BMI requirement so no lies detected.

one of my only family members who is in a few risk groups is refusing to get it. i’m scared for this person. i want to believe that because they’ve gone a whole year and have not gotten the virus that they will be ok.

a few days ago an old family friend on facebook shared some youtube video that was titled “VACCINE ADDICTION IS JUST LIKE HEROIN ADDICTION”. it got several likes. i’m baffled how any grown adult would buy into this. Vaccine addiction is not a thing. these things are different. what a weird connection to try to push on people.

my exact reaction reading that:


I can't get the joke to work about the Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunizations and addiction, dammit.

@allegro, I cackled at that. they got so close to clearing the stupid bar but then ran face-first into it.

[MrLobster]

This thread is a year old today.

I haven't left the building since Dec. 21st (but I have left the apartment to pick up two deliveries back in January).
I had kinda wanted to go out for our anniversary in May but that doesn't look likely with all the third wave and variants... even with a vaccine rollout. I'm just not going take the risks until death numbers are waaaaaay down.

[Magnetic]

Yah. I'm just waiting for my damn vaccine.
I have had **very** minimal contact with the outside world in the last year for the sake of my mother. She's fully vaccinated, but she'd holding off on major things (like haircuts and dental procedures) until I get my shots. I don't want to risk long-haul COVID issues; I have friends who have them, and it's a big bag of nope.

[eversonpoe]

getting my first shot (looks like i'm getting pfizer?) on friday! did it through Rush (one of the hospitals here in chicago) and i'm so pumped.

[cdm]

Glad to see so many peeps getting / scheduled for jabs. I get my second Moderna on Monday and I never thought I'd ever be *legitimately* excited to get a shot yet here we are.

[allegro]

getting my first shot (looks like i'm getting pfizer?) on friday! did it through Rush (one of the hospitals here in chicago) and i'm so pumped.

Awesome!!!

Glad to see so many peeps getting / scheduled for jabs. I get my second Moderna on Monday and I never thought I'd ever be *legitimately* excited to get a shot yet here we are.

ohhhh I get mine around April 14th, lemme know how your 2nd Moderna shot goes!

[Magnetic]

Trying not to get jealous. But I’m just fed up with waiting. Congrats to you guys who get them. There was a lot of tourist vaccines scooped up in my state before people cracked down, and we have one of the highest 60+ populations in the country. I’m worried supply will dry up until April when I qualify.

[allegro]

@Magnetic , hang in there, supplies have been (finally!) ramping up, a lot!

[Magnetic]

I would just like to see my partner in the UK. We're going on 15 months apart, and our cat is dying slowly. I'm worried our cat is holding out to see me again. It's lost 50% of its weight, but he's still hanging on, and my guilt just doesn't end. I know COVID has affected many more worse off, but this has been slow going torture.

[allegro]

I would just like to see my partner in the UK. We're going on 15 months apart, and our cat is dying slowly. I'm worried our cat is holding out to see me again. It's lost 50% of its weight, but he's still hanging on, and my guilt just doesn't end. I know COVID has affected many more worse off, but this has been slow going torture.

If you’re in a bigger hurry, you may have to get out of Florida to get a shot faster.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/health...nalysis-finds/

[Magnetic]

I don't have the ability with my current work situation.

[allegro]

I don't have the ability with my current work situation.

Work will let you go back to the U.K.?

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ne...-lowered-to-50

[Magnetic]

I'm currently allocated 2 weeks time off. I've arranged that once I'm vaccinated, and the UK will admit me to quarantine at a place of residence, and NOT a designated hotel, I'll go there. The first week I would continue to work 100% remote as I do now, on UK hours of 1pm-10pm (US 8am-5pm). The second week I would officially have off work, and then fly home. During all of this, I'd have to witness my cat being put down.

This would at least just use 1 week of time off.

So yah, it's a shit situation, but I still want to be able to do it.

And I'm in the 40-50 group, so I currently don't qualify. I don't know when things will open up, and even when they do, I don't know how difficult it will be for me to get an appointment.

[allegro]

@Magnetic , if kitty is really suffering and you don’t know when you’re going to be able to go back, could your partner ease kitty’s suffering and have kitty euthanized and you can be “there” via FaceTime? The kitty likely won’t mind. The kitty’s ongoing suffering is likely worse than you’re not being there?

The above link indicates that Orange County FL started vaccinating people 40 and over yesterday, and that DeSantis’ goal is opening vaccines to all by May 1.

Are you going to move back to the U.K. at some point? I hope you can get back there.

[Magnetic]

Without getting into the minutiae... the cat is stable/ he isn't in physical pain, but my partner thinks he's hanging on for me.
Facetime with the cat was a bad idea. He was upset that he could hear me, but not smell/ see me. It was very upsetting.

And yes, one county has the vaccine age set for 40, but this is a good 4 hour drive from where I live. I don't have endless hours to drive all over the state to get vaccinated. As it is, I work 7am-5pm most days.

So yes, the asshat governor says we'll all be open to vaccines soon. Sure. Fine. But for someone who has been separated from their partner for as long as I have, with our poor cat dying in the process.... Yah. I'm fed up and salty about everything. Believe me, I'm not sitting back waiting on things. I'm a researcher, so I've done my homework 3x over, which is why I'm concerned about a vaccine slowdown.

[allegro]

So yes, the asshat governor says we'll all be open to vaccines soon. Sure. Fine. But for someone who has been separated from their partner for as long as I have, with our poor cat dying in the process.... Yah. I'm fed up and salty about everything. Believe me, I'm not sitting back waiting on things. I'm a researcher, so I've done my homework 3x over, which is why I'm concerned about a vaccine slowdown.

I hear you, I really do. But I’m shocked that we actually HAVE not only one vaccine but THREE vaccines now being used that were developed in under a year, considering that it took over 15 years to come up with the “cocktail” of drugs to treat HIV and AIDS; and that cocktail had a ton of side effects and cost a fortune. When my younger brother had AIDS, he couldn’t afford the antiviral cocktail, so we relied on AIDS organizations that provided the drugs (which were the drugs of dead patients). My brother died of AIDS in 2000, at age 37. Had scientists and the medical community moved a lot faster, or even thought differently, my brother might still be alive today.

As of 2018, 700,000 Americans have died of AIDS. 13,000 people die of AIDS each year.

Edit: What’s scary is the new data on Covid re “Cognitive psychosis” omg.

[Magnetic]

I'm sorry you lost your brother.

The researchers and medical community moves as fast as funding allows. We actually had a SARS vaccine developed, but it was dropped when it was "contained" within a region. Funding just wasn't there.
With COVID, we really are using new technology for the vaccines. I'm hoping this will lead to a long term revolution in what we can inoculate against once this is over, including AIDS.

[cdm]

Trying not to get jealous. But I’m just fed up with waiting. Congrats to you guys who get them. There was a lot of tourist vaccines scooped up in my state before people cracked down, and we have one of the highest 60+ populations in the country. I’m worried supply will dry up until April when I qualify.

Sorry, Mag, I didn't mean to come off as gloating. I hope you're able to get one soon.

[Magnetic]

It's ok. It's frustrating to see people in other states my age AND younger who are getting their shots, but that isn't on them. I'm glad people are getting vaccinated, I just wish it was my turn.

[ickyvicky]

Same @Magnetic ! I work in a community arts center, so I'm dealing with adults and kids constantly - but I don't qualify because we're technically not a school, an essential service, or government-run public center.

[eversonpoe]

was planning to ride my bike down to rush on friday for my shot (gonna take about the same amount of time as driving) but apparently it's a bad idea to exercise right after getting it. :/ really not looking forward to having to park down there.

[sweeterthan]

was planning to ride my bike down to rush on friday for my shot (gonna take about the same amount of time as driving) but apparently it's a bad idea to exercise right after getting it. :/ really not looking forward to having to park down there.

yes! the parking gave me anxiety today as i went for my first shot at the mercedes benz stadium in atlanta. but i got there and got it done. they gave me a number and i asked if i have time to use the restroom. they said yes but as i was washing my hands i heard them call my number so i ran out there and these military men are waving me over. the one that has a mic says “come on down!” and it made me and a few other people laugh. it was very efficient and i’m so grateful to get it. my kids will go to camp this summer!

[eversonpoe]

got my shot! second one is april 16th

[piggy]

got my shot! second one is april 16th

Off topic, but you have beautiful eyes!

[eversonpoe]

Off topic, but you have beautiful eyes!

thank you <3

[Archive_Reports]

My wife and I got our vaccines scheduled. About a month out, but it's a light.

[Jinsai]

on some level, I've almost felt like giving up on trying to secure a vaccine, and I'm just waiting for people to tell me that I can finally just go somewhere and get it. I really suspect this will happen soon enough.

It's just kind of exhausting to try to follow this all... A friend sent me a tip yesterday, that day only, that it was walk-in for anyone over the age of 16 to get the vaccine in... BAKERSFIELD, that day only.

WHAT?
WHY?!

And there I was, considering driving three hours to Bakersfield, knowing that there's a good chance this is all going to be a complete clusterfuck when I get there.
And... sorry, I just HATE Bakersfield. It is literally my least favorite place on earth. There is no reason to ever want to go there or stay there. It is hell. It is the worst place.

But somehow, for whatever reason, this whole process is so completely screwed up, that hey, if you're willing to rush into this HORRIBLE PLACE (where everyone listens to Jack Johnson and is surprised you aren't a republican), and hope to walk out with a shot in the arm, that was my best bet so far.

WHAT is going on here? On top of that, I'm seeing people still just NOT GETTING THIS. I read this LAtimes article yesterday that made my blood pressure soar, and it was more due to the comments section, where everyone is quibbling about whether or not it's violating people's civil rights to deny them access to the gym if they are incapable of taking the vaccine.
That's where I just about lost my mind.

SORRY. If you can't get the vaccine because your system can't handle it, you need to STAY HOME for a bit longer. You can hang in for a little longer and NOT GO TO THE GODDAMN GYM. Are you kidding me? We are trying to vaccinate and inoculate the population, and you're like "but what if I really gotta sweat all over the exercise bike before we figure that out?" How about this, if you are incapable of taking the vaccine, but REALLY are super upset that you can't go to the gym, we set up a subsidy program where we give you a fucking Peloton, but you need to use it for at least 30 minutes every other day or you go to jail for the rest of your life.

That works for me. As long as people are TRYING to get the vaccine and still cannot, and are winding up on waiting lists for a month at best, I don't wanna hear people talk about how they just NEEEEEEEEEED to go to the goddamn gym, or house parties where everyone licks each others eyeballs. We are ALMOST THERE! Come ON!