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Post by htmb on Apr 13, 2021 19:04:52 GMT
My domestic flight landed at one of the Atlanta Airport’s international terminals the other day and I saw an interesting sight. While walking to get to my next gate I passed a huge, roped-off waiting area with a sign stating it was only for those who had just tested negative for covid. Sitting inside the large waiting area were two men, while next door was a testing station. I could see medical personnel inside and I assumed this must be a set up for one of the “covid free flights’ to other countries such as Italy or the UK. Passengers on one of these flights are not required to quarantine upon arrival.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 13, 2021 19:13:10 GMT
As things stand now for my Iceland trip (in July, so things can change), fully vaccinated passengers won’t need a negative COVID test or quarantine upon arrival in Iceland.
The US, however, IS requiring a negative COVID test within 3 days for ALL passengers boarding International flights to the US, even vaccinated US citizens.
So I hope our tour coordinator will know how and where to get this done.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 13, 2021 20:15:28 GMT
I'm having my haircut on Friday. The salon has reduced customer numbers at any one time but they're opening for longer days, 7 days a week until the demands lessens. Most of the stylists are part time but they're working extra to cover. All the employees are wearing masks, gloves and visors. Work stations are 2m apart. Last time I went the receptionist took my temperature at the door and I was offered hand sanitiser. Customers all wore masks too. I was asked to just hold it over my face whilst the stylst did the twiddly bits around my ears.
When I go into town, abeit infrequently..I don't take my mask off unless it's to change it for a fresh one. I wear disposable gloves if I'm in a store. Can't be too careful.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 13, 2021 20:34:39 GMT
Oh, LaGatta ~ that you should get covid in "a place of healing" seems singularly unfair. Were they testing everyone, or was there some reason at the time to think you had it? Will you be getting a second shot after this one?
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Post by lagatta on Apr 13, 2021 20:46:03 GMT
They tested everyone. Since I was asymptomatic, there was certainly no particular reason to think I had it, except for another patient who had caught it and was a bit of a "spreader".
No second injection, as the dose I get tomorrow will in effect be a "second dose".
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 13, 2021 20:51:28 GMT
Thanks. Interesting that the fact that you had it is (realistically) being considered a first dose. I know at least one person in the US who had a full-blown case of covid, but nevertheless received both shots. It would seem that not "wasting" that second shot on people who have already had covid would be one way of having more vaccine to go around.
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Post by tod2 on Apr 14, 2021 6:58:29 GMT
I'm having my haircut on Friday. Everything you described about your salon Cheery is identical to my salon here except Nobody wears gloves unless applying a tint. I also have never worn gloves as I sanitise several times while in the grocery store and have a good wash with soap when home again. I guess wearing gloves means you just rip them off when home.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 14, 2021 14:45:16 GMT
I take 3 or 4 pairs of disposable gloves with me, altho I rarely use more than a couple of pairs. Jeff takes me into town in the car so I don't put gloves on until I go into a shop where I'm likely to be handling things like a trolley, basket, lift buttons or stair rails. Most stores have people sanitising things but you can't be too careful! I remove my gloves and put them in a street bin. If I'm not ringing Jeff to pick me up then I'll wear gloves on the bus home too. Usually just my leather ones which I leave in the hall when I get home.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 14, 2021 15:01:39 GMT
Have you not read that it has been found that touching things represents no more than 0.5% of infections? It's all in the air, not in the things you touch.
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Post by bjd on Apr 14, 2021 15:33:49 GMT
Yes,I read too that touching things is minimally important in transmitting the virus. Now they are saying that countries went overboard with the sanitizing and spraying everywhere. Live and learn, I guess.
In the past year, I only had my temperature taken once, at the beginning of the first lockdown at the dentist's office.
And hairdressers here use one chair out of two to keep some distance and both hairdresser and client have to wear masks, but they let you take it off to see the final result.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 14, 2021 15:36:44 GMT
I have not had my temperature taken a single time.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 14, 2021 16:12:34 GMT
Move here. You'll start automatically sticking your arm out every time you go through a doorway.
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Post by onlyMark on Apr 14, 2021 16:21:19 GMT
Now they are saying that countries went overboard with the sanitizing and spraying everywhere. Live and learn, I guess. I'm a lot less strict now with sanitising but I'll still do it in the supermarket though I've never bothered with gloves except for a time in Spain and Germany last year when it was compulsory to wear the plastic gloves when selecting fruit and veg. We know better now but I can't criticise the original advice. I'd rather do ten unnecessary things to make sure I did the one that mattered. Just think of the fall out if it had been the other way round - suspecting something may help but not saying anything and it turns out it was actually vital. If you remember at the beginning the WHO were reluctant to advocate mask wearing. In the past year, I only had my temperature taken once, Had it done half a dozen times or more with different things with travelling and going in to places.
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Post by htmb on Apr 14, 2021 16:59:46 GMT
No gloves for me, but I do wash my hands more frequently than ever before, use hand sanitizer when out, and do my best to keep my hands off my face. I also showered, washed my hair, and put on fresh clothes before seeing vaccinated family on my recent plane trip. Not sure if that was overkill, or not.
I have a dentist appointment tomorrow and they called to say they’d be taking my temperature and would be asking me a lot of questions (Have you been out of the country in the last 30 days? Have you been recently tested for covid, etc). I’m not sure why my prissy little dentist even cares. While she originally scoffed at public concerns over the virus back in March 2020, she now wears a space suit with a built in air filter. As for the temperature taking, I just don’t see how it’s very effective. Those of us who are responsible and think we have a fever won’t be going anywhere, while others who are careless might just pop a fever-reliever and head on out into public spaces.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 14, 2021 21:11:04 GMT
Have you not read that it has been found that touching things represents no more than 0.5% of infections? It's all in the air, not in the things you touch. It's my paranoia medear. All biomedical scientists are incredibly prissy about this sort of thing. We like the rubber snap as we put the gloves on too...gives us a little thrill (not in THAT way!) A lot of my ex colleagues also 'double mask'.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 14, 2021 21:19:24 GMT
Leicester has had a consistently high infection rate...so when out in public with other plebs in shops we are all looking about wildly with suspicion...trying to keep oher folk out of our space. The young don't care here...they congregate in noisy clumps outside Primark and New Look..reasonably priced (cheap) fashion shops...none of them in masks. Bless.
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Post by fumobici on Apr 15, 2021 1:30:19 GMT
Have you not read that it has been found that touching things represents no more than 0.5% of infections? It's all in the air, not in the things you touch. When you drill down into the contact tracing data, another thing that becomes clear is the virus is almost never transmitted outdoors. Wearing masks outside is almost completely theater and an unwillingness to change messaging as new facts come to light for fear that it will be viewed as waffling inconsistency. The virus is spread pretty much exclusively through exhalation and inhalation of aerosols indoors. Wearing masks, even though of almost no prophylactic utility, remains polite to not freak people out unnecessarily. The only time I've had my temperature taken since the pandemic began was when I got my first Moderna shot.
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Post by fumobici on Apr 15, 2021 1:40:18 GMT
An anecdote from an associate of mine in Egypt.
He runs a business in Cairo and his workers are to a one afraid of being vaccinated, even as the virus rages there.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 15, 2021 6:28:13 GMT
another thing that becomes clear is the virus is almost never transmitted outdoors. While I have read the same information, I still think there is a big difference between "outdoors in the big city" and "outdoors on the beach" so I am not so sure abut the "almost never" which is probably another form of political posturing by some of the experts. On top of that, while probably most people would agree that masks are a good idea outdoors in cities like London, Paris, New York, etc. which can be really crowded, it would be practically impossible to know where to set the population or other cursors for masks or no masks because there are extremely condensed cities (Paris) and others that are incredibly spread out (Los Angeles), not to mention having very little pedestrian traffic. Paris tried very briefly to only require masks in the most crowded streets and the result was laughable. But even now in my neighbourhood, in partical lockdown and with a curfew, I see all sorts of groups of migrants hanging out together, no social distancing and masks worn on their chins. They have absolutely nowhere to go and can't be expected to sit in their tiny camping tents all day (if they are lucky enough to have one). This can't be good, outdoors or not.
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Post by tod2 on Apr 15, 2021 7:07:11 GMT
I don't put gloves on until I go into a shop where I'm likely to be handling things like a trolley, Cheery, I completely understand your very thorough way of coping with the outside world away from your home. If it makes you feel comfortable and protected, that is very important for your peace of mind. I have never worn gloves because at the supermarket entrance they have "helpers" preventing anyone without a mask from entering the store and more importantly, they spray your hands and your trolley handle and if you ask nicely they will coat your entire trolley in sanitizer. When I hop back in the car I sanitize my hands once more with my own 100% active sanitizer. There has been an instance of a store watering down the sanitizer and were heavily fined. You keep staying safe!
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 15, 2021 7:42:15 GMT
Thank you Tod x I have stopped wearing a mask when I take the dog out for his walks, altho I always have one in my pocket in case it's needed. I don't see anybody apart from the occasional neighbour and we always respect each other's space. Jeff still wears a mask when he walks the dog but mainly to keep his nose warm Wear masks everywhere else tho, it's just common sense here. I have hand sanitiser in my bag too, and use it frequently. I can't see that changing anytime soon. In the city even with reduced traffic and pedestrian only areas it's difficult to maintain a reasonable space between people...freaks me out a bit when I'm in a queue and the person behind me shuffles too close.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 15, 2021 13:24:56 GMT
I wonder about passing joggers, who are exerting and breathing heavily, potentially polluting the air around them with viral particles. Since I can smell their shampoo several seconds after they pass, I’m pretty sure there could be viruses lurking in their invisible cloud.
We just need to get (almost) everyone vaccinated as soon as possible.
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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 15, 2021 15:39:54 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Apr 15, 2021 16:03:56 GMT
Kimby, are you detecting their odour through a mask? Better double up honey as those Covid particles can be incredibly minute. Better still. Spray your throat and nasal passages with Andolex or similar. I believe there is a nasal deterrent for Covid in the making.
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Post by mich64 on Apr 15, 2021 16:49:27 GMT
If I did not have an AVM in the draining artery in my brain, I would be vaccinated by now with the AstraZeneca as it is the only one available to my age group and I would have taken it.
The Government is trying desperately to convince people from the age of 55 to 60 to book appointments for it (given at pharmacies only) and until they get rid of most of the supply they are not going to open up the portal for vaccination appointments at sites for Pfizer or Moderna to my age group. So I am stuck. They have also put a hold on opening up the portal for people with health risks in category 2 & 3 (I am in 3) so they can vaccinate more people in the hot zones knowing people like myself are being extra careful and staying at home anyway.
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Post by mich64 on Apr 15, 2021 16:59:13 GMT
I believe there is a nasal deterrent for Covid in the making. There is company here in Canada that I am following called SaNOtize Research and Development that is in trials with a nasal spray.
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Post by Kimby on Apr 15, 2021 20:21:21 GMT
I am sitting at the gate waiting to board a United flight to Denver, to connect to Wisconsin for the final visit to the family cabin with my sister.
Everyone is masked and I am double-masked as I do for flying. Since I’ve been fully vaccinated since late February, and have no at-risk friends or family, I don’t worry too much about masking outdoors. Though I keep a mask around my neck anytime I leave the house. (I got some cord elastic that I tie to the ear loops.. works great. Keeps it handy with no fumbling.
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Post by tod2 on Apr 16, 2021 8:00:01 GMT
Hope you had a pleasant flight Kimby.
We got messages on our phones to say we can register for a vaccination today! All excited we followed the instructions and it came back "You have successfully registered for the vaccine"
Bloody liars! Now we learn that the application form was just a dummy run and that we will have to apply again after 4pm today!! Only in Africa.
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Post by mickthecactus on Apr 16, 2021 8:43:06 GMT
Let’s hope it’s the real thing. Any idea which vaccine you’ll be offered. Hopefully not the Chinese one.
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Post by bjd on Apr 16, 2021 9:39:11 GMT
Not just in Africa, Tod. I have been checking the website for vaccinations in my area about 4 times a day and it's always "nothing available but new appointments will be made in the coming days". So on Monday I called the local centre and got a lady who took my information and said she would call back at the end of the week to offer an appointment. It's Friday noon and I am still waiting.
I walked past yesterday afternoon and there were about 10 people lined up outside so I didn't wait just to ask about an appointment.
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