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Post by whatagain on Nov 23, 2021 8:29:29 GMT
I returned to giving the bise to half a dozen people. But i don't shake hands anymore. I 'check'. My reasoning being i use my hands much more than my cheeks.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 23, 2021 8:56:34 GMT
Peru is still winning the covid death contest.
609 per 100,000 population.
The next countries on the list are all in Europe.
Bulgaria 391 Bosnia & Herzegovina 372 North Macedonia 357 Montenegro 357 Hungary 339 Czechia 300
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Post by bjd on Nov 23, 2021 9:44:29 GMT
On the news that said that in the most rural areas, a lot of people are not paying any attention to masking and distancing -- they think it is an urban thing. And they were also among the first to return to the bise, if ever they had stopped. We were in Bayonne this weekend. On Saturday afternoon there was a demonstration about the cost of real estate, the difficulty for locals to find housing and high rents. We saw part of this demonstration and out of the 8,000 people who participated, almost nobody had a mask on. Bayonne is not rural and in the streets, hardly anyone had a mask on either whereas the old part of the city had obligatory masking until recently. Still in stores but not much outside.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 23, 2021 10:26:08 GMT
Masks are not obligatory outdoors in most of Paris either, but a lot of people wear them anyway. Tourists do not seem to do so, so there are fewer masks in the centre of the city.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 25, 2021 12:51:54 GMT
France modified the rules again today (and Slovakia went into total lockdown like Austria).
All adults are now eligible for the booster shot, after five months instead of six months. Tests will only be valid for 24 hours in terms of validating a health pass. Masking is now required everywhere indoors, including places which had stopped requiring it due to being accessible only to people with a health pass. For example, many restaurants had made masks optional for their staff since the premises were covered by the health pass. Not anymore.
Meanwhile, the midday news showed the increased spot checks in restaurants and cafés. A group of at least a half dozen police rush inside and prevent anybody from leaving. Then they check the health passes. There were quite a few infractions -- unvaccinated people, fraudulent health passes ("it was his brother's pass") and people who were lame enough to have forgotten to bring it. Many fines were issued (135 euros) and there was a muscular arrest which required three police officers. One fast food manager turned out not to be vaccinated and had to leave the place immediately besides receiving the fine. Naturally, the owners of establishments which have let in the unvaccinated are subject to fines as well, but the police pointed out that in the case of the violent customer, the owner could have been beaten to a pulp if he had demanded the pass from the guy even before letting him in, so a bit of leniency will be observed in cases like that. All of these places will have a new spot check soon, and if the results are the same, not only will there be a big fine but the place will be closed for a month.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 26, 2021 14:07:33 GMT
We got the bad news as well. South Africa banned from flying into Great Britain and also much of Europe. Maybe Greece will still let us in - not sure. The new variant is deadly we are told. So its a stay home Xmas I think. Maybe even a lockdown coming.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 26, 2021 14:25:32 GMT
I don't think that they are saying that the South African variant is deadly yet -- it's too soon to know. But obviously everybody always expects the worst after what has already happened. A first case has been identified in Belgium today, so we can expect it to spread like wildfire if it is as contagious as they claim.
Time to reread Stephen King's The Stand.
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Post by rikita on Nov 26, 2021 21:33:53 GMT
got an offer for a booster through work - biontec again, and it is only four months since my second vaccination, so wondering a bit if it is too soon, but i signed up for it ... from what i heard on the news, the booster shots are as badly organized as the vaccinations were all along here, so it might be difficult to get an appointment on my own ...
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 26, 2021 21:50:41 GMT
They just changed the rule in France from 6 months to 5 months. But for the moment it is impossible to get an appointment -- there has been a stampede.
Waiting for omicron....
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Post by questa on Nov 26, 2021 21:58:26 GMT
With any luck, the covid epidemic will have calmed down a bit another 6 months after this upcoming booster shot? Or am I repeating what Kerouac said in the first post in this long thread? Just when you thought it was safe... South Africa and 5 other African sites are reporting a new variant virus called omicron that looks to be bigger and capable of more speed in spreading
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Post by mich64 on Nov 27, 2021 3:01:48 GMT
I had just said to my husband not 4 days ago... "we have not heard of any new variants in quite a while, so maybe we might be over the worst and things might start to improve next year"... My thoughts and hopes for more vaccination supplies are with the people in South Africa and surrounding countries at this moment.
We took all 4 parents yesterday for their boosters. My husband is next week.
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Post by whatagain on Nov 27, 2021 10:51:24 GMT
A first case has been identified in Belgium today, so we can expect it to spread like wildfire if it is as contagious as they claim. Time to reread Stephen King's The Stand. We Belgians are always on point.
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Post by onlyMark on Nov 27, 2021 16:29:07 GMT
Peru is still winning the covid death contest. 609 per 100,000 population. The next countries on the list are all in Europe. Bulgaria 391 Bosnia & Herzegovina 372North Macedonia 357 Montenegro 357 Hungary 339 Czechia 300 Don't know where you got that figure from for Bosnia. Not been over 300 since April. Now it's between 100 and 200.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 27, 2021 16:35:44 GMT
One of us has fake news. Not sure which one.
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Post by onlyMark on Nov 27, 2021 16:39:05 GMT
Had my first vaccination in Germany, second one in the middle of July in Spain (both AstraZeneca) - booster (Pfizer) had yesterday in Slovenia. I wonder how long I can keep having the shots in different countries. I suppose it depends on how many we'll need or probably, a yearly thing anyway.
K2, I was unsure about your figures for Bosnia but only just had time to check.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Nov 27, 2021 17:02:47 GMT
Yesterday I went along to my local GP surgery and had the 'flu vaccine in my left arm and pfizer coronaviru vaccine booster in my right. No problems really, my arms are a little sore today and I'm feeling a bit under the weather but nothing major.
In a few moments we have a briefing from Downing Street led by Boris....there have been 2 cases of the Omicron variant identified in England. Everybody is panicking because it has 50+ mutations, 30 of them on the spike protein (the bit of the vaccine that attaches to cell membranes to infect them).
The mutation may prevent the vaccine from working efficiently.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 27, 2021 22:30:31 GMT
had the 'flu vaccine in my left arm and pfizer coronaviru vaccine booster in my right. Cheery, Lugg, Questa & anyone else who wants to give an opinion ~ I've never had a flu shot. The other day my-sister-the-nurse said this would be a good year to get one. Left to my own devices, I probably won't bother, but ..................
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Post by whatagain on Nov 28, 2021 4:46:12 GMT
Hi Bixa. My wife got her flu shot and said i should get mine.
Reasoning is : not the best year to get the flu, have the shot, moron.
Well, moron was between the line. But i start being good at deciphering what my wife leaves unsaid. 😏
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 28, 2021 5:35:59 GMT
I have only been getting flu shots since last year.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 28, 2021 5:40:22 GMT
Thanks, Whatagain. From everything you've told us about your wife, her advice seems worth taking!
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Post by bjd on Nov 28, 2021 7:09:04 GMT
I have never had a flu shot either. Last year in the second wave of covid, I thought I should but when I got to the pharmacy, they had already run out. I haven't bothered trying this year but will go for the booster covid in a couple of weeks.
Bixa, Whatagain has been sick a lot if his posts are anything to go by -- perhaps that's why his wife is encouraging him to get the flu shot?
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 28, 2021 15:37:13 GMT
Ahh ~ good point about Whatagain's health in the past year, Bjd.
I jumped on the opportunity to get my booster when I was in the US in mid-November. Such a relief!
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Post by rikita on Nov 28, 2021 22:04:23 GMT
i had a flu shot the year i was pregnant, else i don't think i ever had one. been thinking about getting one this year, but so far haven't ...
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Post by questa on Nov 28, 2021 22:40:53 GMT
Every year thousands of people die from flu in Oz, and many more have long term complications that change their lives. People with normal health don't worry about flu thinking it is an old person's disease, but go to any workplace in flu season and there will be absentees and lower productivity.
I get one every year and don't worry if I am in a crowd or in contact with someone who has the flu.I haven't even had a cold for 20 years. To me it just makes sense.
I'd say "Why NOT have the flu immunisation"....
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 28, 2021 23:30:21 GMT
Thanks, Questa!
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Post by mich64 on Nov 29, 2021 2:29:47 GMT
When visiting with my sister today (we had a luncheon for our mother, it was her 80th birthday today!) she talked about her four children (between the ages of 32-40) how they struggled coming to the decisions of getting vaccinated. All four of them held off until just recently, I was shocked. I knew about my niece but had no idea that my nephews were not vaccinated until recently until today. I am stunned that they all would not have gotten it just for the fact of protecting their mother who has been battling cancer this past year. She said they were all quite convinced with the conspiracy theories on Facebook, I could only shake my head.
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Post by htmb on Nov 29, 2021 2:56:44 GMT
Mich, I have a few members of my (biological) family who are also unvaccinated and who have bought into the conspiracy theory garbage. I just don’t understand it, and was disappointed to see Thanksgiving photos of a couple of them socializing in the home of my health-compromised, older sister. Even though she is fully vaccinated, she caught covid earlier this year and seems to be more susceptible to infection, so it boggles my mind to see this kind of careless behavior.
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Post by questa on Nov 29, 2021 4:21:04 GMT
Have y'all heard about the vaccine for prevention of ovarian cancer. A few years ago there was a major program that worked through the schools and it was almost 100% take-up. Each year the next group added to the pool. On radio the head honcho said that Australia will be the first country to eliminate the cancer and the majority of the infections.
(I like y'all. May I use it? )
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Post by mossie on Nov 29, 2021 8:23:20 GMT
I had a dose of pneumonia in the mid 1980's and my doctor told me to have a flu jab and to make sure I had one every year. I have followed his advice to the letter and it has worked.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 30, 2021 0:20:53 GMT
htmb, careless behaviour indeed. I will never understand how my niece and nephews did not think of their mother instantly when vaccines became available to them. My sister told me that my niece finally relented months later when she realized she would not be able to enter the hockey arena without proof of double vaccination to watch her son play. I do not even think she realizes it was hurtful how she prioritized her decision. I am greatly relieved for my sister that they are all now vaccinated. I have my doubts they will get the booster when their time comes though as it is not, at this time, mandated for entry to public indoor spaces.
Questa, we have a vaccine here called HPV that teenagers and young adults have been given here in Canada. I think that is for ovarian cancer. I remember my friends having their children vaccinated and thinking how wonderful it will be for them not to have to worry about ovarian cancer.
Glad to hear your flu vaccine has worked every year Mossie! I have had pneumonia twice once in my 20's and the second time in my early 40's. My doctor gave me the pneumonia vaccine about 10 years ago so I should check whether it needs to updated.
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