There is a lot of anxiety. I have a lot of anxiety. The public is being asked to understand the second most complex system in the human body while navigating a sea of misinformation while coping with significant pandemic exhaustion and mental health problems. All while receiving little-to-no communication.
I look forward to your emails to cut through the noise and provide me with solid information. Thank you so much! My level of science literacy gives me just enough of a BS filter to survive. I am so grateful for your translation of jargon to laymen’s terms. It helps me share information and make practical, personal decisions.
Thanks for this--information and encouragement both. I appreciate your dismay about the CDC's inaction, and the failure of our nation to bolster Public Health Departments. Your column is a bright light.
The lack of information from the CDC is incredibly frustrating. The fact that we aren't monitoring variants is incomprehensible to me. I don't understand why they aren't being more pro active.
The flight information is astounding. My family and I are set to fly to LA for a cruise in January... now I'm wondering if omicron will accomplish what delta did not (convincing me to give up travel plans!). I'm not so patiently waiting for data, but appreciate your insight in the meantime.
Thanks for your newsletter. I'm glad I subscribed. You continue to be a rational data based voice amongst the emotional knee-jerk media responses that seem to be the norm.
well, full PPE would be a good starting point. i've been inside a P100 half face respirator going on two years. no reason to take it off right now.....
I wish I could find one that fits right on my face, and with my glasses. So far I have purchased 3 (Envo, GVS Eclipse, Castlegrade). Still on the search for any mask at N95 or better that fits my face with no gaps, sigh.
i have glasses, and a face only a mother could love, not a mask. what i use isn't pretty. i went with 3M 8000 series half face masks with P100 cartridges. here's my soup to nuts strategy, based on 40 years of occupational PPE. the stuff works. i'm only concerned with this flavor as a have surgery in two weeks, and while i can wear a half mask right up to when the gas passer slaps a mask on me, there is post op. we all get to live an adventure, 'eh?
Great article. I am a special education teacher and daily I am faced with the decision of either saving my life or not scaring the children. We have mandated face masks for all, vaccinations for staff, ventilation as part of our contract, and Hepa filters in my room. I used all my sick leave at the beginning of this year, hoping to avoid the peak of the Delta wave only to be faced with Omicron, lol. I enjoyed my time off. I got a CO2 monitor (hovers from 400-550), we keep our windows and door wide open (wear your coats and hats, kids) and we are going to build some corsirosenthal boxes as a class project. I asked for an extra Hepa filter on Friday and they said it would be there when I come in tomorrow. The kids know I don't play when it comes to their masks and I don't allow them to take them off for any reason while in the classroom. But the quality of their masks stink, as they are ill fitting surgical masks or cloth masks. We have extra surgical masks, and a few extra kid sized KN95 that one of my Aides purchased. Not sure why we don't make masks for kids and then distribute them. We have had 21+ cases at my school, even with these mitigations. It's all very exhausting.
one thing i learned with a particle counter, is that absolutely ZERO stuff makes it thru an IQ Air filter. zero particulates. i'd probably, if it were me, have one sitting next to my desk, stay near it, and wear a mask. the stupid things are about $900.
i also learned that face doilies don't amount to shit, but i learned that a while ago. how many people do you think wear one of those into an asbestos abatement project? but, putting one of those face doilies up to the particle counter stops the BS right quick.
Dutch authorities confirm 13 Omicron cases and say there may be more
The Dutch public health authority confirmed on Sunday that 13 people who arrived in the Netherlands on flights from South Africa on Friday have so far tested positive for the new omicron coronavirus variant, AP reports.
The 61 people who tested positive for the virus on Friday after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport before a flight ban was put in place were immediately put into isolation while sequencing was carried out to establish if they had the new variant.
The public health institute said in a statement that testing was continuing on the samples.
Most of the 61 people who tested positive were put into isolation at a hotel near the airport, while a small number were allowed to sit out their quarantine at home under strict conditions.
“The Omicron variant has so far been identified in 13 of the positive tests. The investigation has not yet been completed. The new variant may be found in more test samples,” the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in a statement.
Thank you for being so diligent, comprehensive, and accessible in your reporting and for staying on top of the developments even on a weekend and during the holiday. I appreciate you and your efforts!
this absolutely helps. i was dizzy yesterday morning from the anxiety. this helped set things straight it my head a little.
I also have a question about what those in the field think covid starts to look like long term? Like do we eventually get to things looking kind of like the flu, or do we get to panic every 4-6 months about a new variant that might b able to evade immunity for the next several years or possibly forever?
Thank you for this excellent post. One comment -- re: 65% of ICU pts at one SA ICU not being immunized, is this really encouraging news if the proportion of unimmunized people in that population at large is also about 65%? If so, then immunization would seem to be irrelevant with respect to this variant and hospitalization. Very concerning. As you wrote, still a lot to learn.
As I have stated before ----you are my pandemic XANAX and I appreciate you. Thanks for doing this on a Saturday night of a Holiday weekend!
Thank you so much. We really appreciate you.
You're amazing. I'm so thankful for your voice and expertise!
Thank you, thank you. I know you will keep us grounded.
I look forward to your emails to cut through the noise and provide me with solid information. Thank you so much! My level of science literacy gives me just enough of a BS filter to survive. I am so grateful for your translation of jargon to laymen’s terms. It helps me share information and make practical, personal decisions.
YES yes yes that is what I want to say!
Thanks for this--information and encouragement both. I appreciate your dismay about the CDC's inaction, and the failure of our nation to bolster Public Health Departments. Your column is a bright light.
The lack of information from the CDC is incredibly frustrating. The fact that we aren't monitoring variants is incomprehensible to me. I don't understand why they aren't being more pro active.
The flight information is astounding. My family and I are set to fly to LA for a cruise in January... now I'm wondering if omicron will accomplish what delta did not (convincing me to give up travel plans!). I'm not so patiently waiting for data, but appreciate your insight in the meantime.
Thanks for your newsletter. I'm glad I subscribed. You continue to be a rational data based voice amongst the emotional knee-jerk media responses that seem to be the norm.
Thank you! You are our guiding light through this darkness. I so appreciate everything you are doing for us all. ❤️
well, full PPE would be a good starting point. i've been inside a P100 half face respirator going on two years. no reason to take it off right now.....
I wish I could find one that fits right on my face, and with my glasses. So far I have purchased 3 (Envo, GVS Eclipse, Castlegrade). Still on the search for any mask at N95 or better that fits my face with no gaps, sigh.
i have glasses, and a face only a mother could love, not a mask. what i use isn't pretty. i went with 3M 8000 series half face masks with P100 cartridges. here's my soup to nuts strategy, based on 40 years of occupational PPE. the stuff works. i'm only concerned with this flavor as a have surgery in two weeks, and while i can wear a half mask right up to when the gas passer slaps a mask on me, there is post op. we all get to live an adventure, 'eh?
https://medium.com/@fulthrotl/biological-and-psychological-protection-from-covid-19-988040c2f526
Great article. I am a special education teacher and daily I am faced with the decision of either saving my life or not scaring the children. We have mandated face masks for all, vaccinations for staff, ventilation as part of our contract, and Hepa filters in my room. I used all my sick leave at the beginning of this year, hoping to avoid the peak of the Delta wave only to be faced with Omicron, lol. I enjoyed my time off. I got a CO2 monitor (hovers from 400-550), we keep our windows and door wide open (wear your coats and hats, kids) and we are going to build some corsirosenthal boxes as a class project. I asked for an extra Hepa filter on Friday and they said it would be there when I come in tomorrow. The kids know I don't play when it comes to their masks and I don't allow them to take them off for any reason while in the classroom. But the quality of their masks stink, as they are ill fitting surgical masks or cloth masks. We have extra surgical masks, and a few extra kid sized KN95 that one of my Aides purchased. Not sure why we don't make masks for kids and then distribute them. We have had 21+ cases at my school, even with these mitigations. It's all very exhausting.
one thing i learned with a particle counter, is that absolutely ZERO stuff makes it thru an IQ Air filter. zero particulates. i'd probably, if it were me, have one sitting next to my desk, stay near it, and wear a mask. the stupid things are about $900.
i also learned that face doilies don't amount to shit, but i learned that a while ago. how many people do you think wear one of those into an asbestos abatement project? but, putting one of those face doilies up to the particle counter stops the BS right quick.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/nov/28/covid-live-news-uk-germany-and-italy-detect-omicron-cases-israel-bans-all-visitors?page=with:block-61a376ee8f08de86f451dcfe#block-61a376ee8f08de86f451dcfe
Dutch authorities confirm 13 Omicron cases and say there may be more
The Dutch public health authority confirmed on Sunday that 13 people who arrived in the Netherlands on flights from South Africa on Friday have so far tested positive for the new omicron coronavirus variant, AP reports.
The 61 people who tested positive for the virus on Friday after arriving on the last two flights to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport before a flight ban was put in place were immediately put into isolation while sequencing was carried out to establish if they had the new variant.
The public health institute said in a statement that testing was continuing on the samples.
Most of the 61 people who tested positive were put into isolation at a hotel near the airport, while a small number were allowed to sit out their quarantine at home under strict conditions.
“The Omicron variant has so far been identified in 13 of the positive tests. The investigation has not yet been completed. The new variant may be found in more test samples,” the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in a statement.
Thank you for being so diligent, comprehensive, and accessible in your reporting and for staying on top of the developments even on a weekend and during the holiday. I appreciate you and your efforts!
this absolutely helps. i was dizzy yesterday morning from the anxiety. this helped set things straight it my head a little.
I also have a question about what those in the field think covid starts to look like long term? Like do we eventually get to things looking kind of like the flu, or do we get to panic every 4-6 months about a new variant that might b able to evade immunity for the next several years or possibly forever?
Thank you so, so much for communicating what we know and what we don't so clearly. You are a hero!
Thank you for this excellent post. One comment -- re: 65% of ICU pts at one SA ICU not being immunized, is this really encouraging news if the proportion of unimmunized people in that population at large is also about 65%? If so, then immunization would seem to be irrelevant with respect to this variant and hospitalization. Very concerning. As you wrote, still a lot to learn.
"....So, what made me take my children to get the jab? Here are three reasons why I did it:
1 - It is called Omicron...."
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/coronavirus/3-reasons-i-vaccinated-my-children-against-covid-19-despite-uncertainty-comment-687135