Just the Facts, the Crown virus.

[Magicman]

It's kinda hard to make a "one size fits all" statement concerning the C-19's effect on different age groups.  Sure the older are more vulnerable but I have seen some seemingly healthy and younger folks taken out.  It seems to be an individual thing, but what do I know?  

PatD and I have received our vaccination appointment confirmations for Friday the 15th.

[Texas Ranger]

The first company to produce the vaccine also created Viagra, so we can only hope it is as successful as their earlier product in keeping up the health of the nation.  8)

[WV Sawmiller]

TR,

   Yeah but I think I read Viagra was supposed to be a heart medication which did not work but it had side effects they could market. :D

    I went to our local VA Hospital yesterday and tried to get my ID card and and appointment for C-19 vaccination. They decided my income exceeded what the law allowed for VA treatment so they sent me away after basically telling me to go to the other VA center and lie about my hearing loss and get in that way, which I declined. I called my primary doctor and they are not involved in administering or scheduling vaccinations so I called out county health dept and they said they are working on the list of 70+ residents in the county and to watch the news and call back later.

[SwampDonkey]

Magic is right. It hits some young people hard and they still have to deal with after effects. Others, they don't suffer hardly any, young and old. A most curious virus. Except, a cold hits folks differently to depending on a lot of things: diet, bad habits, health......I've had colds last 2 days, some 2 weeks.

[alan gage]

We've had a couple high profile deaths in our community in the past week that seem to have grabbed a lot of people's attention. A seemingly healthy and popular conservation officer died from complications from the virus and so did a pastor on town. Have only heard bits of gossip about the details so don't know how much is true. 

Supposedly the DNR officer was laid low for an extended period of time by the virus and developed blood clots, which is what got him. 

The pastor had leukemia but it was supposedly being managed well with no short term concerns and he was still working with a good long term prognosis when he got the virus and succumbed.

Alan

[nativewolf]

How do I trust drug companies. I don't. These drugs were tested for safety and efficacy and reviewed by outside parties. That's about the best we can do at this point. Without the vaccine you will get the virus at some point, that is a greater risk in my mind. The anti vax crowd will keep the virus circulating and mutating for quite some time. There is no expertise or outside review of what they are saying. I certainly do not trust that conspiracy theory crowd, they are the self important child who says "I know a secret".

I am not antivax, but influenza comes back every year, we need a 'shot' for it..C19 will be no different, as we get older we will need the 'shot' as we are at higher risk of it affecting different parts of an aging body. C19 does not kill us,  it is the affects on our internal organs, and then those components fail, which kills us.  A huge percentage of the dying from C19 is in long term care facilities. They have failing body parts and so C19 attacks the weaker components.
This is definitly a cash cow for the drug companies and I can understand the conspiracy thinking.
I do not trust the drug companies.

Virus's mutate..nature of the beast.  Likely we are in for annual shots, I would not be surprised.  While we may not like or trust the pharmas the covid outbreak has nothing to do with them and instead we should be thankful big pharma was able to piviot quickly and respond.  Here and elsewhere.  

[SwampDonkey]

Young folks still having a tough time months later.

We were young and healthy, but our COVID recovery is taking months | Recovery - YouTube

[Chuck White]

TR,

  Yeah but I think I read Viagra was supposed to be a heart medication which did not work but it had side effects they could market. :D

   I went to our local VA Hospital yesterday and tried to get my ID card and and appointment for C-19 vaccination. They decided my income exceeded what the law allowed for VA treatment so they sent me away after basically telling me to go to the other VA center and lie about my hearing loss and get in that way, which I declined. I called my primary doctor and they are not involved in administering or scheduling vaccinations so I called out county health dept and they said they are working on the list of 70+ residents in the county and to watch the news and call back later.

A Veteran is a Veteran, regardless of your income.
Your income shouldn't have anything to do with your eligibility for treatment.
If I were in your position, I would climb up the ladder a couple of rungs!

[doc henderson]

some things VA are service connected, and others like transportation might be income based, but most anyone can get tests and medication, but in the past may mean waiting in line.  so wealthy usually only use benefits if needed.  check the health department.  they also have these little clinics, and like other parts of the government, the receptionist, may run the place.    I agree check back.

[Raider Bill]

TR,

  Yeah but I think I read Viagra was supposed to be a heart medication which did not work but it had side effects they could market. :D

   I went to our local VA Hospital yesterday and tried to get my ID card and and appointment for C-19 vaccination. They decided my income exceeded what the law allowed for VA treatment so they sent me away after basically telling me to go to the other VA center and lie about my hearing loss and get in that way, which I declined. I called my primary doctor and they are not involved in administering or scheduling vaccinations so I called out county health dept and they said they are working on the list of 70+ residents in the county and to watch the news and call back later.

A Veteran is a Veteran, regardless of your income.
Your income shouldn't have anything to do with your eligibility for treatment.
If I were in your position, I would climb up the ladder a couple of rungs!

Veterans have to hit certain criteria or income becomes a factor.
Too much and no VA care.
Happened to my friend. The $ cutoff was $34k. He made $42k. No care until it was too late.
The VA told him his recruiter promised him that he would always get care not the VA.

[Texas Ranger]

I fought the VA for decades, until the local service officer asked about my hearing,  the door opened an now I am 10% disabled.  If they had let me in sooner it would be less expensive, all I wanted was the prescription discount.

[gspren]

I was initially turned down by the VA for too much income but kept after it and finally had to send in proof that I served in a war zone, Viet Nam. The person that handled it that time said I shouldn't have had to, depends on whose doing the application review. 

[Larry]

I am a Vietnam era veteran and was promised certain lifetime benefits when I enlisted. 

Sometime after I was discharged Congress (Dick Cheney was the tie breaker) decided to change the rules. Now the VA has income based enrollment requirements. If one has a service connected disability the income requirements are waved. 

I'm not eligible due to income and don't really want them. Of course that might change in the future. 

The moral of the story.... don't trust the government. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   Yeah I agree it is our Congress and not the VA policy causing the issue. A man there mentioned the service connected disability including hearing loss and ringing in my ears. I told him I had documented hearing loss and even had DoD waiver to work on military bases in Afghanistan stating I had high frequency lost but good hearing in normal speaking tones. Most of the hearing loss was probably from working around heavy, noisy equipment and machinery in the summers while in college and from shooting without proper hearing protection when I was younger. When we were on the range in USMC they made sure we all used good protection so I can't blame them. The guy at the VA kept saying go to their other site and get my hearing tested and tell them about the ringing in my ears and they'd give me the disability waiver. I told him I did not have a ringing in my ears then he winked and repeated to tell them about the ringing in my ears. I guess he meant well but not in my nature.

[doc henderson]

you deserve the benefit, but you to have flip the government threshold switch.  I respect your honesty, but it is an "end justifies the means".  i agree he meant well.   usflag

[Texas Ranger]

I was in 3 years, at no time were we given, offered, or promised hearing protection.  Yes, I have been around loud noise most of my life, but, nothing like madeuce, 3.5, plastique, m14 and heavy equipment.  we  came off the demo range in basic with ears ringing.  Same on the .50 cal range.  My release physical was a one page question sheet that never mentioned hearing.  Doc signed off on it at some point, wouldn't know, never saw him.

VA was part of our contract.  They failed.

[firefighter ontheside]

My dad has terrible hearing and I have tried to get him to go to the VA and make a claim.  His high frequency loss is surely caused by jet engines.  He was mostly stationed on Okinawa during his time with the Vietnam conflict.  He made trips in country occasionally, but mostly he serviced jets on the base ad Naha.  My wife is an audiologist and tests veterans daily.  Some of them are long out of service, some are getting their exit exam to determine what they lost while in service.  Unfortunately she has an inordinate amount of folks trying to fake their exam.  Most of the time she knows.  Dad has never used the VA for any benefits, but he surely would qualify.  I think he might even be able to claim something for the cancer he had.  He has no interest.

[Ianab]

Virus's mutate..nature of the beast.  Likely we are in for annual shots, I would not be surprised.  While we may not like or trust the pharmas the covid outbreak has nothing to do with them and instead we should be thankful big pharma was able to piviot quickly and respond.  Here and elsewhere.  

It appears this virus isn't mutating fast, and the current vaccines still appear effective against the newer mutations. The changes so far aren't big enough to change the way the virus operates. Of course that could change over time as mutations accumulate. 

But the thing is the virus CAN be eradicated. NZ has done it (a couple of times), and it only comes back if new cases are imported.  The vaccine should help other countries wipe out the virus, and if enough people are vaccinated then a random imported case isn't able to spread widely, and soon dies out. 

But to do that, over this year as many people as possible (around the world) need to get vaccinated. I would hope that Govts and airlines soon put in place a requirement to be vaccinated to travel / enter their country. (or a LEGIT medical exemption). The US Govt can't force you to get vaccinated, but they can require that I be vaccinated as a condition of entry, and visa versa. 

As you say, we might not like (or even trust) Big Pharma, but they are the ones with the solution to the problem because they have the expertise and resources to develop and test the vaccine (fast enough to help).   

[nativewolf]

Yep, anti vex crowd is pretty small here but still way too many.  I would not be so sure on covid ability or inability to mutate,    So I  assume worse. 

 New Zealand is a testament to good governance on this crisis.  A stark contrast to the USA.  

How are things otherwise?  Any fun sawing?

[WDH]

Had a customer who said that his Grandfather, who he said was his best friend, went to a wedding where there were 300 people.  44 of those people contracted the virus, including the Grandfather.  The Grandfather, shortly after the wedding, took my customer's Uncle, I assume the Grandfather's son, to the doctor.  The Uncle got it, his Aunt got it, his Grandmother got it, and another Aunt got it.  Grandfather died quickly, Uncle died, one Aunt died, Grandmother on a ventilator probably will not survive, the other Aunt doing OK.  A family tragedy. 

[farmfromkansas]

When I was ordering my new Ranger at the local Case IH dealer, the salesman said they are fogging the counters and bathrooms at their store, and none of the employees have had a cold this year.  

[firefighter ontheside]

It's so easy for young and healthy folks to think this thing is not dangerous and that the risk of vaccine is worse than the risk of getting sick.  They either don't hear about sad stories like this, which have been all too often, or they don't care.  I had an acquaintance on FB who cited the doctor in Florida who died from a possible adverse reaction to the vaccine as reason that no one should get the vaccine.  Even if the vaccine was the cause of death, he was one of at least 2 million who had received the vaccine at that time.  I let this kid know that if the same 2 million had gotten covid, its almost certain that 10,000 would have died.  He disregarded this fact and is no longer my friend on FB.  The only reason he was a friend was because he is a tree service guy and possible source of logs.

[SwampDonkey]

When I was ordering my new Ranger at the local Case IH dealer, the salesman said they are fogging the counters and bathrooms at their store, and none of the employees have had a cold this year.  

Everything was in the middle of lock down when I got mine. Not allowed in the door of the building, except employees. A week later they were allowed to let you in, but only to do business and it was straight to the salesman's office. Lots of questions on COVID before entry.

[Nebraska]

Just found out, I am in the next layer of folks to get vaccinated. Supposed to go get it tomorrow afternoon. They did the medical folks (police, fire and first responders as well) roughly 10 days ago.  

[Texas Ranger]

We received our first shot today, no immediate discomfort.  Distribution of shot still random in Texas.  My old college room mate north of Austin said they have no vaccine in their county, see a lot of that.