COVID-19 Megathread 6: Return of the Omicron

[GeneralMacArthur]

But I was told that this is a wacky conspiracy theory on par with thinking the Earth is flat and that believing it might be true means you hate all Asian people.

It was a wacky conspiracy theory because people were taking it a step further and saying the entire pandemic was intentional and a way for ~the elites~ to assert control over the population or whatever.  Or like it was biological warfare from China against the rest of the world.  All that has to look pretty silly in retrospect.

[GeneralMacArthur]

One interesting change I've been seeing in the last week as mask mandates get repealed is the suggestion that masking is a necessary safeguard for immunocompromised/disabled people.

I'm not really sure what to make of it. On the one hand it is genuinely sad that for a lot of people in the US the threat of COVID-19 is still very present and grave. On the other the fatigue from the pandemic is extremely real and we all feel it (I know I do) and I do unfortunately find wearing a mask a kind of reminder that the pandemic has happened.

The obvious solution is just to let the immunocompromised wear masks, but even then there are cases were people just abuse those wearing masks in public which is just cruel.

One of my best friends is immunocompromised and he absolutely hates that argument. Says he doesn't need society to change forever for him. He wears a mask in high risk places and keeps it pushing.

Yep I've been arguing with some people who are attacking the Biden administration for not going harder against this ruling.  They basically just use immunocompromised people as a weapon by belittling and babying them and denying them all agency.  It's a common experience for marginalized groups, being denied any agency and reduced to your most pathetic caricature so some political hacks can use you as a weapon to advance their own agenda.

[GeneralMacArthur]

I currently have COVID for the second time.  Date of infection Tuesday, June 28.  My friend I had hung out with told me she had tested positive.  Then I noticed my brain just refusing to focus, refusing to put in effort on things, and figured there might be something wrong with me.  Then on Saturday I woke up with a sore throat.  Between those three things I decided to get tested, and tested positive.

I'm on day 6, and so far nothing but some headaches and tiredness despite 10+ hours of sleep every night.  Last time I had COVID, I was already experiencing intense nausea and fever by this point, so I'm hopeful that I'll end up basically symptom-free.  I'm also not coughing up a storm like I did last time.

I've got a trip planned and bumped the date to July 8 so I could have ten days between infection and air travel, following the guidelines.  This is my fourth dose of COVID after vaccine, booster, and infection in January.

[GeneralMacArthur]

yawn.. covid smovid.

just live normally.. go to work.. take your trip Gmac.

Don't worry about covid. pretend you are not even infected!

I'm not a moron so no I'm not going to go infect dozens of other people.

I'm perfectly fine holed up in my room playing Metroid and getting delicious burgers delivered.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Does this megathread still need to be pinned?  There hasn't been much new on the COVID front in months and the thread title is from 2021.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Whoa!

End of an era.  This has been a pinned thread for 80% of my tenure on Atlas (which is now nearing four years).