*sigh*Argh! Angry, Confused, Scared.

[Merlin]

I'm not sure what you want from me?  Should we start freaking out? Panic and chaos should ensue?  Or can we just take reasonable precautions like we've already been doing for 9 months and keep living the dream?

In my opinion, panic is never a good idea. A healthy amount of caution is useful, but chaos helps nobody. It sounds like you're having your son self-quarantine given the circumstances. That seems reasonable to me. Hopefully it is a false alarm.

If it were me, considering there is an elderly person in the house, I'd isolate in a room alone with a good HEPA air purifier and have people wear masks when interacting until the second antibody test comes back negative. That is the recommended protocol anyway.

Personally, I don't see any need for anyone to tell you what you can or can't do, especially in your own home. As long as nobody else is being impacted then it's none of anyone else's business. My concerns above were mainly about actively seeking infection since that seems like asking for trouble. It also has the potential of collateral damage with friends and family who could end up exposed. Especially people with comorbidities and people over 40, and doubly so for anyone over 60. If it's already potentially in your home, all you can do is take reasonable precautions and hope for the best.

[davewill]

...
I'm not sure what you want from me?  Should we start freaking out? Panic and chaos should ensue?  Or can we just take reasonable precautions like we've already been doing for 9 months and keep living the dream?

That's all fine, I was referring to the idea that anyone would even consider purposely exposing someone.

[dfrecore]

...
I'm not sure what you want from me?  Should we start freaking out? Panic and chaos should ensue?  Or can we just take reasonable precautions like we've already been doing for 9 months and keep living the dream?

That's all fine, I was referring to the idea that anyone would even consider purposely exposing someone.

Not sure if you've heard of "chicken pox parties" but back when I was a kid, you'd purposely expose kids to the chicken pox.  That's how I got it; my older cousin got it, and my aunt called everyone to let them know, and everyone brought their kids over to "play."

And yes, people did die from the chicken pox.  Healthy people.  Kids, adults, whatever.  But people still thought it was worth the risk, for whatever reason.

I'm not certain how this is much different?  Besides the way we handle it, it's still a contagious disease.  We just didn't freak out back then, like we are now.

[inkleind]

...
I'm not sure what you want from me?  Should we start freaking out? Panic and chaos should ensue?  Or can we just take reasonable precautions like we've already been doing for 9 months and keep living the dream?

That's all fine, I was referring to the idea that anyone would even consider purposely exposing someone.

Not sure if you've heard of "chicken pox parties" but back when I was a kid, you'd purposely expose kids to the chicken pox.  That's how I got it; my older cousin got it, and my aunt called everyone to let them know, and everyone brought their kids over to "play."

And yes, people did die from the chicken pox.  Healthy people.  Kids, adults, whatever.  But people still thought it was worth the risk, for whatever reason.

I'm not certain how this is much different?  Besides the way we handle it, it's still a contagious disease.  We just didn't freak out back then, like we are now.

This is NOT chicken pox. I'm on week 4 of covid, I've been to the ER. I am a very healthy mid-30-year-old, I workout, I run, I eat healthily, I have no underlying blah blah blah's (comorbidities) that people like you try to point to for when someone gets very sick from COVID. 

This is not something you want to tangle with, at all. I'm beyond pissed that the vaccine was so close and we were infected. My wife has a job that puts her in harm's way, her hands are cracked and bleeding from anti-bacterial use, she is adamant about masks but they only work when people have a healthy level of fear for the virus and do everything they can to NOT infect others or try to get infected. 

I had respect for you before today but I'm really disappointed to find out you don't believe the seriousness of the situation and you don't seem to have empathy for the ones who've died or gotten really sick from this. At this point it looks like covid messed up my lungs to the point that I may have to use a daily inhaler for the rest of my life, I may not be able to run again. I'm furious with anyone who downplays the seriousness of this virus.

[dfrecore]

This is NOT chicken pox. I'm on week 4 of covid, I've been to the ER. I am a very healthy mid-30-year-old, I workout, I run, I eat healthily, I have no underlying blah blah blah's (comorbidities) that people like you try to point to for when someone gets very sick from COVID. 

This is not something you want to tangle with, at all. I'm beyond pissed that the vaccine was so close and we were infected. My wife has a job that puts her in harm's way, her hands are cracked and bleeding from anti-bacterial use, she is adamant about masks but they only work when people have a healthy level of fear for the virus and do everything they can to NOT infect others or try to get infected. 

I had respect for you before today but I'm really disappointed to find out you don't believe the seriousness of the situation and you don't seem to have empathy for the ones who've died or gotten really sick from this. At this point it looks like covid messed up my lungs to the point that I may have to use a daily inhaler for the rest of my life, I may not be able to run again. I'm furious with anyone who downplays the seriousness of this virus.

I'm sorry for your personal situation, I'm sure it's devastating for you and I'm sure that's hard to live with.  And although I think the whole thing has been a mess, and the lockdowns will be devastating in ways we can't fully comprehend yet (I know of more suicidal kids than I do ones who got sick from Covid for instance), it does not mean I don't take it seriously.  I'm just not scared enough to think we should change our entire society, not let kids go to school, etc. due to fear.

I have 2 teens, and both drive.  We spent 6 months driving together, learning, discussing, driving, thousands of miles together, day and night.  Then, they passed their tests, the state gave them a drivers license, and they're on their own. I (and they) have no control over what other drivers are doing out there - they could get hit by some idiot going 100mph, or running a red light, or a drunk driver, or a deer could jump out in front of their car.  It is very easy to imagine something tragic happening.   I worry about them constantly.  BUT, I can't let my fear of what could happen overtake my common sense.  I can't put them in a bubble to protect them.  So, instead, I have to just put it out of my mind, tell them to take the reasonable precautions they know to do, and let them go get in their cars and drive away.  To me, Covid is similar.  Yes, you could get it and get injured or die - just like driving a car.  There is zero way to prevent every situation from happening except to never leave the house, and that's not going to work for them (or me).  So we take the risks, and go on our way.

Another thing I'd like to point out: I've heard of 2 people who have gotten the Pfizer Covid vaccine who went into Anaphylactic shock immediately.  So in your world, we should take this seriously, and NOBODY should get the vaccines - because saving even 1 life is worth it.  But no, people have determined that they are going to take the risk and get a vaccine that they could die from.  It's not that they're not taking the adverse reaction seriously, but they've decided that it's worth the risk to take it.

As for no longer respecting me, I'm not certain why you would have respected me prior to this?  I mean, yes, there are some people on this forum who I think "wow, that person has a lot of knowledge in this area" or things like that, but since I don't know them personally, I don't really respect or not respect them - I just think they're either knowledgeable about degrees, or not.  I hope you can continue to see that I'm knowledgeable about some things on this forum, and learn a few things you didn't know.  But you can also throw the baby out with the bathwater and no longer listen to my advice because you don't agree with me about Covid.  Your choice, I can live with either one.

Good luck in recuperating from Covid, I hope that you have 100% healing, and I will pray for you.

[Merlin]

Another thing I'd like to point out: I've heard of 2 people who have gotten the Pfizer Covid vaccine who went into Anaphylactic shock immediately.  So in your world, we should take this seriously, and NOBODY should get the vaccines - because saving even 1 life is worth it.  But no, people have determined that they are going to take the risk and get a vaccine that they could die from.  It's not that they're not taking the adverse reaction seriously, but they've decided that it's worth the risk to take it.

As far as I know, there have been four people in the UK and two people in the US (in Alaska) who have had serious allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine. In this case the allergy is probably not being caused by the vaccine but the polyethylene glycol that is used as a stabilizing agent in the vaccine. People having allergic reactions to a vaccine are not unheard of but uncommon. Serious allergic reactions are pretty rare. However, hospitals have epinephrine on hand specifically for things like this. Treating an allergic reaction is well understood and far easier than treating the effects of Covid. In one case, the allergic reaction was bad enough that they needed an epinephrine drip overnight, but I doubt that is going to be a common reaction. But that is one hospital bed for 12 hours vs. being intubated or in critical care for weeks or months.

From what I've read, based on these incidents the council responsible for administering the vaccine in the US has revised their vaccination protocol to require that people wait around for 20-30 minutes after the first shot to observe them for allergic reactions and give them epinephrine if needed.

I'm not that worried about the allergic reaction. We knew to expect that since it happens with any vaccine. I'm more concerned about other factors and demographics that may not have been taken into account during such a limited phase 3 trial.

Personally, I am still planning to wait a while to see how things go across a broad sample of people before my family and I take the vaccine. It will probably be at least 3-6 months before we have the option to get the vaccine anyway given vaccine supplies and the current plan to focus on healthcare workers and the highest risk people first. So it seems like we'll have an ample opportunity to see how this pans out.

We still have like 6 more vaccines that are undergoing trials right now. So who knows how those will factor in.

[Imbanewbie]

You can not control, I did not bring my kid to school because the covid cases went up which it out me to make decisions fast. It is best to protect kid in this bad situation

[LongRoad]

My kid has some friends who have it, I'm super tempted to have him go hang out with them and actively try to get it, so that he'll get it, get over it, and be good for a long while.  He's 16.  I have zero worries about it for him, or my daughter (18).

If they were little kids, I'd worry even less.

I don't know if it's an acquired memory, or real, but I used to think that we had get togethers to get sick when I was young.

Now? I don't really think it happened. Would parents WANT their kids to get ill? Doesn't make sense to me. Who wants to parent a sick kid? I probably "acquired" the memory from hearing folks say it happened. Urban legend.

Knowing how much my mother suffered from shingles, I would no more have my kids (if I had them) play around folks who have COVID19 than I'd tell them to go play on the highway. Did my mom's generation know that shingles came from chicken pox? I doubt it. Although she got the vaccine, she still got it and had residual pain for the rest of her life . (After almost losing her eye sight in one  it to shingles.) Who knows what the long-term ramifications of this virus will be?

---

So emotional right now.  I just received an email from the principal of my kids elementary school... Coronavirus cases have arrived unfortunately.   Not just one classroom, but multiple, and it hit both my daughters grade 3 and sons grade 2 classrooms... I am so angry yet it's not the fault of the child.   They don't know they're contagious or even have the Coronavirus until they tested positive on Dec 7, so they've been roaming the classrooms without staying away from class... I am a very easy going guy and look at things on the bright side, but this has got me shaking in my boots!  It's not my health I'm worried about, it's the kids/seniors etc that will be affected in the community!

It is frightening.  What parent wants his or her child to be ill? And knowing that an innocent child could be an unwitting conduit of great illness or death is so contrary to how we see childhood.

---

This is NOT chicken pox. I'm on week 4 of covid, I've been to the ER. I am a very healthy mid-30-year-old, I workout, I run, I eat healthily, I have no underlying blah blah blah's (comorbidities) that people like you try to point to for when someone gets very sick from COVID. 

This is not something you want to tangle with, at all. I'm beyond pissed that the vaccine was so close and we were infected. My wife has a job that puts her in harm's way, her hands are cracked and bleeding from anti-bacterial use, she is adamant about masks but they only work when people have a healthy level of fear for the virus and do everything they can to NOT infect others or try to get infected. 

I had respect for you before today but I'm really disappointed to find out you don't believe the seriousness of the situation and you don't seem to have empathy for the ones who've died or gotten really sick from this. At this point it looks like covid messed up my lungs to the point that I may have to use a daily inhaler for the rest of my life, I may not be able to run again. I'm furious with anyone who downplays the seriousness of this virus.

I'm sorry for your personal situation, I'm sure it's devastating for you and I'm sure that's hard to live with.  And although I think the whole thing has been a mess, and the lockdowns will be devastating in ways we can't fully comprehend yet (I know of more suicidal kids than I do ones who got sick from Covid for instance), it does not mean I don't take it seriously.  I'm just not scared enough to think we should change our entire society, not let kids go to school, etc. due to fear.

I have 2 teens, and both drive.  We spent 6 months driving together, learning, discussing, driving, thousands of miles together, day and night.  Then, they passed their tests, the state gave them a drivers license, and they're on their own. I (and they) have no control over what other drivers are doing out there - they could get hit by some idiot going 100mph, or running a red light, or a drunk driver, or a deer could jump out in front of their car.  It is very easy to imagine something tragic happening.   I worry about them constantly.  BUT, I can't let my fear of what could happen overtake my common sense.  I can't put them in a bubble to protect them.  So, instead, I have to just put it out of my mind, tell them to take the reasonable precautions they know to do, and let them go get in their cars and drive away.  To me, Covid is similar.  Yes, you could get it and get injured or die - just like driving a car.  There is zero way to prevent every situation from happening except to never leave the house, and that's not going to work for them (or me).  So we take the risks, and go on our way.

Another thing I'd like to point out: I've heard of 2 people who have gotten the Pfizer Covid vaccine who went into Anaphylactic shock immediately.  So in your world, we should take this seriously, and NOBODY should get the vaccines - because saving even 1 life is worth it.  But no, people have determined that they are going to take the risk and get a vaccine that they could die from.  It's not that they're not taking the adverse reaction seriously, but they've decided that it's worth the risk to take it.

As for no longer respecting me, I'm not certain why you would have respected me prior to this?  I mean, yes, there are some people on this forum who I think "wow, that person has a lot of knowledge in this area" or things like that, but since I don't know them personally, I don't really respect or not respect them - I just think they're either knowledgeable about degrees, or not.  I hope you can continue to see that I'm knowledgeable about some things on this forum, and learn a few things you didn't know.  But you can also throw the baby out with the bathwater and no longer listen to my advice because you don't agree with me about Covid.  Your choice, I can live with either one.

Good luck in recuperating from Covid, I hope that you have 100% healing, and I will pray for you.

Why would someone respect or not respect someone in this forum? Let me count the ways. Generosity. Folks sharing info long after they will probably benefit from learning anything here. Empathy. Some folks come here with career problems, family issues, etc. and tell us about them and some folks here come forward with advice. Why? Why would anyone care about folks they don't know? I could go on. Then there are folks who visit this forum and want what they want when they want it and then disappear. Not posters who have  my respect.

I'm afraid of bridges. TOTALLY unreasonable. (Okay, there IS that woman who was forced off my bete noire, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, by a trucker and landed in the Bay. So maybe not TOTALLY unreasonable.) When I MUST, I will cross that bridge and I know my fear is unreasonable. It's estimated 36,000 folks died in automobile crashes last year. We're approaching 10 times that number dying from COVID, fear of it is reasonable and and acting upon that fear is a reasonable way to manage one's life.

[dfrecore]

My kid has some friends who have it, I'm super tempted to have him go hang out with them and actively try to get it, so that he'll get it, get over it, and be good for a long while.  He's 16.  I have zero worries about it for him, or my daughter (18).

If they were little kids, I'd worry even less.

I don't know if it's an acquired memory, or real, but I used to think that we had get togethers to get sick when I was young.

Now? I don't really think it happened. Would parents WANT their kids to get ill? Doesn't make sense to me. Who wants to parent a sick kid? I probably "acquired" the memory from hearing folks say it happened. Urban legend.

Knowing how much my mother suffered from shingles, I would no more have my kids (if I had them) play around folks who have COVID19 than I'd tell them to go play on the highway. Did my mom's generation know that shingles came from chicken pox? I doubt it. Although she got the vaccine, she still got it and had residual pain for the rest of her life . (After almost losing her eye sight in one  it to shingles.) Who knows what the long-term ramifications of this virus will be?

---

People absolutely 100% used to have their kids get chicken pox on purpose - it was highly contagious, there was no vaccine, and because it was much easier to deal with in very young kids than older ones or adults.  The earlier you had them, the better off you were.  My cousin is scarred from having the chicken pox as a teen, and he missed a lot of school (he wasn't born yet when the rest of us got it).

I'm not sure if they did it for other diseases like measles, but they for sure did it with Chicken Pox.

[rachel83az]

Measles was too deadly for "parties" (still is!) and it didn't really matter when you got them. With chicken pox, there was an age where you could get them and be relatively certain that you'd be itchy but otherwise fine. Chicken pox is pretty unique among illnesses like that.