Covid: more lethal this summer than last
Aaron Derfel observes that this summer’s wave of Covid has been more lethal than last’s and that it has “killed 34 Quebecers in their 50s in the past 12 months, and nine in their 40s.”
Quebec has seen 117 Covid deaths this August (as of August 24) compared with 88 in all of August last year. In July, there were 109 deaths compared with 46 in July 2023.
Now where were my masks?
Joey 14:47 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
This anecdote from the NY Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/27/health/covid-19-tests-vaccines-masks.html) rings true:
Jason Moyer was days away from a family road trip to visit his parents when his 10-year-old son woke up with a fever and cough.
Covid?
The prospect threatened to upend the family’s plans.
“Six months ago, we would have tested for Covid,” Mr. Moyer, 41, of Ohio, said. This time they did not.
Instead, they checked to make sure the boy’s cough was improving and his fever was gone — and then set off for New Jersey, not bothering to tell the grandparents about the incident.
Chris 15:01 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
And if it’s flu (or whatever else) instead of covid? Should one act differently?
dhomas 15:39 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
I think what we (should have) learned from COVID is that if you’re sick (with COVID or anything else), stay the fuck home (and/or wear a mask). Nobody is going to care that you were being a hero and went into work despite being sick if they all get sick. Grandma and grandpa will not be able to reminisce about your visit from Ohio if they’re dead.
jeather 16:58 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
Yes, you should not go on a road trip to visit family when you are sick, at least not without confirming with the family that it’s ok. No, you should not go to the grocery store when you have a mystery respiratory illness but your spouse was diagnosed with covid. You should not go to a party with a bad cold EITHER. People don’t want your illnesses, and sometimes you don’t have a choice about work, but you can do grocery pickup outdoors and skip a party and confirm your parents still want you to visit with a mystery virus.
Kevin 17:08 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
We just need a catchy slogan like Be Kind, Rewind.
But all I can come up with is rather rude.
Chris 17:31 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
dhomas, jeather, agreed. So, therefore, no need for any covid test. Putting a name to it changes nothing.
Kate 19:58 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
Chris, people really do need to know whether they have it, because you will get considerations from your employer or appropriate treatment from your health professional only if your illness is identified and has a label.
Like, why bother diagnosing anything? Eventually an illness will kill you. Putting a name to it changes nothing.
maggie rose 22:05 on 2024-08-30 Permalink
Asymptomatic Covid can be transmitted to others. And it’s airbourne, can last in a room after people leave it. It’s true this isn’t 2020, and we don’t have those horrific hospital scenes any more. But…Long Covid can develop from a Covid infection that manifested mild or no symptoms. And LC is not a one-symptom illness, and if often difficult to diagnose. Easier to mask up than be housebound for years.
jeather 09:23 on 2024-08-31 Permalink
Covid is more dangerous than the cold or the flu so you should be more careful. The death rate is much lower, but there are a lot of long term complications that can affect any part of your body. I know the government and the media like to pretend it’s just like influenza, but it’s not.
EmilyG 14:24 on 2024-08-31 Permalink
I was furious when someone I know on social media said that their friend had travel plans, tested positive for Covid, and then decided to travel anyway. (It’s apparently allowed, after all.)
Earlier this month, I had (work-related) travel plans, got Covid, and cancelled my plans.
It seems to me that people deciding to just go around and do things while having Covid, is a large part of why this disease isn’t subsiding at the moment.
MarcG 07:02 on 2024-09-10 Permalink
Some reasons to test for Covid if you’re already isolating and/or masking any time you have flu or cold symptoms: Certain groups can get Paxlovid treatment, you’ll know when to best time your next vaccine since it will have little benefit if you get it shortly after infection, if you end up disabled by Long Covid you’ll have an idea of when it happened and perhaps who is responsible.