Quarantine Life

neonpuma30 said:Wait, what kind of math is that? How does 1.5% of 4 million equal 4,200?🤔

#newnormal#

🤣

Oh my god. Talk about some serious mental gymnastics.

Honestly, I feel like we need to talk about the whole ego thing for a second. It’s just one of those things that constantly trips people up, right? You think you’ve got a handle on it, you think you’re being all humble and grounded, and then—BAM—one tiny bit of validation hits and suddenly you're convinced you're the smartest person in the room. It’s exhausting, really. I know I deal with it way more than I’d care to admit; there are days when my own sense of self-importance feels like it’s taking up way too much physical space in the room. It’s this weird, constant tug-of-war between wanting to be seen and actually being someone worth looking at. It's a trip, man. kaže:
Look, we’re basically sitting on our hands right now when it comes to vaccines. We don't really have anything usable in the pipeline just yet. Maybe, if we get lucky, we'll see some movement by the start of the year, but honestly? It’s looking like we won't have enough stock to actually roll out a meaningful percentage of the population until summer rolls around.

Look, since the standard procedure usually drags on for like ten years, you really ought to be celebrating that you got yours done in just one. If you're actually as worried about this as you're making yourself out to be, a whole year's worth of progress should probably be enough to make you smile.

Honestly, I don't know where to start with this whole ego thing, but let's just dive into the deep end, shall we? It’s one of those things that feels like it should be simple, right? Just... check yourself at the door. But man, it is never that easy in practice. We all walk around carrying these massive, invisible monuments to our own greatness, convinced that every little mistake we make is a cosmic injustice and every tiny win is a sign that we're basically destined for greatness. It’s exhausting, really. I catch myself doing it all the time—getting all worked up because I think my way is the only logical way to handle a situation, even when I’m clearly out of my depth. It’s this weird, constant tug-of-war between wanting to be seen and wanting to stay humble, and most days, I feel like the ego is winning by a landslide. It's like this loud, obnoxious roommate living in your head that won't stop talking about how much better you are than everyone else, even when you know, deep down, that you're just another person trying to figure things out on the fly. It's a mess, truly. kaže:
So, the WHO is out here claiming that tuberculosis has been taking about 1.5 million people out every single year lately. Now, if you look at how an epidemic actually plays out in most parts of the world, things usually go sideways for just over six months. Just do the math on that one.

We’re looking at 4,000 deaths a day right now. Honestly, this year might even see that number climb higher because our healthcare system is such a total wreck following that whole COVID circus. I mean, the Public Health Emergency of International Concern was officially declared back in January, and since then, over a million people have died from tuberculosis. You could nitpick my math if you really wanted to, but the scale of the disaster is basically the same, and we’ve got antibiotics and proven vaccines sitting right there. So, I’m asking you again—why aren't you more of a pessimist about this? I’m just going to assume it’s because you don't spend every waking second obsessing over this mess like I do.

Look, let’s talk about ego for a second, because honestly, it’s becoming a massive problem everywhere you look. It’s like everyone is walking around thinking they’re the main character in a blockbuster movie, tripping over themselves just to prove how important they are. We see it in politics, we see it in tech, and we definitely see it in those endless comment sections online where people will fight to the death over being "right" even when they're clearly wrong. It’s exhausting, really. Personally, I try to keep mine on a short leash—mostly because I know if I let it loose, I’ll end up doing something incredibly embarrassing—but man, that urge to be the smartest person in the room is a hard habit to break. It’s this weird, heavy thing that just gets in the way of actually learning anything new or, you know, being a decent human being. kaže:
So, just to be clear, were all those people you mentioned above actually confirmed via autopsy to have died from tuberculosis? ☕

I mean, look, there’s no way they were actually "diagnosed" via a PCR test. Besides, the clinical presentation for something like tuberculosis is super distinct and well-documented—we’ve had diagnostic methods perfected for ages. None of that logic even applies to COVID. You're basically comparing apples to oranges, as usual.

Honestly, the whole ego thing is just such a trip. It’s like this massive, uninvited guest that moves into your head, refuses to pay rent, and then proceeds to throw a tantrum whenever you try to make a rational decision. I feel like I spend half my life trying to check mine at the door, only to realize I left it sitting on the kitchen counter right when things actually get interesting. It’s exhausting, really—trying to balance being confident enough to actually show up without letting that inflated sense of self run the entire show and turn everything into a personal drama. Sometimes you just have to laugh at how ridiculous it all is. kaže:
Is it just because PCR is basically the gold standard for diagnostics?

Where on earth did you hear that, and what exactly do you mean by calling it a "diagnostic standard"? Look, PCR is just a detector for genetic material. It can’t diagnose anything unless we're talking about actual genetic disorders. At best, it's a tool used for statistical screening. Seriously, how many more times am I going to have to drag Mullis's quotes out of my sleeve to make this point?

Nicole James said:We don't "practically" have a vaccine. We might have one by early next year—maybe. By summer, we might finally have enough doses to cover a significant portion of the population.

Quincy:

That isn't my math to do. That’s up to the WHO. Go complain to them if you're so concerned.

The WHO states that tuberculosis has been killing roughly 1.5 million people annually in recent years. This epidemic, for most of the world, has been going on for just over six months. Do the math.

Quincy:

I’m not interested in your abstract "cases." I want clinical presentations and actual deaths. Do us all a favor and produce real-time data regarding clinical symptoms and autopsy-confirmed fatalities. Then you can see what the numbers actually look like. I honestly don't understand how people fall for this fearmongering based on "cases"—a positive PCR test doesn't necessarily mean someone is sick or contagious, nor can it confirm a cause of death.

Were all those tuberculosis deaths you mentioned above confirmed via autopsy? ☕

Quincy:

Both of those things are happening for political reasons. But I don't quite grasp why everyone is pretending to be oblivious and accepting a PCR test as a definitive diagnosis of an illness.

Because PCR is the diagnostic gold standard?

Quincy:

I know. It's because you don't realize how effective fear is as a tool for control. And control is always in the interest of any establishment.

Right, which is exactly why authoritarian politicians everywhere try to downplay the danger... just look at Trump's "it will just go away" approach...

Careful there, because it might actually turn out that way. But hey, let's just sit tight and wait a little longer before we call it.
Trump being an authoritarian? Give me a break. 😂
Don't you worry one bit—there’s always going to be plenty of fear and panic left for you. If it isn't about this, it'll be about something else entirely. Trump isn't going to deprive you of that. 😵

So, I head to my doctor because my throat is killing me, and she immediately goes into full drill sergeant mode. She sends me straight over to the local Mayo Clinic for testing, and now I’m stuck in self-isolation for the next two days while I wait on the results from the swab I got tonight. Everything else looks fine, though—oxygen levels are good, they did scans on my heart and lungs, checked my blood pressure, temperature... everything is totally normal.

Wait, so you sneeze once, tell your primary care physician about it, and suddenly you're being sent off for testing? This is going to sting my wallet since I can't make it into work for the next couple of days.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:So, I head to my doctor because my throat is killing me, and she immediately goes into full drill sergeant mode. She sends me straight over to the local Mayo Clinic for testing, and now I’m stuck in self-isolation for the next two days while I wait on the results from the swab I got tonight. Everything else looks fine, though—oxygen levels are good, they did scans on my heart and lungs, checked my blood pressure, temperature... everything is totally normal.

Wait, so you sneeze once, tell your primary care physician about it, and suddenly you're being sent off for testing? This is going to sting my wallet since I can't make it into work for the next couple of days.

But seriously, why even tell the doctor? No, I’m actually asking. If we followed that logic, everyone would be getting tested constantly because people are sneezing everywhere. Here’s a different take for you: A coworker's husband just tested positive. At home, nobody was contacted or told to isolate, even though at least four people were in close contact with him—working side-by-side, sitting together, all that. Luckily, my husband hadn't seen that guy in at least a week. It really feels like they've loosened up the rules on contact tracing...
Did they ask you any follow-up questions?

It really all comes down to the doctor's call. I’ve read about cases where they just decide the fever is coming from a sinus infection and tell you to stay home and manage it. No testing required.

And honestly, who knows what we're actually looking at? It’s entirely up to whatever the doctor decides.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:So, I head to my doctor because my throat is killing me, and she immediately goes into full drill sergeant mode. She sends me straight over to the local Mayo Clinic for testing, and now I’m stuck in self-isolation for the next two days while I wait on the results from the swab I got tonight. Everything else looks fine, though—oxygen levels are good, they did scans on my heart and lungs, checked my blood pressure, temperature... everything is totally normal.

Wait, so you sneeze once, tell your primary care physician about it, and suddenly you're being sent off for testing? This is going to sting my wallet since I can't make it into work for the next couple of days.

I really stepped in it this time.☕
I don't get it. Why would anyone head to the doctor just for a sore throat? Even if there was a fever involved, you usually wait three days before going in. That's standard practice, even for kids.

Alex Roberts4 said:But seriously, why even tell the doctor? No, I’m actually asking. If we followed that logic, everyone would be getting tested constantly because people are sneezing everywhere. Here’s a different take for you: A coworker's husband just tested positive. At home, nobody was contacted or told to isolate, even though at least four people were in close contact with him—working side-by-side, sitting together, all that. Luckily, my husband hadn't seen that guy in at least a week. It really feels like they've loosened up the rules on contact tracing...
Did they ask you any follow-up questions?

Because my throat is absolutely killing me. It's been stinging and making it hard to swallow for a few days now. Even Angel and some tea didn't do the trick, so I headed in feeling pretty optimistic.

They asked a ton of questions. Where I work, how long my throat has been hurting, if I have any other symptoms, my medical history, if I'm on any meds, if I've traveled out of town recently, and a bunch of other stuff. It was all over the phone—just a crew sitting in a little office wearing headsets, waiting to call you and walk through everything.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Because my throat is absolutely killing me. It's been stinging and making it hard to swallow for a few days now. Even Angel and some tea didn't do the trick, so I headed in feeling pretty optimistic.

They asked a ton of questions. Where I work, how long my throat has been hurting, if I have any other symptoms, my medical history, if I'm on any meds, if I've traveled out of town recently, and a bunch of other stuff. It was all over the phone—just a crew sitting in a little office wearing headsets, waiting to call you and walk through everything.

😍 Oh, really? Is that so? Well, alright then... So, where are you now? Just try to take it easy and don't let them get to you.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Because my throat is absolutely killing me. It's been stinging and making it hard to swallow for a few days now. Even Angel and some tea didn't do the trick, so I headed in feeling pretty optimistic.

They asked a ton of questions. Where I work, how long my throat has been hurting, if I have any other symptoms, my medical history, if I'm on any meds, if I've traveled out of town recently, and a bunch of other stuff. It was all over the phone—just a crew sitting in a little office wearing headsets, waiting to call you and walk through everything.

Basically, you need a doctor, but only if they decide to play things exactly the way you want them to.

Elizabeth Mendoza said:So, I head to my doctor because my throat is killing me, and she immediately goes into full drill sergeant mode. She sends me straight over to the local Mayo Clinic for testing, and now I’m stuck in self-isolation for the next two days while I wait on the results from the swab I got tonight. Everything else looks fine, though—oxygen levels are good, they did scans on my heart and lungs, checked my blood pressure, temperature... everything is totally normal.

Wait, so you sneeze once, tell your primary care physician about it, and suddenly you're being sent off for testing? This is going to sting my wallet since I can't make it into work for the next couple of days.

My experience was the exact opposite. First, it’s just a scratchy throat, then the runny nose starts, so I tell my doctor—she says it's nothing unless I've been hanging out with anyone sick or at big crowds. Then the throat clears up, but my nose goes crazy and the coughing starts, plus a fever hits. Doctor again says "it's fine," asks if I need sick leave, and that's it. A few days later, I head back to work since the fever broke, but this cough won't quit—actually, I'm having full-on coughing fits. I've been coughing for four weeks straight and all I got were some suppressants. No fever for two weeks, except for one day last week. Just the cough and the runny nose—not insane, but still there—and it isn't stopping, even if it's slightly less intense now (maybe the pills worked, maybe I'm actually better).

Oh, and my kid just started daycare a couple of weeks ago and picked up some bacterial infection in the meantime. Who knows if I caught something from them. But my doctor won't even touch the subject of COVID testing.😁

Megan Green72 said:My experience was the exact opposite. First, it’s just a scratchy throat, then the runny nose starts, so I tell my doctor—she says it's nothing unless I've been hanging out with anyone sick or at big crowds. Then the throat clears up, but my nose goes crazy and the coughing starts, plus a fever hits. Doctor again says "it's fine," asks if I need sick leave, and that's it. A few days later, I head back to work since the fever broke, but this cough won't quit—actually, I'm having full-on coughing fits. I've been coughing for four weeks straight and all I got were some suppressants. No fever for two weeks, except for one day last week. Just the cough and the runny nose—not insane, but still there—and it isn't stopping, even if it's slightly less intense now (maybe the pills worked, maybe I'm actually better).

Oh, and my kid just started daycare a couple of weeks ago and picked up some bacterial infection in the meantime. Who knows if I caught something from them. But my doctor won't even touch the subject of COVID testing.😁

Friend, we need to level that curve, remember...

Alright, I got the results back. It’s negative. 🙄

Alex Roberts4 said:But seriously, why even tell the doctor? No, I’m actually asking. If we followed that logic, everyone would be getting tested constantly because people are sneezing everywhere. Here’s a different take for you: A coworker's husband just tested positive. At home, nobody was contacted or told to isolate, even though at least four people were in close contact with him—working side-by-side, sitting together, all that. Luckily, my husband hadn't seen that guy in at least a week. It really feels like they've loosened up the rules on contact tracing...
Did they ask you any follow-up questions?

I’ve been scrolling through these threads to see if anyone else has noticed this pattern, and here we go. 😁
A few days ago, someone tested positive. They live with three other people in the same household, and yet, absolutely no one is required to isolate.
They’re living under the same roof and nothing happens. Where is the "close contact" in that equation?
The logic is nonexistent, but there it is...☕

Honestly, we’re looking at another complete absurdity here. If you ask me, the absolute height of lunacy is this whole concept of self-isolation. Since the dawn of the modern era, true isolation hasn't really been a thing in any functional society.

I mean, let’s just walk through the logic for a second—suppose every single person in a household decides to just lock themselves away; how on earth are they supposed to survive for two weeks? Who’s going to run to the local Whole Foods or the corner bodega? Not everyone is blessed with a massive extended family standing by ready to act as a personal delivery service for groceries.

But look, I’ve been saying it since day one: this entire policy of isolation needs to be scrapped immediately.

In five or six years, the rest of the world is going to be laughing their heads off at how ridiculous this whole tool turned out to be.

So, my ex was out hanging with her friends over the weekend, and one of them started feeling under the weather this week and decided to go get tested. Turns out, she tested positive for COVID. But here’s the kicker: the government won't cover the cost of her test. They told her if she wants to be absolutely certain that what she's feeling is actually COVID, she’s on her own to foot the bill. On top of that, they didn't even mandate any kind of isolation for her.

What a fantastic country we live in. Truly.

jadehawk40 said:So, my ex was out hanging with her friends over the weekend, and one of them started feeling under the weather this week and decided to go get tested. Turns out, she tested positive for COVID. But here’s the kicker: the government won't cover the cost of her test. They told her if she wants to be absolutely certain that what she's feeling is actually COVID, she’s on her own to foot the bill. On top of that, they didn't even mandate any kind of isolation for her.

What a fantastic country we live in. Truly.

The contact tracing system is an absolute disaster.

jadehawk40 said:So, my ex was out hanging with her friends over the weekend, and one of them started feeling under the weather this week and decided to go get tested. Turns out, she tested positive for COVID. But here’s the kicker: the government won't cover the cost of her test. They told her if she wants to be absolutely certain that what she's feeling is actually COVID, she’s on her own to foot the bill. On top of that, they didn't even mandate any kind of isolation for her.

What a fantastic country we live in. Truly.

Wait, how did she feel sick? Was it from too many drinks? How does that work with COVID?
Man, I'm glad she's just an ex—imagine being with someone who has to go run tests just to figure out if they have a cold or something else when they don't even have typical symptoms!

nimbleranger17 said:Honestly, we’re looking at another complete absurdity here. If you ask me, the absolute height of lunacy is this whole concept of self-isolation. Since the dawn of the modern era, true isolation hasn't really been a thing in any functional society.

I mean, let’s just walk through the logic for a second—suppose every single person in a household decides to just lock themselves away; how on earth are they supposed to survive for two weeks? Who’s going to run to the local Whole Foods or the corner bodega? Not everyone is blessed with a massive extended family standing by ready to act as a personal delivery service for groceries.

But look, I’ve been saying it since day one: this entire policy of isolation needs to be scrapped immediately.

In five or six years, the rest of the world is going to be laughing their heads off at how ridiculous this whole tool turned out to be.

Look, whether isolation is stupid or not is beside the point. If they’re going to mandate it, they should apply it to people who are actually in close contact, not some neighbor you just brushed past in an apartment hallway.

And we’re talking about younger people here. They live online. They can have groceries delivered to their doorstep without leaving the house. The real issue is that they’re living with someone who tested positive, yet they’re still out walking around. Nobody is getting tested systematically. Nothing.🤷

They’re all online now, probably catching wind from the news sites that the whole mandatory quarantine system was a total wash. Now, the official word is basically just "do whatever you want" and look out for yourselves—which, let’s be honest, is just code for "good luck."

A friend of mine didn't even get a call, so she went ahead and reached out herself to get logged into the system... and yeah, she basically just volunteered for a headache. Now she's stuck sitting through a long stretch of isolation because of it...

Honestly, I don't see the point in testing unless you actually have symptoms or some specific reason to need it. Especially when you have to shell out your own cash for it.

Nicole James said:The contact tracing system is an absolute disaster.

Well, duh, of course it’s a disaster when people aren't even checking in!

My colleague’s office is basically a petri dish—everyone there is going into self-isolation—but since we're technically in a "different" office, we’re somehow fine? Give me a break. It makes zero sense. The doors are literally propped open from the inside, and she’s constantly wandering back and forth between her space and mine—it's all one big interconnected mess anyway, so what's the point of the distinction?