COVID-19 Impacts- No Conspiracy Theories

[nicegator]

A specific Omicron Vaccine is in the works..

However is so far down the line we night be facing another variant by the time it rolls out.

I think the pharma companies are going after vaccines for everything, but it’s starting to look like they’re going to be a hard sell until worse variants come out. And I expect the government to start throttling back burning billions to put in their pockets for the effort.

It’s going to be interesting to see where this goes.

I had an autoimmune reaction to my third Pfizer shot and I’m done. The right side of my body has a bizarre nerve problem that so far can only be attributed to an undiagnosed and impossible-to-diagnose autoimmune issue. Rheumatologist says nothing to treat, but I’ve got life changing issues that started the day after the third shot. I had a few little blips on the radar after the second, but wasn’t concerned. I’ll be using medical waiver from here on and just hoping to God this clears up. If I’d had no symptoms I’d keep getting the boosters as advised.

Hope this is something short term and wish you get well soon.

[Robotaz]

A specific Omicron Vaccine is in the works..

However is so far down the line we night be facing another variant by the time it rolls out.

I think the pharma companies are going after vaccines for everything, but it’s starting to look like they’re going to be a hard sell until worse variants come out. And I expect the government to start throttling back burning billions to put in their pockets for the effort.

It’s going to be interesting to see where this goes.

I had an autoimmune reaction to my third Pfizer shot and I’m done. The right side of my body has a bizarre nerve problem that so far can only be attributed to an undiagnosed and impossible-to-diagnose autoimmune issue. Rheumatologist says nothing to treat, but I’ve got life changing issues that started the day after the third shot. I had a few little blips on the radar after the second, but wasn’t concerned. I’ll be using medical waiver from here on and just hoping to God this clears up. If I’d had no symptoms I’d keep getting the boosters as advised.

Hope this is something short term and wish you get well soon.

I’m not a doctor, but I do live in my own body and have some basic observations.

After my second shot, I noticed some slight effects, but didn’t think a whole lot about it and my doctor said don’t worry about it. I wasn’t exactly journaling what was going on, but I am pretty sure the effects went away.

This time, it started with a roar and seems to be diminishing again. When it first started, the spasms in the right side of my neck were so bad that it was causing my head to shake. If you have never had spasms like this, it’s scary. My torso on my right side was contracting into what the doctor called a dystonic state, I think is what he said. I notice it a little bit, but it’s nothing like it was.

What is continuing is an issue with my right leg. So I have had a bad hamstring spasm issue that causes my knee to get tight and hurt. Also get some sciatica related to it from time to time. Now, my whole leg feels like it’s buzzing and twitching. I think it’s getting a little better, but I’m taking alpha lipoid acid and I think it’s helping.

But here’s where it all gets tied together. I have had these spasm issues for many years. Typically, under a lot of stress, the sciatica and hamstring/knee problem will start and get so bad that I have been unable to walk to my office from my car. This will go on for days, then I will get a sick feeling that feels like terrible flu, a couple times feeling like I’m dying, but for only 6-24 hours. After that episode, the body seems to let up and over the next days the sciatica and knee will literally be gone.

I went to a rheumatologist years ago when this was building up and he said every single test, and there were a lot, came back normal. But how do explain a nerve and muscle condition that peaks as a bizarre flu-like fever event and then goes away? I have assumed undiagnosed autoimmune events, and this vaccine purposely aggravating the autoimmune system and then having this symptoms tells me I’m right.

Keep in mind my mom and both her sisters have/had rheumatoid arthritis that crippled one, lupus in another, and Sjogren’s (sp?) in the other. Issues run in my family.

The purpose of this explanation is not to dump my health history on a watch forum. It’s to give background for others to consider. I am a pragmatist primarily driven by logic, not emotion. I believe I have an underlying issue. I do not believe vaccines caused the issue. I believe the vaccine aggravated the issue. If you think you may have an issue related to your autoimmune system, I highly recommend a discussion with a doctor, but I do not recommend being scared of vaccines.

I think my story sheds light on areas where we hear about confusion and even ignorance. I’m still a supporter of mRNA vaccines and I think they are relatively safe, much safer than risking COVID, and very effective. But they may not be for everyone, and I think the scrutiny we’re putting on vaccines during this pandemic brings up a lot of issues that we just weren’t aware of prior. It’s a lot to think about, but using logic there are definitive paths that make sense and generally make people healthier.

[The Sultan of SoWhat]

From NY Times newsletter today:

Screen Shot 2022-01-31 at 12.37.23 PM.png (58.56 KiB) Viewed 2190 times

[peskydonut]

From NY Times newsletter today:

Screen Shot 2022-01-31 at 12.37.23 PM.png

Ok, I'll be that guy...

We're watching natural selection unfold in real time.

[Robotaz]

Unfortunately, that’s from November when Delta was still the culprit. I continue hearing Omicron isn’t affected by vaccines. Is this still the case?

[cheddar]

Unfortunately, that’s from November when Delta was still the culprit. I continue hearing Omicron isn’t affected by vaccines. Is this still the case?

Vaccines appear less effective at preventing transmission of omicron; remain highly effective at preventing serious complications, hospitalization, and death.

[Robotaz]

Unfortunately, that’s from November when Delta was still the culprit. I continue hearing Omicron isn’t affected by vaccines. Is this still the case?

Vaccines appear less effective at preventing transmission of omicron; remain highly effective at preventing serious complications, hospitalization, and death.

OK. I think that’s a gray area in many discussions.

Usually people talk about the vaccine’s ability to minimize symptoms, but with omicron it has become important to distinguish that there are two areas of concern: transmissibility and symptom control.

I find it interesting that the media says vaccines are “less effective against Omicron” and none that I have seen say anything about being effective against transmissibility. They are only referring to control of symptoms.

I have been of the belief that the media has replaced journalism with clicks and ratings more and more, and that stuff like what we’re talking about is missing and needed. We hear a lot about disinformation, especially when we disagree with what is being said, but there’s not any basic understand of need to clean up and enhance journalistic reporting. My opinion is that saying vaccines are less effective with Omicron without talking about transmissibility is just unprofessional and amateurish at best.

[BostonCharlie]

Unfortunately, that’s from November when Delta was still the culprit. I continue hearing Omicron isn’t affected by vaccines. Is this still the case?

Vaccines appear less effective at preventing transmission of omicron; remain highly effective at preventing serious complications, hospitalization, and death.

OK. I think that’s a gray area in many discussions.

Usually people talk about the vaccine’s ability to minimize symptoms, but with omicron it has become important to distinguish that there are two areas of concern: transmissibility and symptom control.

I find it interesting that the media says vaccines are “less effective against Omicron” and none that I have seen say anything about being effective against transmissibility. They are only referring to control of symptoms.

I have been of the belief that the media has replaced journalism with clicks and ratings more and more, and that stuff like what we’re talking about is missing and needed. We hear a lot about disinformation, especially when we disagree with what is being said, but there’s not any basic understand of need to clean up and enhance journalistic reporting. My opinion is that saying vaccines are less effective with Omicron without talking about transmissibility is just unprofessional and amateurish at best.

That's how it feels to me, too. Where journalism has retreated, the vast Internet of information has filled the void with every rag and bone anybody is willing to offer. Peggy Noonan's experience resonated with me:

... We are all at-home epidemiologists again, up nights studying online data, then from China and Italy, now from South Africa and London. Friends bring each other home tests and debate whether the nose swab should really be used on the throat. ...

[The Sultan of SoWhat]

From NY Times newsletter:


Omicron has been deadlier in the U.S. than in other countries, partly because of low vaccination rates among older people.