How are you all dealing with coronavirus and the restrictions... #2

That information was not available in the article, unfortunately. There may be more information on the Ministry's site, but that would be in Spanish.


I do know that the program started by prioritizing those 55 and over, the immunocompromised and people with other health conditions that put them at risk. So, they probably make up a significant percentage of this data. People that got Sinovac (Chinese vaccine) were the first eligible, but the program was soon expanded to those who got other vaccines, based on the date of their second shot.

Some ways to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic:

That sounds interesting, especially given the different vaccines in other countries. I hope everyone is safe.

I wished that there weren't any deaths from vaccines though, even though the percentages seem small - even just 1 death is enough for either the booster or the actual Covid-19.

I wished we just lived forever and had no suffering. That's where I'm at.

They’ve just announced that boosters are to be brought forward from 6 months to 3. Not sure when this will become operational, I’d already booked mine, not sure if I’m able to bring it forward. Technically this means my son is also eligible now too and a whole load of other people all at once….

Is that in the U.S. or a different country? Here, they are still saying 6 months, even though the vaccines are known to wane as early as 4 months. That would make sense to get boosted at 3 months to cover the overlap before vaccines wane.

I’m in the UK, sorry SprinkL3 I should’ve said, it’s a response to omicron because up until today it was strictly 6 months, so quite a change in policy.

So far I'm hearing the omnicron variant seems highly contagious but causing less symptoms. Although in the video I saw this lady was talking about how a lot more kids seem to get it but it's very mild. Isn't the "original" covid much less severe for kids as well?

I can't quite keep up anymore, though. The new variant was only reported last week, they don’t even have any longer term research? "So far" No one in the EU has been severely ill from omnicron. They have all been in Africa. If they're traveling for fun half-way across the world during a pandemic, they probably weren't very high risk for a severe case to begin with.

Or there's this:



It's working for me. I have to wear a mask at concerts and at work. It's kind of tough climbing stairs that way though.

I read the article about the omicron causing mild symptoms so far among some people in South Africa. However, we need more data than just a few people to be sure. I just hope it winds up being a contagious but mild mutation, as opposed to the Delta that seems to be both contagious and deadly - esp. among the unvaccinated.

Also, I just read an article somewhere about how 1 in 10 lung transplants are controversially going to COVID-19 cases, and that some of those cases are unvaccinated (the decision for transplants only consider future vaccine obligations, not past, or something like that). Do a google search and you'll find the article(s) somewhere. 1 in 10 is a pretty high number, which means that 1 in 10 people with other respiratory illnesses will now not get a lung.

Everything is so scary these days. My therapist told me I have OCD, and she says that is how I seem to be coping these days. She understands my fears, but yes, I go overboard. I freak out over all these things. I don't ever want to get Covid and have to deal with all these things. But I'm also sick of being isolated and and having to do all these things every day to keep me safe. Everywhere I look, there's this stressful decision I have to make about Covid risk. It's taking up all of my time and thoughts. I'm tired.

@Discombobulated that is a very big shift in vaccine policy, a little alarming, in fact. It seems very smart with omicron and Christmas on the way. I hope you can get your appointment moved up and what a relief to have a slot already booked now that it's being opened up to everyone. The booster roll out here continues to be a mess. A couple of pharmacies ran out and just put up signs instead of canceling people's appointments.

@BreakForTheLight That's a good point that the flight is long, I forgot about that. A crappy rapid test pre-flight and a more sensitive PCR test afterwards could also explain it. Months ago, I'd read that fake test results before flying were pretty normal in some countries and wondered if that could be the case in SA. I saw a headline this morning about people faking vaccine cards and test results to get into Canada. The quarantines are a joke here and have never been enforced. Just about everyone I know who has thought they had Covid went out to the grocery store to stock up while waiting for the test results or before they got the test. It's crazy.

My husband just had to have an infected wisdom tooth pulled. He knew it could eventually be an issue and was talking about going to have it seen by a dentist right before Covid hit. Before he could set up an appointment, Covid arrived. Some dentist offices closed completely and others were only seeing limited emergency cases.

So, like a lot of people, he put going to the dentist on the back burner, assuming that the pandemic wouldn't last too long. Even in the best of times, he is kind of a germaphobe, so he was really nervous about going to the dentist when Covid cases were high, even once offices opened again.


Towards the end of last week it started hurting and by the weekend he was in a lot of pain. Fortunately, our case levels are still relatively low and he has had his booster, so he felt comfortable enough making one of the first dentist appointments of the day. The tooth was infected, so they pulled it. The dentist said it was good he came in when he did, before the infection was able to spread to his jaw or other surrounding areas.

I should probably see about going in for a cleaning and check-up at that clinic. My husband said he felt comfortable with the precautions they were taking, and I haven't been to the dentist since before this all started.

I scheduled my dental appointments at the VA, where they are (a) required to wear masks and (b) required to test all dental patients the day before for Covid. So I have two appointments for the dentist (periodontal disease cleaning or checking) in January 2022 - one to get the Covid test on the day prior to the dental appointment, and the other to attend my dental appointment. I might chicken out. I'm scared. But I'm boosted. So I don't know.

My T told me yesterday that I have the symptoms of OCD, but she told me not to pay attention to labels. But still, it's another mental disorder.

Anyway, I don't know how to not do these rituals of isolating, reading up on the latest news about Covid, washing my hands, avoiding touching many things, wearing double masks/double gloves/goggles/hair coverings whenever I have to open my apartment door - even for a second, etc. I don't have the energy to clean and disinfect all the time, so I don't do that, but that is why I use washcloths to open up my cupboards and apartment doors inside.

My hands are now bleeding and cracked because I've washed too much, and had to deal with packing my entire apartment up because there will be about 3 to 4 people in my apartment tomorrow - likely unmasked - to do a fire sprinkler inspection for about 15 to 30 minutes. They told us they have to inspect all rooms and all closets, so I decided to safeguard my stuff, and I have enough air purifiers to circulate while my patio door will be open so that fresh air can get in. I'm a mess and freaking out.

I want to do things like walk and go to the dentist and even get the braces I have been putting off for years now. But I can't seem to do anything I enjoy anymore.

One of the 61 positive cases was arrested for fleeing the quarantine hotel. They (it was a Spanish/Portugese couple, only the wife tested positive) went to the media to complain about how they were treated and the wife claims it was a false positive. I guess false positives *can* happen, but 61 times? That's unlikely.

But their entire story doesn't really add up - they say they bought rapid tests after being advised to do so and both tested negative twice - HOW? They were supposed to be in quarantine, you do not leave your hotel room! You cannot go to the drugstore to buy a test and you cannot go down to reception to chat with security as they also claim to have done! (Sorry, their interview really bugged me.)

I have OCD now. That's apparently how I've been dealing with the pandemic.

I hate this pandemic. I can't stop worrying. My hands are so cracked and hurting. I'm tired, and my CFS/ME is worsening. My sleep is worsening. I packed up my entire apartment because I'll be invaded tomorrow by 3 to 4 inspectors looking at the sprinklers for a deathly 30 minutes - enough time to inject me with the plague, the flu, the 'Rona, and much more. I don't know if they'll be masked. I asked the landlord, but who knows if they will remember or even wear it properly. None of my neighbors wear masks, and many remain unvaccinated. If they do wear it, it's always under the nose or at their chin.

I'm feeling really defeated.

People keep trying to candy coat things with happy news or this or that, but it's hard to trust the news or anyone. People have downplayed things, and then people have scared us into things, and then there's all this disinformation. It's hard to figure out who to believe, and I'm struggling here.

I agree with your therapist about the label - that is not the most important thing, but is she helping you deal with it at least? Maybe in small, baby steps?

Wow, would an inspection really take that long? How many sprinklers do you have?! I would just open up all windows if possible and try to stay a safe distance from the people (surely it doesn't take 3 or 4 people to inspect sprinklers?)

Genuine question, why do you wash your hands so much if you never go outside without gloves and don't touch anything inside with your bare hands? I'm sorry I don't know much about OCD, but I would try to challenge your beliefs that you NEED to do these things. Figure out which things make sense to keep yourself safe and what doesn't.

@SprinkL3 I’m sorry I don’t know very much about OCD myself although a friend’s adult son has it and has intrusive thoughts. I know partly his OCD is managed by medication.

I can understand why you’d feel you needed to do some things to keep safe, after all many of the things you’re describing are things we were told to do by authorities.

I hope that I haven’t contributed to your anxiety by anything covid related that I’ve posted and that following this thread hasn’t made you worry more?

I think we’ve all (on this thread) been anxious about this pandemic to some degree. Whatever helps you please feel free to post here, we understand your anxieties. Hugs!

I don't know why. I know fomite transmission is low risk, but I did it during the beginning of the pandemic and just haven't stopped. I don't know what is wrong with me and why it is scary for me to stop.

No, you haven't contributed at all to my OCD stuff and other fears; it's literally this pandemic and my constantly looking at the news every day about any changes with the pandemic. I'm just a wreck. I've been isolated from the world, and I live alone, and I have no family close enough to take care of me if something were to happen to me, so I've been trying to avoid the virus at all costs. But all I know is what I read in the news. I don't know much else, other than what my T tells me or a few veteran friends I made online locally tell me. But still, it's hard to trust anyone.

You're good - so no worries about what you share. I mean, you have the freedom to share. I just need to figure out what is going on with my OCD brain. I have dissociation, so it is now made more complex when I don't even trust my alternate personalities with safety protocols and this pandemic, so now I have personalities (like littles) who are upset that I'm isolated and home (like we're in house arrest) for about 21 months or so now. I'm a mess!

It’s been a long time since I don’t read or listen anything about the pandemic. I did it because of my well-going. To be honest, this pandemic is being run very badly, awfully, by the countries’ responsible and not mention by people in rich countries, in general.
I already gave up on my hopes for a better world and the teachings we could get out of it.
I see as while in rich countries, a part of the population is rowing against reason, in other countries the vaccines don’t arrive.
My feelings are of a deep shame.

I agree with what you said.

It is sad.

I did read how some of the poorer countries don't have enough resources to handle all the vaccines coming in at once, though, whereas other countries are really struggling to get vaccines. And if the vaccines need to be frozen at certain temps, I'm hoping that the richer countries are donating those resources as well. This is so sad.