How COVID-19 is affecting society

[Katheryne Helendale]

Mom undergoes emergency surgery after swallowing COVID test

A UK mother had to undergo emergency surgery after swallowing a cotton swab while taking a COVID-19 test.

nypost.com

Aren't you supposed to swab your nose with those things?

 

[Essence Lumin]

Aren't you supposed to swab your nose with those things?

Yeah, there some dumb rumors floating around social media that throat swabs are more accurate which the packaging warns against.

 

[Soen Eber]

If it makes you feel better, a dead republican voter still matters more than a dead democratic voter. Repugs live in small population areas where their votes count for inflated value on average, with the reverse is true of democrats.

Let's also take into effect the number who were hospitalized with moderate to severe symtoms and then survived (numbers missing), and then the social circle surrounding each of these deaths or severe hospitalizations (about 150 on average). That would be the total number of people affected directly or indirectly. While the dead will no longer vote, of the number affected still living it would be a safe guess that more have switched to voting against Trump or Trumpian-style candidates (or staying home) than for them. There's also the fact that none of the insurrectionists received pardons, another factor chilling any future pro-Trumpian votes.

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

... of the number affected still living it would be a safe guess that more have switched to voting against Trump or Trumpian-style candidates (or staying home) than for them.

I wish my cynicism were mild enough for me to agree with that. "Some" may abstain or reconsider, but the testimonies I've heard from family/friends is that many of them are doubling down in spite of deaths in their family and long haul symptoms.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

(The background is that several people claim to have noticed a correlation between statistically-confirmed COVID infection "waves" in the US and negative online reviews for scented Yankee Candles complaining that the candles have little or no detectable scent. It's interesting if true.)

 

[WolfEyes]

While the dead will no longer vote,

except in the cases where some Repugs wife/husband has passed and they send in the deceased's ballot for them.

Nevada Man Featured in GOP Ad on Voter Fraud Admits to Forging Ballot

Donald Kirk Hartle entered into a plea deal and is expected to avoid jail time.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Is hybrid working here to stay? - Office for National Statistics

Almost half of working adults were working from home at times during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but what will business as usual look like with restrictions lifted?

www.ons.gov.uk

Several interesting findings -- there are plenty more in the article.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

Only thing I know about this convention I saw in thread. Is in Chicago. And it follows a pattern of conventions cancelling mask mandates very close to the actual convention, and, a lot of the time, when people can't cancel/get refunds, etc.

On one hand, Seanan was fairly pleasant to me, but she has an unreasonable hatred of Jim Butcher to the point of taking it out on anyone she hears saying anything nice about him [fun with being on the con circuit, you meet all sorts.

But yes, its annoying - around here, the cons rules tend to be, if vaccinated, then no need masks - also, no being an ass to anyone who wants the distance or wears a mask. But then we're in the south so.... that's the best we're likely to get. Oh and if you need to cancel because sick, the con this next weekend is offering to push your registration to next year; so that's something.

 

[Lexxi]

On one hand, Seanan was fairly pleasant to me, but she has an unreasonable hatred of Jim Butcher to the point of taking it out on anyone she hears saying anything nice about him [fun with being on the con circuit, you meet all sorts.

But yes, its annoying - around here, the cons rules tend to be, if vaccinated, then no need masks - also, no being an ass to anyone who wants the distance or wears a mask. But then we're in the south so.... that's the best we're likely to get. Oh and if you need to cancel because sick, the con this next weekend is offering to push your registration to next year; so that's something.

When I first starting reading Urban Fantasy, I had two authors I read: Patricia Briggs & Jim Butcher. Eventually, after reading her Zombie & Parasite books, I added Seanan McGuire to my list of Urban Fantasy authors I read.

I had not realized any of the three had any issues with the others. So I did a little Googling (very little).

Apparently, based on a very brief article on Kirkus in 2019, McGuire left Butcher off the top 10 list she wrote (Seanan McGuire’s Personal Top Ten Urban Fantasy Books For Adults). And the Butcher fans attacked her on Twitter. Fans of Dresden Files Slam Urban Fantasy Author Seanan McGuire | Kirkus Reviews While being attacked by Butcher's fans, McGuire told her own fans to never do that - attack an author.

*Reads McGuire's top ten*
Not, specifically, the list I would have put together.
Liked a science fiction/military fiction series by Tanya Huff but have never been able to get into her fantasy.

Liked Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London but never got past book 4.

Liked Paul Cornell's first book in that Shadow Police series, but DNF'd second book.

Haven't read any of the other authors on the list.


hmm. And apparently Dresden fans accuse McGuire of having ripped off Harry Dresden. Toby being a rip off of Dresden? How? hehe.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

When I first starting reading Urban Fantasy, I had two authors I read: Patricia Briggs & Jim Butcher. Eventually, after reading her Zombie & Parasite books, I added Seanan McGuire to my list of Urban Fantasy authors I read.

I had not realized any of the three had any issues with the others. So I did a little Googling (very little).

Apparently, based on a very brief article on Kirkus in 2019, McGuire left Butcher off the top 10 list she wrote (Seanan McGuire’s Personal Top Ten Urban Fantasy Books For Adults). And the Butcher fans attacked her on Twitter. Fans of Dresden Files Slam Urban Fantasy Author Seanan McGuire | Kirkus Reviews While being attacked by Butcher's fans, McGuire told her own fans to never do that - attack an author.

*Reads McGuire's top ten*
Not, specifically, the list I would have put together.
Liked a science fiction/military fiction series by Tanya Huff but have never been able to get into her fantasy.

Liked Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London but never got past book 4.

Liked Paul Cornell's first book in that Shadow Police series, but DNF'd second book.

Haven't read any of the other authors on the list.


hmm. And apparently Dresden fans accuse McGuire of having ripped off Harry Dresden. Toby being a rip off of Dresden? How? hehe.

Yes, but she did legit attack my housemate who is a writer, who was helped through an anxiety attack at dragon con a few years back, by Butcher's people and Seanan attacked her [him at the time] for being friends with Butcher. So, it sounds like, fans attacked her, told fans not to attack him, but then attacks friends for doing nothing.

Though we also think she was not happy being at a tiny literary con in Mississippi, and this was all in early 2020, so might have been worried and lashing out - she did like my needle felted squirrels, though.

Anyway, more just... I have mixed feelings, but I try not to let people being people make me upset, unless they are fascists.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I enjoyed most of Seanan McGuire's October Daye books, but I've never been able to get on with the others. I also enjoy most of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (but, again, can't really get on with his other work). Simply on the basis of reading their novels I get the impression I'd find McGuire more congenial company than Butcher (compare the Luidaeg with Mab, for example, for how they handle super powerful women), but that means nothing and we don't know what sort of history there is between McGuire and Butcher, and nothing excuses her taking out on his fans any dislike she has for him.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

I enjoyed most of Seanan McGuire's October Daye books, but I've never been able to get on with the others. I also enjoy most of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (but, again, can't really get on with his other work). Simply on the basis of reading their novels I get the impression I'd find McGuire more congenial company than Butcher (compare the Luidaeg with Mab, for example, for how they handle super powerful women), but that means nothing and we don't know what sort of history there is between McGuire and Butcher, but nothing excuses her taking out on his fans any dislike she has for him.

I've met both - Jim's pretty nice but he's a super introvert. Seanan, harder to say, she wasn't super thrilled at the con when I met her, but it was march of '20 so she might have been just worried.

Wouldn't mind meeting her again and seeing if she's more fun when there isn't a pandemic cresting over the horizon.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Free]

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Maybe it’s time to refer to getting COVID as getting the Clapton.

 

[Lexxi]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/05/28/covid-memorial-day-surge/

The United States is recording more than 100,000 infections a day — at least five times higher than this point last year — as it confronts the most transmissible versions of the virus yet. Immunity built up as a result of the record winter outbreak appears to provide little protection against the latest variants, new research shows. And public health authorities are bracing for Memorial Day gatherings to fuel another bump in cases, potentially seeding a summer surge.

“Over the Memorial Day holidays, if you are in settings where you are indoors with large numbers of people without masks … there is a good likelihood you will suffer a breakthrough infection.”

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

All I could think of was the fucking reaction. Jesus Christ.

 

[Casey Pelous]

Hey, guess who one of the 100,000 new COVID infections this week is?

Shoulda gotten that fourth vaccination, I guess.

Been pretty much exhausted for the past four days with flu symptoms. "Get up, fix coffee -- need a nap. Get up, fix a little lunch -- need a nap. Etc." Since I'm REALLY REALLY OLD they quickly put me on Paxlovid, which makes your mouth taste like the bottom of a dumpster but seems to be working. (NP to me: "Well, it is experimental, but if I was Your Age, I'd want someone to give it to me." +10 for prescribing, -2 for bedside manner!

Today I feel like I'm on the upswing, but even with all the vaccines and meds, this thing is definitely nasty. You do not want this.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Hey, guess who one of the 100,000 new COVID infections this week is?

Oh nooo! Take care of your Old Self, and take notes. I may need them for my Old Self if I don't hermit successfully. Avoiding people for the rest of my life has a lot of emotional appeal, but unfortunately, it's harder to put into practice than I realized two years ago.

For what's it's worth, that fourth vaccination may or may not have made any difference, depending on what strain you caught. Fun times.

 

[WolfEyes]

Hey, guess who one of the 100,000 new COVID infections this week is?

Shoulda gotten that fourth vaccination, I guess.

Been pretty much exhausted for the past four days with flu symptoms. "Get up, fix coffee -- need a nap. Get up, fix a little lunch -- need a nap. Etc." Since I'm REALLY REALLY OLD they quickly put me on Paxlovid, which makes your mouth taste like the bottom of a dumpster but seems to be working. (NP to me: "Well, it is experimental, but if I was Your Age, I'd want someone to give it to me." +10 for prescribing, -2 for bedside manner!

Today I feel like I'm on the upswing, but even with all the vaccines and meds, this thing is definitely nasty. You do not want this.

Please don't push yourself to get over it.