Pages Tagged “COVID-19”
Reviews
- The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell
★★★★★
Mira Grant
Seared into my memory. Cascading failures as zombies attack an elementary school. Well-written, but I never, ever want to read it again. - The Kaiju Preservation Society
★★★★★
John Scalzi
Escaping the pandemic by learning to survive on a world with gigantic monsters.
Blog Posts
- Asymptomatic Covid and Genetics
People with a particular variation of the HLA gene who had Covid were dramatically more likely to have had an asymptomatic case.
- Faded Guidelines
Some of the signs are still up, almost three years later. Some people still wear masks, sometimes. And some people still get covid, sometimes. And memory of the 2020-2021 lockdown continues to fade.
- Forgotten, But Not Gone
Remember standing six feet apart?
- The Latest COVID?
Overheard at pharmacy: “Do you give out the latest COVID-19, uh, omicron?” Gee, I hope not… (Yeah, i know what he meant, and so did the pharmacist.)
- Elementary Precautions
For the second day in a row weâve gotten a notice of a Covid exposure in the kidâs classroom. One more case and itâs technically an outbreak. Mask-optional was one thing when cases were low and flat, but the numbers have been climbing for weeks. And thatâs not including however many at-home tests donât get […]
- Well is it a problem or not?
Love how the same people who are all “COVID isn’t a problem” are also dead set on keeping certain people out of the country just in case they might bring COVID in. No wonder they distrust actual public health measures and think the government is just using COVID as an excuse for…something. Because that’s what […]
- Coronaversary
Google wished me a happy second coronaversary this morning. Well, not in so many words. But I count March 8, 2020 as my last normal day, the day I went out to de-stress by taking pictures of the ocean, seagulls, and a zillion tiny clams, grabbed coffee at Peet’s on the way home, and came […]
- An unwanted guest for the new year
It’s theoretically possible that I picked up a cold in the middle of a surge in a highly-transmissible virus that, in people who have been vaccinated and boosted, has exactly the symptoms I have, and started about a week after a possible exposure. It could happen. [Edit: apparently it did. See the update below.] But […]
- Covid Elementary
The kid has spent parts of three school years now dealing with Covid-19. I’m not sure “normal” school really has much meaning for him at this point. Though things have sort of settled into, if not a new normal yet, something approximating it. Of course everything shut down in March 2020. Like many other school […]
- Things to remember with Omicron in the news
1. Science isn’t handed down from on high fully formed. It’s a process of figuring things out based on what you know so far and what you discover. Like trying to determine the picture on a puzzle when the pieces are still scattered around the house. You look for more pieces, you figure out where […]
- Why Iâm not ready to go back to cons yet
Of the two Omicron-variant cases found in the US so far, one of them is a breakthrough case in a patient who hadnât traveled internationally, but had just been to an anime convention in New York. With 53,000 people. That only required attendees to have gotten their first dose of the vaccine. And struggled with […]
- Boosted!
We’ve both gotten our Covid vaccine boosters, and the kid’s had both initial shots now that a dosage has been approved for his age range. No side effects to speak of for either of them, and while I had a day of brain fog, I think that’s just as likely to be because the shoulder […]
- So. Much. Sanitizer.
Remember last year when it was virtually impossible to get hand sanitizer? You couldn’t order it online, you couldn’t order it for an in-store pickup, and stores that had it were limiting how many of those tiny bottles each customer could buy? Breweries and distilleries were stepping in to supplement the supply, but it still […]
- Double-Shot
We’ve both received the second dose of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine! Same location and keep-you-moving procedure as the first dose, in and out within a half hour. Like many people seem to, we got stronger side effects after the second dose than the first. She got fatigue and a fever, I also got loopiness, chills, and […]
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot
We have both gotten the first dose of the Moderna vaccine against Covid! *whew!* The kid can’t get vaccinated until the <16 safety and efficacy data comes back, but he’s still young enough that he’s at a lot less risk to begin with, and having all the adults around him vaccinated will let us all […]
- Four Covid Tests
I’ve gone through or seen four different Covid-19 testing procedures over the past year, not counting the ones I’ve only read about. (You remember, the early days of the pandemic when they were still trying to make enough tests, and weren’t sure just how easily transmissible it was, so they had people wearing haz-mat suits […]
- X Marks the Spot
I do appreciate the bandage motif for the distancing markers at this urgent care.
- Normal is Weird
The other day I grabbed a coffee and muffin while out walking, and found an out-of-the-way outdoor place where I could unmask and eat without being near anyone else. It was weird! It felt like I was getting away with something. This sort of thing used to be normal, but now it isn’t… and that’s […]
- Two Years Without a Con
Surprising no-one, WonderCon will be online-only again this year. Last year’s event was canceled just as we all started to realize that Covid-19 was spreading in California. And while the winter surge in cases is finally slowing down, the coronavirus is still more prevalent out there now than it was last March. They’re still hoping […]
- “Tyranny”
Seems like the only reason certain groups aren’t complaining loudly about the “tyranny” of traffic signals and refusing to obey out of “fear” is that the consequences of running every red light you see hit you faster than the consequences of not taking precautions against covid.
- Too Soon, Comic-Con
Earlier this week we were talking about cosplay ideas for when we can finally go back to comic conventions. Literally the next day, I read that LA Comic-Con is planning an in-person convention in December. OH HELL NO! I don’t care that they’re limiting attendance, requiring masks and distancing, and keeping it at the cavernous […]
- Wearing is Caring
Every city around here has its own publicity and enforcement schemes for Covid-19 safety, though the criteria and general requirements are mostly decided at the county or state level. I haven’t gotten out to El Segundo much since the pandemic hit, so I hadn’t seen their “Wearing is Caring” slogan until this weekend.
- Snakes on a Bus
A Manchester (UK) man boarded a bus wearing a snake wrapped around his neck and mouth. Officials’ comments on what constitutes a suitable face covering: “While there is a small degree of interpretation that can be applied to this, we do not believe it extends to the use of snakeskin – especially when still attached […]
- Devovid
Bizarre story (how could it not be?) in the LA Times on Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh’s experience with Covid-19 and the delusions he experienced at the height of the illness during two weeks in the ICU. Among other things, he became convinced he’d written an entire new Devo album and hallucinated the band performing it […]
- Summer Survival Rate Up
Infections are still high, but the LA/CA case-fatality rate has dropped since spring. Partly weâre spotting more of the mild cases, and younger people are a bigger percentage of cases now. But also weâve learned more about how to treat it: dexamethasone for patients on oxygen remdesivir shortens recovery time nasal oxygen turns out to […]
- Hypothetical Jack-Boots
As usual, the people who yell the loudest about hypothetical jack-booted government thugs are perfectly happy with actual jack-booted government thugs as long as they’re aimed at someone else. Note also that the small-government, local-is-always-better anti-Fed/states’ rights crowd is totally happy with the feds overriding the state and city government in Portland, even while they […]
- Only a Test. (Whew!)
A couple of days ago I developed a cough and measured a fever. The cough has been very intermittent, and the fever went away after a couple of hours. Still, I went for a Covid-19 test after measuring the fever, and we all went into lockdown mode just in case. No errands or walks. Just […]
- Wishful Thinking
Some wishful thinking on the part of auto-complete, here.
- Objection!
Went out for a walk. Group of jerkwads in a pickup covered in conspiracy slogans about Bill Gates, beaches, and Wal-Mart were driving around shouting about not believing stuff and “freedom.” First time we got stuck at the same light, I studiously ignored their attempts to get my attention. (I was the only one at […]
- Bicycle Barricades are Down
…and replaced with these warning signs to maintain distance. I think this particular path could have been left open with these warnings to begin with, because there’s so much room to go around people even if it did draw a crowd. It’s not like the paths along the base or top of the bluffs near […]
- Sorta Open. Maaaybe. If You’re Careful.
I mentioned last week that Manhattan Beach had closed all their parks outright, rather than just closing equipment and facilities. Over the weekend heat wave, they reopened at least Polliwog Park, taking down the caution tape from the perimeter and instead wrapping individual playgrounds, gazebos, sculptures and even picnic tables with metal fencing. And signs. […]
- …Or Was It?
With more symptoms being added to the list for Covid-19, I’m beginning to think I should have gone in for a flu test when I had the flu at the beginning of March. At the time, chills, muscle aches and headache (and lack of coughing) seemed like a clear “not Covid” indicator. I was staying […]
- That’s What They Want You To Think
I know there’s essentially zero chance that the audio stream from my phone playing the Cracked podcast on ridiculous psy-ops that governments have actually considered will get picked up by my kid’s video-conference class session on another device. Even if Zoom is listening for more traffic than it should, there’s HTTPS, WPA2, etc. I’d have […]
- A Month of Semi-Isolation
As of today, it’s been a full month since I last set foot in the office. I went home Friday night, did a zillion errands Saturday, went for a photowalk on Sunday, and got slammed by the flu Sunday night. By the time I was over the flu, Los Angeles and California were shutting down […]
- Welcome to the Park. Now Stay Away (From Each Other)
There’s a difference between “going out” to a destination or event, and “going outside” for fresh air or exercise. The first is more likely to land you in the kind of crowds that can help spread the pandemic. The second can usually be done while still keeping your distance from people. Depending on how easy […]
- Song of Ice and Virus
Pandemic analogy overheard while out for a walk: “It’s not a blizzard, it’s a very long winter. It’s a Game of Thrones winter.”
- Bike Path Closed on Account of Virus
This bike path was closed in response to too many people going outdoors to the same places, creating the crowds that the closures of bars, restaurants and retail stores were trying to avoid in an effort to slow the virus spread. I’m kind of surprised at this one. Unlike the paths near the beach, it […]
- The Shrinking Outdoors
Last weekend, a lot of people in the Los Angeles area tried to go hiking, or to the beach, or otherwise outdoors…to the same places. Which ended up creating the crowds that the shutdown was supposed to prevent, just in different places. 🤦♂️ So over the last few days, various cities, counties and the state […]
- I Assure You We’re Open!
More scenes from a pandemic shutdown: Panera really wants you to know they’re open! (California is currently limiting all restaurants to take-out/delivery only as part of the attempt to limit coronavirus spread.) They also had a sign propped up in their delivery van window pointing out that they’re selling bread, eggs and dairy — all […]
- Goodwill: Stay Healthy
Scenes from pandemic shutdown: Shuttered Goodwill. To be fair, I seem to remember they were already planning to remodel, so the plywood all over the windows could just be a case of bad timing. Update: Here’s a better picture of the sign from the near side of the street.
- CA Lockdown Confusion
On Thursday, Los Angeles County ordered that everyone stay at home except for essential activities like buying food, getting medical care, taking care of someone, or going to an “essential” job. Later that evening, California issued a similar order. But something was unclear: The county specifically mentioned that the guidelines didn’t apply to just going […]
- Last Walk Along the Coast Before the Virus (No, Not That One)
Last weekend, before the flu hit me, I tried to de-stress by going somewhere for a photo-and-nature walk. I ended up at the actual Redondo Beach, south of the pier. Partly because there was nowhere to park near the pier due to the Kite Festival, which now that I think of it may have been […]
- Flu in the time of Covid-19
Last weekend, after spending Saturday running errands and Sunday taking care of stuff around the house, I went out to de-stress with a photo-walk at the coast, taking pictures of shorebirds, waves, sailboats, sand patterns and a zillon tiny shells. On the way back I started feeling aches and chills, and by evening I had […]
- Lack of Audience
Back in my college theater days, I remember one of the teachers remarking that what sets theater apart from other types of events is the audience. A sporting event with no one watching still counts for the rankings and records. A play without an audience might as well be a dress rehearsal. Well, sporting events […]
- Coronawhere?
A lot of the maps I see showing coronavirus cases, even from sources like the CDC, have a problem: They’re labeled by country, or by state. It’s too big to be useful. Labeling the number of cases reported in the US doesn’t tell you that they’re mostly in clusters in Washington and California. Labeling the […]
- Mild Cases of Coronavirus
The Washington Post points out that 82% of covid-19 cases identified so far are mild, basically a bad cold. Virologists are trying to determine: How many more mild cases haven’t been counted? And what factors cause some cases to be mild and others lethal? There are several coronaviruses that already circulate globally and just cause […]
- Eating in the Car
Why do people get take-out fast food, then sit and eat it in their car in the parking lot, idling with the AC on? Update: It’s weird how this became normal for me during the 2020 Covid shutdown. I always figured, if you’re going to eat right there anyway, why not just eat at the […]