Covid and Welfare

[Panda Tar]

So, I was wondering how everyone here is doing around this pandemic all around.

My country reached really high levels of infection, considering it's a continental-sized one, and full of discrepancies among states (some are well-developed, others are not, some are inhabitated, others are almost unnocupied).

My state is located in the South, Santa Catarina. We were the first to decree emergency and restrictions, closing almost all businesses, public transport and only leaving the essential services opened. Back then, we had not much cases, but we were the 3rd or 4th most numerous. However, we got 'controled' as months went by, and we had (still have) a very low mortality rate.

Still, people are people, and Darwin is ever watchful.

As soon as some local governments relaxed some restrictions, for some unknown reasons people simply thought they could go on around gathering everywhere. It was so ... bizarre. Many parties were raided by police officers (still not allowed), events with 200, 300 people! Another thing is that our situation was doing so good that people from other states started simply coming over for leisure, stay away from their private hell, not thinking that their presence was an additional strain and hazard to this state. A LOT of people came from São Paulo when we had some out of season hot days this winter. Beaches were completely full. And government acted again, a lot of restrictions returned. Then the mayor saw that it was somehow pointless because in spite of Florianópolis having restrictions, all the cities in the urban area of Great Florianópolis had not the same restrictions. So people just went somewhere else to do their business, and the infection started peaking where they were getting more crowded.

The same scale happened with states. States with less restrictions getting 'imported' people from neighboring states with much more restrictions and realities started blending together in a hell. Although we are in a peak here, we are sustaining +50% recovery rate for a while already, almost since the beginning, which is a relief at some point. Death toll in my state is still very low for the number of people getting infected in this surge, but soon the health infrastructure will fail, as it is already failing in Great Florianópolis. People simply forget that other accidents and diseases exist.

On my part, my family is spread all over the country, as well as my friends, and my mother and sister are in Peru. Each of these groups are in very different realities, so I have a sense of what's really happening without having to peruse all the disgraceful tosh the partial Press seem so happy to focus on. I was always more worried with the psychological effect this pandemic would have over me. That's why I focused on health mind, stronger body motto. Then, I strolled under the sun (alone), kept talking with people I know, go to my gym (which seems to me like the most safe place I go, to be frank), and I work at home. I have this priviledge, luckily. But what I did not do was staying at home, getting scared, paranoid, aggressive. Some people I know went almost cuckoo. And there is a lot of suicides which is not reported on media, as our laws do not allow to. Many small businesses closed definitely nearby where I live, mainly because I live next to the Federal University, and its closed, probably until March 2021. My gym is in alarming situation due that too, but getting slowly better as other people are joining in the activities, while the company offers online classes and assistance.

Now, we are obligated to wear masks out of home, stabilishments need to provide gel alcohol promptly at the entrance, some need to take temperatures (such as my gym), lines need some distance between them. The usual.

So, I am keeping my sanity so far, but it's been not easy. Strange enough for such challenging thing popping up in time where we are having a lot of important elections and appraising of current ones around the globe. It came to screw with a lot of people and politics.

What about you, folks?

[Pol]

Here it's more relaxed by now, the good question would be for how long. One region, with coal mines is heavily affected though. The masks are obligatory only in subway, due to summer hot days.

We also keep distance rule, somewhat and some.

It's funny like all EU states are trying to open borders for tourists to prevent collapse of their tourism sector. It won't help them much, ppl will not travel so much as in previous years, it could been like 5% only. It cause massive problem with money though. And also cause return of infection in some cases.

Most of our ppl cure, stats to this day are as follows: COVID19: Infected: 14098 Cured: 8836 Died: 859. Because there is still not free testing for everyone, numbers are just approximate.

[Panda Tar]

Here, it is like this:


Confirmed
Under observation
Recovered
Deaths
Under investigation (to be confirmed as positive)

My state is the 14th on that list. You'll notice its death toll is rather lower than the rest, in spite of the high number of infections. All the rest of the states with lower deaths have much less population too, and they are very scattered. My father is where I lived, 23th.

Of course, numbers are only those confirmed and known as positive. A real lot of people did not have any symptoms to be added to that list, for they did not know they were infected. It's just academic speculation.

Now that I think of it, 1% of my country has been confirmed infected.

[Pitsu]

Here we have almost normal life. Mass gatherings and travels are somewhat restricted, but most people have returned to pre-pandemic lifestyle. There are a few new cases daily, but mostly these are imported ones and can be isolated. It is clear that at some point there will be a second and probably third wave and economics will fail for many. Probably in fall, but one never knows. In April-May, when we had our worst situation so far the rules were quite strict and most followed them voluntarily. A few "covidiotic" incidences, but nothing catastrophic. I hope there is enough(t) discipline left for second wave.

Losing your mind in seclusion is certainly a valid problem. Even if you keep your social contacts the reality of a deadly global pandemic in your town is scary. I personally did not feel any lack of social interactions, but since I had to work as a general practitioner at least one day a week there were enough contacts to keep my mind busy. Some people who I met at this time, unfortunately, totally lost themselves although being physically healthy. It may be even worse elsewhere. My countrymen are often seen as more cold and introvert people than most nations. When the state emergency ended, there was even a joke going around that “Lets celebrate!, The mandatory 2 meter social distancing time is finally over, and we can go back to our usual 5 meter distance!”.

I do hope that the virus will disappear in a few years even without vaccines as the Spanish flu did, but some scientific reports indicate that it is better to be ready for a long-time trouble.

[Panda Tar]

Less than 2 months later ... my state jumped from 14th to 7th. Yay. At least death toll remains low.



Curves are 'stabilizing'. Sometimes I think we'll have something like a loooong-drawn-out unique wave. Even then, people are not really worried. Beaches were sort of crowded ... again ... It is not allowed the permanence on the sand, for tanning, drinking, whatever. You can go there only to walk and not to linger. In the whole state. In my city it is also mandatory the use of masks anywhere outside home.

And giving people seem not to know what to do with their spare time, new parents (a lot of my friends) started doing monthly little lone birthday parties for their cubs. It is kind of funny and annoying at the same time. Funny because it is clearly not meant for their kids. Annoying because it does feel like a Like-seeker in Instagram. But I assume they just to show how happy they are.

Hey, we don't have a wearing-mask smiley!

[Banedon]

Well, Brazil is one of the worst-affected countries in the world. I'm more concerned for India because that country looks like it will suffer really hard until a vaccine is developed.

Life is pretty normal where I am, except we're all working from home, which has dire consequences for me on a personal level because it means I sleep at 2-3am way too often and can potentially miss meetings at e.g. 1pm because I'm asleep.

[ThunderTitan]

we're all working from home, which has dire consequences for me on a personal level because it means I sleep at 2-3am way too often

Laughs in doing that even when going to the office...

Not that i don't start feeling it more and more as i age...

[Panda Tar]

When we had no work-routine at home, going homeoffice kind of sucks. Sometimes, during the weekend, I just feel like I don't have anything else to do besides working; given we cannot go out freely in public areas yet. Added to my psychic pathology, it's a nasty business to deal with.

So, right now, I'm suffering the anti-friday disease.

[Pol]

Seems, that here it's better about fluffy inch. Wearing masks but going to-and-fro to the job and back as always.

Worry free Panda, it will return to the normal once. ..or we will end like in Archimedean Dynasty.

[Panda Tar]

We decided at our company that we would resume presential work next year only. But given that we are not allowed at office yet either, so it might extend, depening on state/municipalty rules. This week they slackened a bit some rules related to public spaces, so it might eventually return earlier than that. Although we have a very high number of total infections, almost 90% are recovered. In my state, I think it's 96%. So, who knows? And winter is gone. Perhaps the worst is also gone (unless Europeans in that second wave start coming for vacations in our summer, those pestilential folk! ).

[Pol]

We weren't going to but giving it a second thoughts now!

Different age, different COVID mutation. The final mutation will be Holy Covid Zombie, which will have no symptoms for half a year and then strike in within 60mins, muhaha! :p

We have pretty sunny days now and over weekend we shall have snow in some parts of our (still) beautiful country. Heating season is behind the corner.

[Pol]

Seems that motto of our PM: "We are best in covid" Uncovered its true meaning, and it was all just a very dark humour. He wasted Jul and Aug, saying that's ok. To prevent financial lost. And now it's worse than before, ofc getting more financial cuts.

The only thing, which comes from that is that we should have travel abroad in the end of August and cancelled it and now are quarelling with Travell Agency, who will pay that. (A good side of it is, that most likely with continuous closing and choking the economic the Agency will fill for bankrupcy and it will be all over. I will "win" and never see my money which I paid them. Loose loose perfection.)

So far no insta testing (still promised), no vakcinne (only PR, confirming that they started), no intelligent tracing (state don't use it and already limited existing apps which could do that), not any effective plan how to fight it, with controlled suppressing of economy which would have been declared in advance and killed no one. And extreme huge sume of money already spent without any effect. (Apart from being spent)

We are coming to election soon, and he still could win that.

[Panda Tar]

Looks tough.

Around here ... it's diffcult to tell what's happening, what will be or whatever. Some cities are having quarantine lifted, or less restrictions. All in all, experiments. Vaccines are being tested. São Paulo already bought vaccines that were not yet approved ... yeah, money is sprouting on trees, it seems.

[mr.hackcrag]

I had my second dose of vaccine and it made me really sick. Not sure if it was worth it or not.

[Pol]

Well, the second dose is to extend your immunity. But it's a bit strange as most side effects shows with the first (statistically).

So far I would guess that vaccinations will work on schedule, every year or two. It certainly cannot last over that.

There, in this small country where I live, it seems that I have at least year until I got a chance.

[Panda Tar]

2022 is the expected to have at least most of the population. Not sure when I'm getting my first dose, although I am not fussed about it either way. Our ex-Minister for Health is predicting a superwave of infections here in a couple of months.

[Pitsu]

Well, the second dose is to extend your immunity. But it's a bit strange as most side effects shows with the first (statistically).

I do not know statistics, but stronger adverse reactions after second dose are logical. The first one introduces the body to something it has never seen before and the reaction is therefore slower and weaker. The second time body is already somewhat prepared and can react faster and stronger. While psychologic or physical traumas can be worse at the first time, all adaptive immune system mediated adverse effects should be worse after the second dose. Fever on the next day after second dose was relatively common among those who I know. Myself had the injection site pain and itching for a few days, but nothing worse. Nevertheless, I believe 1 or 2 days dyscomfort is better than being weeks in intensive care.

[wimfrits]

Our ex-Minister for Health is predicting a superwave of infections here in a couple of months.

Here as well. We're now pretty much at maximum restrictions, including a bloody curfew
Underneath the decrease in overall infections, the British variant supposedly is gaining ground and will inevitably result in a third wave by the end of the month.

Also the Brazilian variant is now sharing traits with the British to overcome vaccine effectiveness.
I don't think we'll soon see the end of this

[Panda Tar]

Yep, it'll be a while. My father and step-mother got infected on Christmas, but they only told me a few days ago, not to make me worried during the holidays. Luckily, it was nothing serious.

We are not facing too many restrictions here in the South. In fact, the local government allowed beaches to be completely opened this season, so we are having a lot of tourists (double edge thing) prowling about. Aside people wearing masks on the streets and the usual temperature measurement and hand hygienizing before entering stablishments, you could say there's no pandemic at all.

Regarding vaccines, I have no idea when the group where I am included will be targeted. At this first moment, Healthcare workers, elderly above 60 and indigenous tribes are priority. My state might not take too long to have other groups in line, considering this is the sixth state or seventh with the most elderly people in the country and the one with the highest longevity, and population is around 6,7 million people spread around 295 municipalties.

This is the map of % population of states with elderly people.



The Southeast and South states, the coldest places, have higher proportions. I live in SC, Santa Catarina, down there.

[Banedon]

I'm relocating in a couple of months, which is scary - I'll be moving from a country where Covid is not a problem and there are virtually no restrictions to a country where Covid is under control, but still a problem. It's a scary proposition and I know some people who have refrained from relocating for this reason. Still, Covid is (at least for now) under control at the new country, and life must go on.