How has the Pandemic affected you as a cancer patient/survivor
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Everyone who is eligible to get the vaccine needs to be vaccinated. Even young, healthy people are at risk. NPIs cannot be maintained perfectly for however long this pandemic lasts.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid19-and-other-leading-causes-of-death-in-the-us/
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Australian ICU doc is asking COVID deniers/anti-vaxxers to follow through with their denial and avoid the hospital if they catch COVID. This is not denial of care by the health system. He's worried about getting overwhelmed by unvaccinated COVID patients as they lift restrictions.
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I get the frustration but I would expect to receive the available treatments either by prescription or in an outpatient setting, which is how I assume the monoclonal antibodies are given. I am familiar with those a little as Herceptin is in that category. I read recently that a new combo currently in trial provides good treatment of covid and up to 18 months of antibody protection after (at about 70%, if I remember it right). I haven’t been able to find the ingredients for it yet but I know Herceptin doesn’t use anything I have a problem with. I do not prefer to get covid but I think it’s good to have many options.
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Curious that you're not voicing concerns about possible side effects long or short term.
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I do have general concerns about the ingredients, I haven’t been able to find them yet. But, I do have experience with a monoclonal antibody. Herceptin is one and I’ve had no problems with it for nearly 5 years, I know what it does, what’s in it and how I react to it. That’s the difference.
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Wow. Re vaccines mandates: I live in a major city where elevators and public transit are the norm. I do not want an unvaxxed person near me! There is no 6 feet or even 3 between me and the next person. I really don't want a breakthrough case. My healthy sister and vaxxed family had cases and they were ok within days. The quarentine was very disruptive. But like most of us on this board, I am immunocompromised and not sure that a breakthrough will be so easy for me. My original covid experience, pre-vaccine in the middle of diagnosis process, was NOT fun. It was "mild" meaning a 3 week fever and exhausting cough that kept me in bed a month.
I had to pull my too-young,to-be-vaxxed child from a favorite activity because of an anti vax family. Their teen has been going maskless for months, even indoors where the "please wear a mask" signs are. Mom was spouting all kinds of info about masks causing children's dental health issues and skin issues. I said don't worry, we go to the dentist regularly and if I see any infected skin lesions we'll go to the pediatrician. The maskless teen kept waltzng past the vax checkpoint, until the fines for business started. Suddenly she wasn't allowed in. Mom went on a rant about fascists and Nazis (I cant even go there right now)
I LOST it with the teacher. He never explicitly asked anyone if they were vaccinated. That family is not making a "personal choice". That family made an incredibly selfish choice that could expose the others to breakthroughs which keeps this virus going, and could very well put me in the hospital.
When you figure out a way to not exhale in public, then you can choose that. DO NOT BREATH NEAR ME.
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I posted on another Thread and then thought this would be good to post on this Thread. Here is an excerpt from my post....
Well I am home from my Lupron and Port Flush. I mentioned I get them locally versus going to my cancer center to avoid the 2 hour one way drive each month (Lupron monthly). I go to a local infusion center that does all kinds of infusions--- antibiotics, chemo, etc. They are now doing the monoclonal antibodies for Covid. I was talking to the nurse. She said if a person gets diagnosed with Covid and are a high risk individual their doctor can order this infusion. They would come there and get the IV infusion over 30 minutes. You have to get it done early in the Covid. She said it can help, but, of course, not 100% of the time.
Then she told me of a case where the person was double vaccinated, but went to a church function without a mask, indoors, around unvaccinated people. She caught Covid. Came in for the monoclonal antibodies. But ended up in the ICU anyway.
Just reiterates why I am so cautious. I am triple vaccinated, but with the cancer and low counts, I am wary of being around a group of people. You cannot say "Hey are you vaccinated? How about you?" You know in a crowd some are not vaccinated.
I don't think Covid will ever be over.
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Dancemom - I'm in a big city, too. My family is back to using public transit, but trying to avoid having to go out as often. I take the commuter train and try to sit near the door. That mom you mentioned needs her internet access disabled if she can't figure out her ideas on COVID/masks/vaccine are ludicrous. Though the masks are causing some pimples. Oh, the hardship! 🙄 Hope you can get your child vaccinated soon.
candy - I agree COVID is here to stay. ☹️ Scary about the person your nurse mentioned. I always wear a mask in public. I've only had 2 shots of Spikevax, but dose 2 was < 3 months ago.
The monoclonal antibody treatment is not a failsafe option.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/monoclonal-antibodie...
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I had a severe skin reaction to my first dose. Consulted with multiple doctors and after my skin healed, I got the second dose without triggering the same skin reaction.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vaccine-advisory-...
Why is this article posted in the Politics tab? 🤬
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Just want to share this article about history of u.s public health
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This made local headline and video went viral
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/artic...
from the article "A Sebastopol bakery is receiving a flood of support after a video went viral showing a woman refusing to wear a mask inside and comparing the employee — a high school student — to a death camp worker in Nazi Germany."
and the video
https://www.reddit.com/r/santarosa/comments/qbmcjw...
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That poor kid. What is wrong with that woman? She started the video herself before she entered the bakery. Performative protest.
The bakery looks very good in the video. I want their croissants.
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Lol, I was focusing on the shocking facial expression of that poor kid and completely missed those delicious croissants.
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Mmmmm.....croissants.....damn low-csrb diet!
Illimae, do you not know that not all--nor even a plurality, much less majority, of--monoclonal antibodies are equal? Yes, Herceptin, Perjeta and a host of anti-cancer immunotherapies are monoclonal antibodies. In fact, almost all drugs with the suffix "-ab," or "-ib" (except the COX-2 inhibitor class of NSAIDs) are based on monoclonal antibodies--including those for autoimmune diseases (Crohn's, IBD, lupus, RA, psoriasis, etc.) as well as eczema and eosiniphilic asthma, plus recombinant virus vaccines such as Shingrix. The only thing these drugs--including the home pregnancy test I took 38 years ago--have in common is that creation of the monoclonal antibodies depended on recombinant DNA research. Regeneron's COVID-remedy monoclonal AB therapy (the one being given free in anti-vax states like FL & TX led by governors who get campaign $ from and own stock in the company) is much, much newer and far-less-tested than any of the mRNA or viral-vector COVID vaccines available in the US, UK or AU--much less the "targeted" anti-HER2 drugs. You talk about the nickname "Operation Warp Speed" given by Trump Administration officials--but that does NOT mean that the vaccines were rushed to market. It means that the then-WH was trying to distract from and deflect criticism of Drumpf's dismissive attitude about the virus, and thus "prove" it was responding. "Warp Speed" is puffery, aspirational (at most)--it is not a fact nor a truthful adjective.
Please read beyond the lede, much less the headline!!!
You, unlike the vast majority of those who claim a medical exemption, actually do have an underlying longstanding (pre-COVID) valid reason not to take the vaccine. BUT you are an extreme exception, and not in an occupation that directly serves others face-to-face (i.e, first responder, teacher or healthcare worker)--especially when those "others" are in an immunologically-vulnerable group due to age or medical condition. Any healthcare worker--especially doctor or nurse--who refuses to get vaccinated based on skepticism, disinformation or politics is a menace to those in their care, and should not have that job. (And even if you have a bona fide religious exemption--I know of only one religion, Christian Science, that forbids vaccination or other medical treatment--you should not be in a job where your religious beliefs impact the health or safety of others around you). And that goes double for anti-maskers in those occupations, who are a menace to society in general. They ought to be blacklisted so that they cannot get a healthcare job anywhere else while there is still a COVID pandemic or endemic.
As for police, too many of them (especially here in Chicago) are right-wingers who are especially despicable. They are sworn to "Protect & Serve" (which is even painted on their patrol vehicles), but have long regarded that phrase as mere puffery, professing instead the mentality of "occupy & rule" (especially in neighborhoods of color)--which goes back decades. They believe not that they enforce the law. but ARE the law. (How many times have you heard the excuse for shooting or otherwise brutalizing unarmed civilians of color "they refused to obey a command" or "they were disrespectful")? And as they feel they are the law, they are also above it--therefore refusing to wear masks or even divulging their vaccination status and getting tested. (I watched a clip where on a subway platform, a pair of non-masked NYC transit cops pushed a masked passenger out to the other side of the emergency exit door and locked it, then laughed to each other about it). I'm sorry--if you're in a job where you carry a gun and wield authority over others (especially at close range), have a union that goes beyond representation into thuggery, and a cushy pension to boot, if you can't be bothered to wear a mask, roll up your sleeve, get a tiny needle stick, and feel like crap for a couple of days (on fully-paid sick leave), you do not deserve that job. In fact, if refusal to get vaccinated gets you docked or fired...good effing riddance. And I say this having two close friends who are retired uniformed first responders--an RCMP Mountie and a CFD battalion chief--who said that were they still on their respective forces they would not have disobeyed mask & vaccine mandates.
As to my comment on thuggish police unions--I'm the daughter of two gov't employee union shop stewards and belong to two locals of a union myself.
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ChiSandy, Thanks for your good explanation about monoclonal antibodies! I totally agree with your comments that first responders, health care workers, teachers,police, and fire who refuse to be vaccinated should not be in those professions.They can go to Florida where DeSantis is offering unvaxed police 5K to relocate there. There is a cartoon of a police office asking for a driver's license and the driver asking the police officer to show his vaccine card.
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Sandy, I know there’s a lot I don’t know and the bottom line with any kind of preventive or treatment is what chemicals are in them because I am so sensitive to multiple things that should be fine but aren’t, at least for me. Everyone here knows I don’t like mandates, mostly when it concerns putting anything in your body that may have significant adverse effects.
What I don’t understand are those who refuse basic safety precautions, ones that cause no physical issues. Mild inconvenience is not something anyone should be fighting about, it’s stupid and those specific people really piss me off.
Until there is something with little to no risk for me, I’m watching (from a distance) all reliable info on vaccines and covid treatments. And when I say reliable, I am absolutely not referring to YouTube crackpots. Sandy, you probably know me better than some other posters from our common threads, I appreciate you being informative without being disrespectful.
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Chowdog - I have an eye for pastries!
illimae - I know you think you can avoid the virus, but most people cannot. Vaccine mandates are needed. The vaccines work. The virus has much worse adverse effects than the vaccines. The benefits of the vaccines outweigh the risks. There's a Delta subvariant that may be more transmissible than Delta. You should continue to keep your distance from others.
This chart below shows the cumulative number of deaths in QC in red. The rise in deaths begins to slow once vaccinations start in early spring. We have over 6.2 million fully vaccinated and 11,477 dead (most pre-vaccine). We would have significantly more dead without the vaccinations.
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Do I have confidence that those who refuse vaccination or refuse to wear a mask will observe the public health practices of distancing, hand washing, staying home when they feel ill? Measures that pose no possible risk or discomfort to themselves? A thousand times, no.
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Always makes me wonder how many of these people wash their hands after using the restroom facilities!!!!!!!!!!
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Divine - in March 2020 (I think just before we went into lockdown here) a gentleman visitor walked into the bathroom next to the infusion chair where I was waiting for the nurse to do an injection. We both saw him go in and then come back out about 30 seconds later, and you could hear the toilet still flushing, clearly not having washed his hands. Pretty sure we both stared after him for a half second as he barged through some swing doors to another hallway but it was very clear that he hadnt washed his hands at all. On a chemo floor!
I think at that point it was pretty clear that handwashing, regardless of the catchy slogan, was never going to catch on for a pandemic.
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PreCovid, I was on a guided tour with about 40 other people and one person wore a mask on the bus during the entire tour. Needless to say it was the same mask (and same clothes) everyday for over 2 weeks and while she shunned anyone who coughed or sneezed, I was totally skeeved to note that she NEVER handwashed after using a restroom! I was more afraid of her hands than I was of anyone who sneezed (covered for the most part) or coughed (also covered). I would not touch anything she had touched especially common vehicles such as the spoons on a buffet. I'd request new ones.
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I think the tales of using the bathroom and not washing hands serves to illustrate why some things need to be mandated. Let me start by saying that in general, I don’t want to see mandates, but it is clear that not everyone is on board with voluntary compliance. This is the case with masking I’m afraid . So counting on everyone to do everything right to curtail/prevent Covid19 spread is a lofty goal that, IMO, that can’t be achieved voluntarily.
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I don't like pandemics in general, but I specifically don't like the current one that's overwhelming our healthcare systems, killing millions around the world, and requires an incredibly high adherence to all public health measures that even the minority of resistors is enough to keep the pandemic spreading so that mandates are now necessary to try to contain it.
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sigh, shit like this makes me feel we will never get out of the pandemic
FL surgeon general refused to wear a mask during his meeting with FL state senator who is getting BC treatment.
https://www.wptv.com/news/political/tina-polsky-sa...
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Divine, I'm picky about buffets because of an experience I had watching a patron walk straight out of the bathroom stall and back to the buffet without washing.
Also, one time I heard someone walk out of the restroom after a number 2 and that person didn't wash. I asked the gal at the front desk who it was. It turned out it was my friend and coworker! She shared food with us all the time!
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Chowdog, just wow! Again, another example where optics comes first for a public official. What a jerk.
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We're going to the Signature Room on the 95th Floor atop the ex-"Hancock" Tower for Thanksgiving. We've hosted friends there before for Thanksgiving & Easter brunch, a huge part of which has been the buffet (raw bar, salad bar, desserts). No buffet this year--you get a list of the offerings and the waitstaff brings them before & after the entrees. Reassuringly, all our guests are down with that this year.
Our city's health commissioner, Dr. Arwady, says that if COVID metrics continue to drop (and four more states--including LA--have fallen off the city's "$#*t list" of destinations require testing & quarantining for anyone unvaccinated visiting or returning from them) she may advise lifting the indoor public-space mask mandate by Thanksgiving. Dear Dr. A: Don't do it!!!!
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CNN - "A study from Johns Hopkins University this summer showed that vaccinated immunocompromised people were 485 times more likely to end up in the hospital or die from Covid-19 compared to most vaccinated people."
The unvaxxed affect ME & my choice to do things. So don't lay on that personal choice crap...and then cry for an icu bed when you get Covid. SerenitySTAT--👍 article from Victoria Australia.
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Right, Dr. A, because if indoor masks have helped lower the number of covid cases, we should drop them so we can watch the cases go back up? If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Eeewww! Buffets. I have thought they were gross for years. Let's have a whole lot of people breathe on (cough on, touch) our food, and for good measure lets all share a serving spoon then pick up our rolls with our hands.
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Lately I have been struggling with feeling normal which I guess will never happen again in my lifetime. Things go sailing along and WHAM. Somebody dies, you've been exposed to covid once again, get tested, mask on, mask off! I'm a little crazy like that. There's folks coughing around here, my co worker was at a reunion just this past weekend and 2 vaccinated people he was with are positive. Of course I've been out as well. Just had dinner with my unvaccinated friend last night. I am visiting 2 friends Thursday night, one just lost her ex to cancer, and her best friend is facing a cancer diagnosis. I still remain diligent in my movements and if I don't feel well (which is often like right now, although I am most likely fine, it's the stress of all this!) I won't go near people. If I get sick, I get sick. Stay safe out there. Shame things will never be the same for so so many of us. I'm holding out hope for the kids though.
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