Thank you for the safe wishes, and you too !! Be careful!

So sorry to hear of your husbands’s friend‘s family. Extermely sad.

We have has a couple if friends with the Delta virus. Thankfully, so far it has been minor for all. No hospitalizations.

Delta is running through the middle school where my daughter teaches 6th grade. The teachers have only been back two weeks and students one week, 2 administrators and 3 teachers, as well as an unknown number of students have already tested positive. The 6th graders are too young for vaccinations. One student who passed out in PE tested positive. My daughter is vaccinated but I am worried for her as she has Type 1 Diabetes and is at a higher risk for a more extreme case.

jill, sending you the best. Our town has been up in arms (they always seem to get up in arms about *everything*) about mask requirements for children. When I hear about what's happening and especially with children who have other issues too, I just don't know why they don't embrace the one best tool we have for keeping those who can't get vaxed safe. But they make all kinds of arguments against it. It's like shoveling sand against the tide.

Ditto the 'be sensible and careful'.

A week ago, my brother returned from a long weekend of fishing with friends. They camped. Four days later, cold symptoms and he was tested. Positive. 3 days after that, his wife has same symptoms. I haven't talked to them yet today for an update. Yesterday, he was seeing conjunctivitis both eyes along with the swollen glands, cough, aches.

They were both fully vaccinated with Pfizer 5 months ago.

They'd been eating out more than I would have liked, but not being wildly careless. Another man who had fished with my brother became ill same day he did, so apparently something they picked up on their 2 1/2 day outdoor getaway.

With the masks, distancing, vaccinations - this is very disappointing. We're just so fortunate neither of them had been inside my mothers senior facility on a day they could have shared (shed) virus. A complete stroke of luck.

Annie, as to the children with masks - our 3 year old niece and her 6 year old brother were in classes in private school last session. Both in person and remotely depending on which day of the week. Days they were in school, they wore masks. All the children did. Not one child had a problem or complained, there was no resistance or tears. In the classroom, on the playground. It was expected of them, all their little friends were doing it, and they complied. I knew my mothers care coordinator has two 'littles' and I asked her how they did with masks. She (nurse, RN) had found their experience the same. I have to think the complaints are coming from the parents, I certainly haven't seen evidence the children are objecting. Even at 3 years old. (there are days she doesn't want to keep her shoes on, but hasn't rejected a mask ;0))

There are still so many in denial. A real life friend, his wife and his mom refuse to get vaccinated. He said that mice died of heart attacks not long after so he expects to see people dying of heart attacks in large numbers. That's just one of many things he says.

"Days they were in school, they wore masks. All the children did. Not one child had a problem or complained, there was no resistance or tears."

I saw 2 kids being interviewed in the news (~ 8 & 10 YO), both didn't complain about wearing masks but they were more concerned about "Bringing the virus home to mommy". It's a real shame many "adults" cannot see things as clearly as the kids do.

Annie, so much sadness and heartbrake. it's random too. good people suddenly tagged. Awful Awfulup.

Annie I’m sorry to hear about another death. That’s a stark reminder that though vaccinated you are to a degree protected from the worst effects of the virus itself, the stress on especially those with underlying risks can overwhelm the body.

Just a note about ”having the delta variant.” The tests we take do not confirm this. Genome sequencing that may or may not be done after the fact is to track the spread of variants. My understanding, this is typically not shared with the patient. These days if you catch covid chances are it’s the delta variant. There may be motivation to tell people they have delta so that they quarantine even if vaccinated. Unlike the original strain, the delta variant is equally as transmissible by vaccinated carriers as nonvaccinated.

THis might be slightly OT - my son has been invited to a wedding in October and the invitations were sent out when case numbers were low. Case numbers are rising quickly and the bride and groom have sent out a follow-up note to everybody telling (Asking?) them that if you are not vaccinated please decline our invitation to the wedding.

I hope this sort of thing happens more often.

I work at a (small) private university. (Approx 2000 enrolled)

Our classes started Thursday, 1.5 weeks ago.

On the 1st Monday w2 students test positive. 13 are in quarantine. Today is the 2nd Monday, and there are 4 more positives.

One student went by our on site testing center after classes this morning.

Yeppers... he tested positive and had been in classes without a mask coughing. Now the WHOLE class of 28 people and the instructor have been exposed.

Here we go again.

**Came back to add**

I was off all summer and around very few people.

Fortunately, my co-workers are cautious and have been immunized, and we keep our distances.

Even still, I've been wearing my mask since the 1st day of classes.

THis might be slightly OT - my son has been invited to a wedding in October and the invitations were sent out when case numbers were low. Case numbers are rising quickly and the bride and groom have sent out a follow-up note to everybody telling (Asking?) them that if you are not vaccinated please decline our invitation to the wedding.

I wonder what the exact wording was. My son and his fiancée were to be married in June 2020, and are now hoping for a June 2022 wedding, and he doesn't want anyone unvaccinated to attend. Naturally, when the invitations were originally sent out pre-Covid this wasn't a consideration. Unfortunately, we have some family members who are not vaccinated.

They are saying the delta variant is much more contagious.

Delta is not only much more contagious, it also affects younger people (including children) as badly as it affects older people. Vaccinations are not proof against the Delta variant, but they do mitigate the symptoms and very very few people who are vaccinated and catch the Delta variant die or even require hospitalisation. Something like 99% of those hospitalised due to the Delta variant are unvaccinated. Food for thought.

Hospital systems and staff are becoming overwhelmed. Besides being irresponsible towards your community, not getting vaccinated _if you are able to be_ (ie, not immunocompromised or otherwise unable to be vaccinated for health reasons) is cruel to the hospital staff who will be overworked, overstressed due to having to deal with the high number of deaths, and also exposed to the disease.

terriks- our son and his wife got married July 2020 with just 12 immediate family. The ceremony was at the bride's parents home. The dinner was catered by a private club but we picked it up and reheated it and then set it up in suggested dishes and manner.

Their reception was to be this July but has now been moved to July 2022. They have already stated that non-vaccinated people will not be welcome and unfortunately that includes the bride's best friend. But they aren't socializing with her right now anyway.

Kids are much better about masks than adults. I was in my doctor's waiting room last week and a woman walks in with two children, maybe 10 and 5. None had masks but the kids ran over to the mask dispenser and grabbed one and put them on. The maskless mother just walked up to the receptionist, who asked her if she had a mask while her daughter runs up with one for her, saying, "mom you need to wear the mask.". So the woman holds it up to her face to finish speaking, and immediately drops the mask when they go sit down. The woman sits there without mask while her two children quietly sit with their masks properly secured.

The delta variant is spead 1100 times more than the first one. An infected person last year could maybe infect two people, now it's 5 or 6. The six-foot rule is obsolete. This virus travels like cigarette smoke. If you can smell the smoke, you're breathing in particles. I'm just glad I don't have little kids in school.

A week ago we had a very uncomfortable school board meeting. SOOO many divergent opinions and they all have studies that back up their beliefs AND they all had counter points as to why the other side's studies are not valid yadda yadda. The comments about how mask wearing traumatizes kids is the most egregious. 100% children reflect the anxiety/fears/lessons taught from parents. Parents and for sure tweens and teens do not understand that schools are not a democracy. They are autocratic because we run with the idea CHILDREN aren't able to make the best decisions before their brains are totally functional--which is 27!! Still bottom line we got of track in a major way in good ole US of A and this quote from a mom about her daughter pretty much sums up the biggest false narrative people have been spewing for 50 years. "“She’s OK, but she knows she has the right to make decisions about her own body, and it’s not the right of the school and government,” she said." Mask wearing in school is only ONE of the MANY decisions this child/girl cannot make about her "own body"--there are other people's lives at stake! Funny how often that is true.

Just heard on NPR this morning that once you're 8 months out from your shot you can get a booster. I can't wait! I'm 6 months out now, and I'm ready!

“She’s OK, but she knows she has the right to make decisions about her own body, and it’s not the right of the school and government,” she said."

So, how does she feel about the school and government's requirement that she wear clothing? Would her Mom support her if she decided to attend school naked?

I'm not going to rush into the 3rd vax. I've had moderna and at 6 mos they said there was no diminution of its effect. I'll go with that for now. Especially if it's just more of the same. Who knows what variants may be out there in another 3-6 months.

A week ago my daughter who is a nurse at the local hospital was diagnosed with the Delta variant. She was vaxed in February. She has been type one diabetic for 51 years, so I was terrified for her. Talked to her last evening and she said she felt like she had a moderate case of flu perhaps, but after 4 days, she was out mowing grass so all is well...I hope. Her Dad and I were with her the day before her symptoms started so we are quarantined till a week from tomorrow. Hopefully we stay well.

I'm one of the 3% of Americans who are immunocompromised. I had my second Moderna March 5 (along with my DH) when our hospital did mass vaccinations. My oncologist's nurse responded to my question yesterday, saying I should get a third shot.

I'm wondering if I would be better served to wait. I tested well for antibodies a month ago, but I presume those are not Delta antibodies. (I had quite a reaction to the secod shot in March -- hot, red, sore arm from shoulder to elbow for a week.) A 'third shot' is no different from the first two. I am quite 'isolated', with DH doing our shopping. We won't be seeing our DS and family until after September 1 because DIL and both grands are in schools -- and DIL's anti-vax sister and family are here now from Utah for a ten-day visit.

Next month Moderna plans to petition the FDA to approve a 'booster shot' for mass immunization. I would hope that will be formulated for Delta. Does anyone have further information?

Are they testing people for what variant they have? I would think that most people are being tested for negative or positive results and they have no way of know which variant someone has without further testing. This is what has me baffled as to how they know so much about which variant there is. They hardly have the regular covid 19 figured out but they know all about the stats of the delta variants? I doubt it!

I don’t doubt that they test enough to get a statisticsl idea of what’s spreading where. As I said above, I don’t think this info typically gets back to the patient but at this time they’re saying if you get it, chances are it’s delta and you should treat it as such

Delta variants (there's more than one) are close to 100% of current reported cases (scroll down for the bar graph): https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions

As far as letting kids make decisions...if they complain about seat belts, are they allowed not to wear them? If they complain about regular vaccines required for admission to school, are they exempt?. What happened to parents parenting? But if these same adults say my body, my decision...let that translate to women saying my body, my decision planning a family.

Chisue:

FDA has authorized boosters for the immunocompromised for Pfizer and Moderna, as you know.

Pfizer recently submitted an application to the FDA for a booster for the rest of us which is the same vaccine as in the EUA. They hope to start studies for a booster designed for variants this month.

Moderna started a phase 2/3 clinical trial for a booster designed for variants in late May but has not reported any results yet.

Based on the time it takes to perform clinical trials and have FDA review results - I wouldn’t expect the updated vaccines for variants until very late this year, or next year.

Annie, I am very sorry to hear this hits too close to home for you and your DH.

My opinion is that many people have let their guard down and think the vaccine has made them bullet-proof, when all along, the vaccines were never touted to be 100% effective for everyone. And most did not continue to mask, take reasonable precautions about going out in large gatherings, etc.

I know we have even taken a few more risks than was truly comfortable (grandson’s college graduation recently), which turned out to be small (his engineering school only) and a mask-required at entry event thankfully and get-together with family only.

I dont understand parents reluctance to have their kids wear a mask. I just do not get it. Are they also against car seats and seatbelts? If it keeps my kids safe, I am all for it, whatever it is.