I was relentlessly cheerful and professional and upbeat with someone on the phone who was mad that my library still requires masks. My demeaner seemed to tick him off even more which secretly made me a little happy. He ended up hanging up on me, so I’ll call it a win. 
20 Likes
Our kids school is moving to no masks required outside anymore.
I’m okay with it. Outdoor transmission is basically zero.
We also put the kids back in swim lessons (indoor). I’ll continue to change them in the car due to no masks inside. But if they are continually dunking their head in chlorine, and risk to children is already low, I’m ok with it.
This winter though, with no masks in the dressing rooms, we had pulled them out.
2 Likes
Some really disappointing data is coming out about antibody response post-vaccine for people on various immunosuppressants
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M21-1451
Looks the biggest issues right now are
- methatrexate
- Rituximab
- Prednisone
- patients receiving dialysis
- mycophenolate
Very small sample size as we are dealing with for all these studies
14 Likes
Sample size of 1: 3 months post moderna second dose, enbrel 25/2x WK, lots of antibodies.
6 Likes
I appreciate the N=1 sample size! It seems like most TNF inhibitors (what enbrel and humira is for anyone who wants to know) are doing fine.
It seems like most of the studies are on the mRNA vaccines which is not the one I got. Maybe I should search in German 
My rheumy won’t recommend me for an anti-body test, and the CDC said not to order them to check for vaccines…
It also looks like for some patients on B-lymphocyte–depleting things like Rituximab that HAD covid they also didn’t develop anti-bodies. So that’s great.
Herd immunity now y’all.
7 Likes
What the actual fuck dude… Also this is pretty dang scathing for MPR which is interesting.
3 Likes
I just saw a doctor on tv say that vaccinated adults should feel free to go live their lives. It seems weird after hearing her warnings pre vaccine.
I went into three stores yesterday with my sister and niece, two had signs on the door requiring masks, one did not. We are all fully vaxxed, so we masked when the stores requested it, but went without when they didn’t.
4 Likes
It was my primary care who ordered it and it was only after conversation where we bemoaned the fact that my husband is the only person at his clinic who is vaccinated. She had a few other immune suppressed patients who turned out not to have antibodies(cancer/organ transplant mostly) so she thought it would be best to know where I was at in terms of risk.
8 Likes
In the part of Germany I live in we are now opening up a little more, If you are fully vaccinated (2nd shot plus two weeks), recovered from Covid or have a negative rapid test result not older than 48 hrs you are allowed to dine in outside seating, go to museums and shopping etc. We are still under full mask order and distance rulings for restaurants and shops etc.
Anyways, we are also seeing weekly protests of covid deniers and weird mixed folks on the streets, their “arguments” are between “this is a hoax” and “masks are damaging your brain” to all kind of conspiracy theories. Always violating mask and distance requirement and always with a lot of quarreling with police and media. It gets tiresome but also very dangerous because the right wing starts to use this protests and a lot of people even do not care about with which groups there are connected on the demonstrations. This is scary, especially as we are having elections in September.
16 Likes
I ended up not going. Part of it was the thought “I haven’t eaten in a restaurant in a year and a half (because of newborn before pandemic), and I don’t want my first meal back to be round table pizza” 
13 Likes
It’s so funny - part of me knows that, but part of me is still what about…? Hopefully I can get to a place where I accept the cognitive dissonance soon. It’s not that I don’t trust the advice, just that it’s hard to adjust to, if that makes sense.
5 Likes
Are you on the same coronapas system as Denmark? My SIL and her family get tested every weekend and then have FUN. We are half vaxxed and the government strictly forbids fun. Although last night I remembered that garden centers have an exception so we’ll do that today
6 Likes
I cannot imagine getting tested every weekend. I’ve nearly thrown up all 4 times I’ve had it done. It’s so uncomfortable.
2 Likes
I think it is different. Until yesterday no outside dining and only supermarkets open. Now it starts to be different but yes, If you would get a test every 48 hours and it is negative than you be out. Next step would be open up indoor dining which is available under an less than 50 cases per capita.
1 Like
Ok yes I am missing the point, but what could be more fun than a garden center?!
9 Likes
Nothing. A big garden center that I only get to once a year because it is 2 hours away was an exciting part of my vacation this week. 
8 Likes
Methotrexate 20mg weekly, Humira once every 2 weeks. I have antibodies too, 13 days after second Pfizer shot!
I’d asked my eye specialist for the antibody test but she said she doesn’t prescribe those since she wouldn’t know how to read the results. She said to ask my PCP. Since I was seeing my naturopath anyway I asked her and she said she’d be happy to prescribe any test I wanted 
5 Likes
I love garden centers!
And I cry and tilt my head away and get in trouble every test. I’m wondering if it’s the rapid test and if it hurts less?
Canada vs US Niagara falls was wild today. Maid of the mist is open from the US. Everything is full. Here it’s quieter than winter and everything is shut
4 Likes
I read the article and this guy is a medical doctor - ?!? Just goes to show being in the medical field does not mean you have good judgment, even on medical matters.
My congressperson also happens to be a medical doctor and recently got fined for refusing to wear a mask on the House floor (needless to say I did not vote for this person).
2 Likes
Meijer grocery stores are giving away coupons good for $10 off a $50 purchase if you show your completed vax card at the pharmacy. It does not matter where you got your shots. I got a coupon yesterday and my mom gave me hers because she never spends that much at one time. It’s a nice little bonus if anyone lives near one.
9 Likes