Vacci-Nation [CLOSED DUE TO DISRESPECTFUL, INSULTING, POLITICAL POSTS

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Instagram (and most social media) is not representative of real life. I've travelled several times through the South (Georgia, Florida, NC, SC) during the pandemic and 95% of persons are following the rules with no complaints. Like anything, it's the 5% getting the attention.

Unfortunately, even following the rules you can get sick.

I was going to say exactly that, but I had a call coming up. Well, I don't travel a lot but the rest lol.

[RayRay88]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

It's not "free" anywhere but yes for the most part the patient isn't charged for it. It's either covered by insurance or is provided free of payment through other programs, at least in my experience.



Instagram (and most social media) is not representative of real life. I've travelled several times through the South (Georgia, Florida, NC, SC) during the pandemic and 95% of persons are following the rules with no complaints. Like anything, it's the 5% getting the attention.

Unfortunately, even following the rules you can get sick.

Very true about social media. Even from first hand accounts from friends south of the border it seems like it's a crap shoot in every state, county and city of how they are handling the COVID response. I am often amazed at how the states haven't fractured into several different countries.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by RayRay88

Very true about social media. Even from first hand accounts from friends south of the border it seems like it's a crap shoot in every state, county and city of how they are handling the COVID response. I am often amazed at how the states haven't fractured into several different countries.

Some tried. It didn't work out so well the last time.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

[86MLR]

Originally Posted by RayRay88

Very true about social media. Even from first hand accounts from friends south of the border it seems like it's a crap shoot in every state, county and city of how they are handling the COVID response. I am often amazed at how the states haven't fractured into several different countries.

Here, in AU, the crap shoot revolves around age and socio-economic groups

What I have seen in my travels is most kids aged between 16 and 25ish carry on like nothing has happened, packing shopping centers and malls, packing coffee shops, having big parties and hitting the clubs, same same for alot of the older people, they seem to all be hitting the local clubs that are full of pokies and cheap food

We have just gone from basically zero new infections here in NSW, to 17 overnight, there is a club identified as the hotspot

I can see this pagan holiday, and all of the travelling that people do, will reinvigorate the spread

Talking of spread, as there are multiple genetic versions of this thing now, how do people think the vaccines will cope, or, will we require different vaccines, for the different strains, on a yearly basis?

I'm classed as a front line worker, but, we probably won't see a vaccine till at least next year some time, I wouldn't mind it now to be honest, I'm 55 now and my lungs are not what they once were, from years of smoking, smoke, dust and diesel fumes, I have a mild form emphysema

I would be really pissed off if I died from a new and improved bloody flu

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by 86MLR

Here, in AU, the crap shoot revolves around age and socio-economic groups

What I have seen in my travels is most kids aged between 16 and 25ish carry on like nothing has happened, packing shopping centers and malls, packing coffee shops, having big parties and hitting the clubs, same same for alot of the older people, they seem to all be hitting the local clubs that are full of pokies and cheap food

We have just gone from basically zero new infections here in NSW, to 17 overnight, there is a club identified as the hotspot

I can see this pagan holiday, and all of the travelling that people do, will reinvigorate the spread

Talking of spread, as there are multiple genetic versions of this thing now, how do people think the vaccines will cope, or, will we require different vaccines, for the different strains, on a yearly basis?

I'm classed as a front line worker, but, we probably won't see a vaccine till at least next year some time, I wouldn't mind it now to be honest, I'm 55 now and my lungs are not what they once were, from years of smoking, smoke, dust and diesel fumes, I have a mild form emphysema

I would be really pissed off if I died from a new and improved bloody flu

Oh, I reckon you're good to go. With those lungs, no respectable COVID virus will come close to them -

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by RayRay88

. I am often amazed at how the states haven't fractured into several different countries.

Civil War aside, the intent of the US was to a group of individual states with maintaining their differences with local governments and an overarching federal government to control things that affected them all, such as commerce, defense, etc.

The Civil War changed that quite a bit, outside the fight over abolishing slavery which was just and honorable (sorry the small minority of Southerners that may think differently)

So, basically, this isn't new. States do have local rights that the federal government is not supposed to trounce upon, although they do constantly.

That's why I don't really get into arguments about things like the differences between California and Georgia. California has the right to do what it wishes within its borders, as long as the electorate allows it.

[Irace86.2.0]

Originally Posted by RayRay88

My entire takeaway from this is confusion.

The test isn't free in the US?

I had a scare (turned out to be chicken pox... even better) along with a few friends and family here in Canada, testing was quick. In and out in under half an hour and results were received online in less than 48hrs. Not a rural area either.

Cost was $0.

I'm honest to god baffled by America's response to this pandemic. Most Instagram stories out of the US make it look like nothing has changed in the day to day lives of most American's.

This followed by reports of almost a quarter million new cases in a single day.

Wish we had Medicare-For-All or a system like Canada's, but we don't. I'd rather be taxed like you guys than have our system. Oh well.

Testing is free nationally, but it depends on where people go. If they go to the ER and also get other tests then they still will get a hospital and physician bill. Many people lost their healthcare when they lost their job, so they may be on the hook for a big bill, especially if they go to the ER. In fact, many places require/d a physician order for the test, so even if the test was free, the doctor's visit wasn't free.

Testing delays are still common. We are getting a large amount of people trying to go to the ER just for testing because many test centers require an appointment several days out and don't get back the test for several days, but we can do an eight hour test and get it back the same day or next day (when we make the calls). It definitely could be a lot better. We have one to two hour tests, but they are limited to admits/serious patients and 5150's. We should have an unlimited supply by now, but it is what it is.

I work with traveling nurses and doctors who are in airports often or people going home to see family. Some airports are empty with everyone masked, and some places are full with only a percentage wearing masks. In many places, there isn't the caution there should be, which is why we have another 231k cases today and 3,277 deaths. We have about 10x your population, so if Canada was the US you would have 1.7 million cases and 32k deaths, but you have closure to a third of those numbers, so you guys are doing much better.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Wish we had Medicare-For-All or a system like Canada's, but we don't. I'd rather be taxed like you guys than have our system. Oh well.

+1

[Halo_2]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Wish we had Medicare-For-All or a system like Canada's, but we don't. I'd rather be taxed like you guys than have our system. Oh well.

Medicare covers every citizen if your a boat person or immigrant become a citizen and you get the benefits of a free healthcare system.

I feel very sorry for America and the healthcare system, you may have little tax but you get robbed blind and mountains of debt if you get sick or want a simple test done.

As for people not wearing masks we don’t have to, the Australian government and some state governments have done really well to contain the spread. To the point of having a couple of cases a day due to people flying home internationally and that’s it, 0 cases in the wild except for NSW currently.

[RayRay88]

Originally Posted by 86MLR

Here, in AU, the crap shoot revolves around age and socio-economic groups

What I have seen in my travels is most kids aged between 16 and 25ish carry on like nothing has happened, packing shopping centers and malls, packing coffee shops, having big parties and hitting the clubs, same same for alot of the older people, they seem to all be hitting the local clubs that are full of pokies and cheap food.

I think that's the ticket. We have the same problems here where the first wave was a large population of the elderly, vulnerable and first responders. The "second wave" largely consists the younger population. How much of that is due to carelessness, or the fact that younger people tend to hold labour/low income or "frontline" essential work, can be debated by those much more knowledgeable than I.

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Civil War aside, the intent of the US was to a group of individual states with maintaining their differences with local governments and an overarching federal government to control things that affected them all, such as commerce, defense, etc.

The Civil War changed that quite a bit, outside the fight over abolishing slavery which was just and honorable (sorry the small minority of Southerners that may think differently)

So, basically, this isn't new. States do have local rights that the federal government is not supposed to trounce upon, although they do constantly.

That's why I don't really get into arguments about things like the differences between California and Georgia. California has the right to do what it wishes within its borders, as long as the electorate allows it.

I find it odd that you apologized to those who think slavery is ok as if that's an acceptable position to hold? Perhaps I'm miss understanding.

I understand the concept of "the union" and in theory it works (worked) well. More recently it has caused a lot of problems. Friction between state and federal levels has started to grind government response or efficiency to a stand still. The recent elections and covid response being the most obvious examples. I know it's a gross oversimplification, as there are a lot of other factors such as divisions in class, race, political and social affiliations, hyper capitalism, perpetual war etc.

Please don't take this negatively. I'm not bashing America, more observing. No country is perfect.

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Wish we had Medicare-For-All or a system like Canada's, but we don't. I'd rather be taxed like you guys than have our system. Oh well.

I work with traveling nurses and doctors who are in airports often or people going home to see family. Some airports are empty with everyone masked, and some places are full with only a percentage wearing masks. In many places, there isn't the caution there should be, which is why we have another 231k cases today and 3,277 deaths. We have about 10x your population, so if Canada was the US you would have 1.7 million cases and 32k deaths, but you have closure to a third of those numbers, so you guys are doing much better.

I think this is the part that is still baffling. At an airport of all places. I understand bad apples that are kind of spread out, but a concentration and majority is something that I don't think really exists in densely populated areas of Canada, except maybe Alberta, Canada's wild west/texas 2 for 1. Even that can be blamed on a general failing of the provincial government. They failed to act early and pushed for herd immunity and other alternative less disruptive measures. It didn't work and their health care system is now at the brink of collapse.

Universal health care is a god send but the taxes really do suck up here. Before the pandemic I was taking a long hard look for jobs in Michigan and, mostly, Texas.

Grass is always greener I guess.

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by RayRay88

I find it odd that you apologized to those who think slavery is ok as if that's an acceptable position to hold? Perhaps I'm miss understanding.

Sarcasm often gets lost in forum posts.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by RayRay88

I find it odd that you apologized to those who think slavery is ok as if that's an acceptable position to hold? Perhaps I'm miss understanding.

That's OK, it probably does read that way. What I wrote is more a polite Southern passive-aggressive way of saying "Get over yourselves, you're wrong and you know it".

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Irace86.2.0

Wish we had Medicare-For-All or a system like Canada's, but we don't. I'd rather be taxed like you guys than have our system. Oh well.

The biggest issue with insurance is it being tied to, and supplemented by, employment. Because of that it isn't portable and the true cost is hidden from participants.

And don't even get me started on the symbiotic relationship between out of control healthcare costs and insurance coverage. For those with insurance, the limited liability it represents allows some of the costs of care we see.

For example, my father-in-law had a situation where he had to be life flighted 12 air miles from one hospital to another because the surgeon that was needed for his life-saving procedure was only available at the second hospital. He had no option, and was given none.

The bill for that 12 mile flight was over $25,000. Insurance covered 90% of it, and the rest was eventually waived (he is on Medicare, and retirement income only). Yes, it was a life-saving flight, and it had highly trained personnel on board, but did it really cost $25,000 for a less than 10 minute flight? Without insurance, services like this would either have to charge a reasonable fee, or they would not exist I suppose.

[bcj]

Bless their hearts.