I'm a bit distraught today because I got into a bad fight with my brother regarding my mom.
I texted him yesterday to say that I'm hearing lots of people are getting sick with covid who are vaccinated ie mom's hairdresser told us she had 4 cancellations yesterday etc. I asked if we could discuss how safe it was to bring mom to xmas eve dinner (23 people) and xmas day lunch (11 people). He got very angry in his text response and told me he is tired of this subject and we just won't go anywhere anymore - end of discussion - don't want to talk about it. I was so sad that he doesn't have the capacity to engage with me who is mom's primary caregiver 24/7. Later, I told mom to talk to him and he really wants to go, we will go. I was upstairs when mom asked him last night about going and I overheard he said "stop, I don't want to discuss this anymore, etc etc" and so it infuriated me and I went downstairs and read him the riot act and in front of my frail mom ...he didn't react and continued to watch tv.... I left the house with mom begging me not to go. I lost my temper and I feel that I ruined mom's health, xmas and my relationship with my brother (my brother and I don't talk much since he doesn't communicate feelings, etc). This all started with me just asking if he thought it would be safe to take mom. Omricron is raging in NYC right now and so many vaccinated people I know are getting covid. My mom had covid. She is boosted. But she has heart failure, diabetes and hypertension and was hospitalized once already w covid in March 2020. Was I in the wrong to worry about taking her to a party of 23 family members (all vaccinated but not all boosted and many school kids and young adults)? My brother and I never fought in 60 yrs since we don't talk much to each other but this left us all rattled - I really lost my temper for 1 minute.
In April, MIL (partially vaxed with Moderna at the time) gave it to FIL on the first day he was considered fully vaxed from J&J. Brother's Wife, their then-unvaccinated day caregiver, and Brother tested negative. MIL--immunocompromised--required Regeneron monoclonals and had a symptomatic course. FIL was asymptomatic despite all his health problems.
This fall, my 10-yo niece got covid--four days before the kid vaccine came out. Six children around her subsequently tested positive, and many more had to quarantine under the county's procedure. It is notable that this kid did not transmit the virus to either my sister (her mom) nor to my parents (who live a block away now) during her asymptomatic period.
From all this, it's obvious that the vaccines and boosters offer more protection than anything else medical science has to offer.
I got dosed with J&J in April. In August, one hospital decided to take mercy on the J&Jers and offer them a shot of Moderna or Pfizer. (I stupidly chose Pfizer but I did read everything). In California the only rule is that you be six months after your last shot of Pfizer, so I'll be marching in, in February, for a dose of Moderna.
If we contract Omicron ourselves it'll probably be a nice asymptomatic "bonus" for us. But for some, it's gonna be really dangerous.
Sig-other retirement job to keep busy is working at a local cemetery. Don't fool yourself, he has buried young children to elderly who have had covid. He's buried young men in their 20's and 30's who parents said were very healthy. Covid doesn't care.
Right now, our great-grandson, who is 10, has covid. He's not enjoying Christmas as he has symptoms. Some adult in that household decided to go to holiday gatherings without being vaccinated or even wearing a mask. Others at those gatherings also came down with covid. Everyone is in isolation for 10 days.
Omicron can be "mild", but "mild" in comparison to having be on a ventilator. You can be down for the count at home for a length of time, and may even develop long-haul issues, such as being exhausted daily. Yes, that is your choice.
So your belief isn't really true we were masked and we still got the virus.
Pleaded, begged, but to no avail. Will go ahead with my testing plan. I know it's not 100% guarantee to prevent it, but it was the best I could come up with. Shame that some can't bend. Especially if you don't think it is a preventative anyway --- what's the harm in taking it? Drama.
So the 5 who followed the selfish one have crossed another line, right? I wonder why these nonvaxxers beg and plead for the vaccine when they get hospitalized (when it's too late)?
Home tests ARE useless unless administered at exactly the right time during the illness. Meaning: You can have covid and be contagious while home antigen test results show a negative. The vaccine does not always prevent a covid case, but lessens the severity and lightens an already overloaded healthcare system if you can recover at home. The virus is passed around through respiratory exhalation, airborne respiratory sneeze and cough droplets and fecal bloom/mist from feces, in flushed toilets, as many restrooms have terrible ventilation; not mail, grocery packaging, etc. Any steps you take to avoid getting sick, whether from flu, cold, covid or any infectious disease are appreciated by us with compromised immune systems, caretakers for lived ones with co-morbidities, healthcare and other essential workers.
You may have covid, feel fine, be asymptomatic, and give covid to everyone you meet. Not all of them have your genes, robust immune system, or luck. You wear a mask and take precautions to protect US, not for YOU. We do the same. Let's all avoid an ER visit if we can and stop with the conspiracy theories. Happy Holidays to everyone!
Please listen to your brother! He is right! Let your mother have some JOY this Christmas!
I love the expression “This too shall pass”. Perhaps you can open with this line when you speak to your brother again. May calmer waters prevail as we make our journeys through this time. Love will conquer all.