Alert: Covid-19 and our favorite team

I'll be 59 in April and to date have never gotten a flu shot. I will, however, roll up my sleeve ASAP for this one. I fully agree with your statement!

 

It won't open. What does it say about the Quakes?

 

NYTimes today had an article about the future “vaccination passport” that multiple countries/orgs are working on. Besides being required for international travel, it could be required to enter stadiums! Probably would become part of that realID/TSA thing they used to market outside Avaya. I forgot the name of that service.

 

Boy, THAT’LL make the conspiracy-theory ‘one-world government’ folks all warm and fuzzy!

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robert...ant-likely-30-70-deadlier-new-research-finds/

This sucker is nasty. About 50% more infectious and possibly 50% more deadly.

 

Hopefully we can get people to believe this instead of conspiracy theories.

 

I wouldn't hold my breath, because to a distressingly large proportion of the population:

 

The RealID program is sort of in limbo in some states during the pandemic (which makes no sense at all, but OK). On the back of your driver’s license is a fuzzy bar code, at least most states have this fuzzy bar code. These are made by a company I used to work for. (They designed the things and build the equipment necessary to make them.) They can put your whole biography into that fuzzy bar code. One of the engineers on that project told me that they could put at least a megabyte worth of data into those bar codes. So they could easily put whatever is necessary in those barcodes, but there’s no way to update them.

In any case, yes, we’re going to need to show proof of being vaccinated for a number of things. And we won’t have to follow quarantine protocols once we’ve been vaccinated and we’re two weeks beyond our second dose. So that’s cool, but we need more needles in arms. I hate needles, but I want the shot just as soon as I can get it.

Go Quakesfans!!

- Mark

 

I hate needles and have done 188 platelet donations, so that excuse doesn't hold water.

 

It’s not an excuse. I’m trying to get an appointment now. I’ve got to get a couple of other shots and blood tests too. I didn’t say that I wouldn’t do it, just that I don’t like it.

When I was in high school my doctor thought I had hepatitis. I didn’t, but I was in the lab every other day for two weeks getting blood draws. I had track marks on my arms and my veins were bruised. It really sucked. I did it all the same. And my blood tests almost always include an extra vile or two because my blood is a little strange. (The whole they thought I had hepatitis thing.)

Oh, once I had a nurse drawing blood who was from Romania. She sounded just like Dracula when she spoke. It was really funny and she made jokes about it. But I never felt the needle.

Anyway, as soon as I can get it.

Go Quakesfans!!

- Mark

 

A good (and positive!) article about the recent declines in COVID infections.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/why-covid-19-cases-are-falling-so-fast/618041/

 

A NYTimes article on a female basketball player at Vanderbilt who developed myocarditis but was able to return to practice after 4 months

 

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/...nsmission-protect-spread-virus-moderna-pfizer

Optimism that vaccines reduce/prevent transmission as well.

 

I will be getting my first shot at Levi's on Monday!

 

"Capacity will be limited to 20% in the red tier, 33% in the orange tier, and 67% in the least-restrictive yellow tier"

Well, most of the games I attended from about 2016-2019 must have been while we were in the Red or Orange tier, based on the attendance....

 

This should be interesting. Do they prioritize those who have been vaccinated. I'm also assuming STHs will get priority...20% capacity, so ~3700...minus maybe 150-200 for stadium staff.

Any of you insiders have a feel for the Quakes' approach...

 

This is better than expected news. I guess what we've learned since last March is that if you're wearing a mask outdoors and not packed in, risk is fairly low. And then of course there's the vaccines. The Biden admin's goal was 100 mil in the first 100 days, and looks like we'll blow by that. So by end of April, could be almost half the population will have been vaccinated? Maybe? And hopefully the spigot will just open up as the season wears on.

 

Vaccines are voluntary and not universally available, so I can't see how they can be a priority factor. Absolutely, STH's should get priority. I hope the FO doesn't discriminate against us lowly Terrace Pass holders.

Hopefully, by the first home game, Santa Clara county will be in the orange tier with 33% capacity, which might be enough for every STH who wants to attend.

I am glad I rejected working from home to become an essential grocery worker, which has given me, I think, a broader perspective on the risks of the virus compared to people who have been stuck at home for the past year.

 

They should absolutely prioritize vaccinated people. Both to encourage folks to get vaccinated, and because it will be safer for everyone in the stadium.

 

That should only be the case if by the first game vaccine eligibility is extended to everyone, otherwise it would be unfair to most people.