Always look at the bright side of life!

This doctor posted...
"I am a physician in private practice in [redacted]. We have just been approved to order and administer the vaccine to tier-appropriate patients.
Medicare has approved a payment of 18$ for the first shot and 28$ for the second.
As far as we can determine we will not be allowed to bill for an office visit so that is the entire amount we will receive for registering the patients, screening then for covid outside of the office, taking their vital signs, taking a history to see if there are any contraindications to the vaccine, administering the vaccine, observing them in the clinic for a minimum of 15 minutes up to 30 minutes depending on their history, and recalling them in 28 days and going through most of the same procedure again, minus the registration and history.
There is also an extensive regime of recording and reporting all vaccination data daily to the state government. We had anticipated hiring someone to manage this new service due to the amount of new work that is required. At this rate we might be able to give 10 shots an hour in each of our 3 clinics if we see no other patients for illness, injury, or covid testing.
Do I need to say that we cannot possibly afford to do this for the reimbursement offered. The alternative is for patients to receive the vaccine in some state funded site or clinic. That may take a very long time to roll out."

The peanut gallery tore him a new asshole.  You're just greedy - 2 minutes to give a shot -  just write down their name, shot, done - profiteering pandemic, you make me sick - etc, etc, yada, yada.

These people can't grasp, or don't want to, how much paperwork and record keeping is involved, not to mention scheduling and getting people back for the second round. If they miss that 2nd appointment they can't just slide into the next available slot, there is no slots because the people coming through for the first are getting all the slots 3 or 4 weeks out.
Maybe they're anti-vaxers but more likely just stupid. No, that's not fair, just willfully uninformed. 

The latest vaccine coming out is a single shot which cuts the paperwork big time.
Doing away with trying to herd cats in for a second shot at 21 or 28 days is a godsend.

Moderna has a booster for the new variants...

The new variants are supposed to be really talented.

Maps Mania  https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/01/16/1016264/covid-vaccine-acceptance-us-county/amp/ 
has an interactive map you can zoom in on counties that will tell you the % of people likely to get a shot or not.
This isn't about availability, it's about willingness.

On the subject of mutations. Two salient points:

1.) The South African mutation has been tested on serum from people already infected with, and immune to, the original strain. About half the time, the existing antibodies can't kill it.

2.) The new Brazilian mutation is way worse. A city called Manaus, that got hit very hard last year and had about 75% immunity in the surviving population, has once again seen skyrocketing cases of the new variant. The math is all estimates, but it appears as if the old immunity is 100% ineffective.

I heard the feds didn't push N95 masks because they were afraid they would go the way of toilet paper and not be available for medical people. Guess they didn't know how many assholes wouldn't wear any.

According to this piece - 
https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/n95-vs-kn95-masks-1044184/

There may be a breath-ability difference but the KN should be protective.

Admittedly, I'm using the wrong mask(s). Against our current variant, the precautions I take should be sufficient. The rise of new variants makes me want to reassess. The recreation situation is pure mental health for me. I would completely crack without it.

 

xoxoxoBruce wrote:

I heard the feds didn't push N95 masks because they were afraid they would go the way of toilet paper and not be available for medical people. Guess they didn't know how many assholes wouldn't wear any.

 



and while we're on the subject...

The Covi-D came from over the sea
He may catch all the others, but he won’t catch me
No you won’t catch me, old Covi-D
You may catch all the others, but you wo–

a tail of woe

stick the swab
up my ass
do it hard
do it fast

make me squeal
like a lil pig
my ass cheeks jiggle
jiggity-jig

don't go too far
with that stick
it might get lost
and then I'm sick

to the e.r. place
I must go
to fish out the swab
from down below

50 people

coulda just been one: one guy raisin' a ruckus and it still woulda been outrageous

don't you know nuthin'?

it's not the number; it's the wrong-think

e. b. hall's bones spin, at light-speed, in whatever lonely hole she's interred