River Cruisers: How Are Things Where YOU Are?

[dogs4fun]

On 4/2/2021 at 7:02 AM, sharkster77 said:

Thanks to all those who inquired----pets really are family members!

Absolutely - my furry friends are family members! My 14 y/o chihuahua has Cushing's disease - it was diagnosed a few months ago following a dexamethasone suppression test. Hope your furry friend responds well to treatment.

[sharkster77]

50 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Absolutely - my furry friends are family members! My 14 y/o chihuahua has Cushing's disease - it was diagnosed a few months ago following a dexamethasone suppression test. Hope your furry friend responds well to treatment.

Thanks @dogs4fun--our Wesley is going to undergo that same test in the near future.  We are just so relieved the ultrasound did not reveal something far scarier than enlarged adrenals.

[ural guy]

20 hours ago, Coral said:

Cattle outnumber our people 4-1 where I live!

 I grew up in suburbia outside of DC, I much prefer the cows and 6 acres we have now, versus a 1/4 acre lot and neighbors.  A bit smelly at times, but you don't have to lock your doors and cheese is plentiful.

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, ural guy said:

 I grew up in suburbia outside of DC, I much prefer the cows and 6 acres we have now, versus a 1/4 acre lot and neighbors.  A bit smelly at times, but you don't have to lock your doors and cheese is plentiful.

I live in the city now but my last house, was acreages and farms behind my housing development (and my house). When I looked outside, it was pure country. Even right now, I am a 5 minute drive to rural area.

[notamermaid]

I officially live in an urban environment but it is no big place, few high-rise buildings. We have a range of agriculture but my area is not known for breeding cattle, it is mixed. In general Rhineland-Palatinate is not big on animal farming, 42 percent of the territory is actually forest and that is more than agricultural land. Perhaps too many hills for cows... Not sure. When the wind is blowing from the right direction I can smell that "countryside" the cows have produced. 😉 

 

notamermaid

[Daisi]

I live in a rural area, mostly crops around here though.  Only problem was when planting /harvesting season started...you had to leave a good 15 minutes early to allow for the tractors on the road.  Oh well,  it's scenic.  We are getting ready to sell the house and move into the city so we can get an apartment to "lock & go".  It's going to be interesting to see how we handle the people & noise.  Mind you, it will be great to be able to walk down the street to get take-out or order food in if we don't feel like cooking...and having a variety of places where we can go nearby to eat at.  One thing I won't miss is that "fresh country air" when they are preparing the fields! 🙂

 

[Bake apple]

Spring has arrived in Canada's capital city. How can I tell?  Crocuses and tulips are showing their flowery heads above chilly ground in a few sunny areas.  It will be warm and sunny all the week and the pot holes are growing ever deeper as fast as the weeds on my front lawn! 😜  Unfortunately the virus has really taken hold here and we are back into a very restrictive shut down mode; a week ago there were 25 new cases a day and now we are at 200 or thereabouts every day.

 

 Happily we received our first vaccine shots this past weekend so looking towards that light at the end of the tunnel. Second shot is schedule for third week of July.  But sadly no travel plans at all; we were scheduled for Vancouver to volunteer for the LPGA in late August but that is more than unlikely.  I continue to browse all the cruise e-mails and booklets all the same. Hope spring....

 

Stay safe everyone.

[Coral]

18 minutes ago, Bake apple said:

 Happily we received our first vaccine shots this past weekend so looking towards that light at the end of the tunnel. Second shot is schedule for third week of July.  But sadly no travel plans at all; we were scheduled for Vancouver to volunteer for the LPGA in late August but that is more than unlikely.  I continue to browse all the cruise e-mails and booklets all the same. Hope spring....

 

Congrats! Which one did you get? It seems like Canada is spacing them out farther than those in the US.

[Daisi]

Congrats @Bake apple, I am on a waiting list - signed us up as soon as they opened them for the 55+ group.  I miss seeing the flowers on the Hill, but not worth the drive up to the City with all that is going on...I feel safer in my small environment right now...guess it's just thinking the fewer contacts, the lower chances of contacting Covid.

 

 

[Bake apple]

We received the Pfizer.  Public Health sent out a email indicating that reservation would open the next morning at 8am for those 70 years of age and older.  I had our reservations within 10 minutes but by 11am, from what I read, all 26,000 doses were booked.  No adverse reactions except for a little tender at the injection site but a very big sense of relief!!!

[Daisi]

@Bake apple, both sets of parents got the Pfizer one, no reactions at all so far.  Just waiting for their follow up appointments in July and hopefully all will go well with them as well.

 

It is a problem in Eastern Ont that we can't seem to get enough vaccines, yet other areas have empty slots.  Kingston was out of the pharmacy ones within a week (they were letting "out of towners" get the shots), and I've heard lots complaining there.  I hope they start distributing the vaccines properly so we can all have a turn.

 

[notamermaid]

3 hours ago, Bake apple said:

We received the Pfizer.  Public Health sent out a email indicating that reservation would open the next morning at 8am for those 70 years of age and older.  I had our reservations within 10 minutes but by 11am, from what I read, all 26,000 doses were booked.  No adverse reactions except for a little tender at the injection site but a very big sense of relief!!!

Great to read that things went well for you.

 

I am of course nowhere near a scheduled appointment for a vaccine, but things are improving here. Saarland state near the French border now has a 24-hour-vaccine site! In other areas where it is possible now, people have been rushing to get appointments for the AstraZeneca. In Hamburg it was all used up by yesterday lunchtime. People over 60 want it, hardly any hesitancy. Berlin's booking hotline was overloaded with callers. The authorities have promised us more vaccine supply in April than we had for the whole first quarter of this year. As of yesterday, 90 percent of the doses we have had been administered. And testing capacity is now huge, with tests available as home kits and at a very reasonable price. Lots of self-testing and drive-in testing before Easter to see children and grandchildren.

 

Now that more public figures are eligible for the AstraZeneca, i.e. those between 60 and 69 years, we hear of officials getting it, nice for reassuring people. One of them is the head of our top health institution, the Robert-Koch-Institute. Other news from around the world suggest that it is not going too well for the AstraZeneca company everywhere, it could be better.

 

Things are improving in Germany, kind of, no river cruises from 19 April happening though, I fear. I cannot imagine us being in a position to allow that. And the Netherlands have as of today been declared a high risk zone by Germany.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by notamermaid
wrong word

[notamermaid]

Paris has now got a mass vaccination site (there are a few more in other cities it seems) and the French have coined a word for such places: "vaccinodrome". I think it would also work as an English word, in German not so much...

 

Slovenia has now also restricted the AstraZeneca vaccine to those over 60, in France a lawyer is investigating into it, on behalf of two victims' relatives he has filed it with the authorities to look into the potential for manslaughter  charges (by person X).

 

Big news here in the online media: 1. Britain is considering not giving the AstraZeneca to those under 30. 2. An EMA official has said in an interview that they think there is a link of the vaccine with the severe cases of blood clotting and hinted at an official statement to come from the EMA later.

 

notamermaid

 

[dogs4fun]

BioNTech (a German company) developed the Pfizer Covid 19 vaccine currently available in the USA. Pfizer is the US company that partnered with BioNTech for clinical trials & manufacturing. Are German nationals receiving the Covid 19 vaccine that was developed by BioNTech?

 

 

[notamermaid]

Yes. I always call it the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (if I remember) to make clear it is one thing. There is no difference between the US or Germany or other country, it is all the same stuff whether you call it Pfizer or BioNTech or both words. Just different manufacturing plants. In Germany as regards delivery we have had this the most, second AstraZeneca, third Moderna. First shipment of the J&J due next week I believe. As coincidence has it, I started watching a documentary of the collaboration of Pfizer with BioNTech. A doctor at Pfizer said that the CEO of BioNTech called her (they knew each other from a previous project) and asked if Pfizer would like to work with them on the vaccine. They did and the CEO of Pfizer said that the two companies combine well with their different strengths. He called it a perfect partnership. A bit of advertising and "we are great" thrown into the mix, but I think we can all agree that it has worked well for both companies and for all of us so far.

 

It is somewhat a pity we hear little of the Moderna vaccine and the people behind it around here. I know almost nothing through the media. I should read up a bit on the company.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

The weather has been abysmal here over Easter - for us that means two to four degrees Celsius, driving rain turned into hail, turned into snow. Did that stop people from going to vaccine centres? No. They queued up for hours to get the AstraZeneca vaccine as some centres had a "first come first serve" special vaccine day. A man in a different report called it an "unanticipated Easter present". Here is a good report on the situation with the vaccine in Europe and especially Germany: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/world/europe/astrazeneca-side-effects-vaccine-covid.html

 

And yes, I was out as well yesterday, just a short drive into the countryside where I encountered hail and snow. Tomorrow will again see snow at an altitude as low as 150m, i.e. down into some parts of the Rhine valley even.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

10 hours ago, notamermaid said:

It is somewhat a pity we hear little of the Moderna vaccine and the people behind it around here. I know almost nothing through the media. I should read up a bit on the company.

 

I know very little about Moderna and that is the vaccine I got. Most of my coworkers all got Pfizer and J&J. 

 

Our state opened up to everyone 18 and older, except for my county. We are so behind every one else or I should say our county has had the most demand per capita and are behind in age groups due to that. Those who really want it are leaving the county. I spoke with a coworker whose daughter was working in Kosovo - she flew back home to get the 2 doses of vaccine.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Coral

[cruiselvr04]

I got my second dose of Pfizer this morning.  Pretty bad headache at the moment.  It was exactly 3 weeks since the first.  Hoping for a good night but it’s better then catching Covid. Looking forward in 2 weeks to more freedom to eat out, visit family and go places although we will continue to wear a mask out of respect for others and use sanitizer.  I can’t wait to travel again and looked longingly at Vikings Bermuda ocean cruise. Since I’m under cancer treatment it will have to wait.

 

I anxious for all of you to get your vaccines and resume life.  Blessings to you all!

[Canal archive]

Someone asked about the Moderna vaccine this report has some information about it.

Covid: Moderna vaccine UK rollout to begin in Wales https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56657038

[notamermaid]

14 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Since I’m under cancer treatment it will have to wait.

Thank you for your wishes to us. All the Best to you, hope your treatment goes well. Headache must seem a minor inconvenience to you at this point...

 

@Canal archive thanks for the info, I read this morning that Wales has now started the Moderna vaccinations. Perhaps it will be easier to shift away from using the AstraZeneca for the younger people with the batch of Moderna having arrived.

 

I am glad the Oxford team halted the trial on the children. If this was under the umbrella of EMA I would have complained to the institution and told the authorities that the trial is unethical. I doubt they would have listened to me, but you gotta say what you think is not good for children.

 

On a day like this when I struggle to go to the shops it kind of makes me envious, but it is also reassuring that others, especially doctors, seem to have boundless energy, you know like "Where does Fauci get the energy from??". If you think that Dr. Fauci is doing extremely well, read my feel good story for today. A doctor in Budapest, absolutely admirable: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-hungary-doctor-idUSKBN2BI1SE

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[Daisi]

4 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

 

 

On a day like this when I struggle to go to the shops it kind of makes me envious, but it is also reassuring that others, especially doctors, seem to have boundless energy, you know like "Where does Fauci get the energy from??". If you think that Dr. Fauci is doing extremely well, read my feel good story for today. A doctor in Budapest, absolutely admirable: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-hungary-doctor-idUSKBN2BI1SE

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, but this gave me a chuckle. One of the Ontario Doctors in charge of a health agency tweeted out last winter that she was so tired, she showed up for a radio interview without a skirt under her coat.  They are all working so hard to do the best they can, and are getting a lot of flack for not doing enough.  I wouldn't like their job, they are in a situation that they have never handled before, and for some, it seems as if anything they do, it's not enough.  I hope they all get a good long holiday when this is all under control.

 

[notamermaid]

13 minutes ago, Daisi said:

I hope they all get a good long holiday when this is all under control.

Yes. They even say here in Germany that nurses and doctors are tired. A rest is very needed. I do not know how they still manage.

 

The EMA has met and the evaluation is this: "Blood clots are a very rare side effect"

https://www.dw.com/en/astrazeneca-ema-says-blood-clots-very-rare-side-effect/a-57118315

 

notamermaid

 

[ural guy]

Wow, super big respect for 97 year old Budapest Doctor guy.  Same apartment for 91 years, still treating patients, made it through WW2.  Amazing.  I'm sure he has enough life stories for 2 or 3 books.

 

Doc Istvan probably takes the trams still, unless his practice is in the same building, which would add another layer of coolness to his story.  What a stud.  Thanks for posting the article link. 

 

JP Albany, Dr Istvan Kormendi, has set quite the high bar for you to meet or exceed. 

[jpalbny]

33 minutes ago, ural guy said:

JP Albany, Dr Istvan Kormendi, has set quite the high bar for you to meet or exceed. 

 

Good for him! What an inspiring story. But I have no aspirations to practice that long. I am ready to retire now.

[Coral]

36 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

I am ready to retire now.

I tell that to my financial guy every time I see him. He laughs at me like I am joking....

Edited April 8, 2021 by Coral