Gary has been infuriating me by insisting the environment in which I get the vaccine will be perfectly safe, and even more infuriating, that at his advanced age of 68 he is just as immune-compromised as I am. I just sent him this:
Seriously, dude. I have Facts and Charts. Also, it is pitiful my husband and I are both so starved for mutual sympathy that we are arguing over who has the worse immune system.
What is most infuriating (to total three infuriating things) is that we had this conversation:
"Hey Gary, I signed up for the vaccine."
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT YOU HAVE TO GET THE VACCINE."
"But I -- "
"THERE IS NOTHING THAT PUTS YOU AT RISK YOU ARE JUST STANDING IN LINE AT WALGREENS FOR GOD'S SAKE."
"But I will -- "
(Mutters) "You are being a baby about this."
So, as I tried to tell him, I signed up for my fourth useless vaccine on the last appointment available during SuperBowl Sunday. Hoping it's pretty quiet at the Walgreens.
Gary, Gary, Gary. Drug stores are not perfectly safe around here (I mean: even the employees aren't wearing masks, and that is where people go to get OTC medicine when they are sick, and I frankly do not have more confidence about your local population than about my local population).
That said, if you've got a well-fitting N95 or similar, it should be really safe. So there is that. Just make sure you can't smell anything through it. Either that or tape it down around the edges. ;-)
Superbowl Sunday is brilliant!
Posted by: KC | February 04, 2022 at 10:45 AM
KC - yes, same, the Walgreens employees here don't keep their noses in their masks. And I do have a good N95. I'll just go in and hold my breath. I'm sure it will be fine.
Posted by: TheQueen | February 05, 2022 at 11:46 AM
If you've got an n95 that fits and keep it on until you get back to your car, and if you then do the hand-sanitizing thing after taking off your mask, those viruses would have to be *very* clever. (esp since you wear glasses!)
But I'd kinda hate it too, with the nose-out employees (WHY? In medicine or medicine-adjacent fields of work??? WHY?). But also during the superbowl is a really clever time. So. Extra satisfaction about your timing along with your (apparently further belated) vaccine dose.
Posted by: KC | February 07, 2022 at 08:32 PM
KC - I am probably being too particular, but then again just today I heard of another dead immunocompromised relative of a friend.
Posted by: TheQueen | February 08, 2022 at 08:02 AM
I feel like when you're actively on immunosuppressants, it's harder to be *too* particular (especially when hospitals haven't fully recovered yet, such that you would not get 100% optimized care but only whatever the exhausted brains of the poor medical staff can manage at the time when spreading their attention too thin). Probably still possible to be too particular (do not install an electric fence around your house and zap the mailman), but harder. And being veeeery careful when you go into somewhere with shared air is *not* being too particular.
Posted by: KC | February 08, 2022 at 12:03 PM
KC - well, Gary has lots of worries right now, I can see how he doesn't want to add another. I can worry about myself, I don't need his help.
Posted by: TheQueen | February 09, 2022 at 07:15 AM