Cant speak for the US, but in general, Covid is still more dangerous during the acute infection than the flu and also causes much larger numbers of post-viral sequelae. Those are all potential reasons to recommend the vaccine, which can reduce the severity of both
Comment on LPT: Go get a shot, now.
DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
I am not a vaccine sceptic but I am curious as to why America still vaccinates everyone for Covid. In Sweden we haven’t cared for many years about getting vaccinated and it hasn’t been a problem. The vaccine is available to get if you need it. But it’s not something we collectively vaccinate for any more.
Peajee@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Valmond@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I’m Swedish, live in France.
Here: vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate, in Sweden : meh do whatever.
Also Swedish people: hello neighbor please you’re only 5 meters away from me it makes me uncomfortable.
In the meantime in France: Hello friends and neighbours, kiss kiss kiss kiss!
On a more serious note, Sweden had the medical capacity that France didn’t have, which is one of the big reasons in the very different response to the pandemic in those two countries.
NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I saw a study the other day that mentioned that Sweden during the pandemic had a median time of 30 days sick leave for those who had Covid.
In the US that would be rare if impossible for a lot of people. I would think if someone could get a shot that would lessen symptoms or duration in a country that has such a poor health care safety net it might be worth while.
DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Yeah most people here can stay home if they are sick. You get 80% of your salary to start and then it gets lower the longer you are sick. The first 14 days are paid by the workplace and after 14 days the government takes over.
flora_explora@beehaw.org 3 weeks ago
Same in Germany. Last year I asked some people who got vaccinated if they think I also should get another shot and all of them told me that I’m not in a vulnerable group (or a caretaker) so I shouldn’t bother. So we basically repeat what we know from the normal flu (influenza) and just vaccinate vulnerable people. I’m not sure if this is the best way to do it, because I think many people die each year of the flu as well. However, death statistics are hard and I couldn’t find any reliable data on this either.
Pulptastic@midwest.social 3 weeks ago
US standard policy recommends flu shot for everyone if they can take it.
sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
When I was in college, our choir director told us that the flu vaccine was mandatory – like he couldn’t actually know or enforce it, but we had a duty to the group to do whatever we could to protect each other in that high risk activity. Especially since some of the members were seniors. I thought that was pretty compelling and beautiful, and I got it that year after being hesitant and have every year since.
Farvana@lemmygrad.ml 3 weeks ago
It very likely has been a problem and is just being underreported.
A single infection often doesn’t cause much harm, but those who have constant exposure and infections (teachers especially) are having major health problems. It’s barely mentioned outside of science papers.
DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Our health department seems to be releasing weekly reports about the covid situation. folkhalsomyndigheten.se/…/aktuell-veckorapport-om… That week 10 people died with covid in their bodies. All ten were 65+ years, 7 of them was 80+ years.
I am not knowledgeable enought to know if this is a lot or not but it seems low to me. I have faith that my government would do something if the situation was bad.
Texas_Hangover@lemmy.radio 3 weeks ago
It became a political statement here. That’s why you see people with masks on, when they’re in a car by themselves lol.
Formfiller@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Yeah magats only wear masks to kidnap and disappear people
the_mighty_kracken@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Have you ever heard of hay fever?
Test_Tickles@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
No such thing in Texas. Nope, the only reason to do anything, at all, while you are completely alone in your car is to hope that you will be noticed by some (definitely not a creeper staring into other people’s cars instead of watching the road) road warrior in a lifted diesel dually and deeply insult his proud lineage (land owners in the South who
definitely probablyhopefully were not slave owners) and his deeply researched (heard from Fox news while half conscious from alcohol poisoning, at a bar while looking for his car keys so he can drive home) personal beliefs.Texas_Hangover@lemmy.radio 1 week ago
Yeah, I’ve heard of it. Its been around a long time. Strange though, people only started masking up alone in their cars a few years ago.
the_mighty_kracken@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Maybe you just recently started to notice.
Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Shelbyeileen@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
You guys have benefits to protect you, if you get sick. Americans barely get sick leave, medical bills are ridiculous, and if covid leaves you crippled, SSI (Disability) pays a whopping $11k a YEAR. It’s not enough to survive on, despite paying taxes. Yeah, someone might have worked enough hours to get SSDI, which is a few dollars more an hour, but still not enough to cover rent.
DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
It’s pretty fucked up that you Americans can not be home when you are sick.
Shelbyeileen@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Agreed, we hate it too. Can’t afford to stay home, can’t afford to see a doctor.
When I was living in Canada, my partner needed to go to the ER and get a blood clot removed. We were seen by a doctor within 45 minutes and the bill for a non-citizen on visa was $250. After we moved to the US, it happened again. It took 3 WEEKS, 2 referrals, and over $14k for the same procedure. Capitalism is cruelty.
crmsnbleyd@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
There’s more people in the US. Plust the US is not collectively vaccinating people
Redex68@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
?? How is that relevant
crmsnbleyd@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
Why wouldn’t it be. The more people theere are the higher the chance for an outbreak.
rekabis@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
They key point is density. The denser the population, the more people need to be immunized for herd immunity to be effective, because the more people the average person comes in close contact with even only in passing.
It’s like the difference in walking six blocks in a sleepy town vs six blocks in downtown Manhattan. Even in “rush hour”, with the sidewalks at maximum typical capacity, the former might net you a dozen close encounters while the latter could easily net you 1,200 close encounters. If you are immunocompromised, the same level of herd immunity in the general population makes the former a much safer environment than the latter.
Statistics can be wild.