June 30, 2022
Ordinary or not
Ordinary day has turned into surprises. Jamie and I went to Sunset Hill Park for a picnic this evening to enjoy the lovely weather. We had a good view of the Sound to the west. Lots of people were at the park, sharing the same idea. Curiously several people had binoculars and were looking at the water in the Sound. We quickly found out that a pod of Orcas had been sighted north in Edmonds and were heading south. We retrieved Jamie’s old binoculars out of the van, wishing we had our better ones and our spotting scope. We waited with a good vantage point to the northwest. Sure enough, we started seeing some spouts and fins! We got to watch the pod continue south for a while, sharing our binoculars with folks who were watching. Such a blessing and a gift.
After we got home, we took Barlow for a walk and watched a bird fly overhead with a distinctive call and flight pattern with orange tinged wings. We saw it light at the top of a tree but we no longer had the binoculars with us. We are sure it was a Bullock’s Oriole, an unusual sighting for us. Next we saw orangutans in the neighborhood. (Not really, but if we had gone to the zoo we could have kept up our sighting of animals that start with OR)
I know that things are tough right now, so much to grieve and worry about, but today reminded me that we can still find beauty unexpectedly. This brings me hope. We feel blessed and lucky to be in the world we live in on this ordinary day.
My hope also revolves around being safe around friends. We are going to Fiddle Tunes next week to play music and hang out with wonderful friends. Many of us are anxious about possible exposures to Omicron, wondering what to do. My best advice is to mask up indoors. Also, at the campground or mule barn, mask up if you’re in a jam that is inside a shelter with sides which decreases ventilation. The risk of exposure is higher with poor ventilation. Playing tunes outdoors will be a lower risk, probably safe to be unmasked.
We are hearing different reports from other festivals about outbreaks. Each case is a different situation. However, most people are staying safe by following the layered recommendations, of masking, ventilation, hand washing, and vaccinations. If you do get exposed it can take 2-4 days before developing symptoms. A positive test may take a few days longer. Know how to access treatment if you are high risk. If you don’t have risk factors, Paxlovid probably isn’t helpful , so no need to seek it out. Just a reminder, one of the biggest risks is age over 65.
An FYI, Rebound after taking Paxlovid does happen, unclear how often- the data is conflicting. Good to know about, but it is still fairly rare. Paxlovid is still worth taking if we have risk factors.
Word is out about a possible booster shot from Pfizer that works on Omicron. Wouldn't that be nice? More research is being done on other vaccines that may be more effective on Omicron and preventing infection. This is a good article that explains the ideas involved. A universal Coronavirus vaccine is being developed. It will work against other coronaviruses, not just SARS-CoV-2.
I am grateful for the continued research being done on this infectious disease. We are still affected by the pandemic, but now have tools to decrease our risks and help us, not only survive but avoid serious illness. That is indeed a blessing.
Wash your hands, cover your nose, don’t forget ventilation, and find joy in ordinary things.
https://time.com/6187765/covid-19-paxlovid-healthy-patients/
https://blogs.jwatch.org/hiv-id-observations/index.php/yes-relapses-after-paxlovid-happen-now-what/2022/04/25/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/98584
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/99525
https://www.mdlinx.com/news/will-new-vaccines-be-better-at-fighting-coronavirus-variants-5-questions-answered/OM3sv8LGTx2QQ6vsRshcZ
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biontech-pfizer-starting-testing-universal-coronavirus-vaccine-h2-2022-06-29/