I live in in Nassau county in NE Florida (between Jacksonville and Georgia if you're familiar with the area). There are sooooooooooooooooooooo many sick and dying people that I know! It's terrible.  Here is a news story about a family I know: https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/07/30/nassau-county-woman-loses-fiance-mother-grandmother-to-covid/ - https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/07/30/nassau-county-woman-loses-fiance-mother-grandmother-to-covid/

Within 5 days, this woman lost her grandmother, fiancé, mother and her fiancé's father (he passed away from COVID the day this story went out). Ms. Ruth (the grandmother) was one of the sweetest ladies I know. She was fully vaccinated. I know another family where two of the adult daughters are currently hospitalized (one on a vent) and their sweet mama passed away from Covid this weekend. It's just so very sad. My husband and I are fully vaccinated (Pfizer) as is my 84 yo mama (Pfizer). Most of my mama's friends are also fully vaccinated - which allowed them to finally start getting together again. The isolation for widows in their 80s was terrible to witness. It was so nice to see my mama's two best friends back at her house for their weekly card game on Thursday nights! Until the week before last - when Ms Joyce tested positive for COVID. :( She was the one little old lady in Mama's social circle who hadn't gotten her vaccine. She was able to get into the hospital for some sort of outpatient antibody infusion a couple of days after her positive test. She ended up in the ED over the weekend with COVID pneumonia and dehydration. They gave her fluids, steroids and sent her home with antibiotics. She is now on Day 15 and is still so very sick.

My daughter is a 33 yo nurse who works from home doing utilization review for a major insurance company.  She and her husband are not vaccinated. She really doesn't go out into the community very much - church on Sunday mornings, grocery store and food take out. She is currently on Day 12 of her battle with COVID. She, too, has been terribly ill. Headache, fever, chills, loss of smell/taste, body aches, cough, diarrhea, nausea. She had a headache for a couple of days...and some nasal congestion...and thought it may be allergies. It's Florida. There's always something blooming. So she didn't really think much of it until last Saturday and she realized that she couldn't smell her shampoo or body wash. 

The local news talks about all of these vaccines that are available - and testing sites. Make an appointment! Walk-ins are welcome! Total BS. I found one site that was doing testing and confirmed they accepted walk-ins. She got there and it was a 4 - 6 hour wait. They had only been open for 30 minutes. There are no rapid tests available outside of hospitals in our area. I was able to find a CVS that had testing appointments available - in a small town nearly 70 miles from her house. She went. We knew she had it - and it was confirmed on Monday.  So over the course of the week she dealt with what seemed like a new symptom du jour. I had provided her with a stash of immunity-boosting supplements (Vitamins C, D3, Quercetin, Zinc, Famotidine, Melatonin, Low Dose Aspirin) and a pulse oximeter. On Saturday, she too ended up in the ER because she desaturated upon exertion - her o2 dropped into the mid-80s while she tried to shower). She did not want to be admitted and has been at home on supplemental o2 when needed (primarily upon walking/standing). She still struggles. 

My younger daughter took her x-ray in the ED. She is not vaccinated either. She and her husband have been trying to conceive their first child for a year - and there just hasn't been studies about the impact of the vaccine on fertility or in early pregnancy. Over the last 3 weekends her ED has been full of people in their 20s and 30s - so very, very sick with COVID. People that were otherwise healthy. She and her husband got their first dose of the Pfizer vax today. I pray that they have protection until they get the next dose. I've tried to schedule people to get vaccines - but appointments have to be scheduled several days in advance. My son-in-law stopped at 3 different pharmacies (all saying 'walk-ins welcome') and was turned away and told to make an appointment. 

My nephew and his roommate have COVID. They have been fully vaccinated. They aren't nearly as ill as my daughter or Ms. Joyce. Primarily fatigue, loss of smell/taste, stuffy head. 

One of our local hospitals (Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville) announced over the weekend that they were over capacity with in-patient admissions. 

It was one thing to watch the outbreaks in Wuhan and across the globe. It is something else when your community is hit so hard.   

Don DeSantis, is a raving loony....

Should be held accountable.....

It's a discrace........

Take care all 😷😉

LCfromFL, what a heartrending story! 

I hope things improve soon, but have to say: I can't see it coming at all soon.

I really feel for you but also feel powerless.  I don't suppose knowing that someone cares helps much, but I do anyway.

Stay strong!!

Oh, God, LC, how horrid!  You all are in my prayers!  Hang in there!

Indeed, a real tragedy! 

Folks need to be creative - driving or flying to a neighboring state may provide easier access to vaccination (I don't view testing as very crucial right now except for symptomatic cases).  In Illinois, many folks left the Chicago area to Indiana and Wisconsin in search of vaccine, avoiding long lines and bureaucratic delays. 

Do what you need to do.....since I do subject matter expertise work with law enforcement (FBI), I was able to get in on the earlier vaccine campaigns in Arizona, which was for first responders & law enforcement.  I bent the rules a bit, but do not have any feelings of guilt.  Do what you must.  

LCfromFL Thanks for your desciption of the horror of being in a real pandemic...I hope for your area the cases have peaked...will soon go down...

Your message is heard in the Netherlands, Europe...getting that message out is major ! And maybe the best possible thing one can do...

I am sorry, LCfromFL, that this is hitting so close to home.   Stay strong.

Thank you for getting the message out. My prayers are with you and all of us who will be there soon enough 

What a terrible situation. It's interesting that this is in Florida because I know periodically people have suggested that warm weather would lessen the spreading of Covid, but this obviously isn't the case is it? Here in NZ they are not giving the vaccines to pregnant women but advising them to wait until after their babies are born.

LCfromFL, 

The sadness that you and I feel is something that i have seen up close in person.  I saw death on a massive scale.  Our family has been pretty well knocked out by covid.  I know so many families that have lost moms and dads.  One family I know well has lost 4 family members to covid.  Things have gotten so bad where I was that they were shipping people out of state for treatment.  We were going to be split up and sent to separate hospitals when the insurance company jumped in and stopped it.  I cried when i saw your post.  All four of us saw friends and family  die in front of us.  Vaccines are effective only in conjunction with masks and lockdowns.  Last night, Jill went out to get supplies and there were lots of people, who were acting like idiots no masks , no distancing .    I was pissed.  High school classmate and family was eating at a table, no masks not distanced, not vaccinated.   Becky and I rotate as to who goes out.  Vast majority of stuff comes via delivery and is screened and everyhing gets three scans.   

God bless you all and  hunker down.  

Jill , Becky , ME 163 and Vicki 

Some happy news amongst so much hurting - my daughter is doing MUCH better and hasn't needed supplemental oxygen for a couple of days! And my mama's friend (Ms. Joyce) is also doing much better! Both are weak and tire easily, but seem to have rounded the corner and are progressing towards recovery. Praise the Lord! My nephew and his room mate have really had a very mild illness - with minor/nagging symptoms. The comparison between them (vaccinated) and my daughter and mom's friend (unvaccinated) is significant. A woman I know (mid-30s) has finally discharged from the hospital. She is on supplemental oxygen and blood thinners because of a PE in her right lung. Blood clots are a very real concern with COVID - so please make sure you're taking low-dose aspirin (if you can) to help prevent those. One of my friends had a COVID associated stroke. He was 58 at the time - thankfully, he survived but now deals with life post-stroke. It's odd - there's not much being said about the blood clotting complication (in our local news). 

Meanwhile another friend was rushed to the hospital and is in ICU on a vent...and my friend's dad lost his battle with COVID.

I keep telling myself that with sooooooooo many sick - coupled with the big vax push - we should reach herd immunity fairly soon, right? It's just a tough and terrible time in the meantime. 

Stay safe. Stay well. Now go wash your hands! :)

ME163 wrote: LCfromFL,  The sadness that you and I feel is something that i have seen up close in person.  I saw death on a massive scale.  Our family has been pretty well knocked out by covid.  I know so many families that have lost moms and dads.  One family I know well has lost 4 family members to covid.  Things have gotten so bad where I was that they were shipping people out of state for treatment.  We were going to be split up and sent to separate hospitals when the insurance company jumped in and stopped it.  I cried when i saw your post.  All four of us saw friends and family  die in front of us.  Vaccines are effective only in conjunction with masks and lockdowns.  Last night, Jill went out to get supplies and there were lots of people, who were acting like idiots no masks , no distancing .    I was pissed.  High school classmate and family was eating at a table, no masks not distanced, not vaccinated.   Becky and I rotate as to who goes out.  Vast majority of stuff comes via delivery and is screened and everyhing gets three scans.    God bless you all and  hunker down.   Jill , Becky , ME 163 and Vicki

I'm so very sorry to hear how your family has been impacted by COVID. I cannot imagine the thought of being split up into different hospitals. The whole 'not being able to be there with your loved one' is terrible. My heart aches at the thought of someone dying alone. My husband and I have significantly limited our going out and about. I am fortunate that I can work from home - he is retired. Stay safe. 

Fact checking statement Mayo clinic Jacksonville  Fl over run last week   No not true 

https://data.statesmanjournal.com/covid-19-hospital-capacity/facility/mayo-clinic/100151/ - https://data.statesmanjournal.com/covid-19-hospital-capacity/facility/mayo-clinic/100151/  

Usk wrote: Fact checking statement Mayo clinic Jacksonville  Fl over run last week   No not true  DateAll hospital bedsAdult inpatient bedsICU BedsAdultPediatricAdultPediatricCOVID-19 ConfirmedTotalJuly 30, 2021388.391.8%279.1 of 304.0 beds used91.3%49.3 of 54.0 beds used100.3 N/A55 N/A388 659 July 23, 2021371.488.3%268.4 of 304.0 beds used86.5%46.7 of 54.0 beds used71.4 N/A64 N/A425 https://data.statesmanjournal.com/covid-19-hospital-capacity/facility/mayo-clinic/100151/ - https://data.statesmanjournal.com/covid-19-hospital-capacity/facility/mayo-clinic/100151/

It actually was true (although I wish it wasn't): https://news.wjct.org/post/mayo-clinic-jacksonville-exceeds-capacity-due-covid-19-surge - https://news.wjct.org/post/mayo-clinic-jacksonville-exceeds-capacity-due-covid-19-surge  

My daughter works in a local hospital where they have converted the PACU and HAVU units into COVID wards. 

Our family lost a very close friend to Covid in Jacksonville. Early 40s, 4 children. It is heartbreaking.  I fear the rest of the county will look like Jacksonville in a month. Im a teacher and the school stopped use of masks or distancing. I have no idea what they think will happen. There are many unvaccinated teachers.