TallGuyJohninBKK

Much recommended for older adults age 65 and beyond... Key Facts "Pneumococcal disease is common in young children, but older adults are at greatest risk of serious illness and death." https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/index.html

Also, I know some here will take exception to the following notion.... But medical research has been pretty clear in coming to the conclusion that married men in general tend to live longer than single men do... Although, separate from that, those with good social relationships (as opposed to being isolated) also tend to fare better.

BeFALL is the right word here.... Be careful on those rickety, hazard-prone Thai sidewalks, slippery tiles in and out of the bathroom/shower, long stairs up and down BTS stations for those in BKK, and other danger zones here in the Wild East! "[Sen Mitch] McConnell will be among 800,000 [U.S.] seniors who will be hospitalized with injuries from falling this year. For older adults in the U.S., fall death rates went up by 30% from 2007-2016, and researchers predict there will be seven deadly falls every hour by 2030. Researchers say that “falls account for 70 percent of accidental deaths in persons 75 years of age and older.” https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2023/mitch-mcconnell-among-800000-seniors-hospitalized-falling-injuries/

The science and opinion of experts and researchers in the field is pretty clear -- consistent and well-fit masks DO reduce the risks of becoming infected with an airborne virus..... The general consensus is that N95 class masks called "respirator" masks provide the best protection, followed by so-called surgical masks, and then cloth masks generally the least effective. Where things fall down, though, is when it comes to human behavior. The masks provide protection only to the extent people actually wear them. And when they take them off or don't wear them properly, then they're at greater risk again. So, as an example, someone could wear an N95 mask at work all day, and be reasonably well protected. Then they go home after work and play with the kids who caught an asymptomatic COVID infection from other kids at school, and then, bingo, Mom or Dad have a case of COVID.... And it's not because the mask wearing didn't work. It's because the best masks only work, that is, reduce the risks by varying degrees, when they're actually worn!

More than the above, a lot of experts in the field have maintained that not only has the original Cochrane article been misinterpreted by some, but even moreso, that the original article and findings themselves were flawed and not scientifically sound. Examples include: People say new research proves masks don’t work. That’s bogus ... "There were 15 years of different studies included in this mega review of 78 research papers — six pertained to COVID, but many more were about flu. Some covered masks, while others assessed the impact of handwashing and gargling on disease transmission. Perhaps most importantly, several mask studies included in the new review didn't require anyone to actually wear a mask — rather, researchers just handed masks out to some people, and not others, to see if disease rates were better when masks were available (they were.)" https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/people-say-new-research-proves-masks-don-t-work-that-s-bogus/ar-AA18mdiB AND COMMENTARY: Wear a respirator, not a cloth or surgical mask, to protect against respiratory viruses Two recent publications conclude there are no differences between surgical masks and respirators for preventing person-to-person transmission of infectious respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. But these studies are deeply flawed. ... The Cochrane review must be considered in the context of the authors' biases. ... The Cochrane review has a number of serious methodological flaws, as well. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/commentary-wear-respirator-not-cloth-or-surgical-mask-protect-against-respiratory-viruses AND Q&A: What a major review does and does not tell us about masks and COVID-19 "A major limitation is that many of the mask studies took place in health care settings, and the health care workers wore masks only when interacting with patients. The health care workers probably did not wear masks at other times, like at home or when interacting with people in the community — for example, restaurants, shopping, socializing — and they easily could have picked up infections in those other settings. ... There is no question that a high-quality, well-fitting mask can reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection if worn properly and consistently." --Linsey C. Marr, PhD, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech University and an expert on airborne virus transmission and mask technology https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20230216/qa-what-a-major-review-does-and-does-not-tell-us-about-masks-and-covid19

Statement on 'Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses' review Update from Cochrane: "The Cochrane Review 'Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses' was published in January 2023 and has been widely misinterpreted. ... Many commentators have claimed that a recently-updated Cochrane Review shows that 'masks don't work', which is an inaccurate and misleading interpretation. ... It would be accurate to say that the review examined whether interventions to promote mask wearing help to slow the spread of respiratory viruses, and that the results were inconclusive." (more) https://www.cochrane.org/news/statement-physical-interventions-interrupt-or-reduce-spread-respiratory-viruses-review

These things, obviously, are personal and medical decisions that each individual makes for themselves. But I can offer some general guidance. 1. The COVID vaccines in the U.S., including the new bivalent ones aimed at Omicron, are readily available and free. In Thailand, the availability of the bivalent shots, especially for farangs, is at best uncertain and limited. And if you found a source, if they class you as a tourist, you'd be required to pay 1,000+ baht. 2. In general, the current vaccines provide decent protection against just any COVID infection for a couple months post injection, and that protection gradually declines to a pretty low point after 6 months and beyond. However, the protection against serious illness and death is believed to be more long-lasting, though not indefinite. 3. The risks of bad health outcomes, should someone become infected with the COVID virus, even the current Omicron strains, increase significantly with older age groups, especially 60 and beyond, the older the person, the higher the risk. And there similarly are higher risks for people with chronic health conditions like overweight/obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and others. Even for younger people, there are sizeable numbers of people who have relatively minor symptoms during the initial infection, but then go on to have enduring, so-called "Long COVID" symptoms for months or even year-plus duration of fatigue, mental fogginess, respiratory problems, chest pain, etc etc. The way I think of it, getting a COVID infection is somewhat like spinning a Roulette wheel. Some people emerge relatively unscathed. Others don't, with outcomes ranging from minor to fatal. Problem is, there are no guarantees going in whether you're going to win or lose when you spin the wheel. That's why I personally believe keeping with recommended COVID vaccination is a prudent way to reduce one's risks of bad health outcomes. More than 13 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide since the start of the pandemic, and the very rare risks of vaccine side effects are far outweighed by the risks of COVID itself. That's the assessment of mainstream public health agencies and infectious disease experts, pretty much worldwide. WHO, CDC, THMoPH, AMA, Johns Hopkins, etc etc....

Except probably half of the kitchen appliances we end up buying here in Thailand come with landscape orientation 3-prong plugs, where one of them always has the cord extension interfering/partially blocking the adjoining socket. Didn't realize the problem at the time.... but long ago, when we had HomePro install updated 3-prong receptacles in the kitchen and bathrooms, the receptacle style they used had the two outlets both facing sideways in the same direction, meaning one sideways facing 3-prong plug is always going to block the adjoining receptacle. Why the receptacles are oriented that way by default makes ZERO sense to me. Why not have the side-by-side outlets oriented pointing upward or downward so there's no interference?

France has among the higher rates of both primary vaccination (two doses--about 79%) and booster vaccination (3rd dose or more--almost 61%) among the various countries in Europe, according to the WHO. And both rates being well above the world averages. https://covid19.who.int/table The darker green colors are indicators of higher COVID vaccine booster rates by country. France and its citizens are doing quite well when it comes to COVID vaccination rates compared to their peers. https://covid19.who.int/region/euro/country/fr

I'm not sure who is the bigger moron here... Chansley or Musk... Though Musk too appears to have some mental issues of his own. Tesla CEO Elon Musk Tweets About His Mental Illness, Admits To Unrelenting Stress And Bipolar Disorder "More than ever, people are suffering from mental illness, including Tesla's CEO Elon Musk. Yesterday Elon tweeted about “unrelenting stress” and suggesting he may be bipolar." https://www.indiatimes.com/news/world/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-tweets-about-his-mental-illness-admits-to-unrelenting-stress-and-bipolar-disorder-326962.html Perhaps that why Musk seems to feel sorry for Chansley. Kindred souls.

Here's video starting at about the 1 minute, 20 seconds mark of insurrectionists breaking windows to climb into the Capitol buidlng, nearby doors being opened, and then Chansley and other insurrectionists pushing into the building. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/07/07/release-denied-jake-angeli-qanon-shaman-who-raided-us-capitol/7887658002/ "Angeli and scores of others stormed the buildings in what became a mob takeover that sent lawmakers scrambling for safety. Angeli, in footage captured by a journalist with The New Yorker, strutted into the U.S. Senate chamber, posed for pictures on the dais and left a note for Pence. "It's only a matter of time," the note said. "Justice is coming!"

Chansley would have been better off if he never invaded the U.S. Capitol Building in the first place, and then tried to obstruct the peaceful transition to a new president. I guess he didn't get the message that no one had nominated him as President Pro Tem of the U.S. Senate.... "Angeli, however, decided to make himself at home. “I’m gonna take a sit in this chair because Mike Pence is a f–king traitor,” he said. As the cop looked on, Angeli asked another rioter to use his phone to snap a photo of him seated in Pence’s chair." That, of course, was after Pence and the various members of Congress had had to flee the Capitol chambers and abandon their duties because of the coming onslaught of rioters. https://londondaily.com/capitol-riot-seen-in-new-shocking-footage-like-never-before

Just your typical Jan. 6 insurrectionist: "He was arrested in January on six charges, including disorderly conduct and violent entry. His lawyer, Albert Watkins, told Reuters that the Federal Bureau of Prisons had diagnosed Chansley with transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. ... His lawyer also said Chansley has experienced some delusions, such as believing he was related to Jesus and the Buddha." https://www.businessinsider.com/qanon-shaman-mental-illness-diagnosis-in-plea-negotiations-report-2021-7 Along with believing that Trump won the election!

The OP may be a "stud," but not THAT kind of stud!

The simple things in life.... ???? In our family, the "what do you want to eat today" is always a big item of discussion, especially since I do the shopping, and my wife doesn't cook.

The same post-receipt activation process also applies to all the debit cards I receive from the U.S. (my home country). It's not hard to figure that the bank wouldn't especially want to be sending out useable cards in the mail that any criminal could simply steal and start using... Because, normally, the issuing bank ends up being responsible for fraudulent card use. I guess the part I'm not clear on your from telling is... could a person use your Wise card once issued without knowing or having the PIN code you set up? In other words, is the PIN code use only required for in-person transactions? If so, that leaves a pretty big loophole.

I don't know about that... I don't have a Wise card... but..... I have various credit cards, and every time a new one is mailed to me here, it's mailed un UN-activated form... meaning it can't be used for anything, should someone intercept the envelope, open it and gain access to all the card info. Before I can use the new credit cards for ANYTHING, I've got to either call in or go online to the card provider, and give them personal information associated with my account that no stranger is going to know. After that's done, the new card is activated and then can be used in various ways... I'd be surprised if Wise is mailing out credit cards that can be used without any prior activation upon receipt by the account owner.

I wouldn't be so sure about that, especially in Thailand with mixed marriages. From my perspective, it's healthy for couples to have time to do things together that they both enjoy, and then apart from that, time to do things that may be their individual interest not necessarily shared by the other spouse. I see nothing wrong with that. I don't have long philosophical discussions with my wife or necessarily discuss whatever news of the day I may have found interesting. But we enjoy each other's company, regardless of whether we're doing together or separate things. And of course at the end of every day, there's night-time together in bed, which is always enjoyable! The OP said he and the wife had common enjoyment of traveling together and Thai food.... Those are shared things and building blocks to enjoy in a relationship together, along with raising their daughter.

It had been 10 months since my Thai wife had her last prior booster vax... Today at IOD, the nurse there made a point of telling her she was overdue and should have gotten a new booster within 6 months after her prior shot... not 10 months. Today was #5 for my wife, and #6 for me, dating back to the beginning of the public vaccination campaign here in Thailand...about mid 2021. So I've managed to keep to the more or less recommended every six months schedule, as someone who's in the somewhat higher risk age group being 60+. Here again is the weblink for IOD's online appointments website for the COVID vaccines, though it's entirely in Thai language, no English: https://covid19.iod.go.th/vaccine/ And, they do allow walk-ins without appointment. Any future public updates may be posted here: https://www.facebook.com/CentralVaccinationCenter

The wife and I each got the updated bivalent Pfizer COVID vaccine today at the MOPH's Institute of Dermatology near Victory Monument. We did that on a walk-in basis, and it was easy-peasy... The room was busy with lots of people coming in and going out, but not much waiting. Just the standard three steps: 1. fill out a questionnaire form with personal info and medical history, which they update in their system. 2. go for the shot 3. wait for about 30 minutes thereafter to make sure there's no allergic reaction. As mentioned above, the IOD is doing the Pfizer bivalent vaccinations from 9 am to 3 pm (closed on Sundays) at the IOD, 12th floor. The building is next to Rajivithi Hospital and a very short walk from Victory Monument BTS station. The vaccines are free for long-term expats, but there's a fee for tourists. Foreigners need to bring and show their passports. The 12th floor vax area today was busy with all kinds of Thais of all varying ages... Somewhat surprising to me, not any heavier weighting toward older folks, as I might have expected. However, for the hour or so we were there, I was the only farang I saw there -- probably because the new bivalent Pfizer vax program at IOD has been very sparsely publicized. When you get the vax, they place a little sticker on your paperwork giving all the lot and other details for the specific shot you get. For my bivalent Pfizer vax today, my batch was listed as having an expiration date of April 30, 2023, so my batch was nowhere near expiring. The government's announcement re the IOD seemed to say they'd only be offering the new Pfizer bivalent vaxes there thru this coming Tuesday, March 14. But their online appointments system lists available appointments at least for the next several days after that. I tried to ask the staff at IOD today just how long they're going to be offering the bivalent Pfizer vaxes there, but being a Saturday, no one in authority seemed to be around. And the nurses could only say they'd been given an allocation of 50,000 doses of the bivalent Pfizer vaccines, and they thought they would continue until they run out.

And the Chinese made ones have been shown in studies to be less effective at preventing COVID illness and deaths than their mRNA counterparts. There's a reason Thailand transitioned from using Chinese vaccines early in the pandemic.... to ultimately switching mostly to Pfizer and Moderna shots (along with their own locally produced AstraZeneca non-mRNA version, which pretty much seems to have fallen off the map).

Since last fall, Thailand no longer publicly reports mere counts of COVID cases, in part because they no longer have any campaign to test for cases, and home tests aren't reported either. What they publicly report as "cases" are in fact COVID hospitalizations, and they still report what they consider to be COVID related deaths, using a very narrow definition of that. For the most recent weekly report: The government for the week Feb. 26 to March 4 reported: --7 COVID deaths, average of 1 per day --147 COVID hospitalizations, average 21 per day And cumulative thus far for 2023: -- 249 COVID deaths -- 4,263 COVID hospitalizations https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/posts/pfbid02u1AocPvCZhGRbNVZcsd8ndEs7SL9vpqUibvWKZoMxKJcB4MjWGZHDpXRRL6yvvqtl

Because COVID is continuing to kill and hospitalize people around the world, for example, about 300 COVID fatalities per day in the U.S. and about 3,300 COVID hospitalizations there per day. And the risks are greater to the unvaccinated vs the vaccinated, as shown in my prior post above. Source link US CDC

Based on your post, I'd assume you're not dead and weren't hospitalized from your two bouts of COVID... So it certainly seems like the vaccines may have done exactly what they were principally designed to do, especially after newer variants replaced the original one -- help keep you alive and out of the hospital. Not everyone has been so fortunate, especially the unvaccinated. US CDC source link

Here's apparently where the original announcement was made via FB on March 6: https://www.facebook.com/CentralVaccinationCenter/posts/pfbid0P8Yx1pfhjaDei27Yr1MHvCUce8NmbycAU7Q9CfZjkwxhFjhTTikvYeN4B9anEVoel