Sticksboi05

This has gotten far beyond the topic, lol. We're not asking who has the highest blood oxygen level or who could win a decathlon, it's who is the greatest team sports in D.C. history. But while we're on this topic, Ovechkin is 6'3 240 and in his prime (this is 2014 so actually past his prime) had by a mile the fastest acceleration in hockey. Fairly absurd actually the gap between him and the rest.

I mean aside from vertical leap, if we're going on strength, power, endurance I'm pretty sure Ovechkin would win all of those competitions. He is 6'3 240 pounds.

The point is the NFL is not the best argument against the hockey talent pool. There is nobody outside of America competing for NFL positions, there are people in other countries trying to get into the NHL. NBA, soccer, MLB, absolutely, much bigger talent pool globally.

It's not like American football is cared about outside of America. It is more apt to say world's best hockey player than world's best football player. There is no such thing as an all-world quarterback, nobody gives a **** outside of the U.S. whereas you have the KHL and top leagues in Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic.

You should go to a game, probably more than any other sport the experience is massively lifted by being in attendance.

Alex Ovechkin is 36 years old and shows zero signs of slowing down. First in goals, third in points, and just tied Brett Hull for No. 4 all-time. It is a privilege.

I think Auston Matthews will end up with 600 goals if he stays healthy. But he's not the player Ovechkin was from 2005-10. But I think he more means when people say he's the Michael Jordan of XXX.

God created doctors.

This is a great read on the benefit of rapid tests in stopping transmission and how they are not meant to replace PCR but determine actively contagious cases. https://slate.com/technology/2021/10/covid-rapid-test-use-advice.html These two tests may produce different results, and it’s important to understand why. Obviously one reason is that there are false positives and negatives on any test, due to user error or other issues. But let’s put that aside. Even if they are used exactly right, you may get a negative rapid test and a positive PCR test. In fact, this is expected to happen. Why?This occurs because the PCR test is more sensitive to lower viral loads than the rapid test. For example, if you’ve recovered from COVID, the PCR will remain positive for a while—for weeks or, in rare cases, months—while antigen tests are negative. Importantly in that case, though, you are not contagious anymore. The antigen test in that case is “right” in the sense that you shouldn’t worry about spreading to other people.

I believe the blue line of rapid antigen goes through day 10 but this is an imperfect graph from an epidemiologist / immunologist. On average you are contagious from about 2 days before symptoms through 3-5 days after symptoms with a normal immune system.

COVID free as of yesterday afternoon. The vaccine-fueled immune system stomped it out rapidly.

Correct the FDA has only authorized Pfizer boosters for people over 65, highly immune compromised, or who are in high-risk jobs i.e. teachers, essential workers. Otherwise, boosters have not been authorized. The advisory committee actually voted against boosters for anyone outside of the 65+ / immune compromised quadrant but the CDC Director overruled.

Precisely right. Those are days where, especially if you're vaccinated, you may still test PCR positive even though you are no longer contagious, but rapid will be negative because you are highly likely below the threshold of being contagious. No test is 100% accurate unless you're at absurdly high viral loads, so it's best to take rapid tests in succession to be safe but they are the way to slow transmission in the general public. In the UK and Germany and India you can get them free, tons of them. They hand them out like AOL CDs, yet America is still fixated on PCR and wonders why we're behind other countries in slowing transmission. It can't just be vaccines to end this pandemic.

I was PCR and rapid positive for one day, now no longer rapid positive and the super minor symptoms have relieved. I've tested negative 3x on different rapids so I now know with 94-97% certainty my viral load is so low I cannot transmit to someone else. If you were rapid negative, and you end up PCR positive you may have a breakthrough so mild it's below the infectious threshold. The chart below is a good visualization. It's less about reliability, but that PCR and rapid antigen tests answer two different questions. PCR: Was I infected recently within the past few weeks? Rapid antigen: Am I actively contagious with COVID-19? (the question we want to know when we get tested)

Fear not people, I may have tested positive for COVID-19 but much better than: -polio -measles -mumps -rubella -diptheria - tuberculosis - tetanus - too old for chickenpox but it exists - see where this is going

Yup positive.

Ron Johnson is a moron and this dumb lie has been going around Twitter the past few weeks. There's always something new. I have a likely breakthrough (hate that word but here we are) infection. Feels like a super minor cold that if not for the pandemic I'd continue moving about my life with. Thank you vaccine, now the only symptom I have to deal with is temporary boredom. TELL PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED.

It is a beautiful day when Seinfeld is finally on Netflix.

Merck news is huge. Regeneron antibody therapy is very good but is expensive AF and requires hospital visit with IV. An at-home pill would be a game changer. Pfizer is also working on a pill for COVID prevention – awaiting results from their trial. Vaccines alone won't end the pandemic, we need effective treatments to make this manageable. But of course vaccines are still more effective than these treatments.

Ahh I missed that, thanks for the kind message lol! It's sad to be at the point where you can't even trust family or close friends to take proper precautions. My friend was at a birthday party where they literally had to tell the bouncer don't let this guy in if you see him because they thought he might try to come being COVID positive.

Sorry you had to go through with this, hope she is okay. One point though, PCR is not the better test for determining if someone is contagious - it's not designed to do that. Best way to stop spread is rapid testing because it picks up positives at a level of viral load that is likely infectious, earlier on in the course of illness when people can be quarantined faster. Oftentimes people get PCR tests and it's too late, by the time they test positive they've spread it already and they actually are no longer contagious.

I know many athletes opted for JnJ to only get one shot - it is not as protective against symptomatic illness as the mRNA vaccines or two-dose AstraZeneca. Yes you can spread it asymptomatic but vaccinated people even who are positive, are less likely to transmit. Less competent virus for less time vs. unvaccinated. If you're asymptomatic and testing negative repeatedly on rapid tests, odds are you cannot transmit even if you are PCR positive. Another issue - the vaccines were developed against the original SARS-COV-2, which basically doesn't exist anymore, we're in a Delta world now. Delta is significantly better at evading antibody responses, which is why it's causing more illness. Antibodies prevent symptoms as the first line of defense, whereas cells like T-cells jump in to prevent severe illness later on. There are actually immunologists who now think the vaccines really might be three-dose vaccines vs. two, and it's possible no further boosters would be needed. Time will tell and tons of factors. There are other vaccines that have required more than two doses. As for data, this is a great Twitter account to follow, as is this one.

This is a respiratory virus - vaccines that aren't nasal sprays aren't going to stop people from testing positive on PCR in many cases. The goal of the vaccines has always been to stop symptomatic illness. If someone tests PCR positive with zero symptoms, the job was done. This isn't to say this is always the case - many people are testing negative because the vaccinated immune system indeed suppressed the infectious dose so potently. The vaccines stop the virus from spreading beyond your airways into your lungs and the rest of your body where it can wreak havoc but it's not a magic force field that bounces virus off of you. COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-COV-2, if you test positive with zero symptoms, you are not in a disease state and therefore really don't have COVID-19, which is the point of the vaccines first and foremost. The other issue is half the country isn't vaccinated and natural immunity, which can have some advantages, is also less consistent. A vaccine that is not sterilizing isn't going to eliminate a disease by itself if so many people won't take it. Polio it didn't matter because everyone lined up and ate their sugar cube.

Pssst...breakthrough infections are normal with pretty much every vaccine, pass it on.