COVID vax for Federal workers

The vaccines have as much graphene and squalene in them as they do microchips and alien lizard DNA.

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The vaccine contents are proprietary, so you’re lying. I don’t think you even know what graphene is, and I’m pretty sure squalene is not used in lipid nanoparticles

All plants and animals produce squalene as a biochemical intermediate.[4] An estimated 12% of bodily squalene in humans comes from the sebum.[5] Squalene has a role in topical skin lubrication and protection.[6]

Squalene is a precursor for synthesis of all plant and animal sterols, including cholesterol and steroid hormones in the human body.[7]

Squalene is an important ingredient in some vaccine adjuvants: Novartis produces a substance they call MF59, while GlaxoSmithKline produces AS03.

Thanks, I corrected myself. While the vaccine contents are proprietary the design makes it unlikely for them to need an adjuvant.

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get ready for mandated anal swab testing for the corona gamma variant-MAK and friehterman1 will be first in line im sure

Don’t threaten me with a good time

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Something is off with your numbers. I suspect your employees do what my co-workers do when they test positive for covid19. Lie, get re-tested until they are negative or stay home until they get over it never saying a word. Your company has had less than a 2% infection rate while the CDC estimated 15% of Americans had covid & that was last November before the vaccines & the additional waves the media is always talking about.

Also, I have co-workers who get 2 PCR tests before they travel. No one has admitted to throwing away a positive test in favor of a negative but it wouldn’t surprise me if guys have done it. If the PCR test are still required the next I come to work I might get 2 tests as well not to cut the 72 hr window so short again.

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His numbers might not be off. I don’t know the stats, but it could be that in the maritime field there is a higher percentage of vaccinated population (and I know a vaccine doesn’t guarantee you won’t get it) than the overall general population generating that 15% estimate. Although I have no doubt that what you describe is also happening out there.

The article by the Wall Street Journal discussing the CDC’s 15% estimate was from November 2020, a few months before a vaccine became available & before various waves existed. (back-to-school wave, election wave, Thanksgiving wave, Christmas wave, Superbowl wave, Spring Break wave, summer wave etc.) For his coworkers to still have <2% infection rate would be phenomenal. From what I can tell, @freighterman1 is an honest guy & has no reason to stretch the truth about anything. I’m chalking it up to his employees not being truthful & forthcoming with him.

And another thing, I read the vaccines weren’t neccesarily created to prevent people from getting Covid19, just not severe enough cases to cause hospitalization & death.

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Much of the American population neither quarantined, masked, nor followed social distancing guidelines. Given that, I’m surprised only 15% of Americans caught C19. I would have guessed the number to be much higher.

But unlike “civilians”, our mariners are under strict protocols, which they apparently follow. Last year, on their time-off they were required to go masked and do the whole social distancing thing. To this day, the few unvaccinated people here are required to maintain a 10-day quarantine before sailing, and are tested a few days before arriving for work. The test results are passed on to me.

Some sailors might blow off the quarantine and lie to us. But no sailor has tested positive that we know of, except two that admitted catching C19 on their time off. Tests are done 2 to 5 days before sailing. If a sailor tests positive in that window, the odds are against them re-testing negative in a couple of days. It could happen, yes. But it is more likely the opposite will happen. One of the two guys who tested positive was still testing positive ten days after his symptoms disappeared. Our doctors said this was typical. They also said sailing the guy was OK. Just because the virus is still detectable in your system, they said, doesn’t mean you can transmit it. What matters is how many days have passed since your symptoms disappeared.

It could be that someone got C19 on their time off, didn’t mention it, re-tested positive, and sailed. I have no way of knowing this, and I don’t care as long as they didn’t bring it aboard ship. I can only report numbers on what is reported.

Before sailing on each voyage, each mariner was given the usual diagnostic checks (temps, etc.) by myself or my people. To date, for over 50 voyages, no sailor has had symptoms. The same checks were made aboard ship by the captain three more times during each 24-day voyage. No symptoms were ever reported, except for one guy who had strep throat (a chronic thing for him).

I spoke with my own doctor about this unusual lack of respiratory infections. He said he experienced the same thing in his clinic. Flus and colds had all but disappeared, because quarantines/masking, etc. work equally well against them.

One or more sailors might have had the virus aboard ship but were asymptomatic. But all I care about are results: Did a crew member have symptoms? Did the guy spread C19 to another person? The answer so far has been No to both questions. I don’t over-think it.

I suppose every single crew member on a given voyage might have had C19, and each been completely asymptomatic. Implausible, but possible. But if there are no symptoms from anyone, and no spreading to anyone, no harm, no foul.

And I have to admit all of this was due simply to the superior quality of our people. Our guys do what is easily the hardest job in the merchant marine, and they like doing it. They are extraordinarily tough, capable mariners. A little extra self-discipline on their part would not be unusual.

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I have gotten sick every winter I’ve gone to Dutch, usually twice (flu/some sort of corona/rhino/RSV virus). This is fairly common and a result of seafood workers from all over the world flying in on the same plane. At least one of them is always sick in the winter.

Except 2021. I don’t miss it.

However, this repeated exposure to international viruses may explain why I’ve been all over during the pandemic and haven’t managed to acquire symptomatic covid-19. The immune system is cross reactive to other coronaviruses by the latest studies. This might partially explain your lack of cases. People that are used to using PPE and have been trained in its use being another major factor.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming winters. Hopefully ADE doesn’t set in for other viruses for the vaccinated.

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Kudos to you for standing up for & trusting your guys. Except for that one who committed a felony by forging & using a CDC document with a fake US Government Seal on it of course. 1 out of 100 mariners being a crook isn’t a bad average either. :hear_no_evil::see_no_evil::speak_no_evil:

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Considering the pool of mariners available at any time I would consider this group exceptional.

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Well here’s something a mariner shouldn’t do to ease up the travel headaches.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2021/07/two-individuals-fined-for-providing-false-information-related-to-covid-19-proof-of-vaccination-credentials-and-pre-departure-tests.html

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I think most credentialed mariners are pretty honest. Their livelihoods depend on it. Mariners who hold USCG documents go thru a background check. NDR and a general NCIC check used to be included, not sure now. In general most mariners are as thoroughly checked out as new enlisted members of the military.
Now this does not mean new enlistees or QMED holders aren’t interesting folks with a few skeletons in the closet but what a boring world it would be without them.

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A radical concept to the unfamiliar.

Not so much the deeper you dive however. Meet the beautiful and brilliant Dr. Sam Bailey. Her and her husband Mark are both MD’s in New Zealand who’ve changed their views over time.