Category: Health and Wellness Issues
October 4, 2020 -- Thanks to the more than 500 generous people who cared enough to spend a few minutes filling our Coronavirus Activity Survey. As we hoped, the results were extremely interesting. Most were predictable, but it is reassuring to see most Topretirements Members are taking the pandemic seriously. The hundreds of personal comments written in to several of the questions make one thing very clear - the coronavirus pandemic has been one of the most momentous events in all of our lifelines, changing daily life now, and in some ways for the rest of our lives.
Some main points:
Topretirements Members are more likely to take a vaccine than the general population (71% vs. 50%).
The CDC has taken a big reputational hit, with far more trusting Dr. Fauci.
Mask compliance is high.
About half of respondents will go to a barbershop or salon.
Car travel is viewed as far safer than flying
People are split about eating in restaurants and visiting friends.
Almost all of the survey responses were given before the President and some in his inner circle tested positive. Our hope is that people will take precautions even more seriously after seeing how communicable the virus is. Note that Topretirements Members and visitors are almost all aged 55+.
Here are the results of the survey:
Q1 Would you take a coronavirus vaccine if the CDC said it was safe and effective?
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
More than two thirds (71%) of those taking the survey said they would take the vaccine. This contrasts with a recent CNN poll, which showed that 51% of Americans would try to get the vaccine. In the CNN poll 60% of those over 65 said they would take it.
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[jcol/]71%29%[jcol/][/jcolumns]
197 Comments: More than two thirds of respondents said they will take a vaccine, but cautiously. There is a great deal of distrust of CDC as being politicized. Many would like to give a vaccine time to prove itself. Below are links to all 197 Comments on this question (Mac and Xcl versions).
covid-q-10-2020-csv-1Mac Download
q1-covid-survey-take-vaccineXcl Download
Typical comment: "Maybe. I wanna vaccine but I want to be sure that it is safe. It depends when the vaccine comes out. If it comes out before election day I will not take it because I think it would be a political vaccine. "
Q2. Who do you believe more about vaccine effectiveness and safety?
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Published on October 3, 2020
Comments 12
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
September 27, 2020 — We are curious about what you think is safe, and are willing to do in this coronavirus pandemic. Would you take a vaccine (and who do you trust more?). How about eating in a restaurant, visiting a hairdresser, taking a trip, having friends over? Please take…
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Published on September 26, 2020
Comments 1
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
September 25, 2020 — Every month The Wall Street Journal asks its readers to describe a random act of kindness that affected them. What a great idea in this time of division, economic troubles, and a corona pandemic that doesn’t want to quit. So, please use the Comments section to…
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Published on September 25, 2020
Comments 4
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
July 27, 2020 - From February to mid June there were fewer than 100 cases in The Villages, the giant Central Florida community. Retirees in TV went about their busy lives, playing pickleball, golf, dancing, and partying. Governor Ron DeSantis even bragged about the low infection rate in the sprawling community of 120,000 residents.
With cases spiking in Florida and on track to reach 500,000 by early August, it turns out the gates of The Villages are not Covid 19 proof. Sumter County, the largest of the 3 counties where it is located, is seeing a rising number of cases. In recent weeks the daily case count has been between 20 and 40 (in surrounding counties the figures are in the hundreds). Cases in the County are primarily among people between 65-85, a big contrast to the rest of the state where they are concentrated among those 15 to 44. Hospitalizations are on the rise as well in The Villages.
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Published on July 26, 2020
Comments 9
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
July 20, 2020 - Many people find themselves in situations like these. A relative invites you to a backyard birthday or graduation ceremony. You don't feel comfortable about it, knowing there will be too many people there who won't be careful about Covid. But then she says "Oh, Suzy would be so disappointed if you don't come". A different friend might ask a favor that you know is either going to take time you don't have to spare, or put you in a situation you don't want to be in. Or, you are in a group where no one else is wearing a mask, making you feel like some kind of alien. How do you best manage these situations?
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Published on July 20, 2020
Comments 15
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
July 11, 2020 — Normally by this time many retired folks from the Northeast and Midwest have found a rental in Florida, the Carolinas, Arizona, or some other warm weather state. Or, if they own a place, they are making plans to fly or drive south in the fall. This…
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Published on July 10, 2020
Comments 29
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
June 24, 2020 – One thing we can all agree on, Covid is getting old, even if it isn’t going away. Most people have been very good about trying to stay safe, keeping their social distance, wearing masks in public, and avoiding high risk behaviors like large indoor social gatherings.
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Published on June 23, 2020
Comments 63
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
May 20, 2020 — No two ways about it, the corona virus has been brutal. So many lives lost, livelihoods ruined, plans destroyed. Pain and suffering, deprivation, happiness taken away, etc. But, looking on the bright side, someday it will be behind us, thanks to a cure, a vaccine, or…
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Published on May 19, 2020
Comments 19
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
April 14, 2020 -- Let's face it, COVID and coronavirus is about the only conversation topic there is these days. So, we might as well have something interesting within that to discuss. Here are a few topics we hope we can generate some good Member comments on.
Is there coronavirus in your community? A member asked this question:
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Published on April 13, 2020
Comments 93
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
April 46, 2020. — The spectre of coronavirus and COVID-19 has us hunkered down in our homes. Senior centers are closed, the nets are down on pickleball and tennis courts, clubhouses are locked. Shopping trips are a pastime of …. time past. So what can you do – play golf!…
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Published on April 5, 2020
Comments 5
