# Should You Ask If a Service Provider Has Been Vaccinated



## Jules (Sep 2, 2021)

Should you ask/should they tell you?

If you’re going to a personal service provider like a hairdresser, chiropractor, essentially anyone who are going to be very close to for more than 1/2 hour, should you ask when you make the appointment if they have had their vaccine. 

My friend didn’t want to ask the receptionist, so she cancelled her appointment. 

If I know someone that is anti-vax, I don’t go to them.  I haven’t asked my hairdresser.  If she said no, then that would be the end for us. 

If someone feels strongly that they shouldn’t take the vaccine, then they should be candid about it right up front, JMO.


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## MrPants (Sep 2, 2021)

I wouldn't hesitate to ask. If they say "none of your business" or something to that effect then they're not getting MY business. There's plenty of other people providing the same service you can go to.
Why the secrecy about who's vaccinated and who's not. I don't get it. I would be happy to tell anyone who asked what my status is, whether I'm vaxxed or not.


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## Tish (Sep 2, 2021)

I wouldn't hesitate to ask.


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## cdestroyer (Sep 2, 2021)

why shouldn't I know? you keeping military nuclear weapons secret, or that some movie star bedded another? you don't tell I go someplace else.


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## Shero (Sep 2, 2021)

Great thread Jules. Yes, I have no hesitation to ask.  I am glad you brought this up and am interested to read replies


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## Leonie (Sep 2, 2021)

I can't see a problem with asking someone if they are vaccinated.  Of course, we are then relying on them telling the truth, unless we're prepared to go further and ask for proof.  I'm not sure I would feel comfortable doing that.

Some businesses are already stating that they will demand vaccination as a requirement of working there, so the point might be moot in the not too distant future.  Those that demand their staff be vaccinated will no doubt make it part of their advertising so it will be easy enough to find them.

Those that choose not to do so will probably fall by the wayside.


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## OneEyedDiva (Sep 2, 2021)

I would ask if it's something I wanted or needed to know. I haven't been vaccinated (yet) but I am ultra careful. When I'm asked, usually for medical purposes, I readily respond with the truth. Friends and acquaintances are asking the question and making our statuses known. No problems. The KN95 masks are my best friends and I'm OCD about washing my hands (even before COVID). I put "outside clothes" in the laundry as soon as I get back home and rewash all exposed parts of my body (usually my forearms, face, neck and hands. I had a negative antibody test in May and tested negative for COVID less than a month ago. I live alone and have had limited contact with others.

Our senior center is finally opening back up but I understand vaccines aren't a requirement but masks are, of course. I'd venture to guess at last half, if not all of the members are vaccinated. The place is big enough that social distancing is probable. They closed more than a year ago so I imagine they revamped the hall to include updated safety measures.


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## win231 (Sep 2, 2021)

MrPants said:


> I wouldn't hesitate to ask. If they say "none of your business" or something to that effect then they're not getting MY business. There's plenty of other people providing the same service you can go to.
> Why the secrecy about who's vaccinated and who's not. I don't get it. I would be happy to tell anyone who asked what my status is, whether I'm vaxxed or not.


First of all, medical information is as private as each individual wants it to be - legally and morally.  That's the law, whether you like it or not.
It's no different than someone asking their beautician or chef if they had a TB test or Hepatitis vaccine, or flu shot.
Of course, you are free to leave if you don't like their answer.
When someone's dog approaches me, I don't ask if he had a rabies shot; I just start petting.  I guess that makes me "Reckless."
And, if someone chooses not to get vaccinated, why would they want to hear all the crap that would follow if the person who asked was a controller who likes to make decisions for others?
Before the Covid vaccine was available & barber shops were closed, my hairstylist saw his customers in his back yard.  When I showed up for my appointment, I put my mask on (as I always do out of respect for whatever fear they might have) & his wife said, "That's not necessary."  Her husband didn't wear his mask, either. They're both in their 70's.


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## Irwin (Sep 2, 2021)

What gets me is people coming to my house not wearing a mask and trying to sell me something. I don't think so.

A woman came to my house trying to get my vote in an upcoming election and she wasn't wearing a mask. She asked me what was my biggest concern. I told her, "people coming to the house not wearing a mask. I really don't want to catch the coronavirus." She told me she was fully vaccinated and offered to put on a mask, but by then, she had already showed really poor judgement. I'll vote for her if there's nobody better, but I doubt that's the case.


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## MrPants (Sep 2, 2021)

I didn't say they had to tell me, just said I would not hesitate to ask, which is my right. What makes you think I want to control what others do? I just said if they didn't want to tell me, I would walk away and take my business else where; again, my right when I want to protect myself. I don't give a rat's behind if you get the vaccine or not. That's up to you and anyone else to decide. I just want to know the status of anyone I'm doing business with at close proximity. Again, that's my right! The rest of your argument is completely ridiculous. Asking a dog owner if their dog has a rabies shot. Come on; that's the best analogy you can come up with


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## Sunny (Sep 3, 2021)

The only thing wrong with asking if they are vaccinated is:  How do you know they are telling the truth?  Unless you require that they show you their vaccination card, they could be lying, just to get your business.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 3, 2021)

I agree with Sunny, many people just tell us what they think we want to hear.

I don’t ask I just assume that everyone I come in contact with isn’t vaccinated.

I also get a feel from the way a business is run.  Some places are buttoned up while others seem lax.  I know that is just a gut feeling but it makes me feel more comfortable when I’m in a business   that takes the time to disinfect between customers, employees wear masks, etc...

I still wear a mask when I’m in an enclosed space, use hand sanitizer and social distance where possible.

So far those precautions and the J&J vaccine have been enough.  I’m hoping that a J&J booster will be available this fall.


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## John cycling (Sep 3, 2021)

win231 said:


> When someone's dog approaches me, I don't ask if he had a rabies shot; I just start petting.  I guess that makes me "Reckless."
> And, if someone chooses not to get vaccinated, why would they want to hear all the crap that would follow if the person who asked was a controller who likes to make decisions for others?



Any stranger who is foaming at the mouth and asks me such a ridiculous question probably has rabies and has not had the rabies shot, so I stay as far away from them as possible.    Also I don't shop at any stores that are obsessive about spraying toxic chemicals all over the place including the carts, the checkout counters, and in the case of Trader Joe's, on the food.


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## Furryanimal (Sep 3, 2021)

I wouldn’t ask.
it is none of my business.
And I’m not bothered anyway.


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## Brookswood (Sep 3, 2021)

I was going to say ask, but I remember how an acquaintance's 30-something son came down with Covid and ended up spending a week in the hospital and nearly 6 weeks at home recuperating from Covid.    In the Spring he was called into work for a few days. Everybody who was called in was supposed to get a Covid test first and only show up if the test was negative.   One coworker apparently lied about testing negative (apparently he was never tested) and gave Covid to this young man. So....

In reality, since the Delta variant is so nasty and the current infection rate is rather high,  it's best to play it safe at this time.  Get a good N95 or KN95 mask, and wear it if you need to be in close contact with people whose veracity you cannot confirm.   I avoid insidoor contact with anybody who I don't need to do business with.


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## win231 (Sep 3, 2021)

Furryanimal said:


> I wouldn’t ask.
> it is none of my business.
> And I’m not bothered anyway.


Same here.


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## win231 (Sep 4, 2021)

Brookswood said:


> I was going to say ask, but I remember how an acquaintance's 30-something son came down with Covid and ended up spending a week in the hospital and nearly 6 weeks at home recuperating from Covid.    In the Spring he was called into work for a few days. Everybody who was called in was supposed to get a Covid test first and only show up if the test was negative.   One coworker apparently lied about testing negative (apparently he was never tested) and gave Covid to this young man. So....
> 
> In reality, since the Delta variant is so nasty and the current infection rate is rather high,  it's best to play it safe at this time.  Get a good N95 or KN95 mask, and wear it if you need to be in close contact with people whose veracity you cannot confirm.   I avoid insidoor contact with anybody who I don't need to do business with.


You are making an invalid assumption to fit your need to place blame.  You are not even certain about the co-worker "lying" about a negative test; you say "one co-worker _apparently _lied."  (assuming such a co-worker exists)
Covid is airborne & there is no way to know who gave it to someone or where someone got it.  Symptoms may appear hours after exposure.

You are not alone in being desperate to place blame.
Last year, my idiotic nephew blamed me for giving my sister a cold.  She came over to set a table for company & a few minutes after she left, we both got colds at exactly the same time.  Just colds - not Covid.  Sore throat, cough & runny noses.
When he found out his mom was sick, he called me & said_ "I know you gave my mom your cold."_
I said, _"How do you know your mom didn't give me *her* cold?" _ He said, _"I know it's your fault."_
I reminded the fool that it was his mom's idea to come & set the table.
He was so determined to blame me, he said, _"You should have told her to stay away from you."_
I said, _"Please use your brain, or better yet, get one.  Neither one of us was sick when she came.  Your mom is 67 - old enough to make up her own mind.  And if you wanted her to stay away from me, why didn't YOU tell her?"_
My nephew is 37.  I suggested he grow a pair, stop being afraid of his mommy & change his psycho meds; they weren't helping him.
I also told him to stay away from me.   Forever.


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## terry123 (Sep 4, 2021)

I had an AT&T repairman come the other day to fix my internet and he wore a mask and said he had had his shots.  He said to work they had to have had the vaccines and wear a mask.  I wore my mask too even though I have had the shots.  I had received a text from AT&T to wear a mask before his visit.  No one comes to my house without the shots and a mask.


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## cdestroyer (Sep 4, 2021)

same here terry123 and I might add I put my rent check in the mailbox for the landlord to pick up and puts in the receipt... distance and masks both......however from what I read in the news we are all going to get it sooner or later....I hope much later when I am already near death from old age!!


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## John cycling (Sep 4, 2021)

A phone / internet guy came a couple of weeks ago to repair their phone box outside the house, and he also changed the wiring in my house (a mistake that I had to correct when he left) so he was here for an hour or two.  Neither one of us wore a mask although we were next to each other and talking for most of the time he was here.  I didn't even think of that until the subject was brought up here.  If he had been wearing a mask then I would have thought he was weird.

A couple of city workers were out front repairing a minor water meter issue a week ago, so I went out to talk with them.  Both of them were wearing masks, but when they saw that I didn't care and wasn't wearing one they both took theirs off as well.  When they got back in their vehicles to leave, they put them back on.  

Likewise when I go other places, when the people see that I don't have a mask on and don't care, they take theirs off as well, and put them back on when I leave. Why? Because they're required to wear them by being forced to do so, NOT because they want to wear them.


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## AnnieA (Sep 4, 2021)

Since vaccinated people are contracting Covid and are infectious while ill with even a mild case,  your better option to protect yourself is to wear a good quality mask and ask your hair stylist or whomever to wear one as well during your appointment.


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## StarSong (Sep 4, 2021)

My hair stylist and my husband's (different salons) have copies of their vaccination records on their walls right below their licenses.  In adherence to Los Angeles County regulations, they wear masks anyway, as do we.  

I _do _ask people if they've been vaccinated and wouldn't permit someone unvaccinated or unmasked in my house. If someone isn't vaccinated or declines to state their status, I don't do business with them.


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## win231 (Sep 4, 2021)

cdestroyer said:


> same here terry123 and I might add I put my rent check in the mailbox for the landlord to pick up and puts in the receipt... distance and masks both......however from what I read in the news we are all going to get it sooner or later....I hope much later when I am already near death from old age!!


You read that we are all going to get it sooner or later?  Wouldn't the vaccine & all those boosters & masks prevent it?


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## Jules (Sep 4, 2021)

terry123 said:


> He said to work they had to have had the vaccines and wear a mask.


Good for ATT.  



AnnieA said:


> Since vaccinated people are contracting Covid and are infectious while ill with even a mild case,  your better option to protect yourself is to wear a good quality mask and ask your hair stylist or whomever to wear one as well during your appointment.


We’re back to masks being mandatory.  I still wore mine the last time I had my hair and she did too.  



StarSong said:


> have *copies of their vaccination records on their walls right below their licenses.* In adherence to Los Angeles County regulations, they wear masks anyway, as do we.


Now that’s what I’d love to see.


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## Judycat (Sep 4, 2021)

Last year before any of this anti-vax stuff I did ask my chiropractor if he had Covid. I think I'd ask that before I'd ask if someone is vaccinated.


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## Brookswood (Sep 4, 2021)

Your money, your health, your choice whom you choose for your service providers.


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## terry123 (Sep 4, 2021)

What I understand is that the shots and masks will help keep us out of the Hospital which is why I do it.  Our Med Center here in Houston is filled with covid patients who did not get the shots.  So I will do everything I can to stay out of the Hospital.


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## win231 (Sep 4, 2021)

Judycat said:


> Last year before any of this anti-vax stuff I did ask my chiropractor if he had Covid. I think I'd ask that before I'd ask if someone is vaccinated.


Many people may have had Covid without knowing they had it; they would pass it off as a cold or flu.  People don't go to the hospital whenever they're sick; it depends on how sick they are.
When I heard about losing the sense of taste or smell, I recalled a bad cold I had years ago.  When all the congestion was completely gone & I could breathe freely through my mouth and nose, I realized that I had absolutely no sense of taste or smell.  That lasted 4-5 days.


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## AnnieA (Sep 4, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> I don’t ask I just assume that everyone I come in contact with isn’t vaccinated.



This is along the lines of what I do as as well since anyone--vaccinated or not--can transmit the disease if even mildly ill.

The only personal health info that someone could provide to make me feel safe from Covid is a recent antibody titer lab report.


.


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## cdestroyer (Sep 4, 2021)

win231 no masks vaccines distancing will not prevent it but most likely will lessen it enough you wont die from it.


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## WheatenLover (Sep 4, 2021)

I asked the nurse at radiation oncology whether she had been fully vaccinated. She said she doesn't discuss her personal medical history with patients.

I thought about that for a few seconds. Then I told her it was a public health issue, not a personal one.

She replied, Well I think there are valid arguments on both sides.

Next, I am sending registered mail to the hospital administrator, each of the two doctors who work at radiation oncology, and the cancer center medical director. I am furious that some of the people who treat me for cancer may not be vaccinated, and that the hospital allows them to do so. 

First, of course, I will find out if the hospital requires workers to be fully vaccinated for Covid, If not, why not? And if the answer is that there is a nursing shortage, I will suggest that they put a limit on how many unvaccinated people can be treated in the hospital at one time. That number would be based on how many vaccinated medical personnel they have in the hospital, since all the unvaccinated ones would have been fired. And it will also leave plenty of room for vaccinated people to be treated at the hospital.


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## win231 (Sep 5, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> I asked the nurse at radiation oncology whether she had been fully vaccinated. She said she doesn't discuss her personal medical history with patients.
> 
> I thought about that for a few seconds. Then I told her it was a public health issue, not a personal one.
> 
> ...


Very intelligent nurse.  It's not often when a medical professional doesn't "Go with the flow."
And she's right.  It ain't none of your business.  Covid is not an excuse for rudeness.


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## Sunny (Sep 5, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> I asked the nurse at radiation oncology whether she had been fully vaccinated. She said she doesn't discuss her personal medical history with patients.
> 
> I thought about that for a few seconds. Then I told her it was a public health issue, not a personal one.
> 
> ...



I think the nurse gave you her answer, loud and clear.  She should be fired immediately, nursing shortage or not. Of course, people who are in such close contact with cancer patients should be required to be vaccinated.


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## AnnieA (Sep 5, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> I asked the nurse at radiation oncology whether she had been fully vaccinated. She said she doesn't discuss her personal medical history with patients.
> 
> I thought about that for a few seconds. Then I told her it was a public health issue, not a personal one.
> 
> ...




Do staff wear masks at all times?   Asking because if they're vaccinated and have mild cases, they may be afebrile and think they've got an allergy flare up but* the vaccinated ill are still capable of infecting others * ....especially so for vulnerable cancer patients. If they're not all masked, they certainly should be in oncology. The long-term care facilites I do consulting work for started back with the masks for all staff regardless of vaccination status weeks ago.


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## WheatenLover (Sep 6, 2021)

AnnieA said:


> Do staff wear masks at all times?   Asking because if they're vaccinated and have mild cases, they may be afebrile and think they've got an allergy flare up but* the vaccinated ill are still capable of infecting others * ....especially so for vulnerable cancer patients. If they're not all masked, they certainly should be in oncology. The long-term care facilites I do consulting work for started back with the masks for all staff regardless of vaccination status weeks ago.


Yes. Many wear them improperly. There are several gaps along the sides. Not good.


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## AnnieA (Sep 6, 2021)

So sorry you're battling cancer, @WheatenLover ...especially in these times.   If you can wear a high quality mask and face shield,  that's your best protection. 

Vaccines have turned out to be a useful tool to mitigate severity of infection,  but do not work well enough to prevent spreading Covid-19 to others which is super depressing. Those of us who have health conditions that make us vulnerable have to do as we've done from the start with social distancing and masks since we're at risk of infection from people with mild cases.


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## StarSong (Sep 6, 2021)

AnnieA said:


> Vaccines have turned out to be a useful tool to mitigate severity of infection, but do not work well enough to prevent spreading Covid-19 to others which is super depressing. We have to do as we've done from the start with social distancing and masks since we're at risk of infection from people with mild cases.


So true, including the part about it being super depressing.


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## AnnieA (Sep 13, 2021)

Several nurses I work with had antibodies drawn last week.  Two had mild cases in December.   One vaccinated x2 (Pfizer), age 38. 47 year old is unvaccinated.
Vaccinated nurse's levels were 170, unvaccinated 500.  Neither overweight,  both in good health.

That's why I think we need immunity passports for recovered, unvaccinated people based on their antibody levels.

Link to  discussion.  

Immunity Passports 

.


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## AnnieA (Sep 13, 2021)

Double post...


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## Ladybj (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> First of all, medical information is as private as each individual wants it to be - legally and morally.  That's the law, whether you like it or not.
> It's no different than someone asking their beautician or chef if they had a TB test or Hepatitis vaccine, or flu shot.
> Of course, you are free to leave if you don't like their answer.
> When someone's dog approaches me, I don't ask if he had a rabies shot; I just start petting.  I guess that makes me "Reckless."
> ...


You took the words right out of my mouth.  I was thinking the same thing.  Can they ask you if you have mental illness, bipolar disorder, STD?  If you feel uncomfortable, wear a mask.  I did not ask my beautician...but we were talking and she shared that she did not get the vaccine as of yet.. did not make me feel any different one way or the other.  They still require customers to wear a mask and some of the beauticians in the salon are fully vaccinated.  And you know... most people in relationships do not think twice in asking someone if they have an STD.


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## win231 (Sep 13, 2021)

Ladybj said:


> You took the words right out of my mouth.  I was thinking the same thing.  Can they ask you if you have mental illness, bipolar disorder, STD?  If you feel uncomfortable, wear a mask.  I did not ask my beautician...but we were talking and she shared that she did not get the vaccine as of yet.. did not make me feel any different one way or the other.  They still require customers to wear a mask and some of the beauticians in the salon are fully vaccinated.  And you know... most people in relationships do not think twice in asking someone if they have an STD.


Reminded me of a similar question.
Under the guise of "Protecting Children," some doctors were required to ask a patient if they own any firearms.
One dad who brought his 12-year-old daughter in to see her female doctor who was in her 60's was asked that question & he replied:
_"Do you wear a thong or granny panties?"       _She got the message - quickly.


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## Sunny (Sep 13, 2021)

Alabama man dies after being turned away from 43 hospitals as covid packs ICUs, family says​By  
Timothy Bella
Yesterday at 5:01 p.m. EDT

When Ray DeMonia was having a cardiac emergency last month, his Alabama family waited anxiously for a nearby hospital with available space in its intensive care unit.
But in a state where coronavirus infections and unvaccinated patients have overwhelmed hospitals in recent months, finding an available ICU bed was an ordeal. It was so difficult, his family wrote this month, that the hospital in his hometown of Cullman, Ala., contacted 43 others in three states — and all were unable to give him the care he needed.
DeMonia, who was eventually transferred to a Mississippi hospital about 200 miles away, died at 73 on Sept. 1 — three days shy of his birthday.

Raven DeMonia, his daughter, told The Washington Post on Sunday that it was “shocking” when the family was told that dozens of ICUs were unable to treat her father.

“It was like, ‘What do you mean?’ ” she said when she found out her father was being airlifted to a Mississippi hospital. “I never thought this would happen to us.”
Now, in DeMonia’s obituary, his family is urging those who remain unvaccinated to get immunized to help hospitals that have been pushed to their limits and struggling to treat emergencies not related to the pandemic. His daughter told The Post he was vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“In honor of Ray, please get vaccinated if you have not, in an effort to free up resources for non COVID related emergencies,” the family wrote. “He would not want any other family to go through what his did.”

Jennifer Malone, a spokeswoman for Cullman Regional Medical Center, confirmed to The Post that Ray DeMonia was “a patient in our care and was transferred to a different facility.” She declined to offer specifics of his situation, citing privacy reasons.

“The level of care he required was not available at Cullman Regional,” Malone said.

 Coronavirus variants are prolonging the pandemic. Here is how we can slow new strains.                                                                Coronavirus variants like are an expected part of the virus's lifecycle, but vaccines and other methods can prevent more infectious strains from developing. (John Farrell, Hadley Green/The Washington Post)

DeMonia’s case comes as Alabama hospitals grapple with a lack of ICU resources amid a surge in patients — many of whom are unvaccinated. Scott Harris, head of the Alabama Department of Public Health, said Friday that while the state’s increase in hospitalizations appears to have stabilized, there are still more patients who need ICU care than there are available beds.

“We continue to have a real crisis in Alabama with our ICU bed capacity,” Harris said at a news conference, adding that there were about 60 more ICU patients than there were open beds in the state last week.
Nearly 2,800 people in the state were hospitalized with covid-19 on Sunday, including 768 in the ICU, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. The number of total hospitalizations over a seven-day average decreased by 4 percent compared with the previous period. Although Alabama is averaging 3,641 new infections a day, that is also an improvement compared with its latest seven-day average for daily cases


Vaccinations are also up, but with just 40 percent of residents fully immunized, Alabama still has the fourth-lowest vaccination rate among all states — ahead of Idaho, West Virginia and Wyoming, according to tracking by The Post.

Jimmy Kimmel suggests hospitals shouldn’t treat unvaccinated patients who prefer ivermectin
After President Biden promised last week to use his power to circumvent the actions of Republican governors and elected officials who were “undermining” pandemic-relief efforts, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) challenged the president to “bring it on.” Ivey, who has pushed for the unvaccinated to get their shots but said the state would never mandate it, allocated $12 million in federal funding this month to bring travel nurses to Alabama hospitals experiencing staffing shortages, such as the ones that DeMonia’s family encountered.

Born on Sept. 4, 1947, DeMonia followed his father’s path in appreciating, finding and selling antiques at furniture auctions, according to the Cullman Times. When he married his wife, Patricia, in 1972, he joked to the newspaper that he “had to indoctrinate her into antiques.” He would eventually also become an auctioneer, a career in which his jovial spirit and recognizable calls — “Hey, bidda, bidda, bidda!” — would make him a decades-long community stalwart in Cullman, 50 miles north of Birmingham.

As the owner of DeMonia’s Antiques and Auctions for about 40 years, he would go as far as Chicago or New Jersey if it meant there was a good find, his daughter said. He once found a painting by French impressionist Claude Monet in an estate sale that eventually sold at an auction in Huntsville for $38,000.
“Not many people can say they’ve held a Monet,” he told the Times.

Raven DeMonia, 38, of Raleigh recalled how he loved Alabama Crimson Tide football and the music of Kiss, the Allman Brothers Band and the Eagles. She reveled in watching “Antiques Roadshow” with her father, saying he treated it like she approached “Jeopardy!” and would nail the pricing estimates.
“I always got a kick out of him doing that because he was always right on the money,” she told The Post. “He knew so much about antiques, and I was always trying to learn from him.”

Howard Stern criticizes unvaccinated Americans, casting vaccine mandate as ‘freedom to live’
Ray DeMonia suffered a stroke in April 2020 during the early days of the pandemic, she said, but was able to find care within three hours at a Birmingham hospital that was “covid-free.” He called her from his hospital bed last year and sounded like his normal self, his daughter said. He was eventually vaccinated, and he hoped the coronavirus situation in the community would improve so he could get back to in-person antique shows and auctions.


“He knew what the vaccine meant for his health and what it meant to staying alive,” she said. “He said, ‘I just want to get back to shaking hands with people, selling stuff and talking antiques.’ ”
On the evening of Aug. 23, Ray DeMonia had heart problems and was taken to Cullman Regional. The next morning, about 12 hours after he was admitted, his daughter said her mother got a call saying that the staff had tried 43 hospitals without any luck in getting him a specialized cardiac ICU bed. They were, however, able to find an open ICU bed at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Miss.
Malone, the Alabama hospital’s spokeswoman, said situations such as the one experienced by DeMonia have been an “ongoing problem” reported by doctors at Cullman Regional and hospitals throughout the state.

“When patients are transported to other facilities to receive care that they need, that’s becoming increasingly more difficult because all hospitals are experiencing an increased lack of bed space,” she said.

The family made the 200-mile drive back and forth from Alabama to Mississippi over the next week, where the Meridian hospital gave DeMonia “wonderful” care, his daughter said.
Then, the family got the call they feared: DeMonia had died.
When the time came to write the obituary, Raven DeMonia said, her mother wanted to add the line about vaccination as part of their remembrance. The move was similar to that of others across the country whose loved ones have died because of the resurgent virus or the toll it has taken on hospitals.

The daughter said the response to the obituary and her father’s story was not something she or any of the family had expected. She said she hopes the story of her father will be yet another warning to people that they don’t have to go through what his family experienced.

“Dad would just want everything to get back to normal,” she said. “If people would just realize the strain on hospital resources that’s happening right now, then that would be really amazing. But I don’t know if that’ll ever happen.”


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## chic (Sep 13, 2021)

Furryanimal said:


> I wouldn’t ask.
> it is none of my business.
> And I’m not bothered anyway.


I feel the same about it. No. The vaccinated can transmit too so what difference would it make?


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## chic (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> Many people may have had Covid without knowing they had it; they would pass it off as a cold or flu.  People don't go to the hospital whenever they're sick; it depends on how sick they are.
> When I heard about losing the sense of taste or smell, I recalled a bad cold I had years ago.  When all the congestion was completely gone & I could breathe freely through my mouth and nose, I realized that I had absolutely no sense of taste or smell.  That lasted 4-5 days.


I had the same, win, in Jan. 2020 only my sense of taste was impaired during the illness not after. Probably was covid.


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## Jules (Sep 13, 2021)

Furryanimal said:


> it is none of my business.


It’s _my business_ if they’re providing a service very close to me.  A hairdresser is near you for an hour.  If they don’t want the vaccine they should give you the information so you have option to not deal with them.


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## Ladybj (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> Many people may have had Covid without knowing they had it; they would pass it off as a cold or flu.  People don't go to the hospital whenever they're sick; it depends on how sick they are.
> When I heard about losing the sense of taste or smell, I recalled a bad cold I had years ago.  When all the congestion was completely gone & I could breathe freely through my mouth and nose, I realized that I had absolutely no sense of taste or smell.  That lasted 4-5 days.


Due to sinus surgery years ago.. I barely can smell anything.  Feel like one side of my nostril is closed.   I regret having surgery..don't feel like it had to be done..but listening to my ENT doc..I went ahead and had it done.  When your gut speaks.... LISTEN!!


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## win231 (Sep 13, 2021)

Jules said:


> It’s _my business_ if they’re providing a service very close to me.  A hairdresser is near you for an hour.  If they don’t want the vaccine they should give you the information so you have option to not deal with them.


But since a mask protects, & if they're wearing one, why would you be concerned about whether or not they were vaccinated?
And, if they were vaccinated, you're aware of the many breakthrough cases?


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## Alligatorob (Sep 13, 2021)

Jules said:


> Should you ask/should they tell you?


You have every right to ask, and if its important to you then your should.

They have the right not to tell you, but whatever answer you get you have the right to decide if you want to see them.  If it is important to you don't be timid, just ask.

I do believe that a vaccinated person is less likely to have the virus, and therefor less likely to transmit it.  However like a lot of things their is no 100% certainty here.  You just have to make the best decision for yourself.


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## WheatenLover (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> Very intelligent nurse.  It's not often when a medical professional doesn't "Go with the flow."
> And she's right.  It ain't none of your business.  Covid is not an excuse for rudeness.


I completely disagree with you. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center does not require its workers to be vaccinated. They will also not provide patients with vaccinated staff. I am being treated for a very aggressive cancer, and I do not appreciate unvaccinated people being around me without my knowledge.

I also, as do many cancer patients, have an immune system that is nearly worthless, due to the treatment. After going through treatment for more than a year, I am still stuck in my house and see no one except medical personnel daily, and my husband. I would be mad as hell if I caught Covid and died, after all that I have been through, and how extra careful I have been. I'd also be mad if my fellow cancer patients died because someone was too stupid to get vaccinated, especially for the reasons I have heard. I am fully vaccinated and so are the two people I spend time with (my daughter lives with me), except for medical personnel.

UPMC has 93,000 employees. 30% of them are not vaccinated. 

Plus, I was not rude. I have a right to know whether medical personnel can kill me with Covid.  It is a public health issue, all you have to do is read the news to find that out.


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## Shero (Sep 13, 2021)

I requested the movers coming today to wear masks, and they agreed,


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## WheatenLover (Sep 13, 2021)

AnnieA said:


> Do staff wear masks at all times?   Asking because if they're vaccinated and have mild cases, they may be afebrile and think they've got an allergy flare up but* the vaccinated ill are still capable of infecting others * ....especially so for vulnerable cancer patients. If they're not all masked, they certainly should be in oncology. The long-term care facilites I do consulting work for started back with the masks for all staff regardless of vaccination status weeks ago.


They do wear masks. Most of them wear them incorrectly - with big gaps -- and covid is an airborne virus. Wearing a mask improperly in a medical setting is just so careless. Obviously no one in that medical setting is doing anything about it. These are the surgical masks you see all over the place. 

I am much better masked, and correctly, than they are. I hope my strategy works.


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## WheatenLover (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> But since a mask protects, & if they're wearing one, why would you be concerned about whether or not they were vaccinated?
> And, if they were vaccinated, you're aware of the many breakthrough cases?


The vast majority of Covid cases now are not breakthrough cases from unvaccinated people.


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## Sunny (Sep 13, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> I completely disagree with you. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center does not require its workers to be vaccinated. They will also not provide patients with vaccinated staff. I am being treated for a very aggressive cancer, and I do not appreciate unvaccinated people being around me without my knowledge.
> 
> I also, as do many cancer patients, have an immune system that is nearly worthless, due to the treatment. After going through treatment for more than a year, I am still stuck in my house and see no one except medical personnel daily, and my husband. I would be mad as hell if I caught Covid and died, after all that I have been through, and how extra careful I have been. I'd also be mad if my fellow cancer patients died because someone was too stupid to get vaccinated, especially for the reasons I have heard. I am fully vaccinated and so are the two people I spend time with (my daughter lives with me), except for medical personnel.
> 
> ...


Well put, WheatenLover, and I completely agree with you.  

My daughter and SIL live near Pittsburgh, and that may be their nearest hospital. I will warn them about what you said. They are in good health and have been vaccinated, but still, people can land in the hospital for all kinds of reasons.

I'm wondering, when you say "workers," do you mean medical professionals are actually dumb enough not to get the vaccine?  Or do you mean other kinds of workers in the hospital?


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## win231 (Sep 13, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> The vast majority of Covid cases now are not breakthrough cases from unvaccinated people.


^^^^ Wishful thinking.
You have no way of knowing that.


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## win231 (Sep 13, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> I completely disagree with you. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center does not require its workers to be vaccinated. They will also not provide patients with vaccinated staff. I am being treated for a very aggressive cancer, and I do not appreciate unvaccinated people being around me without my knowledge.
> 
> I also, as do many cancer patients, have an immune system that is nearly worthless, due to the treatment. After going through treatment for more than a year, I am still stuck in my house and see no one except medical personnel daily, and my husband. I would be mad as hell if I caught Covid and died, after all that I have been through, and how extra careful I have been. I'd also be mad if my fellow cancer patients died because someone was too stupid to get vaccinated, especially for the reasons I have heard. I am fully vaccinated and so are the two people I spend time with (my daughter lives with me), except for medical personnel.
> 
> ...


I'm wondering if your doctor has explained to you that if your immune system is "nearly worthless," your vaccine can't protect you.


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## WheatenLover (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> I'm wondering if your doctor has explained to you that if your immune system is "nearly worthless," your vaccine can't protect you.


Yes she has. I'm getting the 3rd shot in a couple of days


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## WheatenLover (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> ^^^^ Wishful thinking.
> You have no way of knowing that.


Look it up


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## WheatenLover (Sep 13, 2021)

Sunny said:


> Well put, WheatenLover, and I completely agree with you.
> 
> My daughter and SIL live near Pittsburgh, and that may be their nearest hospital. I will warn them about what you said. They are in good health and have been vaccinated, but still, people can land in the hospital for all kinds of reasons.
> 
> I'm wondering, when you say "workers," do you mean medical professionals are actually dumb enough not to get the vaccine?  Or do you mean other kinds of workers in the hospital?


I mean medical professionals.


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## win231 (Sep 13, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> Yes she has. I'm getting the 3rd shot in a couple of days


What about shots 4 through 15?


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## WheatenLover (Sep 13, 2021)

win231 said:


> What about shots 4 through 15?


I will take what keeps me and those around me alive (or at least not sick because of me). I'm used to being vaccinated.


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## John cycling (Sep 13, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> The vast majority of Covid cases now are not breakthrough cases from unvaccinated



That's telling it like it is.
The only healthy people remaining are those of us who haven't been shot with the poisons.


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## AnnieA (Sep 16, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> Yes she has. I'm getting the 3rd shot in a couple of days



Have you been tested for antibodies?


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## Gemma (Sep 16, 2021)

WheatenLover said:


> I asked the nurse at radiation oncology whether she had been fully vaccinated. She said she doesn't discuss her personal medical history with patients.
> 
> I thought about that for a few seconds. Then I told her it was a public health issue, not a personal one.
> 
> ...


I'm so sorry you are going through this.  It's just added stress for you on top of your cancer treatments.

Absolutely, you have every right to know if a nurse, doctor, etc., are vaccinated in a Cancer center!  If they don't want to answer, ask them to remove themselves from your room and get someone in there that will and is vaccinated!

My husband has also been dealing with cancer.  When we go to the oncologists office, the first thing I ask the nurse who is there to take his vitals, "are you fully vaccinated."   Once, the young nurse answered no and added, her parents and sister all came down with covid.  I immediately told her to leave the room and find someone who is vaccinated or we will walk out.  I reamed the Doctor out for having someone like her on staff with all the cancer patients coming and going. We've never seen her there since.

I'll ask people until I'm blue in the face, if they are vaccinated, being around my husband and I, because his immune system isn't what it use to be.  If they don't like it, too bad!


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## Chris21E (Sep 16, 2021)

Yes...Will they tell you the truth,


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## Gemma (Sep 16, 2021)

Chris21E said:


> Yes...Will they tell you the truth,


I'm pretty good at reading when a person is lying.  If I felt they were, I surely would ask them to prove it to me.


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## win231 (Sep 16, 2021)

Gemma said:


> I'm pretty good at reading when a person is lying.  If I felt they were, I surely would ask them to prove it to me.


LOL.  My mom thought she could _"Read people like a book"_ and she constantly bragged about it.
Uh......trouble was........she was always wrong about everyone she read.
Another example of someone who thinks they have this...."Special" ability.


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## Gemma (Sep 17, 2021)

win231 said:


> LOL.  My mom thought she could _"Read people like a book"_ and she constantly bragged about it.
> Uh......trouble was........she was always wrong about everyone she read.
> Another example of someone who thinks they have this...."Special" ability.


If you say so....


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## StarSong (Sep 17, 2021)

Gemma said:


> I'm pretty good at reading when a person is lying.  If I felt they were, I surely would ask them to prove it to me.


Most people who aren't vaccinated wear their status like it's some kind of accomplishment.  "Sticking it to the man" kind of thing.  
Seems unlikely she would lie about it.


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## AnnieA (Sep 17, 2021)

StarSong said:


> Most people who aren't vaccinated wear their status like it's some kind of accomplishment.  "Sticking it to the man" kind of thing.
> Seems unlikely she would lie about it.



Know you qualified with 'most' but I wish to goodness I didn't have autoimmune fears about the vaccine and could take it.

Also, there are previously infected, recovered people with natural immunity who forego the vaccine because they already have antibodies.

.


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## win231 (Sep 17, 2021)

StarSong said:


> Most people who aren't vaccinated wear their status like it's some kind of accomplishment.  "Sticking it to the man" kind of thing.
> Seems unlikely she would lie about it.


^^^ That's an assumption with a purpose - to ridicule those who don't make the same decision you make to feel better about yourself.
In fact, it's the vaccinated who have a need to feel superior - as your example indicates.


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## StarSong (Sep 17, 2021)

win231 said:


> ^^^ That's an assumption with a purpose - to ridicule those who don't make the same decision you make to feel better about yourself.
> In fact, it's the vaccinated who have a need to feel superior - as your example indicates.


It's not an _assumption _with or without a purpose, it's an observation. 
(My ego isn't so frail that my vaccination status affects it.) 



AnnieA said:


> Know you qualified with 'most' but I wish to goodness I didn't have autoimmune fears about the vaccine and could take it.
> 
> Also, there are previously infected, recovered people with natural immunity who forego the vaccine because they already have antibodies.


It must be very scary to have autoimmune problems at any time, but especially so during Covid spikes.  

Presumably the nurse in question would have specified that she had immunity via a previous Covid infection.


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## Ladybj (Sep 17, 2021)

I understand a lot of people may disagree and that's ok..but I feel asking someone about their personal medical issues is inappropriate. When I had surgery on my toe and could barely get around, my doc made it possible for me to get a handicap pass for my vehicle.  I was going in the store and a lady (an older lady) ask me, why are you parking there (in a handicap spot)..  I told her, she look dumbfounded. I could have told her it was none of her business, which it wasn't.   I will say this again and again, you have no idea what people are going through.  A lot of people DO NOT want to discuss their medical issues with you. If you are vaccinated, RELAX.  If you visit places and you are fully vaccinated and do not feel comfortable, WEAR A MASK.


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## WheatenLover (Sep 17, 2021)

AnnieA said:


> Have you been tested for antibodies?


No.


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## win231 (Sep 17, 2021)

Ladybj said:


> I understand a lot of people may disagree and that's ok..but I feel asking someone about their personal medical issues is inappropriate. When I had surgery on my toe and could barely get around, my doc made it possible for me to get a handicap pass for my vehicle.  I was going in the store and a lady (an older lady) ask me, why are you parking there (in a handicap spot)..  I told her, she look dumbfounded. I could have told her it was none of her business, which it wasn't.   I will say this again and again, you have no idea what people are going through.  A lot of people DO NOT want to discuss their medical issues with you. If you are vaccinated, RELAX.  If you visit places and you are fully vaccinated and do not feel comfortable, WEAR A MASK.


I was an aide for a lady with Cerebral Palsy.  Sometimes I'd drive her somewhere & park & while I was getting her wheelchair or canes out of my trunk, someone would say, _"Why are you parking in a handicapped space?"_
Usually, I would say nothing.  They'd watch me get my passenger out & not even say, _"Oh, sorry," _which would have made it OK.
One hectic day, after months of that crap, I'd had enough.  A woman said, _"Don't you see that's a handicapped space?"_
I said, _"It's too bad your brain doesn't work as well as your mouth."_


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