kenomora

Doesn't seem like Josh will come back. I am really rooting for him for next year's Emmy for best supporting actor though.

Saw this a few weeks ago and cannot get it out of my head. So beautiful. I cried my eyes out a few times throughout. Josh and Alec are such great actors and very open and vulnerable in the film, considering they're both straight. They're also super yummy.

Hi Redwine56, I'm genuinely sorry for your loss. I can only imagine having to die in pain and completely alone, and in a sedated state does not really understand why nobody was there for them. These beloved elderly have done so much for us and survived all the hardships in life.....they did not deserve to die this way. We have tested a lot of skilled nursing facilities, and at least 40-50% of the residents always test positive, and it's always somebody from the outside world that has brought the virus in with them. Each time I hear a story like yours, I cry. You and your mother have experienced the absolute worst, and unfortunately there have been at least 200,000 more stories that are pretty much similar to yours. As a healthcare professional I know how devastating this disease can be, but my experience is nothing compared to that of people whose loved ones were taken away due to COVID-19. All I can do is to try to do my job well and educate the public so people know how to keep themselves and those around them safe until we have a better tool to control this infection.

Unfortunately, assuming that you do not know if the encounter you had was with an infected person or not, that's the safest thing to do. One could try to get a test before 10-14 days, but a negative test during that time still does not mean you're in the clear.

You are most welcome, Mr. Kyle_paul11. However, you are still wrong about a few things. I have literally been living and breathing all things COVID-19 and working 80-hour weeks trying to save lives of the millions of people I serve since this whole damn thing began. With that, I think it's fair to say that what I pull out of my brain is much more than hearsay. And it's all about health. Not sure why you don't think it has not been. If it had not been about health I wouldn't have had to work this hard to keep my people COVID-19 free. Anyway, it does not seem though that any reasoning could convince you otherwise. I'll just focus on providing my professional recommendation here for those who are interested in what I have to share. Edited to add some more info: Mr. Kyle or Paul or whatever this name is, mentioned on the next page that if COVID-19 is so bad why did schools open? Welp, if he had read any news at all he would have known that quite a few schools and large universities that initially opened had to switch back to doing everything online after only a few days due to the explosion of cases among students and staff. I would have created another post, but do not wish to continue on and on with this lovely banter with him.

So many wrong things being brought up here.....again. Let me break it down for you. Screening body temp at the door and asking questions won't help. Not everyone has a fever or two other symptoms. Of course the science changes as we know more about the virus and how it spreads. This is not inconsistency. Recommendations change because there are new data to support them. Politics occasionally influences what the CDC says, but not by much. The disease is deadly, or can make you really miserable for a long time or even leave permanent damage. Some of us will get more sick than others and there isn't always an explanation. People are still out and about because we all need to do stuff outside once in a while. It is a risk. There is no way the government can disinfect all public places. There is no way a masseuse can keep his studio clean enough to not spread the virus form one client or from themselves to another client, or vice versa. Testing before and after a session doesn't necessarily help. If you've had a session, just self-isolate for 10 days. The world welcomes you back if you're still not sick by then. When you decide to take a risk, you automatically bring those around you for the ride. People still travel because they have to. Airlines still operate so they can pay their staff. And apparently they still have lay off a crap ton of people. Traveling is still a huge risk and yes travel really should have been shut down. In some Asian countries with almost no new cases nowadays you can't fly in without facing a 2-week state quarantine. Don't talk about how "COVID deaths aren't really COVID deaths" if you don't have a basic concept of how people get sick and die. A great analogy I found on Twitter "I have Type 1 diabetes. I am healthy enough to run ultramarathons. If I get attacked by a bear & the ICU has trouble managing my blood sugar while caring for my bear attack wounds...and I die... the bear is the cause of my death." If you just need to get tested so you can feel better before or after a session, please stay away from public health clinics and go to your own doctors. Save those tests for people who truly need them but cannot afford to get them.

Oh dear, please tell you me you were not implying that it was ok for you to not worry about getting it again. Long term protective immunity has not been demonstrated, while there are many reports of reinfection or relapse. @musclvr did a great job of explaining that not everyone develops neutralizing antibodies, which are the antibodies that can render the virus non-infectious. Only about 10% of people who've had COVID-19 become what they call "elite neutralizer" See below screen cap from this presentation: width=554pxhttps://i.ibb.co/wpxTJDV/Screen-Shot-2020-07-20-at-9-40-42-PM.png[/img] Basically, they tested blood collected from >350 patients who recovered from COVID-19 in NY for the presence of neutralizing antibodies. As you can see above, the neutralizing capabilities of over 300 patients were so low (in the red line) it may not have been protective, while elite neutralizers have clearly developed protective immunity that actually reduced rates of infection in a cell culture model. Patients in the non-elite group did develop antibodies, but not necessarily neutralizing or protective. This is basically to show you that you really cannot believe you would be protected simply because you have previously been infected. Also, most of the evidence now suggests that even these neutralizing antibodies wane over time, sometime falling below putative protective levels within a few months. From my opinion, the vaccines are not going to be silver bullets. Experience from SARS-CoV and other CoV suggested that it is not going to be easy. Another point I'd like to make is when I see people say "I have tested negative, and so did my provider" I do worry about the type of testing done on them. There are a ton of tests out there that have been approved through Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA. Do you know what that means? The EUA tests are not as well vetted/tested and the manufacturers do not have to submit extensive data on test performance in order to be able to start selling their tests. The FDA website has all the package inserts for these tests, and if you read some of them you'd be surprised how little is known about the performance of some of these tests. Basically, right now there are 3 types of tests you can get: 1. Molecular tests: These are tests that detect the presence of viral RNA. They are generally considered more sensitive than other types of test. If you got your test done in a hospital or a large reference lab and you had to wait a few days, there's a good chance that they used a molecular test. Again, not all molecular tests were made equal. Do you remember the Abbott ID NOW that the POTUS was a poster child for a few months ago where he got tested with this instrument? Although it is a molecular test, the technology they use for amplification of signal to indicate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA is significantly inferior to other methods like PCR. It is so bad that they had to change the package insert to say something along the line of "if you test negative on this test you should get tested again with another molecular method". It's silly, but that's the truth. 2. Antigen tests: These are mostly rapid tests performed at health fairs, some field testing units, or smaller clinics. The advantages of these tests is that they are fast and not terribly expensive, and they are considered "waived" tests that are low-complexity and can be performed anywhere. However, the sensitivity is so appallingly low that, again, if you test negative on these tests you need to get retested with a molecular test. 3. Antibody tests: These are blood tests that would detect if you have developed IgM and/or IgG antibodies agains SARS-CoV-2. Literally, all we know now is that if you're positive for IgM, or IgM, or both, you've been infected in the past. Typically, for other infectious diseases the presence of IgM indicates a recent infection while IgG indicates past infections. Unfortunately, in COVID-19 IgM and IgG antibodies come up almost simultaneously so there is no use trying to distinguish between the two. The clinical utility of these antibody tests has not yet been established. Our lab performs the testing, but provides no interpretation because we simply do not know what it means! I brought up all of these because when people say "I have been tested", they really need to know what kind of test was done. YOU NEED TO ASK! Was it a sensitive molecular test? Or did you just go a tent and got an antigen test? Or did you get an antibody test which is largely useless? The media tend to oversimplify the nuances of clinical testing and this results in the the public thinking they know better than lab professionals. @big dale wrote really nice key points on the infection and transmission that really help some of us understand the epidemiology of the disease. Great job! Just adding another terrifying news I heard today. A report from Belgium demonstrated a few strains of SARS-CoV-2 that had a mutation in the E gene, which is used as a target of detection for one of the biggest automated tests out there and this mutation led to the assay not being able to detect the presence of the virus. This is one of the first reports of mutations that could result in false negative results, and I imagine we will hear more and more about other variants that can escape detection by different platforms of diagnostic tests. Fun times.

He's also listed here https://rentmasseur.com/FunFlexibleHands Saw him maybe late last year. Great, strong massage skills. Pretty aloof and mechanical. I think YMMV and I didn't get very far. With this $180/hr rate I don't think I'd go back.

Again, I'd like to remind everyone that there is absolutely no way a provider can sanitize their facilities enough to prevent transmission. There is no way every single surface could be covered with 10% bleach or other antiseptics for at least 10 minutes of contact time. I would also imagine setting up a sterile environment to be exceedingly challenging if they are not operating in a healthcare setting. There is also growing evidence that the disease could be transmitted through aerosols. If this is the case, none of those practices would do any good. If you're in a room with a provider who is asymptomatic or presymptomatic, or if one of the previous clients is asymptomatic or presymptomatic, your encounter is now categorized as high risk. I just want everyone to stop using "he cleans his place between clients" as a justification for getting a massage.

It is very important to remember that when it comes to a disease as transmissible as COVID-19, the choice you make is not really a "personal" choice. When you decide to take a risk (regardless of your own assessment), you also automatically make a decision for people around you and the public to take that risk with you. The mask on your face protects others from getting in contact with large droplets that come out of your nose and mouth, and does little to protect you from getting infected by others. And although more evidence is needed, it is possible that the disease could also be transmitted vial aerosols. If that was the case, being in a room with an infected person (who could be asymptomatic) for an extended period of time, regardless of the use of masks, would be pretty risky. Even if you wore an N95, most people who have not been trained to use it and fit tested with the right mask would most likely don/doff it incorrectly, which could result in decreased protection and increased likelihood of contaminating themselves while taking off the mask. One should also remember that it is highly unlikely that a provider would be able to "sterilize" or "decontaminate" their facilities unless they operate in an environment similar to an OR or procedure suites in a hospital and have access to medical grade sterilization equipment and antiseptics. It is not advisable to include such claims from a provider in your risk assessment since they most likely will not be able to achieve the level of sanitization needed to mitigate the risk. The bottom line is that according to what we know now about the disease, there is not much you can do in a non-healthcare setting to prevent transmission if you're in a room with an infected person and having close contact with them for an extended period of time. Avoiding such close contact would be the best thing to do at this moment. Personally, I do not wish take a risk and automatically put others around me at risk so despite my need for some TLC I choose not to venture out and get a massage at this time.

Correct! The general public seems to think that N95s would always be protective for everyone. The truth is healthcare workers are "fit-tested" and certified every year to make sure the make and model of their mask of choice still works on their faces. It's not fun (you put your mask on, then they put a hood on your head, spray super bitter stuff in your face and if you taste it you fail) but very necessary. People that fail their fit test and are unable to find a mask that works for them are not allowed to work in a setting where N95s are required. The bottom line is, one would need to choose the right type of mask that fits their faces well, and be trained on how to put it on and off safely. It's trickier than you think!

Had a very lackluster time with Ben. Canceled on me while I was on my way to see him the first time. Was late to the make-up session and appeared to be very tired (I think he told me he had worked the night before). While he was absolutely gorgeous and seemed to be a very nice person, he was pretty zoned out and there was zero connection. None of us was getting anywhere as the session went on, and I wasn't where I wanted to be even after I decided to help myself. I think he was just tired and I also blame it on the lack of chemistry, which was really nobody's fault. If there had been a connection and he had been truly engaged, it would have been a very satisfying session as other members have previously stated. That said, I'm a big fan of Clark. Have been to Rod and he is also awesome.

Speaking of observing trends, I have been following Effective Reproduction Numbers on rt.live website. Rt is a good (although not perfect) indicator of how effective disease control measures are in a geographical area. The numerical value represents how many people, on average, an infected person could transmit the disease to. The better the control, the smaller the number. The model used to create these graphs makes a whole lot of sense in terms of epidemiology, and you can totally see that the upticks in almost every state happened soon after reopening. I'm only bringing this up in case this website could be helpful for our members to monitor the situation in their state so they can make an informed decision if they are considering an encounter. The numbers are updated real-time.

I totally agree, except that in the US we never really got over the first wave so whatever we are seeing now is not even the second wave yet. I'd have to set something straight though. Some of the gents here seemed to think that the increase in cases has been due to the increase in testing, but the growing proportion of infected patients requiring admissions to ICUs/requiring ventilators strongly suggests that it's not all due to increased testing but more likely a more widespread of infection in communities, and maybe even an increase in virulence of SARS-CoV-2 now that it has spent some time in the human population perfecting their tools to make their infections more efficient. Most of the media are not pushing any fear-mongering agenda. What I'm seeing at work tells me that the we are so far, far away from being able to return to our pre-pandemic lives.

It's easier to catch than you think, and pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic shedding is real. I too long for a really good massage, but according to what I know and the stuff I see at work, I have made a personal choice not to take a risk at this time. However, as Mr. Jones has pointed out earlier in this thread, when it comes to a disease as transmissible as this one, there really is no such thing as a personal choice. By taking a risk, you also automatically make a decision for those around you and the public to take a risk with you. I do understand though that providers also need to make a living. This whole situation sucks and I really hope a sustainable medical solution is available soon.

Would be interested in hearing from those who have been with him.

Wow. Would be interested to hear from anyone who's hired him.

Wow the pole dancing is indeed impressive. Wonder if anybody has experience to share.

He (I believe) flaked on me once, canceling while I was on an Uber across town to go see him. Cost me $60 in Uber rides. LOL. Was able to schedule a session with him later but the massage was lackluster and HE mechanical. He was tired (he said he worked all night the night before) and I was also tired. He certainly was very "gifted" but was not at his full potential. I think there was a YMMV component too. I do not feel like I need to go back. Maybe it's just me since so many have had great experience with him.

Saw FunFlexibleHands today. Great, strong massage skills. Pretty aloof and mechanical. I think YMMV and I didn't get very far, but it doesn't really matter. I also did not prepare well enough to upgrade the session. All in all, great massage but at this rate I probably won't repeat. PM me for details.

Oh that's a totally legit potential contributing factor. No shade taken. It's just that sexual behavior is hard to change, and as a person working in public health I'd rather have people know that these non-HIV STIs are easily treatable and curable, but unless they come in for testing they won't have access to treatment. This is especially important as @[uSER=16909]Monarchy79[/uSER] had mentioned that a lot of these infections are asymptomatic in both men and women, and asymptomatic people can still spread diseases. Frequent testing form multiple body sites, rapid diagnostics, and effective treatment all on the same visit to the clinic (like the Express Clinical Model, which has been very successful in the UK) along with testing and treatment of sexual contacts would be key to controlling these infections in high-risk groups, which includes but certainly not limited to PrEP takers who practice unprotected sex. In LA County these STI cases must be reported to the health department and there are public health investigators (PHIs) who'd literally go knock on doors to find the patient and do their best to get all sexual contacts tested. We also have PHIs who'd go to skid row to talk to pregnant homeless women and encourage them to come to public health centers to get prenatal care and test for STIs. Some of my previous R&D projects involved development of rapid diagnostics (< 2 hours) for gonorrhea along with prediction of antimicrobial resistance (to see if the patient only needs one Cipro tablet and save themselves from getting stuck with a needle or if they still need a standard injection - depending on which drug works) and I believe at least a few similar rapid molecular tests are going through the process for FDA approvals.

Oh yes I totally get the absolute terror before you get the results! However, if you're taking PrEP properly at least you wouldn't contract HIV, right? I mean, HIV is now considered just another chronic disease that you'd need to take meds for regularly, but other stuff can be treated and cured (syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea - although gonorrhea is getting more resistant everyday) and it's all much easier to treat in early phases. Even some hepatitis can be cured.

I highly doubt the overall increase in STIs had anything to do with PrEP. There aren't that many people taking PrEP but the overall increase is seen in all demographics. For example, as the article indicates, there is an alarming increase in congenital syphilis, and PrEP probably has little to do with that finding. There is, however, a recent report that demonstrated an association between PrEP use and higher incidence of STIs in certain populations. There remains a lot to be discussed about the results from that study, but regardless of whether the association was valid, PrEP really works and these findings should NOT prevent providers from prescribing PrEP to those who want it. Instead, providers should encourage more frequent STI (non-HIV) testing especially in PrEP takers who inconsistently use or do not use condoms during casual encounters. Testing more frequently doesn't hurt, provides a peace of mind, and could save one from unnecessary agony or even death from other STIs.

Met him yesterday. I personally will not repeat but I am very, very sure many people will enjoy his company as he has much to offer. PM for details.

I have not been fortunate enough to find a masseur that kisses. But I think it’s just YMMV as with other extras. Let us know if anybody finds one.