Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #112

[Sundog]

Please don’t judge me too harshly for my faults here. I know I could have done better.

Yes, it’s an assumption on my part that it was not Covid. I’m much better than my husband is about protecting myself when we go out to the grocery store, or shopping, or wherever. I routinely don a mask, but he does not. He got ill first, and at home he is not good about protecting me from catching whatever he has. Because he tested himself and got negative results, I assumed I had what he had, and it would be negative, too.

I could be wrong and it was indeed Covid. But I did not go out in public at all, so I also don’t think I could have gotten anyone else sick.

Makes sense that if your husband tested negative, you likely were negative, too. I would likely do the same.

 

[weepingangel]

Me, too. I've always skipped the summer vaccines, if I am remembering correctly.

Same, just getting one a year thus far (after the initial two doses) I just doubled checked my vax card to see if it matched up with my phone calender notes and it did.


12/20
1/21
10/21
9/22
10/23

 

[Gemmie]

The experts I have read in the media all are saying that it's due to the heat and everyone moves indoors for air conditioning, hence the summer surge. They are saying, however, that the surge seems to be earlier this summer.

I understand why there's a summer surge. I was curious why you opt out getting summer vaccines. Just trying to understand from someone else's point of view.

 

[weepingangel]

Just curious why as there always seems to be a summer surge. We're going through one now, unfortunately.

We certainly are

 

[Sundog]

I understand why there's a summer surge. I was curious why you opt out getting summer vaccines. Just trying to understand from someone else's point of view.

I track our local data on covid infection rates and also hospitalizations and deaths so that I can take extra precautions when we need to based on the data. I get a fall vaccine since I live in a university town and once kids head home for Thanksgiving and return, we always have a surge locally. Then again when they leave for the winter break and return in the new year. I get another vaccine in the spring and then the cycle starts over again. I am outside mostly in the summer, we don't go to restaurants or indoor venues so by staying outside we are less exposed and at risk. We also want to limit the number of mRNA vaccinations that we get.

 

[slowpoke]

have people gotten a 6th shot?

I lost count on how many I’ve had!

But I looked just now:
01/2021
02/2021
10/2021
04/2022
12/2022
06/2023
10/2023
04/2024

 

[weepingangel]

I understand why there's a summer surge. I was curious why you opt out getting summer vaccines. Just trying to understand from someone else's point of view.

It’s a lot less convenient for me now that the vax/testing sites are not available and work no longer provides them. But this is the first year i purposefully passed on getting a second shot in the spring. January 2022 I was injured and out of work for a few months (and felt less at risk) and then in January 2023 I had Covid - caught at home, not work- go figure and was riding on the post Covid immunity high.

But it’s definitely an earlier summer surge this year, I noticed an increasing number of sick coworkers (not a scientific measurement, but it works for me) in May/ early June, last year iirc it was more like early July. Local healthcare briefly brought back masking last year by mid august, we’ll see what happens this year.

 

[Gemmie]

I track our local data on covid infection rates and also hospitalizations and deaths so that I can take extra precautions when we need to based on the data. I get a fall vaccine since I live in a university town and once kids head home for Thanksgiving and return, we always have a surge locally. Then again when they leave for the winter break and return in the new year. I get another vaccine in the spring and then the cycle starts over again. I am outside mostly in the summer, we don't go to restaurants or indoor venues so by staying outside we are less exposed and at risk. We also want to limit the number of mRNA vaccinations that we get.

Thanks for explaining. Since you get your vaccine in the spring (and fall), there isn't a summer vaccine, as they are once every 6 months. No wonder I was confused when you said you didn't get a summer vaccine. No one does if they are on the spring/fall schedule. Sounds like you're keeping up on them which is good for and those you come into contact with.

 

[Sundog]

Thanks for explaining. Since you get your vaccine in the spring (and fall), there isn't a summer vaccine, as they are once every 6 months. No wonder I was confused when you said you didn't get a summer vaccine. No one does if they are on the spring/fall schedule. Sounds like you're keeping up on them which is good for and those you come into contact with.

Some medical experts are recommending that people get another vaccination now if it has been more than four months since their last vaccine due to the surge. And again in the fall. I'll pass on the recommendation to get another vaccination (booster) now and wait until the fall around October or early November. Have to time the flu vaccine in there, too, as we don't get them at the same time and prefer a few weeks between the flu and covid shots.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I've gotten eight. Twice a year after the initial two close together.

3/21
4/21
11/21
5/22
11/22
6/23
10/23
4/24

It's my understanding that the "immunity" (not wholly preventative but helps some, plus reduces severity) wanes after about 3-4 months. So getting a shot every six months does still leave plenty of vulnerability, but I live in a very low population density area and I am also very limited in my indoor/unventilated spaces contact with others so I hope that is sufficient.

 

[mickey2942]

Gosh, Mickey and Gremlin, cannot imagine how awful it must be to have such debilitating symptoms for so long. What medical advice have you been given, any studies done on long Covid? Is it even recognised by the medical profession?

Best wishes for your recuperation.

I don't think so, in my case, any of my fatigue is attributed to my age or weight. Nothing has been really taken too seriously, INMO. My husband has had similar issues, which his is also attributed to age.

But seriously...we used to travel, go skiing, biking, cook meals...now, zero travel. Cooking? Maybe a can of soup or I make a baked potato. Believe me, I don't think it is age, depression or anything like that. We literally have not even gone for a trip over five miles from our house, I am too tired to do it.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Some medical experts are recommending that people get another vaccination now if it has been more than four months since their last vaccine due to the surge. And again in the fall. I'll pass on the recommendation to get another vaccination (booster) now and wait until the fall around October or early November. Have to time the flu vaccine in there, too, as we don't get them at the same time and prefer a few weeks between the flu and covid shots.

In addition to the timing of how long the effects from each shot last, there is also the issue of new variants that come along, and whether a vaccine can be targeted to a specific variant like the flu shot is.

I remain hopeful that within a few years there will be a vaccine that covers multiple variants and can remain effective for at least a year, hopefully even longer.

 

[Gemmie]

Some medical experts are recommending that people get another vaccination now if it has been more than four months since their last vaccine due to the surge. And again in the fall. I'll pass on the recommendation to get another vaccination (booster) now and wait until the fall around October or early November. Have to time the flu vaccine in there, too, as we don't get them at the same time and prefer a few weeks between the flu and covid shots.

Very interesting. I too will wait till fall. What I find interesting is "medical experts are recommending people get another vaccine now" when my own doctor won't "allow" a vaccine every 6 months. I found that out by accident when I went to see her for something else ~6 months after my fall vaccine, so asked for another one during my (spring) appointment so I didn't have to go somewhere else for the vaccine. I figured I'd save a trip, time, and hassle to get it during my dr appt.

I got it, but the gal who gave it was upset when she saw my vaccine record card which showed my last one was ~6 months earlier. She said "I shouldn't have given that to you". I said the CDC approves them every 6 months. She said, they don't go by the CDC recommendation ( ), but instead make their own decisions and they hadn't agreed that it was OK for every 6 months.

I need to find a new doctor as that's not my only issue with them.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

@Gemmie in my area they were offered by County Public Health Dept. I don't think doctors offices even offered the vaxxes in my area, nor hospitals unless you were an inpatient. I could be wrong, guess I never asked my doc since Public Health was my preferred choice anyway.

By fall 2023 Public Health was no longer offering them and my most recent 2 were gotten at a Rite Aid pharmacy, no apparent issue with how long a time had passed since the prior one. One of those had only four months' gap since the previous one.

 

[Gemmie]

Gosh, Mickey and Gremlin, cannot imagine how awful it must be to have such debilitating symptoms for so long. What medical advice have you been given, any studies done on long Covid? Is it even recognised by the medical profession?

Best wishes for your recuperation.

You didn't ask me but I wanted to chime in about long covid and if it's recognized by the medical profession. I think that depends on where you live. I've heard some areas they don't believe it's "a thing", other areas do, thank goodness. But there's also some that go too far with it. An example is me.

I had a fever and cough for days (9 to be exact). My doctor's office didn't call me back and flagged me as "Covid", even though I tried to briefly explain to the gal on the phone why if anyone didn't have covid, it was me (live alone, rarely leave the house and when I do, I wear a well fitting N95 mask, and I'm in and out of the grocery store so fast if you blink you miss me).

So I went to urgent care to be seen. While I was happy that the doctor on duty wasn't a disbeliever in long-Covid, he was the opposite. Neither are good IMO.

All he would say over and over is I either have covid, or I had covid and now have long-Covid. Why? Because EVERYONE either has, or has had Covid. PERIOD. End of story. To him, there are no Novids (Covid virgins). I had tried to explain to him like with my doctors office that if anyone didn't have covid, it was me (and briefly explained why). It fell on deaf ears. "Blah blah blah, everyone has or had covid". He couldn't even imagine for ONE minute that I might not be like "everyone". His advice was to just wait out my fever. We were on day 7 then.

I went to a 2nd urgent care and they weren't dumb butts like the last guy, and my doctors office, who both wrote me off as "Covid" with a big red stamp. They ran tests and did a chest x-ray. Did I have, or had covid? Newp. I did not. I had "mild developing pnemonia" (how, I don't know) and a UTI. Antibiotics kicked them both in the butt. Had I just "waited the fever out" like the one doctor said, it might have gone septic and I could have died. I'm not very happy with the medical profession, at least the several doctors I mentioned above.

So to answer your Q... some doctors do believe in long-covid. I just wish some didn't think EVERYONE has it.

*smh and lets out a pent up breath*

 

[Gemmie]

In addition to the timing of how long the effects from each shot last, there is also the issue of new variants that come along, and whether a vaccine can be targeted to a specific variant like the flu shot is.

I remain hopeful that within a few years there will be a vaccine that covers multiple variants and can remain effective for at least a year, hopefully even longer.

I love your optimism but as fast as covid is mutating, I don't think a vaccine to target what's going around on any given day is possible. I really, REALLY wish it was though!!!

 

[Gemmie]

@Gemmie in my area they were offered by County Public Health Dept. I don't think doctors offices even offered the vaxxes in my area, nor hospitals unless you were an inpatient. I could be wrong, guess I never asked my doc since Public Health was my preferred choice anyway.

By fall 2023 Public Health was no longer offering them and my most recent 2 were gotten at a Rite Aid pharmacy, no apparent issue with how long a time had passed since the prior one. One of those had only four months' gap since the previous one.

My doctors office does give them, several here do (~55K pop), as do pharmacies. I was just trying to avoid going to a pharmacy with sick coughing people since I already had to go see the doctor. Figured it would save a trip. What worries me now is you know you can't get medication at a pharmacy without a prescription from your doctor. That makes total sense to me. But what scares me is what if pharmacy's start insisting you get a prescription from your doctor for the covid vaccine? Mine would say no since they make their own rules and don't go by the CDC recommendation. THAT scares me. It's NOT their business. It's MY business. And if the CDC says I should get one, by gum I should be able to get it!

 

[weepingangel]

Have recently read -no link- that waning immunity (from winter infections/vaccines) and the emergence of new varients also play a part in the summer surges

 

[Gemmie]

Have recently read -no link- that waning immunity (from winter infections/vaccines) and the emergence of new varients also play a part in the summer surges

I found this. (The first quote was in response to sundog's earlier post about summer):

The weeks of extreme heat across the country have driven people indoors where the virus can spread faster.
[...]
New variants are key to when the surges occur, said Michael Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

“Each of the peaks occur relative to the arrival of a new variant,” Osterholm said. While waning immunity from the last round of vaccines also plays a major role, “it really is all about when the variants come.”

Covid's summer wave surges on as Biden tests positive

Cases are increasing nationally, especially in the West and the Southeast, as three or four new variants of the virus are driving infections in different parts of the country.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Gemmie]

Also of interest... (Underlined by me. I don't like the sound of "getting picked off over time". )

And anecdotally, some people have reported becoming infected for the first time after four years of avoiding Covid.

“It’s a little uncertain whether people had asymptomatic infection previously and now they finally developed a symptomatic infection or not,” said Dr. Thomas Russo, chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “But I’m sure there are some people out there that have never been infected, and they’re slowly getting picked off over time. Unless you’re a hermit living in the tundra and don’t interact with anyone, this virus will find you.”

Covid's summer wave surges on as Biden tests positive

Cases are increasing nationally, especially in the West and the Southeast, as three or four new variants of the virus are driving infections in different parts of the country.

www.nbcnews.com