Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #107

[CrimeAway]

Here's an interview with Dr Ron Tompkins (who has sadly just died), regarding Long Covid. Some more information about Dr Tompkins, who has done a lot of research on injury and ME/CFS
RONALD G. TOMPKINS - Obituary - Boston, MA - Casper Funeral Services | CurrentObituary.com

 

[KALI]

It's so strange. Even as restaurant owners in Southern California who interact with many people, there are very few that we've heard of getting Covid. In the last two years, we know of maybe 12?
For close friends, we only know of 2 couples. Both are very much out and about. Flying often.
Knock on wood it stays that way.

I can't believe, practically everyone we know has had Covid. Except for us. I have not even had a Covid test yet. My husband has had several, every time you have a medical procedure, you have to have a negative Covid test prior to a procedure.

 

[mickey2942]

It's so strange. Even as restaurant owners in Southern California who interact with many people, there are very few that we've heard of getting Covid. In the last two years, we know of maybe 12?
For close friends, we only know of 2 couples. Both are very much out and about. Flying often.
Knock on wood it stays that way.

I think that if you are around children, it is more likely that you will get Covid. Or around people who have children. Or people who live in congregate settings, nursing homes, prisons.

This is my guess...but, who knows?

 

[CSIDreamer]

I swear it's a total crapshoot. My job in retail has me running from store to store all week. I quit wearing a mask mid April 2021 about 2 weeks after my 2nd vax. From April to year end I ran markets 6-1/2 months out of 8 maskless. I've been wearing a mask again for the last 2 weeks or so. I flat refuse to get a booster right now as I really had issues with my Pfizer vax. God willing I'm still around in March, I will look into the Moderna.

I have seen my 95 year old mother weekly all along. She lives independently in a senior building.

So far I'm healthy other than the Pfizer issues I had.

 

[IceIce9]

I think that if you are around children, it is more likely that you will get Covid. Or around people who have children. Or people who live in congregate settings, nursing homes, prisons.

This is my guess...but, who knows?

I agree. I know quite a few people personally who have gotten COVID (mostly breakthrough cases, as they were fully vaccinated and boosted) and they have kids, or have been around grandkids, neighbors kids, etc. Especially kids who attend school.

One of my good friends who lives by herself never got COVID even though she had worked in the public ever since the pandemic started. She is vaxxed and boosted. UNTIL she recently let a young family with two school age kids move in with her (friends of ours who sadly lost their home but that is another story) and just a week after they moved in she got COVID.

The same is true of the patients in the clinics where I had worked, nearly all of the patients who contracted COVID either had kids or were around kids, especially kids who attended school.

 

[margarita25]

So far in this pandemic, I've had Covid19 and it took almost 3 months to get over it but kept covid fog. I then, as soon as I could, had two vaccinations. Came down with Omnicron the week after Christmas. Sniffles and slight fever. Week three, came down with painful, swollen throat and fever. The second week of January I came down with severe back pain and severe joint and muscle pain. Called doctor. He said that I have Omnicron post recovery symptoms of "back breaking back pain and severe muscle and joint pain, made worse because I have had four spinal surgeries and have arthritis and Lupus. I have been in severe pain for about a month now. The only treatment is anti-inflammatory medicine and pain meds. Doctors don't know how much longer this will go on. It's hell.

Latest Dr. O:
‎The Osterholm Update: COVID-19: Episode 88: Vaccines, Variants, and Long COVID on Apple Podcasts
January 27, 2022

 

[LadyL]

Here at the Retirement home our director is having a meeting today- I happened to see the notes when I was downstairs getting mail/coffee...the only Covid subjects were, she is asking if anyone has visitors that are unvaccinated - that they dine in the apartments. Also, she is saying masks are recommended everywhere (I find this laughable because her and her husband who helps out here, never wear them-nor does anyone else) and that she says we will return to "normal" soon. Whatever normal is- since I don't see any difference between then and now.

I know for sure that some have had Covid here. In fact, I was coughed at by a "friend" who had been holed up in his room, but ventured out. He said "don't worry, I am at the end of it" cough cough. Thank goodness I had my mask on.

I am especially concerned now that the super contagious B.2 is in the US. I have seen sources say that expect it everywhere by mid-March. If B.1 didn't get you, then B.2 just might. Also, there is some research that having had B.1 does not make you immune to getting B.2. Fun times. And like usual, I am the only concerned person in the whole building. MOO

what is B.1 and B.2???

 

[anneg]

what is B.1 and B.2???

Omicron variants
What to know about BA.2, the newest Covid omicron variant

As coronavirus case numbers in the U.S. show early signs of tapering, scientists are keeping a watchful eye on a newly identified version of the omicron variant, nicknamed "stealth omicron," that is driving new outbreaks in parts of Europe.

The culprit is a "subvariant" of the omicron variant, which means it's closely related to omicron but has some different mutations. Known officially as BA.2, the subtype has small variations that set it apart from the original omicron strain but not enough for it to be considered an entirely new lineage....

ETA: it's also in the U.S. (see earlier posts)

 

[LadyL]

So far in this pandemic, I've had Covid19 and it took almost 3 months to get over it but kept covid fog. I then, as soon as I could, had two vaccinations. Came down with Omnicron the week after Christmas. Sniffles and slight fever. Week three, came down with painful, swollen throat and fever. The second week of January I came down with severe back pain and severe joint and muscle pain. Called doctor. He said that I have Omnicron post recovery symptoms of "back breaking back pain and severe muscle and joint pain, made worse because I have had four spinal surgeries and have arthritis and Lupus. I have been in severe pain for about a month now. The only treatment is anti-inflammatory medicine and pain meds. Doctors don't know how much longer this will go on. It's hell.

so sorry you're going through that

 

[CrimeAway]

what is B.1 and B.2???

Sub-lineages (correct nomenclature?) of the Omicron variant, I believe. B2 is becoming dominant in Denmark, IIRC. Notably, Denmark conducts more tests per million of their population, than most other countries (source is Worldometers, sorted for tests/mill):
COVID Live - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

 

[LadyL]

Omicron variants
What to know about BA.2, the newest Covid omicron variant

As coronavirus case numbers in the U.S. show early signs of tapering, scientists are keeping a watchful eye on a newly identified version of the omicron variant, nicknamed "stealth omicron," that is driving new outbreaks in parts of Europe.

The culprit is a "subvariant" of the omicron variant, which means it's closely related to omicron but has some different mutations. Known officially as BA.2, the subtype has small variations that set it apart from the original omicron strain but not enough for it to be considered an entirely new lineage....

ETA: it's also in the U.S. (see earlier posts)

so not outside the U.S. yet?
I can't keep all this straight

 

[CrimeAway]

so not outside the U.S. yet?
I can't keep all this straight

The B.A.2 sub variant seems to have spread fairly widely already.

‘Stealth Omicron’ vs Omicron: What we know about the latest variant and how it differs from the original

The new Omicron subvariant BA.2: what we know so far

11 cases of ‘stealth omicron’ subvariant BA.2 found in California

ETA: First identified outside the USA, primarily in Denmark and possibly Norway. However, WHERE a variant or sub-variant is identified, IS NOT NECESSARILY WHERE IT ORIGINATED (due to an differences in testing and sequencing capacity).
Now also detected in several other countries, including the USA.
Viruses will mutate more as they replicate more.

 

[anneg]

So far in this pandemic, I've had Covid19 and it took almost 3 months to get over it but kept covid fog. I then, as soon as I could, had two vaccinations. Came down with Omnicron the week after Christmas. Sniffles and slight fever. Week three, came down with painful, swollen throat and fever. The second week of January I came down with severe back pain and severe joint and muscle pain. Called doctor. He said that I have Omnicron post recovery symptoms of "back breaking back pain and severe muscle and joint pain, made worse because I have had four spinal surgeries and have arthritis and Lupus. I have been in severe pain for about a month now. The only treatment is anti-inflammatory medicine and pain meds. Doctors don't know how much longer this will go on. It's hell.

I'm so sorry that you are going through this and having such severe pain. I hope you will get relief soon.

 

[anneg]

Here's another article about the BA.2 subvariant, AKA the "stealth" omicron variant.
A second version of omicron is spreading. Here's why scientists are on alert

 

[CrimeAway]

Yet another TWIV episode has landed. The expertise of TWIV's guests is outstanding, IMHO. In this episode, the TWIV team interview Dr John Mascola, who works at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID); he heads up vaccine research and was involved in the process of making Covid vaccines available. John R. Mascola, M.D.

ETA: Dr Mascola even talks about how the term "Operation Warp Speed" came about, at around 27:00 minutes in to the video.

 

[Lilibet]

Thank you and everyone who has responded. I'm getting really depressed by having to combat this for so long. The pain is very severe. Doctors do not seem to know how long this will go on.

Gentle hugs and huge sympathy {{{{{{{@lonetraveler}}}}}}. I have had severe back pain in years past. One time, the only thing that helped was liquid morphine. Even today I struggle with constant back pain, so I know how depressing it can be. I’m so sorry. Feel free to come here and vent anytime. We care.

 

[Fika]

Here's another article about the BA.2 subvariant, AKA the "stealth" omicron variant.
A second version of omicron is spreading. Here's why scientists are on alert

To add to the omicron family there is also BA.3 luckily it hasn’t spread much yet.

“The third, BA.3, is yet to take off globally, only accounting for several hundred cases at the most. “
Birth Of The Omicron Family: BA.1, BA.2, BA.3. Each As Different As Alpha Is From Delta.

It’s an interesting article about omicron and the difference between them and other strains .

 

[jakat]

Yes it’s impossible to know. I’m pretty sure I had omicron because of typical omicron symptoms. I had it this week as well. I bet it must be annoying! How long are they gone for? It make take a while but they should be back.

I noticed the first day I had symptoms. It increasingly got worse to where it is now. I drank a cup of tea the first day and couldn't taste it. I hope it returns, but so far, nothing.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

COVID was in Europe weeks before first confirmed cases, claims study

Researchers in Norway say COVID-19 was likely far more widespread in Europe, and around the world, before a first official diagnosis was made.

Scientists at Akershus University Hospital near Oslo identified a positive coronavirus result in a blood sample taken from a pregnant woman on 12th December 2019 and say she was probably infected at the end of November or the beginning of December.

“Our findings change the history of the corona epidemic both in Norway and in the world,” said Anne Eskild, professor and chief physician at Akershus.

“We actually found four out of 1,500 tests on pregnant women that were positive before the first case in France was diagnosed,” she told Euronews.

A cluster of pneumonia-like cases was identified in Wuhan, China, during December 2019, and on 12 January 2020 Chinese authorities shared the gene sequence of the new rapidly-spreading novel coronavirus.

(...)

“The catchment area of our hospital includes women who come from all over the world. I think that some of the women who were positive were born or had been in, or had relatives or visitors from places all over the world” she explains.

“The conclusion to this is that since the women in our catchment area are from all over the world, the virus may have been all over the world before the Chinese announced the epidemic.”

(More at link)

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Here's an interview with Dr Ron Tompkins (who has sadly just died), regarding Long Covid. Some more information about Dr Tompkins, who has done a lot of research on injury and ME/CFS
RONALD G. TOMPKINS - Obituary - Boston, MA - Casper Funeral Services | CurrentObituary.com

Thank you so much for posting this. Both the obit and the interview. We all know people who are suffering from long covid, and it is so painful to be able to do nothing to help them.
And what a career with Dr. Tompkins.

again...thanks.