Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #111

DNA Solves
DNA Solves
DNA Solves

New Posts

Status
Not open for further replies.
I just can’t go back down that road again like we did before. Covid is here to stay and we’ve got to learn to live with it. Like we do the flu. I will take precautions like I always do-I’m a germphobe. Get a vaccine in the fall and avoid crowds in the winter. There’s no way I’d ever take a cruise. Has nothing to do with Covid and everything to do with norovirus. Those ships are floating petri dishes.
 
IceIce9 said:
I had a routine doctor appointments today and inquired about COVID cases. They said they have only seen one COVID patient in the past two or three weeks.

But they added that most people are testing at home, or coming in for treatment or even reporting their positive tests if the cases are fairly mild.
Click to expand...
They (home testers) are reporting their positive cases or they aren't reporting them? Just wondering if there's a typo because all I hear is about the underreporting of home tests which can skew stats big time. It would surprise me if they are reporting fairly mild cases so thought I'd double check. :)
 
ug. have had 5 shots and 1 mild case of COVID. Do I get another shot? Some of my acquaintances have said no more shots for them. We have had cases at work and some people are masking- I do not know if they are infectious or being careful.
 
acutename said:
ug. have had 5 shots and 1 mild case of COVID. Do I get another shot? Some of my acquaintances have said no more shots for them. We have had cases at work and some people are masking- I do not know if they are infectious or being careful.
Click to expand...
I would treat each shot, as well as your infection, as "somewhat" boosting your immunity for a few months. I put 'somewhat' in quotes because I don't think the immunity boost is especially strong. If you are somewhere with covid virus in the air, you are at risk of becoming infected, even with precautions. Even if masked, though that also helps a great deal. Once 2-3 months have gone by, I would assume I have little to no residual protection and would opt for another booster when available.

I personally would freak out if I thought that masked people around me were infectious and thought masking meant it was ok for them to be out among people. But I do know some people think that way.

All MOO
 
Gemmie said:
They (home testers) are reporting their positive cases or they aren't reporting them? Just wondering if there's a typo because all I hear is about the underreporting of home tests which can skew stats big time. It would surprise me if they are reporting fairly mild cases so thought I'd double check. :)
Click to expand...
Typo. Not reporting their positive tests, and not coming in for treatment because most cases are mild. So they think cases are vastly underreported.
 
I had a mild case of Covid in the first go around in the fall of 2020. We got all our vaccinations except the last one. We went for it and the darned nurse gave us a repeat of the previous one rather than tell us they didn’t yet have the latest. At this point I’m sorely tempted to say no more until it becomes a yearly vaccine like the flu shot is. We are in wait and see mode about Covid in general at this point. I saved our cloth masks and we will use them if things get bad.
 
I had an ultrasound of my thyroid this week. The tech wore a mask. My daughter and Sil are NPs
and nurses at the same the hospital. I questioned the tech about the mask and she said that she had Covid the prior week. It was difficult to have the ultrasound performed while breathing out of the corner of my mouth.
 
Gemmie said:
If you’re at high risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, it’s time to dust off those N95 masks and place them snugly over your nose and mouth to protect yourself from a recent uptick of the virus, according to a growing number of experts.

That advice should go all the way up to 80-year-old President Joe Biden, said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist.

“Octogenarians comprise the highest-risk group for complications following Covid infection,” Reiner said.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/health/questions-about-covid-vaccines-quarantine-and-testing-are-back
“At least until the numbers start to drop again, it would be appropriate for President Biden to take some precautions and wear a mask in crowds.”

Other high-risk groups include people with diabetes, cancer, chronic liver, kidney or lung disease, organ or stem cell transplants, HIV or other immunocompromising conditions, a history of heart disease or stroke, dementia or mental health issues.

“If you’re a caregiver for somebody who is at increased risk of complication following infection, then I think you should also consider putting a mask on in public places,” said Reiner, a professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

“And since the masks that are most effective are N95 that are now readily available, that’s the kind of mask you should wear,” he added.

Click to expand...

Yup. I saw this and started wearing my KN95 mask again, also handy for the wildfire smoke California is sending over the border into Southern Oregon. One family we know just had covid run thru and an 83 year old friend let us know yesterday that he has it…all are vaxxed and boosted. We re-upped our bivalent boosters last month. So far, local medical offices aren’t wearing or requiring masks again, but we will be wearing them.
 
acutename said:
ug. have had 5 shots and 1 mild case of COVID. Do I get another shot? Some of my acquaintances have said no more shots for them. We have had cases at work and some people are masking- I do not know if they are infectious or being careful.
Click to expand...
Here's the way I look at it, and somebody PLEASE correct me if I'm not looking at this right so I can update my brain. :)

Covid has mutated SOOOO much it's not much like the original strain, which is why they recently-ish introduced the bivalent booster a while back. And it's still mutating. BA.2.86/Pirola has over 30 mutations in the spike protein. So to me (again, please correct me if I'm wrong), it's kinda like a new virus. At least that's how it seems to me. And the new booster coming out this fall isn't targeting it, it's targeting XBB (Covid is mutating faster than they can make and roll out vaccines IMO). But most importantly.... the vaccines are STILL doing well in preventing hospitalizations and death. I can understand everyone being tired of it (our new normal, IMO), but I'd rather be feeling tired of it while masking and getting vaccinated, then hospitalized or worse.

the bivalent boosters were 67% effective in preventing hospitalization and death in those who had been previously vaccinated or boosted.

sph.unc.edu

Bivalent COVID-19 boosters effectively protect against new omicron subvariants - UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

April 12, 2023 New research led by the Gillings School shows that bivalent COVID-19 boosters are still providing effective protection from hospitalization and death, even against the most recent omicron subvariants.
sph.unc.edu sph.unc.edu

“Interestingly, all 30-plus mutations on that long branch are found in the spike protein—through which the virus gains entry to cells—which is the target of neutralising antibodies.”

www.bmj.com

Covid-19: Scientists sound alarm over new BA.2.86 “Pirola” variant

A new SARS-CoV-2 subvariant with a high number of mutations that could help it neutralise the immune system has emerged in four countries, raising alarm among scientists. “BA.2.86 is the most striking SARS-CoV-2 strain the world has witnessed since the emergence of omicron,” said Francois...
www.bmj.com www.bmj.com

Numerous omicron lineages are still circulating globally, but BA.2.86 is a descendant of Omicron BA.2, which is not currently in circulation.

Rajnarayanan said this lineage has "significantly diverged from BA.2" and the other currently circulating variants, such as XBB.1.5, which is the antigen used in vaccines.

Classified by the WHO as having a "large number of mutations," Pirola has 30 spike protein mutations that differ from XBB.1.5, said Rajnarayanan, meaning it is more immune-evasive or more likely to subvert immunities built up by your body.

www.usatoday.com

What to know about COVID Pirola: How new lineage BA.2.86 differs from other variants

A new COVID mutation, BA.2.86, has landed in the US, says the CDC. Nicknamed Pirola, the lineage has also been spotted in Israel, Denmark and the U.K.
www.usatoday.com

The new shots are designed to target the XBB variants — strains of the virus descended from the original Omicron variant — which are now the most common form in circulation.

www.cbsnews.com

New COVID vaccine and booster shots for this fall to be available by end of September

The FDA and CDC will need to sign off on the updated shots from Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
 
killarney rose said:
I had a mild case of Covid in the first go around in the fall of 2020. We got all our vaccinations except the last one. We went for it and the darned nurse gave us a repeat of the previous one rather than tell us they didn’t yet have the latest. At this point I’m sorely tempted to say no more until it becomes a yearly vaccine like the flu shot is. We are in wait and see mode about Covid in general at this point. I saved our cloth masks and we will use them if things get bad.
Click to expand...
Things you should know about cloth masks (they aren't the best option). I have seen sooooo many ill-fitting cloth and surgical masks that I just want to scream! I've been "mask-watching" since the beginning and have posted about it several times in the covid threads. In a nutshell? The majority of people aren't wearing their masks properly (ill fitted with gaps), aren't wearing the best kind of mask (single cloth layer. If you must use cloth it's best to use one that multi-layered with a pocket that you can slip a coffee filter into).

Wear cloth masks with
  • A proper fit over your nose, mouth, and chin to prevent leaks
  • Multiple layers of tightly woven, breathable fabric
  • Nose wire
  • Fabric that blocks light when held up to bright light source
Do NOT wear cloth masks with
  • Gaps around the sides of the face or nose
  • Exhalation valves, vents, or other openings (see example)
  • Single-layer fabric or those made of thin fabric that don’t block light
  • Wet or dirty material
When choosing a mask, look at how well it fits. Gaps can let air with respiratory droplets leak in and out around the edges of the mask. Gaps can be caused by choosing the wrong size or type of mask and when a mask is worn with facial hair.

It is important to check that it fits snugly over your nose, mouth, and chin.
  • Check for gaps by cupping your hands around the outside edges of the mask.
  • Make sure no air is flowing from the area near your eyes or from the sides of the mask.
  • If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath.

It is important to check that it fits snugly over your nose, mouth, and chin.
  • Check for gaps by cupping your hands around the outside edges of the mask.
  • Make sure no air is flowing from the area near your eyes or from the sides of the mask.
  • If the mask has a good fit, you will feel warm air come through the front of the mask and may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath.
www.cdc.gov

Masks and Respirators

Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

Some examples like what I see when I go out. Red arrows pointing out gaps (cheeks and bridge of nose), and the middle one is just WRONG:

1693012647598.png

Source
 
Note that while surgical masks are rated pretty high (below N95s), that rating is ONLY if you tweak them to fit properly! Most people do not and wear them as they come out of the package. See the side gaps in the pic in my link above. That's how most wear them that I run across.
1693012751070.png

www.businessinsider.com

One chart shows the best and worst face masks for coronavirus protection — and which situations they're suited for

A mask made of multiple layers of high-thread-count cotton is preferable to one made from a dishcloth or cotton T-shirt.
www.businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com
 
I too have seen so many people wearing a mask loosely or with gaps. Cloth masks are fairly useless unless they hold a filter. Surgical masks are ok but only if there are no gaps, which means using those nose strips to shape the mask tightly over your face -- I see people wearing masks with the metal strip entirely unbent, which means lots of gaps (unless your face is completely flat, of course :p ). N95s are the best and all I wear these days and as long as I have access to them.

The point is to have the air you breathe (both in to protect you, and out to protect others) move THROUGH the mask and not around it.

The best analogy I read was using smoke -- imagine if you were surrounded by smoky air and a mask was able to filter the smoke out -- are you wearing the mask snugly enough to make sure all your in-breaths are forced through the fabric and not around? If not, it's not protecting you much.

Until we have better vaccines which really prevent infection in the first place (current vaccines don't and make no claim to do so, though I think they do reduce the chances of getting infected by a bit, but mostly they reduce the likelihood of serious, hospital-requiring symptoms), I actually think properly worn masks are better protection than the vaccines. Of course using both is best IMO.

I think we'll see a good, all-variant, infection-largely-preventing vaccine within a few years.

And I still think that avoiding crowded spaces is very important, regardless of how many vaccines and masks one partakes of.

MOO
 
I went into the petrol station yesterday to pay and the woman behind the counter, maybe in her 60s, was masked. It's so rare to see that now and she told me that she knows so many people who have Covid that she is worried and she is going to wear it throughout autumn and winter. Then I went to the chemist and they told me they are selling out of Covid tests and cold and flu remedies. They are thinking of bringing back their Plexiglass barrier at the till. (It's a village, people chat!) My impression is that Covid is back with a bang for autumn/winter.
 
I might have mentioned this before, but one of the classes I teach is Respiratory Protection, which includes mask Fit Testing.

For the Fit Testing, each person puts on a mask, and and then I spray a bitter mist solution in front of them. If they can smell or taste bitterness, the mask either does not fit or is worn improperly. The person completes a number of movements while wearing the mask: moving head side-to-side 10 times, up and down 10 times, reading a paragraph out loud, etc. if at any time they smell or taste the bitter they fail the test. We start over with a different mask size, or ensure that they are wearing it properly.

Before COVID Fit Testing was conducted mostly on two types of employees: medical personnel who needed to wear N-95 masks when taking care of TB patients or patients with other diseases they were airborne transmission, and people who worked with chemicals, in paint booths, etc. and wore respirators or masks.

After COVID, we also began training the general public how to wear masks properly. Many businesses wanted to make sure their employees were wearing their masks properly.

I have a case of masks in different sizes, and during the testing we make sure each person is able to find a mask that fits properly. We provide each of them with a card that includes the date the Fit Test was conducted, and the proper mask size Then the employer orders a supply of masks in each size that is required for their employees.
 
Many US hospitals have lifted mask mandates, and, in some cases, this has led to COVID-19 outbreaks. City of Hope in Duarte, California, has maintained masking requirements, and this has prevented hospital-acquired COVID-19 there entirely, according to Vijay Trisal, MD, chief medical officer at City of Hope.

​



www.beckershospitalreview.com

39 hospitals, health systems bringing back mask policies

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, hospitals across the US have reinstituted mask policies.
www.beckershospitalreview.com www.beckershospitalreview.com
Heading into fall, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising, according to the CDC's most recent data, and that trend has already prompted several hospitals across the country to reinstate mask policies.
 
Last edited:
killarney rose said:
I just can’t go back down that road again like we did before. Covid is here to stay and we’ve got to learn to live with it. Like we do the flu. I will take precautions like I always do-I’m a germphobe. Get a vaccine in the fall and avoid crowds in the winter. There’s no way I’d ever take a cruise. Has nothing to do with Covid and everything to do with norovirus. Those ships are floating petri dishes.
Click to expand...
While we've never had Norovirus, we've been on "sick" ships twice. It's not pretty and impacts the entire cruise for all passengers, not just those who are afflicted with Noro. All the cleaning and sanitizing doesn't seem to rid the ship of the illness, and Noro can linger on the vessel for weeks/months before it is completely irradicated. Not to mention, also, that new passengers bring Noro onboard because they paid for their cruise and are not going to cancel even if they're sick. If you report illness at the time of embarkation, you will not be allowed on the ship, and if you report Noro during your sailing, you and your cabin mates will be quarantined for 24-48 hours. Unless pax are terribly sick and require medical attention, they will not report the illness and self-medicate with Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, and/or Imodium so they can continue to enjoy their cruise. They are out and about, mingling with other passengers, having meals in dining venues, sitting in bars/lounges/entertainment venues, lingering in pools/hot tubs, getting on tour buses - all the while spreading the nasty stomach virus :mad:
 
Last edited:
IceIce9 said:
I might have mentioned this before, but one of the classes I teach is Respiratory Protection, which includes mask Fit Testing.

For the Fit Testing, each person puts on a mask, and and then I spray a bitter mist solution in front of them. If they can smell or taste bitterness, the mask either does not fit or is worn improperly. The person completes a number of movements while wearing the mask: moving head side-to-side 10 times, up and down 10 times, reading a paragraph out loud, etc. if at any time they smell or taste the bitter they fail the test. We start over with a different mask size, or ensure that they are wearing it properly.

Before COVID Fit Testing was conducted mostly on two types of employees: medical personnel who needed to wear N-95 masks when taking care of TB patients or patients with other diseases they were airborne transmission, and people who worked with chemicals, in paint booths, etc. and wore respirators or masks.

After COVID, we also began training the general public how to wear masks properly. Many businesses wanted to make sure their employees were wearing their masks properly.

I have a case of masks in different sizes, and during the testing we make sure each person is able to find a mask that fits properly. We provide each of them with a card that includes the date the Fit Test was conducted, and the proper mask size Then the employer orders a supply of masks in each size that is required for their employees.
Click to expand...
Wow!!! I wish you lived hear, or that we had someone like you!!

Do you have any recommended sites that help people figure out which out of the bazillion masks styles, types, and brands would fit a particular person? I need a new style. I've been using the free N95 masks that our (US) gov gave away but they don't last a long time due to them being held on by 2 thick rubber bands around the back of your head. Eventually the bands break.

I hear that style is better than around the ears for 2 reasons. 1) you get a tighter fit, and 2) a lot of the over the ear ones are counterfeit, or aren't stamped with GB2626-2019 (Gemmie here - I've seen people wearing those in medical facilities which made me uneasy).

There’s no GB marking. The KN95 standard requires that masks made after July 1, 2021, be stamped with GB2626-2019, which provides reassurance that the manufacturer constructed the mask according to current Chinese respirator standards, Miller said. A mask with a GB number ending in 2006 was made according to the previous standard and is still legitimate if the expiration date hasn't passed.

www.nytimes.com

12 Signs You Have a Fake N95, KN95, or KF94 Mask

Counterfeit medical-style masks may leave you less protected. Here’s what to look out for so you don’t waste money on fakes.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

I'm hoping you have something you can share (or reshare) with us! Thank you!!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

DNASolves

Who is Fairfield County Jane Doe (1993)?

Members online

... and 104 more.
Total: 360 (members: 105, guests: 255)

Online statistics

Members online
105
Guests online
255
Total visitors
360
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
609,779
Messages
18,257,874
Members
234,756
Latest member
Kezzie
Back
Top