Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #112

[callmehenry]

Thank you for responding. I wondered if it was something like that. Sounds like they aren't doing you any favors if it's no longer in the news. And you're not an idiot. No news can make a person think it's gone when in fact it is not.

This is 2 months old UK Covid news:

Covid cases are continuing to rise in the UK as the new highly-contagious FLiRT variants spread rapidly throughout the country.

It is feared new strains have already become dominant after a surge in the number of people testing positive and being hospitalised. Experts say they could be behind behind a sudden 21% rise in cases and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there has been a sharp increase in Covid cases week on week.

More info here: All the latest Covid symptoms as new FLiRT variants hit UK

Now I'm curious about not hearing of anyone with Covid. Is it because they are doing what a LOT of people here in the states are doing, which is to call it a cold? I'm hearing a lot of "It's just allergies", or "It's just a summer cold", etc. People aren't even considering that it could be Covid anymore! Not to mention that there are a LOT of asymptomatic cases. It makes me want to bang my head against the wall.

In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 95 unique studies with 29 776 306 individuals undergoing testing, the pooled percentage of asymptomatic infections was 0.25% among the tested population and 40.50% among the population with confirmed COVID-19.

Global Percentage of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the percentage of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections among individuals undergoing testing and those with confirmed infections.

jamanetwork.com

Gemmie again... 40+% is a LOT of asymptomatic cases. Like..... mindblowingly a lot. And if I recall, one of you posted higher percentages upthread than that JAMA report.

Now that you've found out first hand that covid hasn't gone away (and never will, IMO), and you found our group (I hope you'll stay. ), I hope you're at least getting vaccinated. While it doesn't prevent infection, it does help against severe illness, hospitalization and death.

I just wanna clarify that I am definitely vaccinated. I was never a denier and I’ve had all available vaccinations for Covid (and everything else).

 

[OnlyS]

Out of interest, and presuming you’re in the states, how much does a Covid test cost? Over here (UK) they’re about £1.99 each. I’d be interested to compare

I managed to get them on Amazon for 91p per test, but you have to buy a box of 25. I checked the local chemists and they were up at around £2 each like you say. They were the same brand too. Hope it helps, but realise it’s a lot of tests.
I test so I know what I am dealing with, as the symptoms of this round are nasty. As we are mostly remote working, we don’t go into the office if we have Covid or anything contagious.

 

[anneg]

have people gotten a 6th shot?

I think I've had 7, got one in May (recommended for older folks like me).

 

[anneg]

I just wanna clarify that I am definitely vaccinated. I was never a denier and I’ve had all available vaccinations for Covid (and everything else).

Just wanted to say your user name makes me smile. My father's name was Henry, but as an officer in the U.S. Army in WWII, he told the men in his platoon to "call me Hank." That was meant to prevent the enemy from identifying him as an officer.

I hope you are recovering from your illness and are feeling better!

 

[callmehenry]

Just wanted to say your user name makes me smile. My father's name was Henry, but as an officer in the U.S. Army in WWII, he told the men in his platoon to "call me Hank." That was meant to prevent the enemy from identifying him as an officer.

I hope you are recovering from your illness and are feeling better!

Thank you, a little bit better today.
My uncle was called Henry and he was also in WWII but not as an officer.

 

[mickey2942]

They have definitely moved the goalposts on Covid now.

Do you still need to isolate with COVID? Here are the latest CDC recommendations

As the nation experiences a summer surge in COVID-19 cases, questions might arise if you, a family member or friend becomes ill.

www.nbcchicago.com

 

[Gemmie]

It found that the likelihood of developing long Covid has dropped since the start of the pandemic but remains substantial, especially for people who aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus.

About 7% of American adults, roughly 18 million people, have ever had long Covid, according to an analysis by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/17/health/long-covid-risk?utm_term=1721741239556a74db7b9112b&utm_source=cnn_07.23.24+Results+are+In&utm_medium=email&bt_ee=%2FzTywGpw7XnN40ZVzzT6Mes9wuF1USmBdvGXlhzg3MOkhJVKU0W82zrnRg%2FX8qEt&bt_ts=1721741239559

 

[Auntie Cipation]

It found that the likelihood of developing long Covid has dropped since the start of the pandemic but remains substantial, especially for people who aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus.

About 7% of American adults, roughly 18 million people, have ever had long Covid, according to an analysis by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/17/health/long-covid-risk?utm_term=1721741239556a74db7b9112b&utm_source=cnn_07.23.24+Results+are+In&utm_medium=email&bt_ee=%2FzTywGpw7XnN40ZVzzT6Mes9wuF1USmBdvGXlhzg3MOkhJVKU0W82zrnRg%2FX8qEt&bt_ts=1721741239559

I'm dealing with a headache right now so I can't concentrate well enough to really grok this article, but I skimmed it, and it seems to me disingenuous for them to say that the risk of long covid per infection is decreasing without also addressing the fact that the risk increases cumulatively with each infection, so even if the likelihood of LC for a given infection has dropped from 4 years ago, the overall risk of LC is still increasing because people are racking up 4, 5, 6 infections leaving them with a cumulatively higher risk of LC overall.

Give us another ten years and, barring medical breakthroughs, some people will be on their 10th or 12th round of covid, virtually guaranteeing they will have some longterm effects, whether major or minor.

MOO

 

[IceIce9]

Map of States With The Highest COVID Rates 2024 And What to Expect Rest of Summer

These are the top COVID-19 hot spot states in the U.S. right now, according to wastewater data from the CDC.

www.today.com

The United States is in the midst of a summer wave of COVID-19 fueled by highly contagious, new variants sweeping the country from coast to coast. As summer travel peaks, experts are warning people to take precautions to stop the spread, no matter the COVID rates in your state.

In mid-July, national levels of COVID found in wastewater were considered “high” for the first time since last winter, and currently, 36 states have "high" or "very high" levels individually, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The West and Southeast are being hit especially hard.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

This doesn't sound good.

Harvey Weinstein in hospital with Covid and double pneumonia, his team says

The convicted and imprisoned former movie mogul is in the Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward for “the myriad of health conditions that he is still afflicted with,” a representative said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/24/health/covid-19-water-polo-players-paris-olympics/index.html

After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for Covid-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Five players on Australia’s women’s water polo team have tested positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday.

There are “protocols that are in place” for such cases, which recommend mask-wearing for people who test positive, a Paris 2024 spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.

“We regularly remind athletes and all other Games stakeholders of the good practices to adopt should they experience any respiratory symptoms: wearing a mask in the presence of others, limiting contacts and washing hands regularly with soap and water or using hand sanitiser,” the statement says...

I watched several hours of the opening ceremonies yesterday. For much of the time, it was pouring rain. Some countries (like USA) had planned ahead for the possibility of rain during the outdoor festivities by providing plastic hooded ponchos and/or umbrellas for their athletes, but most did not. By the time the various watercraft arrived at the Eiffel Tower following the 3.7-mile boat ride, most of the athletes were drenched. Temps during the evening pageantry were in the upper 60s. Performers along the banks of the Seine continued their dancing, singing, acrobatics, etc. in the rain, on wet surfaces, costumes and hair drenched. Not to mention that there were thousands of spectators on both sides of the river who stood in the pouring rain for hours to view the pageantry. I kept thinking that this was a health disaster waiting to happen. Athletes standing shoulder-to-shoulder on boats, fans watching from packed bleachers or standing in crowded public viewing spaces, everyone trying to stay dry the best that they could. With Covid still prevalent in many places, summer colds, and/or other respiratory illnesses, the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics seemed like a perfect storm for airborne disease. The event was truly spectacular - even in the rain - but I won't be surprised to learn that many who attended end up getting sick. JMO

 

[mickey2942]

Several kids have Covid, and adults. No one even mentions it to anyone else any longer. I found out today when one mentioned that is why she was out for a week.

Like, co-workers with Covid is not worth mentioning to anyone else at work...of course.

 

[acutename]

I think I've had 7, got one in May (recommended for older folks like me).

I have a physical coming up; guess I will ask my Dr. I have had 6 and had Covid. I traveled in Dec '23 and masked for everything- just traveled again and did not mask though I saw some (few) people masking at the air port. We have some cases at work now too but not on my floor of my building (they provide anonymous info- tell us when there is a case and provide the bldg location and floor). Just do not know what I think any more.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I have a physical coming up; guess I will ask my Dr. I have had 6 and had Covid. I traveled in Dec '23 and masked for everything- just traveled again and did not mask though I saw some (few) people masking at the air port. We have some cases at work now too but not on my floor of my building (they provide anonymous info- tell us when there is a case and provide the bldg location and floor). Just do not know what I think any more.

I personally do not think we can trust anyone's telling us when there is a case -- no matter how well meaning they are about their reporting. Because -- most people aren't even getting tested and insist they just have a cold! Not to mention the asymptomatic cases. Not to mention the high rate of false negatives on home RAT tests and even, apparently, on hospital-administered PCR tests! We could have COVID all around us, but if no one cares enough to find out for sure, we'll never know the actual extent of it. I would assume there are ten cases for every one that is reported.

The more is learned about the likelihood and severity of long-term effects following a bout of COVID (no matter how mild the acute phase of the infection), the more I think we are drastically underreacting to this disease.

Twenty years from now I think a serious proportion of people are going to be impaired due to Long Covid. I do not want to be one of those people, and wearing a good mask and avoiding crowds now are easy enough ways to drastically reduce my chances of that fate befalling me.

Not to mention -- how in the world are we supposed to determine whether our bus driver/pilot/surgeon/builder is thinking clearly enough to properly and safely do their job?

MOO

 

[Gemmie]

Moderna says its combination COVID and flu vaccine tested better than separate shots​

Full article here: Moderna says its combination COVID and flu vaccine tested better than separate shots

Note that the intention is to have the combination vaccine ready as early as 2025.

 

[Sundog]

Moderna says its combination COVID and flu vaccine tested better than separate shots​

Full article here: Moderna says its combination COVID and flu vaccine tested better than separate shots

Note that the intention is to have the combination vaccine ready as early as 2025.

I'll stick with separate shots and schedule them a few weeks apart.

 

[gremlin444]

I'll stick with separate shots and schedule them a few weeks apart.

Yup. There's no way I can do a combo shot what with having long Covid. My immune system is already in a constant uproar, so I have to be careful with how much I set it off.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I'll stick with separate shots and schedule them a few weeks apart.

We've been offered both flu and Covid boosters at the same time for the past two years. We also prefer to get the flu shot one day and return for the Covid injection a couple of weeks later. The combination injection is probably more convenient for those who have to drive some distance to get their annual flu and/or Covid shots.

 

[charminglane]

Experts urge people to mask up as Southern California sees COVID-19 surge

This new variant, KP.3.1.1, is causing a surge in infections, including among those who have previously avoided the virus.

www.mercurynews.com

 

[Sundog]

Experts urge people to mask up as Southern California sees COVID-19 surge

This new variant, KP.3.1.1, is causing a surge in infections, including among those who have previously avoided the virus.

www.mercurynews.com

In the meantime, experts are also highly recommending people to take precautionary measures, such as washing hands often, staying home if they have any symptoms of the illness, including coughing, sneezing, a fever or sore throat, getting tested, and most importantly, wearing masks at crowded indoor spaces.

We haven't seen that kind of uptick in Covid cases in the region where I live, but will be watching the numbers closely from our local Health Department. I live in a college town, so as the students begin returning in about two weeks, then I will probably go back to wearing a mask at the grocery store and a few other indoor venues that can get crowded and where students are likely to be found, like the local post office, etc.