Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #111

[weepingangel]

Testing five days after exposure I think is what’s currently recommended? Not 100% sure though so don’t quote me on that

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Went to get tested at Urgent Care: had Rapid antigen which was negative but they also did PCR which takes 48 hours so we shall see: they told me their Rapid Antigen tests are pretty accurate-- The doctor told me sore throats are going around so apparently there are different viruses out there-- Hoping it is not Covid- Thank you for your kind thoughts

Here's Channel 4 Dr. McGeorge's latest "What's Going Around" report: What’s Going Around: COVID cases, respiratory and stomach viruses, fall allergies

...OAKLAND COUNTY – COVID, upper respiratory viruses, hand foot & mouth disease, stomach viruses, influenza, RSV, fall allergies, asthma flare-ups, croup, skin conditions (including impetigo & cellulitis)...​

My allergies have been driving me crazy the last few weeks: scratchy throat, ticklish cough, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing. Some days/nights are better than others, but I can't wait for an overnight frost to get rid of fall allergens. Brew yourself a pot of tea, add lemon and honey, put your feet up, relax, and take it easy. You have worked so hard to stay well during the pandemic, and I hope you continue to be healthy.

 

[ilovewings]

Testing five days after exposure I think is what’s currently recommended? Not 100% sure though so don’t quote me o

Here's Channel 4 Dr. McGeorge's latest "What's Going Around" report: What’s Going Around: COVID cases, respiratory and stomach viruses, fall allergies

Thanks for that info!

 

[ilovewings]

Testing five days after exposure I think is what’s currently recommended? Not 100% sure though so don’t quote me on that

There is a lot of contradictory information: For example, Perusing different sites on Google, it is stated that you should get tested right away for Covid if you have symptoms - even though the tests taken at that time may not be accurate, especially the Rapid Antigen. I decided that I wanted to get tested now-- there is a chance I have Covid and could be apparent on testing at this time. If things change I will get tested again-- The Urgent Care I went to was really great. First I went to CVS because their Web Site indicates they do testing. They don't--- but somebody told me to go next door to Beaumont Urgent Care. They took me right away: I didn't expect to get a physical exam (didn't need one), but they did it anyway-- I got both the Rapid Antigen and PCR so we shall see. If the PCR is negative and my symptoms get better. I will figure I don't have Covid. If the PCR is negative and my symptoms get worse, I will get re-tested. They did want to a test for strep throat but I didn't want it since i didn't want to puke LOL after they put that thing down the throat. The sore throat I have is pretty bad---

 

[weepingangel]

Just adding some random, I haven’t heard anyone personally
(this includes people who had it july- now) complaining about a sore throat, though I’ve seen it mentioned in a lot of articles recently as the common symptom *shrug* Coworker I talked to recently mentioned the bad headache and super stuffy. They still were, day 6. Also, hearing a bit of the usual cough around.

 

[ilovewings]

Here's Channel 4 Dr. McGeorge's latest "What's Going Around" report: What’s Going Around: COVID cases, respiratory and stomach viruses, fall allergies

...OAKLAND COUNTY – COVID, upper respiratory viruses, hand foot & mouth disease, stomach viruses, influenza, RSV, fall allergies, asthma flare-ups, croup, skin conditions (including impetigo & cellulitis)...​

My allergies have been driving me crazy the last few weeks: scratchy throat, ticklish cough, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing. Some days/nights are better than others, but I can't wait for an overnight frost to get rid of fall allergens. Brew yourself a pot of tea, add lemon and honey, put your feet up, relax, and take it easy. You have worked so hard to stay well during the pandemic, and I hope you continue to be healthy.

Thank you for your great suggestions and kind thoughts--- sorry you are having allergy
Problems---- soon that overnight frost will be upon us though today was very summers liked
Take care!

 

[ilovewings]

delete

 

[Gemmie]

Covid-19 hospitalizations have been on the rise in the United States for months, with weekly admissions now more than triple what they were two months ago. Seniors have the highest rates of Covid hospitalizations by far, but hospitalizations among children — especially among those younger than 5 — are rising fast.

[...]

“We haven’t really seen this for many months, but we’re starting to see people come into the hospital critically ill,” said CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist and professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University. “There needs to be a greater sense of urgency because deaths are rising, hospitalizations are rising.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/22/health/covid-hospitalizations-seniors-kids-vaccines/index.html

 

[Gemmie]

New Covid vaccine rollout hampered by canceled appointments, insurance issues​

CVS and Walgreens confirmed a limited supply at some locations around the country. And some insurers are still updating their billing systems to cover the cost of the shots.

[...]

Some people seeking the newest Covid vaccines are running into high demand, insurance headaches and supply delays coast to coast.

[...]

“This rollout has been a little bumpier than anticipated, but we do not believe there will be any significant delay in vaccine availability,” Huseman said.

It is the first time that the vaccines are reaching most people in the U.S. through the commercial market, bringing public and private health insurers back into the mix. Previously, the federal government bought and distributed Covid vaccines free since they became available.

Need a Covid vaccine? Some reporting canceled appointments or insurance issues

CVS and Walgreens confirmed a limited supply at some locations around the country. And some insurers are still updating their billing systems to cover the cost of the shots.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[ilovewings]

Well the Rapid Antigen and PCR were negative but admittedly it really was too early to be accurate. I will get retested on Monday. In the meantime I have symptoms of a cold, sore throat, cough, sneezing. It is really hard to know without testing what is what.

 

[acutename]

Well the Rapid Antigen and PCR were negative but admittedly it really was too early to be accurate. I will get retested on Monday. In the meantime I have symptoms of a cold, sore throat, cough, sneezing. It is really hard to know without testing what is what.

when I had the "old" Covid, probably omicron, I had a fever fairly quickly FWIW

 

[anneg]

Well the Rapid Antigen and PCR were negative but admittedly it really was too early to be accurate. I will get retested on Monday. In the meantime I have symptoms of a cold, sore throat, cough, sneezing. It is really hard to know without testing what is what.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[ilovewings]

Hope you feel better soon!

Thank you!

 

[ilovewings]

when I had the "old" Covid, probably omicron, I had a fever fairly quickly FWIW

After talking to some friends, it seems Covid symptoms vary for everybody.
Testing is really the only way to know for sure.

 

[Gemmie]

Testing is really the only way to know for sure.

No truer words have been spoken.

 

[IceIce9]

After talking to some friends, it seems Covid symptoms vary for everybody.
Testing is really the only way to know for sure.

Just last night I was having a discussion with a friend who mentioned having a sore throat and fever for two days but she didn’t test for COVID because she “got over it so quickly” that she “knew” it wasn’t COVID.

She had been at a luncheon with quite a few people earlier in the day she developed symptoms. If she had tested positive for COVID she could have informed the people she had been around so they would be aware.

And this is why we don’t have accurate COVID numbers

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Just last night I was having a discussion with a friend who mentioned having a sore throat and fever for two days but she didn’t test for COVID because she “got over it so quickly” that she “knew” it wasn’t COVID.

She had been at a luncheon with quite a few people earlier in the day she developed symptoms. If she had tested positive for COVID she could have informed the people she had been around so they would be aware.

And this is why we don’t have accurate COVID numbers

I know it's a tricky concept, and hard for many folks to really get, given our usual definition of the words "sick" or "ill", but folks REALLY need to understand that covid is often entirely asymptomatic. As in zero symptoms at all, at least during the acute phase.

I don't know the exact number (and probably even the experts don't know with precision yet) but the numbers I most often see are between 25 and 50 percent of all covid cases are asymptomatic!

This means that those cases are going entirely unnoticed except for those folks whose job or living situation requires them to get tested regularly regardless of how they are feeling.

The rest of us, no matter how cautious, can't be testing ourselves weekly (or whatever) -- we wait until we feel unwell or we are about to go somewhere where we need assurance we aren't carrying the virus.

I've talked to very, very smart people who weren't aware that covid is frequently asymptomatic, and when I told one very smart woman that my mom's case (in a skilled nursing unit) was entirely asymptomatic, her first and understandable reaction was "oh, that's good."

Well, good for mom perhaps, but an asymptomatic virus is dramatically harder to contain from society's perspective, because people continue to go out and about if they're not feeling bad. And that is how it spreads.

One reason flu doesn't spread quite as easily as covid is that if you have flu you KNOW you have flu because you feel cr@ppy! And you stay home and don't socialize. (and also I suspect flu spreads mostly from droplets rather than airborne virus particles, meaning you have to be physically close to someone sneezing or coughing).

I wish people would start thinking of covid as more like HIV or polio or even cancer, in the sense that people don't always know when they've got it, until problems appear later. (imperfect analogy of course because cancer isn't contagious).

MOO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

As Covid cases rise, what to know about Paxlovid

The antiviral pills can reduce risk of hospitalization or death.

www.nbcnews.com

Covid cases and hospitalizations have risen again. Some Americans are anxious about possibly getting very sick from the infection. Paxlovid antiviral pills remain an option for mitigating the risk. But what do we know about how well the treatment works, and who stands to benefit?

Paxlovid lowers the amount of virus in the body. Research has shown that it is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization or death — but only for those who are already at higher risk of severe illness from Covid because they are older or have underlying health conditions. Plus, there are potential downsides: Paxlovid can clash with many medications and it can cause some side effects, including a particularly weird one.

If you are thinking about taking Paxlovid, here are things to consider...

 

[Gemmie]

I wish people would start thinking of covid as more like HIV or polio or even cancer, in the sense that people don't always know when they've got it, until problems appear later. (imperfect analogy of course because cancer isn't contagious).

MOO

Or in the sense that they really REALLY don't want to catch it, (so would hopefully do something to prevent catching it).

Great post, BTW, it didn't deserve to be snipped but I wanted to comment on your last sentence that was buried on the bottom.

 

[IceIce9]

I have always wondered what it would be like if COVID had a higher fatality rate, like Ebola. Would people take masking and vaccination more seriously?