Coronavirus 7: Ring in Delta Plus and then Omicron Takes Over

[IrishCarrie]

On 3/29/2022 at 3:11 AM, TeaGrannie said:

Can anyone that has had the newest variant describe how it progressed? Found out I was exposed in the office, starting to become symptomatic with something but two rapid tests negative. 

I tested postive on Monday afternoon - I woke up that morning with a bunged up nose and tickly cough that got worse as the day progressed so I did an antigen test when I got home from work. I was genuinely expecting that I just had a head cold after a busy weekend and lots of weather variants that meant I wasn't always suitably dressed for where I was!

Anyhoo, it was positive. That was two days ago and the cough got progressively worse for about 36 hours but seems to be tapering off now. My nose is running non-stop and I'm utterly shattered, but to be honest, no more so than you would be with any bad cold. 

I should say that I'm very lucky in that I live alone, so have a whole house to move around and I don't have to take care of anyone else. I have a fridge, freezer and cupboards full of the food I like and a wonderfully supportive family and friends who keep offering to drop stuff in (I don't want any of it, I've zero appetite...). My attention span is crap, I can't focus on a book or a tv show so I'm mainly just scrolling d'interwebs and staring out the window. Savage brain fog, I haven't a coherent thought in my head...

Hope that helps, best of luck to you going forward xxx 

[JDuggs]

My coworker came back to work today after taking Monday and Tuesday off for a “bad cold.” He didn’t take a covid test because he “didn’t have one.”  We are always masked when we interact, but I will definitely not spend any time working with him for the rest of the week. I guess this is the stage we’re at where people can’t be bothered to test because it interrupts their daily lives.

[Smash!]

On 3/27/2022 at 1:34 PM, Smee said:

Have they been chatting to our government? 😕 ICU rates is all anyone cares about now, so long as the hospitals aren’t overwhelmed they’re happy for everyone to get it and get it multiple times.

Looks like Switzerland and Eastern Australia (are you in NSW?) are best friends!

Here the pandemic is officially over on 1. April. No isolation anymore if positive, no more mask mandates in public transportation.  Mask mandates in health care settings? It‘s up to the Federal States. I‘m so freaking mad.

Our politicians praise their Covid strategy and all I can think is: Have you guys seen our death stats? Our infection numbers? What do you think happens when all the long covid folks apply for disability? Will they get enough money to survive or are they being told they just don’t want to work? Oh well that won‘t be your problem. You prayed self responsibility like a mantra so it‘s their fault they got sick. Doesn‘t matter your politics made it as hard as possible to avoid this virus. And then years later you guys will issue an apology for your disastrous pandemic response. Too bad the dead can‘t say „thank you“ then and the disabled will have already lost their health.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Smash!

[Smash!]

The university I work at and ffs should know better lifts all restrictions as of tomorrow as well. No masks and you don‘t even have to tell your boss if you test positive anymore 😡

[adidas]

On 3/29/2022 at 1:11 PM, TeaGrannie said:

Can anyone that has had the newest variant describe how it progressed? Found out I was exposed in the office, starting to become symptomatic with something but two rapid tests negative. 

I ended up testing positive after a few negative rapid tests. I’m wondering if that veeerrry faint line (barely there and I don’t think it even showed on the photo I posted) from Monday that I posted was a precursor to the darker line I got a few days later.

The first thing I noticed was a weird tingly feeling in my nose. Then some sinus pain and some weird fluttery feelings in my chest. Body aches and fatigue have been constant. When I stand up to go to the bathroom or kitchen I get a wave of exhaustion which is overwhelming. After the first signs came the headache and running nose like a tap. Sneezing. After this, sore throat. Then the gastro symptoms 🥴 I haven’t had any coughing but I’ve had fevers and chills on and off. No shortness of breath (phew - I’m asthmatic so this is a relief). My sense of taste and smell are both fine and normal.

One thing I noticed was a huge spike in my resting heart rate on my Fitbit when my body would have been trying to fight it off. It was probably the first indicator that something was up but I wrote it off as stress re my work trip.

Different brands showed negative after the faint positive on Monday. If I were you, I would get a pcr rather than rely on rapid tests for this new variant. I’ve heard of lots of people testing negative on rat then positive with pcr.

For me the “it’s just like a bad cold” saying has been true. 

[Smee]

For me (beginning of March, I don’t know if it was Omicron or BA2) it started with feeling a bit congested and a mild sore throat. The cold symptoms weren’t even that bad, no cough or fever, but the fatigue… I struggled to pull myself out of bed, and a month on I still wish I could have a nap most days (& sometimes do).

[Smash!]

@Smee I‘m sorry you‘re still not fully recovered. Take your time and listen to your body. Staying within your body‘s limits for the first few months after infection is the best way to prevent long term symptoms. Rest when your body tells you to and you can. 

[CreationMuseumCurator]

8 hours ago, adidas said:

I ended up testing positive after a few negative rapid tests. I’m wondering if that veeerrry faint line (barely there and I don’t think it even showed on the photo I posted) from Monday that I posted was a precursor to the darker line I got a few days later.

The first thing I noticed was a weird tingly feeling in my nose. Then some sinus pain and some weird fluttery feelings in my chest. Body aches and fatigue have been constant. When I stand up to go to the bathroom or kitchen I get a wave of exhaustion which is overwhelming. After the first signs came the headache and running nose like a tap. Sneezing. After this, sore throat. Then the gastro symptoms 🥴 I haven’t had any coughing but I’ve had fevers and chills on and off. No shortness of breath (phew - I’m asthmatic so this is a relief). My sense of taste and smell are both fine and normal.

One thing I noticed was a huge spike in my resting heart rate on my Fitbit when my body would have been trying to fight it off. It was probably the first indicator that something was up but I wrote it off as stress re my work trip.

Different brands showed negative after the faint positive on Monday. If I were you, I would get a pcr rather than rely on rapid tests for this new variant. I’ve heard of lots of people testing negative on rat then positive with pcr.

For me the “it’s just like a bad cold” saying has been true. 

That experience sounds pretty familiar. I would also recommend a PCR. I wish you and @Smee plenty of rest and full recoveries. 

At the beginning of February, I started with a scratchy throat on a Wednesday night. Took a negative home test Thursday morning, spiked a fever that afternoon, went in for a PCR before the end of the day, and had my positive PCR result back by Friday afternoon. Asymptomatic boyfriend then left work, took a PCR test on the way home, and got an immediate positive on a home test. His symptoms started that evening. I work from home, he somehow didn't spread it during the day that he was in the office, and my symptoms started before my his daughter came home for the week, so she was able to stay with her mom. We received our boosters in late December, all of his coworkers were boosted, and she was vaccinated in November. We were very lucky not to spread it. 

Since then, I've discovered that what I thought was long covid is actually hyperthyroidism. I was diagnosed hypothyroid almost seven years ago, and have been stable on my medication dosage for years. These symptoms are new to me...and not fun. There's quite a bit of early research suggesting that covid and existing thyroid conditions don't mix. Anecdotally, I know four other people with thyroid problems who've had tested positive, and all of them have required medication adjustments in the months following recovery. 

Edited April 1, 2022 by CreationMuseumCurator

[47of74]

Just saw this

Quote

The Biden administration will end Trump-era pandemic restrictions that effectively blocked migrants from entering the United States on May 23, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday.

Former President Donald Trump invoked a public health authority, known as Title 42, at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, a move that was immediately met with skepticism by immigrant advocates, public health experts, and even officials within the administration who believed it to be driven by political motivations. Yet the Biden administration continued to lean on Title 42 despite objections from its allies.

"In consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), this termination will be implemented on May 23, 2022, to enable DHS time to implement appropriate COVID-19 mitigation protocols, such as scaling up a program to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to migrants and prepare for resumption of regular migration under Title 8," the CDC said in a highly anticipated announcement.

"After considering current public health conditions and an increased availability of tools to fight COVID-19 (such as highly effective vaccines and therapeutics), the CDC Director has determined that an Order suspending the right to introduce migrants into the United States is no longer necessary," the agency added.

Yeah I'm all ready for the upcoming Branch Trumpvidian freakout this will cause

[47of74]

Well no shit

Quote

When doctors and scientists scoured for a COVID-19 cure during the early days of the pandemic, initial studies suggested a number of potential remedies that turned out to be bogus. But few dubious solutions have had the staying power of ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug used to treat large farmyard animals.

The so-called TOGETHER study, conducted in Brazil, is the largest clinical trial into the effects of ivermectin on COVID to date and generally supports the findings of smaller studies, which have also found no significant benefit to ivermectin treatment.

The TOGETHER trial took 3,515 COVID patients and randomly assigned treatment of either ivermectin, a placebo, or a third intervention. The study was double-blind, meaning neither the patients nor the doctors knew which of the three options each participant received at the time.

“Treatment with ivermectin did not result in a lower incidence of medical admission to a hospital due to progression of COVID-19 or of prolonged emergency department observation among outpatients with an early diagnosis of COVID-19,” the researchers concluded.

I doubt this will stop douche cannons like Joe Rogan and Branch Trumpvidians from claiming it’s a miracle cure. 

[Ozlsn]

7 hours ago, CreationMuseumCurator said:

Since then, I've discovered that what I thought was long covid is actually hyperthyroidism. I was diagnosed hypothyroid almost seven years ago, and have been stable on my medication dosage for years. These symptoms are new to me...and not fun. There's quite a bit of early research suggesting that covid and existing thyroid conditions don't mix. Anecdotally, I know four other people with thyroid problems who've had tested positive, and all of them have required medication adjustments in the months following recovery. 

Interesting - a few friends have ongoing fatigue, I'll pass that on as another thing to rule out. @Smee hope your fatigue resolves - the 2 people in my work team who were diagnosed at roughly the same time have the same ongoing fatigue. @adidas hope you clear it quickly with no ongoing symptoms!

We're still getting an email/day from both school and work about cases. It's very tiring with the ongoing covid bingo. The weather has turned here too and now I'm trying to organise flu shots as well - I have been doing flutracker for a number of years now, and apparently acclimatised so much to being asked about covid in the last two years that I was surprised when they asked about flu shots!

[Ozlsn]

Interesting tree showing the variant relationships.

Also spot on - my big fear at the moment is a recombinant with the infectivity of BA2 and the lethality of Delta which is also not well covered by the vaccines. I tend to go worst case scenario though, granted.

[WiseGirl]

Spiffy */sarcasm

 

[Alisamer]

I just got back from Walt Disney World yesterday evening. Disney is requiring masks on buses, but elsewhere is your own discretion. I'd say maybe 1/8 of the Disney cast members I saw were wearing masks, but only a tiny fraction of guests were except on the buses. My sisters and I wore them when we were indoors, in crowds, and of course on the buses and elevators and such. We largely took them off outdoors if we were spaced out from people, and sometimes indoors if other people were distant enough from us and ventilation seemed good. Several days were quite windy, so outdoors felt safe enough unless we were packed into a line or something. Ventilation in Disney buildings is usually pretty good as many things are open-air or have so many people going in and out that the doors are open more than they are closed. 

It largely looked like things did prior to Covid, with the addition of hand sanitizer dispensers dotted around at the exits to just about everything. There were mask vending machines near many of the bus stops, and at least once I saw a bus driver with a box of surgical masks to hand out to anyone who didn't have their own mask. In the places we stopped on the way there and back for food or to put gas in the car, basically we were the only people wearing masks. At my cousin's wedding, no one wore masks, but it was outdoors with an indoor/outdoor reception situation so very good ventilation, and vaccines were required to attend. (Also it was a group who were basically all aware and careful people - no Q-nuts that I am aware of.)

Disney was very crowded, but we did everything we'd wanted to do. We took Covid tests with us, but didn't feel the need to take them. So far we all seem to be fine, though still resting and recovering - Disney is not a relaxing vacation. If we develop any symptoms we'll test, but so far so good. I felt like we hit a good balance of trying to stay safe, and of enjoying Disney.

My youngest sister is a little more paranoid than I am, and carried a little can of lysol and some antibacterial wipes for the scooter she rented and tables we ate at. I was far more concerned about airborne pathogens, myself. 

[CTRLZero]

We got our second booster shots (Pfizer) today.  Other than the pharmacists and cashier, we were the only individuals wearing masks.  🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️  I cooked up a big batch of cauliflower curry for lunch, and have leftovers to reheat in case we experience some after-shot symptoms.  Have a good week, everyone! 

[Dandruff]

4 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

We got our second booster shots (Pfizer) today.  Other than the pharmacists and cashier, we were the only individuals wearing masks.  🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️  I cooked up a big batch of cauliflower curry for lunch, and have leftovers to reheat in case we experience some after-shot symptoms.  Have a good week, everyone! 

How are you feeling, and how is it compared to your earlier shots?

[Coconut Flan]

For me the boosters have been about the same.  

[CTRLZero]

36 minutes ago, Dandruff said:

How are you feeling, and how is it compared to your earlier shots?

So far, only a mildly sore arm.  Not feeling tired or achy at this point.  I’ll report back if it’s anything worse. 

[church_of_dog]

I'm wondering whether I should get the second booster now or wait until my area gets a surge.  Since it seems each booster only protects you for a few months, and my very rural, low population density area doesn't seem to be having many cases just now.  

(although I get the feeling people just don't care anymore, and are pretending they just have colds, and unless they work somewhere where they are required to test regularly, probably no one is reporting to Public Health when they don't feel well, so really we have no idea how many cases there are anymore...)

Almost no one is wearing masks anymore, except some bigger-store retail employees and of course in the hospital/clinic.  I and a few other customers still wear them inside most public places.

The most crowd-like situation I'm likely to be in will be during this summer's farmer's markets.  They're not THAT crowded, but everyone goes at once before the veggies sell out, and everyone stands around chatting etc.  So maybe I'll get my booster #2 a week or so before the markets start in late June.

Or maybe I should just get it now.  There might be a third booster by summer, I suppose...

Edited April 5, 2022 by church_of_dog

[Dandruff]

39 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

I'm wondering whether I should get the second booster now or wait until my area gets a surge.

I'm also on the fence about this.  I'm now over 6 months out from my first booster but, in hindsight, sort of wish I had gotten it later.  Hard to know when a surge might occur.

I'm leaning toward getting Moderna next time, since I had Pfizer for the first three.

[Emma]

Studies from Israel are showing that the second booster has a small effect. If you are in a high risk category, you definitely should. But in lower risk categories it probably won’t make a big difference.

[FiveAcres]

I got my second booster at a CVS in a Target yesterday. Store was busy (3pm) and few were masking. I did not wear my mask in but was given a surgical mask at check-in. My first three injections were Pfizer but I asked for and received the Moderna booster. 

I woke up going "oww: that hurts!" I am a determined side sleeper and must have turned to sleep on my side where I got the shot. I was able to adjust my arm so it didn't hurt on that side and got a little more sleep. 

Today I feel fine other than the soreness at the injection site. I have never had any reaction beyond soreness at the injection site. I was able to do my morning cardio without any problems.

I don't know how high-risk I am at this point. I am over sixty and overweight. However, I am frequently around two older women who are under the care of pulmonary specialists so I am willing to take any edge I can not to pass it on. I am privileged in that, since I am retired, I can dial back my outside activity at any time if I feel the risk is too high.

Right now, hospitalizations in Colorado (people admitted BECAUSE of Covid) are lower than they have been at any time since March 2020. I am going to enjoy not being totally paranoid while I can. 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by FiveAcres

[CTRLZero]

9 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

I'm wondering whether I should get the second booster now or wait until my area gets a surge.

We wondered about this, too, and decided to get ours now because we’re traveling to the opposite coast in a few weeks, plus I may be having another eye surgery.  We just feel better getting our boosters now, given our circumstances.

Other than minor arm soreness and few aches, no significant side effects from this round.

If any more boosters become available tailored to specific variants, we’ll be lining up for those, too.

Our county has recorded a lot of Covid deaths lately.  I’m not sure if they are catching up on posting, or if these are patients that maybe caught it after the holiday surge and are now at the end…  (I’m not wording this well, but I’m trying not to be morbid.) 

[Sarcastically spinster]

Just FYI for anyone looking at getting booster #2.  Moderna has pretty consistently shown the best cross-variant efficacy.  If you've had Pfizer, it's probably worth talking with your doctor about whether Moderna is a good option for your next one.

Anecdotal evidence from healthcare groups when vaccines started coming out - Moderna seems to have more of the unpleasant side effects.  Sore arm, flu-like symptoms, etc.  All that feeling rotten stuff.  I had Moderna and it was pretty rough the day after.  If you had Pfizer for prior shots, and you get Moderna, expect that you're likely to feel worse.  It's not 100% and younger people seem to have rougher side effects, but that's been the general trend.  

[FiveAcres]

2 hours ago, Sarcastically spinster said:

Just FYI for anyone looking at getting booster #2.  Moderna has pretty consistently shown the best cross-variant efficacy.  If you've had Pfizer, it's probably worth talking with your doctor about whether Moderna is a good option for your next one.

Anecdotal evidence from healthcare groups when vaccines started coming out - Moderna seems to have more of the unpleasant side effects.  Sore arm, flu-like symptoms, etc.  All that feeling rotten stuff.  I had Moderna and it was pretty rough the day after.  If you had Pfizer for prior shots, and you get Moderna, expect that you're likely to feel worse.  It's not 100% and younger people seem to have rougher side effects, but that's been the general trend.  

Yep. This morning I wrote too soon that I wasn't feeling more than a sore arm after my first Moderna booster following three Pfizer shots. I have been feeling fatigued, feverish, and achy most of the day. I am hoping I feel better tomorrow since I want to take my dog to agility class.