Coronavirus 8: One Million Dead in 2022 and We're Only in August

[CTRLZero]

Our friends traveled to Europe (Italy and France).  While there, they contracted Covid, which meant they were unable to continue on with their tour group and needed to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.  Not easy to do under the best of circumstances, and a real challenge while sick.

Anyway, what was really interesting to me, other than the cautionary tale, is they had packed Covid tests and had a prescription of Paxlovid on hand.  I didn’t realize Paxlovid could be prescribed before getting Covid, but something to consider before traveling.  They had to extend the trip by a couple weeks to recuperate, but other than a few days of feeling lousy and stressed, had a good time. 

[Coconut Flan]

I've heard that anyone over 65 should at least ask if their provider will prescribe Paxlovid before trips out of the country.  My PCP and I talked about what I should do if out of town and she said call her say the home test was positive and have the pharmacy of my choice already picked out.  

Edited November 17, 2023 by Coconut Flan

[Coconut Flan]

https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/covid-worries-ease-among-americans-even-signs-18499566.php

Quote

To date, over 1.15 million people in the U.S. have lost their lives to COVID-19, including more than 61,000 since January, primarily older adults and those with compromised immune systems. Additionally, millions continue to suffer from long-term effects of the mysterious disease known as long COVID.

Perhaps we'll stay under 90,000 deaths for the calendar year and stay in flu range.  It's still discouraging how responding to a disease became politicized.  It didn't have to be.

[Smash!]

On 11/17/2023 at 8:12 PM, CTRLZero said:

Our friends traveled to Europe (Italy and France).  While there, they contracted Covid, which meant they were unable to continue on with their tour group and needed to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.  Not easy to do under the best of circumstances, and a real challenge while sick.

Anyway, what was really interesting to me, other than the cautionary tale, is they had packed Covid tests and had a prescription of Paxlovid on hand.  I didn’t realize Paxlovid could be prescribed before getting Covid, but something to consider before traveling.  They had to extend the trip by a couple weeks to recuperate, but other than a few days of feeling lousy and stressed, had a good time. 

Unfortunately in many parts of Europe Paxlovid isn’t used much. I know here the guidelines are very strict for the prescription of it. Which makes me mad because one of the effects is reduction of the risk of getting Long Covid.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Smash!

[FiveAcres]

An interesting round-up on Long Covid from epidemiologist Katelyn Jetlina:

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/long-covid-research-roundup?r=aasb8

TLDR: get your vaccinations!

Quote

New info:

Among children, the vaccine provides a 35% effectiveness against probable long Covid (symptom-based) and 42% protection against diagnosed long Covid within a year of receiving the vaccine. Protection was more robust for adolescents and waned over time (61% → 11% at 18 months after vaccination).

Among adults, the more vaccines you get, the less likely you will get long Covid. This is called a dose-response relationship: one dose of vaccine reduces risk by 21%, 2 doses reduces risk by 59%, and 3+ doses reduces risk by 73% in a study that followed patients through fall 2022.

TLDR: Long Covid has several root causes

Quote

Long Covid is an umbrella term

What we knew: We had a suspicion that long Covid isn’t just one disease but rather a compilation of many different causes.

Figure Source: Peluso and Deeks, Trends in Immunology.

New Info: We see evidence of all of these root causes.

Growing evidence of viral persistence or viral reservoirs hiding in our tissues. 

The immune response doesn’t stop in long Covid patients after initial infection. This means it’s continually responding to something. 

Some long Covid among females may be explained by autoimmunity due to lower testosterone.  

The makeup of the gut microbiome may be linked to a person’s risk.

Covid may damage the vagus nerve—an important part of the nervous system that helps regulate fundamental processes like blood pressure and heart rate.

Covid can reactivate other viruses lingering in the body, such as the Epstein-Barr virus.

I subscribe to Dr Jetelina's email newsletter and find it worth reading every time she sends it out.

[Kiki03910]

Since we're talking vaccines, I just saw the updated guidelines for MMR, due to the burgeoning measles outbreaks. It's broken down by birth year:

https://www.inverse.com/health/measles-mmr-vaccine-birth-year-booster

Take care of yourselves!

[Kiki03910]

New CDC Rona isolation guidelines:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/02/13/covid-isolation-guidelines-cdc-change/

I'm not sure what to think about this. I'm not sure many people are paying any attention to covid, or isolation, or scientific news, or best practices. I try to do my part, anyway. Best to all of you!

[Kiki03910]

Boosters recommended for the 65+ age group:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/cdc-recommends-spring-covid-booster-for-people-65-and-up/

[CTRLZero]

Thank you for the Covid booster update.  I was a little confused by another article I was reading, but this paragraph seems to be clear that we (65+) need to get a spring booster, then another in the fall.  I’m supposing this vaccine will be twice yearly from here on out.  
 

Quote

The spring booster will be an additional shot of the 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax. The booster dose should be taken after at least four months have passed since a previous COVID-19 vaccination. However, as FDA representative David Kaslow noted in today's advisory committee meeting, the FDA will likely approve a 2024–2025 version of COVID-19 vaccines for this coming fall. Given that, it's best for people to get their spring booster dose by the end of June, so they can be ready for another booster before the winter when COVID-19 has generally peaked.

 

[Kiki03910]

1 hour ago, CTRLZero said:

Thank you for the Covid booster update.  I was a little confused by another article I was reading, but this paragraph seems to be clear that we (65+) need to get a spring booster, then another in the fall.  I’m supposing this vaccine will be twice yearly from here on out.  
 

 

The communication has been really unclear, sadly. But yes, I think you're right about 2 shots per year for the 65+ crowd. I don't qualify based on age, but *might* based on other circumstances. The pharmacists I've been to here (New Mexico) have always been happy to give covid shots, and might be even more so now, based on the abysmal uptake of the last couple shots.

[FiveAcres]

I am in the group which feels pretty crummy the day after I get the Covid vax. So I try to schedule it for when I can easily stay home (yay for retirement), crate the dog (because a thirty pound Boston Terrier is too much to be a lap dog when you hurt all over), and lean into my privilege of being able to stay in my recliner and feel sorry for myself while congratulating my immune system for doing its thing.

I do feel for those for whom a lost day is a much bigger deal because of employment or care-taking duties.

[church_of_dog]

Even without this latest news on vaccines, I have the attitude that I want a new vaccine as soon as the effectiveness of the previous one has waned.  I think the effectiveness wanes around 4 months, but getting a shot every six or so months works for me.

I have a few more years (3) before I hit 65, but, like @Kiki03910 said, my county has so few people getting vaxxed that they will help a person find a way to qualify if at all possible.

In the past I have successfully used such reasons as "my mom lives in a skilled nursing ward" and "I have a heart condition" (my heart condition is called bradycardia and is generally not a problem unless one has bothersome symptoms, which I do not -- but they allowed it as a qualifier for a shot so I'm happy).

 

[Kiki03910]

7 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

Even without this latest news on vaccines, I have the attitude that I want a new vaccine as soon as the effectiveness of the previous one has waned.  I think the effectiveness wanes around 4 months, but getting a shot every six or so months works for me.

I have a few more years (3) before I hit 65, but, like @Kiki03910 said, my county has so few people getting vaxxed that they will help a person find a way to qualify if at all possible.

In the past I have successfully used such reasons as "my mom lives in a skilled nursing ward" and "I have a heart condition" (my heart condition is called bradycardia and is generally not a problem unless one has bothersome symptoms, which I do not -- but they allowed it as a qualifier for a shot so I'm happy).

 

Very smart. Technically I have an immune disorder (atopic syndrome: allergies, asthma, eczema) and I've gotten an extra shot based on that. I wouldn't ever use that to get a shot if it took a shot away from a truly endangered person, but that's not the world we live in anymore.

If anyone is interested, Bona Fide Masks, where I get my Powecom KN95s, is having a winter sale with 20% off (code: WINTER20):

https://bonafidemasks.com/

[Kiki03910]

I hope everyone is staying well!

[CTRLZero]

On 4/2/2024 at 9:29 PM, Kiki03910 said:

I hope everyone is staying well!

I got my chip implanted today.  😄  Thanks for the heads up on getting a booster. 

[Ozlsn]

Interesting article on the use of far UV to control infectious disease.

Still things to confirm with respect to safety and effectiveness but this part made me realise just how much of a difference along with ventilation mitigation it could make.

"These advocates imagine a world in which far-UV lamps are set up in most large indoor spaces where people gather, emitting rays that kill airborne viruses and bacteria while leaving humans unharmed. If all goes according to plan, day cares will stop spreading around noroviruses and flus; hospital infections will plummet; elderly and immunocompromised people can gather openly, unmasked, without fearing they’ll catch something. "

And given the cost it could be a massive boost in low income countries:

"In developing countries like Nigeria, where 125,000 people died of airborne TB alone in 2021, the benefits of disinfection may be higher."

Obviously this applies to human to human airborne transmission, and things like malaria, cholera, and dengue would still need to be controlled using different measures. Apparently there is one airport in the US that has it already - near Washington DC.

[Chocolate Lover]

15 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

Interesting article on the use of far UV to control infectious disease.

Still things to confirm with respect to safety and effectiveness but this part made me realise just how much of a difference along with ventilation mitigation it could make.

"These advocates imagine a world in which far-UV lamps are set up in most large indoor spaces where people gather, emitting rays that kill airborne viruses and bacteria while leaving humans unharmed.

I have polymorphic light eruption, where my skin overreacts to UV light.  I come out in a rash on exposed skin.  In theory, I'm supposed to 'harden off' (become used to it each summer and stop reacting) but I only get partial relief - can still get spotty in September.

Gotta say, I'm wondering how this would affect people like me.

[Ozlsn]

@Chocolate Lover that would possibly an issue with this kind of use, and really needs to be explored further (would having defined periods or very short bursts work in conjunction with improved airflow, how do we minimise the risk to everyone).  Other risks I've seen discussed are around long term exposure in work settings (eg are hospital workers likely to develop issues due to longer exposure), exposure risk in children due to growth, and to building material damage. Personally I think improved building ventilation and air filtration should be the main focus, but if we could (for example) run far UV in very short bursts in crowded areas (e.g. underground stations) and reduce some of the risk that might be helpful. Nothing's a quick fix unfortunately (although re-normalising mask wearing on public transport and hospital areas would also reduce risk and probably be the cheapest option.)

[ingridguerci94]

On 2/29/2024 at 9:26 AM, Kiki03910 said:

Boosters recommended for the 65+ age group:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/cdc-recommends-spring-covid-booster-for-people-65-sEx-han

My aunt (76) and my immune compromised mother (69) have both caught their second round of Covid. They have ended up in the hospital. This is a clear sign to add my next vax to the list. I have all the previous Covid vaccines

[Kiki03910]

11 minutes ago, ingridguerci94 said:

My aunt (76) and my immune compromised mother (69) have both caught their second round of Covid. They have ended up in the hospital. This is a clear sign to add my next vax to the list. I have all the previous Covid vaccines

I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope they're okay. People want to act like Covid is no big deal overall, but that's simply not true. Take care, and best to you.

[Kiki03910]

Very interesting article about tea and Covid:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-cup-tea-covid-teas-inactivate.html

I wish it were coffee!

[church_of_dog]

On 4/9/2024 at 8:00 PM, Kiki03910 said:

Very interesting article about tea and Covid:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-cup-tea-covid-teas-inactivate.html

I wish it were coffee!

I have made a habit of gargling with hydrogen peroxide at the end of any day during which I feel there is a chance I might have been infected -- basically any time I'm indoors unmasked around others, or indoors with others for an extended time even when masked.  So far, so good.

Maybe having a cup of black tea will be added to this routine!  (Though I wish it were coffee too)

[Kiki03910]

Interesting news about Covid booster shot immunity. There's also a mention of booster shots giving asthmatics much longer protection even than people with hybrid immunity.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-covid-booster-immunity-longer-primary.html

[Kiki03910]

Put Neosporin up your nose, I guess? Does that count as external use?

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/04/23/Neosporin-ointment-nose-antibiotic/5571713890029/