Well, I finally caught the 'Rona (COVID)

The CDC has recently changed it's guidelines for COVID to make the same as any respiratory virus.  Essentially its you only need to isolate if you are experiencing symptoms.  Realistically it seems like COVID is most contagious at early onset, and possibly even before symptoms.  I know exactly when and where I caught it once, and it was from someone who had a cough (did not realize they had COVID), who I was sitting near, at outside dining.

https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/respiratory-virus-guidance.html

• You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
  • Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
  • You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
• When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. This is especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
  • Keep in mind that you may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better. You are likely to be less contagious at this time, depending on factors like how long you were sick or how sick you were.
  • If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days

Air travel is the best way to pick it up these days. Makes sense, you're in a metal tube full of strangers. The only time I caught it, I was travelling to visit my 83 year old mother and I picked it up on the plane then passed it along to her. I did not feel like a hero. Now I fly with a mask to visit her because while it looks stupid and it's not that comfortable, I'm not putting her in any more risk than I have to.

The fall shots actually just got approved today.

https://arstechnica.com/health/2024/08/fda-green-lights-fall-covid-19-boosters/

Sarah Young said:

I've still never gotten covid, but the vaccines have hit me really hard. Do you know anyone else who's avoided covid this long? I don't think I do.

 

ETA: Oh wait, I think Nicole Suddard has never had it!

I haven't had it. With possible long-term effects including mental health issues I should probably fear it like I'm 80 years old:

https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/06/21/hhs-issues-advisory-mental-health-symptoms-and-conditions-related-long-covid.html

Keith Tanner said:

Air travel is the best way to pick it up these days. Makes sense, you're in a metal tube full of strangers. The only time I caught it, I was travelling to visit my 83 year old mother and I picked it up on the plane then passed it along to her. I did not feel like a hero. Now I fly with a mask to visit her because while it looks stupid and it's not that comfortable, I'm not putting her in any more risk than I have to.

The fall shots actually just got approved today.

https://arstechnica.com/health/2024/08/fda-green-lights-fall-covid-19-boosters/

My dad once caught COVID in the process of taking an international flight. The thing is he wore an N95 mask from door to door, only taking it off when he had to show that his face matched his passport.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

I'm still gonna do my best to improve the odds. My mom is healthy, but my wife is immunosuppressed and her father has very poor lung function. It's the least I can do for them. 

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I travel for work to almost 7 states.  I keep telling myself I need to fly more and put less miles on my truck but tonight I'm not sure I want to fly more. 

1.5 weeks after testing negative, the only lingering effect seems to be my stomach. My appetite is reduced (which is a good thing since I need to lose a lot of weight) and I seem to get nauseous and indigestion after almost any meal, regardless of what I eat. 

I never lost my sense of taste or smell while I had it or now after, just the stomach stuff. Never had a fever or reduced O2 numbers either. 

Anyone know if the "free"  Covid test kits are still good after a year or 2 on the shelf ?

GameboyRMH said:

Keith Tanner said:

Air travel is the best way to pick it up these days. Makes sense, you're in a metal tube full of strangers. The only time I caught it, I was travelling to visit my 83 year old mother and I picked it up on the plane then passed it along to her. I did not feel like a hero. Now I fly with a mask to visit her because while it looks stupid and it's not that comfortable, I'm not putting her in any more risk than I have to.

The fall shots actually just got approved today.

https://arstechnica.com/health/2024/08/fda-green-lights-fall-covid-19-boosters/

My dad once caught COVID in the process of taking an international flight. The thing is he wore an N95 mask from door to door, only taking it off when he had to show that his face matched his passport.

The mask mostly protects other people if the mask wearer has covid.  It's not terribly effective at stopping the mask wearer from getting it.

In reply to californiamilleghia :

Last year the CDC website had a list of free test kits that had their expiration dates extended, but I think that was 2022 to 2023. Won't hurt to check anyway.

Sarah Young said:

I've still never gotten covid, but the vaccines have hit me really hard. Do you know anyone else who's avoided covid this long? I don't think I do.

 

ETA: Oh wait, I think Nicole Suddard has never had it!

Never got the shot or the couf, but I do avoid sugar, processed foods, and spend lots of time outdoors in the sun, so...

wvumtnbkr said:

The mask mostly protects other people if the mask wearer has covid.  It's not terribly effective at stopping the mask wearer from getting it.

That's true for non-N95s (like the blue medical masks) but an N95 should protect the mask wearer as well, that's what keeps healthcare workers who spend time around COVID-infected people from being constantly infected themselves. I think that moment my dad took off his mask for presenting his passport may have been all it took...or maybe an infected person was sitting near him on the plane with no mask on, and marinating in airborne COVID soup for a whole flight with a mask that may have not been perfectly fitted the whole time did it.

racerfink said:

Sarah Young said:

I've still never gotten covid, but the vaccines have hit me really hard. Do you know anyone else who's avoided covid this long? I don't think I do.

 

ETA: Oh wait, I think Nicole Suddard has never had it!

Never got the shot or the couf, but I do avoid sugar, processed foods, and spend lots of time outdoors in the sun, so...

For some reason this made me think of gluten-free proselytizers. 

My youngest daughter has managed to avoid it completely despite living here in the same house with the rest of us.  She eats the same food, breathes the same air, sees mostly the same people, and has basically the same lifestyle.  I've had it twice, the other two daughters at least once each, and my wife has had it.  Her classmates and close friends have had it.  But the youngest?  Nothing.  Personally, I think having it was a welcome change from my usual bout of bronchitis.  Oddly, I was only just tired and sore with covid, it never really impacted my breathing or fired up my asthma the way bronchitis does.

Had to make a few phone calls yesterday to find PAXLOVID for my FIL. Seems to be a shortage in his area but they just restocked at their local Walgreens. But I did find out you can get it mailed to you:

https://www.paxlovid.com/pharmacy-finder

"If you are unable to find a pharmacy near you or would prefer to receive your medication from our mail-order pharmacy, please contact your physician and request they send your eligibility information and prescription to ARx Patient Solutions Pharmacy, or call Pfizer PAXCESSTM at 877-219-7225 (877-C19-PACK) for assistance."

We just had some sort of cold run through our house. Not COVID, tested a bunch and everyone was negative multiple times. Even used different brand tests to be sure.

My wife is a teacher (elementary age kids) and I got a hoss air purifier for her classroom. We'll see if it helps this year.

My manager's daughter and hubby are recovering from it.  A friend just went through a procedure yesterday for blood clots in her lungs they think was a side effect from earlier.  I had no idea it was going around this much again.

I had the OG around Thanksgiving 2020 and wouldn't have known it except the boss got it, tested positive, we all got tested and were positive, boss and bossette were miserable including loss of smell/taste.  I felt nothing.  Maybe I should look into replacing those free kits in the closet.

The then 6 year old had it back in 21. She was down for about 18 hours. We wouldn't even had suspected it had the school not called and told us she was in close contact with a student that tested positive so she would need to get tested and stay home until she was negative. Nobody in the house caught it from her at that time. 

Last Thanksgiving week I think I finally caught it. I only got the original 2 shots back whenever they came out. I did not get tested. Monday around noon I thought I was getting a sinus infection, by 4pm I was in bed with cold sweats and ridiculously weak. Stayed there until Wednesday when I had to get up to cook for Thanksgiving, ate nothing until Thanksgiving, and was generally fine by Saturday. Wife thought it was man flu and ignored it until Thursday when she started having symptoms. She went and got tested on Friday, positive for Flu B and Rona. She was on her feet again by Monday and back at work testing negative on Wednesday. 

Nobody that came to Thanksgiving ever got sick with anything, but were warned that if we were that sick at Xmas we wouldn't be hosting or visiting. 

All of our symptoms while we were sick were flu like more than described corona symptoms. 

Well my streak of evasion surprisingly came to an end, woke up yesterday morning with a fever and feeling like total E36 M3 all the sudden, pretty much stayed in bed all day. I've had dengue fever before and it felt a lot like that. Ran a COVID test today and it was strongly positive. I can hardly guess how it happened, I've basically been isolating due to poverty most of this year. Not feeling too bad right now but this throws a wrench into job hunting and means I can't even collect pocket change via gig work for a while.

californiamilleghia said:

Anyone know if the "free"  Covid test kits are still good after a year or 2 on the shelf ?

Several brands of COVID tests were provided free by the government.

Here's a link to an FDA site that lists which tests have had their expiration dates extended.

First time for a positive test. Had a little runny nose the last couple of days but then the itchy throat made me think it's more than allergies.

I was at a big trade show on Tuesday, might be too soon to blame it on that so at worse I took it there with me. :/

Got my shot a couple weeks ago so I don't expect to get really sick.

My buddy got it. Triggered Gillian's barre syndrome. He's been paralyzed from the waist down for two weeks.  But luckily just got out of the hospital for treatment and can move around now. Though it'll be next year before he sees a mountain bike again. Sad. 

Fueled by Caffeine said:

My buddy got it. Triggered Gillian's barre syndrome. He's been paralyzed from the waist down for two weeks.  But luckily just got out of the hospital for treatment and can move around now. Though it'll be next year before he sees a mountain bike again. Sad. 

My manager was in the hospital for 8 days last January with GBS, he's 95% now. But his doctor said no more vaccines as he thinks it was the 2nd booster that did it. 

A dude I’ve known for a long, long time passed away this weekend. From what I saw on FB, it was pneumonia following Covid. (And sorry to be a downer, but be careful out there, everyone.)

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Damn, sorry for your loss.