September covid thread

[seeyalater52]

Sept 28, 2022 14:16:26 GMT -5 gretchenindisguise said:

Sept 28, 2022 8:37:19 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

Here's a great thread on swabbing correctly from Dr. Eric Ding (epidemiologist).

I mean this makes sense to me, but that's now what the instructions tell you to do -so that's a bit frustrating.

There’s also quite a lot of disagreement among microbiologists about using alternate swabbing methods. It’s complicated and personally I still swab according to the directions and only do secondary swab types if I don’t mind wasting extra tests.

[TR]

What even is "outer nose"? He doesn't literally mean outside your nostril right? Because that's just asinine. I've only ever used the nasal swabbing technique, but I got it up high enough that my eyes kind of watered so I think that's sufficient.

[Poppy]

Sept 28, 2022 14:52:19 GMT -5 TR said:

What even is "outer nose"? He doesn't literally mean outside your nostril right? Because that's just asinine. I've only ever used the nasal swabbing technique, but I got it up high enough that my eyes kind of watered so I think that's sufficient.

Later in the tweet thread, he retweets a video from an ENT surgeon that shows in detail.

Warning, might be hard to watch if you're squeamish.

[TR]

Poppy - thanks and OMG that whole thing just disappears! It makes me want to open one of the tests I have at home and try it again.

[Bad Dingo]

Not gonna lie, I gagged a bit watching it. You really have to slowly go far back and down (like towards your throat) and let it absorb a lot of mucus.

[fernweh]

Sept 28, 2022 15:27:07 GMT -5 TR said:

Poppy - thanks and OMG that whole thing just disappears! It makes me want to open one of the tests I have at home and try it again.

I couldn’t believe how far he got that thing in there. That would probably explain why I never tested positive on a home test but did on a PCR. And also when H didn’t test positive when we got our return to US test after our last vacation (in May). The tester basically just tickled the nostril opening. But got a very conclusive positive on a home test the day after landing.

[rubytue]

I have tried the throat swab. I have a terrible sensitive gag reflex (like dental X-rays are an issue). It’s so hard to swab my own throat, I swear I get some self-preservation reflex that kicks in and stops my hand.

[gretchenindisguise]

Sept 28, 2022 15:17:58 GMT -5 Poppy said:

Sept 28, 2022 14:52:19 GMT -5 TR said:

What even is "outer nose"? He doesn't literally mean outside your nostril right? Because that's just asinine. I've only ever used the nasal swabbing technique, but I got it up high enough that my eyes kind of watered so I think that's sufficient.

Later in the tweet thread, he retweets a video from an ENT surgeon that shows in detail.

Warning, might be hard to watch if you're squeamish.

oh wow - that's insane. I also want to just see if I can make one go that far in - I don't think I can.

That said - when H had it - he didn't have to do that far and he got a nearly instant positive and then was really frustrated when it kept being positive for so long. 

[fernweh]

Only 3.5% of eligible Americans have received the updated covid booster (7.6 million people)

www.reuters.com/world/us/around-32-mln-americans-administered-updated-covid-boosters-last-week-cdc-2022-09-29/

[wanderingback]

Sept 30, 2022 7:36:49 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Only 3.5% of eligible Americans have received the updated covid booster (7.6 million people)

www.reuters.com/world/us/around-32-mln-americans-administered-updated-covid-boosters-last-week-cdc-2022-09-29/

I was getting my hair done yesterday (both of us masked of course!) and a public health commercial came on saying we should get an updated booster. My hair dresser who I know has had all the vaccines so far had no idea there was an updated booster. So I explained to her that they changed the formulation like they do with the flu vaccine to better protect us.

So yeah I think a lot of people don’t know and I’m thankful that my city is still doing at least some public health work with ads and announcements.

[hermione]

Sept 30, 2022 8:13:57 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Sept 30, 2022 7:36:49 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Only 3.5% of eligible Americans have received the updated covid booster (7.6 million people)

www.reuters.com/world/us/around-32-mln-americans-administered-updated-covid-boosters-last-week-cdc-2022-09-29/

I was getting my hair done yesterday (both of us masked of course!) and a public health commercial came on saying we should get an updated booster. My hair dresser who I know has had all the vaccines so far had no idea there was an updated booster. So I explained to her that they changed the formulation like they do with the flu vaccine to better protect us.

So yeah I think a lot of people don’t know and I’m thankful that my city is still doing at least some public health work with ads and announcements.

I think a lot of people simply don't know. My brother turned 50 last week and my SIL said to me, "He can get another booster now right?" She was stunned when I said all 4 of them could get it.

[gardengal]

Sept 30, 2022 7:36:49 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Only 3.5% of eligible Americans have received the updated covid booster (7.6 million people)

www.reuters.com/world/us/around-32-mln-americans-administered-updated-covid-boosters-last-week-cdc-2022-09-29/

Personally, my family had covid during the summer so we are waiting 3 mons to boost. The messaging has been terrible so I’m sure that’s part of it but I also wonder if a lot of it is due to recently having covid. 

[noodleoo]

Sept 30, 2022 7:36:49 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Only 3.5% of eligible Americans have received the updated covid booster (7.6 million people)

www.reuters.com/world/us/around-32-mln-americans-administered-updated-covid-boosters-last-week-cdc-2022-09-29/

My circle is full of very pro vaccine people, we all jumped to get the vaccines as soon as we could. With the bivalent booster, I’m seeing a lot less urgency and it’s interesting. I got mine as soon as I could but most of my friends haven’t yet. I think it’s because most of us have had Covid and somehow it’s less “scary” now. Some of my friends had Covid more recently and are waiting or are trying to time it so that they have more protection for the holidays.

The NYT newsletter had an interesting point a few days ago that the bivalent booster won’t make as much a difference in outcomes for people who have already had 3 shots vs trying to get unvaccinated people to get their first shot. It was an interesting way to look at it (from a public health standpoint vs individual standpoint).


(Sorry for the huge link!)
www.nytimes.com/2022/09/28/briefing/boosters-covid-omicron.html?unlocked_article_code=IP6OwU1yTkyqBcOONxmZezVdyTwjMqNBFDjYQhLXOVldx7LQ4oYNC8J6-_CX33t9FB9V3CU5B-qYhf0zYxBh-WBTClA3wq0Wdchm9nAkRt7K4uC6ELkolCfzT4GGvqZSVZtNOWi2OFeFWWWoD-jAP-FQxHI-UL1ED4-KD1aFkrPcZWGHEklFVS0biusi5T1ztj1-Y2I6UUc2Ztg-C-xEwRXkBLol9B3Y1W5Oc4lTvDKgnrJ0IYYORgIA8SeMvE9Z4aXHNne4mo2ZtjcMB474dTLD6UJ3fyEik3ij6Nnhe3_tkIDJmxssiPge1bUKjS7Z-G-3LcY-o8K_7WEKalLwwCg6&smid=share-url

[abs]

Sept 30, 2022 7:36:49 GMT -5 fernweh said:

Only 3.5% of eligible Americans have received the updated covid booster (7.6 million people)

www.reuters.com/world/us/around-32-mln-americans-administered-updated-covid-boosters-last-week-cdc-2022-09-29/

I’m not surprised. There are so many factors at play here. I think once we get closer to the holidays uptake will tick up some but it won’t ever be super high. The vaccine isn’t as easy to obtain anymore and I think a lot of people have just lost faith in the process. It’s hard to convince people to get a shot that may make them feel bad (and they may not have sick time to cover that) especially when it’s not stopping us from getting Covid.

I personally am waiting. I had Covid back in May and right now Covid numbers are very low here. Flu is a whole different story. It is circulating like crazy! I will most likely get my Covid booster in early November before the holidays.

[lilypad1126]

We got our boosters as soon as we could b/c I have a big event on Oct. 9 and I do not want to miss it so I wanted us to be as protected as we could be.

I told my parents about the new booster as soon as it was approved and they were both like, huh, I had no idea! And I should check with them to see if they ever got it. They are both very "meh" about getting more boosters. I'm sure they'll do it at some point, but given their age and health history, they really should do it now.

I do think those of us that post here live in a bubble of being hyper aware/tuned in to this type of stuff versus the general public which is not.

[osulori]

I got my updated booster fairly soon after it was approved and my husband will be soon, but it's been surprising how many people have been all "oh, there's a new booster! I had NO idea!" when they were all about getting previous boosters when approved.

[waverly]

I just had Covid. I am sure that it was the new variant. So I haven't gotten the booster. Some things I saw sad wait 3 months, so I was thinking December, but then I said something that said wait 6 months. So I am not sure when the get the booster. We've all had the other 3 shots.

[eddy]

Getting the booster is also much less accessible. There are only two Walgreens in our area currently administering the booster. This is for a population of 150K. Last year there probably 20-30 different pharmacies that you could choose from. To my knowledge our healthcare system isn't holding mass vaccine events. It took my husband 1.5 hours to get his booster because the pharmacy was so over worked. And that was with an appointment.

I just don't think people are feeling the urgency any longer. Cases are down currently. Most people have probably already gotten the virus. It becomes a "I will get it when I can fit it into my schedule" situation. Instead of hunting down appointments like we were doing 18 months ago.

[Bad Dingo]

When I went to get my flu shot the CVS pharmacist offered the booster and I just got a text from CVS reminding me that a new booster is available.

I haven't gotten it yet because I just had Covid at the beginning of the month and am waiting until after my mammogram next month so it doesn't interfere w/that. I'll be getting it the next day though.

[seeyalater52]

Sept 30, 2022 12:23:27 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

When I went to get my flu shot the CVS pharmacist offered the booster and I just got a text from CVS reminding me to that a new booster is available.

I haven't gotten it yet because I just had Covid at the beginning of the month and am waiting until after my mammogram next month so it doesn't interfere w/that. I'll be getting it the next day though.

I got my flu shot today and was also offered the covid bivalent booster while there, although I got it a few weeks ago. I was glad they’re proactively offering coadministration!

Cases are on the major upswing here: even the extremely undercounted covid cases have doubled in the last week I’m the northeast region, and Boston area wastewater increased more than 100% in the last 7 day average. Hospitals are starting to feel the strain too, especially in the areas of New England that have poorer health infrastructure. Boston public health officials are urging people to mask indoors again but I’m sure people will largely ignore.

One of the challenges of the surge that is starting now is that BA5 is still highly dominant. Other variants are beginning to pick up speed but it looks like the front end of the wave may be driven by multiple competing variants that don’t necessarily provide good immunity which means that reinfection windows will likely get shorter and shorter until another variant takes over fully, which could be around the peak expected in December. People in general seem to have a pretty poor understanding of infection based immunity and what it means/how it interacts with the vaccines (probably because public health messaging is a hot mess!) so that is also probably driving some of the delays in people getting vaccinated with the new booster.

Mask up, loves, and hang in there.

[mskitkat]

I’ve admittedly been putting off my booster because I know it will knock me out for at least a day, and I just cannot do that right now. My husband is sick with what I suspect is ME/CFS long covid, and I am currently in charge of everything since he can’t stay awake longer than a few hours.

[minzy]

I thought today was finally a good time to get the bivalent vaccine, with two days off of work, and the rain from Ian canceling many weekend plans, and also my in-laws no longer coming over tomorrow. Hopefully this time it won’t knock me on my ass? I was J&J, then Moderna, and now nearly a year later, finally have a Pfizer (and still no Covid yet). Bingo? 😝

Got the flu vaccine too. Same (always, always, non-dominant) arm. The grocery store pharmacy was hopping. Good!

[devonpow]

I just had Covid for the first time and my primary care Dr told me to wait 2 months for the bivalent booster. Interestingly, I saw my immunologist the other day (I’m on immunosuppressives due to an autoimmune disease. I’ve had 4 vaccines so far) and he wants me to wait even longer - at minimum until after I see him next (early January). He and his colleagues have been seeing a lot of people like me have flares of their underlying disease post vaccine. This isn’t surprising - it revs up your immune system so much. His reasoning for me is that since I just had Covid and did ok (I received monoclonal antibodies), plus have been fully vaxxed and boosted otherwise that it’s more important to keep my underlying disease under control. It makes me so nervous and goes against everything I’ve been feeling/doing for almost 3 years 😬 I trust him though, so I feel like I should go with his advice. I don’t like it though

[seeyalater52]

Sept 30, 2022 16:50:09 GMT -5 mskitkat said:

I’ve admittedly been putting off my booster because I know it will knock me out for at least a day, and I just cannot do that right now. My husband is sick with what I suspect is ME/CFS long covid, and I am currently in charge of everything since he can’t stay awake longer than a few hours.

I’m really sorry to hear your husband is dealing with long term impacts from Covid. Hang in there, that sounds really hard.

devonpow, it’s got to be so confusing to hear so many conflicting recommendations! I’m glad you have a good care team who are familiar with your specific risk factors and can help you balance all these competing factors in making your vaccination decisions. Also really glad to hear that you recovered well from your case of Covid.