February Covid: it’s still a thing

[fortnightlily]

"Your Local Epidemiologist" just send out her notes from today's ACIP meeting. On the topic if adults will be eligible for another booster this year:

"CDC further clarified the goal of the vaccine program: Prevention of severe disease.

Because of this, ACIP decided there was “insufficient evidence” to suggest older adults need another bivalent dose at this time. They did say this could change in the future based on three things:

Hospitalization rates among those who got the bivalent start to increase
Other signals of waning vaccine effectiveness of bivalent vaccines
SARS-CoV-2 significantly mutates
They did a similar evaluation for immunocompromised. And came to the same conclusion.

So, as of now, everyone will be eligible for one shot a year. We will need to be flexible, as this may change. Is this the right call? Time will tell."

[audette]

I tested positive on Wednesday. DH and I were/are two of the only No-vids we know.

My home test was confirmed at a local urgent care place, and they prescribed Paxlovid for me. Folks were not kidding when they talked about the nasty, nasty after taste of this med. It doesn't show up for a bit after you take it, but... gah...

The doc said it was borderline if I needed the antiviral, but based on how poorly I feel, I'm glad that I was able to get it. I am still progressively getting worse, and hoping I hit bottom soon. I don't want to think how bad this might have been without. I haven't quite lost days like I have previously with the flu (yet), but I've fallen asleep sitting up multiple times today, even cold meds are barely touching my sinus/ear congestion, and coughing is starting to hurt.


Our plan has me masking anywhere in the house that isn't my home office, or my bedroom (DH and I sleep in separate rooms). We are hoping that DH hasn't caught it, but, he did just go have a nap because he had a headache. This also happened directly after he went grocery shopping, which he _hates_ doing, so I'm hoping it's just that. He tested yesterday, and will likely test later today. His bivalent booster was much more recent than mine, due to some travel he had last year. He wasn't able to get it until late December, while I had mine back in September-ish, basically as soon as they were available.

He asked me earlier today if I had tested. And I laughed and told him that I didn't think there was much point as of yet. I have hopes of feeling better by Monday. Time will tell.

[rubytue]

((( audette,))) I hope the paxlovid helps a lot. FWIW, I only had another ~30 hours of symptoms once I started taking it.

In fucking Florida news, Lee County has resolution to ask deSantis to ban all Covid vaccines in Florida. 🙄
winknews.com/2023/02/21/ban-the-jab-proposed-resolution-vote-tuesday-evening/

[underwaterrhymes]

Feb 25, 2023 11:01:28 GMT -5 rubytue said:

((( audette,))) I hope the paxlovid helps a lot. FWIW, I only had another ~30 hours of symptoms once I started taking it.

In fucking Florida news, Lee County has resolution to ask deSantis to ban all Covid vaccines in Florida. 🙄
winknews.com/2023/02/21/ban-the-jab-proposed-resolution-vote-tuesday-evening/

🙄🙄 But, but, I thought they wanted personal freedom?

[gretchenindisguise]

Feb 25, 2023 12:30:00 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Feb 25, 2023 11:01:28 GMT -5 rubytue said:

((( audette,))) I hope the paxlovid helps a lot. FWIW, I only had another ~30 hours of symptoms once I started taking it.

In fucking Florida news, Lee County has resolution to ask deSantis to ban all Covid vaccines in Florida. 🙄
winknews.com/2023/02/21/ban-the-jab-proposed-resolution-vote-tuesday-evening/

🙄🙄 But, but, I thought they wanted personal freedom?

No no no.

You misunderstood! You are perfectly free to choose to live the way they want you too. If you choose not to, well, that’s on you.

[NewOrleans]

I don’t know how to feel about either origin story, but it scares me that our agencies disagree with each other. More dysfunction or more secrets and less ways to protect us.

www.wsj.com/articles/covid-origin-china-lab-leak-807b7b0a

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Energy Department has concluded that the Covid pandemic most likely arose from a laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and key members of Congress.

The new report highlights how different parts of the intelligence community have arrived at disparate judgments about the pandemic’s origin. The Energy Department now joins the Federal Bureau of Investigation in saying the virus likely spread via a mishap at a Chinese laboratory. Four other agencies, along with a national intelligence panel, still judge that it was likely the result of a natural transmission, and two are undecided.

www.wsj.com/articles/covid-origin-china-lab-leak-807b7b0a

[pixy0stix]

FDA has approved a combo flu/covid test www.9news.com/article/news/nation-world/fda-authorizes-combination-flu-covid-test/507-23b6e4a7-d51c-4d9a-8942-ded73017a88f

[rubytue]

I so wanted to east NewOrleans’s story, but paywall. I found this one on CNN

www.cnn.com/2023/02/26/politics/covid-lab-leak-wuhan-china-intelligence/index.htmla

[karinothing]

Feb 26, 2023 11:06:18 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

FDA has approved a combo flu/covid test www.9news.com/article/news/nation-world/fda-authorizes-combination-flu-covid-test/507-23b6e4a7-d51c-4d9a-8942-ded73017a88f

This is cool! 

On another note, I have been sick since last week. A person I live with coughed for like 2 hours and was better and now I have felt bad since last Wednesday. My voice has been on the way out since Sat and it is basically barely there right now. Good thing I have a presentation Wednesday. Debating whether to go to the Dr today, not sure they can do anything. Figure I have some ear pain and might be worth it to make sure it's not some weird version of strep. 

[Velar Fricative]

I'm sitting here wondering if I "prefer" a lab leak versus animal-to-human transmission. I don't like the randomness of the latter but I don't trust people anymore either.

[hermione]

Feb 27, 2023 9:07:43 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I'm sitting here wondering if I "prefer" a lab leak versus animal-to-human transmission. I don't like the randomness of the latter but I don't trust people anymore either.

Disclaimer: I didn't read the article. 

What does a lab leak actually mean? Were they 'developing" COVID for a specific purpose? Or were they studying treatment for corona viruses? Something else?

[Velar Fricative]

Feb 27, 2023 10:16:07 GMT -5 hermione said:

Feb 27, 2023 9:07:43 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

I'm sitting here wondering if I "prefer" a lab leak versus animal-to-human transmission. I don't like the randomness of the latter but I don't trust people anymore either.

Disclaimer: I didn't read the article. 

What does a lab leak actually mean? Were they 'developing" COVID for a specific purpose? Or were they studying treatment for corona viruses? Something else?

Could have been for any of those reasons. The Energy Dept. has "low confidence" in its assertion that it was an accidental lab leak, so I feel like we're still where we were from the beginning with regard to where covid came from. 

[audette]

Feb 25, 2023 11:01:28 GMT -5 rubytue said:

((( audette ,))) I hope the paxlovid helps a lot. FWIW, I only had another ~30 hours of symptoms once I started taking it.

In fucking Florida news, Lee County has resolution to ask deSantis to ban all Covid vaccines in Florida. 🙄
winknews.com/2023/02/21/ban-the-jab-proposed-resolution-vote-tuesday-evening/

Thanks for the well-wishes!

Looks like things were not quite as quick for me, but I am on the upswing now, I believe.  (and took my last dose of Paxlovid this morning...  hoping that aftertaste starts to fade soon).  I slept for most of the weekend.

*knock on wood*  It looks like my husband either missed it entirely, or felt a bit stuffed up for half a day, and was then all better - he never tested positive.  I tested negative last night for the first time, and will test again tonight, but plan on working remotely all week, and staying home, because, why not.

[InBetweenDays]

Well add me to the list of people who just tested positive for the very first time. We were on a ski vacation over the past week so I'm guessing I got it somewhere there. Started with a bit of a cough and crud in my throat yesterday. Today I'm a little tired. I don't think I'm high risk (I am on medication for borderline blood pressure) but am wondering if I should try and get paxlovid?

[Bad Dingo]

www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/27/how-seriously-should-we-take-the-us-does-covid-lab-leak-theory
"Lentzos added that according to guidance from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: “A low confidence level generally indicates that the information used in the analysis is scant, questionable, fragmented, or that solid analytical conclusions cannot be inferred from the information, or that the IC has significant concerns or problems with the information sources.”"

It sounds like scientists generally think this wasn't a lab leak. The headlines making this sound like a definitive conclusion are very misleading (to put it kindly).

[Velar Fricative]

Feb 27, 2023 13:28:51 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/27/how-seriously-should-we-take-the-us-does-covid-lab-leak-theory
"Lentzos added that according to guidance from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: “A low confidence level generally indicates that the information used in the analysis is scant, questionable, fragmented, or that solid analytical conclusions cannot be inferred from the information, or that the IC has significant concerns or problems with the information sources.”"

It sounds like scientists generally think this wasn't a lab leak. The headlines making this sound like a definitive conclusion are very misleading (to put it kindly).

Not surprising coming from the Wall Street Journal.

[audette]

Feb 27, 2023 13:19:43 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

Well add me to the list of people who just tested positive for the very first time. <snip>

The doc told me I was borderline on getting it, but that if I felt it would be useful, he'd sent in the script.  I'm obese, middle aged, and have a few chronic conditions that are well managed with medication.  My stats were not awful when I went to the appointment - O2 saturation was fine, fever was nominal, I just felt like crud.  I'm fully vaxed, with my bivalent early last fall. 

I'm also in a red area where folks might be less likely to downplay Covid, on the whole.  So the doc may have decided me reaching out for it was sufficient.


All that said, it's been until today for me to feel mostly human again.  I took my last dose this morning (five days of meds, twice a day).  I'm glad I went for the meds - I'm not sure how much worse this would have been, or longer it might have taken to feel somewhat better, without.

[InBetweenDays]

audette, glad you are starting to feel better.

I have a message in to my doctor. My only risk factors are I'm almost 50 and have borderline (but managed) blood pressure. I also got my bivalent booster last fall (early October). We'll see what my doctor says.

[Velar Fricative]

Paxlovid is abundant here and I know adults of all ages and preexisting conditions (including none at all) that have taken Paxlovid. No one's ever regretted it. It's hard to know what the course of covid would have been like without taking the medication, but they felt better quickly. The only ones with rebound illnesses were notably, people over 50. And that wasn't the case with all 50+ people I know either, just that I don't know anyone who had a rebound that was under 50.

I regret not taking Paxlovid when I had covid in June. Covid draaaaaaaaagged for me but I was too worried about the rebound illness. I think I really could have spared myself the weeks-long illness if I took it, so I am definitely going to try and get some next time I get covid.


InBetweenDays,audette, hope you're both better quickly!

[pixy0stix]

As far as I can tell, they don't even blink when people ask for paxlovid here.

[miesl]

I found that citrus or mint flavors (lemon drops, tic tacs, life savers) cut the terrible flavor. 100 still would do again considering how quickly I went from "I have a sore throat" to "This is setting up camp in my lungs"

[InBetweenDays]

A no-go with the paxlovid. I heard back from a triage nurse and she said they follow NIH guidelines for prescribing it and I don't qualify. For now I'm hydrating, isolating, and trying to get as much work done as I can while I feel up for it.

[erbear]

I feel like shit. I’ve had a cough for almost two weeks — not too much but always kind of there. I feel foggy and dizzy and just not good. Covid tests are negative. No fever. I feel a little short of breath but I think it’s because I’m paying so much attention to it. Pulse ox is normal (97-99), heart rate pretty normal. I just want to feel better!

[rubytue]

Feb 27, 2023 14:34:52 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

As far as I can tell, they don't even blink when people ask for paxlovid here.

I feel like it’s the same here. Almost everyone I’ve known has gotten it without a second glance. My coworker (age 35-ish) is still struggling though. He got rebound worst than the first and is still coughing 3 weeks later. 

When I got it, I was on a cruise ship, so we didn’t have the NIH stuff. Just me asking for it. I had tried to talk to my doctor beforehand, but was brushed off by a triage nurse to call when I actually needed it (which I get, but also ugh). Anyway, I was at the doctor last week and asked if it was the right thing, and he said yes. But that he was oncology, and he has done stuff my PCP won’t do. I see her tomorrow and I’ll ask her, too.