I just had my second bout of COVID, and DH his first.
We were traveling - London and Edinburgh. DH had gotten the latest jab two weeks before leaving. I did not get the jab.
Seven days into the trip I tested positive. Had been feeling a bit off for two days - mainly more tired. But had tested negative. DH felt a scratchy throat day 9 into the trip and tested postive day 10. I had Paxlovid for me and Molnupiravir for DH. We both decided to take the round of antivirals since I didn’t want either of us to crash right before the trip home.
I still am gobsmacked at the behavior of the general population we encountered in the UK. Every 4th person seemed to have an active cough. And apparently they are very proud of those coughs because not only was no one wearing a mask…no one even attempted to cover their mouths or use a Kleenex. Nope, it was wild and abandoned hacking away. We were on a 4.5 hour train ride where I had a straight shot of two guys, probably in there 70’s - coughing every few minutes…just letting it blow. There was a symphony of coughing in the few restaurants/pubs we visited as well as on the metro.
DH told his relatives that I was positive but he was still negative. Their response…come on over as planned, we will put in you a separate chair and at the end of the table. Absolutely not worried in the least. And, they are still negative.
I don’t think I saw .05% people wearing masks. Not in either city, not at SFO and not ad LHR.
The UK’s current policy is…you can get free antigen tests if you fall under a very long list of criteria. Then, you need to go to a pharmacy to pick up those tests. Then if you test positive you can request a PCR test be scheduled. IF you are NOT included in the high risk class you can purchase antigen tests…but the explicit instructions on the NIH website is…don’t report the positive results! Just do basic care, hydration, fever meds and rest.
Folks. the pandemic/endemic is OVER as far as the UK is concerned. No one cares…as one pharmacist stated when I asked about those tri-tests (COVID ,RSV, Flu)…um…we don’t have them because no one tests anymore.
BTW…I’m sure we were infected with the latest strain which is up and coming…and from indications such as DH getting it as well as US based folks who got the most recent jab getting it. that last round of booster/jab/annual shot isn’t really doing anything at all.
My guess on the likely value add for the current XBB.1.5 vaccine:
Condition
Likely value add
Never infected or vaccinated
High
Non-Omicron infection and/or vaccination only
Medium
Vaccination only, < 3 doses
Medium
Pre-XBB.1.5 Omicron infection and/or vaccination
Minor
Vaccination only, last dose > 6 months ago
Minor
XBB.1.5 infection > 3 months ago
Minimal
XBB.1.5 infection < 3 months ago
None
Research studies indicate that the XBB.1.5 vaccine gives some boost in antibody response against current variants descended from BA.2.86, but not as much as against variants descended from XBB.1.5.
Although largely ignored previously, long flu does exist, although the magnitude of risk of such and breadth of organ systems affected is smaller than for long COVID. However, flu does appear to be a higher risk of long term problems in the pulmonary system than COVID-19.
Supposedly it’s a question of when (not if) another pandemic occurs. I wonder what will happen – will people refuse to mask? Refuse to stay home? What if the next pandemic hits children particularly hard? As long as school stays in-person with no masking, I guess it will just be too bad if children become very sick and/or have a significant mortality rate. It will be up to their parents to keep them safe – society won’t (just as it is up to older and immunocompromised people or their caregivers now).
Since I had the latest vaccine 5 weeks before a COVID case that landed me in the hospital, I had doubts about its effectiveness against the strain I had. Then again, without the vaccine, maybe I would have died.
Paxlovid seems to work. I just couldn’t continue with it due to heart arrythmias. I hope those at risk will take Paxlovid. The stats seem to show a lot of people aren’t taking it.
But does it? What is the data on currently hospitalized COVID patients and the rate of latest jab? Is this variant by nature simply less effective in causing serious illness. How much of the population doesn’t already have some sort of acquired immunity? We aren’t tracking positive antigen tests so we have no idea how many people are/were positive and had a ‘simple’ case.
Maybe the latest round of injections help, maybe they don’t we DON’T know. And to assume they offer a level of protection is as valid as to assume they don’t - at this point.
Right now I still have a slightly elevated heart rate. I learned a lot when I went thru my 1st bout in August 2022. I will be doing some off label stuff (which, sadly I am pretty certain would get ridiculed here)…but I can tell you it worked and put me. back to health last time.
D1, age 35 is having her first known case of Covid now. No idea where she got it. Didn’t do anything outside of the normal stuff of going to work, visiting a friend, dining at a restaurant. She sounds pretty worn out! Her fiancé seems a step or two behind her and is starting to feel unwell. We are hoping they can be clear in a week or so for Christmas. She is on day 3 of being positive, 4 of feeling under the weather.
She’s complaining a lot of being SO achy. Anything people have taken or been prescribed for the achy ness??? I am still - as far as I know - untouched by Covid so haven’t experienced it.
Interesting. This is the first report I’ve seen in awhile where it was described as a mild cold. This latest round this fall, it seems that everyone I know has gotten pretty sick - which to me means flu like symptoms (fever, body aches, cough) for a solid week. I wonder if this variation isn’t a little worse than some of the previous.
I don’t want it. At this point I just thank the blessed lord every day I don’t have it. With our (me and H) lives, we can’t escape exposure.
I mentioned that my SIL has Covid for the first time. Throughout the pandemic, she only masked when made to do so, and even then, she wore her mask below her nose. She had only the initial vaccination, and only because she couldn’t enter her parents’ assisted living facility without it. She has downplayed Covid numerous times.
Fast forward … she just posted information on Facebook about knowing your Covid risks, along with a comment that it’s “a lot bigger deal than I thought it was.” SMH.
However, it could be that there are now lots of very mild cases that went unnoticed as COVID-19, since any noticed symptoms were the same as many other common things (common colds, allergies, etc.). People only report the more severe sicknesses that they get.
The insidiousness of COVID-19 is that it is still severe enough for some people (though fewer than in the pre-vaccine days) that it is still a concern, but it can spread from people who are asymptomatic (previously a few days before showing symptoms, probably now more likely for up to a week after symptoms are gone, which may be beyond the CDC’s recommended time to stay away from others and wear masks).
On a recent flight from Denver, I was surprised to see quite a few young and fit looking people in masks (we always mask now, screw the mask haters). Very few coughing or sneezing heads on the plane or even at the airports. Unfortunately, observed a handful of ladies darting out of the restrooms without washing their hands!
Being seated next to someone (perhaps unknowingly) contagious with COVID-19 is a risk that is not otherwise easily controlled, and it would not be good if a trip were destroyed by getting COVID-19 from the airplane ride.
The data? You just pronounced that the “last round of booster/jab/annual shot isn’t really doing anything at all,” based on no more “data” than “DH getting it” and some others “getting it.” In my experience, arguing with “data” like that is a fool’s errand.
I’m fine to call it a shot…same as the flu. But it is not a vaccine anymore than we call it an annual flu vaccine.
Before our trip DH talked to his PCP about whether to take the next COVID offering. PCP said, yes. It will get you thru the holiday season. I was listening in and commented along the lines of ‘so the best we hope for is about 6 weeks protection’. The response was…well it should be a bit more than that.
heads on the plane or even at the airports. Unfortunately, observed a handful of ladies darting out of the restrooms without washing their hands! 