Coronavirus prep

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  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    edited March 2021
    hipari wrote: »
    33gail33 wrote: »
    I had a covid test yesterday and today I have what feels like a mild sinus headache/irritation under the eye on the side they did the "brain poke". Anyone else have this, and is it normal? It's not really bad but considering I have to get tested weekly now it is gonna be annoying if this happens every time.

    I’ve been tested 3 times, and the first time my tissues up there were pretty irritated for a couple of days after. Felt kinda similar to the burning feeling of accidentally getting chlorine water from a pool sucked up your nose, except it was only on one side. The next two were significantly easier - the second one was irritated for a few hours, and the last one (last week) was feeling normal by the time I got back home from the test center.

    I think it’s a combination of what else you have going on (some flu symptoms make those tissues more sensitive than others), how the swab hits you (I swear I heard something crunch inside my head on the first time) and how relaxed you are (if you’re very tense, there’s probably more pushback from your muscles and the nurse can’t be as gentle).

    I was getting tested twice weekly, am back to one. I don’t have the best nose, so when the new q-tips were larger one week noticed and commented and the nurse was surprised.

    They are comparing results with the saliva test, so I’ve been doing both. Saliva is cheaper and faster, but PCR is considered the “gold standard.” I’d rather shove the q-tip up my nose. You cant eat or drink for a half-hour before the saliva test and you have to produce a LOT. It takes me forever to fill up the tube enough (picture calendar pages flying off the wall and seasons changing out the window). Makes me think I should have participated in competing spitting when I was a kid. 😤
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    edited March 2021
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    On March 3 of last year I was monitoring the virus (the first case in Chicago was reported in late January, and I was paying attention to the number of cases), but way more focused on Super Tuesday. I did not yet have any intention of voting early in the primary (ours was March 17, I actually voted on March 13), and I wasn't particularly worried about any shortages (although apparently I said something about stocking up on toilet paper in this thread). I was lucky that I never really had to deal with any significant shortages, as it happens. I was also joking about mask ads, and didn't really believe that masks would be used in a widespread way, and did not expect to work from home for any extended period of time -- at some time around then (might have been late Feb, however), I recall a workplace meeting where someone talked about making sure we all had what we needed to work from home (which sounded awful to me), and I recall thinking they were overreacting and that would never happen. Sigh.

    Today is March 12. One year ago today, our Chancellor announced online classes and sent everyone home (who could go home) and we began scrambling to figure out how to best keep everyone safe and healthy who remained with us.

    We were lucky with the tremendously amount of resources and knowledge to which we had access. As well as a really generous COVID paid leave program.

    And we still have some international students whose visas have expired and who cannot get home. They are truly in limbo. 😞
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    33gail33 wrote: »
    hipari wrote: »
    33gail33 wrote: »
    33gail33 wrote: »
    33gail33 wrote: »
    Re vaccination anecdotes: my young and perfectly healthy DIL (27) developed shingles one week after her first dose. I (55) got my first shot yesterday - no issues as of yet.

    I’m just wondering if your DIL had the chicken pox vaccine.

    I'm not sure - I just assumed she had chicken pox. My son is her same age and he didn't have the vaccine I don't think it was around back then? Or maybe it came out after he already had chicken pox he was very young when he got it.

    Edit: no vaccine, she had chicken pox as a kid. The vaccine wasn't licensed in Canada until 1998 and the vaccine programs started in 2000.

    Is it just me, or do others seem to have someone who disagrees with literally every post they write? Idk it just seems odd that someone would disagree with the above statements of fact. Like do they disagree that my son had chicken pox as a very young child? Or that the chicken pox vaccine was licensed in Canada in 1998? It doesn't really matter - it just really confuses me.

    I feel like maybe someone has a problem with me and just disagrees with everything I post.

    Yeah - disagrees happen (and btw, I know we had a lil’ argument over vaccinating pregnant women a few pages back, but I’m not your disagree stalker, we’re cool). However I have a question about the chicken pox. I didn’t know it could affect covid vaccinations, could you elaborate on that?

    I never had the chicken pox vaccine eiher and hadn’t even heard there’s a vaccine for it until I traveled to the US for an exchange program in 2008 and had to have either the vaccine or confirmation that I’d had it. Got blood tests to confirm I had it basically asymptomatically around the same time my best friend and my sister had it when we were kids. I lucked out with that one - a former colleague got chicken pox as an adult and it was nasty. Apparently the vaccine is in our national vaccination program for kids now.

    I can’t really elaborate on it - I just know that my DIL had the Pfizer vaccine and 6 days later was diagnosed with shingles (which is a reemergence of the chicken pox virus). I suspect there might be a connection between the two as she is healthy otherwise and it is very unusual for a healthy young person to suddenly come down with shingles. She has since been in contact with others online who had a similar experience- but as of now there is no data or study showing that shingles can be triggered by the vaccine. I can’t say that it was the vaccine that triggered it, but I think it is plausible at least.

    I think it’s any vaccine, not just the shingles/chicken pox vaccine. That was one of the questions I was asked when I was filling out my form to schedule my appointment. They asked about a lot within the last 90 days. Though I don’t recall being asked about the flu vaccine. Doesn’t mean we weren’t. Hepatitis, meningitis, MMR, Tetanus, etc. maybe the concern is magnification of side effects to the immune response with multiple recent vaccinations.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    33gail33 wrote: »
    Update on the shingles vaccine reaction if anyone is interested. While the urgent care doctor said that she "couldn't rule out" a vaccine reaction, the next day her GP told her definitively that she believes it to be a vaccine reaction. Given her age, general health, and the timing of the rash "you would not have shingles right now if you hadn't had the vaccine".
    Don't shoot me I am just the messenger - that is what the doctors are telling us.
    Personally it wouldn't dissuade me from getting the vaccine, I do wish that I had a shingles vaccine prior though.

    Nobody is or was 'shooting' you :*

    Would be interested to know via what mechanism the Dr thinks covid vaccine brought on shingles - since, as we all know, shingles is caused by re activation of chicken pox virus, dormant in your system since having the primary disease.

    Or how he knows she wouldn't have shingles anyway - given young and healthy people can and do get it.

    I do know “Moderna Arm” is a thing. I had it the first time, pretty mild and none after the second shot. Wasn’t something I really heard about as a vaccine reaction until it happened and I was wondering what the cause was. Could be something like this? https://www.google.com/amp/s/abc7.com/amp/covid-vaccine-reaction-side-effects-arm/10398907/
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    Considering the new variants roaming around, I (personally) will take these recommendations with a grain of salt. I will have no problem meeting with fully vaccinated people, while keeping still distance (no hugs or kisses unless they are wearing masks). But that is just me; I am too old to take unnecessary chances

    Vaccinated Americans can gather inside without masks or social distancing in certain circumstances, CDC guidelines say

    “You can visit your grandparents if you’ve been vaccinated and they have been, too,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a White House briefing Monday. “If grandparents have been vaccinated, they can visit their daughter and her family even if they have not been vaccinated, so long as the daughter and her family are not at risk for severe disease.”

    Vaccinated individuals should still wear a mask and social distance in public settings and avoid medium- to large-sized gatherings. The agency has yet to release updated guidelines on travel for those who have been vaccinated. Current CDC guidelines recommend delaying travel but provide a list of public health measures in the case that someone must travel.


    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/03/08/covid-vaccine-cdc-releases-new-guidelines-vaccinated-americans/6917770002/

    Not sure where you are (figuring the US), but they’re also not going to really be useful for a while yet with only about 10% of the population vaccinated.

    CA (where I live) also has its own variant now. 😞 As well as the UK and the South Africa one. We’re just hoping the conditions are good and stable enough to be able to house the students in double rooms next academic year. (They’re in singles now, being charged a reduced rate.)
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    I haven’t been on for a while and am just catching up. Feel like I missed the fun stuff. 🤪
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    smithker75 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Sorry i didn't realise fortnight was not a standard term used in all English speaking countries.

    Fortnight is a perfectly ordinary word, and I was surprised there was someone who didn't know what it meant.

    I'm in the midwestern US and have been around for a while. I've heard it in literature, probably on TV, movie, etc. but not in regular conversation.

    Ditto, same region. In a lot of contexts here, if someone native here used it, it would usually be seen as kind of posturing, I think. People with exposure to literature, British TV shows, and that sort of thing are likely to have heard it, most probably know what it means, but IMO quite a few people wouldn't know exactly how long a time period it was if you asked them. It's not common vernacular.

    Same region, and while I would normally expect someone to know what it meant from books or other media, it would definitely code as not usual US English, IME. (Which doesn't mean paperpudding should avoid it, I like hearing people's region-specific English and asking if I am not familiar with something!)

    It's an everyday term here in Australia. Just one more reason this thread has been an invaluable learning resource!


    yes fascinating isn't it.

    Here in Australia one would never think saying fortnight made one have literary pretensions B)

    I think because in the US it's associated with Shakespeare and the theater, where it's most common, and therefore using it in regular speech is considered "theatrical".
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    My dh might have had COVID arm with the first. About a week later he was getting wierd, itchy rashes. Still got the second. Our questions only asked about other immunizations within a 2 week time. Good thing, because we both had gotten our second shingles shot about 25 days before, so went ahead & got the COVID one when offered. Our dd felt pretty bad yesterday after getting her second on Thursday. Feels a lot better today, other than sore arm.

    I didn’t associate the itch/redness with the vaccine. It was a few inches away from the injection site and showed up a few days after I got the shot. I figured I got but by something when I was gardening (again). Then I read about. 🤯
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,493 Member
    I currently live in TN, but am moving to TX starting tomorrow (start new job there on 3/22). A week ago, I became eligible for the vaccine in TN (because of type 1 diabetes) and decided to go ahead and get the first shot (no J&J available here yet). I was a bit worried about figuring out the 2nd dose in TX, but they are giving Moderna here now and that has 80% effectiveness from the 1st shot. So was worth getting already rather than wait.

    After a lot of effort, I was able to schedule the 2nd vaccine for next month in TX. The CVS pharmacies, among others, are giving it, which requires insurance (they must charge an administration fee?). I am just hoping I get my new insurance card before Apr. 7. There were 3 CVS stores in the entire state that had vaccines available to schedule for 2nd doses. Fortunately, one of them was only 30 min. away.

    Good deal. If you have to pay up front any insurance I've heard of will let you send in a receipt for reimbursement.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    edited March 2021
    SModa61 wrote: »
    Hey all, I've been MIA for a bit. I have managed to keep health aspect of MFP somewhat in control but that's about it.

    Anyhow I am here hoping to get insights. If I recall correctly, there are at least two Italian members in this chat thread. I am going to recount my MIL's comments and hoping to get perspective from those living in Italy.

    According to MIL, she called her more distant family who live in a very small town in the Abruzzo region. What has been said is that it is "very bad" over there. They are under strict lockdown with police patrolling the streets. They cannot walk up the street to check on relatives, and to go to the grocery store one must product some sort of card. She also states that a local nursing home was given the vaccine and "43 still got sick", and that 79 town residents who received the vaccine also contracted COVID.

    Of course I can think of scenarios where one could receive the vaccine and still get sick, but MIL seems to know nothing else and the overall implication was that the vaccine that italy got "does not work".

    Anyone have insights to share? I would appreciate knowing more about the Italy situation so I can share that information with my MIL.

    I know Italy’s vaccine rate is less than half that of the US currently, and that they were using Astra Zeneca which isn’t approved here, but stopped after some possibly connected heart attacks following the vaccine.

    From what I can determine no one knows why they are having a surge, but they are, along with other countries in Europe. The leading theory is that it’s the new variants which are escaping the vaccine. I haven’t read whether the death rate is going up or just the infection rate.

    Easter is a big deal in Italy and the lockdown is partly to prevent an Easter-related surge.