Coronavirus prep

1681682684686687747

Replies

  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    edited December 2021
    I have a scratchy throat ATM but no other signs of illness except tiredness, which can be anything or nothing. Normally I wouldn't even think twice about it, but we're headed to a funeral out of town on Wednesday and I'm wondering if I should get tested or stay home. So far I've avoided needing a test, so I don't even know where I can get a rapid one in our area.

    Not sure where you are, but every pharmacy and grocery store near me is selling the rapid tests.
    I imagine supplies may get lower when we get closer to the holidays, but right now they seem plentiful.
    I have some that I'm going to use the morning of family gatherings and/or if I feel any cold-like symptoms.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    I have a scratchy throat ATM but no other signs of illness except tiredness, which can be anything or nothing. Normally I wouldn't even think twice about it, but we're headed to a funeral out of town on Wednesday and I'm wondering if I should get tested or stay home. So far I've avoided needing a test, so I don't even know where I can get a rapid one in our area.

    Go to curative.com and see if they do testing where you are. They have 15,000 testing sites nation wide. I've had to get tested a few times for work due to my work requires a negative test for any ailment right now that causes one to call in sick in order to return. I use curative and all of our unvaxed employees use curative for their weekly testing requirement.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    I strongly suggest testing if you're experiencing any symptoms at all. I thought I was having allergies at the end of October and a few days later lost my sense of smell and taste. Covid test came back positive and I was pretty much knocked flat for about 5 weeks. Last week was the first week since Halloween-ish that I worked a full week and didn't need at least one nap during the day. I've had both shots (boosters had just been made available and I had to cancel my appointment after I tested positive) and mask everywhere I go (and I don't go many places anyway). I'm reasonably convinced that if I weren't vaccinated, I'd have ended up in the hospital. What I really WISH I'd done was call my primary care doc right after the test came back to see if the monoclonal antibodies might have been an option.

    In my state, there are several drive through state testing sites where I've always been able to get an appointment (which is basically just pre-filling out the paperwork) within an hour of trying to schedule one. Urgent care facilities are also offering them. Rapid home tests are about $30 at most pharmacies.

    TL;DR: Covid is no joke, even with the vaccine. Get tested so you have as many care options as possible.

    Um, I don't like endorsing commercial sources much, and . . . well, there are two retailers here in the US at least, that people love to hate, one starts with "A", the other one with "W" (and that one has lots of brick'n'mortar stores across the country). The latter has had the Abbott Labs BinaxNow home test for $14 per 2-pack on their web site, pretty fast shipping if needed, or at least it was fast a week or so ago when I ordered.

    I'm not affiliated with A, W, or Abbott Labs, just a bargain hunter.

    I got tested (at a drive through test lab) earlier in the year, post 2x Pfizer vax, when I had unusual symptoms (seasonal allergy symptoms, but with a persistent mild headache, not usual). I isolated, cancelled all appointments and saw no one, until I was tested and got the negative result.

    If this "I think it's a cold" does anything even remotely unusual, I'll home test; if it progresses, I'll do the "isolate and PCR test" thing again. Nothing mandatory on my calendar for the next few days, in any case (I'm retired, live alone).

    The couple I mentioned in my PP, who rammed around the state after getting vaxxed, then got Covid, did manage to get monoclonal antibody infusions, which seemed to make an improvement for them. (They were miserable while ill, but I think not remotely life-threatening illness, for sure not hospitalized, despite having some risk conditions like age, weight, etc. - not sure about other health conditions.)
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    They are mandated indoors (if public) in IL.

    I don't know anyone who has tested positive/gotten covid recently, however. I'm sure it's my particular social circle.

    Central IL, (and I've been to several of the larger communities around here) maybe 40-50% wear masks indoors in public.

    Our fully vaccinated niece is just getting over a case (doing an internship in a healthcare setting).
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    edited December 2021
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Central IL, (and I've been to several of the larger communities around here) maybe 40-50% wear masks indoors in public.

    That does not surprise me one bit, despite the mandate. Where I am in Chicago I'd say it's 90%+ compliance indoors, and that's what I've seen in the Loop also (since I work there most days), and when I'm on the Brown line/a local bus, but I'm sure that's not true in all neighborhoods and I've heard the L lines vary.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,427 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Central IL, (and I've been to several of the larger communities around here) maybe 40-50% wear masks indoors in public.

    That does not surprise me one bit, despite the mandate. Where I am in Chicago I'd say it's 90%+ compliance indoors, and that's what I've seen in the Loop also (since I work there most days), and when I'm on the Brown line/a local bus, but I'm sure that's not true in all neighborhoods and I've heard the L lines vary.

    Big text group with college friends in Chicago burbs. They say maybe 50% out there.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Central IL, (and I've been to several of the larger communities around here) maybe 40-50% wear masks indoors in public.

    That does not surprise me one bit, despite the mandate. Where I am in Chicago I'd say it's 90%+ compliance indoors, and that's what I've seen in the Loop also (since I work there most days), and when I'm on the Brown line/a local bus, but I'm sure that's not true in all neighborhoods and I've heard the L lines vary.

    Big text group with college friends in Chicago burbs. They say maybe 50% out there.

    I guess it depends on exactly where and what indoor settings we are talking about.

    I'm in the close Chicago burbs, and it is very rare to see anyone without a mask in a store, bank, government building, etc.

    Restaurants and bars are a free-for-all though, if that's what your friends are talking about.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    edited December 2021
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Central IL, (and I've been to several of the larger communities around here) maybe 40-50% wear masks indoors in public.

    That does not surprise me one bit, despite the mandate. Where I am in Chicago I'd say it's 90%+ compliance indoors, and that's what I've seen in the Loop also (since I work there most days), and when I'm on the Brown line/a local bus, but I'm sure that's not true in all neighborhoods and I've heard the L lines vary.

    Big text group with college friends in Chicago burbs. They say maybe 50% out there.

    It's going to depend on the 'burb, obviously. I have friends in certain burbs that are quite consistent with what SuzySunshine reports. I am sure there are other burbs that are very different. Personally, I am in the city, north side.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    Central IL, (and I've been to several of the larger communities around here) maybe 40-50% wear masks indoors in public.

    That does not surprise me one bit, despite the mandate. Where I am in Chicago I'd say it's 90%+ compliance indoors, and that's what I've seen in the Loop also (since I work there most days), and when I'm on the Brown line/a local bus, but I'm sure that's not true in all neighborhoods and I've heard the L lines vary.

    Big text group with college friends in Chicago burbs. They say maybe 50% out there.

    I guess it depends on exactly where and what indoor settings we are talking about.

    I'm in the close Chicago burbs, and it is very rare to see anyone without a mask in a store, bank, government building, etc.

    Restaurants and bars are a free-for-all though, if that's what your friends are talking about.

    Yeah, and the restaurant thing is just weird anyway. I was at a restaurant with a bar on Friday (in the Loop, office holiday party), and we had a room so no masks were required. In theory to use the bathroom (which was nearby) you were supposed to put a mask on, but that was clearly not being followed/enforced. Down in the bar area so long as we stayed in our section no masks were required even when we were going table to table, but presumably in the main area it was, although I didn't look to see what others were doing.

    The opera and symphony and so on are requiring negative tests or proof of vax plus mask.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,926 Member
    Restaurants here are mask not required when at your table.
    You need to put it on if you leave your table for any reason - eg when entering/ exiting, to order from the bar, to go to the toilet etc

    This is indoors

    Outdoor cafes and the like do not require masks at all.
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    Restaurants here are mask not required when at your table.
    You need to put it on if you leave your table for any reason - eg when entering/ exiting, to order from the bar, to go to the toilet etc

    This is indoors

    Outdoor cafes and the like do not require masks at all.

    It's technically the same rule here in Illinois....it's just not being followed or enforced in most cases.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    edited December 2021
    Restaurants here are mask not required when at your table.
    You need to put it on if you leave your table for any reason - eg when entering/ exiting, to order from the bar, to go to the toilet etc

    This is indoors

    Outdoor cafes and the like do not require masks at all.

    We have the same rules here (Chicago). If you have a private room for a group, however, you can mingle without masks. I generally do see people following it in restaurants, but it probably gets less followed as the evening wears on and the restaurant becomes more bar like (for restaurants with a bar element). That's what I was talking about with the place I went for our holiday party.

    I find the masks to walk into and out and off at the table thing to be a little silly, personally, but I do follow it (I follow all the covid rules). IMO, indoor restaurants just are going to involve some degree of risk (which I find acceptable in that I am vaxxed).