Coronavirus prep
Replies
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@Fuzzipeg I appreciate the insights and I will suggest to my husband that he consider reaching out to his PCP. He is upstairs working on bills, so he is well enough to do that. At least he is no longer going away tonight alone to our weekend place to "work on the boat". Next time he sleeps (nap or night), I'll work with him on body position. I know I have slept in chair and ottoman (or a recliner) many times when sick. I think it helps a lot. It both hold up and stabilizes the body.5
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I'm relieved your husband is up to doing bill and the like. I'm glad he has recognised the benefits of being home, the boat can wait. I wish you both well as you work towards him getting a good nights rest. Rest is a good part of recuperation. Respiration being an issue is not a good place to be, my experience of that was watching an asthmatic. Take care, Keep safe.2
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This was back in the days of registering cases and the medical practice was informed my husband had registered a positive test so they offered help if needed.
Do you no longer have to register cases?
Here you have to notify SA Health if you get a positive RATS test and your Dr's practice has to notify of any PCR postitives - and where I work, the Dr phones the patient to see how they are doing
Both my husband (positive PCR from symptomatic testing) and myself (positive RATS from required close contact testing) then got a text message from SA Health telling us of isolation requirements and another one giving us a help line if we had mental health issues or were not coping.
Before that I also had a message from them advising of close contact requirements
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@paperpudding I am very curious. I did reach out to my PCP to get our COVID illnesses into our medical record. All I was told is to take OTC meds and reach out if we got worse. Seemed to be no interest in noting the illness, but they could just not have told me that they were registering the reports.1
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I think there is a way here to officially report a positive home test but I also think our official #s are way lower than reality. Part of it is that people are just tired of it and don't even want to test when they have symptoms. Part of it is the home testing.
The reason I say this is I see a pretty large spike at work the past few weeks since they do report those positive and those isolating with symptoms (whether positive or not) to us . So even if our county isn't moving to a higher transmission rate officially it's definitely happening.
I only hope that this variant remains less severe and less longterm. I don't honestly believe anymore that more shots does any good against it if you have had 3 or 4. I know the party line is that they will keep you from more severe illness but not sure if the data supports that they actually do anything. Maybe. Hopefully. But I have a bit of a mistrust at this point after watching Omicron tear thru here in late Dec and January.4 -
There do not seem to be any requirements to test. The free tests were withdrawn when the Prime Minister decided covid was no longer an issue and we all should get back to normal. I've not heard anything subsequently about local or national covid numbers in the media. Its as if its totally gone away.
I have tests in my draw to use when visiting my mother but have not had symptoms or contacts which indicate to me I need to test so I've not tried the need to report a covid case. Even the care home my mother needs to be in does not require me to test pre visit now thought someone giving personal care should test once a week. Probably there is still somewhere to report one's status, but its all on trust. Thinking about it, the Local Area Testing Centre has closed and the walk in one in town has been take away. There's no requirement to isolate a positive care either though a social worker in my wider family did isolate.
Paperpudding, where you are sounds to be much more enlightened. I'd be more than happy to still be testing and everything, its just too casual for my liking,2 -
@summerskier Like you, I am also not convinced I want a 4th, or more, vaccination. I am not saying never, I'm just not rushing to be the front of the line and will decide when, and if, I am ready. I think DH is much more open to the 4th shot. I have just felt like crap after each of the 3, so I am not excited. PLUS, I need to finally get the darned shingles shots that I hear are going to make me feel awful too.
I am improving rapidly from the COVID. DH, is having a rough day today. Bad throat and keeps coughing up chunks of stuff.2 -
I am in Australia - South Australia to be exact, as different states may have slightly different requirements
There are situations in which one is required to do a PCR test - if symptomatic and RATS is negative, as there is possibility of false negative RATS. Thats why my husband did a PCR
PCR result then gets electronically sent to your GP ( just like any other lab result for anything else) , who is required to notify SA Health.
Just like other notifiable diseases- eg influenza, shingles etc
Or more likely somebody on his/her behalf does, like one of the staff
The GP is not required to contact you but most probably give you a phone call to see how you are going
There are other situations in which one is required to do a RATS - often for travel, occupational requirements, visiting Aged Care facilities, close contact requirements, or having any symptoms (if RATS is positive, no need for PCR confirmation)
If a RATS is positive you are required to report it to SA Health - you fill in a form online to do so.
SA Health then sends you a text message telling you about home isolation and what to do if you get worse.
They also send you another one advising you of mental health hotline and another one on day before your isolation finishes, telling you it finishes at midnight that night, unless you are still symptomatic in which case stay isolated until acute symptoms clear.
and they send one to anyone you advised was a close contact, telling them of close contact requirements.
I'm sure there is the possibility some people have symptoms and do not get tested but work places etc wouldnt let you come to work with symptoms unless you were proven Covid negative and there is the possibility some people get a positive RATS and do not report it or self isolate - but generally speaking, I think the population is being compliant with this - and certainly one would be a social pariah, as well as behaving illegally, if one was known to not report or isolate if positive.
RATS are readily available now and not expensive - however, relevant work places supply them for employees, Aged Care facilities supply them for visitors, people on Health Care cards (ie low incomes) get them free, close contacts get them free.
You would only buy them if you were testing for travel purposes or you had symptoms and didnt want to get a PCR (PCR's are free for everybody)1 -
paperpudding wrote: »I am in Australia - South Australia to be exact, as different states may have slightly different requirements
I am in QLD and tested positive on Friday (day 4 today). We are encouraged to register our RAT test online and receive text messages and emails directing to services available. I had a telehealth appointment as I have asthma. Thankfully this hasn't been too affected by COVID, though I have most other symptoms and feel quite unwell.
We are required to isolate for 7 days after the + test. Thankfully I can work from home when I'm well enough and my boss is very understanding.
My husband had COVID twice in less than 3 months this year. My daughter was hospitalised with a second case of COVID, coupled with Influenza A a few weeks ago and was very unwell.
Somehow our 18 and 20 year old sons havent managed to contract it yet, even going to Uni and work. Thankfully we have a large house and isolating is a lot easier for us than most.7 -
@paperpudding I am very curious. I did reach out to my PCP to get our COVID illnesses into our medical record. All I was told is to take OTC meds and reach out if we got worse. Seemed to be no interest in noting the illness, but they could just not have told me that they were registering the reports.
We don't have to report it here as far as I am aware (Canada). We can't even get a PCR test if we wanted one, and how would they ever enforce reporting a home test?
Back when my husband had it in December they were still doing PCR tests so his case is in the official numbers I guess. Mine in April was just at at home test so no one "officially" knows that I had it, it's not reported anywhere and I didn't call my doctor. I believe that only thing they are tracking here now is hospitalizations, and that has been steadily decreasing.
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Regarding a fourth shot, here are the factors that matter to me.
- It will stimulate a short term flood of antibodies that peak in ~2 weeks. If I had an international trip or another occasion where I want extra protection, I would get the 4th shot a couple weeks before that. DH took our daughter to Europe and didn't want to be stuck abroad if he got sick, so he got the 4th shot before departing. I'm still waiting.
- Studies indicate less incremental T/B-cell training (the long term protection) with more frequent successive shots of the same booster. So waiting a year between boosters (of the same formulation) stimulated better training than waiting 4 months.
- mRNA makers have developed vaccines targeted specifically each of the major variants, but many factors contributed to not doing the translation from lab to clinic. It is a long and expensive process, and much depends on the FDA. AFAIK, from a public health messaging and confusion perspective, the FDA doesn't want new vaccines for every variant but if one were to emerge that was deadly and evaded the current vaccines, a new formulation could be worth the translational investment. If there were a new formulation approved, I would get that jab.6 -
@paperpudding I am very curious. I did reach out to my PCP to get our COVID illnesses into our medical record. All I was told is to take OTC meds and reach out if we got worse. Seemed to be no interest in noting the illness, but they could just not have told me that they were registering the reports.
We don't have to report it here as far as I am aware (Canada). We can't even get a PCR test if we wanted one, and how would they ever enforce reporting a home test?
Back when my husband had it in December they were still doing PCR tests so his case is in the official numbers I guess. Mine in April was just at at home test so no one "officially" knows that I had it, it's not reported anywhere and I didn't call my doctor. I believe that only thing they are tracking here now is hospitalizations, and that has been steadily decreasing.
Agreed, I've never heard of anywhere you could report home test results. My doctor's receptionist would lose her *kitten* if she had to handle that volume of calls.
Our health unit reports on positive PCRs (with the caveat that only vulnerable populations can get the tests), hospitalization, ICU occupancy and deaths. I've heard that waste water testing is being done in Ontario which at least tracks infection trends, but there's a lag in getting those results. It's not officially reported, we just hear occasionally "increasing" or "decreasing".2 -
@paperpudding I am very curious. I did reach out to my PCP to get our COVID illnesses into our medical record. All I was told is to take OTC meds and reach out if we got worse. Seemed to be no interest in noting the illness, but they could just not have told me that they were registering the reports.
We don't have to report it here as far as I am aware (Canada). We can't even get a PCR test if we wanted one, and how would they ever enforce reporting a home test?
Back when my husband had it in December they were still doing PCR tests so his case is in the official numbers I guess. Mine in April was just at at home test so no one "officially" knows that I had it, it's not reported anywhere and I didn't call my doctor. I believe that only thing they are tracking here now is hospitalizations, and that has been steadily decreasing.
Agreed, I've never heard of anywhere you could report home test results. My doctor's receptionist would lose her *kitten* if she had to handle that volume of calls.
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Well, now you have.
Compulsory in SA and encouraged to do so in QLD
But it doesn't affect doctors receptionists - you fill out a form online and it goes directly to SA Heath ( or QLD health or whatever state)
PCR tests are available to anyone here.
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paperpudding wrote: »@paperpudding I am very curious. I did reach out to my PCP to get our COVID illnesses into our medical record. All I was told is to take OTC meds and reach out if we got worse. Seemed to be no interest in noting the illness, but they could just not have told me that they were registering the reports.
We don't have to report it here as far as I am aware (Canada). We can't even get a PCR test if we wanted one, and how would they ever enforce reporting a home test?
Back when my husband had it in December they were still doing PCR tests so his case is in the official numbers I guess. Mine in April was just at at home test so no one "officially" knows that I had it, it's not reported anywhere and I didn't call my doctor. I believe that only thing they are tracking here now is hospitalizations, and that has been steadily decreasing.
Agreed, I've never heard of anywhere you could report home test results. My doctor's receptionist would lose her *kitten* if she had to handle that volume of calls.
.
Well, now you have.
Compulsory in SA and encouraged to do so in QLD
But it doesn't affect doctors receptionists - you fill out a form online and it goes directly to SA Heath ( or QLD health or whatever state)
PCR tests are available to anyone here.
I believe she was agreeing with me that she had never heard of anywhere for us to report it (we both live in the same area). I doubt SA Health would have much interest in our Covid cases.
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Here in the UK, when we were in the thickest of the pandemic, when a home test was needed there was expectation to log into a Public health/NHS site and record the result of the test were it negative or positive, at one time you then went on for one of the other kind of tests. part of the information given was the reason for the test, if it was because you were symptomatic, or doing it to visit a health facility, I expect there were other situations too. It was through this line of reporting a positive test earlier in the year, we heard from our medical practice, saying there are treatments and support for those who were suffering more severe symptoms. I suppose it was part of the tracking and tracing part of our system. Our public health and NHS can do some things well. Its sad health treatments being controlled by an organisation called, NICE, are in my view, not keeping up with the scientific developments in preventative medicine, particularly autoimmunity.0
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paperpudding wrote: »@paperpudding I am very curious. I did reach out to my PCP to get our COVID illnesses into our medical record. All I was told is to take OTC meds and reach out if we got worse. Seemed to be no interest in noting the illness, but they could just not have told me that they were registering the reports.
We don't have to report it here as far as I am aware (Canada). We can't even get a PCR test if we wanted one, and how would they ever enforce reporting a home test?
Back when my husband had it in December they were still doing PCR tests so his case is in the official numbers I guess. Mine in April was just at at home test so no one "officially" knows that I had it, it's not reported anywhere and I didn't call my doctor. I believe that only thing they are tracking here now is hospitalizations, and that has been steadily decreasing.
Agreed, I've never heard of anywhere you could report home test results. My doctor's receptionist would lose her *kitten* if she had to handle that volume of calls.
.
Well, now you have.
Compulsory in SA and encouraged to do so in QLD
But it doesn't affect doctors receptionists - you fill out a form online and it goes directly to SA Heath ( or QLD health or whatever state)
PCR tests are available to anyone here.
I believe she was agreeing with me that she had never heard of anywhere for us to report it (we both live in the same area). I doubt SA Health would have much interest in our Covid cases.
I was! I missed the word "here" after anywhere, which would have clarified my meaning.
I'd assume our public health authority would be the ones to collect that if anyone did, since they are the oracle of all the other Covid and vaccination stats.0 -
I'm home with Covid now - started off with my son last Thursday, but by Sat/Sun, I was pretty certain I was coming down with it...it didn't show on a RAT until Monday. I am actually feeling somewhat better already, but have a nasty cough, which is then affecting sleep. My son is basically back to normal, but he can't return to school until Friday.
Here (New Zealand) we register results online, and it seems it does go through to the GPs. We had a call from our medical centre the same day we registered DS's case. Looks like they just ring for more at-risk cases though - I didn't have a call for myself, or for my daughter a couple of months ago, but DS has asthma, and they were checking we had inhalers on hand.
Now we just wait and see if DH gets it too! After my coughing and spluttering the other night, I am sure he's been thouroughly exposed.
This time round, I've found it easy to book online grocery deliveries - when we had to isolate in March with DD, it was almost a week until we could get a slot, but this time I could get same-day or next day with multiple options.10 -
Regarding a fourth shot, here are the factors that matter to me.
- It will stimulate a short term flood of antibodies that peak in ~2 weeks. If I had an international trip or another occasion where I want extra protection, I would get the 4th shot a couple weeks before that. DH took our daughter to Europe and didn't want to be stuck abroad if he got sick, so he got the 4th shot before departing. I'm still waiting.
- Studies indicate less incremental T/B-cell training (the long term protection) with more frequent successive shots of the same booster. So waiting a year between boosters (of the same formulation) stimulated better training than waiting 4 months.
- mRNA makers have developed vaccines targeted specifically each of the major variants, but many factors contributed to not doing the translation from lab to clinic. It is a long and expensive process, and much depends on the FDA. AFAIK, from a public health messaging and confusion perspective, the FDA doesn't want new vaccines for every variant but if one were to emerge that was deadly and evaded the current vaccines, a new formulation could be worth the translational investment. If there were a new formulation approved, I would get that jab.
My MD sister MOB got her 2nd booster two weeks before her daughter's wedding. She still got sick. Not as sick as me and DH (1 booster in December), but sicker than she counted on. Her comment was "not sure of the value of that booster". Mind you she is uber pro-vaccination and is medical doctor. I told her we were waiting for "something new", not more of the same jab (like you described above).2 -
paperpudding wrote: »@paperpudding I am very curious. I did reach out to my PCP to get our COVID illnesses into our medical record. All I was told is to take OTC meds and reach out if we got worse. Seemed to be no interest in noting the illness, but they could just not have told me that they were registering the reports.
We don't have to report it here as far as I am aware (Canada). We can't even get a PCR test if we wanted one, and how would they ever enforce reporting a home test?
Back when my husband had it in December they were still doing PCR tests so his case is in the official numbers I guess. Mine in April was just at at home test so no one "officially" knows that I had it, it's not reported anywhere and I didn't call my doctor. I believe that only thing they are tracking here now is hospitalizations, and that has been steadily decreasing.
Agreed, I've never heard of anywhere you could report home test results. My doctor's receptionist would lose her *kitten* if she had to handle that volume of calls.
.
Well, now you have.
Compulsory in SA and encouraged to do so in QLD
But it doesn't affect doctors receptionists - you fill out a form online and it goes directly to SA Heath ( or QLD health or whatever state)
PCR tests are available to anyone here.
I believe she was agreeing with me that she had never heard of anywhere for us to report it (we both live in the same area). I doubt SA Health would have much interest in our Covid cases.
Oh, ok - that makes more sense now.
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Saw Moderna might have an updated booster later this year. 🙏🙏2
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@summerskier Like you, I am also not convinced I want a 4th, or more, vaccination. I am not saying never, I'm just not rushing to be the front of the line and will decide when, and if, I am ready. I think DH is much more open to the 4th shot. I have just felt like crap after each of the 3, so I am not excited. PLUS, I need to finally get the darned shingles shots that I hear are going to make me feel awful too.
I am improving rapidly from the COVID. DH, is having a rough day today. Bad throat and keeps coughing up chunks of stuff.
I think I may have forgotten to update y'all about my second shingles shot. I felt abysmal after my first shingles shot, but I was diagnosed with the tick-born illness Anaplasmosis a few weeks later, and wasn't sure how much, if any, of my feeling bad was due to the shingles shot versus the Anaplasmosis.
I'm happy to report I had no issues other than mild sore arm after the second shingle shot.
Last fall I had the flu, shingles, and booster shots, but spread them all out because I was curious if I'd have a reaction to any particular one. Other than mild sore arms from possibly all three, I don't remember anything of note.
Hope you feel better soon!5 -
Regarding a fourth shot, here are the factors that matter to me.
- It will stimulate a short term flood of antibodies that peak in ~2 weeks. If I had an international trip or another occasion where I want extra protection, I would get the 4th shot a couple weeks before that. DH took our daughter to Europe and didn't want to be stuck abroad if he got sick, so he got the 4th shot before departing. I'm still waiting.
- Studies indicate less incremental T/B-cell training (the long term protection) with more frequent successive shots of the same booster. So waiting a year between boosters (of the same formulation) stimulated better training than waiting 4 months.
- mRNA makers have developed vaccines targeted specifically each of the major variants, but many factors contributed to not doing the translation from lab to clinic. It is a long and expensive process, and much depends on the FDA. AFAIK, from a public health messaging and confusion perspective, the FDA doesn't want new vaccines for every variant but if one were to emerge that was deadly and evaded the current vaccines, a new formulation could be worth the translational investment. If there were a new formulation approved, I would get that jab.SummerSkier wrote: »Saw Moderna might have an updated booster later this year. 🙏🙏
I'm a hermit and have no events where I'd want extra protection for the next few months so think I will wait for an updated booster.4 -
Progress towards normality in the UK. Visiting the care home yesterday the Assistant manager of the day was saying she can't wait till all restrictions are removed, looking forward to how things used to be, something we've not experienced. She went on to say when one visits a hospital now unless you have respiratory issues it is no longer required for one to wear masks. I should have asked what kind of respiratory issue was being referred to, a person with asthma for instance as a way of self protection or someone who could possibly be showing symptoms of covid,
I'd be masked anyway with a military grade filter because of my chemical sensitivity, its come back again. Its no fun reacting to cleaning products be they household or personal, laundry products or someone's perfume or aftershave. Then there are the pollens too. Even the smoke from someone burning garden rubbish or local heath fires to scuffing through deep damp leaf litter in the autumn! I suppose the last three are sort of related to petrochemicals which is another. I'm not that badly off that its each and every smell but its the knowing it can happen anywhere from passing next doors washing lines to being further away from someone in the open than the early early covid distancing required. I don't feel as self-conscious wearing a mask now thanks to covid. True I still get looked at but am assumed to be overly careful but not some odd ball now.9 -
I had my 2nd Moderna Booster over a month ago...and got sick with covid 2 weeks ago. Fairly sure i was exposed to it by a repairperson in our house, as it was in the 'weak' time after the booster. Slept for nearly 24 hours after getting sick. Then it was a matter of muscle pain, joint pain, headache, congestion, runny/stuffy nose, fevers, trouble breathing (especially when bent over), fatigue, lightheadedness, diarrhea, coughing...basically everything but loss of taste/smell. Took 4-5 days to feel human, 9 days to feel okay enough to work remotely, and 2 weeks to feel okay physically. (That was this weekend.) But I'm still dealing with coughing, and some fatigue. Will I take another booster if it is offered? Yes. And I hope I don't get sick again. Will be wearing a mask in public and stay out of indoor restaurants. (Trying to sell our house in a different state, and we're staying in a nearby hotel occasionally.)11
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I have managed to avoid covid so far, I don't know how much longer that will be the case.
I work in an Australian regional airport, nationwide mandatory mask wearing in airports was removed recently, and in my own state mandatory mask wearing in schools and on public transport is no longer mandatory. Mask wearing in medical settings including chemists is still mandatory.
In the last three or four days new cases have doubled, on a number basis not a lot approx 1000 in total today. In my state approx 33% have had covid, but we do have a high vaccination rate and initally some fairly long lock outs.
I will be off to Sydney in August and travelling overseas in November. I only hope when I do eventually get covid its well before my travel or after!
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One of my mom's friends has long covid severe enough that she can no longer live alone. Mom says she thinks she would survive catching covid, but is afraid of long term problems so will continue to mask and take precautions.10
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I am glad that for most folks these new variants spreading are not serious but more like the flu (which no one wants either!) but what is surprising to me is the changes in the CDC and other viewpoints. We have a weekly review at work and the # of cases the past 3 weeks would have put us in significant LOCKDOWN and masking if they had happened a year ago. Not as bad as the Dec/Jan original Omicron spikes but pretty durn close. So I guess it's all relative. I am sure the case load is understated in the county due to self testing.
Meanwhile I keep hoping they will release the dual moderna vaccine booster soon... looks promising from recent reports I read yesterday.4 -
I have been able to avoid Covid for so long, but always knew it was a question of when and not if I would get it. I am vaccinated and boosted, but have been working a lot of hours. It's been spreading around work like wildfire, and I am a manager, so I noticed in call offs that there has been a lot in the past week or so.
I had strong symptoms this morning and tested positive on a home test. Having type 1 diabetes doesn't seem to help, but being vaccinated does. Also I am fortunate that I was able to hold off until weaker strains. I called my insurance company's 24/7 nurse line and they suggested I go to the ER based on symptoms. I think they always make the most extreme suggestions. I'm going to urgent care for a proper test (need for work) and to get a more reasonable recommendation.24 -
T1DC, you have my commiserations. I'm sorry, its probably the long hours which weakened your immune system way over and above your t1. When one has managed to avoid covid contracting it for such a long time, vaccinated and boosted I was grumpy with myself when it happened to me, we'd been doing the "responsible thing" long hours looking after the ggs's. My daughter, like you has been doing stupidly long hours, and tested positive, as dark a line as you can get, she says. She is asthmatic so her immune system is always on the go to.
We are not being told very much about our case load here in the UK, the last I heard was 1/30. It seems to be assumed many are not testing or not reporting. My daughter did, the system here has changed, you don't just say you were positive you have to provide a photo of the test strip! Then they told her she was positive. There were reports of newer strains, reported to be more virulent going the rounds over here.
Hope you feel better soon, take all the advice offered and get well soon, please. Hope you can get back to running soon.5
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