Coronavirus prep

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  • siberiantarragon
    siberiantarragon Posts: 265 Member
    edited December 2022
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    33gail33 wrote: »
    FYI - Dr. Fauci (the US guy) advocated taking vitamin D back in 2020 ...

    “If you are deficient in vitamin D, that does have an impact on your susceptibility to infection. So I would not mind recommending, and I do it myself taking vitamin D supplements,” Fauci,79,

    https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/14/supplements-white-house-advisor-fauci-takes-every-day-to-help-keep-his-immune-system-healthy.html

    I certainly heard about the benefits, it was widely reported. I've been taking it from the beginning.

    I also started taking vitamin D regularly in the early pandemic. I've noticed a huge improvement in my immune system since then. I get sick less often and recover more quickly. I also haven't gotten COVID as far as I can tell (I have gotten a couple of cold/flu type illnesses since 2020 but never tested positive for COVID) and I live in one of the states with the worst case and death rate.
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    But, I think I'm going to wait a bit on the new boosters, even though everyone over 12 is eligible to get one. I don't doubt their safety...I'm sure they are perfectly safe. I just want to see what their efficacy numbers look like in human trials. So far, we just have animal trials. It's possible this one will also only provide temporary protection.

    My immune response from the last booster wasn't fun...high fever, chills, exhaustion. So, I'm just going to hang back a bit on this one. We usually get flu shots at work sometime in the fall. If they offer the new Covid booster at the same time, I'll probably get it. I'm just not going to run out and make it a priority right now.

    I got the original vaccine, but only after it was fully FDA approved. I'm not going to take the new boosters because I'm not going to take something that's only been tested on animals. Especially because I had a bad reaction to the second shot which was supposedly tested fully. I was also disappointed to see how the vaccines turned out to be much less effective than they originally advertised (they originally advertised 95%+ efficacy).
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
    edited January 2023
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    siberiantarragon wrote: »
    I've now become a germaphobe after my tripledemic extravaganza, so this week I created a germaphobia kit for on the go. Obviously I carried some of this stuff in my purse already, but I reorganized it in one convenient bag that I can carry in my hand or in my purse as needed and easily access everything, and that's small enough to fit even in my smallest purse.

    The bag is a sunglasses case from Dollar Tree. Along with my hand sanitizer I clipped a "key" that I got from Dollar Tree this week, which can be used to open doors or press buttons. My building has an elevator so it comes in handy for that. Then I have two mini Ziploc bags from Dollar Tree, one with two masks (just surgical masks because unfortunately KN95s are not available anywhere), and one with a pair of vinyl gloves. The gloves are mostly to use on public transportation if I have to touch a pole or something.

    Then I have two benzalkonium chloride disinfecting wipes (come in pack of 15 at Dollar Tree) which I got for wiping down surfaces such as shopping cart handles. They can also be used for disinfecting hands. I have two alcohol lens wipes which I use for cleaning my phone. I carry additional ones in another pouch but it's good to have them handy here. Then I have an anti-fog cloth for my glasses, which was from Walgreens and can be reused up to 10 times. Then I have two makeup wipes which aren't disease related but this was just a convenient place to put them.

    I also got a bunch of those travel packs of Clorox disinfecting wipes which I might take to certain places and also will use for longer trips and to disinfect surfaces if my partner or I get sick again. Additionally I added some Zicam Rapidmelts to my pill case, which you're supposed to take at the first sign of illness to shorten respiratory illnesses, and I also added a Lolleez cough drop lollipop to my medical pouch for any bad coughing fits.

    jspusq3sk50v.jpg

    Wow!

    My husband and I just got the booster. Our doctor (BIL) said to get it now. So far COVID is stable here, in Italy, and people that need to, mask on public transport and doctors offices, hospitals, etc. We also got our flu shot in November, and neither of us have even had a cold since then. I only mask up on public transport. Wash hands as soon as I get home--a little more aware.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    @siberiantarragon yikes! My partner has what he thinks is a cold but as soon as I press Post I am going to find the thermometer and check his temp.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    I would make sure - my wife had 'just a cold' until we tested (yes, she was positive) and it went thru the entire family. We are boosted as much as possible and we had fairly minor cases - mild fever, congestion, sinus issues - so thankful for that.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,365 Member
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    The only places requiring masks here now are hospital settings and doctors' offices. (Probably long term care homes too but I never go in one so can't say for sure)

    I was holding out for the bivalent vaccine to get my second booster/4th shot and a couple days after it became available here I got Covid. The guideline here is waiting either three or six months (depending which gov't site you're on) after infection to get another vaccination.

    Other than four days of feeling like someone had installed razor blades in my throat, I didn't have a bad time of it. I still had lots of energy and was actually very physically active. Our province lifted isolation requirements the day after I tested positive so I was out on the trails doing 5 mile walks every day. I masked at work voluntarily for 10 days after I went back, not entirely convinced that 5 days made me "safe". We've got some people at work with pretty serious health issues.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,360 Member
    edited January 2023
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    I had a mild case late November/ early December, likely caught it while returning home from overseas. It started with whopper of a headache, which I had initially attributed to jetlag/lack of sleep, then 24 hours later my nose starting dripping. I returned a positive PCR. I had no other symptoms other than those mentioned.

    In Tasmania, cases are up again and I've seen more people wearing masks again in non-mandatory environments. At the end of this month, the state govt run PCR testing sites will be shut, and people will require a medical referral for free PCRs.

    Hard to believe it's been three years. I remember my brother was meant to return to China for work, but he had been hearing from colleagues there to wait awhile. Thankfully he did.
  • siberiantarragon
    siberiantarragon Posts: 265 Member
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    snowflake954 wrote: »
    My husband and I just got the booster. Our doctor (BIL) said to get it now. So far COVID is stable here, in Italy, and people that need to, mask on public transport and doctors offices, hospitals, etc. We also got our flu shot in November, and neither of us have even had a cold since then. I only mask up on public transport. Wash hands as soon as I get home--a little more aware.

    I'm definitely going to be getting the flu shot from now on. I never really thought about it before because it's always been talked about as more of a thing that old people need to get, and it's rare for me to get the flu. Plus that one flu shot in the 70s that paralyzed people put me off the idea, but that was a long time ago. Also isn't there a bacterial pneumonia shot?

    However I'm still uncertain about the bivalent booster. The last I heard it was never tested on people, only mice. Maybe that has changed by now but if it isn't fully FDA approved I'm not going to get it. I waited until the original vaccine was fully FDA approved to get it also. But since I just got over COVID it will be months before I'm supposed to get a booster anyway.
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    @siberiantarragon yikes! My partner has what he thinks is a cold but as soon as I press Post I am going to find the thermometer and check his temp.

    I never got a fever. I don't know if this variant causes fever as much as some of the previous ones.
    paperpudding wrote: »
    I am back to just pre covid measures - ie normal hand washing etc.
    I only wear a mask if going into the hospital for any reason or into Aged Care facilities.
    Both still legal requirements here.

    Have had 4 covid vaccines and a mild case of covid last year.

    We don't have any mask mandates anymore but from now on I'm going to wear them indoors during the respiratory illness season when practical -- in stores, on public transportation, walking through my building, etc. This is not just for COVID but also flu, because honestly the flu was way more dangerous for me than COVID was. COVID was just extremely unpleasant but the doctor said my case wasn't actually dangerous because it wasn't going to my lungs. But flu led to bronchitis, which could have killed me if I waited to get antibiotics. I'm not going to wear masks at social events though, which does increase the risk of getting sick, but I see this more as a risk mitigation measure than trying to completely eliminate risk, which is not possible anyway.

    Honestly though most of the times I get sick in general it's because my partner brings it home from work and spreads it to me. He only goes to the office one or two days a week, but apparently that's enough. So I'm not sure what to do about that. The next time he gets sick I might attempt to quarantine us separately in our apartment, but our apartment is essentially two rooms (bedroom and living/dining/kitchen area, plus a bathroom) so not sure how possible that will be. I also will be more diligent about disinfecting surfaces, etc. When he got COVID I resigned myself to getting it so we didn't take any precautions to prevent him spreading it to me, but now I wonder if taking precautions would have at least made it milder, since I probably got a pretty high initial viral load.
    ythannah wrote: »
    I still had lots of energy and was actually very physically active. Our province lifted isolation requirements the day after I tested positive so I was out on the trails doing 5 mile walks every day.

    Just so you know it's not recommended to exercise a lot when you have COVID for two reasons: a) increases the risk of long COVID, and b) increases the risk of getting a blood clot. There were actually young people who died because they started exercising too soon after recovering from COVID and got a blood clot and died. I think they were running rather than walking but even so. I've been taking it very easy with exercise because I've seen a lot of accounts of people who started getting long COVID symptoms right after they restarted their exercise routine.

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,964 Member
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    siberiantarragon wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    My husband and I just got the booster. Our doctor (BIL) said to get it now. So far COVID is stable here, in Italy, and people that need to, mask on public transport and doctors offices, hospitals, etc. We also got our flu shot in November, and neither of us have even had a cold since then. I only mask up on public transport. Wash hands as soon as I get home--a little more aware.

    I'm definitely going to be getting the flu shot from now on. I never really thought about it before because it's always been talked about as more of a thing that old people need to get, and it's rare for me to get the flu. Plus that one flu shot in the 70s that paralyzed people put me off the idea, but that was a long time ago. Also isn't there a bacterial pneumonia shot?

    There are pneumococcal vaccines, recommended by the CDC for all previously unvaccinated adults over the age of 65, plus any 65+ adults who previously a certain version of the vaccine. It's a single vaccine (not annual, like the flu) or a single series of two shots, depending on which version of the vaccine you get. I plan to get it when I reach that age, and in the meantime get a flu vaccine every year.

    The upside of covid distancing and remote working has been that it's been three years since I got a bad cold or bronchitis. I'm enjoying the lack of communicable diseases so much that I'm still wearing a surgical mask (or surgical mask + cloth mask) in most indoor spaces, and a surgical mask for medical appointments, the subway, or anything else I deem an especially high-risk environment.
  • siberiantarragon
    siberiantarragon Posts: 265 Member
    edited January 2023
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    There are pneumococcal vaccines, recommended by the CDC for all previously unvaccinated adults over the age of 65, plus any 65+ adults who previously a certain version of the vaccine. It's a single vaccine (not annual, like the flu) or a single series of two shots, depending on which version of the vaccine you get. I plan to get it when I reach that age, and in the meantime get a flu vaccine every year.

    Oh ok. I should make sure my MIL got it though because she had some respiratory problems that almost killed her several years ago.
    The upside of covid distancing and remote working has been that it's been three years since I got a bad cold or bronchitis. I'm enjoying the lack of communicable diseases so much that I'm still wearing a surgical mask (or surgical mask + cloth mask) in most indoor spaces, and a surgical mask for medical appointments, the subway, or anything else I deem an especially high-risk environment.

    Until last month I would have said the same thing. And I didn't take that many precautions, obviously I locked down with everyone else in 2020 and wore masks when it was required (also a face shield during the early lockdown days). But I went back to bars, parties, concerts, etc. as soon as it was allowed and didn't wear masks at social events. I went out more than I did before COVID because of FOMO. I also didn't get the vaccine until August 2021 and never got any boosters. But for whatever reason I didn't get sick at all from December 2019 to December 2021 (actually my partner got an illness that was very similar to COVID in January 2020 and I didn't even get that). I was in the hospital twice in October 2021 and July 2022 and didn't even get sick then. I got some annoying non-COVID cold thing in December 2021 (I got it from a holiday party where everyone got the same thing, but nobody tested positive for COVID) and a mild case of what I think was RSV this October. But I was really surprised I went three years without getting anything bad and thought that taking vitamin D3 regularly was what had improved my immune system so much. Then as soon as I started working out, within weeks apparently my immune system collapsed (I have another thread on MFP where I'm trying to figure out why that happened and people are saying I might have some variant of ME/CFS or weak lungs that get easily stressed by exercise). I'm still planning to wear masks more often but not sure if it will fix the problem since my partner is usually the one who spreads whatever illness to me in the first place.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    n Tasmania, cases are up again and I've seen more people wearing masks again in non-mandatory environments. At the end of this month, the state govt run PCR testing sites will be shut, and people will require a medical referral for free PCRs.


    Here in South Australia you can still get free PCR if you have symptoms.

    However these free no referral needed ones only check for Covid.

    It is better to get a multi valent PCR - which then checks for other respiratory diseases such as influenza, whooping cough, RSV - as of course there is also treatment for them which you wont get if your only result is "negative for Covid"

    You do need form signed by Dr though - which can be organised over the phone.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,360 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    n Tasmania, cases are up again and I've seen more people wearing masks again in non-mandatory environments. At the end of this month, the state govt run PCR testing sites will be shut, and people will require a medical referral for free PCRs.


    Here in South Australia you can still get free PCR if you have symptoms.

    However these free no referral needed ones only check for Covid.

    It is better to get a multi valent PCR - which then checks for other respiratory diseases such as influenza, whooping cough, RSV - as of course there is also treatment for them which you wont get if your only result is "negative for Covid"

    You do need form signed by Dr though - which can be organised over the phone.

    Tas has been testing for flu, RSV and covid at the PCR testing centres. Locally the state govt had set up respiratory clinics (as well as the testing only )centres for those experiencing severe flu/covid/cold symptoms...they were good, kept most of those with bad symptoms out of doctor surgeries.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
    edited January 2023
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    siberiantarragon wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    My husband and I just got the booster. Our doctor (BIL) said to get it now. So far COVID is stable here, in Italy, and people that need to, mask on public transport and doctors offices, hospitals, etc. We also got our flu shot in November, and neither of us have even had a cold since then. I only mask up on public transport. Wash hands as soon as I get home--a little more aware.

    I'm definitely going to be getting the flu shot from now on. I never really thought about it before because it's always been talked about as more of a thing that old people need to get, and it's rare for me to get the flu. Plus that one flu shot in the 70s that paralyzed people put me off the idea, but that was a long time ago. Also isn't there a bacterial pneumonia shot?
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    There are pneumococcal vaccines, recommended by the CDC for all previously unvaccinated adults over the age of 65, plus any 65+ adults who previously a certain version of the vaccine. It's a single vaccine (not annual, like the flu) or a single series of two shots, depending on which version of the vaccine you get. I plan to get it when I reach that age, and in the meantime get a flu vaccine every year.

    The upside of covid distancing and remote working has been that it's been three years since I got a bad cold or bronchitis. I'm enjoying the lack of communicable diseases so much that I'm still wearing a surgical mask (or surgical mask + cloth mask) in most indoor spaces, and a surgical mask for medical appointments, the subway, or anything else I deem an especially high-risk environment.

    I got sick after a flu shot in the 80s and stopped getting it yearly once I was out of the military. But when the epidemiologists were pleading with us to get the flu vaccine the fall after the start of Covid, I started getting the flu shot yearly again. No reactions. Also, I'm getting shots in the glute now so no more sore arm (or glute.)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    COGypsy wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    @siberiantarragon yikes! My partner has what he thinks is a cold but as soon as I press Post I am going to find the thermometer and check his temp.

    I'd probably test too if you have any home tests handy. I hardly had any fever this last round with COVID. Very much like a bad cold and bronchitis symptoms.

    I do have tests but he didn't have a fever and only one day of bad congestion so I'll offer it to him but not force the issue.

    For anyone looking for free test kits, my library and senior center are giving them away so yours might be too.
  • ghrmj
    ghrmj Posts: 86 Member
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    siberiantarragon wrote: »

    Also why did I get every illness at once after not getting that sick for the past three years? Honestly I think it's because I started working out regularly. That's the only thing that changed and within a month of starting to work out all this illness stuff began. Of course, now I haven't worked out since December 20th. But I've always been somewhat exercise intolerant and had bad physical effects from working out and I guess it has happened again. I have to think about what I'm going to do fitness wise when I recover.

    I think it might just be an exceptionally bad year for it? Idk if it has to do with coming out of isolation from the pandemic or what - but my husband and I are vaccinated and boosted, have already both had covid (my experience was close to yours - pretty *kitten*), and we got our flu shots as well. And are both sick for the second time this fall/winter - right now we both have a bad (non-covid) cold, and we both had colds/sinus infections in the fall. Like what is even going on with that? - I hope this just isn't our new normal now that we are getting older (58 & 62 this year).
    *Mind you we were travelling last week so my husband probably picked it up on the plane/airport and then gave it to me.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,964 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    siberiantarragon wrote: »
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    My husband and I just got the booster. Our doctor (BIL) said to get it now. So far COVID is stable here, in Italy, and people that need to, mask on public transport and doctors offices, hospitals, etc. We also got our flu shot in November, and neither of us have even had a cold since then. I only mask up on public transport. Wash hands as soon as I get home--a little more aware.

    I'm definitely going to be getting the flu shot from now on. I never really thought about it before because it's always been talked about as more of a thing that old people need to get, and it's rare for me to get the flu. Plus that one flu shot in the 70s that paralyzed people put me off the idea, but that was a long time ago. Also isn't there a bacterial pneumonia shot?
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    There are pneumococcal vaccines, recommended by the CDC for all previously unvaccinated adults over the age of 65, plus any 65+ adults who previously a certain version of the vaccine. It's a single vaccine (not annual, like the flu) or a single series of two shots, depending on which version of the vaccine you get. I plan to get it when I reach that age, and in the meantime get a flu vaccine every year.

    The upside of covid distancing and remote working has been that it's been three years since I got a bad cold or bronchitis. I'm enjoying the lack of communicable diseases so much that I'm still wearing a surgical mask (or surgical mask + cloth mask) in most indoor spaces, and a surgical mask for medical appointments, the subway, or anything else I deem an especially high-risk environment.

    I got sick after a flu shot in the 80s and stopped getting it yearly once I was out of the military. But when the epidemiologists were pleading with us to get the flu vaccine the fall after the start of Covid, I started getting the flu shot yearly again. No reactions. Also, I'm getting shots in the glute now so no more sore arm (or glute.)

    Yeah, I've had older relatives who always got sick after their annual flu shot, and eventually their doctors agreed they didn't need to get them anymore. The only reaction I ever had to the flu shot was some soreness near the injection site, and that seemed a small price to pay to reduce the chances of getting the flu, which was pretty miserable the one time I had it before I started getting the annual vaccine.

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