CoVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 Information and Questions

[Bruce]

My 44 year old frequent 5K running friend who came home from work with the “flu” on November 12th then checked into the hospital with 50% SP02 on November 19th may be able to transition from a ventilator to oxygen supplied via his tracheotomy this weekend. Unfortunately he will need to continue dialysis but wouldn’t it be a great Christmas present for his family if he gets off the vent.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Here is what we are currently seeing in my part of the country (southeastern PA) from an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a few days ago:

"The December case information, made public by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health Tuesday, shows a surge in cases this month that’s likely to be among the worst of the year. The city tallied 11,201 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, the most in a single month since April, with still more than a week remaining in 2021. Of those, 3,300 were among fully vaccinated people

Temple University Hospital reported Wednesday about 90% of its COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization are unvaccinated. Tower Health Systems, which includes hospitals in Pottstown, Phoenixville, and Chestnut Hill, reported similar numbers, with vaccinated patients accounting for 13% of people hospitalized for COVID-19 and 7% of patients in intensive care. None of the health system’s 24 COVID-19 cases on ventilators are vaccinated. Penn Medicine and Cooper University Hospital, in Camden, reported about 80% of their hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, while Jefferson University Hospitals said most of their COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated. Of the people vaccinated and still needing hospitalization, a spokesperson there said, “many of them are older and several months from their second vaccination.”"

Jim

 

[adrianp89]

The NFL is leading the way once again. Their science team has determined that asymptomatic spread is no longer a concern!!!

A Christmas miracle?

Finally some common sense. World-class athletes getting a mild cold (Omricon). They let Jordan play with the Flu.

 

[Evil Sports]

My son just asked me how they dont know why certain people have worse outcomes from this than others. He thinks they know and Im starting to wonder. After all these months why dont we have data as to why your 5k friend is permanently damaged and my 58 y/o wife had 2 days of night sweats and a cough is fine.

 

[Bruce]

My son just asked me how they dont know why certain people have worse outcomes from this than others. He thinks they know and Im starting to wonder. After all these months why dont we have data as to why your 5k friend is permanently damaged and my 58 y/o wife had 2 days of night sweats and a cough is fine.

There have been a number of published studies looking at preexisting conditions, genetic factors even blood type to predict severity. There has been randomness to the results. There is some consensus such as age, weight and lack of vaccination being strong predictors but that does not explain the young and fit who get severely ill.

The factor that those studies can not control for is the amount of viral material in the exposure. The more virus that enters your body the stronger the starting point for the virus. If you inhale 1,000,000 copies of the virus then the virus starts in a 1,000 time stronger position than if you inhale 1,000 copies of the virus. If you start with a small amount of virus your immune system has more time to react before it becomes serious.

My friend's source of transmission is unknown but being an insurance agent it is likely that he sat in his office, unmasked, for an extended time with someone who likely did not know they had the virus. That would have allowed for a large amount of viral material to be transferred. He was home sick for a week before entering the hospital. His body likely beat the virus by the time he entered the hospital or soon after but the harm to his lungs was already done and his other organs were stressed from the cleanup.

He was able to get off of the ventilator today after 33 days on it. I hope he will be able to continue breathing on his own, that his kidney function will return and that his brain function will recover.

 

[Julian]

My cousin and nephew have both tested positive....ugh....this is spreading big time!

 

[tabbibus]

I have many friends and colleagues who have tested positive in the last 3 days. Its exponential. Even my sister and her partner tested positive. Fortunately they are all vaccinated and symptoms have been very mild (hopefully also because omicron is milder). On the other hand, unvaccinated admissions to the ICU and covid floors are also rising fast.

 

[mwalker4]

I have many friends and colleagues who have tested positive in the last 3 days. Its exponential. Even my sister and her partner tested positive. Fortunately they are all vaccinated and symptoms have been very mild (hopefully also because omicron is milder). On the other hand, unvaccinated admissions to the ICU and covid floors are also rising fast.

Same here, in the last few days cases all around me. Nobody I know has had any real symptoms from this outbreak. It seems very mild at least for the vaccinated.

 

[Bruce]

This is most unfortunate.

 

[Julian]

This is most unfortunate.

View attachment 168726

I've not heard of any vaccinated people having anything other than mild symptoms. My nephew had flu like symptoms for 3 days. Headache, body ache, cough....

Love modern medicine!

Hope the unvaxed fare well....first omicrom death was an unvaxed reinfection. But death rate is VERY LOW at this point (still early though)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Overview

COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus that causes mild to severe cases. Here’s a quick guide on how to spot symptoms, risk factors, prevent spread of the disease, and find out what to do if you think you have it.

www.webmd.com

 

[tabbibus]

I've not heard of any vaccinated people having anything other than mild symptoms. My nephew had flu like symptoms for 3 days. Headache, body ache, cough....

Love modern medicine!

Hope the unvaxed fare well....first omicrom death was an unvaxed reinfection. But death rate is VERY LOW at this point (still early though)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Overview

COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus that causes mild to severe cases. Here’s a quick guide on how to spot symptoms, risk factors, prevent spread of the disease, and find out what to do if you think you have it.

www.webmd.com

I suspect death rate will be lower. But overall number of deaths will be high simply to how many cases there will be.

Anecdotally, I have yet to see a vaxxed patient in the hospital under this new wave.

 

[jgourlie]

Has there been any info in mixing vaccines. I am going to try and get my booster tomorrow and my local pharmacy only has Moderna. My first 2 were Pfizer. I haven’t had the time to really research this, hoping for help.

 

[Bruce]

Has there been any info in mixing vaccines. I am going to try and get my booster tomorrow and my local pharmacy only has Moderna. My first 2 were Pfizer. I haven’t had the time to really research this, hoping for help.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines both contain mRNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha spike. They are nearly identical. Pfizer initial dosing and boosters are 30 mcg. Moderna initial dosing is 100 mcg while the Moderna booster is 50 mcg.

I had strong reactions to the 100 mcg Moderna doses so I chose to get a 30 mcg Pfizer booster which I barely noticed when taken in combination with an influenza vaccine.

The US CDC recommends a Pfizer or Moderna booster for those that have had two doses of Pfizer. The larger 50 mcg Moderna dose may give you longer lasting protection with or without more severe adverse effects.

COVID-19 Booster Shot

Learn who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot.

www.cdc.gov

 

[Julian]

Has there been any info in mixing vaccines. I am going to try and get my booster tomorrow and my local pharmacy only has Moderna. My first 2 were Pfizer. I haven’t had the time to really research this, hoping for help.

They recommend mixing.....I got the J&J and got a Moderna booster. Moderna has the best stats....so if I had a Pfizer, I'd go for a Moderna booster.

 

[tabbibus]

I suggest mixing. Pfizer followed by moderna has soft data to suggest is best combo. I have 3 Pfizer and will follow my 4th eventually with moderna.

 

[Ronnie]

I wasn’t going to post to this since I am already ignoring the first Covid string but I just tested positive for the first time, got the results about an hour ago.

for context my son and I got the single dose j&j vaccine in April, my wife got her Phizer second dose in April as well. On Tuesday this week I woke up with what I thought was a cold. That is, congested, dry cough, aches and pains and fatigue. By the late morning i was experiencing cold sweats and when lunch came around I couldn’t taste any of my food. This motivated me to get tested ASAP.

here in Northern California right now it is much easier to get initially vaccinated or boosted than it is to be tested. I called my healthcare provider and the soonest appointment I could get was 7 days out. They told me to make a phone appointment with an md to see if the md could get me tested faster. I made the appointment and got a call back to reschedule because the md was out sick. I then drove to two community sites in the next city over. The first stopped me at the gate to inform me and many others that the ran out of test kits and to come back tomorrow. I drove to the next site listed only to find that thru had just closed but I spoke to the person at the gate who told me he was only there to tell people they ran out of testkits hours earlier. The next morning (weds.) my wife and I were in our car and in line by 8:20, about 30 cars back. The site was supposed to start testing at 9 but started early as my wife were in our way home by 9:05. By the time we left there were over 200 cars in line


Misc. note: while looking for local test sites I also found several booster vaccination sites that had availability that same day, sometimes with the hour I was on their site. This was particularly true of Walgreens and cvs.

my wife didn’t have any symptoms when she got tested but developed the same symptoms I had by weds. Yesterday (thurs) I was feeling better she was feeling worse. We both got texts earlier this morning indications Our test results are available. I’m positive she is negative. I think she tested too soon and am taking her in for another test this morning.
She won’t call in sick (I’ve been out all week, mostly sleeping on the couch) because of some work rule which won’t allow her to be paid for sick days next to a holiday. I told her to forget about the money and id pay her her salary for the day before taxes but she still won’t take the day off (she is worried about the backlog off that would be created as she is covering for other coworkers on vacation). She did agree to let me take her in for another test today I just wish it was a rapid test. I would take her to an airport for a rapid test but think we need to have a boarding pass to HI to be eligible for their rapid test.

this is very frustrating for me because I’m certain that my wife got sick because of me and it’s always taken her longer to recover from colds and flus (as in she has had dry coughs for months). Ironically I was more worried about my son getting Covid since we both got the J & J vaccine but he seems fine.

I’m coming out of the above with a few tips/lessons:
1. Don’t get tested and boosted at the same time. No need to get into the details as I’m sure some possibly most of you that read this far already know.
2. If you received the single does j&j vaccine you are better off getting the Pfizer or moderna booster. Again no need to go into the details as to why.
3. Door dash offers a service where they will deliver a pcr test to you the same day but it’s not a rapid test, cost is $120.
4. Last but not least, don’t wait days for an appointment to be tested, initially vaccinated or boosted. Do a simple online check for “local Covid testing and vaccination services” if you can’t get either quickly from your primary healthcare provider.

a little recognition: I don’t know what the educational back ground is of the people at the test site I last went to and which I will be at again this morning but they have been exposing themselves and by extension their families To Covid several hundred times a day for several months probably over a year, doubt it is for the money but even if it is, I salute them. If they had a tip jar out I would be putting money into it am would bet a lot of people being tested would. I saw plenty of $100k cars inline infront of and behind me.

End of rant, I need to get up an take care of my wife/better half/best friend/love of my life who I got sick. time to deal with reality this isn’t purely academic for me anymore.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

@Ronnie, thanks for taking the time to share. Hope you and your wife have a speedy recovery.

Jim

 

[Bruce]

@Ronnie, thanks for sharing. I hope all of you are well soon and that your senses of taste and smell return.

 

[adrianp89]

@Ronnie - You guys will be fine in a few days. Positive attitude and you guys will be better in a few days.

Listening to a podcast from a guy with tons of credentials, and certainly as legit as they come, but has been pretty much black listed from medical community - it blows my mind there is no at home treatment plan. All options where immediately shot down by the media and government. Unless I missed something, the CDC plan is let it take its course until you need a hospital visit.

 

[Evil Sports]

Have any of the medical people in here seen a correlation between severity of outcome and blood type. My limited pool tells me type A people have the worst outcome and type O the best if even testing positive at all. Can you confirm any of this theory?