TCB
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Posts posted by TCB
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13 hours ago, Arcadia said:
@prairiewindmomma DS19 did the COVID-19 + Flu + RSV Test at university health service in October and the results were fast. They did charge him $400.
Labcorp has a home test kit for $129
https://www.ondemand.labcorp.com/at-home-test-kits/covid-19-flu-rsv-test-home-collection-kit
I saw a post on Twitter saying you can buy a combined Covid, Flu A&B, and RSV lateral flow home test for about $4 in Germany. The cost of tests over here is still ridiculous after all this time.
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On 8/26/2023 at 10:23 AM, Terabith said:
What are the current recommendations on treating long covid? I have a friend who got covid in August of 2020 and has been having long covid symptoms, including profound exhaustion, since then, as well as occasional shortness of breath and pins and needles feeling. Digestive issues. But mostly just needing to sleep way more than normal. I wasn’t sure if there were recommendations for treating long covid.
I just saw this video on YouTube this morning so am going to link it in case it’s helpful. I haven’t had time to watch it but I find the Dr who made it a very reliable source usually.
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On 8/15/2023 at 2:43 PM, wathe said:
Not a thing anymore. The rational for spacing covid vax from other vax was to gather data on covid vax side effects and adverse reactions without confounder of other vax at the same time.
I could be totally misremembering but I thought there was a possible link with slightly increased stroke risk when both flu and Covid vaccines were given together. I thought it was some data the CDC released. I may be totally wrong.
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Does your husband take aspirin? My dad had similar, but less severe, symptoms recently and they thought it might be caused by aspirin.
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On 6/20/2023 at 11:33 PM, bookbard said:
I have bought one for air travel so I will tell you how it goes (later on this year). I have no idea how it will work but I thought better than nothing for when I have to eat during the flight.
This is purely an anecdote of course, but we have made several transatlantic flights in the last few years, and haven’t caught Covid yet. We wear KN95 or N95 masks and breathe in, lower mask, take a bite or drink, put mask back up while chewing. I also breathe out strongly while putting my mask back up. Has worked so far, or maybe we’ve just been lucky.
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6 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:
My FDIL is an esthetician and she swears by this one. I’m thinking of ordering one but it is a little $$$
Do you know if they sell this on Amazon?
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6 hours ago, wathe said:
A couple of minutes.
It would fit nicely in a scrub pocket 🙂
That’s good! Sounds like it would be great for checking at work especially.
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8 hours ago, wathe said:
I have both the Aranet and the Vitalight.
I bought the Vitalight to send with my kid to school --- cheap enough that I won't cry if it gets lost or broken. My husband quite likes it also, and takes it places, like restaurants on the very rare occasion that he eats out with a friend. ( ETA: My dad also has one and likes it. )
The Vitalight is accurate as long as you keep it calibrated. It needs to be outdoor air for at least a few minutes every week in order to maintain its calibration. This is easy: in summer, put it on the porch for a while; in winter, take it for a walk in your pocket (to keep it from freezing). We check the Vitalight against the Aranet periodically. It's usually within +/- 50pm pf the Aranet, so long as it's kept calibrated.
Battery life advertised at 12h, but mine lasts at least 36h.
It's nice and small and unobtrusive. It has a carabiner style clip. DH clips to his man-purse.
The annoying alarm at 1000ppm can be turned off, but you have to remember to do this every time you turn the unit on.
It does not record data, so you have to physically check it in the moment to know what the
PPM CO2 is at any given time (unlike the Aranet, which stores up to 2 weeks of data and graphs it for you on the phone app, and can download into and Excel spreadsheet etc. I love my Aranet). The display is easy to read.I take my Aranet to work periodically. The ventilation in our ED is excellent. PPM never exceeds 600. Even when we are severely overcrowded.
It is useful for making decisons, especially decisions about where to eat or whether to eat at all when one is stuck indoors (like at work, airports, sports tournaments etc). I also use it to calibrate the ventilation in the car when carpooling.
Vitalight review that I found useful when deciding on whether or not to purchase.
Thanks! It’s good to know that it tracks so closely to the Aranet. Also good to see that the alarm can be turned off. I think I have seen this one before but wasn’t sure if turning it off was an option, and difficult to take readings discreetly if not lol. I was also not sure what the calibration entailed but that sounds pretty straightforward.
How long does it take to get a reading in different areas? Is it pretty quick or does it take a longish time?
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12 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09P8DTRMQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
It’s sensitive, but I need it for the kitchen and it’s beeped at least 3x since I’ve owned it for the past year. It is portable, but the battery doesn’t last more than maybe 4-5 hours. You could get a portable battery charger (usb c). There might be other ones with better battery life, but I didn’t have a chance to look thoroughly when I first bought it.
Thanks! The reviews sound pretty good on Amazon. They do mention the short battery life.
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4 hours ago, bookbard said:
I don't really understand the purpose of it. I mask everywhere indoors anyway. It could tell you to leave a space quicker I guess but mostly I have to be there. What other decisions can it help with?
One place I’d like to check is where I work. My shift lasts 12 hours so I have to eat and drink and can’t go outside. I’d like to see what the numbers are like so I can figure out the best place to do these things.
I also think that if you can point out to people that the numbers are high maybe they’ll try and improve ventilation which would be good for everyone there.
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I would really like to get a CO2 monitor but the Aranet 4 is just a bit pricey for me. Has anyone found a cheaper one that is fairly accurate?
I keep reading the studies about longer term complications from Covid and I just feel I need to take care for longer until more is understood. I really think being able to monitor CO2 levels wherever I go will help me with decision making.
Grateful for any monitor recommendations!
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I am so, so sorry.
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Staff are no longer required to wear masks in the hospital where I work, however if the patient requests it then they must wear a mask. I am one of the only ones wearing a mask, may be the only one, but I do not want any part in the potential 7-10% mortality rate for hospital acquired Covid. I think others may want to but the peer pressure not to is hard for them to resist. The other day though, the respiratory therapist helping me with my patient put on a mask when she saw I had one on. It’s sad to see HCW’s response to this situation, especially when you see studies like this one about how masks work.
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1 hour ago, KSera said:
The Sanofi website says this about efficacy:
”The VAT08 Phase 3 Stage 2 study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigating primary vaccination with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine containing both parental (D614) and Beta strains. The results showed a 64.7% efficacy against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults, regardless of their SARS-CoV-2 infection status prior to vaccination, and 75.1% efficacy in participants previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. This study was the first ever to report efficacy data in an Omicron environment.”
But that’s as a primary vaccination, not as a booster and was a relatively low powered study. I see there are a number of large trials underway with it as a booster. I did find one preprint showing antibody neutralization when used as a booster, but that’s all:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.02.22282931v1
Thank you so much! I hope the booster data are as promising, and it sounds like they maybe will be. I am glad they’ve been able to get a different one this time as hopefully it will broaden their immunity. My Mom has had 2 AZ and I think 3 mRNA plus extremely mild Covid lasting 2 days at most, and my Dad has had 5 mRNA plus a pretty mild dose of Covid, although he got monoclonal antibodies at the time so maybe that was why it was so mild. I’m glad they got something new this time.
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Does anyone know any efficacy details about the Sanofi vaccine VidPrevtyn? My parents were just given it as a spring booster in the UK. I couldn’t really find too much about it, especially when used as a booster.
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On 4/24/2023 at 5:22 PM, Longtime Lurker said:
Thanks! I would prefer not to book ahead as we would like some flexibility. Is it possible for tickets to sell out? Or will they be a lot more expensive on the day of? I was kind of hoping we could just show up at Paddington Station and buy tickets, but maybe it doesn't work that way.
There is a bus/coach service between London and Oxford called the Oxford Tube which is quite cheap and I think they often run hourly at least. You can get on right outside Victoria station although I think there are a couple of other stops in London where you can get on. I always found it really convenient. Several other bus companies do the same trip and pick up outside Victoria station as well and you can get off right in the thick of things in Oxford. I love London, lived there for many years, and I love Oxford too. We love looking around Magdalen College, the Bodleian Library and there is a lovely walk past several of the colleges - called Christ Church Meadow I think.
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We have sometimes used dolls with confused older ladies in ICU. Somewhat mixed results but it is quite a different situation I guess.
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I want to thank everyone for the information and advice they gave me and give an update on my dd.
She is doing quite well and I’m so thankful. She was off sick from classes for 2 weeks and was feeling really rough, compounded by the perforated ear drum. She felt she had to return to classes and getting caught up the 3rd week despite still feeling exhausted, coughing, and having brain fog. I was worried that she wouldn’t be able to rest enough and that would make things worse. She made it through that week and on about day 21 she really started to feel better. She managed to get caught up with class work, and, although I don’t think she would say she is 100% back to normal, she’s pretty close.My dh and I were scheduled to visit his elderly parents in the middle of the whole thing. I would have, of course, gone up to her if absolutely necessary, but stayed away so we didn’t risk taking anything to the grandparents. My dd was very concerned about getting us sick too. But as soon as we got back I went to her. It was day 11 for her and she was still testing positive. I wore a KN95 mask, had the patio door open all day, ate outside only, and took my CR box with me and ran it all the time. It is a small 1 bedroom apartment but I had the CR box running between her room and where I was sleeping on the living room floor and I did not get sick. I even had a PCR test 5 days later and was negative.
Dd is the first one in our immediate family to get Covid.-
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My dd has just had Covid for the first time. She was really sick and felt terrible for a number of days. She also ended up with a perforated eardrum after a few days so that has added to everything. Today is day 17 since she first developed symptoms and she is experiencing a lot of muscle fatigue in her whole body.
Does anyone have any suggestions for anything to try to help that?
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@Spryte so sorry about your Mom!
I saw an article about a study showing that even a curtain between beds can reduce spread. It seems like it would be really good to get a Hepa filter right near her. A Corsi Rosenthal box is easy to make yourself but is a bit big and bulky if there isn’t much room.
I also saw a recent study showing the benefit of using a mouthwash with a certain ingredient if you’d been exposed. I’ll try and find the link.
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Amen to the “special” memories. I remember being given 1 N95 mask and having to disinfect it in some kind of light box. And having to wear the same surgical mask for a week before being given a fresh one from the locked cupboard in the managers office.
We were fortunate because our unit is on the ground floor so relatives could come to the windows and see their loved ones. I remember one man writing a message to his wife on a small whiteboard, to hold up for her, before he was intubated. Sadly he didn’t make it. I remember patients begging to be intubated because they were so exhausted from trying to breathe day after day. I remember so many of them so clearly, I guess because it was such a shocking experience.
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On 2/25/2023 at 10:24 AM, Ting Tang said:
I'm curious about athlete and young people's deaths. I can search and find headlines, and I do feel I see more of it now. (sincerely, a vaccinated person) My husband is legitimately worried about his Pfizer vax. He does believe Covid and the response was a scam. Of course, hindsight is 20/20.
The question of athlete and young people’s deaths is an interesting one. I think the first thing to answer is: are they actually occurring more frequently or are we experiencing the “Baader-Meinhoff phenomenon ” - we’re paying attention so they seem to be everywhere. I’m an ICU nurse and have looked after several younger than usual people having cardiac issues, and unexpected cardiac arrest, and so far all but one have not been vaccinated against Covid. I don’t really think it seems to be more frequently than usual but it’s hard to really remember if you haven’t been counting previously.
I do want to comment about the response to Covid being a scam. I think it might be easy to forget what things were like before we had such a high level of immunity from vaccines and prior infection. I’ve been working in ICUs for more than 30 years and I have never experienced anything like it. Particularly during the Delta wave we had so many people die that we didn’t bother putting the body bags in the cupboard but just kept them on the counter. I’m sorry if that is overly graphic but it is true. It was awful, and so sad, and I never want to go through anything like that again. In my area the number of deaths meant we really didn’t respond adequately to prevent them, never mind too much.
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15 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:
If the Lee County Republican Party has their way, the state of Florida will be banning the use of Covid-19 vaccines. Yes, you heard that correctly. Based on a majority vote, the Party has passed a so-called “Ban the jab” resolution that will now go to the desk of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for his consideration. And why does the Party want such a ban? Well, an article for WINK News by Michael Hudak and Taylor Wirtz quoted Joe Sansone, the guy who drafted the resolution, as saying, “The Lee County Republican Party is going to be on the vanguard of this campaign to stop the genocide because we have foreign non-governmental entities that are unleashing biological weapons on the American people.”
Does anyone know if they have presented any verifiable evidence to support this? I know they are talking about the VAERS site, but do they have verifiable data.
I have tried to keep up with as much of the anti vaccine stuff that I can, and I have not seen much of anything that includes verifiable data. Almost everything I’ve seen is opinion based. I have seen various accounts of blood clots etc, but have seen follow ups that photographs used were reused pre Covid photos, or possibly even plant roots??
How do they deal with the data showing reduced Covid deaths, and even reduced all cause mortality in those who have been vaccinated- other than saying they don’t believe it and it’s a government conspiracy? How do they deal with the Uk ONS data released a few days ago?
I ask this because I live in the US and I would like to believe that something so consequential to peoples lives must be decided on some sort of hard facts. If you know of any, please let me know because it all feels very bleak to me.
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49 minutes ago, EKS said:
I appreciate hearing about people's experiences here, but in the end it's going to be up to her and her doctor.
And the clock is running out on starting Paxlovid at this point. I can't even get her to take Tylenol to help with her fever and discomfort. It took two days before she even looked for it, and when she found it, she discovered that it expired in 2014! I suggested that my father could go get more, but was told that he didn't plan to go to the store until the next day. I pointed out that he should go to the store then because who knows if he would still be healthy the next day. (Another issue is that they have been taking no precautions to keep him from getting sick, and he is 92 and immunocompromised.)
No one listens to me.
I hope they recover very quickly. It is good to hear people’s experiences but there’s so much information swirling around and it’s hard to keep it straight. I posted last night when I was tired and a bit grumpy so I apologize for being strident.
Omicron anecdata?
in The Chat Board
Posted
I’m the only one who wears a mask in the ICU where I work. I can’t remember how long it’s been but many months. Occasionally other people will wear one if they have a lot of symptoms going on. I know they probably think I’m crazy but they don’t say anything any more. I worked one day, felt absolutely fine, and then woke up sick the next day. Tested negative for Covid several times but I was still thankful I had been careful around the patients and didn’t seem to pass it on to anyone.