Personal covid experiences

[vonfirmath]

On 12/18/2020 at 11:28 AM, Not_a_Number said:

With all the reinfections happening, it's possible this disease is just going to become endemic, especially with the possibly low vaccination rates 😞 . Like, it might not ever leave us alone... I guess eventually it may mutate to become less lethal, and we'll produce more effective drugs, but ugh. 

Man, that is a depressing thought. 

This is pretty much what I've thought since April. It's going to stick around and be like the flu. (though I didn't think we'd come up with a vaccine nearly as fast as we have -- after all there's no vaccine for the common cold)

 

[Laura Corin]

52 minutes ago, wathe said:

SARS is an acronym for the syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus.  Covid-19 is relatively closely related, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (the CoV in the name = coronavirus).  MERS is also a coronavirus, but more distantly related.

An effective vacccine was never developed for SARS, but SARS vaccine research did not stop once SARS was controlled  (if you google SARS vaccine you will find papers from the mid to late 20-naughts, some of which are eerily prescient about the role of their research: "The rationale for development of vaccines against SARS-CoV is to provide a means of control in the event a new SARS-CoV epidemic occurs").

SARS was controlled, before a vaccine could be developed, by old-fashioned contact tracing and isolating cases.  It was amenable to this approach because 1)it was less contagious 2)everyone who got it got sick  (no asymptomatic spread) and 3)those who got it got sick fast (short incubation period).  Sadly for us, Covid-19 has a much longer incubation period, and significant asymptomatic spread - making control by old-fashioned public health measures nearly impossible.

ETA quote is from a 2007-2012 SARS-CoV (didn't need the "1" back then) vaccine trial paper

 

Yes. I  was living in Hong Kong during SARS. It wasn't anywhere near as hard to control. People who got it went down hill so fast that they barely had time to pass it on.

[TravelingChris]

On 12/18/2020 at 10:27 AM, fairfarmhand said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wkrn.com/community/health/coronavirus/cdc-tennessee-worst-in-country-for-new-covid-19-cases-by-population/amp/
 

welcome to Tennessee...

 

A lot of Alabama is really bad but in my county which is adjacent to TN, we have had a 35% drop since 2 weeks ago in number of cases.

[TravelingChris]

On 12/18/2020 at 11:28 AM, Not_a_Number said:

With all the reinfections happening, it's possible this disease is just going to become endemic, especially with the possibly low vaccination rates 😞 . Like, it might not ever leave us alone... I guess eventually it may mutate to become less lethal, and we'll produce more effective drugs, but ugh. 

Man, that is a depressing thought. 

Well there is more than one strain like there is with flu and with colds.  DD did a lot of reading of medical reports and research while she had it and she could pretty much figure out which strain she had because the symptoms of one are not exactly the same and also the which symptoms you get when, etc./

[wathe]

30 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Yes. I  was living in Hong Kong during SARS. It wasn't anywhere near as hard to control. People who got it went down hill so fast that they barely had time to pass it on.

I was in Toronto, working in a GTA hospital.  Similar.

[popmom]

It's hitting close to home for me now. I have a friend and mutual friend who have the virus. My friend is 50 ish and so far has mild symptoms. I think she's had it about a week. The other young woman is in her 30s and was hospitalized today. She went downhill fast. I'm so worried. She has two very young children at home. I have no idea if she has any underlying health issues.

[Shoeless]

21 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

This is pretty much what I've thought since April. It's going to stick around and be like the flu. (though I didn't think we'd come up with a vaccine nearly as fast as we have -- after all there's no vaccine for the common cold)

 

There are lots of viruses responsible for "the common cold", which is part of why no vaccine has been developed. 

The good thing (if there is such a thing) about Covid-19 is that the vaccines are targeting the spike protein on the virus, which has not mutated very much. There have been more mutations in other proteins of the virus, but the spike protein has been fairly stable in spite of all this transmission. 

[popmom]

10 minutes ago, popmom said:

It's hitting close to home for me now. I have a friend and mutual friend who have the virus. My friend is 50 ish and so far has mild symptoms. I think she's had it about a week. The other young woman is in her 30s and was hospitalized today. She went downhill fast. I'm so worried. She has two very young children at home. I have no idea if she has any underlying health issues.

A friend just texted me about this young mom. She does in fact have an immunodeficiency, We are so scared for her. My daughter has kept their children in our church's nursery for a few years now. Precious family.

Edited December 21, 2020 by popmom

[SKL]

An acquaintance of mine, her husband, and their son have caught Covid from their asymptomatic 14yo, who apparently caught it at school.  As expected, the oldest member of the family got it the worst.  They describe it as "no joke" and "a rough few days."  They say symptoms came on very fast.  I'm pretty sure none of them were hospitalized.  They are hoping the worst is over so they can enjoy Christmas.

[Not_a_Number]

13 hours ago, popmom said:

A friend just texted me about this young mom. She does in fact have an immunodeficiency, We are so scared for her. My daughter has kept their children in our church's nursery for a few years now. Precious family.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this 😞 I hope she recovers quickly. 

[Not_a_Number]

On 12/19/2020 at 11:46 PM, vonfirmath said:

This is pretty much what I've thought since April. It's going to stick around and be like the flu. (though I didn't think we'd come up with a vaccine nearly as fast as we have -- after all there's no vaccine for the common cold)

I thought it'd get everywhere, given how it was spreading in China, but I also thought we'd do a better job keeping cases down until vaccines/drugs were developed. 

I think I was also hoping that immunity would last longer, so that it wouldn't become endemic -- that we'd vaccinate and it wouldn't be a major threat anymore. 

[Carrie12345]

Ds22 finally tested negative with everyone else in his house. 
 

Dh has had a very mild case with no temperature or persistent cough for days now, but he lost smell and taste yesterday.

Kids and I are fine except ds10 is sniffly this morning, no fever. He’s spent days in and out of the snow, so I don’t feel like it’s COVID related. None of us have been exposed to anyone, including dh, since the 11th. We even FaceTimed with dh on ds’s birthday. 
 

The people we think dh got it from we’re also prettt mild and now fully recovered. 
 

I have SO MUCH that needs to be done between today and Wednesday (mostly at home, but I do desperately need to go to the laundromat) and I’m having a hard time deciding how to handle all the things that would end isolation/quarantine... like taking care of all the gifts that are in my room and when to disinfect the entire master suite. 

[wathe]

We've had a big uptick in cases locally.  I've cared for more covid  patients in the past month than I had for the entire duration of the pandemic prior.  We had been doing very well, and now it's all falling apart - like everywhere else, of course.

One colleague had it a month ago, symptoms very mild.  She is certain she got it in the community, not work.

Another close colleague is feeling unwell, and his wife's test just came back positive.  He's feeling pretty rough.

[Pen]

On 12/19/2020 at 1:47 PM, Ausmumof3 said:

It makes me wonder something about the vaccines.  If you’d had an adenovirus in the last twelve months would the adenovirus vector vaccines still work or would they be blocked by antibodies?  I know the actual specific virus is different so hopefully it’s different enough.

Supposedly using non-human adenovirus is supposed to help with that

[wathe]

10 minutes ago, Thatboyofmine said:

I'm very curious...  

dh tested positive this morning.  They prescribed him azithromyocin and dexamethasone, along with vitamin C & D and Zinc.    

My sil said her three friends who got it were given nothing.   

is it common to be given meds or is this really a local thing? 

 

Would not be offered here.  Dex is reserved for hospitalized patients requiring oxygen.  Azithro only if there is a concurrent bacterial pneumonia.  As per evidence-based algorithm.

ETA - assuming your DH's case is classed as mild (which, unless he is hospitalized, it probably is)

 

 

Edited December 21, 2020 by wathe

[ktgrok]

20 minutes ago, Thatboyofmine said:

I'm very curious...  

dh tested positive this morning.  They prescribed him azithromyocin and dexamethasone, along with vitamin C & D and Zinc.    

My sil said her three friends who got it were given nothing.   

is it common to be given meds or is this really a local thing? 

might be symptoms based - like most with a sore throat don't get steroids, but some do, based on history and amount of swelling, etc. 

[Acadie]

9 minutes ago, Thatboyofmine said:

huh.  Maybe because he's on cimzia and that can lower your immunity?  

I bet that's it.

[Not_a_Number]

1 hour ago, wathe said:

We've had a big uptick in cases locally.  I've cared for more covid  patients in the past month than I had for the entire duration of the pandemic prior.  We had been doing very well, and now it's all falling apart - like everywhere else, of course.

One colleague had it a month ago, symptoms very mild.  She is certain she got it in the community, not work.

Another close colleague is feeling unwell, and his wife's test just came back positive.  He's feeling pretty rough.

It’s so unfortunate that cases are spiking just as the vaccine is coming out...

[Drama Llama]

On 12/19/2020 at 4:47 PM, Ausmumof3 said:

It makes me wonder something about the vaccines.  If you’d had an adenovirus in the last twelve months would the adenovirus vector vaccines still work or would they be blocked by antibodies?  I know the actual specific virus is different so hopefully it’s different enough.

I think that since they're using an adenovirus vector that doesn't spread in humans, you wouldn't have immunity to it.  My understanding is that you wouldn't be able to take two vaccines based on the same adenovirus. 

This is an issue because one of the ways AstroZeneca speeded up the process for this vaccine is by starting with an adenovirus that was already being used in another vaccine they were developing.  I think I heard it was RSV, but I could be wrong.  There is a big need for an RSV vaccine, so hopefully they don't have to stop that process, and they can make sure the children who most need the RSV vaccine, get a different covid vaccine.  

If giving someone one adenovirus gave immunity to all adenoviruses then the common cold wouldn't be so common.  

[wathe]

3 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

It’s so unfortunate that cases are spiking just as the vaccine is coming out...

That, and over the Christmas holidays.  It's the time of year when emergency departments are already slammed with volume and staff are frazzled, even during normal times.  Now add to that pandemic stress, scrambling to cover shifts for sick colleagues...it's going to be an ugly couple of weeks.

[Pawz4me]

21 minutes ago, Thatboyofmine said:

 

huh.  Maybe because he's on cimzia and that can lower your immunity?  

Just curious -- Was he told to skip his Cimzia while he's on antibiotics? I'm on a similar biologic medication/TNF blocker, and in the before times that's what my rheumatologist told me. There's been some speculation, though, that some of the biologic drugs may help prevent developing serious Covid complications (by preventing cytokine storms). So I'm wondering if that's still the advice with Covid?

I hope he recovers quickly.

[Carrie12345]

50 minutes ago, Thatboyofmine said:

I'm very curious...  

dh tested positive this morning.  They prescribed him azithromyocin and dexamethasone, along with vitamin C & D and Zinc.    

My sil said her three friends who got it were given nothing.   

is it common to be given meds or is this really a local thing? 

Most people we know (non-hospitalized) haven’t gotten any meds. But also weren’t high risk. 

[wathe]

Maybe it will be less bad than I fear.  Less travel, less recreation (fewer people falling down the ski hill = fewer injuries) and less flu - all things which usually drive holiday volumes up.  We'll see. 

Edited December 21, 2020 by wathe

[Pawz4me]

5 minutes ago, Thatboyofmine said:

See, I never considered him high-risk. He is overweight, just from looking at the number on the scale.  I guess the cimzia also contributes to high-risk? He did used to be a smoker, but quit about 5-6 years ago.    I don't know if that's considered high-risk.   

According to the CDC people on "immune weakening" medications "might be at increased risk for severe complications" from Covid. See the second group of conditions here. Cimzia would probably come under the category of "other immune weakening medicines." Or that's what I've gathered from discussions with my rheumatologist about Enbrel, the biologic medication that I'm on for RA. But my rheumy seems to believe that any increased risk isn't much, and that the medication may in fact turn out to be protective (see my post above).

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

1 hour ago, wathe said:

 

Would not be offered here.  Dex is reserved for hospitalized patients requiring oxygen.  Azithro only if there is a concurrent bacterial pneumonia.  As per evidence-based algorithm.

ETA - assuming your DH's case is classed as mild (which, unless he is hospitalized, it probably is)

 

 

Same here.  I don’t know anyone who’s been prescribed anything who wasn’t hospitalized.

[Shoeless]

Another friend of mine and their family has covid. The friend is immunocompromised. 😞 So far, they are ok. They said they had fever and aches yesterday, but no respiratory symptoms.

[TCB]

2 hours ago, wathe said:

Maybe it will be less bad than I fear.  Less travel, less recreation (fewer people falling down the ski hill = fewer injuries) and less flu - all things which usually drive holiday volumes up.  We'll see. 

I hope so! Hope things start to settle down so the holiday isn’t horrendous!

[popmom]

19 hours ago, popmom said:

A friend just texted me about this young mom. She does in fact have an immunodeficiency, We are so scared for her. My daughter has kept their children in our church's nursery for a few years now. Precious family.

I just got an update. She gets to go home today! Her cat scan and x rays were all clear. She was extremely dehydrated. I am praying she can ride this out and not have to go back to the hospital. 

[kbutton]

On 12/19/2020 at 11:31 PM, kbutton said:

My relative that is hospitalized is now in a regular room, but eating is a real problem. He might require a feeding tube again. They also decided he probably had a mild stroke when he came down with Covid. I suspected this all along, but I think he had enough other symptoms that it wasn’t a big priority; he had other clots and was ventilated quite early on. He will need some rehab.

The married friends with Covid seem to be recovering, but I suspect one of them will take a bit longer than the other. Just a hunch at this point.

A couple from our old church has it, and so does their teenager with cystic fibrosis. They seem calm. The mom has serious risk factors as well. 

My relative took a serious turn for the worse, and the hospital called family in. His wife is too weak to go in—sick for three weeks with what has felt like a bad cold, but a negative Covid test.

I think the married friends are recovered.

The teen with CF was discharged from the hospital, and I haven’t heard anything bad about the parents and their illness so far. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just talked to a friend (late 50's) who is on week six of confirmed COVID.  She has a lot of fatigue and loss of taste and smell but not a lot of other symptoms.  Neither her husband or grade school daughter have gotten it (they were both tested).  She got it at a unmasked extended family gathering "where we didn't even think about the dangers". 

[wathe]

12 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Last study I read, 87% of people testing positive in our state said they were strictly or reasonably strictly masking. Ineffective masks make no difference, imagine that. Wearing cotton knit underwear on your face makes no difference. The majority of what is being worn makes NO DIFFERENCE.

 

Said to whom?  To the contact tracer?

ETA:  The objective evidence that universal masking , with non-medical masks, decreases transmission is very good. 

1 hour ago, Frances said:

At a minimum, I’m guessing the vast majority are not wearing them at home (including when others are in their homes) or at any gatherings they attend at other’s homes. Also, many are probably not wearing them in restaurants while eating or while eating with others at work. My brother is almost certain that’s how he and his wife got it, at a restaurant. There are very few people working in person at my workplace, but when I had to stop by at lunchtime a week ago to pick something up, there were unmasked groups of people eating together everywhere. Unless the survey is carefully defining what masking means and then asking about compliance, the results are likely meaningless.

People lie or misrepresent the truth all the time.  And especially to HCW and contact tracers, it would seem.  Some, I'm sure, really think they are strictly masking, but aren't actually.  Others are ashamed  or afraid to tell the truth.  And some just don't think, or forget.

It's a strange thing that many patients, who come to the ED with covid symptoms, don't think they can possibly have covid, because "I haven't been anywhere", or "I don't leave the house".  Except that almost all of them actually do go places and leave the house, and realize/admit this once I ask a few gentle probing questions. It's to the point that I just don't really believe people who say they don't go anywhere or who say they strictly mask.  Because I know that the probability that it's true is low.

One unfortunate woman I cared for a few weeks ago insisted she couldn't possibly have covid because "I haven't been anywhere".  Except she had had an outpatient surgical procedure just days previously, at the same hospital, clearly documented.  Her definition of the words "haven't", "been", and "anywhere" do not match mine! 

Edited December 23, 2020 by wathe

[Not_a_Number]

5 hours ago, wathe said:

Said to whom?  To the contact tracer?

ETA:  The objective evidence that universal masking , with non-medical masks, decreases transmission is very good. 

People lie or misrepresent the truth all the time.  And especially to HCW and contact tracers, it would seem.  Some, I'm sure, really think they are strictly masking, but aren't actually.  Others are ashamed  or afraid to tell the truth.  And some just don't think, or forget.

It's a strange thing that many patients, who come to the ED with covid symptoms, don't think they can possibly have covid, because "I haven't been anywhere", or "I don't leave the house".  Except that almost all of them actually do go places and leave the house, and realize/admit this once I ask a few gentle probing questions. It's to the point that I just don't really believe people who say they don't go anywhere or who say they strictly mask.  Because I know that the probability that it's true is low.

One unfortunate woman I cared for a few weeks ago insisted she couldn't possibly have covid because "I haven't been anywhere".  Except she had had an outpatient surgical procedure just days previously, at the same hospital, clearly documented.  Her definition of the words "haven't", "been", and "anywhere" do not match mine! 

I’m curious: where do people usually not count as “going anywhere”?

I think we really don’t go anywhere except the park and to pod meet ups. No doctors, no dentists, no stores, no hospitals, no work, no school, nothing. 

[teachermom2834]

Yes, my biggest anti-maskers and covid deniers on my FB feed claim they are being really safe just to make everyone else feel better. If you asked they would say they hadn't done anything or gone anywhere. But they have done everything. These are the kind of folks that document every movement on social media normally and they are doing all the things.

We live in an area with many mega churches and churches are exempt from any kind of government restrictions of which there haven't been many anyways. Well people are getting it at church and then saying they haven't done anything or gone anywhere. If pushed they will say they went to church but church is exempt.  Or that they ate with a group but masks aren't required when eating. So, here at least, not only are people not honest about masking, etc. they also do not consider anything legal to be risky. It's making me crazy. 

 

[Not_a_Number]

Just now, teachermom2834 said:

So, here at least, not only are people not honest about masking, etc. they also do not consider anything legal to be risky. It's making me crazy. 

This is, of course, why mandates are actually helpful. Because they send a signal...

[math teacher]

On 12/21/2020 at 12:11 PM, Thatboyofmine said:

I'm very curious...  

dh tested positive this morning.  They prescribed him azithromyocin and dexamethasone, along with vitamin C & D and Zinc.    

My sil said her three friends who got it were given nothing.   

is it common to be given meds or is this really a local thing? 

I was given meds and a friend of mine in the same location but different doctor was given nothing.

[cintinative]

On 12/18/2020 at 12:55 PM, Pawz4me said:

That sounds fantastic compared to my area! Our numbers haven't been that good in many weeks. Our county has had over 896 cases per 100,000 over the last 14 days. A nearby county is 1147/100,000.

Yep. Our county is at 988/100K  

[teachermom2834]

31 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

This is, of course, why mandates are actually helpful. Because they send a signal...

Eh...willful ignorance cannot be underestimated. At least in the cases I am familiar with. 

[fairfarmhand]

Feeling much better today. It feels like I've turned a corner. All the kids are fine, fine, fine. (Except that they are exceedingly bored and tired of being at home) It hit them the very least.

I actually have interest in something besides anchoring the couch down. I still have no sense of taste or smell.

Dh is still feverish. He got it last, so he still has probably 4 days before he starts feeling better. He's still in the fever stage. It hit every one of us with similar symptoms in the same order. (Except for loss of taste and smell, I'm the only one who ended up with that, but it looks like I've had the most severe case as well)

First, slight cough, tiny sore throat. This lasts about 24 hours. Next, fever, chills, body aches, headache. This lasted with me and ny dh 3-4  days. Next is overwhelming fatigue.  At this stage, I experienced shortness of breath as well. This lasted another 3-4 days. I am on day 8 and I finally feel decent, though I can tell that I've been sick.

 

[*Jessica*]

Did anyone here who was sick have the gastro symptoms and the respiratory symptoms?  My grandparents had diarrhea yesterday and what Grammy called cold symptoms.  She woke up today with a sore throat and Poppy is coughing.  My mother is taking them for a COVID test at 1, but they are 86 and 90 years old so I’m worrying.  Ugh, I HATE not being able to go take care of them!  

[fairfarmhand]

Just now, StillJessica said:

Did anyone here who was sick have the gastro symptoms and the respiratory symptoms?  My grandparents had diarrhea yesterday and what Grammy called cold symptoms.  She woke up today with a sore throat and Poppy is coughing.  My mother is taking them for a COVID test at 1, but they are 86 and 90 years old so I’m worrying.  Ugh, I HATE not being able to go take care of them!  

Oh, yeah, I forgot to include that. I did have nausea and diarrhea at the beginning, during the fever stage. 

[*Jessica*]

Just now, fairfarmhand said:

Oh, yeah, I forgot to include that. I did have nausea and diarrhea at the beginning, during the fever stage. 

Ugh.  Thanks.  I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better now!  Hopefully your dh is better soon, too!

[wathe]

43 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

I’m curious: where do people usually not count as “going anywhere”?

I think we really don’t go anywhere except the park and to pod meet ups. No doctors, no dentists, no stores, no hospitals, no work, no school, nothing. 

Keyword "except". You acknowledge that the park and pod-meetup involve going to actual places LOL.

The park and pod meet-ups are Somewhere.  Very low risk Somewheres, but Somewhere nonetheless. 

When people say they haven't been anywhere, what they really seem to mean is anywhere that they judge to be risky.  And what they judge to be risky is extremely variable, and not often objectively true, to say the least.  (If humans were good at judging risk, we wouldn't be in this mess!)

To be fair, I'm not the one who initiates or brings it up*.  It's more like a psychological defense mechanism.  When I recommend a covid test for covid symptoms, I often get a variant of, "I know I don't have covid; I haven't been anywhere!" in response, often combined with reluctance to be tested.  It's rarely literally true.

*answers to questions about international and inter-provincial travel are documented at triage. 

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, Not_a_Number said:

I’m curious: where do people usually not count as “going anywhere”?

 

 

1 hour ago, teachermom2834 said:

Yes, my biggest anti-maskers and covid deniers on my FB feed claim they are being really safe just to make everyone else feel better. If you asked they would say they hadn't done anything or gone anywhere. But they have done everything. These are the kind of folks that document every movement on social media normally and they are doing all the things.

 

I know people who would say they're being very safe, not going anywhere, etc. But they have in fact been to a large wedding, and to the packed reception following it. They're going to church where people aren't masking. They're going out to eat multiple times a week, sometimes in groups. They're going out shopping just to have something to do.

And yet they truly seem to think they're "not going anywhere" and are being safe.

 

9 minutes ago, wathe said:

Keyword "except". You acknowledge that the park and pod-meetup involve going to actual places LOL.

The park and pod meet-ups are Somewhere.  Very low risk Somewheres, but Somewhere nonetheless. 

When people say they haven't been anywhere, what they really seem to mean is anywhere that they judge to be risky.  And what they judge to be risky is extremely variable, and not often objectively true, to say the least.  (If humans were good at judging risk, we wouldn't be in this mess!)

 

Yes.

[Spryte]

Wow.  Nowhere has such a broad range.

We literally don’t go anywhere unless absolutely necessary.  I can actually count on both hands the number of times we’ve been out since last March (emergency doc visits, flu shots, a necessary trip to the car repair shop, a picnic at the river - our failed experiment as it was cut short by antimaskers, a few trips to drop off gifts on a doorstep, no contact). Kid has even postponed getting his learner’s permit.

Other people I know who say they don’t go anywhere go to stores, DMV (learners permit season here), regular pet events, and send kids to school.  In their minds, that’s “nowhere.”

There is such a range.

In Covid experience news, the outbreak in the ILs’ nursing home has leveled out at 10. His roommate is returning to a regular room, and apparently stayed asymptomatic.  FIL never developed symptoms or tested positive.  Yay!  And MIL will be moving in with FIL on Christmas Eve.  Whew.

I am just blown away that a nursing home roomie didn’t pass it along to FIL. This is such a strange disease.

 

[kokotg]

My brother attempted to tell me he and SIL were "in a bubble" with her entire extended family, before sheepishly saying he guessed not really since all those people were going to work, school (in the county with no mask requirement and a zillion cases), restaurants, trips, etc. This was either right before or after he went to Disney World. 

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/another-dull-quarantine-weekend-at-home-target-chipotle-home-depot-and-our-nieces-graduation-party

[Not_a_Number]

41 minutes ago, wathe said:

Keyword "except". You acknowledge that the park and pod-meetup involve going to actual places LOL.

The park and pod meet-ups are Somewhere.  Very low risk Somewheres, but Somewhere nonetheless. 

Oh, sure, they are somewhere, LOL. They are the "somewhere" that seem to be the least risk. If we got COVID, I'd assume we picked it up at the park or that someone in our pod (they also don't go to stores or anywhere inside except the doctor... but they do have to go to the doctor sometimes, alas) picked it up at the doctor. 

I would guess people also don't realize that the risks that people in your pod take are also the risks you take? 😛 

 

41 minutes ago, wathe said:

When people say they haven't been anywhere, what they really seem to mean is anywhere that they judge to be risky.  And what they judge to be risky is extremely variable, and not often objectively true, to say the least.  (If humans were good at judging risk, we wouldn't be in this mess!)

I've noticed this lack of judgment, lol. 

 

41 minutes ago, wathe said:

To be fair, I'm not the one who initiates or brings it up*.  It's more like a psychological defense mechanism.  When I recommend a covid test for covid symptoms, I often get a variant of, "I know I don't have covid; I haven't been anywhere!" in response, often combined with reluctance to be tested.  It's rarely literally true.

*answers to questions about international and inter-provincial travel are documented at triage. 

Ugh. That's sad, honestly. What it really means is that we have NOT communicated well to people about what might put them at risk. 

[Not_a_Number]

9 minutes ago, Spryte said:

We literally don’t go anywhere unless absolutely necessary.  I can actually count on both hands the number of times we’ve been out since last March (emergency doc visits, flu shots, a necessary trip to the car repair shop, a picnic at the river - our failed experiment as it was cut short by antimaskers, a few trips to drop off gifts on a doorstep, no contact). Kid has even postponed getting his learner’s permit.

Other people I know who say they don’t go anywhere go to stores, DMV (learners permit season here), regular pet events, and send kids to school.  In their minds, that’s “nowhere.”

There is such a range.

We're pretty close to your level of "nowhere," except for our pod. But our whole pod doesn't go anywhere -- it's just us and my in-laws and for a few weeks, my sister, who quarantined for 2 weeks before joining (On the other hand, the family pod makes me nervous -- more people going to necessary doctor's visits adds up. But the kids really do need some interaction...) 

[Not_a_Number]

1 hour ago, fairfarmhand said:

Feeling much better today. It feels like I've turned a corner. All the kids are fine, fine, fine. (Except that they are exceedingly bored and tired of being at home) It hit them the very least.

I actually have interest in something besides anchoring the couch down. I still have no sense of taste or smell.

Dh is still feverish. He got it last, so he still has probably 4 days before he starts feeling better. He's still in the fever stage. It hit every one of us with similar symptoms in the same order. (Except for loss of taste and smell, I'm the only one who ended up with that, but it looks like I've had the most severe case as well)

First, slight cough, tiny sore throat. This lasts about 24 hours. Next, fever, chills, body aches, headache. This lasted with me and ny dh 3-4  days. Next is overwhelming fatigue.  At this stage, I experienced shortness of breath as well. This lasted another 3-4 days. I am on day 8 and I finally feel decent, though I can tell that I've been sick.

 

Glad you're feeling better!! I hope it's uphill from here. Keep us updated! 

[Jaybee]

32 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I know people who would say they're being very safe, not going anywhere, etc. But they have in fact been to a large wedding, and to the packed reception following it. They're going to church where people aren't masking. They're going out to eat multiple times a week, sometimes in groups. They're going out shopping just to have something to do.

And yet they truly seem to think they're "not going anywhere" and are being safe.

A co-worker told me this. She is an intelligent woman. She said, "We haven't gone anywhere for months!" I said, "But you are here." In an environment where nobody is careful or wears a mask but me, even though they say they are being careful, and where the virus has hit all but a few of us. And her ds is going to school, but only "the hybrid--he just takes 2-3 classes there each day." I was in disbelief. Someone else I know thinks he is being careful because he wears a mask in stores and into/out of restaurants. But he eats in the restaurant, and he doesn't mask at work or at church. These are not stupid people! I just don't get it.

I really think that some people feel safe in their circles of people they know, and it somehow doesn't get through that those are the most likely circles where they'd get it. They also aren't considering that it's not only the people in their direct contact, but all the people those people came in contact with, and so on, as well.

[mlktwins]

Are day 7 and day 10 still the big days the doctors worry about things taking a turn and going wrong?