Omicron anecdata?

[AbcdeDooDah]

23 hours ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

DD21 tested positive today. She is only around others masked and the shop she works at does not allow unmasked patrons. She is vaxed. She has bad body aches and cant get warm.

Today she only has a sore throat. Feels fine otherwise. 

[Spryte]

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

[sbgrace]

5 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

I am seeing that. However, my small sample is entirely people who have already had COVID previously and/or are vaccinated. I want to believe either of those would be protective against poor outcomes regardless the variant. I hope because that makes the tomorrows look much brighter. It's hard for me to hope very much about this pandemic, though, given how many times they have been dashed. 

[KeriJ]

9 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

Yes. Even in the elderly people I know who have it. 

[AbcdeDooDah]

20 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

Yes. In both vaxed and unvaxed.

[freesia]

It’s hard to know if it’s Omicron or Delta at this

23 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

It’s hard to know which variant when there were overlap weeks. And, even here in NY, most Omicron cases have not really hit the two weeks. The cases of folks I know are all still within two weeks.
 

 My SIL’s SO’s best childhood friend just passed. He was unvaccinated (anti-vax and family doesn’t want it spread that he died of Covid. Don’t get me started!). I assume that was Delta. 

[Guest]

I do currently know a Covid patient at the hospital at just about day 10/11 right now. Other family members got better quickly but this person is struggling with O2 sat. Omicron is now dominant by far, but at Christmas, I expect there was some overlap and this person may have Delta. 

[Guest]

I should have said i don’t think this person is vaxed. They are middle aged. 

[vonfirmath]

59 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

I think the lack of the downturn is a function of omicron not doing stuff in the lungs.

[easypeasy]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

Yes, that's exactly what we're seeing. Some we know have had a rougher time lung-wise and more of a rollercoaster on getting better and we are assuming those were Delta cases (none of these people we know in this situation had Delta/Covid previously and were all in mid/late December).

Most others we know with Covid have had super mild various "coldlike" symptoms with some flulike bodyaches or headaches thrown in. Lasts maybe 2 days and never gets as "bad" as the flu would. Then - they're better!

[Spryte]

I sure hope what we are all seeing is going to continue. We need less severe cases.

My county’s positive PCR test rate is 45.12%! And it’s almost impossible to even find a PCR test, so I know we are not testing every case out there. Friends sent off their PCR test today and were told it would be 7-10 days for results, so even with finding a test, results are lagging.

45%. 😱

(I remember back when a positive test rate of 15% was almost inconceivable here!)

[Kassia]

2 minutes ago, Spryte said:

I sure hope what we are all seeing is going to continue. We need less severe cases.

My county’s positive PCR test rate is 45.12%! And it’s almost impossible to even find a PCR test, so I know we are not testing every case out there. Friends sent off their PCR test today and were told it would be 7-10 days for results, so even with finding a test, results are lagging.

45%. 😱

(I remember back when a positive test rate of 15% was almost inconceivable here!)

Same here.  We're behind you at close to 40% with no testing available and many aren't testing anyway.  The numbers are unbelievable.

[Junie]

30 minutes ago, Spryte said:

I sure hope what we are all seeing is going to continue. We need less severe cases.

My county’s positive PCR test rate is 45.12%! And it’s almost impossible to even find a PCR test, so I know we are not testing every case out there. Friends sent off their PCR test today and were told it would be 7-10 days for results, so even with finding a test, results are lagging.

45%. 😱

(I remember back when a positive test rate of 15% was almost inconceivable here!)

I tried to get a test on Sunday, but I was unable to get one anywhere.

A houseguest of ours who had returned home on Saturday tested positive on Monday.  So I gave up on getting tested.  There are currently 9 people in our house, some with symptoms and some without.  I'm guessing that most or all of us are positive, but our numbers are not in the system.

We are all doing fine here.  One unvaccinated person was pretty sick for about two days.  Other than that we have had very few symptoms.

I'm immunocompromised, double vaxxed with a booster.  I had a sore throat and a headache for two days.  I'm so, so thankful that my symptoms were so mild!!

[Faith-manor]

Michigan averaged 20,000+ cases on Thursday and today. Total was over 40,000.

If I said my frustration was high, I would be making a vast under statement.

[Hilltopmom]

Well, our county has decided that they can’t contact trace anymore, they are not quarantining anyone who was a close contact in schools anymore either. Our numbers this week are the highest they have ever been.

I’m really frustrated and kept my kids home this week- I guess they’re staying home next week too- it’s getting worse, not better.

I’m still working in the Petri dish but not going anywhere else. Eating out of the pantry this week.

A close family member works in the ICU and has worked 12 hour days for the last 9 days straight. He said out of the 12 new patients they got today, likely only one will make it.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Hilltopmom

[Acadie]

Medical Twitter is reporting there's much less pulmonary involvement with Omicron and much less need for ventilators. But at the same time lots of clotting and vascular issues, with hospital admissions for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

I still have huge respect for this virus and think it affects multiple body systems. It's not "just a cold" even when the obvious symptoms suggest that. 

3 hours ago, Spryte said:

Question: are you all seeing that omicron (or, if not omicron, whatever the current circulating strain is) has a different course of illness?

Early on and into last fall, I heard over and over about people with mild illness who took a turn for the worse around Day 10 -14 and suddenly were hospitalized. I’m hearing now that more people are mildly ill and just get better (yay!). I’m not hearing about cases suddenly tanking around Day 10-14, or that that is the day to watch.

So, is the hive seeing illness that just steadily improves, and not the sudden downturn at the later date?

 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Just now, Hilltopmom said:

Well, our county has decided that they can’t contact trace anymore, they are not quarantining anyone who was a close contact in schools anymore either. Our numbers this week are the highest they have ever been.

I’m really frustrated and kept my kids home this week- I guess they’re staying home next week too- it’s getting worse, not better.

I’m still working in the Petri dish but not going anywhere else. Eating out of the pantry this week.

They are still attempting to contact trace here but it’s taking weeks, and by then people would be out of quarantine anyway.  It’s just too many sick people and there’s not even close to enough contact tracers.  We’re over 20% positivity rate and even at the worst in 2020 and 2021, we never went about 6%.

[Ting Tang]

My county population is about 100k, and there were about 1700 new cases this last week. It said our positivity was only around 10%.  For us, that is a lot of cases (it's rural), but I suspect the naysayers never test.  I didn't take my daughter to dance this week---temps are taken, masks required, nobody else allowed in the building but students, etc.  I don't know if I should just put her in class next week. She does wear a KF94 and the class is 45 minutes long with about 10 girls. 

[Sneezyone]

The middle schools in my area are especially hard hit right now. 300+ absences today out of 1300 kids at DSs school so they’re back to virtual for at least five days starting Monday. DD and DH (and probably me and DS too although we never had a positive test b/c we didn’t do PCR) had COVID over Christmas break (got it at the very beginning). Only DD and DS (the only two not boosted) had any symptoms. My dad also got COVID from his stepson over the break. Thank the good lord he was vaxxed!! He ended up going to the hospital and getting MAB treatment and is still sick but on the mend. He’d only had two of the three shots. The docs basically told him the vax probably saved his life.

[KSera]

52 minutes ago, Acadie said:

Medical Twitter is reporting there's much less pulmonary involvement with Omicron and much less need for ventilators. But at the same time lots of clotting and vascular issues, with hospital admissions for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

I still have huge respect for this virus and think it affects multiple body systems. It's not "just a cold" even when the obvious symptoms suggest that. 

 

That's exactly what I'm hearing, which I'm suspecting is because we're following many of the same sources on med Twitter (or just that all the people actually working Covid ICUs are seeing the same thing). I've also been seeing a sad increase in reports of late pregnancy losses in covid patients. I haven't been hearing talk of ground glass opacitities lately and am wondering if that's still happening with omicron. I do still hear that some people are ending up on ventilators, and I'm wondering how many of those have omicron vs delta.

[Spryte]

56 minutes ago, Acadie said:

Medical Twitter is reporting there's much less pulmonary involvement with Omicron and much less need for ventilators. But at the same time lots of clotting and vascular issues, with hospital admissions for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

I still have huge respect for this virus and think it affects multiple body systems. It's not "just a cold" even when the obvious symptoms suggest that. 

 

Clotting and vascular issues are a big deal. 

I’m not in the “it’s just a cold” camp either, and we are staying pretty isolated  (or N95 masked) to avoid it. But I would so like to have a glimmer of hope in this high risk, immune compromised household! I know we can’t avoid it forever.

[Longtime Lurker]

10 hours ago, Kanin said:

Here, the kid can be UNvaccinated and still come to school if they live with a covid-positive person. Aaaaaargh.

Yikes!

8 hours ago, kokotg said:

Kids aren't wearing masks on buses in a lot of districts near me. When the federal mandate was pointed out to them last year they just sort of shrugged and said it didn't apply to school buses. Mandates without enforcement aren't really mandates.

That's terrible. While my school district does not currently have a mask mandate, they do actually enforce all federal, state, and county health department mandates. Currently that is pretty much just the masks on the bus, but they absolutely enforce it. Last year when we had a state mask mandate, that was strictly followed. So that is something, I guess,

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, Sneezyone said:

My dad also got COVID from his stepson over the break. Thank the good lord he was vaxxed!! He ended up going to the hospital and getting MAB treatment and is still sick but on the mend. He’d only had two of the three shots. The docs basically told him the vax probably saved his life.

I'm so sorry to hear that your dad is sick, but I'm glad he was able to get the MAB treatment and that it's working for him. I hope he gets better very soon and doesn't have any residual effects. Thank goodness he was vaccinated!!!

[ktgrok]

Now BIL's girlfriend is sick, but rapid was negative. Can't get a PCR until next wednesday! Assuming she is positive too. 

And Orange County (where Orlando is) is at 36% positivity. I know multiple people who currently have it. 

[Sneezyone]

29 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

I'm so sorry to hear that your dad is sick, but I'm glad he was able to get the MAB treatment and that it's working for him. I hope he gets better very soon and doesn't have any residual effects. Thank goodness he was vaccinated!!!

My dad already has diminished lung capacity so him being as sick as the unvaccinated patient zero in their house who’s 25 years younger is a win. 

[Catwoman]

10 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

My dad already has diminished lung capacity so him being as sick as the unvaccinated patient zero in their house who’s 25 years younger is a win. 

Definitely! You must have been so worried when you found out he had Covid!!!

[Sneezyone]

11 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Definitely! You must have been so worried when you found out he had Covid!!!

Indeed. He hasn’t even drafted a will yet (complicated blended family) so I seized the opportunity to hector him, AGAIN, about that too.

[Spryte]

1 hour ago, Sneezyone said:

Indeed. He hasn’t even drafted a will yet (complicated blended family) so I seized the opportunity to hector him, AGAIN, about that too.

I hope he gets better and better, and fast!

 

[heartlikealion]

My kids were exposed. They are at dad’s right now. I found a place doing testing at convenient times (including weekends) and forwarded the info but apparently the free test is subject to office fees. Kids have no symptoms so as of now they are just staying home and keeping their Walgreens appointments set for next week. 

Saw on Google today that with joint legal custody you still need to be on same page regarding things like vaccines in order to get children vaccinated. Still looking for decent masks for dd (some approved ones look like they fit awful and might be too beak shaped to wear a second mask on top. Too much fabric, too). 

[VickiMNE]

Tested positive today, full vaxxed and bolstered (2 doses of Astro Zeneca + Pfizer booster).  Symptoms are like a cold for the past two days.  No idea how I got it because I've been cautious.  Assumed it might be via hubby who is out much more (work) but he tested negative.  Which seems very unfair.

[Teaching3bears]

12 hours ago, KrisTom said:

Edited January 8, 2022 by Teaching3bears
Mistake

[ktgrok]

7 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

My kids were exposed. They are at dad’s right now. I found a place doing testing at convenient times (including weekends) and forwarded the info but apparently the free test is subject to office fees. Kids have no symptoms so as of now they are just staying home and keeping their Walgreens appointments set for next week. 

Saw on Google today that with joint legal custody you still need to be on same page regarding things like vaccines in order to get children vaccinated. Still looking for decent masks for dd (some approved ones look like they fit awful and might be too beak shaped to wear a second mask on top. Too much fabric, too). 

Can you just order some kids KF94 masks for her? No need to double mask with those and there are many brands that are for kids. Or have you tried them and they don't fit?

[mommyoffive]

16 hours ago, Junie said:

I tried to get a test on Sunday, but I was unable to get one anywhere.

A houseguest of ours who had returned home on Saturday tested positive on Monday.  So I gave up on getting tested.  There are currently 9 people in our house, some with symptoms and some without.  I'm guessing that most or all of us are positive, but our numbers are not in the system.

We are all doing fine here.  One unvaccinated person was pretty sick for about two days.  Other than that we have had very few symptoms.

I'm immunocompromised, double vaxxed with a booster.  I had a sore throat and a headache for two days.  I'm so, so thankful that my symptoms were so mild!!

I am so thankful that your symptoms are mild.  Hoping everyone gets well at your house

[mommyoffive]

Should you swab your throat with an at-home COVID test amid omicron? Why experts say no. (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

8 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

My kids were exposed. They are at dad’s right now. I found a place doing testing at convenient times (including weekends) and forwarded the info but apparently the free test is subject to office fees. Kids have no symptoms so as of now they are just staying home and keeping their Walgreens appointments set for next week. 

Saw on Google today that with joint legal custody you still need to be on same page regarding things like vaccines in order to get children vaccinated. Still looking for decent masks for dd (some approved ones look like they fit awful and might be too beak shaped to wear a second mask on top. Too much fabric, too). 

Did your kids just have covid?  Hoping they stay negative. 

[mommyoffive]

Our Youth are Struggling with Mental Health (substack.com)

Specifically, research found the number of youth going to the ED for suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased from the start of the pandemic and remained higher than 2019. Overall, risk of presenting with suicide-related concerns was 133.5% higher among youth aged 5 to 12 years and 69.4% higher among youth aged 13 to 17 years, compared to 2019. Rates increased throughout the year for girls, specifically.

 

[Ting Tang]

9 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

My kids were exposed. They are at dad’s right now. I found a place doing testing at convenient times (including weekends) and forwarded the info but apparently the free test is subject to office fees. Kids have no symptoms so as of now they are just staying home and keeping their Walgreens appointments set for next week. 

Saw on Google today that with joint legal custody you still need to be on same page regarding things like vaccines in order to get children vaccinated. Still looking for decent masks for dd (some approved ones look like they fit awful and might be too beak shaped to wear a second mask on top. Too much fabric, too). 

Oh no.  😞  I know you were worried. I chickened out of our vax appointment but made new ones where we won't be in a crowd of "walk ins."  I'm still so nervous about it.  My husband and I, married, don't always see eye to eye, well, maybe he just believes things are exaggerated or that there is a profit motive behind the push for vaccines.  It is hard, but I am grateful that he doesn't take the kids to stores or busy places, so we are on the same page there.  I buy KF94 masks on Amazon for th kids and for us.  The kid ones are small and fit my kids well, plus they have the little rubber push thingies to tighten them up.  We buy black ones for ourselves. They are so much more comfortable, I think than cloth.  I don't like the beak shaped ones, either. 

Edited January 8, 2022 by KrisTom

[mommyoffive]

Risk for Newly Diagnosed Diabetes 30 Days After SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Persons Aged 18 years — United States, March 1, 2020–June 28, 2021 | MMWR (cdc.gov)

[mommyoffive]

Hospitalizations skyrocket in kids too young for COVID shots (yahoo.com)

[Junie]

1 hour ago, mommyoffive said:

I am so thankful that your symptoms are mild.  Hoping everyone gets well at your house

Thank you! We're all pretty much back to our normal health.  I'm still feeling some fatigue and brain fog, but those are actually very common for me.  

 

 

[mommyoffive]

This just made me laugh!

[heartlikealion]

4 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Can you just order some kids KF94 masks for her? No need to double mask with those and there are many brands that are for kids. Or have you tried them and they don't fit?

I looked at them and just was nervous about fit based on reviews and customer images. And all the product images look photoshopped lol 

do you have a link of a recommended site? I’ll look back through the thread, too. The ones in my Amazon cart I’m not sure are legit (so many counterfeit ones!). These are the ones I was originally going to order dd: 40 Pack Cartoon Bunny Pattern KF94_Mask Kids Disposable Mask 4-Ply Layer Disposable Face Masks Holiday Kids Mask https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09D3X4B99/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1NJD0KQ1D1J7JA5AY96B?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

They don’t have to be cute but may make getting her to wear them easier! Peer pressure — her classmates don’t mask.  

[Danae]

Welp, the 13 year old just tested positive.  Sore throat and a cough. The 15 year old and I are negative so far and DH is away on his first business trip since January 2020.  
 

The new spike just started here, and since everywhere he’s been has a mask mandate that has been very effective up until now I’m guessing it’s omicron.  

[heartlikealion]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Did your kids just have covid?  Hoping they stay negative. 

Dd had delta months ago and stbx and I disagree on the antibodies protection there. I told him she isn’t really protected. He also had Covid back then but ds never got it. Ds was not fully vaccinated at that time (can’t remember if dad was) but is now. One concern is that omicron attacks a lot of vaccinated people and ds won’t even wear a flipping mask. I had a conversation on the phone with him about it, urging him to mask and he said, “I don’t care” to everything. The concern of long Covid etc. He is just so over masking and his peers don’t mask. 

With dd I have a little more pull. 

No recent Covid just exposure. 
 

 

[Danae]

23 minutes ago, Danae said:

Welp, the 13 year old just tested positive.  Sore throat and a cough. The 15 year old and I are negative so far and DH is away on his first business trip since January 2020.  
 

The new spike just started here, and since everywhere he’s been has a mask mandate that has been very effective up until now I’m guessing it’s omicron.  

He’s isolating in his bedroom.  I’m moderately freaking out.  I’m guessing he’s not going to agree to a video baby monitor or other surveillance system, so he’s just going to have to deal with me texting or yelling down the hall “still alive?” every so often.  

[heartlikealion]

1 minute ago, Danae said:

He’s isolating in his bedroom.  I’m moderately freaking out.  I’m guessing he’s not going to agree to a video baby monitor or other surveillance system, so he’s just going to have to deal with me texting or yelling down the hall “still alive?” every so often.  

The symptoms aren’t supposed to be too bad. Everyone is different but my sister mostly reported sleepiness. 

[Danae]

28 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

The symptoms aren’t supposed to be too bad. Everyone is different but my sister mostly reported sleepiness. 

I know.  It’s just that my baby is sick and I’m not supposed to go in his room? I check to make sure both kids are breathing anytime I wake up in the middle of the night when they’re not sick.

[heartlikealion]

Just now, Danae said:

I know.  It’s just that my baby is sick and I’m not supposed to go in his room? I check to make sure both kids are breathing anytime I wake up in the middle of the night when they’re not sick.

Oh in that case I’d just wear a heavy duty mask. I’d assume you’d want to swing by to bring medicine or food at some point 

[Spryte]

10 minutes ago, Danae said:

I know.  It’s just that my baby is sick and I’m not supposed to go in his room? I check to make sure both kids are breathing anytime I wake up in the middle of the night when they’re not sick.

That would drive me crazy. 

Does he have a phone? Can you FaceTime? Pass silly notes under the door and on his trays of food? Do you have an Amazon Show you could put in his room and drop in in him that way? Zoom and watch TV together? 

DD’s BFF is positive, and they are spending all their time together on the computer. Video call plus crafting, sometimes playing Minecraft, just hanging out. Longest call ever, but BFF is isolated in her room and it’s keeping her spirits up.

I hope it stays mild for him!

[freesia]

14 minutes ago, Danae said:

I know.  It’s just that my baby is sick and I’m not supposed to go in his room? I check to make sure both kids are breathing anytime I wake up in the middle of the night when they’re not sick.

When dh had breakthrough Delta, I wore a Kn95 and went in to take his temp, give him food, meds, etc.