Omicron anecdata?

[Terabith]

I have a lot of sympathy for the "Vaxxed and Done" folks, but I'm very concerned about a) people who are not able to be vaccinated (like young children) or people who might not mount a good immune response, and b) the effect of so much illness on hospitals, health care, and general service and supply chains.  I feel like there's a desperate need to flatten the curve right now.  

[mommyoffive]

Hitting close to us here.  Ballet is shut down because multiple kids (and their families) have covid.  There are only 6 kids in the is class and I know of 2 families who have it.  One of my kids had a random runny nose and sneezing day on Sunday afternoon.  She is 100% better today and hardly sick at all yesterday.  Not how a cold normally treats here.  She is vaxxed and hasn't been anywhere or around anyone from outside our house since Christmas Eve.  All though Christmas eve and the day before around lots of professional dancers that had covid unmasked.  We tested her and it was negative.  But of course one of the kids who just came down with it my kids were with on Sunday indoors, dancing, and very close hanging out.  We will see how the week goes.   I kind of just want to get it out of the way so my stress level can go down. 

[rebcoola]

It's starting here our positivity is way up to like 25% and hospitalizations have doubled in a week.  We got a message from civil air patrol that they are going back to virtual only.

[Roadrunner]

What is especially frustrating is prior infection also doesn’t give you much protection. I read today they expect 80% of population in Florida will get Covid in this wave. Two years ago we would have all screamed herd immunity, but now all can say Florida will probably be OK for two months after that.

I personally know two families who had Delta in November and now have another Covid infection. The only reason they tested is international travel requirement. Otherwise they would have not known because symptoms are mild. 

[mommyoffive]

[mommyoffive]

Omicron infections may have peaked, but hospitalizations and deaths will still increase for weeks, models show (msn.com)

[Pam in CT]

I *understand* "vaxxed and done."  It just doesn't strike me as a sustainable in the long haul, and we are, evidently, in for what could be a Very Long Haul.

 

Who's going to go into nursing and teaching?

 

The health risk calculus is totally upended, the stress level has skyrocketed, the complexity of the job has substantially increased, both sectors are being routinely blamed and maligned across wide swaths of America. The safety valve in the nursing sector -- special visas for shortage sectors like foreign nurses -- has been rescinded; and the safety valve in the school sector -- substitute teachers -- has, unsurprisingly under the circumstances, evaporated.

Two years in, those teachers and nurse who could retire, already have. Those who are financially able to take extended time off, are. Those who have other options, are eyeing them. Those who haven't yet reached a breaking point... still do HAVE a breaking point. Everybody has a breaking point.

Who's coming IN to these "essential" sectors to replace those who have, and will, go out?

Because COVID has made those "essential" sectors military-hardship-level difficult and dangerous, and the people in those sectors are not being thanked for their service. They are seeing a whole lot of COVID-related hardship and they are not seeing COVID-related hardship increases in pay... or respect or appreciation. On the contrary they are, in many parts of the country, being maligned and blamed and ABUSED for their service and in some parts of the country actively being threatened, in board of ed and public health sector meetings, with physical harm.

People aren't machines. They are not replaceable by fiat, they cannot be forced into unattractive occupations, they cannot be trained overnight. The way we've treated nurses and teachers over the last two years is not sustainable.

 

I understand the sentiment of "vaxxed and done."

But the virus is not "done" with us.  And the very sectors the "done" demand to serve them -- treat my ailments, teach my kids -- are the the ones whose workers are the most direly affected.

 

 

 

 

 

[kokotg]

1 hour ago, Pam in CT said:

 

 

Who's going to go into nursing and teaching?

 

 

https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-colleges-suspend-education-programs-upcoming-semester/38702156

Here's an article about how they're literally shutting down education programs in Oklahoma because not enough people want to be teachers. I'm sure that's not all covid; it's a lot about how cruddy teaching is in Oklahoma specifically. But the system can't really handle teacher burnout from covid on top of teacher burnout from all the other stuff that was already out there. 

[Roadrunner]

We have long lines to get into nursing school here. It’s so incredibly competitive. You need a perfect GPA in pre requisite classes and then might have to wait in line for couple of years to enter the nursing program. Plenty of people here who want to join the profession and can’t. It was explained to me that local hospital determines how many to accept because of the number of spots they have to train them. We most definitely need a solution here. 
 

I also think we need to let our college graduates with subject knowledge step into classrooms just like they can step into classrooms in private schools without having to get credentials. 

[kokotg]

5 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

 

I also think we need to let our college graduates with subject knowledge step into classrooms just like they can step into classrooms in private schools without having to get credentials. 

My husband went into teaching without a degree in education or a teaching certificate (he had a provisional certificate while he completed requirements). That's already a possibility; needing an education degree isn't what stops people from wanting to be teachers. Or from staying teachers. 

[Roadrunner]

35 minutes ago, kokotg said:

My husband went into teaching without a degree in education or a teaching certificate (he had a provisional certificate while he completed requirements). That's already a possibility; needing an education degree isn't what stops people from wanting to be teachers. Or from staying teachers. 

You need a credential here in CA. My friend with a PHD currently teaching college courses attempted to apply to high school as a science teacher (pay locally is six figures) and the process of getting a credential was too cumbersome, so she gave up. 

[Arcadia]

@Roadrunner

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/palo-alto-parents-urged-to-volunteer-at-schools-to-keep-them-open/amp/

“The Palo Alto Unified School District has asked parents to help at the schools with tasks like administering COVID tests, custodial duties and classroom duties.

PAUSD sent out the request on Sunday night and within 12 hours, 360 parents replied either saying they want to help or they’re interested in helping.

The school district says it wants to do all it can to keep the classrooms open, believing the kids learn better with face-to-face learning. The Santa Clara county health director and also superintendent are both encouraging the district to try their best to keep classrooms open.”

[kokotg]

1 minute ago, Roadrunner said:

You need a credential here in CA. My friend with a PHD currently teaching college courses attempted to apply to high school as a science teacher (pay locally is six figures) and the process of getting a credential was too cumbersome, so she gave up. 

Okay, but here you don't, and it doesn't mean there are plenty of teachers. My husband's currently spending half his planning periods covering for a teacher who quit mid-year. He started off the year with the biggest classes he's ever had because they're so short staffed. And that's in a wealthy suburban high school; situation is much worse in poorer areas. According to this, Georgia teacher salaries are higher than CA when adjusted for cost of living: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-06-01-graph-where-do-us-teacher-salaries-really-go-the-furthest 

And covid-era morale is pretty much in the toilet, so I don't see it getting better any time soon. 

[Roadrunner]

6 minutes ago, kokotg said:

Okay, but here you don't, and it doesn't mean there are plenty of teachers. My husband's currently spending half his planning periods covering for a teacher who quit mid-year. He started off the year with the biggest classes he's ever had because they're so short staffed. And that's in a wealthy suburban high school; situation is much worse in poorer areas. According to this, Georgia teacher salaries are higher than CA when adjusted for cost of living: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-06-01-graph-where-do-us-teacher-salaries-really-go-the-furthest 

And covid-era morale is pretty much in the toilet, so I don't see it getting better any time soon. 

Yikes. I wonder if no mask mandates and general political ramblings made things worse. 
 

here people seem to be mostly on the same page - vaccinated, masked, willing to do anything as Arcadia demonstrated. 
 

I think differences across states and even localities are so vast that national conversation is hard. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Roadrunner

[Roadrunner]

8 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

@Roadrunner

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/palo-alto-parents-urged-to-volunteer-at-schools-to-keep-them-open/amp/

“The Palo Alto Unified School District has asked parents to help at the schools with tasks like administering COVID tests, custodial duties and classroom duties.

PAUSD sent out the request on Sunday night and within 12 hours, 360 parents replied either saying they want to help or they’re interested in helping.

The school district says it wants to do all it can to keep the classrooms open, believing the kids learn better with face-to-face learning. The Santa Clara county health director and also superintendent are both encouraging the district to try their best to keep classrooms open.”

My district would get the same response if they asked. We are lucky. 

[kokotg]

1 minute ago, Roadrunner said:

 

I think differences across states and even localities are so vast than national conversation is hard. 

This has definitely been my observation throughout this whole thing.

[Arcadia]

1 minute ago, Roadrunner said:

My district would get the same response if they asked. We are lucky. 

My kids german school uses a public school building. The school district needs them to do random covid testing every week. They had their first positive case last Saturday in the class for 3-5 years old. 
What I read in the news about PAUSD plan is to combine classes due to teacher shortage and have the parent volunteers be teacher aides so that they can maintain the required adult to student ratio.

[KSera]

15 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

@Roadrunner

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/palo-alto-parents-urged-to-volunteer-at-schools-to-keep-them-open/amp/

“The Palo Alto Unified School District has asked parents to help at the schools with tasks like administering COVID tests, custodial duties and classroom duties.

PAUSD sent out the request on Sunday night and within 12 hours, 360 parents replied either saying they want to help or they’re interested in helping."

 

I can see Palo Alto being able to get plenty of parent help to keep the kids in the classrooms. I expect there are an awful lot of school districts around the country where that just wouldn't/won't be possible, though. If both parents have to work (or there is only one parent in the home), most likely can't take time off to help at school.

Off topic, but I haven't seen OP, @Not_a_Number in a long time. Still on the road?

[Roadrunner]

6 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

My kids german school uses a public school building. The school district needs them to do random covid testing every week. They had their first positive case last Saturday in the class for 3-5 years old. 
What I read in the news about PAUSD plan is to combine classes due to teacher shortage and have the parent volunteers be teacher aides so that they can maintain the required adult to student ratio.

We so far have only three staff/teachers in our high school who have tested positive.any more kids of course are sick. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Roadrunner

[Roadrunner]

What is the latest out of UK? Has omicron peaked there? 

[popmom]

Our state has allocated more than 12 million dollars from the CARES ACT to recruit travel nurses to help alleviate shortages here. The Birmingham Black Nurses Association and the Alabama Nursing Association report that currently COVID isn't the factor leading to nursing shortages--it's the pay. So reallocating millions to recruit travel nurses may compound the problem because travel nurses get paid more for the same job. 

https://www.wbrc.com/2021/08/10/whats-behind-alabamas-nursing-shortage/

"The Birmingham Black Nurses Association and the Alabama State Nurses Association both said there is an ebb and flow to nurses’ availability every few years.

But both agencies said the current shortage of nurses in our state has more to do with pay than COVID.

“Nursing shortage, that’s something that’s reciprocal every three to five years. Sometimes we have nurses moving to research positions, nurses’ advocacy positions, or policy.”"

Our universities here also have very competitive nursing programs that are very difficult to get into. I think that is definitely something that needs to be addressed. Not to lower standards but to get more profs and facilities to handle more nursing students.

[popmom]

37 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

What is the latest out of UK? Has omicron peaked there? 

I believe London has, but not the rest of the country.

[whitestavern]

6 hours ago, ktgrok said:

It was October. 

I think some people who might have fought it off with limited exposure eventually succomb after multiple days of exposure. 

Except for the helping keep our ICUs from being overrun...there is that. 

Are they overrun with Covid?

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/COVID-San-Francisco-staff-shortage-UCSF-16758335.php

 

[Roadrunner]

15 minutes ago, whitestavern said:

Are they overrun with Covid?

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/COVID-San-Francisco-staff-shortage-UCSF-16758335.php

 

Yep. This is basically the situation locally as well. 80% of my county is vaccinated though. 

[KSera]

18 minutes ago, whitestavern said:

Are they overrun with Covid?

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/COVID-San-Francisco-staff-shortage-UCSF-16758335.php

 

Jeanne Noble's quotes sure are getting a lot of press from covid minimizers today. That's one hospital in one of the most highly vaxed cities in the country. If everyone got vaccinated around the country, then no, we would be unlikely to be having a hospital problem right now. But, unfortunately that's not the case. And despite what she says, it does matter when people are incidentally positive for covid (particularly as doctors are reporting having patients who come in with shortness of breath and pulmonary emoblisms who are coded as "incidental" positives). Heck, we have someone here on this very board whose husband had surgery cancelled after he'd already had his IV started today due to bed shortages.

Edited January 12, 2022 by KSera

[TravelingChris]

1 hour ago, popmom said:

Our state has allocated more than 12 million dollars from the CARES ACT to recruit travel nurses to help alleviate shortages here. The Birmingham Black Nurses Association and the Alabama Nursing Association report that currently COVID isn't the factor leading to nursing shortages--it's the pay. So reallocating millions to recruit travel nurses may compound the problem because travel nurses get paid more for the same job. 

https://www.wbrc.com/2021/08/10/whats-behind-alabamas-nursing-shortage/

"The Birmingham Black Nurses Association and the Alabama State Nurses Association both said there is an ebb and flow to nurses’ availability every few years.

But both agencies said the current shortage of nurses in our state has more to do with pay than COVID.

“Nursing shortage, that’s something that’s reciprocal every three to five years. Sometimes we have nurses moving to research positions, nurses’ advocacy positions, or policy.”"

Our universities here also have very competitive nursing programs that are very difficult to get into. I think that is definitely something that needs to be addressed. Not to lower standards but to get more profs and facilities to handle more nursing students.

At the B and B we stayed at over Labor Day weekend, the owner was telling us that her daughter was working as a trauma nurse in an Atlanta area hospital.  They had travel nurses supplementing already.  Then the hospital decided to drop pay for their normal nurses- the ones employed by the hospital- by 10 an hour. She immediately quit, went to work for a travelling nurse company and was making more money than ever before.  But she wouldn't have quit that job if they hadn't dropped the pay.

When I was in the hospital after my surgery the week before Thanksgiving, there was a big nurse and assistant shortage.  We weren't having any COVID issues then - people were just calling out to have a nice day off or a night off.  My care was compromised but fortunately my dh was there and could help me if I really needed anything.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

NYS has basically given up. I’m not surprised; I know people who have gotten called in the last 24 hours about Christmas exposures.  There’s too much and they can’t keep up.  I took a PCR test today and was told if it’s positive(I had a positive rapid yesterday) that I probably wouldn’t hear from the health department for weeks, if at all.  I need quarantine paperwork for my company’s sick leave policy, so I don’t know how that works now.

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/coronavirus/2022/01/11/ny-ending-covid-contact-tracing-amid-hope-omicron-wave-cresting/9171328002/

[Longtime Lurker]

5 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

Who's going to go into nursing and teaching?

I agree that this is a very big issue. However, on a lighter note, when I read this question, I immediately thought, "My DD and her housemates" 🙂 DD started student teaching today and her two housemates are going into nursing. They should not have trouble finding jobs 😏 The funny (not funny) thing is that when this all started I clearly remember thinking, "At least this will be over before DD starts student teaching." And yet here we are.

2 hours ago, KSera said:

Off topic, but I haven't seen OP, @Not_a_Number in a long time. Still on the road?

I was wondering this, too. I have enjoyed her posts so much.

[Roadrunner]

2 hours ago, KSera said:

Jeanne Noble's quotes sure are getting a lot of press from covid minimizers today. That's one hospital in one of the most highly vaxed cities in the country. If everyone got vaccinated around the country, then no, we would be unlikely to be having a hospital problem right now. But, unfortunately that's not the case. And despite what she says, it does matter when people are incidentally positive for covid (particularly as doctors are reporting having patients who come in with shortness of breath and pulmonary emoblisms who are coded as "incidental" positives). Heck, we have someone here on this very board whose husband had surgery cancelled after he'd already had his IV started today due to bed shortages.

Oh yes, this needs to be read in the context of Bay Area that has a very high vaccination rate. This is the reason I keep mentioning my county’s 80% rate. Nobody is claiming the situation is translatable to areas with low vaccination rates. But there is definitely a glimmer of hope in this article that maybe, just maybe those areas with high vaccination rates have managed to turn this virus into something that acts more like cold for the majority. 

[Danae]

Update:  kids are feeling better, still isolating in the back of the house.  I still haven't tested positive, but I am SO TIRED.  It might be just stress and not sleeping well, but I kind of feel like my immune system might be drawing extra energy to fight it off.

 

DH gets home tomorrow, and found out that one of the coworkers he was at the conference with just tested positive.  No unmasked contact, but he's going to quarantine in the basement for a few days and then test again.  I told him he's not allowed to get sick because I don't have the energy for it right now.

[mommyoffive]

4 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

What is the latest out of UK? Has omicron peaked there? 

Model Predicts U.S. Omicron Wave Will Crest by Next Week as U.K. Sees Case Decline (msn.com)

[KSera]

I've been following the story of a (seems young) triple vaxed hospital chaplain who got covid recently and then ended up in the ICU. They are a cancer survivor, which put them in the immunocompromised group. People like this can't/shouldn't just be written off. They look to have turned a corner and have avoided intubation, but it sounds like the experience has been hellish, which makes it even harder to hear the "just a cold" stuff.

Here's their account for anyone interested:

 

[Laura Corin]

10 hours ago, popmom said:

I believe London has, but not the rest of the country.

This is Scotland: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/phs.covid.19/viz/COVID-19DailyDashboard_15960160643010/Overview

[Acadie]

Our pediatrician sends research updates to support their Covid recommendations, and they're now recommending swabbing both saliva and nose for Omicron. In a South African study with Delta, the correlation between PCR and rapid saliva samples was 71%. But with Omicron, the correlation between PCR and rapid saliva samples was 100%.

Given the 3-day lag for a nasal rapid test to turn positive after PCR turns positive, they're recommending families rapid testing at home swab both saliva and nostrils to increase accuracy.  

Saliva and Nasal Swabs May Be the Preferred Testing Format for Identifying Omicron, While Nasal Swabs Continue to Be Best Approach for Detecting Delta:

1. As part of an ongoing study looking at the diagnostic performance of different sampling types, 382 symptomatic South African patients were tested with both PCR and rapid antigen tests (RAT) from August to December 2021 using saliva swabs and not nasal swabs. Click Here.
2. For saliva samples that were positive for the Delta variant, the correlation between PCR and RAT was 71%, similar to the percentage seen with the Beta variant. With samples that were positive for the Omicron variant, the correlation using the saliva test was 100%.
3. This fits with the recent FDA report that suggests that RATs are more sensitive in picking up Delta than Omicron. Click Here. 
4. This is valuable information particularly in light of a small study conducted on 30 individuals in 5 different workplaces who were tested daily with RAT during the Omicron surge. The study showed that it took an average of 3 days for a nasal RAT to turn positive after the PCR turned positive. In 4/30 cases, the virus was transmitted to others before the RAT turned positive. Click Here. If larger studies corroborate these results, it is clear that we have to find a better way to improve the sensitivity of RATs. 
5. Dr. Michael Mina, formerly Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health and now the Chief Medical Officer at eMed, a RAT platform, has long been an advocate for the use of rapid antigen tests. He advocates testing both nose and throat for a rapid antigen test regardless of test instructions. Click Here. While this is not the official FDA position, there are enough mainstream immunologists recommending this approach that it is reasonable for our patients to test both nose and saliva with the same swab when testing with a RAT. PCRs and other molecular tests such as the Abbott ID NOW test performed in our office can be done with nasal swabs alone.

Edited January 12, 2022 by Acadie

[plaidpants]

I don't mean this to minimize anyone's experience, but I am dearly tired of all of this. Nothing seems to do anything useful except living in a self sustaining bubble which clearly isn't possible. Last summer there almost seemed to be an end in sight and now it's like March 2020 all over again. This is almost all some small kids have known. Other people have had their lives on hold for two years. Others have acted like there's nothing going on and have lived their regular lives. The powers that be say to go back to normal but don't get sick, as if that's a thing that can be done. And as worried as I am about the present and short term, the long term concerns me as well.

[mommyoffive]

Schools See Big Drop in Attendance as Students Stay Away, Citing Covid-19 (msn.com)

[heartlikealion]

43 minutes ago, Acadie said:

Our pediatrician sends research updates to support their Covid recommendations, and they're now recommending swabbing both saliva and nose for Omicron. In a South African study with Delta, the correlation between PCR and rapid saliva samples was 71%. But with Omicron, the correlation between PCR and rapid saliva samples was 100%.

Given the 3-day lag for a nasal rapid test to turn positive after PCR turns positive, they're recommending families rapid testing at home swab both saliva and nostrils to increase accuracy.  

Saliva and Nasal Swabs May Be the Preferred Testing Format for Identifying Omicron, While Nasal Swabs Continue to Be Best Approach for Detecting Delta:

1. As part of an ongoing study looking at the diagnostic performance of different sampling types, 382 symptomatic South African patients were tested with both PCR and rapid antigen tests (RAT) from August to December 2021 using saliva swabs and not nasal swabs. Click Here.
2. For saliva samples that were positive for the Delta variant, the correlation between PCR and RAT was 71%, similar to the percentage seen with the Beta variant. With samples that were positive for the Omicron variant, the correlation using the saliva test was 100%.
3. This fits with the recent FDA report that suggests that RATs are more sensitive in picking up Delta than Omicron. Click Here. 
4. This is valuable information particularly in light of a small study conducted on 30 individuals in 5 different workplaces who were tested daily with RAT during the Omicron surge. The study showed that it took an average of 3 days for a nasal RAT to turn positive after the PCR turned positive. In 4/30 cases, the virus was transmitted to others before the RAT turned positive. Click Here. If larger studies corroborate these results, it is clear that we have to find a better way to improve the sensitivity of RATs. 
5. Dr. Michael Mina, formerly Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health and now the Chief Medical Officer at eMed, a RAT platform, has long been an advocate for the use of rapid antigen tests. He advocates testing both nose and throat for a rapid antigen test regardless of test instructions. Click Here. While this is not the official FDA position, there are enough mainstream immunologists recommending this approach that it is reasonable for our patients to test both nose and saliva with the same swab when testing with a RAT. PCRs and other molecular tests such as the Abbott ID NOW test performed in our office can be done with nasal swabs alone.

You get one swab that goes in 2 nostrils. What do they want? Put it in your mouth then each nostril???

[heartlikealion]

16 minutes ago, plaidpants said:

I don't mean this to minimize anyone's experience, but I am dearly tired of all of this. Nothing seems to do anything useful except living in a self sustaining bubble which clearly isn't possible. Last summer there almost seemed to be an end in sight and now it's like March 2020 all over again. This is almost all some small kids have known. Other people have had their lives on hold for two years. Others have acted like there's nothing going on and have lived their regular lives. The powers that be say to go back to normal but don't get sick, as if that's a thing that can be done. And as worried as I am about the present and short term, the long term concerns me as well.

My mindset is perhaps if everyone was wearing a heavy duty mask (sealed well) it would be easier to proceed with daily life as usual. This won’t happen, though. Especially in my county where some people rely on the library for internet, are living in poverty, and certainly aren’t logging online to order masks.  I often feel privileged. 

[cintinative]

34 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

You get one swab that goes in 2 nostrils. What do they want? Put it in your mouth then each nostril???

I think so. 

[Acadie]

40 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

You get one swab that goes in 2 nostrils. What do they want? Put it in your mouth then each nostril???

Yes. Much less gross than the other way around, and it's all connected anyway. 

[Laura Corin]

42 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

You get one swab that goes in 2 nostrils. What do they want? Put it in your mouth then each nostril???

That's what the UK ones instruct.

[Spryte]

1 hour ago, heartlikealion said:

You get one swab that goes in 2 nostrils. What do they want? Put it in your mouth then each nostril???

Are you having an, “Ick!” reaction to that? If so, you’re not alone!

Something about using the same swab really makes me feel “yuck!” I don’t know why, I know they are connected, I know  it’s fine. It’s just an irrational reaction I can’t seem to control. 

 

 

[Acadie]

12 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Are you having an, “Ick!” reaction to that? If so, you’re not alone!

Something about using the same swab really makes me feel “yuck!” I don’t know why, I know they are connected, I know  it’s fine. It’s just an irrational reaction I can’t seem to control. 

 

 

I hear you! We tested dd when she had very mild symptoms on Christmas Eve, and we were just about to get in the car to drive 6 hours to see the grandparents. So the urgent need to get an accurate result overcame the ick. 

I've since done it on myself, and will say there is a very mild taste to the swab that is also a little gross. But given the scarcity and continuing missteps with testing in the US, a weird taste or a little ick is the least of my worries.

I don't have 27 years to wait for the FDA to conduct a thorough review of the data and approve a double swab kit for this purpose!

ETA: I also think there is some risk of exposure at PCR testing sites, so I like that we have a way to get more accurate results at home with no additional exposure, and no risk of exposing anyone outside our household. But there are certainly times when PCR testing is necessary or preferable. 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Acadie

[heartlikealion]

1 hour ago, Acadie said:

Yes. Much less gross than the other way around, and it's all connected anyway. 

Lol. Just checking that it wasn’t they supply a second swab or say put in mouth then just one nostril (imagining it getting very damp). 

So basically we need either new home kits or new instructions for the kind we have. 

[heartlikealion]

30 minutes ago, Acadie said:

I hear you! We tested dd when she had very mild symptoms on Christmas Eve, and we were just about to get in the car to drive 6 hours to see the grandparents. So the urgent need to get an accurate result overcame the ick. 

I've since done it on myself, and will say there is a very mild taste to the swab that is also a little gross. But given the scarcity and continuing missteps with testing in the US, a weird taste or a little ick is the least of my worries.

I don't have 27 years to wait for the FDA to conduct a thorough review of the data and approve a double swab kit for this purpose!

ETA: I also think there is some risk of exposure at PCR testing sites, so I like that we have a way to get more accurate results at home with no additional exposure, and no risk of exposing anyone outside our household. But there are certainly times when PCR testing is necessary or preferable. 

I would be scared to mess it up. Do you swab the back of your throat? Because the only way I can see avoiding the taste is if spitting on it was sufficient lol I don’t think it would be. 

[PinkTulip]

Just wanted to add a bright spot of good news that vaccines can work even against Omicron. My DS22 tested positive last week and came to my small apartment to quarantine. He has stayed in one bedroom most of the time, but I have had plenty of interaction with him bringing him food, etc. We both wear KN95 masks when interacting, and have an air purifier running 24/7, and I am still feeling great. My own PCR came back negative and it has been 5 days since my initial exposure to him. I am fully vaccinated (Pfizer) and boosted (Moderna).  

[ktgrok]

My best friend tested positive today 😞

She has comromised lungs, and when first sick felt like she was being crushed - very hard to breathe, then was more like a sinus infection type thing, and she is 80% better today. 

Her kids likely brought it home - cold like symptoms but no tests available. She only was able to get tested becasue she works for the county Sherrif's department and they had tests. 

[Catwoman]

20 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you for posting these updates for us -- the maps are so helpful to me, and I watch this thread for your posts! 

[ikslo]

14 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

My best friend tested positive today 😞

She has comromised lungs, and when first sick felt like she was being crushed - very hard to breathe, then was more like a sinus infection type thing, and she is 80% better today. 

Her kids likely brought it home - cold like symptoms but no tests available. She only was able to get tested becasue she works for the county Sherrif's department and they had tests. 

Where does she live that she can’t get testing? Or do you mean home tests?

[Faith-manor]

4 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

My best friend tested positive today 😞

She has comromised lungs, and when first sick felt like she was being crushed - very hard to breathe, then was more like a sinus infection type thing, and she is 80% better today. 

Her kids likely brought it home - cold like symptoms but no tests available. She only was able to get tested becasue she works for the county Sherrif's department and they had tests. 

I am so sorry Katie! I hope she comes through without long covid. Hugs 💓

I am really scared of what Michigan's number will be today. I am guessing between 12,000-14,000, and tests are gone. Mom is flying out for France Saturday, and while not ideal, my sister on the Mediterranean in an area with a forced mask mandate, and people being reasonable, lots of outside things to do because it is not too cold like here, is a better place for her to winter over. She had three KN95 that here doctor gave her to take, and this very sweet physician also made sure she has an appointment Thursday for PCR test with an emergency rush on it. She was boostered in November, Moderna. Her doctor honestly thinks that she is so much better off in France, and she bought a travel insurance plan that will cover everything after the first thousand spent. So if she gets sick there, no worries about affording treatment. Sis's physician, a real sweetheart of a doc, says he is ready for her if she needs anything. Except for the airplane ride over, I feel better about her going there than staying here. It is a Delta flight, everyone has to have proof of vax and negative PCR test, and she is going to eat before getting on the plane, and take a smoothie with her to sip from a straw slipped under her mask so she doesn't have to take her mask off. She will ask for orange juice mid flight to again sip with mask on in order to keep her blood sugar up (type 2) and hope for the best. I am feeding her beef vegetable soup, a big salad, and a bunch of cheese right before dropping her at the airport. We will see if this works. If not, sigh, the mask will have to come off. Ugh!

I hope everyone here can stay safe! I am trying to hold out getting omicron until new MAB's that are more effective are available. Trying hard for as long as possible. I don't want to give it another host so it can mutate yet again. But it is getting more and more difficult to do.