Omicron anecdata?

[KSera]

17 minutes ago, catz said:

Super interesting only 15% are having fevers?  My husband and I just had it and really it would have been super easy not to even test.  Very much like ramped up allergies for me and a typical summer cold for him.  We both rapid tested negative by day 7.  Would have been very easy to miss for us.  We have both been fully vaxxed though not since last fall (6 times?)

Was that your first Covid infection or have you had it before? I’m wondering whether there’s any difference in severity for people who are fully vaccinated but getting it for the first time. Though, I’ve read posts from some absolutely miserable people who are having it for their second third fourth time right now. 

[catz]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

Was that your first Covid infection or have you had it before? I’m wondering whether there’s any difference in severity for people who are fully vaccinated but getting it for the first time. Though, I’ve read posts from some absolutely miserable people who are having it for their second third fourth time right now. 

That was first positive for both of us!  We have definitely been exposed before, my daughter had it at home fall of 22.  Though we isolated her once we knew.  My husband does mostly work at home but we have been living fairly normally the past year (travel, restaurants, shows, etc).  

So yes, I am really curious about that too because it was really like any other virus for us and we were both back to 100% very quickly.  Feeling lucky we were able to avoid for so long and I may push my fall vaccine to the holidays with the exposure which will actually be nice timing!

[Happy2BaMom]

Yikes.

Covid might be to blame for an uptick in rare cancers:  The virus may be making us more susceptible to certain cancers. 

Edited Sunday at 09:29 PM by Happy2BaMom

[KSera]

1 minute ago, Happy2BaMom said:

Yikes.

The virus may be making us more susceptible to certain cancers

Yeah, I honestly don’t understand the endgame of the powers that be that are insisting on a “nothing to see here, everyone just get back to normal” approach with a constantly circulating virus that continues to accumulate more and more damage in people with each infection. This strategy can only work for just so long before the consequences will be disastrous (which of course it already is for a not insignificant millions of people)  

 

[KSera]

On a more optimistic note, here’s a round up of some of the new vaccines in the works. I wish there was more urgency to fund these at the speed of the originals, because having a vaccine that prevented infection even with further mutations would be amazing and what we really really need. A Mini-Surge of Clinical Trials and Advances for People with Immunosuppression (NextGen Covid Vax Update 18)

 

[Happy2BaMom]

1 minute ago, KSera said:

Yeah, I honestly don’t understand the endgame of the powers that be that are insisting on a “nothing to see here, everyone just get back to normal” approach with a constantly circulating virus that continues to accumulate more and more damage in people with each infection. This strategy can only work for just so long before the consequences will be disastrous (which of course it already is for a not insignificant millions of people)  

 

Well, TPTB also aren't concerned that men's sperm counts have dropped by more than 50 percent in less than 40 years. Or concerned that microplastics are being regularly found in testicles, placentas, blood vessels, etc. (I'd link but I'm too damn tired....sources readily available via google). 

We are the only species that *knowingly* acts as the agents of our offspring's demise.

 

[mommyoffive]

https://caitlinrivers.substack.com/p/outbreak-outlook-july-1?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1017072&post_id=146160551&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q2z70&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

[KSera]

A new study on the relationship between activity levels prior to COVID infection and COVID outcomes. 
Habitual physical activity and COVID-19

Conclusion:

Quote

Habitual physical activity reduced odds of hospitalization but not of long covid. Thirty-five percent had not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of physical activity one year after infection, representing a major public health threat.

 

 

[Amoret]

Does anyone know the Y-axis units for this wastewater chart from the CDC? From their "about the data" page, it looks like the data goes through a lot of manipulation (normalized, log-transformed, baseline percentages established, standard deviation calculated, transformed to a linear scale) before it is graphed.

Edited Monday at 02:07 PM by Amoret

[KSera]

3 hours ago, Amoret said:

Does anyone know the Y-axis units for this wastewater chart from the CDC? From their "about the data" page, it looks like the data goes through a lot of manipulation (normalized, log-transformed, baseline percentages established, standard deviation calculated, transformed to a linear scale) before it is graphed.

Yeah, that’s a good question. It’s also not helpful to give a general level of “low” when the very same chart is showing a large portion of the country in “high” territory. 

[kbutton]

For people who mask selectively, how do you handle that decision? We don’t really have the means to justify getting a bunch of CO2 monitors.

We need some flexibility for a young adult living at home while still having some major risks and drawbacks (such as not getting paid when sick). And then, you know, general healthcare risks like being exposed to undiagnosed TB patients…sigh. 

[KSera]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

We don’t really have the means to justify getting a bunch of CO2 monitors.

I don’t know if this is doable, but you can get a decent one for $50. It’s not an Aranet, but it seems they do a reasonable job. 
 

I can’t weigh in on the question itself though, because we can't take the risk of being selective maskers. 

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, kbutton said:

For people who mask selectively, how do you handle that decision? We don’t really have the means to justify getting a bunch of CO2 monitors.

We need some flexibility for a young adult living at home while still having some major risks and drawbacks (such as not getting paid when sick). And then, you know, general healthcare risks like being exposed to undiagnosed TB patients…sigh. 

We selectively mask. I feel like my rules on this eb and flow.  My kids needed time when they were not masked to feel like normal teens. 

We mask more when rates are high.

If we have something important like a trip or audition we will mask more.

Going to doctor visits in cold and flu season we will mask.  Which seems like it is like 6 to 8 months long.  Younger kids mask when they go to a certain class over cold and flu season, based on the amount of people that use the same area.

Mask when we travel by air.  Or on the subway.

Then at lot is comfort too.  We will mask in stores for high rates of COVID or cold or flu season.  Or if we are staying the store for more than a few minutes.  But we don't go to the store all that much.

Audition season we will mask the whole time until the audition starts.  This is a cattle call situation in cold and flu season.  

We definitely will put on a mask if we are anywhere and someone is visibly sick.  Sure some will say it is nothing and maybe it is for all I know, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

Just a lot of random different times.  Not based off lots of things in reality, but I figure it probably does cut down on our exposure somewhat.  Sometimes I just put one on when I am uncomfortable with the amount of people and probably exposure I am getting to lots of different stuff.  

[mommyoffive]

Yay!!

https://peoplescdc.substack.com/p/cdc-recommends-updated-20242025-covid?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1004289&post_id=146178431&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q2z70&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

[KSera]

2 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Yay!!

https://peoplescdc.substack.com/p/cdc-recommends-updated-20242025-covid?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1004289&post_id=146178431&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q2z70&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

That's the first I had read that the calls and emails were instrumental in this decision. (Shocking to me that they had been considering limiting who could get them, based on what we know about how quickly the protection wears off).

[bookbard]

5 hours ago, kbutton said:

For people who mask selectively, how do you handle that decision?

I have mostly stopped masking (except for stuff like public transport, doctors etc). There's no rational reason for it - one day I just stopped. Having said that, I live rural, work in a room with a good air purifier, and am not around loads of people - I rarely go shopping (I'd do online). I feel like the biggest risks are family members so if we have an extended family gathering I tend to hang outdoors. The two times I got covid I got from immediate family members (daughter got it at school, husband from a social gathering). 

 

[kbutton]

3 hours ago, KSera said:

That's the first I had read that the calls and emails were instrumental in this decision. (Shocking to me that they had been considering limiting who could get them, based on what we know about how quickly the protection wears off).

For a virus that’s “just like the flu,” you’d think we’d want as many people to be vaccinated for it as we want vaccinated for the flu!

[Ausmumof3]

9 hours ago, kbutton said:

For people who mask selectively, how do you handle that decision? We don’t really have the means to justify getting a bunch of CO2 monitors.

We need some flexibility for a young adult living at home while still having some major risks and drawbacks (such as not getting paid when sick). And then, you know, general healthcare risks like being exposed to undiagnosed TB patients…sigh. 

I don’t mask if we’re on a visit to someone’s house. I do mask in shops and public areas. I don’t mask outdoors. I mask at work even though I’m only one on one because I work in the library with shared air. I have one online session which I have stopped masking for even though it’s still in the library because everyone thinks I’m nuts already - they will think I’m completely insane if I masked through a zoom session. The unfortunately reality of public health miseducating people about the transmission mode of the virus 😞 I don’t mask at tennis as we stay mostly outdoors and tennis people have been very surprised when they run into us in masks at shops. At work, I have one day at our own rooms and I have recently stopped masking there even though that’s still risky - I’m only seeing four kids but there’s shared air and many more in the rooms. However I have one kid that was super shy and the mask wasn’t helping and it is trickier with literacy to enunciate enough with a mask, especially for the younger kids or kids with speech issues. 

 

Edited yesterday at 03:26 AM by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

I do feel like we’re at the point where the harm of social exclusion due to being the only maskers may be almost equal to the risk from Covid for my kids. But if they were unlucky enough to get the long term health issues I will have been wrong about that. We also all really like not getting sick. Everyone has had about one cold in the last two years. Most of our friends have had many many days off of their various activities, school, Sunday school etc.

[73349]

17 hours ago, kbutton said:

For people who mask selectively, how do you handle that decision?

We mask all the time in indoor public places, but not for occasional family visits. That's a risk because the family we're visiting with doesn't mask anywhere, but it's only about 5 times a year. We are socializing with friends outdoors unmasked. At camp, DS masked indoors except when eating. I default to N95s and make exceptions rather than the other way around.

I might be having an autoimmune disease science talk with a particular family member before next time.

[mommyoffive]

https://thosenerdygirls.substack.com/p/should-i-get-a-covid-booster-now?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=366170&post_id=146175775&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q2z70&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

[mommyoffive]

https://longcovidweekly.substack.com/p/long-covid-weekly-99-lcs-impacting?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=999185&post_id=146187431&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=q2z70&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

[Corraleno]

21 hours ago, kbutton said:

For people who mask selectively, how do you handle that decision?

Factors I take into account include: (1) level of transmission in the area, (2) risk of exposure in the specific environment I'll be in, and (3) what other mitigation measures I'm able to take.

So, for example, right now transmission in my area is extremely low, and it's so hot out that I try to avoid being out and about during the day, so I either order things online or if I have to go to a store myself I try to be there as soon as they open, when it's much less crowded, and I try to get in and out as quickly as possible. So I'm not masking for a 7:30 AM trip to the outdoor garden center at Home Depot, or a 5 minute run into Trader Joe's at 8 AM on a Tuesday. But if for some crazy reason I ended up having to go to Target in the middle of the day on 4th of July or something, I would mask. And I would definitely mask in high-risk places like a doctor's office or airport.

But honestly my risk of exposure through one of my adult kids is vastly higher than via the public, and the one time I've had covid I caught it from DD. Both of my kids have far greater exposure to the public than I do, and they don't mask at all (with the exception that DS masks when flying). So if I'm going to get covid, it will likely be from one of my kids bringing it home. I do have air purifiers in each bedroom, and when/if transmission really kicks up around here, I will be more cautious around my kids, especially if I know they may have been exposed.