Omicron anecdata?

[mommyoffive]

[Jean in Newcastle]

46 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

That map is so deceptive when it comes to Idaho!  Local TV news tells me that Idaho has crisis standards of care in at least three health districts (this was a day ago so it could have gone up even). 

[mommyoffive]

Moderna began a clinical trial testing an Omicron-specific vaccine booster shot in adults (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

Moderna Booster May Wane After 6 Months, Company Says (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

Omicron Could Be the Beginning of the End of the COVID-19 Pandemic (msn.com)

 

Monoclonal antibodies were 'doing nothing' against omicron. That's why FDA pulled its authorization. (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

[mommyoffive]

Omicron subvariant BA.2 raises new questions about puzzling evolution of virus behind COVID-19 | CBC News

 

World’s brightest x-rays reveal COVID-19’s damage to the body (nationalgeographic.com)

[mommyoffive]

Half of children hospitalized with COVID develop headaches, altered mental state (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

Sweden decides against recommending COVID vaccines for kids aged 5-12 | Reuters

[mommyoffive]

T minus how many days until we have Covid.  We tried out a new ballet school, long story as to why we are having to do this.  I was told masks were not required but highly suggested.  Want to guess how many people wore masks besides us???

 

Come on guess

 

 

 

 

 

0

Did you get it right?  

WE don't really have good options in this choice, which sucks.  

[mommyoffive]

Cold weather could impact results of at-home COVID tests, manufacturers warn (kttc.com)

[El...]

38 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Cold weather could impact results of at-home COVID tests, manufacturers warn (kttc.com)

Wow! If that's true, that's really important information! 

[mommyoffive]

49 minutes ago, elroisees said:

Wow! If that's true, that's really important information! 

Right?  I am worried about the ones I got shipped to my house and the free ones that the government is sending now.  

[popmom]

Recap of my testing timeline 

Day 2 of symptoms—negative PCR

Day 5 faint but definite positive on lat flow test

I was feeling better, cough improving, until yesterday. More run down and more sinus issues. (Cough still better though—yay!) Today I’m feeling pretty crummy, so I decided to test again. (Someone had mentioned sinus infections are common following Omicron)

This is day 9. I was a fast and definite positive. Same test. Same time of day. 
 

I have been reading so many contradicting opinions on how long to isolate. More than one “guidance” said, “if you test positive once, don’t test again. You’re just wasting tests.” And symptoms will linger even after you are not contagious, etc. 
 

It was a HCW that told me (before I tested again today) that I probably just have a sinus infection and I’m good to go 5 days after my initial positive test. That’s bs. I found more detailed guidance that isn’t guilting me for taking more tests. I know PCR tests can be positive for weeks and weeks, but I feel like a positive on a rapid test means I’m still able to infect someone. Fortunately, I’m able to isolate as long as needed. 
 

Rapid tests are widely available where I live now. I’ve ordered my free tests, too. 
 

Thoughts? Should I test again in a couple of days? Maybe not if my symptoms go away? 

[Faith-manor]

11 minutes ago, popmom said:

Recap of my testing timeline 

Day 2 of symptoms—negative PCR

Day 5 faint but definite positive on lat flow test

I was feeling better, cough improving, until yesterday. More run down and more sinus issues. (Cough still better though—yay!) Today I’m feeling pretty crummy, so I decided to test again. (Someone had mentioned sinus infections are common following Omicron)

This is day 9. I was a fast and definite positive. Same test. Same time of day. 
 

I have been reading so many contradicting opinions on how long to isolate. More than one “guidance” said, “if you test positive once, don’t test again. You’re just wasting tests.” And symptoms will linger even after you are not contagious, etc. 
 

It was a HCW that told me (before I tested again today) that I probably just have a sinus infection and I’m good to go 5 days after my initial positive test. That’s bs. I found more detailed guidance that isn’t guilting me for taking more tests. I know PCR tests can be positive for weeks and weeks, but I feel like a positive on a rapid test means I’m still able to infect someone. Fortunately, I’m able to isolate as long as needed. 
 

Rapid tests are widely available where I live now. I’ve ordered my free tests, too. 
 

Thoughts? Should I test again in a couple of days? Maybe not if my symptoms go away? 

I don't have any advice! I find it all so confusing. But I wanted to say I am sorry you are a dealing with this. Damn virus!

[popmom]

2 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I don't have any advice! I find it all so confusing. But I wanted to say I am sorry you are a dealing with this. Damn virus!

Thank you! I’m very thankful for my “mild” symptoms. I’m really okay—just a bit stir crazy. And I will NOT contribute to the spread of this damn virus. 

[lewelma]

NZ has proof of a 15 day incubation for omicron. A traveller came down with omicron 15 days after arrival, and the genome testing shows that their version is not related to any that have been in the country, so it must have been caught overseas. 

[Ausmumof3]

38 minutes ago, lewelma said:

NZ has proof of a 15 day incubation for omicron. A traveller came down with omicron 15 days after arrival, and the genome testing shows that their version is not related to any that have been in the country, so it must have been caught overseas. 

Eek

That is making me feel less good about us being out of quarantine so soon. 

[popmom]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

T minus how many days until we have Covid.  We tried out a new ballet school, long story as to why we are having to do this.  I was told masks were not required but highly suggested.  Want to guess how many people wore masks besides us???

 

Come on guess

 

 

 

 

 

0

Did you get it right?  

WE don't really have good options in this choice, which sucks.  

If y’all have really good masks and are able to social distance and you’re vaccinated, I’d say based on my personal experience, it’s far from guaranteed that you’ll catch it. I’ve had 3 adult children come into my house only to become symptomatic and test positive after spending lots of face to face time with me, and it took 3 full weeks of that before I caught it. Dh and youngest dd have not caught it still! —unless they were asymptomatic. And we weren’t being particularly careful even after testing positive. The sick person “lives” in the basement bedroom, but we haven’t been super strict about it. 
 

I can’t remember the ages of your children or if anyone of you is at increased risk of severe illness, so my apologies if that’s the case because it definitely adds to the stress. I’m certainly not making light of the situation because it’s terrible to be put in that situation. 

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by popmom

[KSera]

1 hour ago, popmom said:

Thoughts? Should I test again in a couple of days? Maybe not if my symptoms go away? 

I agree with your assessment that a positive on a rapid means very likely infectious. If your symptoms go away, seems you could just wait several more days and consider it done. But if you still had symptoms, I would retest in several days. Or I might just figure I'm contagious until my upper respiratory symptoms were gone. I wouldn't want to go out with those right now anyway.

18 minutes ago, popmom said:

If y’all have really good masks and are able to social distance and you’re vaccinated, I’d say based on my personal experience, it’s far from guaranteed that you’ll catch it. I’ve had 3 adult children come into my house only to become symptomatic and test positive after spending lots of face to face time with me, and it took 3 full weeks of that before I caught it. Dh and youngest dd have not caught it still! —unless they were asymptomatic. And we weren’t being particularly careful even after testing positive. The sick person “lives” in the basement bedroom, but we haven’t been super strict about it. 
 

I can’t remember the ages of your children or if anyone of you is at increased risk of severe illness, so my apologies if that’s the case because it definitely adds to the stress.

 

Not to be a downer, but the fact that it's dance class probably changes that calculus significantly. Infection risk goes up a lot where people are exercising. I've read 10-20X increased risk during exercise compared to at rest (due to much higher volume of air moved in and out of the lungs over time)

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by KSera
typo

[popmom]

1 minute ago, KSera said:

I agree with your assessment that a positive on a rapid means very likely infectious. If your symptoms go away, seems you could just wait several more days and consider it done. But if you still had symptoms, I would retest in several days. Or I might just figure I'm contagious until my upper respiratory symptoms were gone. I wouldn't want to go out with those right now anyway.

Not to be a downer, but the fact that it's dance class probably changes that calculus significantly. Infection risk goes up a lot where people are exercising. I've read 10-20X increased risk during exercise compared to at rest (due to much higher volume of air moved in and out of the lungs over time)

 

Good point about the exercise. 

[heartlikealion]

I work at a magazine and have been delivering to the schools. I went to a few schools today and noticed not all school employees are even wearing them. I also saw a parent checking their child out of school not wearing one. I was shocked. I thought at least with omicron they would be back to masking if they had paused. I saw some kids outside (mix of masked vs unmasked) but don’t know the classroom rules. 

A few weeks ago my kids had to stay home briefly for exposure but never tested positive from that, thank goodness. 

[Laura Corin]

We still have a mask mandate in shops here.  I've noticed that more people are wearing medical-type masks including a high proportion of FFP2 or equivalent  - from the look. The message about increased transmissability seems to have been received.

My part of the county - small sample- was showing yesterday over 1000 people per 100,000 testing positive over the previous seven days. This excludes people who rapid tested and didn't bother to report.

[Faith-manor]

I have to tale my mother in law to the doctor on Monday. This practice was.closed foe two weeks and had to reschedule everyone due to the doctor getting covid. On the day of the appointment, it will be 16 days since the doctor tested positive. According to the receptionist, the doctor has not had symptoms in over a week, and did a 14 day quarantine out of an abundance of caution. But this New Zealand case makes me very nervous because I feel like it means the staff could still come down with it from exposure to him. Sigh. She is wearing an N95 at her appointments so I am just going to try not to think about it. Dh's brother's youngest child is getting married Dec. 2022, and she desperately wants to live and be in stable enough shape to attend his wedding. This is her one last heart's desire! But if she gets covid, I think it is all over but planning the funeral. And this appointment is a catch 22 situation because with her kidneys and PAD, she isn't going to make it to December without close monitoring. Canceling or rescheduling again is not an option. She is already a month overdue on kidney check because it is hard enough to get in with specialists here without this freaking virus interfering with everything.

At least I convinced them that she is absolutely NOT sitting in their waiting room. When they are ready for her, they are to text me, and I will walk her in and turn her over to the nurse, then scoot back out to the car. The practice is in a hospital so unless a patient is a minor or obviously incompetent and dependent on their caregiver, they do not let any family members stay with the patient which is standard with covid so bad in Michigan, but not a good situation for my mother in law who is easily confused. 

Weary of the whole, stupid thing.

I have made the determination though that if we reach December 2022 and are still in an epic covid mess, I am donning N95 and getting on the train and taking my mil to her grandson's wedding. If we look like idiots sitting there as the likely only masked people in the room, so be it. It will be a miracle to get her that far, and if I can make it happen for her, I am damn well going to do it. I would not be surprised if she kind of gives up after that and passes away. She really doesn't want to fight anymore except that she wants to go to his wedding. 

[Spryte]

@popmom I hope you are completely well soon! Your timeline is much like my mother’s, it’s interesting. My mom and her roommate first had symptoms on Jan 3. My mother tested positive on the 13th, and the roommate sometime after that (probably at the next twice weekly mandatory testing date, 4 days later). 

[Faith-manor]

Very good news! The 16 year old from my neighborhood who was expected to die of omicron has actually stabilized and is improving! Fingers crossed! I know this had happened many a time with covid patients only to have them die a few weeks later. And also the five year old boy is being released from the hospital. I am so relieved for him. Daddy says he has some trauma because at one point he was in a hospital out of state, and they were not allowed to be with him. They are a fundie "mental health is a get right with god" kind of family so I did not expect him to get any help for his son. He was telling me about it when I was walking Lewis this morning, and I suggested that he really consider getting a child trauma therapist for his little boy just as soon as he is physically strong enough to see one. He actually asked me if I knew of a therapist in the area!!! I put my calm professional face on and told him where he could find help, but inside I was just about bowled away! I was not expecting that. Typical....big, ignorant opinions about everyone else's problems until it suddenly touches his own life and then, hmmmm, the experts are needed. At any rate, for the sake of that precious little boy, I was not about to get snarky with his dad even if those beliefs make my skin crawl. If the man is willing to get help for his kid, I was ON BOARD with support!

It was very nice to actually have good news to report here today.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Faith-manor

[mommyoffive]

8 hours ago, KSera said:

I agree with your assessment that a positive on a rapid means very likely infectious. If your symptoms go away, seems you could just wait several more days and consider it done. But if you still had symptoms, I would retest in several days. Or I might just figure I'm contagious until my upper respiratory symptoms were gone. I wouldn't want to go out with those right now anyway.

Not to be a downer, but the fact that it's dance class probably changes that calculus significantly. Infection risk goes up a lot where people are exercising. I've read 10-20X increased risk during exercise compared to at rest (due to much higher volume of air moved in and out of the lungs over time)

 

Yeah and I know that.  It sucks.  The studio where they were taking classes is in a mask mandate county.  This place isn't.   I am sitting there last night just trying to figure out how the kids and families could be not masking at all right now.  Have they all had it and are just fine with the risk now even if they get it again?  I know if we stay there we will have Covid in a heartbeat.  It was so stressful for myself and my kids.   I don't want to be in the situation, but for so many reasons we are.  This place would be really good for them, so there is that.  As much as we have avoided Covid to our knowledge thus far, it doesn't seem like we will be able to do that going forward.  Even by being at the mask mandated school which every week has a person come down with Covid and that is with TINY classes.  And not just that but dh has to travel for work and go to huge shows.  Of course, I am not happy about that either. 

[mommyoffive]

No Omicron immunity without booster, study finds – Harvard Gazette

[teachermom2834]

@mommyoffivenot that this will make you feel better regarding masks and dancing but my dd who is 13 came home from dance one evening with some congestion. I gave her a test the next day and it turned bright positive immediately. She stayed home from dance a week and when she went back she found many of the girls she was in class with that first night were out with covid. They are all masked and most are vaxxed and boosted. Most have already had covid once as well. 
 

Now, my dd could also have picked it up one other place we went other than dance but I feel it highly likely she spread it to several in her class as she was likely highly infectious that night she was there before she showed symptoms and I tested her. 
 

These kids are pretty conscientious about masking and vaxxing and staying home when they do get sick and they are still passing it around. Not good news, of course, but if the only reason you would leave that studio is the lack of masks maybe that isn’t the deal breaker. ??? 
 

I don’t have any good answers. These kids are trying to keep themselves and each other as reasonably healthy as they can for auditions so they are being careful and they are being honest when they get sick. But they are continuing to dance. They have all had very mild illness when infected. 

[cintinative]

14 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

No Omicron immunity without booster, study finds – Harvard Gazette

Anecdotally, I am seeing that people who are not boosted aren't doing as well, so that sort of makes sense. I will have to read the article to find out more.

[BeachGal]

13 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Anecdotally, I am seeing that people who are not boosted aren't doing as well, so that sort of makes sense. I will have to read the article to find out more.

My husband and I are not boostered and got (likely) omicron at the beginning of January. We went in to our MD and got a 4-pass blood ozone treatment on day 2 and started improving quickly. We were only charged for a 1-pass, too. $140. No symptoms now and we feel great.

[vonfirmath]

20 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Anecdotally, I am seeing that people who are not boosted aren't doing as well, so that sort of makes sense. I will have to read the article to find out more.

Anecdotally, My parents are getting over covid. Vaccinated. Not boosted. Older (age 76) -- Doing much better than expected (IE it was just like a cold. My mom felt tired for 2-3 days. My dad felt tired for 1. Then they started going stir crazy being cooped up in the house)

 

ETA: They have been taking extra Vitamin D3 since the beginning of the pandemic when I urged them to start.

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by vonfirmath

[bolt.]

Just to update my data: I previously posted that I tested positive at the beginning of January, and self-isolated in my basement with mild symptoms for 10 days.

When I ended my self-isolation I considered myself 'asymptomatic' and pretty much over it, just some lingering fatigue and headache.

Since then, I really haven't kicked the headache or the fatigue. I'm taking "Advil Cold and Sinus" medicine about every 6 to 8 hours -- all day, every day. With that to control the headache, I find that I have about 3/4 of a day of energy. It's challenging to make supper when I'm dead tired in the early evening. I often go to bed around 7 or 8pm.

I think my immune system is just shot.

Or that's what I'm telling myself: that I'm going to slowly get back to my usual energy levels. (But I am fighting off the worry that I've got 'long covid' and this is my new normal.)

[Corraleno]

14 hours ago, vonfirmath said:

They have been taking extra Vitamin D3 since the beginning of the pandemic when I urged them to start.

I don't understand why there aren't lots of really good, large studies on this — there's no reason that hospitals couldn't be testing D levels on every person who comes in for covid. There have been lots of small studies and anecdotal data showing a correlation there, and supplementing with D would be a super easy, cheap recommendation that even antivaxxers would be onboard with. 

There was a MedCram lecture a few days ago that discussed a case of long covid in an 11 yr old girl three months after the initial infection. They did a ton of tests and scans, all of which came back normal except she had extremely low Vit D and they found the virus in the cells of her intestine. We know that Vit D is critical for gut health and immunity:

"Vitamin D and its nuclear receptor (VDR) regulate intestinal barrier integrity, and control innate and adaptive immunity in the gut. Metabolites from the gut microbiota may also regulate expression of VDR, while vitamin D may influence the gut microbiota and exert anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7322162/

Edited January 29, 2022 by Corraleno

[vonfirmath]

27 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

I don't understand why there aren't lots of really good, large studies on this — there's no reason that hospitals couldn't be testing D levels on every person who comes in for covid. There have been lots of small studies and anecdotal data showing a correlation there, and supplementing with D would be a super easy, cheap recommendation that even antivaxxers would be onboard with. 

There was a MedCram lecture a few days ago that discussed a case of long covid in an 11 yr old girl three months after the initial infection. They did a ton of tests and scans, all of which came back normal except she had extremely low Vit D and they found the virus in the cells of her intestine. We know that Vit D is critical for gut health and immunity:

"Vitamin D and its nuclear receptor (VDR) regulate intestinal barrier integrity, and control innate and adaptive immunity in the gut. Metabolites from the gut microbiota may also regulate expression of VDR, while vitamin D may influence the gut microbiota and exert anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7322162/

I haven't even had a cold since I got my Vitamin D levels over 50.

A Facebook friend of mine wrote an article exploring all the stuff on Vitamin D3 out there, etc. with a couple of other doctors and had her article accepted to be published -- and then pulled before it actually made it into the publication -- about a year ago?

 

HEre's a more recent talk about it. https://www.gruffdavies.com/post/darkhorse-sees-the-light-vitamin-d-and-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR0E8o7fqEtyH3chxZDqVvuKHMbtzYXO7TjEX9rHTTShYyOgi_C-V0latzE

Edited January 28, 2022 by vonfirmath

[wathe]

Tangentially regarding vitamin D (not specific to Covid)

A large prospective study on Vitamin D supplementation and all-cause mortality in older people (age 60+) was just published in Lancet.  

Supplementation did not reduce mortality.

So far I've just seen the abstract, but it seems like a solid study.

ETA:  the vitamin D evidence is far from clear.  We know that low D levels are associated with poor health.  We know that supplementation can increase levels.  But I don't think that it has been shown that supplementation changes outcomes (with the exception of Vit D specific diseases like ricketts, and I'm not up to date on osteoporosis, but I think there might be data to support that too)

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by wathe

[wathe]

Adding:  D supplementation is cheap and easy and harmless for most people.  And it makes good sense to supplement in northern climates, I think.

[Matryoshka]

9 minutes ago, wathe said:

Tangentially regarding vitamin D (not specific to Covid)

A large prospective study on Vitamin D supplementation and all-cause mortality in older people (age 60+) was just published in Lancet.  

Supplementation did not reduce mortality.

So far I've just seen the abstract, but it seems like a solid study.

Meanwhile, just read another study saying vitamin D supplementation in older people can significantly decrease autoimmune illnesses (22%, that's not small) vs those with low levels.  Maybe the takeaway is to actually screen people and figure out who needs supplementation,  as well as followup to make sure supplementation is working (like, do you need to add K?). 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Matryoshka

[wathe]

21 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Meanwhile, just read another study saying vitamin D supplementation in older people can significantly decrease autoimmune illnesses (22%, that's not small) vs those with low levels.  Maybe the takeaway is to actually screen people and figure out who needs supplementation,  as well as followup to make sure supplementation is working (like, do you need to add K?). 

This is interesting.   Direct link to study.

It looks like they weren't targeting a particular D level, but were testing a fixed supplementation  regimen in a generally healthy population (those with those with cardiovascular disease and other serious illness were excluded)

I note that the relative risk reduction of 22% looks impressive, but the absolute risk reduction in this study is a fraction of a percent (autoimmune disease in control 123 vs 155 in treatment group, with a sample size greater than 12 000 in each group. I calculate an NNT of about 400. Of course small does not mean that it's not important.

Canada does recommend broad vitamin D supplementation, which makes sense, I think (cheap, easy, almost always harmless).  And I do think that vitamin D is important.  

I think that broad based screening programs would require a much higher burden of evidence (showing that titrating specific levels makes a greater difference in outcomes on a population level than does general supplementation without screening). Screening programs are expensive and resource intensive.  I don't think that the evidence is there yet.

 

 

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, wathe said:

Adding:  D supplementation is cheap and easy and harmless for most people.  And it makes good sense to supplement in northern climates, I think.

Yes. We take vitamin D all year. Scotland is just further north than one thinks. It's the only supplement we take. 

[Matryoshka]

7 minutes ago, wathe said:

I think that broad based screening programs would require a much higher burden of evidence (showing that titrating specific levels makes a greater difference in outcomes on a population level than does general supplementation without screening). Screening programs are expensive and resource intensive.  I don't think that the evidence is there yet.

Would it really be that hard or onerous to add Vit D to the yearly things they give you a blood test for at your physical?  You're already there and getting the blood drawn - no additional resources would be needed.  Seems like with how widespread vit D deficiency is in the modern sedentary indoor population, and how bad for you being deficient is, it's something we should be checking for.  Yet I know I had to pay out of pocket to figure out my level.  While a low level of supplementation is generally harmless, to bring levels up from deficient often need to be much higher doses, and since vitD is fat soluble, that is not necessarliy harmless if you overshoot the mark.

[wathe]

31 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

Would it really be that hard or onerous to add Vit D to the yearly things they give you a blood test for at your physical?  You're already there and getting the blood drawn - no additional resources would be needed.  Seems like with how widespread vit D deficiency is in the modern sedentary indoor population, and how bad for you being deficient is, it's something we should be checking for.  Yet I know I had to pay out of pocket to figure out my level.  While a low level of supplementation is generally harmless, to bring levels up from deficient often need to be much higher doses, and since vitD is fat soluble, that is not necessarliy harmless if you overshoot the mark.

 

It would I think.

The cost of the test themselves, plus the cost of follow up systems and labor.

We are in different medical cultures.

Annual physicals aren’t a thing here. We have periodic health exams which are not necessarily every year, and do not necessarily always involve blood work.

I don’t have time to link guidelines right now, but periodic health exams here are I think much less test hubby than they are in the states.

[wathe]

 Adding: there is a strong evidence based medicine culture in primary care here. I think some of this is driven by having a single payer, Socialized medicine system.

[Matryoshka]

Just now, wathe said:

It would I think.

The cost of the test themselves, plus the cost of follow up systems and labor.

We are in different medical cultures.

Annual physicals aren’t a thing here. We have periodic health exams which are not necessarily every year, and do not necessarily always involve blood work.

I don’t have time to link guidelines right now, but periodic health exams here are I think much less test hubby than they are in the states.

Yeah, my physical already includes a blood draw, usually CBC / cholesterol, and I think when you get older they add A1C.  Adding vit D is just the doctor checking another box on the list.  Except the insurance company wouldn't pay for that one test - they say they only pay if you have a previously low test.  But how do you know if it's low if you never test?  Mine was just in the normal range after supplementing with 4000 iu for over a year - I wanted to make sure it hadn't gotten too high.  The doc was sure it would be overly high.  Nope.  Just barely in normal range, still below what most people I've heard would consider optimal. 

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, wathe said:

Tangentially regarding vitamin D (not specific to Covid)

A large prospective study on Vitamin D supplementation and all-cause mortality in older people (age 60+) was just published in Lancet.  

Supplementation did not reduce mortality.

So far I've just seen the abstract, but it seems like a solid study.

ETA:  the vitamin D evidence is far from clear.  We know that low D levels are associated with poor health.  We know that supplementation can increase levels.  But I don't think that it has been shown that supplementation changes outcomes (with the exception of Vit D specific diseases like ricketts, and I'm not up to date on osteoporosis, but I think there might be data to support that too)

 

In that Australian study, 51% of deaths were from cancer, which is not something I think anyone has suggested that a few years of low-level Vitamin D supplementation could prevent, especially in elderly people who likely already had precancerous issues brewing before supplementation began (e.g. nearly half the participants had a history of smoking). Of the remaining deaths, 21% were from cardiovascular disease and the rest were from a wide variety of causes including accidents, surgical complications, musculoskeletal diseases, chromosomal abnormalities, nervous system disorders, mental and behavioral health disorders, etc. There were only 7 deaths listed as  "infectious and parasitic diseases."

In addition, the mean Vit D level in the placebo group was 31 ng/mL, which is not even considered insufficient, let alone deficient, and the mean in the treatment group was 46 ng/mL, which is above sufficient but still below optimal. For comparison, nearly 3/4 of Americans have Vitamin D levels below the mean in the placebo group in that study — 72% overall, and 97% for African Americans. And 42% are below 20 ng/mL (82% for American Americans). 

The study says nothing about the effect of Vitamin D supplementation on immunity in people whose levels are insufficient to begin with (i.e. the vast majority of Americans), especially with regard to susceptibility to infectious diseases. It's irrelevant to the question of whether people with insufficient D levels are more likely to be hospitalized, die, or develop long-term complications from covid.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Corraleno

[mommyoffive]

New questions about whether kids should wear masks : NPR

[mommyoffive]

Research from Malawi suggests Africa may have reached the pandemic's holy grail : Goats and Soda : NPR

[mommyoffive]

[mommyoffive]

Merck's COVID-19 pill active against Omicron in lab studies | Reuters

[freesia]

5 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

It looks like 75 per 100,00 is the threshold to pass down to red. Maine has been bumping up and down around 75. Their line is not the straight up and down of other states. It’s interesting. There are some states like NJ and NY that are close to turning red. Yay!

Did Idaho just decide they were no longer reporting?