Omicron anecdata?

[KSera]

1 hour ago, TCB said:

Some of the people I work with have had 3 infections, and just about everyone else has had at least one

I’ve been noticing just lately a lot of people having their third round right now. We were just talking (by phone) to someone we know the other day who was recovering from round 3, and she was surprised/confused to hear we are still taking Covid precautions, not eating in restaurants, etc. She was expressing this shock while actively sick with Covid, but clearly saw no irony there whatsoever 🤷‍♀️. 

[wathe]

1 hour ago, TCB said:

I work in an ICU and I would like us to wear masks for the foreseeable future as it is at least something we can do to protect the patients. I’ve seen figures showing a 30% increase in mortality for someone with a hip fracture who catches Covid while in hospital, and also worse outcomes for trauma patients who coincidentally are infected with Covid. 
Most of the people I work with are quite careful to wear masks in the patient rooms, which is the rule at the moment, but some are not. I’ve discussed the above mentioned increased risks with some of them but it does not seem to change what they do. I find it really hard to understand and it’s hard to see. Puts me off working more hours as I find it upsetting. I try to safeguard my allocated patients as much as possible by asking anyone coming in their rooms to mask up properly. I’m sure I’m not very popular with some people because of that.

Coincidentally I don’t think I’ve had Covid yet myself. I wear a mask everywhere at work and don’t eat in the break room. I’ve also had 2 booster vaccinations, including the bivalent. Some of the people I work with have had 3 infections, and just about everyone else has had at least one, so I am probably on borrowed time as far as that goes.

All of this.  I am also diligent with n95, avoid the break room, and haven't had covid yet.

In my hospital, masks are still required everywhere, except when alone in a private office, or when eating/drinking in a designated break space.  There are staff who pull their masks down at the desk; this annoys me.

I will mask at work for the rest of my career, I think.

Regarding non-compliance:  It's a bit like handwashing.  I don't think we will ever have perfect compliance with that either.  It's human nature to take short-cuts, especially when working under tremendous stress in really quite terrible conditions.

[mommyoffive]

Moderna says Covid vaccines will remain available at no cost (statnews.com)

[mommyoffive]

Early Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients Left Wondering: When’s the Next Booster Shot? (msn.com)

 

COVID infection protects against reinfection for 10 months: Study (wisn.com)

[TexasProud]

8 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

 

COVID infection protects against reinfection for 10 months: Study (wisn.com)

 

That matches my real life experience.  On our mission trip last summer, despite all of the very strong mask protocols we instituted and the fact that all were vaccinated and many boosted, 12 out of the 22 got Covid.  The ones that didn't had a Covid infection from Jan - July, even when in very, very close proximity/rooming without a mask with people that had it. If you had the infection withing the last 8 months, you didn't come down with it.  Everyone else did. 

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, TexasProud said:

 

That matches my real life experience.  On our mission trip last summer, despite all of the very strong mask protocols we instituted and the fact that all were vaccinated and many boosted, 12 out of the 22 got Covid.  The ones that didn't had a Covid infection from Jan - July, even when in very, very close proximity/rooming without a mask with people that had it. If you had the infection withing the last 8 months, you didn't come down with it.  Everyone else did. 

Thanks for posting your experience.  I was hoping people would pipe in on if that has been what they have seen in their circles too

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

I’m googling but does anyone know what the current time of exposure to infection is? My work partner just called me that he tested positive for Covid—and we worked together from 0800 yesterday to 0800 today in tight quarters. We mask with patients but not around each other, so I’m sure I was heavily exposed. He developed symptoms around noon today and tested.

I am supposed to have my nephew this week as well as work a 24 tomorrow.  Since I’m vaccinated I can’t stay home from work and isolate as that’s no longer a thing, but my sister and I are trying to decide what to do.  Nephew is on winter break and the other choice is to be home unsupervised while my sister works, which isn’t great, but don’t want to get him sick either.  There is no way to isolate in my small ranch one bathroom open floor plan home, especially when DH is work a 24 on, 24 off, 48 hours on, 24 off, 24 on shift schedule this week and it’s me and the kids.

Ugh. I tried to get the booster a month ago too, and my doctor’s office was out of it.

[KSera]

1 hour ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I’m googling but does anyone know what the current time of exposure to infection is? My work partner just called me that he tested positive for Covid—and we worked together from 0800 yesterday to 0800 today in tight quarters. We mask with patients but not around each other, so I’m sure I was heavily exposed. He developed symptoms around noon today and tested.

I am supposed to have my nephew this week as well as work a 24 tomorrow.  Since I’m vaccinated I can’t stay home from work and isolate as that’s no longer a thing, but my sister and I are trying to decide what to do.  Nephew is on winter break and the other choice is to be home unsupervised while my sister works, which isn’t great, but don’t want to get him sick either.  There is no way to isolate in my small ranch one bathroom open floor plan home, especially when DH is work a 24 on, 24 off, 48 hours on, 24 off, 24 on shift schedule this week and it’s me and the kids.

Ugh. I tried to get the booster a month ago too, and my doctor’s office was out of it.

I can’t find anything for XBB 1.5, but overall it has been tending to get shorter and shorter. The early omicron variants it was about three days on average (but could be as short as 1 day), and BA5 was found to average 2.6 days in Japan. 
 

I hope your immunity is really strong right now and you stay healthy!

[Corraleno]

4 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I’m googling but does anyone know what the current time of exposure to infection is? My work partner just called me that he tested positive for Covid—and we worked together from 0800 yesterday to 0800 today in tight quarters. We mask with patients but not around each other, so I’m sure I was heavily exposed. He developed symptoms around noon today and tested.

I am supposed to have my nephew this week as well as work a 24 tomorrow.  Since I’m vaccinated I can’t stay home from work and isolate as that’s no longer a thing, but my sister and I are trying to decide what to do.  Nephew is on winter break and the other choice is to be home unsupervised while my sister works, which isn’t great, but don’t want to get him sick either.  There is no way to isolate in my small ranch one bathroom open floor plan home, especially when DH is work a 24 on, 24 off, 48 hours on, 24 off, 24 on shift schedule this week and it’s me and the kids.

Ugh. I tried to get the booster a month ago too, and my doctor’s office was out of it.

This is our experience from a couple of weeks ago (so likely the most current BQ or XBB variants): My DD had the first very mild symptoms (runny nose) on a Monday, we were in the car together (unmasked) for an hour on Tuesday, then spent another hour or so in close proximity on Wednesday. She tested positive on Thursday and I tested positive Friday morning, so less than 24 hours after she did. We both did the throat + nose swab variation with Binax tests and got very clear positives on the first try.

ETA: DD texted her boyfriend as soon as she tested positive, and he tested positive the same day, although he did not have symptoms. He has had covid before. This was the first infection for DD and I, although we are both fully vaxxed, including boosters.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Corraleno

[Melissa Louise]

I had the exact same symptoms last week as family members who tested + earlier in the year, but none of my RATs came up + at any time.  I wish I knew whether I'd had it or not - I'm erring on the side of not.

I am pro-mask and have been masking pretty religiously for three years now, but I have lost the will to resume masking after a long summer break where I hardly masked at all.

It is stinking hot, and humid, and work is physically demanding atm, and no-one else at school masks at all. Even the few kids who did last year came back without masks. 

I know I'm going to regret it, but I just can't face day upon day of masking. It's completely illogical to risk all the effects of Covid, but something in me has reached the limits of discomfort, and standing alone. I reckon three years was pretty good going. I guess I have just been gradually socialized to behave the same way 99.9% of people here are behaving, which is as if Covid is gone/doesn't matter.

 

[Malory]

10 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Thanks for posting your experience.  I was hoping people would pipe in on if that has been what they have seen in their circles too

My family's experiences with covid seem to match this part of the article linked above: 

The researchers found that people who got sick with any pre-omicron version of the coronavirus, though, had substantially reduced protection against infection from the BA.1 subvariant of omicron: only 36% at 10 months after infection.

Everyone who was unvaxxed got Alpha/Delta, and seven months later all except one person got infected with BA.1.

Those who were vaxxed did not not get Alpha/Delta when the rest of the family was hit with it. However, they did get the BA.1 strain. In fact, it was one of them who brought it home and gave it to everyone.

The one person who escaped BA.1 eventually caught omicron 17 months after the Alpha/Delta experience, but no one else in the house did, even without any mitigation effort.

[KSera]

2 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

It is stinking hot, and humid, and work is physically demanding atm, and no-one else at school masks at all. Even the few kids who did last year came back without masks. 

I know I'm going to regret it, but I just can't face day upon day of masking. It's completely illogical to risk all the effects of Covid, but something in me has reached the limits of discomfort, and standing alone.

I hear you. I’m not there yet, but man it’s tiring at this point. I would love to be “done” with Covid like most people think they are. It’s only the long term effects  and uncertainties that have kept my resolve up to this point. It was a lot easier to do when we were all in this together. 

[mommyoffive]

Long Covid symptoms now include erectile dysfunction and hair loss | The Independent

[Harriet Vane]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

I hear you. I’m not there yet, but man it’s tiring at this point. I would love to be “done” with Covid like most people think they are. It’s only the long term effects  and uncertainties that have kept my resolve up to this point. It was a lot easier to do when we were all in this together. 

Yup. 

I'm the only person I know still masking, except for one friend who has an autoimmune condition.

I have drug sensitivities that reduce my options if I DO get sick, but it doesn't seem to matter. I had a pinched nerve in my neck that made sneezing and coughing agony, but that didn't matter to most folks either. They all think I'm nuts. 

I can hold the line on anonymous-stranger settings like the grocery store just fine. Doesn't bother me one bit. But church is terribly difficult. It's quantifiably, genuinely a dangerous setting for air quality with large crowds and no ventilation to speak of. The others at church really do all think I am nuts--dh and I are literally the only people in the entire, big church, who ever mask. (Correction--there is one woman, a former nurse, who has front-temporal dementia and who will not part with her mask either.) And outside of church those in my inner circle want to be able to eat out again. Now that the pinched nerve is resolved (mostly) and ds' wedding is done I will likely start making compromises as a sheer buckling-in to pressure. 

[mommyoffive]

How COVID-19 Changes the Heart—Even After the Virus Is Gone (msn.com)

[Faith-manor]

46 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Long Covid symptoms now include erectile dysfunction and hair loss | The Independent

Well, if they can't fix it with viagra, this might be the thing that motivates change. Death and disability never does, but something about an old dude not being able to have sex seems to get action. Sigh. 😠

[kokotg]

It's me again--last seen in the "when it rains it pours" post. Now, 3 weeks after DH, I and my 17 year old have covid. I'm totally mystified: 3 weeks ago the 10 year old had a day long illness and then a few days later my husband popped up with covid with the same symptoms (10 year old tested negative, but we assumed it had to have been a false negative). 17 year old and I didn't get it (I tested several times). Then earlier this week the 10 year old had a day long "cold" and a few days later my 17 year old and then I got sick with the same symptoms. We were sure we just had his cold since we assumed he'd just had covid a few weeks ago. We tested as a precaution before going out around other people and bam! super positive for both of us immediately. I just can't piece together how it happened. Did 10 year old not have covid last time and it's just a crazy coincidence that he had a very similar illness 3 days before my husband got covid? Did he get it twice in a month?! We'll test him tomorrow, but I'm flummoxed. Anyway, that's all of us now! (assuming at least one of the times my 10 year old had it). So far (48 hours in) I've just got mild cold symptoms. DS17 was a little worse off, with a bad sore throat and headache, but he seems to be on the mend now (knock wood).

[mommyoffive]

4 minutes ago, kokotg said:

It's me again--last seen in the "when it rains it pours" post. Now, 3 weeks after DH, I and my 17 year old have covid. I'm totally mystified: 3 weeks ago the 10 year old had a day long illness and then a few days later my husband popped up with covid with the same symptoms (10 year old tested negative, but we assumed it had to have been a false negative). 17 year old and I didn't get it (I tested several times). Then earlier this week the 10 year old had a day long "cold" and a few days later my 17 year old and then I got sick with the same symptoms. We were sure we just had his cold since we assumed he'd just had covid a few weeks ago. We tested as a precaution before going out around other people and bam! super positive for both of us immediately. I just can't piece together how it happened. Did 10 year old not have covid last time and it's just a crazy coincidence that he had a very similar illness 3 days before my husband got covid? Did he get it twice in a month?! We'll test him tomorrow, but I'm flummoxed. Anyway, that's all of us now! (assuming at least one of the times my 10 year old had it). So far (48 hours in) I've just got mild cold symptoms. DS17 was a little worse off, with a bad sore throat and headache, but he seems to be on the mend now (knock wood).

Oh man how confusing.  Hoping you and your ds feel better soon.  

[Harriet Vane]

So confused--can someone help? 

According to CDC data, the CDC has designated my county with LOW transmission. The People's CDC, which uses the same data, has designated my geographical area (doesn't appear to be searchable by county?) as HIGH transmission. 

At a glance, it looks like CDC makes their designation based on hospitalizations??? Is the People's CDC data measuring transmission in general then?

Here are the pages I am looking at:

Science Brief: Indicators for Monitoring COVID-19 Community Levels and Making Public Health Recommendations | CDC

COVID-19 by County | CDC

People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report - People's CDC (substack.com)

Thanks. 

[KSera]

26 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

So confused--can someone help? 

According to CDC data, the CDC has designated my county with LOW transmission. The People's CDC, which uses the same data, has designated my geographical area (doesn't appear to be searchable by county?) as HIGH transmission. 

At a glance, it looks like CDC makes their designation based on hospitalizations??? Is the People's CDC data measuring transmission in general then?

Here are the pages I am looking at:

Science Brief: Indicators for Monitoring COVID-19 Community Levels and Making Public Health Recommendations | CDC

COVID-19 by County | CDC

People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report - People's CDC (substack.com)

Thanks. 

Posting and running without looking at your links, but the CDC changed quite a while back to using hospital space metrics to decide how high the risk was. Basically they’re giving you a risk of how likely it is that there won’t be a hospital bed for you. The people’s CDC uses the CDC’s  transmission levels map (I think that’s what it’s called, I’ll look it up in a bit), which is based on the risk of catching Covid, not the risk of not having a hospital bed. This is the transmission map on the CDC site:

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk
 

The CDC says regular people should use the community map and healthcare facilities the transmission map. It was switching from the metric they used to use on the transmission map to this new hospital-based community levels metric that allowed them to overnight move most of the country from being high risk to low risk. Using transmission levels, the country has remained largely at medium and high levels.

Edited February 19, 2023 by KSera

[Harriet Vane]

19 minutes ago, KSera said:

Posting and running without looking at your links, but the CDC changed quite a while back to using hospital space metrics to decide how high the risk was. Basically they’re giving you a risk of how likely it is that there won’t be a hospital bed for you. The people’s CDC uses the CDC’s  transmission levels map (I think that’s what it’s called, I’ll look it up in a bit), which is based on the risk of catching Covid, not the risk of not having a hospital bed. This is the transmission map on the CDC site:

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=all_states&list_select_county=all_counties&data-type=Risk
 

The CDC says regular people should use the community map and healthcare facilities the transmission map. It was switching from the metric they used to use on the transmission map to this new hospital-based community levels metric that allowed them to overnight move most of the country from being high risk to low risk. Using transmission levels, the country has remained largely at medium and high levels.

This is really helpful. Thank you.

[KeriJ]

3 hours ago, kokotg said:

It's me again--last seen in the "when it rains it pours" post. Now, 3 weeks after DH, I and my 17 year old have covid. I'm totally mystified: 3 weeks ago the 10 year old had a day long illness and then a few days later my husband popped up with covid with the same symptoms (10 year old tested negative, but we assumed it had to have been a false negative). 17 year old and I didn't get it (I tested several times). Then earlier this week the 10 year old had a day long "cold" and a few days later my 17 year old and then I got sick with the same symptoms. We were sure we just had his cold since we assumed he'd just had covid a few weeks ago. We tested as a precaution before going out around other people and bam! super positive for both of us immediately. I just can't piece together how it happened. Did 10 year old not have covid last time and it's just a crazy coincidence that he had a very similar illness 3 days before my husband got covid? Did he get it twice in a month?! We'll test him tomorrow, but I'm flummoxed. Anyway, that's all of us now! (assuming at least one of the times my 10 year old had it). So far (48 hours in) I've just got mild cold symptoms. DS17 was a little worse off, with a bad sore throat and headache, but he seems to be on the mend now (knock wood).

We had cold on top of covid followed by another cold go through all 7 of us at our house for the past 3 months. It's been crazy! 

[kokotg]

8 hours ago, KeriJ said:

We had cold on top of covid followed by another cold go through all 7 of us at our house for the past 3 months. It's been crazy! 

I THOUGHT this was a cold on top of covid, and that was annoying…but finding out that it’s actually covid on top of more covid with that 3 week gap is bewildering. 
 

10 year old tested positive this morning (he felt sick Tuesday and was pretty much better Wednesday), so I guess the most likely explanation is that he didnt have covid 3 weeks ago after all, and it was a weird coincidence that he was sick right before my husband had it. So we all managed to avoid catching it from DH only to get it somewhere else a few weeks later! 

[Lady Florida.]

I'm two months late in posting this anecdotal data but dh had covid over Christmas. He was coughing and sneezing for a few days then the light bulb went on and he  decided he should test for covid. Ds and I never got it. We kept testing and remained negative. All three of us have the same vaccination status.

 

Here's my anecdata theory (lay definition of theory):

 

Dh had two surgeries within 6 weeks - knee replacement then hand surgery to repair a tendon. We wondered if those two surgeries and so close together messed with his immune system. No idea if that's possible.

 

It made Christmas a bit sad not being able to see the grandkids but at least dh had a mild case.

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, kokotg said:

I THOUGHT this was a cold on top of covid, and that was annoying…but finding out that it’s actually covid on top of more covid with that 3 week gap is bewildering. 
 

10 year old tested positive this morning (he felt sick Tuesday and was pretty much better Wednesday), so I guess the most likely explanation is that he didnt have covid 3 weeks ago after all, and it was a weird coincidence that he was sick right before my husband had it. So we all managed to avoid catching it from DH only to get it somewhere else a few weeks later! 

So odd.  Is your 10 year old having any symptoms now?  I am glad he rebounded that fast.  I would imagine lots of people are not testing when they or the kids fall ill with something that short.  I am glad it kind of clears things up about how it happened.

[ktgrok]

On 2/15/2023 at 9:34 AM, mommyoffive said:

Yes!  I wonder if doctor and nurses want masks to still be required?  Man I sure would.  I would sure rather have a person cough on me in a mask vs without while I was treating them.

I will say we go to the local urgent care for most stuff instead of regular doctor both because it is closer (4 minutes, back roads!) but because they still mask! They abosolutely require them of everyone, with a box of masks by the door next to hand sanitizer, and if someone walks one foot in the door they are told to put on a mask before coming in any farther. I've watched the staff stop people and make them mask. And the office is spotlessly clean. And when I filled out the intake form on the Ipad they handed me I watched and she wiped it down well with a disinfectant cloth as soon as I handed it back to her. I commented on how nice and clean everything was and how grateful I was and she said "that's because I don't want to catch anything!!! I worked at another urgent care and was always getting sick. I haven't gotten sick once stince I started here, where they have these protocols."

[kokotg]

49 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

So odd.  Is your 10 year old having any symptoms now?  I am glad he rebounded that fast.  I would imagine lots of people are not testing when they or the kids fall ill with something that short.  I am glad it kind of clears things up about how it happened.

nope--he was sick Tuesday, stayed home from classes he had that day,  and then woke up feeling mostly fine Wednesday. I'm not sure we would have tested him even if we hadn't been SO SURE he'd just had covid because it really just seemed like a mild cold. We only tested last night because my husband wanted to; I was, again, so sure we'd just caught a cold from my 10 year old that I wasn't worried about it. We'd stayed home from stuff this week because we were feeling bad, but DS17 likely would have gone to classes and rehearsal Monday--a day too early by CDC guidelines--if he hadn't tested. They did piano lessons virtually this past week, and I'm so relieved we didn't have to send a  "sorry; we exposed you to covid" text to the piano teacher for the second time in a month! 

[mommyoffive]

18 hours ago, Melissa Louise said:

I had the exact same symptoms last week as family members who tested + earlier in the year, but none of my RATs came up + at any time.  I wish I knew whether I'd had it or not - I'm erring on the side of not.

I am pro-mask and have been masking pretty religiously for three years now, but I have lost the will to resume masking after a long summer break where I hardly masked at all.

It is stinking hot, and humid, and work is physically demanding atm, and no-one else at school masks at all. Even the few kids who did last year came back without masks. 

I know I'm going to regret it, but I just can't face day upon day of masking. It's completely illogical to risk all the effects of Covid, but something in me has reached the limits of discomfort, and standing alone. I reckon three years was pretty good going. I guess I have just been gradually socialized to behave the same way 99.9% of people here are behaving, which is as if Covid is gone/doesn't matter.

 

I hear you, and I understand.  We have been masking since March 2020 and it is getting harder and harder.  I know that our time will be up soon except for maybe mass transit, airplanes, doctor visits, cold and flu season.  I don't know.  I read all the stuff about Covid and I am like you I know the risks.  But at the same time you hear people who had a cold or sick for a day.  Not that it doesn't do damage still.  It was so much easier when places required them.   But more and more places went mask optional and when my kid day after day is the only one in the room wearing a mask it is hard on them.   I wish transmission was lower so I could feel this is the right time. 

On the flipside if you have made it 3 years without having Covid that is great, and all your years masking did help you and count for something.  I try to focus on that.  I can't mask forever (or have my kids) all the time, but it does count for something looking back. 

[Spryte]

It’s hard to be the Lone Maskers.

MIL’s funeral was Thursday and our family was the only one masked. DH took his off to speak in the reception hall, but otherwise we masked while at the service and reception. It wasn’t easy to be the only ones masked in a crowd.

DH saw FIL for a few hours this morning, masked. He commented that FIL was hot when they hugged. We got the call that FIL has Covid tonight. 

DH is in the guest room, just in case. He feels fine, but I have a low grade temp and feel kind of off. But those are not unusual for me, so could be my usual junk.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ausmumof3]

On 2/19/2023 at 10:10 AM, Melissa Louise said:

I had the exact same symptoms last week as family members who tested + earlier in the year, but none of my RATs came up + at any time.  I wish I knew whether I'd had it or not - I'm erring on the side of not.

I am pro-mask and have been masking pretty religiously for three years now, but I have lost the will to resume masking after a long summer break where I hardly masked at all.

It is stinking hot, and humid, and work is physically demanding atm, and no-one else at school masks at all. Even the few kids who did last year came back without masks. 

I know I'm going to regret it, but I just can't face day upon day of masking. It's completely illogical to risk all the effects of Covid, but something in me has reached the limits of discomfort, and standing alone. I reckon three years was pretty good going. I guess I have just been gradually socialized to behave the same way 99.9% of people here are behaving, which is as if Covid is gone/doesn't matter.

 

Yep.

Totally get it. A couple of times I’ve been taking about not masking at work but my youngest is always … why would you do that mum? And I remember that they have no choice about what risk I expose them to. If I didn’t have kids at home I’d been done- I don’t care to that much for myself really. I don’t want a long term disability that I don’t need but I’m so tired of being alone. But my kids have to live with it for a lot longer so still holding out a bit longer. Maybe

[KSera]

12 minutes ago, Spryte said:

It’s hard to be the Lone Maskers.

MIL’s funeral was Thursday and our family was the only one masked. DH took his off to speak in the reception hall, but otherwise we masked while at the service and reception. It wasn’t easy to be the only ones masked in a crowd.

DH saw FIL for a few hours this morning, masked. He commented that FIL was hot when they hugged. We got the call that FIL has Covid tonight. 

DH is in the guest room, just in case. He feels fine, but I have a low grade temp and feel kind of off. But those are not unusual for me, so could be my usual junk.

 

Oh man, I’m sorry, Spryte! I hope you all stay healthy and your FIL come through well. 

[mommyoffive]

Long Covid Weekly #33: Microclots Deep-Dive, Vaccination Infections (substack.com)

[mommyoffive]

8 hours ago, Spryte said:

It’s hard to be the Lone Maskers.

MIL’s funeral was Thursday and our family was the only one masked. DH took his off to speak in the reception hall, but otherwise we masked while at the service and reception. It wasn’t easy to be the only ones masked in a crowd.

DH saw FIL for a few hours this morning, masked. He commented that FIL was hot when they hugged. We got the call that FIL has Covid tonight. 

DH is in the guest room, just in case. He feels fine, but I have a low grade temp and feel kind of off. But those are not unusual for me, so could be my usual junk.

 

 

 

 

 

It is so hard to be the lone maskers.  But there have been so many times this last school year that people come down sick and I am glad my kids were wearing masks at that class.

I hope your dh doesn't get sick and your FIL has an easy time of it.

[Kassia]

@SpryteI'm sorry.  I also wanted to say that I hope you all stay healthy and FIL doesn't have a bad case.  😞 

[Harriet Vane]

@Spryte That really stinks. I'm so sorry. 

Yes, it's really hard to be the lone maskers. 😔

[Spryte]

Thanks. 

Question: DH wants to know if he should let the people who attended the funeral know about FIL’s Covid? Obviously, he will tell immediate family, but he’s wondering if he needs to tell everyone. What’s the protocol these days?

[Tenaj]

1 hour ago, Spryte said:

Thanks. 

Question: DH wants to know if he should let the people who attended the funeral know about FIL’s Covid? Obviously, he will tell immediate family, but he’s wondering if he needs to tell everyone. What’s the protocol these days?

Around here no one cares even if you do tell them.  The reaction is usually a shrug in our experience.  I don't think I would go beyond immediate family - we had Covid break out in our family after my mother's funeral but the timing was weird - almost 7-10 days later so we didn't even try  because we weren't sure if it was the funeral or school.   I'm really not sure how I would have spread the word.  There were too many people from too many different groups.

[Spryte]

Just now, Tenaj said:

Around here no one cares even if you do tell them.  The reaction is usually a shrug in our experience.  I don't think I would go beyond immediate family - we had Covid break out in our family after my mother's funeral but the timing was weird - almost 7-10 days later so we didn't even try  because we weren't sure if it was the funeral or school.   I'm really not sure how I would have spread the word.  There were too many people from too many different groups.

Yes, I think some people won’t care.

The funeral was Thurs, and FIL tested positive on Sun, so my guess is it came from the the funeral.

DH is going to tell his aunts and uncles, and maybe some cousins. Other than that, there’s just no way to contact everyone. We had about 65 at the reception, so not huge but not small, either. Adding in caterers and others, DH would need to track down 80-ish people, who might not even care.

But for the sake of feeling responsible, he is going to reach out to the people he can reasonably contact.

[Acadie]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:52 PM, mommyoffive said:

COVID infection protects against reinfection for 10 months: Study (wisn.com)

 

On 2/18/2023 at 6:57 AM, TexasProud said:

 

That matches my real life experience.  On our mission trip last summer, despite all of the very strong mask protocols we instituted and the fact that all were vaccinated and many boosted, 12 out of the 22 got Covid.  The ones that didn't had a Covid infection from Jan - July, even when in very, very close proximity/rooming without a mask with people that had it. If you had the infection withing the last 8 months, you didn't come down with it.  Everyone else did. 

I think this varies a lot by the individual, and also by how close the variant you had is to the variant you later encounter.

MIL got COVID late April and again early July, about 2 1/2 months apart. Over the summer a friend tested positive 1 month after prior infection, and another 2 months after. Some public official tested positive 3 weeks after--maybe Secretary Xavier Becerra or Justin Trudeau?

Really wish we could know for sure how long immunity from prior infection or vaccines lasts, but there are so many variables with individual humans and viral strains! 

[mommyoffive]

People's CDC COVID-19 Weather Report - People's CDC (substack.com)

The Weather: While levels remain at 94.44% of the population living in areas with substantial or higher transmission, there’s a slight increase in those living with areas of Very High transmission.

Due to incomplete data reporting from Utah, Maine, and New Mexico, cases are underreported this week. This means that likely more than 94.44% of the population are living in areas with substantial or higher transmission levels.

[mommyoffive]

3 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

It is so hard to be the lone maskers.  But there have been so many times this last school year that people come down sick and I am glad my kids were wearing masks at that class.

I hope your dh doesn't get sick and your FIL has an easy time of it.

ARGH.  Just got a covid notification from an activity where 3 of my kids were at.  Of course my 3 kids were the only kids masked.    I think I jinxed myself.  

[KSera]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

ARGH.  Just got a covid notification from an activity where 3 of my kids were at.  Of course my 3 kids were the only kids masked.    I think I jinxed myself.  

This is an experience we've had multiple times as well. The close calls keep us going with the masks. I hope your kiddos stay healthy!

[mommyoffive]

Long Covid Is a Disability. Here’s How to Ask for Workplace Accommodations. - WSJ

[mommyoffive]

Do masks work? (substack.com)

[mommyoffive]

Do masks work? (substack.com)

[Corraleno]

12 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Do masks work? (substack.com)

That's a really good, thorough discussion of the issues and research. Katelyn Jetelina is amazing — she just got back from Turkey where she was invited to advise officials on effective public messaging in a crisis.

Edited February 21, 2023 by Corraleno

[I talk to the trees]

Reported transmission levels are still high in our area, and we are still masking (n95) every time we are in a public place. Most of the time, we are the lone mask wearers, but occasionally I will see one or two people with a mask. It is frustrating to see that almost everyone has thrown up their hands and given up, but so far, we have not had covid (that I know of.) I'm just popping in to say that for us, it's worth it to keep masking, even if that means getting a few ugly looks and comments now and then. 

[Spryte]

Checking in to say that it’s been 48 hours since DH spent an hour with his Covid positive dad, and no symptoms.

FIL was not masked, but DH was. DH sat at the foot of FIL’s bed, and hugged him goodbye (which is when he realized that FIL was feverish, and got the ball rolling for a Covid test). 

How long should we give this till we’re in the clear? DH is very worried about passing something on to me, at this point, so he’s masking in the house and sleeping in the guest room. 

[Spryte]

Oh dear. Update from doc on FIL today is very bad. This is so hard.
 

 

[KSera]

38 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Checking in to say that it’s been 48 hours since DH spent an hour with his Covid positive dad, and no symptoms.

FIL was not masked, but DH was. DH sat at the foot of FIL’s bed, and hugged him goodbye (which is when he realized that FIL was feverish, and got the ball rolling for a Covid test). 

How long should we give this till we’re in the clear? DH is very worried about passing something on to me, at this point, so he’s masking in the house and sleeping in the guest room. 

Last I read, a PCR negative on day five is pretty good.  I certainly wouldn’t let down guard any earlier than five days. I know it’s such a pain to do the whole masking in the house thing though. I’m sorry but I also hope that it’s successful.

9 minutes ago, Spryte said:

Oh dear. Update from doc on FIL today is very bad. This is so hard.
 

 

Oh no. I’m sorry to hear. Is he fully vaccinated? Was he in poor health already? I’m still not sure how much to worry about if and when my parents get it.