Covid question

[Farrar]

So, day 6 here now (though that's if you use the CDC thing of counting the first day of symptoms as day 0 and not day 1). I feel like I'm mostly over a bad cold. In fact, I felt pretty good yesterday. I mean, still stuffy and a bit of a cough, but nothing that bad.

No one else in my house has developed symptoms or tested positive on a rapid test so far. So I'm stuck in my room until either everyone gets it or until I test negative. I can't believe dh still doesn't have it. But then again, the night before I developed symptoms, he wasn't in the bedroom most of the night because he wasn't sleeping well. Then he went into the office. By the time he got home, I'd aired out the house like mad and had confined myself to my room. So he only ever was around the Covid germs pretty briefly when he idiotically came in for 30 seconds to grab something a couple of times. But that's assuming they actually stayed confined to this room. It's not like the house isn't permeable. I dunno.

How are other people handling the testing bit? I don't trust the rapids. But dh skirted the rules and just went to like a bajillion of the Covid centers the other day (and got 2 boxes per center) so we now have a ton of them. So what I'm thinking is that I'll start doing one per day. And if it's negative (which, so far it ALWAYS is) then I'll either do a home PCR or run up to the Covid Center and do a PCR there. So then, 48 hours after that, if that one is negative, I'll leave the room finally. And I'll just do one every day. Does that seem... to make sense?

I feel for @HSmomof2 still testing positive 13 days later (OMG, I'm already going stir crazy, so please no) but thank goodness you're feeling better. And for you, @Amira! The logistical issues are worse than the illness in a lot of cases.

[lmrich]

Glad you are feeling better. I am on day 11 and still had fever last night so I  figured that I should not bother retesting today. My dh got it, too,  and except  for a little coughing, he is fine now.  

Best of  luck with  your fully recovery and a negative test soon!

[Amira]

It looks like we can stay in our apartment a few extra days and our tickets were fully refundable, so I hope we’ll just fly out a week later. And then I’ll have Covid checked off my list for the summer.  I figured I’d finally get it now since they dropped the testing and masking requirements everywhere, and I can’t avoid flying right now.  I probably picked it up during international travel last week.

[alisoncooks]

My youngest tested positive Friday, after returning from a week of camp. We know of at least 5 other positives from the week, but my oldest dd (who is more symptomatic than younger dd and who had plenty of exposure) has had 3 negative tests. We’re treating her as though she’s positive.

It’s a bummer because they both had another week of camp lined up for this week, and we had to cancel. 

[HSmomof2]

Day 14 test—-still positive but the line was  faint today, so I’m hoping when I test again in 2 days, it will be negative. I’m at home anyways, but I can’t imagine I’m still actually contagious this late when my symptoms have resolved. 

[Farrar]

My rapid was positive. For the first time, lol! So I guess I'm not getting out soon. I'll do another one tomorrow. 

Any thoughts on when it might be safe for me to cook? Right now, it's spinning my head a little that we managed to stop the spread so far. I mean, it's possible that BalletBoy will fail his PCR today, but everyone feels 100% and is testing negative on rapids. But then... does that mean we're all stuck with dh's cooking for another week?!? Poor us. And poor dh.

[Acadie]

FWIW, dh rapid tested positive the morning of day 10, IIRC, and negative that evening. Only negatives after that, but we gave it another 48 hrs before setting him free from isolation and nobody else got sick. TBH I'd also probably do 48 hrs after a negative rapid, and maybe masked, for cooking. Sorry--sounds like a real hardship!

Edited June 27, 2022 by Acadie

[Farrar]

Right now, I'll probably do a rapid then a PCR, which will take 48 hours anyway. Poor dh. Ds got home from summer intensive like, where's the food, must eat now.

[annandatje]

My younger sister lost sense of taste and smell on day four.

[Farrar]

Day 6 and food is delicious. My rice had garlic scapes in it! I told dh to add them. It came out okay. It would have been better if I'd made it. But... I'm limiting my time in the rest of the house. Sigh.

Anyway, I'm calling it. I did NOT lose my sense of taste. Knock on wood. Here's hoping that sticks.

[Amira]

Dh tested negative today from a previous exposure last week, and I’m feeling better than I did yesterday, so I’m glad about that. I keep hoping for no symptoms for dh and ds.

[Danae]

21 hours ago, Farrar said:

Right now, it's spinning my head a little that we managed to stop the spread so far.

I never caught it when my teens had it, despite the fact that I accidentally switched masks and spent a day wearing the mask that the just-tested-positive child had been wearing that morning.

[PronghornD]

I read an article a few months back that said that the loss of smell and taste tends to be genetic. So, those who have relatives that didn't lose their sense of taste and smell can perhaps relax a bit. I am not in that category, so I continue masking even when no one else does.

 

[Farrar]

Huh. My brother didn't mention that he'd lost taste or smell any of the times he's apparently had Covid. But I don't even know how many times he's had it. At least twice apparently, but we're not close. He talks about food, so I'm guessing not for long if he did.

Is it possible that I have effectively isolated myself?!? I mean, I tried, but I didn't think it would WORK. But no one in my house has it but me.

Conversation with dh while taking a short masked walk...
Me: "In my room..."
Dh: "You do know I'm going back to the bedroom eventually, right?"

[The Governess]

5 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Huh. My brother didn't mention that he'd lost taste or smell any of the times he's apparently had Covid. But I don't even know how many times he's had it. At least twice apparently, but we're not close. He talks about food, so I'm guessing not for long if he did.

Is it possible that I have effectively isolated myself?!? I mean, I tried, but I didn't think it would WORK. But no one in my house has it but me.

Conversation with dh while taking a short masked walk...
Me: "In my room..."
Dh: "You do know I'm going back to the bedroom eventually, right?"

My dd had it, and before I knew it was Covid she slept with me in my bed. This was while she was throwing up and had body aches and fever. I thought for sure I would get it, but I didn’t, and no one else did either. 🤷🏻‍♀️
 

Really bizarre.

[Ausmumof3]

No one else has tested positive here yet and we’re on day 6/7 depending how you count. We’ve only done RATs and PCR is only for symptoms. I’ve felt a bit tired/stuffy in the morning but thats normal for me for winter.

DH will start RAT testing tomorrow or Saturday I guess and come out of iso once he’s had a couple of negatives. He’s supposed to be back at work Monday but he doesn’t sound well enough yet. He did a short walk outside but was coughing really badly by the end.

I do have a bad feeling that one of us will test positive just as he’s about to exit. Or we’ll get exposed somewhere else the next week given the expected wave here.

[Amira]

27 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

No one else has tested positive here yet and we’re on day 6/7 depending how you count. We’ve only done RATs and PCR is only for symptoms. I’ve felt a bit tired/stuffy in the morning but thats normal for me for winter.

DH will start RAT testing tomorrow or Saturday I guess and come out of iso once he’s had a couple of negatives. He’s supposed to be back at work Monday but he doesn’t sound well enough yet. He did a short walk outside but was coughing really badly by the end.

I do have a bad feeling that one of us will test positive just as he’s about to exit. Or we’ll get exposed somewhere else the next week given the expected wave here.

I hope you all stay healthy!

[elegantlion]

I tested positive yesterday, starting showing symptoms Monday night, was exposed at an event on Saturday evening. I still have my sense of taste. It feels like a head cold and I can't stop coughing. SO has tested negative - he has the constitution of an ox so hopefully he'll stay that way. 

[Farrar]

Welp, on day 8, Mushroom tested positive. I have a feeling dh will have gotten it from him. I'm still testing positive. So now BalletBoy has the basement apartment and is forbidden to come inside the house. We stuck stuff in the kitchen for him. Dh has the main floor. Mushroom is in his room and I'm in mine. UGH. I feel like all we did was prolong our agony. This is now going to be a month minimum.

[lmrich]

I finally tested negative after 14 days. Pretty sure I have a sinus infection as I still have a headache, coughing, and slight fever. And my primary doctor moved to Australia so Urgent Care is my only option now. Hope everyone starts to  feel better soon.

[alisoncooks]

1 hour ago, elegantlion said:

I tested positive yesterday, starting showing symptoms Monday night, was exposed at an event on Saturday evening. I still have my sense of taste. It feels like a head cold and I can't stop coughing. SO has tested negative - he has the constitution of an ox so hopefully he'll stay that way. 

Oldest dd has nonstop coughing. It’s miserable. She was symptomatic/sick for 5 days before a positive test.

Younger dd had two days of fever and fatigue and then she was better. She tested positive immediately (but is still positive 5 days later). 

 @Farrar’s experience is what we had happen last time, in 2020. And the poor kid who never tested positive and never got sick still missed her big summer event because of the quarantine recommendations at that time. It was a long month!

[Farrar]

5 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

Oldest dd has nonstop coughing. It’s miserable. She was symptomatic/sick for 5 days before a positive test.

Younger dd had two days of fever and fatigue and then she was better. She tested positive immediately (but is still positive 5 days later). 

 @Farrar’s experience is what we had happen last time, in 2020. And the poor kid who never tested positive and never got sick still missed her big summer event because of the quarantine recommendations at that time. It was a long month!

Luckily the recommendations are much more relaxed now so he doesn't have to miss his (expensive) summer intensive. I mean, we really all are trying to keep him contained. He has a whole apartment now and is testing daily. So... fingers crossed.

[Amira]

I have a bit of a cough left and I’m still a little tired, but I pretty much feel back to normal.  I technically don’t have to be isolated starting today so dh and I cleaned the apartment with masks on while ds slept. I couldn’t stand all the packing debris that was around.

No one else has symptoms so far.  We only have three tests left and we’re saving them for each of us to test tomorrow morning, then we’ll have to hope that people remain healthy till we fly out of here. 

[HSmomof2]

I still tested faintly positive on RAT….day 17! 😳 My symptoms are gone, except my energy isn’t completely back to normal. Dh and ds are better and testing negative. I can’t believe I would still be contagious at this point…..I’m testing now as more of a science experiment.😂

[Ali in OR]

This is not a club I want to join, and yet, here I am. Feels like a cold. Tested positive on a home test last night. I started feeling like I had a cold while at a conference--I did wear N95's there. And I must have caught it before the conference. I'm counting Monday as day 1. I feel mostly fine--like I have a cold. The kind of thing we all used to just power through. Now that I'm back home the fun begins of trying to keep the other 3 people living here healthy. I have the master bedroom/bathroom and will wear an N95 when I need to venture out into the rest of the house. I have to do some care for disabled dd. Dh did meds. I'll feed her outside and of course always wear my mask around her. She cannot mask.

[KSera]

Just now, Ali in OR said:

This is not a club I want to join, and yet, here I am. Feels like a cold. Tested positive on a home test last night. I started feeling like I had a cold while at a conference--I did wear N95's there. And I must have caught it before the conference. I'm counting Monday as day 1. I feel mostly fine--like I have a cold. The kind of thing we all used to just power through. Now that I'm back home the fun begins of trying to keep the other 3 people living here healthy. I have the master bedroom/bathroom and will wear an N95 when I need to venture out into the rest of the house. I have to do some care for disabled dd. Dh did meds. I'll feed her outside and of course always wear my mask around her. She cannot mask.

I’m sorry you’re sick. Did you have to fly for your conference? I’m hearing so many people coming back from air travel with Covid. We have to decide how we handle family who wants to fly to visit us. I hope you’re feeling better soon and the rest of your family stays healthy, particularly your dd. 

[Ali in OR]

12 minutes ago, KSera said:

I’m sorry you’re sick. Did you have to fly for your conference? I’m hearing so many people coming back from air travel with Covid. We have to decide how we handle family who wants to fly to visit us. I hope you’re feeling better soon and the rest of your family stays healthy, particularly your dd. 

I took the train up to Seattle. Masked on the train. I heard enough snuffles, small coughs, and sneezes at the conference to think this is probably everywhere right now, and yeah, I have many friends/family who got it on airplanes in recent weeks/months.

[KSera]

Just now, Ali in OR said:

I took the train up to Seattle. Masked on the train. I heard enough snuffles, small coughs, and sneezes at the conference to think this is probably everywhere right now, and yeah, I have many friends/family who got it on airplanes in recent weeks/months.

This current wave seems neverending. It hasn't gone up and back down like the first omicron; it just goes on and on and on.

Is anyone hearing of asymptomatic people currently? It seems like everyone I know who has had it recently has been at least somewhat miserable, and often very miserable. I'm not hearing many "mild cold" type descriptions recently. Maybe only people with symptoms are testing?

[1234]

Youngest ended up testing positive after all this weekend but feels fine. They’re only symptom is some mild ear pain. The rest of us are all back to normal (my heart rate is still low and I’m watching it but not sure if I need to worry).

Moving forward, even though all of us ended up with it, we wouldn’t do anything different. I tested the first day I felt sick and was negative. We’re not going to isolate from each other for cold symptoms every time. It was just a mild cold for us (Dh and I were actually much sicker this past March - had our first PCRs then but it was just a cold) so we were lucky. 

[Acadie]

1 hour ago, KSera said:

Is anyone hearing of asymptomatic people currently? It seems like everyone I know who has had it recently has been at least somewhat miserable, and often very miserable. I'm not hearing many "mild cold" type descriptions recently. Maybe only people with symptoms are testing?

Interesting observation. I wonder if that's partly because Omicron 4/5 tend to go to the lungs more than Omicron 1/2.

My understanding is Omicron 4/5 are more like the earlier variants in terms of virulence. 

[vonfirmath]

3 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

Oldest dd has nonstop coughing. It’s miserable. She was symptomatic/sick for 5 days before a positive test.

Younger dd had two days of fever and fatigue and then she was better. She tested positive immediately (but is still positive 5 days later). 

 @Farrar’s experience is what we had happen last time, in 2020. And the poor kid who never tested positive and never got sick still missed her big summer event because of the quarantine recommendations at that time. It was a long month!

My daughter and husband have COVID. I need to test. Been trying to wait for symptoms. Mostly we have not been sick (I tested my daughter due to contact with COVID and a sore stomach. And my husband tested becase he thought that was what his work wanted him to do.) And my son is missing his big event next week because they require 14 days of no contact with COVID before going.

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by vonfirmath

[Kanin]

Ugh. DH was in a meeting yesterday and today someone that was there said they tested positive today. Nobody was masking because it was a lunch meeting. Fingers crossed...

[1234]

So, I ended up having to take youngest to urgent care this afternoon because their ear pain was a lot worse. They do have an ear infection and the doctor said they were seeing a lot of ear infections with whatever strain is going around here at the moment. 

[Ausmumof3]

19 hours ago, HSmomof2 said:

I still tested faintly positive on RAT….day 17! 😳 My symptoms are gone, except my energy isn’t completely back to normal. Dh and ds are better and testing negative. I can’t believe I would still be contagious at this point…..I’m testing now as more of a science experiment.😂

That’s crazy. I wonder if some people will end up carrying it as a kind of reservoir 

[Ausmumof3]

18 hours ago, KSera said:

This current wave seems neverending. It hasn't gone up and back down like the first omicron; it just goes on and on and on.

Is anyone hearing of asymptomatic people currently? It seems like everyone I know who has had it recently has been at least somewhat miserable, and often very miserable. I'm not hearing many "mild cold" type descriptions recently. Maybe only people with symptoms are testing?

DH has definitely been sicker than expected. It’s a week and he’s still not managed to do much of anything.

[elegantlion]

And now SO tested positive. Thankfully he can work remotely today and has a long weekend due to the 4th. 

[KeriJ]

22 hours ago, Joker2 said:

So, I ended up having to take youngest to urgent care this afternoon because their ear pain was a lot worse. They do have an ear infection and the doctor said they were seeing a lot of ear infections with whatever strain is going around here at the moment. 

Interesting.  My 17 year old had ear pain out of nowhere and was diagnosed with an ear infection.  A few days later she had nausea and fatigue.  Binax Covid test was negative.  None of the rest of us had any symptoms. 

[Ausmumof3]

4 hours ago, KeriJ said:

Interesting.  My 17 year old had ear pain out of nowhere and was diagnosed with an ear infection.  A few days later she had nausea and fatigue.  Binax Covid test was negative.  None of the rest of us had any symptoms. 

Someone else I know just had a really bad ear infection with a virus but negative for covid.

[Farrar]

On 6/30/2022 at 11:49 AM, KSera said:

This current wave seems neverending. It hasn't gone up and back down like the first omicron; it just goes on and on and on.

Is anyone hearing of asymptomatic people currently? It seems like everyone I know who has had it recently has been at least somewhat miserable, and often very miserable. I'm not hearing many "mild cold" type descriptions recently. Maybe only people with symptoms are testing?

I know of people testing positive who are asymptomatic or nearly so. The person who spread it to me was practically a superspreader. It's wild how many people got it from her. She had a twinge of huh, am I coming down with something, tested negative, and went about her business and never felt any worse. She only caught it because her whole family responsibly tested again a couple of days later before heading to her kid's graduation. And 2/4 of them tested positive - her with that minimal twinge of symptoms and the graduating kid who had zero symptoms at all. Bah. They were stunned. But then half a day later, the person who hadn't tested positive (the other one doesn't live at home anymore and had Covid just a couple months ago so no surprise that they escaped) started developing symptoms. His progression has been similar to mine.

In the 3 days between that twinge and negative test and then the positive test... at least 12 people got it from their household.

[Farrar]

Also, negative tests! I had two today! 🙂 I'm still masking around the house for now, but I'm being more chill about it. I went out and went inside a couple of errands (to pick up Covid tests, lol) masked in my 95 of course. And I removed the mask on the street when there was no one around. Also, I went unmasked out in the hall on the Covid floor of the house. And I've resumed cooking, though masked. ALL VERY EXCITING.

My logic is that the negative rapid is not a be all end all answer, but it's probably a strong indication that I'm not transmitting Covid in heavy amounts. So exercising caution for the next few days, but loosening up. Whew.

Edited July 2, 2022 by Farrar

[Ali in OR]

36 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Also, negative tests! I had two today! 🙂 I'm still masking around the house for now, but I'm being more chill about it. I went out and went inside a couple of errands (to pick up Covid tests, lol) masked in my 95 of course. And I removed the mask on the street when there was no one around. Also, I went unmasked out in the hall on the Covid floor of the house. And I've resumed cooking, though masked. ALL VERY EXCITING.

My logic is that the negative rapid is not a be all end all answer, but it's probably a strong indication that I'm not transmitting Covid in heavy amounts. So exercising caution for the next few days, but loosening up. Whew.

What day of Covid is this for you? I'm wondering when I will try testing again. My Day 3 positive was so quick on a home rapid test, I would definitely believe a negative result. I'm just wrapping up Day 5, doing okay, still have cold-like symptoms.

[Ausmumof3]

11 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

What day of Covid is this for you? I'm wondering when I will try testing again. My Day 3 positive was so quick on a home rapid test, I would definitely believe a negative result. I'm just wrapping up Day 5, doing okay, still have cold-like symptoms.

Dh is day 8/9 and still positive 😞 

I have a scratchy throat but negative on PCR and multiple RATs.  

Edited July 2, 2022 by Ausmumof3

[Ali in OR]

1 minute ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Dh is day 8/9 and still positive 😞 

I have a scratchy throat but negative on PCR and multiple RATs.  

Yeah. I don't want to go through a ton of tests and keep getting positives. We have 3 more people in the house who may need them. I'm thinking next Wednesday which will be Day 10. But it would be nice to be clear on Monday (4th of July).

[Ausmumof3]

5 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

Yeah. I don't want to go through a ton of tests and keep getting positives. We have 3 more people in the house who may need them. I'm thinking next Wednesday which will be Day 10. But it would be nice to be clear on Monday (4th of July).

We have the free health department ones at the moment thankfully. But we don’t have heaps left.

[Farrar]

46 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

What day of Covid is this for you? I'm wondering when I will try testing again. My Day 3 positive was so quick on a home rapid test, I would definitely believe a negative result. I'm just wrapping up Day 5, doing okay, still have cold-like symptoms.

Day 10. Day 0 was my first day of symptoms, which is how the CDC says to count it, but most people might call this day 11. I couldn't get a rapid test to read positive at first, so I took a PCR and just waited on the results. Because I had an exposure and classic Covid symptoms, I knew it was positive. On day 6, I started testing daily.

Day 6 = strong Covid positive line - felt basically 100% fine with just lingering symptoms and haven't had a significant change since
Day 7 = strong line
Day 8 = fainter line
Day 9 = super faint but clearly there line
Day 10 morning = is that a line? a line shadow? sort of a line? if I didn't know that there might be a line, I would never see that
Day 10 afternoon, both tests = no shadow, no line that I can see at all

[Farrar]

Adding that I felt free to burn through tests. I picked up 8 free ones today by hitting two distribution spots on a nice long walk. It's a shame everyone doesn't have access to this. You really all should. I've got two PCR's sitting in the house as well, but I haven't used those. I figured it was a waste of time with the rapids showing positive. But I'll probably do one and take it to the drop box in the morning.

[HSmomof2]

Day 19, RAT still positive…..the line is faint,  but clearly still there. I have no symptoms anymore and feel fine. I do have a few autoimmune disorders and a number of other autoimmune markers in my blood work, so I’m guessing it has something to do with my weird immune system. 

[Farrar]

I am SO bored. We're all still on separate floors of the house. I emailed a co-worker a question and only after I was like, well, that was probably rude of me doing that on a holiday weekend, but I'm SO BORED.

Boredom. One of the unforeseen side effects of the Covid quarantine house.

Third negative test. Woo. Hoo.

[Ali in OR]

Right there with you. Reading books, watching Netflix, taking naps. The cat thinks this is the best thing ever--he's isolating with me.

[Farrar]

I realized I could clean BalletBoy’s room! Bwahahaha! I reclaimed like 8 plates, 2 bowls, lots of forks, and confusingly one of my fitted sheets that doesn’t fit his bed. No one tell him I went in there while he’s banished to the basement apartment.