Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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StoneCold Skywarp
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by StoneCold Skywarp »

Well, it's taken 2 years but I finally caught covid. Zero idea how/where. I mask up everywhere I go and they're mandatory at work too.
Just had a day of exceptionally bad flu symptoms and now feel 95% normal. Clearly the vaccine has worked, would hate to think how bad it would have been had there not been any immunity boost.
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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Tantrum »

StoneCold Skywarp wrote: Sat Apr 16, 2022 9:53 am Well, it's taken 2 years but I finally caught covid. Zero idea how/where. I mask up everywhere I go and they're mandatory at work too.
I'm wondering if people being OK with prevention measures being lifted is less "covid is over" and more "covid is inevitable". For the first chunk of the pandemic, your choices were:
* go out, get covid, possibly die
* stay home as much as possible until the vaccines are ready and stay safe

Now, with newer variants being more contagious and less lethal, if you're vaxxed/boosted, the choices are:
* go out, get covid, have really bad cold symptoms for a while
* stay home as much as possible, get covid anyway

I'm still wearing masks at the store, and going at off hours when it's less crowded. Though, at this point, I'm so used to not having to wait in long lines I'd probably be going at off hours even if there was no pandemic. I'm not wearing masks at work, though, since everyone in my group is vaxxed, and I'm pretty isolated.

On the one hand, even if I'd only get mild cold-for-two-weeks covid, I'd prefer not to. I was just sick for two weeks; it sucked; I don't want to do it again. On the other hand, does trying to avoid covid mean I don't get it, or just give my booster more time to wear off?
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Denyer
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Denyer »

On balance T-cells are still a big (less understood) part of the picture, and T-cells having "learned" to recognise and respond to the generalised infection markers plus keeping a generally strong immune system is probably more useful than keeping a live store of antibodies through repeat infection. Worth getting any boosters or more specific vaccines available though.

The trouble is, as it always has been, there's still a small % (but still very large number of people) for whom the choice is still possibly/probably die, mostly because large numbers of others fall into the selfish POS category and govts have sought populist support to ignore and fail to support those at most risk, plus there's a list as long as your arm of complications short of death. Including increased risk of other illness because of cardiovascular and other impacts -- more strokes in younger parts of the population, more disabling across all age groups, etc. Even assuming no more variants, and fundamentally there are about as many variants as infections.
at this point, I'm so used to not having to wait in long lines I'd probably be going at off hours even if there was no pandemic
Mmm. Same. And it's the same with not having the entire population clogging up the limited space on roads/trains/etc at the same times of day.
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StoneCold Skywarp
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by StoneCold Skywarp »

Tantrum wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:44 pm I'm wondering if people being OK with prevention measures being lifted is less "covid is over" and more "covid is inevitable". For the first chunk of the pandemic, your choices were:
* go out, get covid, possibly die
* stay home as much as possible until the vaccines are ready and stay safe

Now, with newer variants being more contagious and less lethal, if you're vaxxed/boosted, the choices are:
* go out, get covid, have really bad cold symptoms for a while
* stay home as much as possible, get covid anyway
It has definitely seemed more and more inevitable as the majority of people's attitudes towards masks in places like supermarket/grocery store dwindle to almost zero.

That's what has completely caught me out by catching it; I've not let my guard down at all. Masks, hand sanitiser etc etc I've managed to keep it all up and keep myself, family and loved ones safe and I've managed to pick it up somehow.

If it had been from the one gig I've been to, in nearly 2 1/2 years, I'd have understood. If it had been from the one night out (due to a cancelled gig) I'd have understood but to have been completely sideswiped by it whereby no one I know is sick that I've been in contact with is what has been most scary about this.

I'm now day 6 (post initial symptoms) and whilst it is like a bad flu/cold I feel rotten as **** (with 3x jabs) and the various symptoms come and go depending on the direction of the wind.

I think the biggest thing is the fatigue and general exhaustion it is causing, that and the confusion/fogginess - though some would question how I could tell the difference... 😂
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Clogs
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Clogs »

Quick update: happened to say on a social media thread that I’d still be wearing my mask in shops and on buses for some time, and was inundated with mockery. I posted to thank people for their input and would be stepping out now... but the scorn continues. So far I’ve been told that Covid never happened; no one died from Covid; it’s biological weapons testing/an attack (probably aliens); government exercising control over world populations i.e. the power of lockdown; it only killed foreigners; it only killed the obese; it only killed those who deserved to die... and many more ‘interesting’ observations, plus attacks on my apparent virtue signalling.

Only responded once more, to a guy who wrote that Covid was no big deal as he was young, fit and alright since Covid was only the elderly, the sick and the poor caught it, and no one cares if they died: I wrote a Surplus Population quote from ‘A Christmas Carol’. That got mocked, too.

It’s terribly sad to hear from so many self-absorbed people...“Oh God! to hear the Insect on the leaf pronouncing on the too much life among his hungry brothers in the dust!”

PS: it’s a miracle! Fewer and fewer recorded instances of Covid since tests were made unavailable, and fewer and fewer hospitalisations which prove it’s gone away and all those immunisations were pointless/evil. The daily death toll continued to rise, dropped (hooray!) and is now rising again (stuff fingers in ears and hum).
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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Tantrum »

I've been sick since Friday. Fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, a little fever. I want to call my doctor, but I figure the first thing he'll say is to get a covid test. So, I'd like to get the covid test first.

I took a home covid test, and it came up positive. However, the same thing happened this spring. The home test came up positive, and the lab test administered by the testing facility came up negative. That time, my doctor prescribed me some antibiotics for whatever he thought I had since covid was ruled out, and I felt better almost immediately.

So, I'm trying to get a lab test. I looked up the list provided by Rhode Island and called the only place near me. They said the list was out of date, and they only test their own primary care patients, which does not include me.

I then call my primary care office. I'm put on hold and eventually disconnected. I try to go through their website, but all the locations are across state lines. Granted Rhode Island is a small sate, but that's still too far to drive while sick.

CVS also only lists far away places. Walgreen's has a location near me, and I've made an appointment for this afternoon. However, it looks like they only do the PCR test, which can take a couple days to get back, not the rapid antigen test. So, I don't know if I'll have my results in time to talk to my doctor on Friday.

At least being frustrated by this has caused me to have more energy than I've had in the past several days.
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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

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I went to the Walgreen's drive though pharmacy for my covid test appointment. The confirmation e-mail said I'd need to show ID, insurance, and confirmation number, so I put those in the little drawer. The monkey working the drive through window quickly gave them back to me. Then, he asked for my insurance. I don't think he realized that I'd already given it to him, and gotten it back.

So, I gave him my insurance card again. Then he told me insurance wouldn't cover it, and it'd be something like $120. I gave up and drove off. I may try Walmart later, but I'm too upset from this bull, and too tired from being sick all week, to do much of anything now.

At this point, screw it. If I have covid, my symptoms are mild enough that I won't require treatment, so knowing won't do me any good. I just wanted to rule covid out in case I'm still sick in a few days, and need to call my doctor to diagnose something else. But by the time the PCR tests would've come in, it'd be Friday and probably too late to call my doctor, anyway. By the time Monday rolls around, covid would've cleared up.

I don't know if that makes any sense, but I'm too stressed and tired to think any more clearly.

Edit: I just got back from Walmart. They don't take swabs for lab tests, but they did give me my allotment of at home tests, covered by insurance. These are a different brand than the one that gave me a false positive, and newer, so hopefully more accurate. I'll try one later.
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Denyer
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Denyer »

Ah, the insanity of bringing health insurance status into trying to control spread of an already randomised-serious-effects type disease that in any person carrying it can mutate into something vaccine evasive, more lethal, that turns out to be the strain that kills kids, etc. Same goes for sick pay, and the general trend with medical conditions that early intervention reduces overall costs.
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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Tantrum »

Denyer wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 12:13 pm Ah, the insanity of bringing health insurance status into trying to control spread of an already randomised-serious-effects type disease that in any person carrying it can mutate into something vaccine evasive, more lethal, that turns out to be the strain that kills kids, etc. Same goes for sick pay, and the general trend with medical conditions that early intervention reduces overall costs.
The best part is that it's sick people trying to navigate this. If I was in good health, maybe I'd have the patience and concentration to navigate this. But, not after several days of barely eating, sleeping poorly, and just feeling like crap. I gave Walgreens my insurance info when I made the appointment at 11. They could've told me then it wouldn't be covered. It's also possible that it should've been covered, but the guy who gave me back my insurance card before realizing he'd need it screwed something up.


I retested with both brands of at home test today. QuickVue came up positive again, just like yesterday. This is the same brand that gave me a false positive this spring, and my uncle a false positive before that. I am now out of QuickVue tests, and have no intention of getting more.

BinaxNOW came up negative again. I got 8 from Walmart yesterday, covered by insurance. I have 6 left.

So, I probably don't have covid. I'm just sick. I've been feeling better throughout today, just still fatigued from not eating much this past week.
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Tantrum
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Tantrum »

I asked around at work about covid tests. The state run testing facilities shut down a while ago, so I don't know why the list of state run facilities is still on-line. Test aren't covered by insurance if you're getting one to meet a travel requirement or some thing. But, the fee should be waived if you have symptoms.

I did have symptoms, which I indicated when I made the Walgreen's appointment. So, it should've been covered. Or, at least the Walgreen's guy should've asked if I had symptoms.
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Jack Brownie
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Re: Covid 19 / everybody PANDEMIC

Post by Jack Brownie »

When I got covid last year I lost my smell for about 6 months or even longer. That was hard :(
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