Made it 5 months without getting Covid-19

[Roanna]

I was convinced that I had Covid starting 29th February, plus I gave it to our son who got it much worse than me. Many of the symptoms, and I was sure I had caught it during my weekly trips to the pub with my BIL. He was even sicker than me and went to the GP twice in February.

He received a letter from the NHS this week inviting him to take a Covid antibodies test as they are going back and reviewing possible missed cases. They sent him a home test kit, finger prick blood test, take a photo of the result, upload it online and answer a few questions. He did the test last night and got the result today. Negative. Should not be surprised really as his wife (my sister) got it bad enough to be told to go to hospital where she was tested for Covid - negative. She had pleurisy which was amplified by her Lupus.

The problem may be that they're finding that the antibodies may not hang around very long. Hopefully the body's T-cells rememeber the virus longer and will kick up an immune response if the person is exposed again.

 

[Roanna]

We survived our new condo where workmen were in and out making various things right.

We put a sign on the door saying do not enter without a mask. We also would not take the elevator when someone unmasked was on.

Shopping trips were bad early on (coming home and stripping, into the shower and washer) but later on the social distancing was good.

Biggest risk so far was a fully-loaded American flight to DFW. Everyone was masked.

Just completed our 14 day isolation in Canada. Staying away from the beaches where the youngsters are tempting fate.

I haven't been using the elevator in my building since this all started... not once I heard that the virus can linger in the air for 3 hours in enclosed / not well ventilated areas. If I were going to fly I'd fly Southwest. They're still leaving middle seats empty.

 

[travelover]

......... Despite weird symptoms back in Mars ..........

Wow, you are a traveler.

 

[MichaelB]

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease. That's not media hype. We don't know how many people have been infected or how many are currently infected, and we really don't understand the infection dynamics well enough to assess our local or individual risk of infection, much less generalized or project it. There have been uneven efforts to suppress the spread, with differing results, but have undeniably had an impact. To calculate and project risk without considering the presence or impact of these measures reduces the benefit of the assessment.

Until we have a much better understanding of this disease I suggest we continue to look for risk assessments and advice from public health care experts.

 

[Christine]

Wow, you are a traveler.

Yes I travel between languages.

 

[harllee]

How does anyone know if they have had it or not unless they are frequently tested? All I can say is that I have not tested positive YET. I go by the advice a doctor friend gave me--when around people outside your immediate household treat everyone as if they have Covid-19 and take precautions. If we do not get an effective vaccine, I assume nearly everyone will eventually get Covid-19 but I want to be one of the last to get it--not one of the first. Covid-19 is a very serious disease and I am taking it very seriously.

 

[NW-Bound]

Yes I travel between languages.

You probably know more than two languages. Do you know both Norwegian and Sami?

Back on the thread topic, nobody I know has caught the virus, unless they are asymptomatic. But then, they all take precaution, and do not go out to protest, or do bar hopping, etc... Not unless they lie to me.

My children have paid us visits. We talk while standing outside the house, while wearing face masks, and from 20 ft away.

 

[Aerides]

I would be incredibly surprised if I HAD contracted it since March. I haven't spent time in the same sustained indoor "breathing space" with anyone but DH:

Besides grocery type stuff, I don't go random shopping. (I went to the mall once, very early in the openings to see if it was safe for walking for my parents, talked with no one)

I don't socialize outside of my family: Brief visits w/parents at good distance, outdoor patio visits with my sister. I've seen her kids/husband, but only for a few mins at a time, distanced.

The most high risk thing I did was I went forward with a minor knee surgery, but that was with everyone masked and as clean as can be. It was 3+ weeks ago so I think I'm in the clear.

No gym, no indoor restaurants, no need! (and I live in S Fla so don't tell me but it's toooo hot to sit outside)

I think most of us, if over 50, are gonna feel something if we get it. I believe we're less likely to get those totally asymptomatic cases.

 

[LOL!]

Yea, I know it is ~1.5% for confirmed cases. I just doubled it for the asymptomatic. Point stands, why OP is "surprised" they are part of the >95% who have not had Covid (confirmed or not) is bewildering.

I guess you are assuming that I stay at home and don't do risky things that expose me to people with covid-19 and neither do any of the people living in my house with me.

 

[Buckeye]

I hears that somewhere in Canada they have 10 person bubbles. A group of 10 people decide to only associate freely with each other. No need for masks or other protections when indoors our outdoors if one is only with their other bubble people. Outside of the bubble, masks, social distancing etc. all come into play.

There is a 14 day quarantine to start, then it's party time with the other 9 people.
Bubbles are monogamous. You can only be in one bubble at a time.
If you want to leave one bubble and go to another bubble, the 14 day quarantine raises its ugly head again.

Obviously, all ten people have to be very responsible.

I would find it very hard to trust that many people to be as vigilant as they would have to be. It only takes one person to make a "Well, one time won't hurt" decision and get everyone else sick.

 

[Roanna]

Um, maybe 3% of the U.S. population has had Covid with symptoms or confirmed.

The number of "official cases" is always low compared to the actual cases, in a pandemic. With H1N1 studies after the fact showed that the deaths were likely at least 15 times higher than the official count, so I assume the infection rate was likely 15 times higher than the official count on that as well.

The official count via testing is already more than 1.42% of the population, and the death count is 3.32% of the official infection count. Considering how infectious the disease has proven to be (16 friends went out to a bar one night in Florida and ALL got sick) the odds of catching it seem pretty high, actually, depending on where you live and where you go.

 

[audreyh1]

I would find it very hard to trust that many people to be as vigilant as they would have to be. It only takes one person to make a "Well, one time won't hurt" decision and get everyone else sick.

+1!

 

[NW-Bound]

I would find it very hard to trust that many people to be as vigilant as they would have to be. It only takes one person to make a "Well, one time won't hurt" decision and get everyone else sick.

+1

To me, a "bubble" should consist only of people living under the same roof. It's simply because it is the minimum that's practical. Here in the US where the family size is small, it would involve 2 or 3 people in most cases. Or a single person as in my mother's case, who lives alone.

As mentioned in an earlier post, when I see my children or my mother, we treat each other the same as strangers we encounter out in public. Come to think of it, we are able to stay further away from each other while talking than we can with fellow supermarket shoppers or the cashier while shopping.

 

[Alan]

The problem may be that they're finding that the antibodies may not hang around very long. Hopefully the body's T-cells rememeber the virus longer and will kick up an immune response if the person is exposed again.

I’m happy enough with the result to conclude that I had a respiratory infection of some sort that wasn’t Covid19. I got better after 10 days with nothing more than anti-septic mouthwash, cough syrup and homemade whisky/lemon/honey hot toddies. I’m sure that having my immune system kicked into action can only help.

 

[Christine]

Yes I have read that some colds possibly help people develop partial immunity against C19 since they also come from coronaviruses.


So having a cold may not be a bad thing!


Only source I have for this is a Norwegian newspaper a few days back.

You probably know more than two languages. Do you know both Norwegian and Sami?

No Sami - but a little German. Having Sami ancestors some generations back I probably should speak some - but 100+ years ago both the language and culture were actively surpressed by the then Government so it's been forgotten about.

 

[braumeister]

Yes I have read that some colds possibly help people develop partial immunity against C19 since they also come from coronaviruses.

Some do, but the majority of common colds are caused by rhinoviruses.

 

[jcfradio]

NHL is in 2 Canadian bubbles now. We shall see if it is better than MLB or NBA

It was probably a good idea for the NHL to put them in the two bubbles that they did, Toronto and Edmonton. Toronto has 2.5 million people and for the past week they have had less than 30 new cases a day. Yesterday it was 10. One of their original hubs was going to be Las Vegas, which would have probably been a mess.

 

[RAE]

Yes I have read that some colds possibly help people develop partial immunity against C19 since they also come from coronaviruses.

So having a cold may not be a bad thing!

Only source I have for this is a Norwegian newspaper a few days back.

Here is a link to an article about the German study you are referring to:

https://www.charite.de/en/service/p...s_affect_the_severity_of_sars_cov_2_symptoms/

 

[Rianne]

Here is a link to an article about the German study you are referring to:

https://www.charite.de/en/service/p...s_affect_the_severity_of_sars_cov_2_symptoms/

Interesting article (study). T cells are lymphocytes. Looking at past blood work, my lymphocytes are in a good range. I recall a discussion with my nephrologist (kidney specialist) back in March. We discussed Covid19. He stressed my immune system is in good shape. This may have an impact on how some people have few symptoms where others are serious. Still taking no chances.


From study:


“This suggests that the T-helper cells of healthy individuals react to SARS-CoV-2 because of previous exposure to the endemic ‘common cold’ coronaviruses,” says Dr. Giesecke-Thiel. She goes on to explain: “One of the characteristics of T-helper cells is that they are not only activated by a pathogen with an ‘exact fit’, but also by pathogens with ‘sufficient similarity’.” Notably, the researchers were able to show that the T-helper cells isolated from healthy participants who reacted to SARS-CoV-2 were also activated by various ‘common cold’ coronaviruses – displaying what is known as ‘cross-reactivity’.

 

[Kathe555]

I know. It's pretty scary stuff. My dad and his wife life there and they are hunkered down.

Just another reason why we will never consider the Villages as an example. Same stuff going on there.

 

[Poopycat]

How do you know that? If you want to say that you've had no Covid19-like symptoms in that time period, well okay I get that. But in the absence of testing how can you say with confidence that you don't now nor have you ever had Covid19?


EDIT: oops, see others have posted similar point. Wasn't trying to beat a dead horse

Actually, I was tested right at the time of the flurry of activity because I had to get a colonoscopy. And the results were negative.

So sure, if you want me to be specific, I did not have COVID-like symptoms in in the two months before testing or the one month after testing.

 

[Poopycat]

Actually, I was tested right at the time of the flurry of activity because I had to get a colonoscopy. And the results were negative.

So sure, if you want me to be specific, I did not have COVID-like symptoms in in the two months before testing or the one month after testing.

Besides that, I’m just not a lucky person. I know that if I do get infected, I won’t be one of these asymptomatic people.

 

[pb4uski]

About a week ago I learned that a good friend in Florida who I golf with regularly has contracted Covid. He and his DW were super careful... went out very little, masks, social distancing, etc. They were still even ordering groceries online for pickup so they didn't have to go to the stores.

They suspect that he got it from a recent ER visit for another ailment. Luckily, his wife tested negative.

He seemed to be doing well, but recently had trouble breathing and they moved him to the ICU and he is on a ventilator. I'm very concerned for him.

 

[Moemg]

About a week ago I learned that a good friend in Florida who I golf with regularly has contracted Covid. He and his DW were super careful... went out very little, masks, social distancing, etc. They were still even ordering groceries online for pickup so they didn't have to go to the stores.

They suspect that he got it from a recent ER visit for another ailment. Luckily, his wife tested negative.

He seemed to be doing well, but recently had trouble breathing and they moved him to the ICU and he is on a ventilator. I'm very concerned for him.

Sorry about your friend . It seems crazy that people can be so careful and get it and other people take zero precautions and are fine .

 

[Time2]

I live in an older development with 97 homes, at this point I know of three people that have had Covid 19 in the neighborhood. However, I'm may not be aware of others.
I'm getting stories from people (non mask wearers) like, my SIL, a nurse sent in swabs that were never used and they came back positive, or I know someone got in line to be tested and then after filling out the paperwork, got tired of waitng and left, they got a positive test result. I don't believe any of that, but I'm hearing such things. Also people that don't believe it real, I guess that's what I get for living in a small Southern town!