Covid Getting Closer to Home

[mountainsoft]

For the last year or so Covid was something that happened to other people, out there, somewhere. While I knew it existed, I didn't personally know anyone who had been affected. Oh how times have changed...

My cousin was the first person I knew to get it. She had the whole loss of taste thing and felt bad for a while but has since recovered.

My brother-in-laws mom got Covid last year, again recovered as far as I know.

My niece got Covid, but I don't think she ever developed any symptoms.

Just recently my wife's uncle got Covid and died from it. He had underlying conditions.

My wife's oldest sister and her husband just got Covid. Both were sick, she has mostly recovered and back to work. He's still having trouble and went to the hospital a couple days ago with breathing difficulties. Don't know if he's back home. He's in his 80's with underlying conditions.

One of my wife's other sister's and her husband just got Covid too. He is recovering better than she is, but so far I think they'll be OK.

My daughter works at an assisted living home. 26 residents and one staff member tested positive over the weekend, and one resident died today (underlying conditions).

Statistically the numbers seem to be going down, but it sure seems like there's a lot more cases closer to home now. As far as I know, everyone who has gotten sick has not been vaccinated. Thankfully, my wife, daughter, and myself are all fully vaccinated. My daughter will be getting the booster in the next week or so due to her occupation. My wife and I aren't eligible for the booster.

 

[Ronstar]

Exactly the opposite here. We had several friends and relatives who had covid more than 6 months ago, but none since. Most recovered with no problems. 2 elderly folks with underlying conditions passed.

I haven't heard from friends/ relatives saying that they know of anyone who has had it recently.

That said, I'll probably get the booster at some point. Definitely bringing the MIL in for a booster.

 

[FIREd]

No one I know got COVID this year, but my mom and 2 cousins got it last year. They all recovered.

 

[folivier]

Covid appears to be following the same path as any other virus. Starts out deadly, then mutates into a less deadly but more contagious form. Remember, a virus is like any other organism. It wants to survive and procreate. Herd immunity is here.

 

[donheff]

My daughter will be getting the booster in the next week or so due to her occupation. My wife and I aren't eligible for the booster.

When I read the CDC guidelines I concluded that they are essentially clearing anyone over 18 who wants a booster to get one. The clear "wink, wink" to me is that "former smoker" is listed as a qualifying condition. No mention of when or how much you have to have smoked.

The bottom line is, if you want a booster, check off underlying condition and get it. No one is going to ask for additional data.

 

[old medic]

Just buried 2 close friends and a distant cousin in the last few weeks.
51, 63 and 65. all fairly healthy and one fully vaccinated, one against it and 3rd I dont Know.
Also have a coworker, 53 that has been on a ventilator 3 weeks now...
Not only hit close... but very hard...
And I still am knee deep in this crap for 50 more days...
Y'all please be safe

 

[disneysteve]

Covid is still going strong. We see 4-5 cases a day at my clinic. Most vaccinated, some not. Our monoclonal antibody therapy team is treating more and more patients each month. It makes sense that you would know more people who have it.

At this point, though, having COVID isn’t such big news so people may not “advertise “ it as much. Just because you don’t hear about it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

 

[mountainsoft]

When I read the CDC guidelines I concluded that they are essentially clearing anyone over 18 who wants a booster to get one. The clear "wink, wink" to me is that "former smoker" is listed as a qualifying condition. No mention of when or how much you have to have smoked.

The bottom line is, if you want a booster, check off underlying condition and get it. No one is going to ask for additional data.

I'm under 65, no underlying conditions, don't work in a risky profession, and it has been less than 6 months since I got vaccinated. I'm in no rush, I'll get the booster when and if I'm eligible. I work from home, only visit a small group of family members (all vaccinated), and rarely get close enough to anyone in public to worry about it.

 

[Live Free]

The curve is on a downward trend for sure. But case counts are still high. I'm hoping that the 5-11 yo vax approval goes through and that that really sets us up for a better 2022.

 

[Ian S]

Covid appears to be following the same path as any other virus. Starts out deadly, then mutates into a less deadly but more contagious form. Remember, a virus is like any other organism. It wants to survive and procreate. Herd immunity is here.

The Delta variant which has pretty much taken over from earlier versions is certainly far more transmissible than others but also is able to replicate much faster. I don't think there is much evidence that it is less deadly at this point. Otherwise, why are your chances of winding up in the ICU so much higher with a Delta infection? See https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ar...her-risk-of-icu-admission-than-original-virus

 

[Sue J]

We didn't think we knew anyone who had covid and then DH was in the backyard raking and stopped to chat with the neighbor. He and his wife (mid 60s to early 70s) both had covid last November before vaccines were available. They have both recovered.

And our son told us last week that a co-worker (mid 50's male) had covid and was in the hospital and on a ventilator. Yesterday he told us the man had died. The man's two sons also have covid. All three were not vaccinated. Our son is fully vaccinated and didn't work directly with any of them.

 

[Luvtoride]

When I read the CDC guidelines I concluded that they are essentially clearing anyone over 18 who wants a booster to get one. The clear "wink, wink" to me is that "former smoker" is listed as a qualifying condition. No mention of when or how much you have to have smoked.

The bottom line is, if you want a booster, check off underlying condition and get it. No one is going to ask for additional data.

Donheff/ mountainside, yes, by all means get the booster. Now that Moderna boosters are available CVS is basically administering the booster to anyone who requests it. My boss just told us on a call that he got one (he's under 60) at CVS as he got off the train yesterday (made the appointment on the app while on the train).

 

[W2R]

At this point, though, having COVID isn’t such big news so people may not “advertise “ it as much. Just because you don’t hear about it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.

Exactly. It's not a big deal and it's kind of awkward to discuss. Nobody wants to hear that the person they are talking to had a terrible illness like this. It would sort of be like telling the person, "oh hey, I had the black plague, but I swear I'm over it, hope those fleas don't bother you!". Even when you have not been contagious for weeks, nobody wants to upset others like that.

 

[MBAustin]

My yoga teacher, healthy and in her 20s, got it a few weeks ago; she said it was like a bad cold for about 10 days. A music professor, healthy and in his 50s, got it in August from a non-masked, anti-vaxx pastor during a music workshop and was very ill for 3 weeks. Even more unfortunately, this time also was while his father was dying from aggressive stomach cancer and he couldn't visit him. Both were fully vaccinated. I'm still wearing masks in public spaces, although I am singing in church on Sundays without a mask (pretty sure the entire choir is vaccinated).

 

[Lisa99]

I know two people who died in the last month of Covid. Both from the same family and neither vaccinated. A 40 year old healthy male and his 69 year old aunt with underlying conditions.

 

[ivinsfan]

My yoga teacher, healthy and in her 20s, got it a few weeks ago; she said it was like a bad cold for about 10 days. A music professor, healthy and in his 50s, got it in August from a non-masked, anti-vaxx pastor during a music workshop and was very ill for 3 weeks. Even more unfortunately, this time also was while his father was dying from aggressive stomach cancer and he couldn't visit him. Both were fully vaccinated. I'm still wearing masks in public spaces, although I am singing in church on Sundays without a mask (pretty sure the entire choir is vaccinated).

You know this professor choose to go to a music workshop, knowing his Dad had aggressive stomach cancer. He made a choice. all this judgmental stuff really needs to stop. It's getting old.

 

[ivinsfan]

Exactly. It's not a big deal and it's kind of awkward to discuss. Nobody wants to hear that the person they are talking to had a terrible illness like this. It would sort of be like telling the person, "oh hey, I had the black plague, but I swear I'm over it, hope those fleas don't bother you!". Even when you have not been contagious for weeks, nobody wants to upset others like that.

Interesting comment considering your history and I understand your point. And then we have the people that say I had it and didn't even know I had it.


Covid has to be one of the strangest things around. I sure wish it had some rhyme or reason to what it does.



You don't have to answer as it certainly is a private matter but did Frank ever even get Covid?.

 

[bbbamI]

Four people I know died of covid last year.

My dh and I have had nine relatives infected with covid in the last two months. Eight of those cases were breakthrough. Most had moderate symptoms and one was serious; our nephew (41) and his was breakthrough.

 

[Chuckanut]

A young guy near me refused to get vaccinated since he was sure even if he got Covid, it would not be that serious. He thinks he might already have had it.

He likes to go out and listen to various bands at the local nightspots. And the new rules in the county say he has to show proof of vaccination or a negative test within the previous three days to get in. The vaccine is free to him. He would have to pay for the test, probably multiple times a month. He got vaccinated.

Nothing like an ongoing financial slap in the face to get a person's attention.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Covid appears to be following the same path as any other virus. Starts out deadly, then mutates into a less deadly but more contagious form. Remember, a virus is like any other organism. It wants to survive and procreate. Herd immunity is here.

Do you have any resources that state that the delta variant is less deadly? I haven't seen any myself. Most of the most vulnerable people (over 80) have been vaccinated, so the overall death rate is lower. Long Covid rate is lower. In our area, we have been plateaued for a week or two but the numbers are not significantly dropping yet. We are also better at treating it, though that is not universally the case.

On the other hand, there are many more pediatric cases with this lastest surge than ever before, because of both our collective behavior and the contagiousness of this variant, and more kids were hospitalized than ever. Monoclonal antibodies were not available until just one year ago, and not widely available during the surge last winter and spring, and few had been fully vaccinated. We don't offer monoclonals to children or young adults without pre-existing conditions.

 

[RetMD21]

In my area the positive test rate is over 10% but no real surge. I think the virus is going to run out of good hosts over a period of months. I do worry about the "fully vaccinated" who only had JNJ and don't get a booster. I am guessing that it is too late to run a trial of one dose vs planned 2 dose JNJ

 

[brett]

Covid is certainly active where we live. ICU's are at capacity. Over the past month month the number of people in the ICU who have not been vaccinated twice has ranged from 89-92 percent according to our daily health authority updates

The positivity rate in our city is down to 6-7 percent from 11/12. We have a high percentage of vaccinated adults..80 percent plus in the city.

Not so in some of our rural areas. Several have vaccination rates of 40 percent, 50 percent. They also have positivity rates of 18-20 percent.

Our city ICU's have a higher percentage of patients who have been transferred in from smaller rural hospitals and health clinics than locals.

 

[disneysteve]

In my area the positive test rate is over 10% but no real surge. I think the virus is going to run out of good hosts over a period of months. I do worry about the "fully vaccinated" who only had JNJ and don't get a booster. I am guessing that it is too late to run a trial of one dose vs planned 2 dose JNJ

A study came out last week, from Yale I think, predicting that unvaccinated folks can expect to catch COVID every 16-17 months due to natural immunity wearing off. Vaccinated immunity can also wane over time, hence the boosters, so if people don't keep up with those, they'll become more vulnerable over time as well.


I'm hoping that by next year, they'll come out with a Flu/COVID combo shot to make it easier to stay on top of it.

 

[bmcgonig]

You know this professor choose to go to a music workshop, knowing his Dad had aggressive stomach cancer. He made a choice. all this judgmental stuff really needs to stop. It's getting old.

You might reread what you wrote with respect to “judgmental stuff” [emoji16]

 

[pacergal]

A study came out last week, from Yale I think, predicting that unvaccinated folks can expect to catch COVID every 16-17 months due to natural immunity wearing off. Vaccinated immunity can also wane over time, hence the boosters, so if people don't keep up with those, they'll become more vulnerable over time as well.


I'm hoping that by next year, they'll come out with a Flu/COVID combo shot to make it easier to stay on top of it.

+100 on the combo vaccine!

I know of two former co workers who had Covid.
Luckily and thankfully, no one in my family has so far.