Covid Getting Closer to Home

[audreyh1]

That's what masks are for. If only we could get people to wear them.

Masks seem like a poor substitute for a nasal/upper respiratory vaccine.

 

[Koolau]

Masks seem like a poor substitute for a nasal/upper respiratory vaccine.

I recall as a kid being utterly frightened by needles. I'm not sure when I lost that (teens, I suppose) but some folks NEVER lose that and my WAG is that a nasal or oral vaccine would save thousands of lives by making vaccines available to more folks. (I know it's not simple and injections are easy by comparison to nasal delivery.) Off subject, so YMMV.

 

[Turbo29]

I recall as a kid being utterly frightened by needles. I'm not sure when I lost that (teens, I suppose) but some folks NEVER lose that and my WAG is that a nasal or oral vaccine would save thousands of lives by making vaccines available to more folks. (I know it's not simple and injections are easy by comparison to nasal delivery.) Off subject, so YMMV.

I was terrified of needles and then when I was 9 years old I broke my arm seriously enough that they sent me to the hospital so it could be set under general anesthesia. The nurse came in to give me an injection first and when she saw I was terrified she said, "Don't worry, the needle doesn't hurt hardly at all. If a shot hurts it's because of what's inside of it." That changed my whole mindset about needles.


Now when I get blood work done I watch the phlebotomist insert the needle in my vein and watch the blood fill the tubes. From what they tell me, very few people watch like I do.

 

[athena53]

I recall as a kid being utterly frightened by needles. I'm not sure when I lost that (teens, I suppose) but some folks NEVER lose that and my WAG is that a nasal or oral vaccine would save thousands of lives by making vaccines available to more folks.

Interesting thought. I have one unvaccinated brother and my sister thinks he just doesn't want to deal with needles. I don't get it- with my 4X/yearly bloodwork and 6X/yearly blood donations another needle stick isn't a big deal.

 

[Alan]

Interesting thought. I have one unvaccinated brother and my sister thinks he just doesn't want to deal with needles. I don't get it- with my 4X/yearly bloodwork and 6X/yearly blood donations another needle stick isn't a big deal.

Last month at the hospital where we have been involved in the mixed vaccine trial we were each having blood taken in chairs facing one another. My wife asked if they experienced many squeamish folks while taking blood and giving vaccines. Both nurses said that young men were by far the worst and they were on their guard to deal with fainting once the needle went in.

 

[Koolau]

Interesting thought. I have one unvaccinated brother and my sister thinks he just doesn't want to deal with needles. I don't get it- with my 4X/yearly bloodwork and 6X/yearly blood donations another needle stick isn't a big deal.

Yeah, I got over my fear of needles a long time ago and even began donating blood. But some folks seem never to lose that fear. At Megacorp, my boss had to have blood drawn for his yearly company-provided physical. He always had trouble with that part of the exam. One time, he collapsed to the floor. As folks watched, he slowly drew up into the fetal position. Very scary. YMMV

 

[harllee]

I don't have any problem with getting shots (except the Tetanus shot--than darn thing hurts). But I do have a problem with donating blood and getting blood drawn. I have small veins (even though I am a big person) and they have to stick and stick me to find a vein.

 

[rodi]

On the closer to home front: Ran into a friend who was at the end of 2 weeks home with Covid - her doctor told her it was Delta variant. She'd had covid early on (pre-Delta) so her "herd immunity" wasn't holding. I'm pretty sure she's unvaxxed. She wears a mask at work because the school district she works for requires it -but refuses outside of work. Apparently her whole family got covid this round - and her DH has pneumonia that they were considering hospitilation for. They got it from a family -super spreader Thanksgiving event... the niece that appears to have been family patient zero is on a vent. My friend (who I was talking to outside - and I'd put my mask on as soon as she started talking about it) said she had plenty of natural immunity now. I pointed out this was her *2nd* round of covid... so how was that working out for her.

On the needle front. I have a friend who is terrified of needles. She is staying home, making her husband get groceries etc... She knows/wants the vaccine but can't get past the very real fear. Her husband is a PhD biologist and was very quick to get vaxxed... She agrees the science says to get vaxxed. For my friend it's not political, science denying, or anything else - it's 100% needle phobia. She's hoping there will be a nasal spray or edible at some point because she has literally stayed home since the beginning. My husband visited them this past summer when he was back east - but kept the visit outside and short in length.

 

[audreyh1]

He was already well over the worst of it when he finally tested positive. Double vaxxed so not much concern over worse outcomes. So all but one of them will be traveling to the US in a little over 2 weeks with papers saying they've recovered. Fingers crossed that the one child with no symptoms and testing negative remains immune.

The last (and oldest) child finally tested positive via PCR. Has been asymptomatic the whole time and still is. Just in time too - 10 day quarantine and flying to the US in 11 days.

So - all 3 children caught covid and double vaxxed parents with breakthrough infections. Now all five of them will travel to the US with recently recovered from Covid papers.

 

[disneysteve]

Masks seem like a poor substitute for a nasal/upper respiratory vaccine.

Agreed, but until there is a vaccine or other treatment that can prevent us from shedding virus particles when we are infected, masks are a cheap and effective way to accomplish that.

 

[Alan]

On the closer to home front: Ran into a friend who was at the end of 2 weeks home with Covid - her doctor told her it was Delta variant. She'd had covid early on (pre-Delta) so her "herd immunity" wasn't holding. I'm pretty sure she's unvaxxed. She wears a mask at work because the school district she works for requires it -but refuses outside of work. Apparently her whole family got covid this round - and her DH has pneumonia that they were considering hospitilation for. They got it from a family -super spreader Thanksgiving event... the niece that appears to have been family patient zero is on a vent. My friend (who I was talking to outside - and I'd put my mask on as soon as she started talking about it) said she had plenty of natural immunity now. I pointed out this was her *2nd* round of covid... so how was that working out for her.

On the needle front. I have a friend who is terrified of needles. She is staying home, making her husband get groceries etc... She knows/wants the vaccine but can't get past the very real fear. Her husband is a PhD biologist and was very quick to get vaxxed... She agrees the science says to get vaxxed. For my friend it's not political, science denying, or anything else - it's 100% needle phobia. She's hoping there will be a nasal spray or edible at some point because she has literally stayed home since the beginning. My husband visited them this past summer when he was back east - but kept the visit outside and short in length.

Sobering story especially when it is people you actually know.

I really do understand the needle phobia and it must be incredibly tough. What I don’t understand is the preference to get immunity from having Covid. Even if you get equivalent or better protection than having a vaccine, you are risking your life or nasty long term effects when getting Covid. Hopefully the niece pulls through okay and her husband’s pneumonia does not hospitalize him.

 

[teejayevans]

Just lost a good friend, 60 and otherwise healthy, he wasn’t vaccinated and rarely got sick.

I got my booster this week, if they come out with another version tailored for new variants, I’ll get that too.

 

[iloveyoga]

Just lost a good friend, 60 and otherwise healthy, he wasn’t vaccinated and rarely got sick.

I got my booster this week, if they come out with another version tailored for new variants, I’ll get that too.

I am sorry for your loss.

DH and I will also be getting any further boosters as needed. Along with my DM.

 

[Badger]

Just lost a good friend, 60 and otherwise healthy, he wasn’t vaccinated and rarely got sick.

I got my booster this week, if they come out with another version tailored for new variants, I’ll get that too.

+1 We got boosted in mid-August and still wear a mask, distance, and limit exposure to grocery shopping, Dr visits, and on a rare occasion outdoor dining. We are not interested in experiencing hospitalization from Covid nor do we want to chance any of the after effects.


Cheers!

 

[Chuckanut]

Just lost a good friend, 60 and otherwise healthy, he wasn’t vaccinated and rarely got sick.

I got my booster this week, if they come out with another version tailored for new variants, I’ll get that too.

I am sorry for your loss.

We'll see what happens with Omicron. The last time I looked at booster scheduling the wait is about 5 weeks at the place I received my booster. That can be considered good or bad. Bad because of the long wait. Good because many people are seeking the vaccine.

Who knows? Maybe Omicron will not only beat Delta but also get more of the under vaxxed and non-vaxxed people off their duffs.

 

[tulak]

^ Walk-ins can work better for the booster.

DD is back from college and wanted to get a booster. We looked for appointments and nothing available. We were driving by the pop-up clinic where I got my booster and saw they had a sign for covid vaccinations. We went in and they gave her a booster with no appointment. The clinic wasn’t that busy. A good number of people, but they had multiple stations with no wait.

So if someone is looking for a booster, I’d recommend looking at places that accept walk-ins.

 

[Koolau]

^ Walk-ins can work better for the booster.

DD is back from college and wanted to get a booster. We looked for appointments and nothing available. We were driving by the pop-up clinic where I got my booster and saw they had a sign for covid vaccinations. We went in and they gave her a booster with no appointment. The clinic wasn’t that busy. A good number of people, but they had multiple stations with no wait.

So if someone is looking for a booster, I’d recommend looking at places that accept walk-ins.

Only place I know to get a booster (and I'm sure there ARE others) is CVS. They do NOT allow walk ins. Period. They require an appointment made on line - which takes 10+ minutes just to fill out forms. It's a pain. YMMV

 

[teejayevans]

Only place I know to get a booster (and I'm sure there ARE others) is CVS. They do NOT allow walk ins. Period. They require an appointment made on line - which takes 10+ minutes just to fill out forms. It's a pain. YMMV

Yes, I saw a couple turned away for not having an appointment despite there not being a line, many appointments available to pick from the day before.

 

[retire-early]

My mom got her Moderna booster at Walgreens.

I got my booster through a major local hospital network.
This hospital network was one of the partners in one of the state's vaccine mega-site centers.

 

[SunnyOne]

I got my Moderna booster yesterday at the pharmacy located inside a major local grocery chain store.

Not feeling too great today, achey and sore. Omicron warnings all over the news

 

[athena53]

Only place I know to get a booster (and I'm sure there ARE others) is CVS. They do NOT allow walk ins. Period. They require an appointment made on line - which takes 10+ minutes just to fill out forms. It's a pain. YMMV

That's where I got mine and I agree. I made the appointment on-line and uploaded images of the front and back of my Medicare card. I needed to change the appointment and the only way to do it was to cancel the original one and then go through the whole process again- including uploading the Medicare card images again! But, it's over and done.

 

[CaliKid]

That's where I got mine and I agree. I made the appointment on-line and uploaded images of the front and back of my Medicare card. I needed to change the appointment and the only way to do it was to cancel the original one and then go through the whole process again- including uploading the Medicare card images again! But, it's over and done.

Easier to just say you have no insurance. Either way it's free.

 

[SunnyOne]

I subscribe to a medical journal. This weeks edition featured the next generation of coronavirus vaccinations/drugs - describing preventive skin patches and nasal sprays.

I don't have any needle issues - but for those who do, this could be a good thing.

 

[disneysteve]

Only place I know to get a booster (and I'm sure there ARE others) is CVS.

Around here (NJ) all of the pharmacies are giving the vaccines, including the ones in supermarkets and Targets and such. Our hospital system recently reopened the megasite they had set up when the vaccines first came out. There may be other state or county sites around too. I haven't looked as my wife and I are already boosted.


I don't know which of the many options offer walk in visits though.

 

[harllee]

My DH and I are restocking our Covid quarantine kit in case either or both of us catch Covid. The things we have: Easy food stuff, thermometer, tylenol, kleenex and toilet paper, cough medicine, cough drops, nasal spray, oximeter. We have our guest room set up so that one of us could isolate in there. We have several home test kits and information about nearby testing sites. We also have information about where antibody treatment is being given nearby (but I understand that may not be very effective against omicron). We have all kinds of masks--cloth, N95, KN95.

Any suggestions about other things we need to have on hand? We each have had 3 vaccines but I figure it is just a matter of time.