Home Covid Testing

[tmm99]

We have three boxes of rapid tests still unused. I hope we'll never have to use them...

 

[RonBoyd]

I’ve been feeling guilty about the fact that they were going to expire in another month or so.

I don't know about expiration but the "Use by" date on ours are not for a while -- for example 01/02/24. (We have six packages from several we gave away.)

 

[Trailwalker]

I don't know about expiration but the "Use by" date on ours are not for a while -- for example 01/02/24. (We have six packages from several we gave away.)

My wife used up the two pack from a different manufacturer. The ones that I used came from a Roche 4-pack and are marked with a manufacture date of 2/7/22 and an expiration date of 8/6/22.

 

[RonBoyd]

My wife used up the two pack from a different manufacturer. The ones that I used came from a Roche 4-pack and are marked with a manufacture date of 2/7/22 and an expiration date of 8/6/22.

Our's (from USPS) are labeled from iHealthLabs. Inc. and the oldest (2/4) we have are labeled with a "Use by" date of 01/29/24.

We have yet to use any of them so I cannot vouch for the soundness of its application

 

[athena53]

I had two of the free tests left when the second round was offered. I ordered them and they sent me 2 mailings, each with 2 3-packs. I live alone- I don't need that many- but I sent them to DS and DDIL. Adults are vaccinated, kids aren't and they've had it twice. If one shows symptoms you may as well test everyone.

Positivity rates are up in our area but it's hard to see the full story. Routine required testing (e.g. college students every week) no longer happens and there's no mechanism to report results of the home tests. I'm figuring that the population now getting tests that are reported is much different now- mostly people who are pretty darn sure they have it and are seeking treatement.

 

[iloveyoga]

I recently had a virus/cough and used four of our tests, all negative and the Dr. finally said I did not have Covid. It was nice to know at least, even though what I had was very unpleasant.

 

[Chuckanut]

My empirical observation is that Covid is spreading rapidly in my area.

People who never had it, are vaccinated and boosted, are now getting it for the first time. Others are on the 2nd or 3rd Covid event. A friend of mine reported that three coworkers in her department of 10 tested positive last week. I know more people who have had Covid so far in 2022, than I knew in 2021.

 

[Franklin]

DW and I just returned from a 2 day trip to Detroit via plane on Friday. We are both vaxed and boosted. 2 days ago we both felt badly (cold/flu type) so we took a rapid test yesterday which was negative. This morning after a sleepless night we tested again and are both now positive. I suspect we will test again in 5 days. The biggest issue is a lack of energy and a dull headache. We used the iHealth Rapid test.

 

[ivinsfan]

My empirical observation is that Covid is spreading rapidly in my area.

People who never had it, are vaccinated and boosted, are now getting it for the first time. Others are on the 2nd or 3rd Covid event. A friend of mine reported that three coworkers in her department of 10 tested positive last week. I know more people who have had Covid so far in 2022, than I knew in 2021.

Same here and our state MN has now started weekly instead of daily Covid reports. Honestly the reach of Covid is really mind blowing .. who would have thought virtually everyone will get it and some multiple times. The end result that I see anyway is that people have pretty much gone back to life as usual.

 

[Chuckanut]

The end result that I see anyway is that people have pretty much gone back to life as usual.

The good thing about going back to life as usual is that many of can do it because the vaccines are doing a great job of keeping us out of the hospital, out of ITC units, and alive. Everybody I know who has contracted Covid in the last few months has come out of it in one piece. Even the repeat people. Nobody I know has complained of long-Covid.

In 2020 and parts of 2021, I heard about people dying from Covid, at least once a month. Today, I don't hear about very much death. I can't remember the last time somebody told me that a former coworker with immune problems, an great aunt, an aging neighbor died of Covid.

I still avoid crowded places such as movie theaters, and I wear a N95 mask if I can't do so. So, it's not completely normal.

 

[ivinsfan]

Chuck I don't do movies and wouldn't be up for plane travels. But in my out and about regular life things are back to normal. I don't have much hesitation about gathering with small groups of friends.

I find I personally don't think about Covid as much as I used to.

 

[Trailwalker]

I'm much more relaxed about Covid than I was before vaccines were available. Testing positive for the first time last week was a personal reminder that it's going to be around for the foreseeable future. All of my symptoms have resolved, and I'll start playing pickleball again next week.

A young man who was an eagle scout in my son's boy scout troop died last week from Covid after collapsing in the shower. He wasn't vaccinated because he thought he might be allergic to the vaccine. He was an otherwise healthy, good kid with a bright future who was a good role model for my son.

His brother, who is my son's age, is on social media pleading for anyone who is not vaccinated to get vaccinated. I used to know their parents pretty well, and my heart just breaks for them.

 

[JDARNELL]

A young man who was an eagle scout in my son's boy scout troop died last week from Covid after collapsing in the shower. He wasn't vaccinated because he thought he might be allergic to the vaccine. He was an otherwise healthy, good kid with.

That is tragic. Was this the reason he collapsed or was something else going on? I haven’t heard of people collapsing because of it.

 

[Trailwalker]

That is tragic. Was this the reason he collapsed or was something else going on? I haven’t heard of people collapsing because of it.

I don't have a lot of the details. This is the update that his younger brother posted last week.

"Just wanted to make an update about Max’s passing. After seeing the ME report about Max. It was discovered that Max had long hauler Covid-19, and Covid-19 pneumonia. Max was not vaccinated because he worried about the side effects due to his allergies. Max was cremated this morning around 9:30. He will be returned to our family until we pick out a beautiful place to lay him to rest. Thank you everyone for the kind messages and stories about Max. I am encouraging people who are unvaccinated to please get vaccinated. If my 26 year old brother would have, he may still be here."

 

[explanade]

If all you get is some cold symptoms for a week, then life can be normal.

If it's more than that, you may not have a normal life for a long time.

 

[travelover]

I have not seen our next door neighbors for a while, though I knew they were back home after being gone. DW found out that they took a cruise to Alaska and were very sick the whole time and the husband is still quite sick. Kinda sobering, especially after another friend took a tour to Norway and ended up in the hospital there. I know he was vaxxed and boosted, though 80 years old. It ain't over.

 

[2HOTinPHX]

Seems like every time we think its getting safe out there we start hearing more news like this on Covid....

Saw similar report on the ABC evening news tonight...

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/05/health/covid-reinfection-risk/index.html
From CNN

Repeatedly catching Covid-19 appears to increase the chances that a person will face new and sometimes lasting health problems after their infection, according to the first study on the health risks of reinfection.

The study, which is based on the health records of more than 5.6 million people treated in the VA Health System, found that, compared with those with just one Covid-19 infection, those with two or more documented infections had more than twice the risk of dying and three times the risk of being hospitalized within six months of their last infection. They also had higher risks for lung and heart problems, fatigue, digestive and kidney disorders, diabetes and neurologic problems.

The findings come as a fresh wave of coronavirus variants, notably Omicron’s BA.5, have become dominant in the United States and Europe, causing cases and hospitalizations to rise once again. BA.5 caused about 54% of cases nationwide last week, doubling its share of Covid-19 transmission over the past two weeks, according to data posted Tuesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BA.5 carries key mutations that help it escape antibodies generated by both vaccines and prior infection, leaving many people vulnerable to reinfection.

Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, led the research, which was posted as a preprint ahead of peer review. He said he decided to do it after watching reinfections become more and more common among his own patients.

“If you asked me about reinfection maybe a year and a half ago, I would tell you that maybe I have a patient here or there, but it’s really, really rare,” Al-Aly said. That’s not true anymore, though.

“So we asked a simple question that if you got Covid before and now you’re on your second infection, does this really add risk? And the simple answer is that it does.”

 

[2HOTinPHX]

More bad news..Local...

Nine of Arizona’s 15 counties are now in a high level of COVID-19 community transmission.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coconino, Yavapai, Mohave, Apache, Navajo and others have all experienced rising infections in recent weeks.

The CDC recommends all people in areas of high transmission wear masks indoors in public and take additional precautions.


The most recent virus report released on Friday showed cases were on the rise after a slight decline since early June.

Statewide, COVID infections have increased since early May but still remain well below the pandemic’s all-time high point last January.

More than 16,500 cases have been confirmed in Arizona in the last week.

 

[audreyh1]

That is tragic. Was this the reason he collapsed or was something else going on? I haven’t heard of people collapsing because of it.

Sure, used to happen often enough. Blood clots or super low oxygen levels. Young people occasionally had heart attacks - probably induced by blood clots.

Sounds like this young man had untreated pneumonia.

 

[Chuckanut]

Chuck I don't do movies and wouldn't be up for plane travels. But in my out and about regular life things are back to normal. I don't have much hesitation about gathering with small groups of friends.

I find I personally don't think about Covid as much as I used to.

Emphasis added above.

I think the friends thing you point out is important. A small group of friends I know well and trust to do things right is a lot more safe than a crowded site full of strangers who may or may not give a hoot if they spread Covid to others.

I am adjusting the parameters of my life so as to minimize getting Covid while still living life. Some may call it living in fear, but I like to think of it as similar to an investor who tries to maximize the total return.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I am now 2 weeks out from catching Covid in Ireland and the fatigue is awful. It’s probably a combination with jet lag thrown in. I am sleeping about 14 hours a day.

 

[ivinsfan]

I am now 2 weeks out from catching Covid in Ireland and the fatigue is awful. It’s probably a combination with jet lag thrown in. I am sleeping about 14 hours a day.

Feel better soon and in your case the stress/worry you experienced by being solo, away from home and confined to a hotel room didn't help a thing.


Posters who think well if I get Covid while traveling I have insurance and will hunker down and then move on need to think long and hard about reality.

 

[audreyh1]

I am now 2 weeks out from catching Covid in Ireland and the fatigue is awful. It’s probably a combination with jet lag thrown in. I am sleeping about 14 hours a day.

Plenty of rest is really important when recovering from Covid.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My friend wants us to go to Paris in 2 years and while I want to go I said we will have to see what the Covid situation is closer to the time. My friend ended up sick a day after me as were many on the bus. No one tested and they all stayed on the bus. My friend said between her ankle that she sprained the second day of the tour, getting Covid, losing me and pouring rain for 4 days at outside attractions it wasn’t much fun. Prior to that we were having a great time.

I was worried about being alone and not realizing if I got really sick before I was dead. Plus for 5 of the 8 days I didn’t have a plane ticket home and didn’t have the driver until a day before I left. Then I traveled 26 hours not feeling good.

 

[explanade]

I am now 2 weeks out from catching Covid in Ireland and the fatigue is awful. It’s probably a combination with jet lag thrown in. I am sleeping about 14 hours a day.

If you're still testing positive, may be worth trying to take Paxlovid.