Here is YET another COVID AMA thread I'm doing that I don't want to do?

From Jleslie

I don’t know if this is the most recent covid Q.

@Caravanfan Is your hospital testing for the variant before giving monoclonal antibody treatment?

Are you phasing out Regeneron for the Glaxo treatment. My mom told me that Glaxo is the only antibody treatment helping with Omicron infection, and upon googling that seems correct, and I just read some hospitals in Florida might stop administering Regeneron.

It wasn’t clear to me if Glaxo antibody treatment is working better on all the variants?

I read there is still a lot 40% Delta cases, and in some markets it’s a much higher percent and some much lower. 40% is just a US average.

Thanks!

Answer to Jleslie

Nobody is testing for variant before giving monoclonal antibody treatment. At the moment we’re not giving any because we ran out of a supply. Yes, Delta is still out there and causing trouble.

Variant testing is done at an epidemiologic public health level. It is not involved with making clinical decisions.

How does the Mrna vaccine work? Why is it called that?

@RedDeerGuy1 https://youtu.be/WOvvyqJ-vwo

Watch that and if you still have questions get back to me on this thread.

I got my booster at the end of August. Should I be concerned about it being less effective soon?

@Caravanfan Ok, interesting. So, variant testing is sort of after the fact then? If a lot of people are hospitalized or dying in a cluster government might investigate further, that sort of thing?

Here is one article I read regarding the Glaxo treatment vs others if you or anyone on the thread is interested. https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/586937-only-one-antibody-treatment-works-against?fbclid=IwAR23DE3U0Xik2DNM_vVLDs54EtoDsBMcQ5X-jHwUuzt8njjn-BJmLmRp9WY

Also, I came across this article talking about decisions being made at University of Florida hospital system. Mentions they were considering switching away from Regeneron, but holding off on that decision for now. https://www.news4jax.com/health/2021/12/28/monoclonal-treatment-offered-in-ne-florida-has-low-efficacy-rate-for-omicron-expert-warns/?outputType=amp&fbclid=IwAR2zbuxIvd9rvxnFs9h82hcBYid7k5dveDryw8LuqHilgs1bKhac2ttGm2A

@janbb I’m not answering for @Caravanfan, but feel compelled to tell you I know so many people who are boosted and sick right now. None in the hospital thankfully.

My son visited for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. He called on New Years Eve to tell us he tested positive for Covid. He mentioned that he started to feel ill the night he left our house. Since it’s been over a week and everyone in our house doesn’t have to go back to work until Tuesday, is that long enough of a quarantine? Is it too late to get tested? If not, which test should we get? We all feel fine and we are all vaccinated. I’m the only one eligible at the moment for a booster, which I planned to get after the holiday.

Can someone else catch Covid from a positive home Covid test?

@janbb Nobody knows. But I am concerned
@JLeslie I have been underwhelmed in general by the monoclonal ab treatments
@Jonsblond Get tested with a PCR test, but you’re probably okay if you’re feeling fine.
@RedDeerGuy1 No. You can catch Covid from the person who had the positive test.

@Caravanfan Thank you very much.

Thank you @Caravanfan ! !

Thank you, @Caravanfan!

Thank you!

Does the darkness of the line on an antigen test correlate to viral load?

@raum I don’t know. But if the line is at all positive then it’s a positive.

Should positive cases in the same household isolate from one another?

1.) If they have different viral loads. So the larger viral load doesn’t give more viral load to milder case?

2.) If they’re on different schedules? Can a newer case reinfect someone who is on the mend?

Thoughts on CDC reducing current guidelines to five days?

(Asking because four out of five in our family tested positive. But three who started symptoms on Tuesday have lighter lines than the one whose symptoms began later on in the week. Assuming from 7+ hour car ride with those three cases. Wondering if I should separate Wave One from Wave Two.)

@raum Yes
1) Not necessarily
2) Probably not, but u nclea

CDC: I think it’s stupid

Car ride: The “lighter lines” mean absolutely nothing. A positive is a positive. I would not travel at all if they are in isolation.

No questions here boss. Thanks.

Have you done much reading on Paxlovid? Could that be the game-changer for the pandemic we’ve been hoping for?

@gorillapaws The field is littered with drugs that have had promise but found out to be complete busts. We will see.

@Caravanfan Thanks! Really appreciate you making yet another thread and fielding all of these questions!

Yes, I know a light line is a positive. Not questioning that in any way. More wondering if I should separate them into three groups at home or into two. :)

The drive home couldn’t be helped. And the grapevine was closed, so it was a very long detour up the 101. :/

@raum My daughter drove over the grapevine two days ago going back to school. She said it was gorgeous.

If the drive home couldn’t be helped, then divide the group up.

@Caravanfan We drove up the 30th, thinking we would miss New Years traffic. But it seemed like everyone else had the same idea. :/

The highlight of the detour might have been the random giant red high heel shoe near Santa Barbara somewhere. Seriously had to do a double take.

We’d been isolating away from last kid who was still testing negative as soon as we got home. But with all that time in the car with us, we figured it was just a matter of time. And last night she was warm. So we are all just riding this out at home.

Side question to either of you. What’s the grapevine? Is that going east on the San Mateo bridge or something else?

@janbb Grapevine is a wiggly road going through the mountains on the five freeway. North of Los Angeles. If it’s snowing, they shut it down because the windy roads can get dangerous. But it cuts off access to the five. Five is the straightest shot going north and south. 101 also goes north and south. But goes along the coast. Beautiful, but windier and slower than the five.

Ta

I’m visualizing The Californians from SNL right now. :D

@Jonsblond You would be correct. Most city drivers here have absolutely no idea on how to drive in the snow. I’m a city driver but I’ve been going skiing for 30 years so I do know. But you’d be surprised at how many people will slam on their brakes on a downhill when it’s icy. Causes a lot of problems.

Let’s be honest here. Many of the drivers aren’t even that great on dry flat roads. :P

@Caravanfan I have tickets to an indoor concert on January 14th. They say vaccination is required but I don’t know how stringently they check and I don’t know how strict they are about mask wearing. I probably shouldn’t go, right? (It’s a fundraising concert and Springsteen often appears.)

Also, as an update on the aquacise question, I’ve decided to stay away from the pool until the middle of January and reassess then.

@janbb if I were in your position I wouldn’t go. But I’m super cautious.

@Caravanfan Thanks – and I’m also thinking about the friend I was planning to go with who got a J&J shot last winter and won’t get a booster because she’s “done her part.” That is not encouraging either.

@janbb Yep. She’s basically unprotected at this point.

Why is it we only needed one shot as kids to grant us immunity to what ever, but need 2 and a booster with this? And there are rumors that it will wear off eventually?

@Dutchess_III Many vaccines are two-part series. HepA, HepB, Rotovirus, DTaP, polio, just to name a few. MMR is two-part, but a few years apart I think not just a few months like the other I named. Measles was a single shot initially, but they had a lot of breakthrough and upped it to a two dose. You possibly never received the measles vaccine or MMR if you were already an adult at the time it came to market. A lot of the vaccinations given to children today didn’t even exist when we were children.

Sometimes they need a larger dose for good efficacy, but the large dose has too many side effects, so it is split in two. Sometimes two doses is better, because in between the immunity can mature. All sorts of reasons. Sometimes it is just a matter of how it was tested and approved, and other combinations and doses might have worked.

Plus, some vaccines get updated. New manufacturer with better efficacy and they get rid of the old vaccine, or the US stops using the old vaccine. Like polio vax, we used to use the oral, but stopped, but other parts of the world still use it.

@JLeslie is correct. Read her answer.

Thanks for doing another of these, @Caravanfan.

My daughter was going to get the booster this week, but she may have been exposed. Should she go ahead with the booster? Or wait til after time passed to test and stuff?

@janbb I know every venue is different but I went to an indoor concert in October that required proof of vaccination and masks. They did check everyone for their vaccination, but once inside and the show started I’d say maybe 25% of the people kept their masks on. Everyone else took them off or had them on their chin or dangling from an ear.

@Jonsblond Thanks! I went to two plays in NYC in the Fall and masks were pretty much kept on but I was a little less worried then before the current surge and my feeling is that the venue will not be vigilant.

@Caravanfan I took a Pfizer booster last month, and recently had an onset of veritgo. My nutritionist said they have suddenly been seeing this in healthy vaccinated people, and that the simple fix is to take DPA Omega 3 oil. Does this sound familiar to you?

@canidmajor Get the booster
@Zaku Everything that your nutritionist said is incorrect.

@Caravanfan So, incorrect that DPA Omega 3 oil deficiency causes vertigo, too? Or just the correlation with vaccine boosters?

I’m 99% sure your vertigo is completely coincidental to your booster and they have nothing to do with each other.

In terms of the Omega 3 treating anything
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/no-benefit-from-fish-oil/

My advice is go see your PCP regarding the vertigo. The differential diagnosis on that is very broad and she or he will know more about it than your nutritionist.

Has contact tracing been totally abandoned? I’m not seeing or hearing any evidence of it – at least in my region.

@janbb: Where I live, I heard they’re asking people to do their own contact tracing.

I took the course here online when I was working, and we were possibly going to be used as contact tracers through our personnel department (I worked for local government) but it never happened. Now it’s not happening at all because I think there’s just an overwhelming amount of cases.

Good Q about contact tracing.

@janbb My next door neighbor is a nurse who does contact tracing. They’re quite busy.

Our school district also partnered with Primary Health that’s linked with the state and does contact tracing.

I’m in California. (As you know. Just stating for anyone else who is curious.)

@janbb That is a good quesiton. I think so.

@Caravanfan What is the incubation period from exposure to onset of symptoms?

Since others seem to be answering on this Q.

@Hawaii_Jake Omicron is an average of 3 days, but Delta is still out there for now, but Omicron is in lager numbers according to the sampling. Delta was an average of 4–5 days incubation.

^You may be right, but I specifically asked the doctor and will wait for his answer.

Agree with @JLeslie again.

@janbb I just spoke to a county epidemiologist in Florida and they still do contact tracing, but they are swamped right now so they prioritize schools and long term heath facilities.

@janbb There’s an app for people in California called CA Notify that uses your phone to let you know if you’ve been near other users who test positive.

I’m not sure why it’s about California and not everywhere. Maybe it ties into some CA-only databases, or something.

@Zaku Haven’t heard anything like that here. I think they are relying on people to tell friends they’ve been in contact with if they test positive. There’s just so many cases around. I suspect if you’re out and about you can assume you’ve been exposed.

@Caravanfan My roommate has a possible exposure that he found out about today, Friday. When should I get tested? Is Saturday too soon?

@Hawaii_Jake I’d probably wait until Monday unless you have symptoms.

Not to derail the thread but I checked our state’s web site and there was a post about contact tracing in July. I do think most people are relying on friends letting them know at this point.

@Caravanfan Seems like his roommate should be the one to test. If his roommate is never positive or never sick would you bother to test HJ? Or, just have them both do their best not to be near other people or at least wear a mask?

I’m staying in a house with my husband and inlaws right now. We’re all boostered, but inlaws are in their late seventies and one has COPD. I quite suddenly got really sick – no fever, no cough, but awful congestion, sinus pain, sore throat, and fatigue. We have at-home saliva tests from Germany which are coming back negative, and I’m shut in the bedroom with frequently open windows on the landing in front of the door. No shared bathrooms, inlaws are staying downstairs. My husband is roaming both areas, though, to get me food and drinks.

I feel really bad and not up to travel even just to an AirBnB, and the inlaws want us to stay – but I should get out of here, right? Unless the damage has been done because I was most contagious before symptoms showed up, when I was sharing rooms with them for hours?

@longgone Difficult question to answer. Even if you don’t have covid you’re still potentially infectious to them. But if you’re not up to moving you’re not up to moving. Just stay away. Retest in a day or two.

Good news! My roommate’s PCR test came back negative.

@longgone Oh sweetie! Sorry you’re feeling lousy! Rest up and take care of yourself.

@Caravanfan My roommate began having symptoms of something yesterday – runny nose, cough. They took a covid test yesterday. The result was reported this morning as negative.

They are still having symptoms and just went to take another PCR test.

I think they have a bad cold.

I’m sorry to burden you, but could a PCR test give a false negative? I’m aware that’s possible with the at-home tests, but a PCR test done in a lab seems less subject to error.

I really appreciate your time on this matter and on this thread.

@Hawaii_Jake ”...could a PCR test give a false negative?”

If taken too soon after exposure, I’m pretty sure this can happen.

@gorillapaws Yes. I did some reading, and the NHS in the UK states that there’s the incubation period of 3 to 5 days depending on the variant, followed by approximately 2 days of being contagious without symptoms when the virus may not register on a PCR test, and finally, there’s the onset of symptoms when the virus is at the highest concentration in the body.

The same source from the NHS stated the false negative happened at a rate of about 5%.

My roommate took the first PCR test yesterday after he began to experience symptoms when the viral load should be peaking. The odds are that if he had covid, it would show positive 95% of the time.

I’m expecting the second PCR test he took today to also register negative, and he just has a cold.

@Caravanfan I think I’ve answered my own question. I really appreciate this thread. It’s helpful to know there’s a place I can come with questions.

@Hawaii_Jake Yes. It can also be a false negative if it’s not a good sample to begin with. And sometimes there are just false negatives because statistically there always will be false negatives with any lab test.

@Caravanfan Thanks, I will do that. I really appreciate your opinion. Maybe I’ll be up to going somewhere else tomorrow.

@janbb Thanks, penguin. At least I have my Christmas books to keep me company!

@Caravanfan His second test says positive. I’m in isolation.

@Hawaii_Jake Good luck. At least now you know what a false negative is…

They offer home testing Covid tests for sale on Amazon. What is your opinion on that @Caravanfan?

@Caravanfan Thank you. I’m vaccinated and boosted. I’m perturbed at the inconvenience.

@Dutchess_III If they’re FDA approved they’re fine.

My neighbor who does contact tracing says to test on Day 5 after exposure.

I used to think that a PCR test would pick it up if you’re experiencing symptoms. But that’s incorrect.

12/25 exposure
12/27 symptoms
12/28 PCR negative
12/31 antigen positive

@longgone Hope you’re feeling better!

Woke up this morning with mild chest pains. Guessing related to Covid, since I’m still getting through the tail end of it. (Though post-Covid symptoms, since I’ve tested negative on Day 12.)

I’ve made an appointment with PCP for tomorrow morning. (They wouldn’t give advice over the phone.)

Any advice for the time being?

@raum We obviously can’t know the exact pain you’re having. Do you still have a cough? Do you feel like you have a rock in your lung or lungs? If coughing is aggravating your pain you could probably take some cough medicine to let the area rest. It might be just the muscles or an irritation of the lungs or area around the lungs. Does it hurt more to breathe deeply?

Have you had any heartburn or nausea with the covid? Lung pain can also be from stomach acids in the chest. Not talking about heartburn, but can be a byproduct of heartburn symptoms.

I’m assuming you don’t feel it’s heart attack pain, that would obviously be an emergency.

The doctor will probably listen, do an X-ray, and maybe throw prednisone at you. I always have mixed feelings about prednisone for things like this.

I’m not a doctor as you know.

Let us know what happens.

Not from coughing, heartburn or nausea. Can breathe out semi-normally. But deep breathes in hurt.

Appointment tomorrow is over zoom.

Did a quick Google search and it seems like chest pain isn’t uncommon with Covid?

Technically post-Covid because I tested negative on Day 12.

Read that Covid can develop into pneumonia. But don’t seem to have any other signs of that.

Well it’s lung congestion, sometimes a precursor to pneumonia. You really need to go in in person so the doc can listen to your breath sounds. They’ll probably prescribe antibiotics.

They’re only doing appointments over zoom right now.

Let us know @raum. (((Hugs)))

Will do. Thanks, Dutch.

@JLeslie ease up on the medical advice on this thread please.

@raum you’re doing the right thing by calling your PCP. Your chest pains are probably covid related, but if they get worse or are worrysome for heart disease, then you need to go to hospital. No way am I (or anybody else) is going to make that diagnosis for you over the internet.

Thanks. Sound advice. Though not looking for diagnosis so much as signs to look for differentiating pneumonia versus something more worrisome while I wait for my appointment with PCP.

Oops sorry. I didn’t realize which thread this was.

Quick update: Doctor diagnosed pleuritic chest pain from Covid.

I’m sorry to hear that. What can be done to remedy that?

Oh, @raum, sending all the good vibes! Feel better.

@raum Oh wow! Yes, what does the doc suggest? I hope you are able to rest.

Thanks, guys. Apparently not uncommon with Covid (and post-Covid). Just anti-inflammatory NSAIDs and rest. Also recommended humidifier, saline spray and honey.

I just hadn’t heard anyone else talk about it before related to Covid. Also caught me off guard since I had a few days of feeling better and testing negative. Wasn’t expecting second wave of post-covid symptoms. Especially since I didn’t think the first wave was that serious. I just assumed that post-covid only happened with serious cases. :/

^^ Anyone who says it’s just like a common cold is an ass. Sure it can be mild but it can also not be.

Sending love and best wishes for soon better!

Thanks, penguin.

^The turtle also wishes you a speedy recovery.

@raum Yes, we were just swimming together and talking about you! My, those tropical waters are warm!

@Hawaii_Jake Thanks, turtle!
@janbb That is the cutest imagery!

^^ The turtle and me be friends!

Is anything being done to make the vaccines or develop a vaccine that’s more effective?

IIRC, @raum is boosted and I am too, but her story scares me.

Meanwhile, I haven’t been sick since March, 2018, so perhaps being a socially isolated germaphobe is still beneficial.

@Brian1946 No idea. My prediction is that there will be yearly updates to the covid shots. The mRNA technology is robust enough to sequence new genomes.

1. Is the severity of the case that someone gets any predictor of the case they transmit to someone else? If my (unvaxxed) friend had a really mild case and I caught it from her, am I (vaxxed and boosted) likely to have a mild case too?

2. I had coffee with my friend last Wednesday, a week ago. She had symptoms on Thursday. On Sunday she tested positive on an at-home rapid test. If I haven’t had any definite symptoms yet, am I in the clear?

I can’t seem to get hold of any tests or get registered for one anywhere near me anytime soon. Meanwhile I’ve been conscientiously canceling appointments that I need to keep, especially the dental one, which is, of course, done without a mask. If I can keep them, I must.

Thank you. And a thousand thanks for your patient responses.

@Jeruba
1. No correllation
2. You are probably in the clear. It’s a week out.

My daughter was vaccinated. She got covid. How soon after recovering can she get the booster?

@Hawaii_Jake as long as she didn’t get monclonal antibodies she can get the vaccine as soon as symptoms and isolation are resolved. If she got monclonal antibodies then it’s 90 days.

@Caravanfan I hope you’re not in too much pain and wish you good luck on your surgery! My question for today is whether I should go to a buffet brunch fundraiser on Sunday that will be held inside. Covid cases in my county have shot way down in the last week or two. I was given a third full dose of Moderna at the end of August so don’t know if protection is waning. I’ve “been good” all month but would really like to go.

Your thoughts?

@janbb Thanks on the best wishes. It’ll be fine.

On your question you’re asking what I recommend? If you can guarantee that everybody is triple vaxxed then maybe. But if I were in your situation I wouldn’t go.

@Caravanfan Yes, I’ve decided it doesn’t make sense to go. They are not checking anything nor will masking be suggested. (Damn – the food is really good!)

@janbb Buffets are gross anyway.

^^ Well, this one isn’t, they have servers. But I“ll take your point as comfort.

@Caravanfan Another damned question. I was double boosted last spring – the second booster was in April. I had a mild case of Covid, presumably BA.5, at the end of July. I’d like to get the new booster when it will be most effective for me. When should I get it?

Rumor has it that the next booster will be available Tuesday. I’ll be there!

@Dutchess_III Your guess is as good as mine. But we will see.

@Caravanfan Were you actually answering my Q?

@janbb Sorry, I didn’t see your question. Honestly, I have no idea. I’d mine the CDC website.

What’s your level of personal precaution are you and your family taking when out in public these days? do you wear an N95 when indoors in public places?

@janbb At the risk of getting yelled at, I think this is a good article regarding your question and includes some addition information you might be interested in, and other jellies on the thread. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/09/01/1120560488/cdc-advisers-back-new-booster-shots-to-fight-omicron

I tried to search the CDC site and didn’t come across a specific recommendation, but it must be there since this article refers to the CDC, unless recommendations aren’t loaded onto the website yet.

@JLeslie Thanks for posting the article. This actually seems to be a helpful partial answer to my question:

“But many vaccine experts say it would be better to wait at least four months since the last shot or COVID infection, or the boosters won’t work as well.”

I’ll keep on looking for opinions but will probably wait until late Fall to get it.

@janbb I’m going to wait until October I think. I only had three shots. I didn’t feel confident the fourth was really making a difference for people like me, and there is so much autoimmune problems in my family I decided to wait for this newer Omicron shot.

I’m just going to let hundreds of thousands of other people go before me since it’s new. I don’t like to be first.

As soon as I know something I’ll let you all know. At the moment I’m still in the dark. I’ll find out more next week.

@janbb Got an answer. If you are fully recovered then get the bivalent booster.

@Caravanfan Thanks!

Here’s the CDC answer @janbb:

“This is in line with the recommendation from CDC vaccine advisers — people who recently had COVID-19 may consider delaying a booster shot by three months. That’s what the country’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci says he plans to do. Fauci tested positive in mid-June and says he’ll wait three months before he gets his updated booster.”

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/09/05/1120834024/omicron-boosters-do-i-need-one-and-if-so-when

@Tropical_Willie Yes, I think that’s what I will do. I want to take it when it will be most effective.

It finally got me. I tested positive for covid last night.

I had high fever and an excruciating headache all night.

I’m alternating Tylenol and ibuprofen ever 4 hours.

I now have a low grade fever. I can take Tylenol in one hour. My headache is back.

I’m so grateful for vaccines. I’m sure I would be much sicker without them.

{{{ H U G S }}}

@Hawaii_Jake You’re probably eligible for Paxlovid. Call your doctor.

I called but only spoke to the receptionist. I’ll call back.

I’m only 59.

@Hawaii_Jake I’m 58 and I’ve taken it twice

@Hawaii_Jake Sorry to hear your symptoms are so miserable. Do you mind me asking if you have had all 5 shots? Initial two, two addition, plus one bivalent? I’m not seeing any rhyme or reason yet with getting the bivalent or not among friends and family and symptoms. I’ve been meaning to see if any statistics are being published.

@JLeslie I am extremely hesitant to answer the question, because doing so can fuel anecdotal ideas that have no basis in fact.

@Caravanfan I called my doctor again and got an appointment for a Tele-health visit tomorrow.

@Hawaii_Jake Understood. I hope you have a speedy recovery. :)

Oh man. Feel better soon!

Thanks, doc. My doctor prescribed Paxlovid.