It could just be the sheer numbers of Omicron.
10% of 100 and 1% of 1,000 is the exact same amount…10.
So while hospitals were busy with a larger percentage of Delta patients, the huge increase in number of people with Omicron makes up for the fact that a significantly smaller percentage of them need hospitalization.
Welp. It’s hit us. Sigh. We’ve held out for so long, but with Omicron and the kids still skating, I can’t say I’m surprised. DH took an at-home test this morning and it came up positive. He has a mild sore throat and headache, and that’s it! DD was up last night with an upset stomach, so, right now, I’m assuming she’s got it, too.
He called Mayo this morning (our local clinic) to schedule PCRs for everyone and I was very surprised with their answer. An at-home positive is good enough to document as “positive for covid” - no need to come in for a PCR confirmation. DS and I do not need to test since we’re vaxxed and no symptoms. They suggested taking an at-home test in a few days - maybe over the weekend. My problem is now, I’m in my head. Tickle in my throat? I’ve got it! Headache? Got it! Nevermind that I’ve been staring at a computer for 5 hours straight.
So, DH and DD are going in for a PCR test this afternoon. Yay for being at Mayo - they’ve got availability for tests within a few hours. DS is at school (masked) since we didn’t know DH was positive when he left this morning. Their policy is that if you’re vaxxed, no need to stay home. I’m not sure what we’ll do with him the rest of the week.
Hockey is off, for everyone, for a while. That was our biggest risk - the only place anyone went without a mask. Honestly, I’m relieved. This time of the season is a drag for me.
He is a reputed guy around here. His own thread links to a WaPo column he coauthored. From reading that, my understanding would be that there are different methodologies of dividing patients into “for” and “with,” so two sources using the same data might conclude different proportions.
I don’t think this is the reporter’s fault.
Wachter is my fave local source for my own decision-making because he tends to be risk-averse like I am. However he is viewed as one end of the spectrum in the medical punditry in the Bay Area. So it is not surprising another doctor would go to the media to share a different POV. Both can be valid and are not mutually exclusive. They are just different people analyzing the same situation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/01/07/hospitalization-covid-statistics-incidental/
Sorry about DH. I hope you all stay healthy and DH recovers quickly.
He is great. I’ve been following is twitter feed for awhile and check it a couple times a week. The thread about son’s experience was interesting. Intellectually, as a professional in the field, he knew his son’s risk of serious illness was low, but as a father, he remained concerned about worst case scenarios. One could also sense his emotion over this situation, and how much he loved and wanted to protect his grown son.
This is me in a nut shell! I feel fine. Until someone asks me if I have a headache. Now that I think about it … maybe it does hurt a little. etc. etc. I blame an active imagination!
Well, if we go with 2-3 weeks for cases to translate into hospitalizations, it might still be primarily Delta. Deaths probably Delta since that would be another couple weeks. Here is your regional mix from that time period.
I have pretty severe allergies so being congested, sneezing, and blowing my nose all the time, every day is a common thing. In the before times I had a full box of tissues and a small garbage can on my desk at work and gave everyone a dispensation so they didn’t have to say “God Bless You” every time I sneezed.
I am really tired of playing the is it allergies, a cold, or COVID game. It was especially difficult over the last week or so when dd20 was heavily exposed and had mild cold symptoms. This is mostly why I went and did a PCR test last week. I wanted to make sure that my random headache and congestion were just my allergies and not something more concerning.
Could be. Although I know of one person (prenant!) who was hospitalized for Covid in the last 7 days and I would bet that is Omicron. She’s out now and hopefully okay. Not vaxxed.
Hugs. I can’t imagine how it feels to read that.
I haven’t watched today’s WH briefing yet, but these very helpful slides are already making the rounds on Twitter and I wanted to get them to y’all ASAP.
Please know where your loved ones fall on the risk spectrum. Be ready to advocate for them. Even the best doctors are struggling to keep up.
From the comments on Twitter, Remdesivir isn’t what you’d call a convenient treatment, but likely to have more availability than the others. You might have to reach outside your normal family physician if they aren’t well connected or responsive. (And yes, you shouldn’t have to do this, but it’s the reality of where we are.)
Updated CDC risk factors.
I’m just so thankful I was able to get my DM70 into a monoclonal antibody trial in Dec 2020 and wish there was more I could have done for my stepdad. Besides their age, she has 1 risk factor and he had 3. And he didn’t get tested with his initial symptoms so went straight from testing positive to being hospitalized. High risk people need early testing and early treatment! 
Oh, this might be important to know. Remdesivir for out-patients is currently considered an off-label usage. (That may change really soon though.)
Link:
https://twitter.com/bhrenton/status/1481168173001064452?s=21
As we wait eagerly for progress on Pfizer vaxxes for <5s, here’s the update on Moderna. Really hope Pfizer comes in ahead of this…
“We expect to report data in children 2-5 years of age in March. If the data is supportive and subject to regulatory consultation, Moderna may proceed with regulatory filings for children 2-5 years of age thereafter.”
This is disappointing. I was really hoping Moderna would have data in February and then perhaps be approved in March. From what I have read, I don’t think Pfizer will have data any sooner than Moderna for this age group.
Today’s video from the Holderness Family - We Don’t Talk About COVID (We Don’t Talk About Bruno parody). It feels good to laugh.
Oh, yep. I missed this in the Omicron viral blizzard…
Moderna stated they would have data by the end of January. But the FDA requested more studies. There are pediatricians lobbying for earlier release due to Omicron. But so far no luck.
DH did med school there and I was John noseworthy’s speechwriter!! We have so many dear friends in MN. I don’t miss the cold but I do miss mother mayo.
