Coronavirus Outbreak: Part 3

[magical_jo]

Thanks! Bookmarked!

[PrincipalTinker]

Thanks for the link

[RDryan]

Just ordered, it will be a pleasant surprise when these randomly show up in March or April

[davej]

Maybe someone can shed some light on a question I have not found a good answer to with regard to shipping of Covid tests.

The test kits I have seen all show a minimum temperature level for the kit in the mid-30’s. Much of the country is currently at temperatures below 30 degrees (some parts much lower). The kits are shipped, sit on a post office delivery truck, and then perhaps sit outside one’s house for a couple hours before being brought in the house. The would likely result is test kits (especially those sent by USPS) reaching temperatures below 30 degrees.

Is this an issue? Could it cause a bunch of false negatives?

[mkmuzzy]

Good question! Here’s recent info I could find. Looks like they should be ok, just let them come to room temperature before using.

Do at-home COVID-19 tests still work if they’ve been sitting out in the cold?...

[amvanhoose_701479]

[amvanhoose_701479]

@amvanhoose_701479

There are anecdotal reports coming out of South Africa of Omicron re-infections. (People that are now on their second round of Omicron.). Nothing I’ve seen is official, so I wouldn’t call it a certain possibility yet.

But since so many people here have had Omicron (presumably) in the last 2 months, I wanted to mention it so no one is assuming they’ve had it and are now “safe”.

Hopefully it’s just either testing confusion or truly rare events being highlighted. But from a personal risk standpoint, just be aware.

FWIW, the chatter is starting to be about whether these BA.# sublineages of Omicron are the source of reinfections (that Omincron sublineage infections may not protect well against each other.).

Still nothing data based, just anecdotal.

[sanstitre_has_left_the_building]

What advice would y’all give to someone thinking of visiting WDW and UOR in the first week of February?

[davej]

@sanstitre_has_left_the_building

What advice

That is very general. What kind of advice? To go or not to go? To eat inside or outside?

[sanstitre_has_left_the_building]

All the advice, I suppose!

Would it be nuts to go? On another thread someone said I’d have a greater than 50:50 chance of catching COVID.

What would a reasonably sensible trip look like? No indoor meals? No indoor rides? What about Ubers and coaches?

Regular cloth mask or N95 (or equivalent)?

Would sensible measures make the trip pointless?

[FOMOm_VA]

With omicron, you’ll get it whether you go or not. Unless you live in a standalone home (no shared hvac) alone and never leave. It’s measles level contagious. Border testing is where I would be concerned.

[sanstitre_has_left_the_building]

I am pretty much a hermit, so if I continue to do what I’m doing I don’t think I will get it. Also our omicron spike is coming down in the UK. (Though so is Florida’s.)

Border testing isn’t so much a concern: there is no requirement on the flight home.

[davej]

@sanstitre_has_left_the_building

Would it be nuts to go? On another thread someone said I’d have a greater than 50:50 chance of catching COVID.

What would a reasonably sensible trip look like? No indoor meals? No indoor rides? What about Ubers and coaches?

Regular cloth mask or N95 (or equivalent)?

Would sensible measures make the trip pointless?

Ask 100 people this question and you will likely get 100 variations on the response. Here is mine:

DW and I have decided we are not going to WDW until DS4 is vaccinated so for my family we would cancel … but you’re not asking about my family. If I were going alone and was boosted, I’d probably wait until we were past the Omicron surge, but it is a close call. Tough to time the surges. My biggest concern in that case would be the high probability of getting sick while I was in Florida and ruining the trip.

If I decided to go now, I would wear an N95 for inside areas (other than my resort room) and crowded outside areas. I would dine outside. I would go on indoor rides, but would my mask.

Would these precautions make the trip pointless? I wouldn’t call it pointless, but it wouldn’t be as relaxing as I would like.

[FOMOm_VA]

That makes it harder. My kids are in school and DH in hospital so it was just a matter of time for me (that time has come! Managed to unload the dishwasher today though, so I guess I’m feeling better). If I had a shot of avoiding it the calculus might be different… but also the world is a shitshow so might as well go to wdw.

Suuuuper helpful I know

[davej]

@FOMOm_VA

the world is a shitshow

You summed up the 26,393 posts in the Coronavirus Outbreak threads in 5 words.

[LTinNC82]

Billy update: work mom’s son no longer needs ICU level care! They will be moving him to a step down care floor in the hospital soon. Eventually will still go to a long term rehab center, but this is excellent news.

[meekomist]

One step closer to going on vacation Saturday. Did rapid tests - negative. Still have to do them on Friday before flying Saturday. I wish US & Canada would remove the testing like the UK did. If ask goes well, Magic Kingdom on Sunday.

[PrincipalTinker]

That is great news! Sometimes medical miracles happen!

[LTinNC82]

He’s still a very long way from being able to go home and be ‘normal’ again, but the fact he’s alive is definitely a miracle. I think him finally being able to eat was the turning point.

[Jsanta26]

@amvanhoose_701479

There are anecdotal reports coming out of South Africa of Omicron re-infections

I just got an email from a parent (who is also a teacher at my DD7s school). DD7 was at her daughter’s birthday on saturday.
So the mom just tested positive yesterday (she tested negative the night before). She basically has a stuffy nose. But because she is a teacher she can go in and get a rapid at the school anytime. Both her kids tested negative.
Funny thing is, she had Covid a month ago. So I wonder if she had Delta then, and now she as Omicron. I don’t even know what to think anymore!!