Dh (along w/ ds and I) all had COVID back in early April. All three of us were fully vaxed and received one booster in late December. Ds16 had a fever for 24 hours and some sniffles for a few days, I had cold symptoms and was tired for about 5 days, and took Paxlovid due to my asthma.
Dh was far more impacted than we were, but far far less than anyone w/ “serious” illness. He was in bed for a few days that first week feeling crummy and sleeping a lot. He tested positive at 7 days after exposure (had symptoms at 4 days but never tested) and continued to test positive at 15 days after exposure.
Dh never felt better. There was no more major cold symptoms or fever, but he had ongoing chest congestion for two months. Coughing up gunk (non-green) and not being able to sleep at night due to the chest congestion and I can’t begin to explain how badly he was wheezing. Over this time he had two telemed appointments that recommended a netipot, AllegraD, and MucinexD. No change. He finallly went in. They did a chest x-ray (found little) and put him on prendisone and a Zpac. Almost two weeks later the congestion is better, but not gone.
In the meantime, dh kept doing all his “normal” things…including training for and riding in a 66 mile bike ride from Philadelphia to Atlantic City two weeks ago.
I shudder to think how impacted he would have been w/o the three doses of the vaccine he had.
I went for my fourth shot (booster #2) on Friday. He is waiting a bit longer until he feels closer to 100% better than he is now.
Thank you for that clarification, even if it’s mostly a confirmation that we still just don’t know what we don’t know.
Next question. My parents just tested positive for covid today (after an ER trip Sunday - it seems they likely picked it up there, tho my mom had a possible exposure a week ago - no symptoms until today). My mom was able to get a prescription for paxlovid but my dad can’t because of kidney issues.
My sister spoke with him this evening but I haven’t yet. What might be some other options I can look for for him. Are there still monoclonal antibodies by available? I know some have been pulled off the market but a quick search pulls up some resources here in Houston. Current plan is to just get on the phone tomorrow and start calling.
They received the initial vaccine doses but neither of the boosters, so I’m a bit concerned.
DH has copd. Used to cough a lot. Occasionally his pcm would prescribe prednisone which would relieve his cough for a little while.
My sister bought a device on Amazon which seemed awfully gimmicky. But it works! DH used it daily, then less often. Maybe once a week. He’s still got copd but this device helps keep the mucus from accumulating. Which keeps the coughing less.
My sister also bought one for her daughter who has asthma. She hasn’t got into the habit of using it yet.
Thank you for the links! I couldn’t tell yesterday I’d what I was looking at was current or not. Websites should always have the date of the most recent update.
He had a televisit on Wednesday but she wasn’t as helpful and pushed him to get boosted. He won’t do that because he had negative health changes after the second shot (the issue with his kidneys being one of them). She did not encourage the antibodies and I’m not sure he asked about them at the time.
But regardless, living in a big city has it’s perks and they found a clinic. He goes in today.
Update on my cruise that didn’t happen (June 11 - 18), Majestic Princess to Alaska. 1) person who organized cruise didn’t make it b/c tested positive, with few symptoms, but was unable to board ship 2) a you tuber I’d have loved to have met was on that cruise (unbeknownst to me beforehand) and he posted yesterday that he tested positive asymptomatically as soon as he got off the ship 3) several people I’ve chatted with on message boards also are saying they tested positive once off the ship. If the USA had not ended the mandatory testing to get on a plane back to the US most of them would have been stuck quarantining for 10 days in Vancouver. That was what I was afraid would happen to me, and it looks like it would have been very possible had I made the voyage and the US not ended the testing. I would have been eating in the main dining room with this group, at least sometimes, b/c I didn’t want to spend my entire cruise eating alone in my cabin. This sailing happened just after Princess announced mandatory masking in all public areas of the ships on the Alaska Vancouver sailings, so this was with masks. I do still really want to do this Alaska itinerary, but I’m not even sure if I want to rebook next year b/c I don’t want to spend that $$$ and deal with this. When I booked this in Oct 2019 covid didn’t exist. I was mostly worried I’d get the norovirus. I feel much safer right now traveling somewhere new and doing activities on my own, or with my family. I do feel safe enough to take the Amtrak or the plane, but I’m glad my flight credit allows until April b/c I’m hoping that flying will be less chaotic next winter, after the holidays, which is when I’m targeting (for some sort of trip with a flight to a big city, somewhere).
I was supposed to go to a concert at the beginning of June - many people I knew, that I likely would have been hanging out with all got Covid. It’s still out there. My aunt got it just going to her sewing group last week. It is what it is. All you can do now is hope you get a mild case.
I go on an Alaska cruise at the end of August (RCCL) Originally a 2020 cruise. I’m hoping to not get Covid again, I’m also hoping updated vaccines will be available by then.
Do you listen to the RCCL Podcast? Matt Hochberg is reporting his experience getting Covid on his back to back Alaskan cruise (I don’t think he made the 2nd).
I know there are a lot of cases on some cruises. I think your post points out it is just about everywhere right now. I suspect if all venues had the same testing as cruises, it would be shocking.
I will point out that, from what I’ve read, a good number of the cruise cases are asymptomatic or very few symptoms. I know that wont’ be everyone, but they are requiring something like 90% of passengers to be fully vaccinated, and I think all crew. They also quarantine crew for awhile as soon as they board. I may not have this 100% since I stopped paying so much attn to cruising but that’s why I felt confident enough, at start of March, to finalize my June cruise. The uptick in covid seemed to happen on cruises once the masks came off and they seriously increased the amount of passengers onboard. I have a close friend who’s gone on 2 RC cruises since the restart with no problems.
Test prior to cruise still required too. Even when I got Covid it was asymptomatic- other than feeling like something was in the back of my throat (not a sore throat, no cough) …there is a caveat to my asymptomatic case. I have psoriasis, that is normally under control. It totally flared up in the weeks following. Took awhile to get it back under control.
Isolation not even required where I live anymore, so you really could get it anywhere.
I have done two trips to WDW with all restrictions lifted. So, I’m fine with being in crowds. I go into any crowded situation now - just hoping I don’t get Covid again
I have not found this to be true. Nobody has given us a hard time or a second look whenever we wore masks. We have traveled more than normal since June 2020 (all over CA, 2x to DLR, Montana, Wyoming, Central to South Florida, Oahu, and just last week in Washington.) We will usually wear a mask indoors if required to do so and/or if the employees are wearing masks. Outdoors, we will usually wear a mask if there is a crush of humanity!
I have found the opposite to be true, though. People around me are very judgmental of people who chose NOT to wear masks. In my neck of the woods, we are probably one of the most COVID precaution taking portions of the country, San Francisco Bay Area. Regardless of the legal requirement for masks, 50%-100% wear masks indoors. A subset of those will also wear masks outdoors regardless of how crowded the area is.
Having said all this, I was guilty of being judgmental on Saturday towards people wearing masks! I was in my DSIS’s suburban planned neighborhood (streets are very wide and there are usually not that many people around) with some treats from Pike Place Market just after landing from Seattle. There was nobody around except this couple. They were wearing masks walking around the neighborhood. I was guilty of doing a double take! I was having trouble readjusting to the Bay Area mindset. Hardly anyone wore masks outdoors in Washington (Olympic National Park, Mt. Rainer National Park, Seattle, Cape Flattery, and all the places we stopped in between). I have slapped myself for being judgmental.
I know a family in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis that was shouted at because their family was choosing to wear a mask walking out of a store. It does happen.
I was having trouble readjusting to the Bay Area mindset. Hardly anyone wore masks outdoors in Washington (Olympic National Park, Mt. Rainer National Park, Seattle, Cape Flattery, and all the places we stopped in between). I have slapped myself for being judgmental.