Covid question (sorry)

[easyas123]

Is there a reason why he didn’t get it sooner? The infusion I mean?

Got it as soon as he could. We are in Maryland, we had to call our Dr.'s office and request a referral to get the infusion. Then you have to wait for the schedulers to call you to make the appt. , and they tell you which infusion center you have to go to. By the time that all happened it was this morning before he could get it. Nurses were slammed, they've been unable to schedule everyone who wants one, not enough beds or nurses to do the procedure.

 

[gncntry]

In our county in Maryland the county libraries have free at home test kits. You can pick up one per day.

 

[cvjw]

That depends on where you live. I have been trying online and driving around all day to find at home tests here. Everyone is out of stock.
You can make your own appt at certain pharmacies or urgent cares though.

Huh. Just went to Walgreens last night and bought 4 packs of Binax now at home covid tests. About 50 boxes were sitting right by the door. $23.99 each, for 2 tests in each box.

 

[wenrob]

Huh. Just went to Walgreens last night and bought 4 packs of Binax now at home covid tests. About 50 boxes were sitting right by the door. $23.99 each, for 2 tests in each box.

They are limited to two per purchase here.

 

[Sinder]

Huh. Just went to Walgreens last night and bought 4 packs of Binax now at home covid tests. About 50 boxes were sitting right by the door. $23.99 each, for 2 tests in each box.

I went to a Walmart, a Rite-Aid, a Walgreens and 2 CVS's today, plus I've checked the buy online pick up option for every single Walgreens, CVS and Target in a 120 mile radius and all are out of stock.
I had a couple boxes on hand that I used, really wishing I just kept buying them when I saw them on the shelves. We are planning on traveling over the break (not by air) and wanted to test a few more times before we left to be sure we are still negative.

 

[Kae]

Huh. Just went to Walgreens last night and bought 4 packs of Binax now at home covid tests. About 50 boxes were sitting right by the door. $23.99 each, for 2 tests in each box.

Sam's club online 2 for $14 they take about a week to get.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Huh. Just went to Walgreens last night and bought 4 packs of Binax now at home covid tests. About 50 boxes were sitting right by the door. $23.99 each, for 2 tests in each box.

I wish that’s what it was like here! Everybody is out and if you can find them, it’s 1 per customer. Not really helpful for a family of 6.

 

[kymom99]

Got it as soon as he could. We are in Maryland, we had to call our Dr.'s office and request a referral to get the infusion. Then you have to wait for the schedulers to call you to make the appt. , and they tell you which infusion center you have to go to. By the time that all happened it was this morning before he could get it. Nurses were slammed, they've been unable to schedule everyone who wants one, not enough beds or nurses to do the procedure.

Oh goodness. I wondered because I know several friends who got the infusions recently.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Just found out 4 family members in two separate households have covid. They were not together but 3 of the four work outside the home. All had vaccines and 3 got the booster. They re waiting to see who else in their families will get it.
So far all mild cases and one of the + women is pregnant, so scary.
Earlier today we canceled our 1/22 Disney trip, waiting our booster appts. And set up a flu shot for a family member in our house. They are also double dosed but forgoing the booster.
numbers are up in our county but not hearing ( thankfully) serious illnesses. Hope it stays that way. Stay Vigilant all.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It could be the flu it could be covid could be both could be other things going on.

I did read that the flu shot this year was a poor match with the dominant strain.

It's more that the doctor, even if it wasn't your own, assumed it's the flu so no big deal, that's no good. Plus it's not good advice to say you have lots of protection. At least with Pfizer there is a decrease in protection month after month in the limited studies done. I can't remember the stats with Moderna. Plus the doctor wouldn't be able to say exactly how much protection your particular body generated.

Omicron is presenting different symptoms than Delta variant if it's covid. Omicron is more cold-like, Delta more like the other strains with the other symptoms we're used to hearing so just keep that in mind.

Be aware with the at-home tests that because they are generally rapid tests they have a higher rate of inaccuracy. Omicron from recent information is presenting more issues with accuracy of at-home tests because of the different protein spikes. Do not rely on at home tests solely.

As far as breakthrough cases yes they occur. You're actually almost to the point where you should be getting a booster (strongly recommended once you past 6 months after your 2nd dose if it's Pfizer or Moderna or 2 months past your 1st dose with J&J).

I wish you well and that you can get a test and it is not covid

FWIW my sister-in-law went in for covid testing early last week because she felt off. It was not covid but a sinus infection and they offhandedly asked if she wanted a strep test and she said sure. The strep test came back positive so she had both a sinus infection and strep. Hard to remember other stuff still exists but it does!

 

[Karin1984]

Here in the Netherlands this morning our CDC announced that 85% of the people who got infected by the Omicron variant was vaccinated.

 

[prairie_girl]

In my province, we don’t have rapid tests available. Most pharmacies (like Walmart) don’t have them and another company (Loblaws for the Canadians) can only sell them to businesses. Test sites are lined up for hours to get a test. Our premiere (like your governors, I think) is hiding and has no answers. Beyond frustrating.

 

[snappy]

I found at home tests yesterday at the closest to us CVS where I have my prescriptions filled. They had a Good amount. Walgreens and Walmart did not have them. Walmart indicated online that they were out of stock, several Walgreens near me showed stock online but did not have them. One clerk at Walgreens said she did not know when they would get another shipment.

The news today has a report that the Federal government will buy 500 million at home tests and have them available to order them online. Good news, however too late for the holidays.

 

[Colleen27]

In my experience, the doctors who cover telemedicine are often just not good. And it certainly sounds like the one you talked to wasn't.

My area is seeing the highest covid numbers we've ever had right now. While virtually all of the serious cases (hospitalizations and deaths) are among the unvaccinated, a huge chunk of the positive-test count is in vaccinated people. At our tiny school, <100 students, we've had three fully vaccinated staff members test positive, and two of them had symptoms comparable to a bad cold or mild flu. To complicate things even more, there is a bad cold going around my area - my daughter, my bonus son and his roommate, and I have all been sick in the last two weeks with symptoms that match up to the omicron variant description. We all tested negative for covid, on rapid tests for everyone plus PCR tests for me and my son (who has multiple medical issues and wanted to be very sure).

For a while the rapid tests were hard to find here but last week CVS must have gotten a truckload of them because now they have a big endcap display and some stacked at the register. $10 for a single test, so not expensive at all, and while the failure rate of the rapid tests is still a concern, it is quite accurate in people with symptomatic illness. Where it falls short is in people with low viral loads, who tend to be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. If you're feeling sick they're an effective screening tool, according to our local health department.

 

[GreatLakes]

Both my wife and I tested positive and had symptoms about 8 months post vaccination. The vaccine did it's job and we basically had bad colds but I wouldn't assume being vaccinated means you don't have COVID even at 5 months. This isn't a sterilizing immunity vaccine, it is to mitigate effects.

 

[cvjw]

Sam's club online 2 for $14 they take about a week to get.

That seems like a great deal! But, I don’t shop at sam‘s, only Costco!

 

[kymom99]

I saw on some news program that some at home tests aren’t as reliable as others. Don’t remember which ones. I also have heard Omicron doesn’t seem to affect the lungs to the extent that delta does, which is good news if it’s true.
My doctor has been a bit of a sceptic, not about Covid in general, but about the CDC guidelines. He clearly thinks masks are not necessary. While I don’t agree with that in most cases, it’s not surprising that personal biases can come out. Healthcare workers are human. My doctor has not, however, ever told us not to get tested if there was a chance we might have Covid. In fact when I had it (I was in the hospital last year at this time) he sent me immediately to the urgent care designated for potential Covid cases to be tested.

 

[ronandannette]

In my province, we don’t have rapid tests available. Most pharmacies (like Walmart) don’t have them and another company (Loblaws for the Canadians) can only sell them to businesses. Test sites are lined up for hours to get a test. Our premiere (like your governors, I think) is hiding and has no answers. Beyond frustrating.

The Alberta government is providing 500,000 rapid test kits free of charge starting last Friday. Distribution is through drugstores and it’s apparently kind of a gong show with line-ups and shortages. We haven’t tried for any yet but we might if the process smooths out some.

 

[fab1976]

The Alberta government is providing 500,000 rapid test kits free of charge starting last Friday. Distribution is through drugstores and it’s apparently kind of a gong show with lime-ups and shortages. We haven’t tried for any yet but we might if the process smooths out some.

Ontario government was distributing them through the government run LIQUOR STORES! They sent a box home with every student in publicly funded schools, but not education workers. No no, they decided to hand them out at the liquor store.

 

[easyas123]

In our county in Maryland the county libraries have free at home test kits. You can pick up one per day.

Ours did one day last week, they were gone within a hour!

We have rapid tests I got via Amazon here at home now for just in case, but I'm not 100% convinced they are accurate. I took a rapid test at CVS at 9 in the morning, later that day - it was around 5PM I got the other test at Walgreens and just over 24 hours later that one came back positive. Later that day is when my symptoms hit.

Regardless - we are happy to be feeling much better, just mostly a lingering cough and extreme exhaustion. Like we ran a marathon or something...but we are at the end of our quarantine and headed back to the office tomorrow. We are closing Thursday afternoon until the 3rd so at least we will have another week to chill out.

I'm fully expecting my last minute dash to the grocery & liquor store tomorrow or Thursday to take it out of me!