OT: COVID-19 Megathread IV (NO POLITICS)

[Armourboy]

I signed up for the tests right after they were made available but haven't gotten them.

Armour, hope you feel better soon. Our company VP is out with covid. He said his nasal passages felt like fire. Mr Adz was different--his was more dizziness and temp spikes. May be different strains.

I'm mostly ok now. Just have a bit of throat clearing and a bit of sore throat left. Big thing for me has been fatigue. I still can't stay upright for more than about 4 hours without being exhausted.

Probably my worst symptoms were the fever, chills and aching along with fatigue. Friday and Saturday I spent most of the time shaking and moaning because everything just hurt. At one point i had 4 blankets on me trying to get warm. Sinuses never really were anything more than just a cold really.


I also add that now having been through it our biggest issue to me is on the meds side of things. We have had way too much attention paid on a one size fits all solution in the vaccine and not nearly enough on things that actually deal with how to actually treat it. I got Molnupiravir finally, but because of the weekend I didn't get it until day 4, nearly 5 really. This was due to needing a positive test before the pharmacy was even allowed to accept the prescription. Now I get that its partly due to availabilty but I was dang near a week into this thing before I even got the first pill down me that wasn't by my own doing ( mostly vitamins and pain meds ). I still think the biggest issue is that sitting here 2 years later there still is no set protocol to deal with this and it really makes me wonder if we had spent time on that how many people would could have kept out of hospitals to start with.

 

[PredsV82]

I can assure you that vaccine development and therapeutics development were not mutually exclusive. Massive resources have gone into both, right from the get go. The vaccines came out faster because with something that you get and is gone from your system in a few weeks it's much easier to move through the phases of clinical trials. With a multi dose pill, it took longer both because it takes longer to get through the trials and antivirals are notoriously difficult to make and be effective.

 

[Armourboy]

I can assure you that vaccine development and therapeutics development were not mutually exclusive. Massive resources have gone into both, right from the get go. The vaccines came out faster because with something that you get and is gone from your system in a few weeks it's much easier to move through the phases of clinical trials. With a multi dose pill, it took longer both because it takes longer to get through the trials and antivirals are notoriously difficult to make and be effective.

My issue is there didn't seem to be much push to try find something that was already being made that could have some effect. It didn't need to be perfect but you can't tell me in our massive amount of medications there wasn't something to at least try and lessen the overall impact.

I know there have been individual doctors who have tried, many of whom got the label hack for trying, but I'm talking on a more broad scale from the government. It seemed everything was about new, or rather something they could rake in new profits from.

Also I'm not even sure this medication has FDA approval yet, it has a giant emergency use authorization label on it.

 

[Predsanddead24]

My issue is there didn't seem to be much push to try find something that was already being made that could have some effect.

There hasn't been? Here's an article highlighting the massive amount of repurposed drugs that have been studied as potential Covid treatments. Unfortunately, most of them have not worked out, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a lot of research into trying to find one that does.

 

[triggrman]

I'd say Pharmaceutical companies are personally the least trustworthy group in healthcare, even above insurance companies

 

[nine_inch_fang]

I'd say Pharmaceutical companies are personally the least trustworthy group in healthcare, even above insurance companies

It's a tight race for that top spot though.

 

[PredsV82]

My issue is there didn't seem to be much push to try find something that was already being made that could have some effect. It didn't need to be perfect but you can't tell me in our massive amount of medications there wasn't something to at least try and lessen the overall impact.

I know there have been individual doctors who have tried, many of whom got the label hack for trying, but I'm talking on a more broad scale from the government. It seemed everything was about new, or rather something they could rake in new profits from.

Also I'm not even sure this medication has FDA approval yet, it has a giant emergency use authorization label on it.

Trust me people did "try everything" that's how we got the hydroxychloroquine boomlet. We got to dexamethasone and remdesivir and regeneron mca reasonably quick. The other preexisting antivirals didnt work. Again, I can assure you, nobody ignored something potentially lifesaving in pursuit of other therapies/the vaccine

 

[LCPreds]

Trust me people did "try everything" that's how we got the hydroxychloroquine boomlet. We got to dexamethasone and remdesivir and regeneron mca reasonably quick. The other preexisting antivirals didnt work. Again, I can assure you, nobody ignored something potentially lifesaving in pursuit of other therapies/the vaccine

Don't forget the urine cocktail.

(I can assure you that anyone who cured their covid with that cocktail will never forget.)

 

[bdub24]

Not everything is a conspiracy holy f***. Meds to kill viruses that dont also deal damage to the host (us) is not an easy problem to solve. With bacteria infections, you knock that shit down with antibiotics. Often antibiotics do nothing against viruses, but can help keep from getting sicker as your immune system is fighting the virus. @PredsV82 correct my understanding as it is a bit ‘aged’.

 

[PredsV82]

Not everything is a conspiracy holy f***. Meds to kill viruses that dont also deal damage to the host (us) is not an easy problem to solve. With bacteria infections, you knock that shit down with antibiotics. Often antibiotics do nothing against viruses, but can help keep from getting sicker as your immune system is fighting the virus. @PredsV82 correct my understanding as it is a bit ‘aged’.

Bacteria are just a lot easier to kill than viruses. We've been looking for effective antivirals for decades and are just finally getting somewhere

 

[adsfan]

Not everything is a conspiracy holy f***. Meds to kill viruses that dont also deal damage to the host (us) is not an easy problem to solve. With bacteria infections, you knock that shit down with antibiotics. Often antibiotics do nothing against viruses, but can help keep from getting sicker as your immune system is fighting the virus. @PredsV82 correct my understanding as it is a bit ‘aged’.

bdub24, I am impressed by your post.

You aren't just another pretty face on your avatar!

The good news in Wisconsin is that COVID-19 cases are way down compared to a few weeks ago. I have been wearing a KN-95 mask at work for the last 3 or 4 weeks. I have a red spot on the end of my nose. I have been using some lotion and staying at home on the weekends to try to fix that.

 

[adsfan]

Don't forget the urine cocktail.

(I can assure you that anyone who cured their covid with that cocktail will never forget.)

I must have missed that one. Thank goodness that I rarely drink any cocktails!

 

[bdub24]

bdub24, I am impressed by your post.

You aren't just another pretty face on your avatar!

The good news in Wisconsin is that COVID-19 cases are way down compared to a few weeks ago. I have been wearing a KN-95 mask at work for the last 3 or 4 weeks. I have a red spot on the end of my nose. I have been using some lotion and staying at home on the weekends to try to fix that.

Muchas gracias! Just enough knowledge to get into trouble I dare say! We’ve got those KN95s too, and I gotta say - I wish we’d have done that from the get go. I really feel better knowing it doesnt matter what kind of mask or how the people around me are wearing theirs

 

[FossilFndr]

 

[Armourboy]

Trust me people did "try everything" that's how we got the hydroxychloroquine boomlet. We got to dexamethasone and remdesivir and regeneron mca reasonably quick. The other preexisting antivirals didnt work. Again, I can assure you, nobody ignored something potentially lifesaving in pursuit of other therapies/the vaccine

I'd love to say I'm proof the new ones work but I was on day 4, 5 if you count the very first sign and was well on my to pulling out of it before I was allowed access to it.

Even with that yesterday was the first day I felt normal in over a week and a half and I'm still dealing with some fatigue but at least I could do a few things.

 

[Mustard]

View attachment 507101

FWIW, my wife took two of those tests right when they arrived (one from each box of 2). All while very symptomatic. They both showed negative. I got her a Binax test, and it popped positive almost immediately. Took a test at her doctor, and that was also positive. Those USPS tests are hot garbage; several people I work with are having the same experiences.

 

[PredsV82]

The COVID tests from the government are weird shipping wise. We ordered ours for us and ordered some for my mom on the same day. We got ours within days, mom just got hers late last week. Same last name and everything so it's not likenits alphabetical or something

 

[PredsV82]

I'd love to say I'm proof the new ones work but I was on day 4, 5 if you count the very first sign and was well on my to pulling out of it before I was allowed access to it.

Even with that yesterday was the first day I felt normal in over a week and a half and I'm still dealing with some fatigue but at least I could do a few things.

Sorry if you have already said but what was your vaccine status? If you dont care to share.

 

[Legionnaire11]

FWIW, my wife took two of those tests right when they arrived (one from each box of 2). All while very symptomatic. They both showed negative. I got her a Binax test, and it popped positive almost immediately. Took a test at her doctor, and that was also positive. Those USPS tests are hot garbage; several people I work with are having the same experiences.

Yes, the signup and shipment of them occurred right during a huge cold snap for the majority of the country and many of these tests became frozen during transit, rendering them useless as they are more likely to give a false negative after being frozen. An unfortunate waste of resources.

At-home COVID tests shipped through cold weather might not be accurate

 

[triggrman]

FWIW, my wife took two of those tests right when they arrived (one from each box of 2). All while very symptomatic. They both showed negative. I got her a Binax test, and it popped positive almost immediately. Took a test at her doctor, and that was also positive. Those USPS tests are hot garbage; several people I work with are having the same experiences.

Ours were BinaxNow test.

 

[FossilFndr]

The COVID tests from the government are weird shipping wise. We ordered ours for us and ordered some for my mom on the same day. We got ours within days, mom just got hers late last week. Same last name and everything so it's not likenits alphabetical or something

Ordered mine the very first public day, will let everyone know what type they are on arrival.

 

[Mustard]

Yes, the signup and shipment of them occurred right during a huge cold snap for the majority of the country and many of these tests became frozen during transit, rendering them useless as they are more likely to give a false negative after being frozen. An unfortunate waste of resources.

At-home COVID tests shipped through cold weather might not be accurate

That's definitely what happened to mine. It was a wind chill of 4 the day they arrived here in Virginia. Had been on that truck for hours.

 

[Armourboy]

Sorry if you have already said but what was your vaccine status? If you dont care to share.

I had both doses of the Moderna Vaccine, however due to availability, schedule, and just issues with other illnesses I hadn't been able to get the booster. My wife did have the booster, she is in a very high risk category so she traveled a couple of counties over to get hers when it first was released ( she is always in that first group to get them availability wise ). Her's wasn't as severe as mine, which may provide proof the booster did provide some benefit, but could also be more that my immune system has been kind of junk since October as I've had something pretty much since then. Other than around Christmas time when we got hit with that nasty norovirus she hasn't had near the issues this year. Granted that norovirus terrorized her for over a week and I was over it in about 36 hours. Go figure.

 

[PredsV82]

Glad both of you avoided the hospital.

 

[Adz]

Mr Adz is still dealing with what we think is covid toe. At first he thought it was chilblains but upon further study deemed it related to his bout of covid.

My daughter and son in law both had it late January (Mr. Adz was early Jan) and they're all still dealing with the fatigue but pushing through. My granddaughter had it but is showing no problems from it--she's back to playing volleyball.

I couldn't get well for a year, but I don't think I ever had covid. Maybe having every other immune disease that could find its way into me "spared" me.