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Can someone please remind me as to how many days to wait after catching covid, to get the second booster (for an eligible person)? The information is a bit confusing.
Thanks.
4 weeks
This paper shows that the largest predictor of mortality in US states was the proportion of people who volunteer (above and beyond obesity level).
I thought gender was the strongest predictor, men being two thirds of all mortality? Interesting correlation to have found though.
Am I missing something, why would anyone need a booster if they have just had covid?
I wondered whether volunteering was a proxy for public spiritedness. And that would signal vaccine coverage. But the distribution of vaccination coverage, like obesity, is probably a modest range from high to low.
China has identified a new variant apparently, near Shanghai, the mutation VOC/Omicron variant BA.1.1
I know plenty of locals who aren't going to get any booster jabs in them. Seems that misinformation and other nonsense is getting around the web here just enough to influence.
saintsludge - my friend is due to have a booster because she's in the vulnerable group, but now has covid and is quite ill.
She will still need her booster in several weeks. This is advice from her Doctor.
the mutation VOC/Omicron variant BA.1.1
This is a single mutation from BA.1. Some countries have seen this reach relatively high prevalence (like the US) before being replaced by BA.2. Others, like the UK, saw little BA.1.1, with BA.2 replacing BA.1 directly. There will be lots of subsequent mutants too, but whether these are worthy of a new "Pango" lineage is another matter. BA.3 is one such variant, still in low numbers.
because she’s in the vulnerable group
I read a paper this week where kidney transplant recipients, who are taking immunosuppressive therapy, have had up to five boosters. The good news is that after modifying their dose of mycophenolate, up to 80% serocovert. This is in the absence of Evusheld from AZ, which has shown a few breakthrough infections, notably from BA.1, where it lost 12-30x potency, but regained for BA.2 - which is very good news.
Booster paper is here https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.23.22270017v1
Evusheld paper is here https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.19.22272575v1
PS Tested negative today - Day 15. Still have a sore throat and chest ache, not coughing thus far today though, so good news. And am 15km walk with the dog in some sunshine too.
I know plenty of locals who aren’t going to get any booster jabs in them. Seems that misinformation and other nonsense is getting around the web here just enough to influence.
I know plenty of people who haven't had even a single jab
Not one single one of them has been (badly) ill with Covid
Not one single person
There comes a point where it's surely not just 'luck' for nigh on 2 years
Move over “tired”, we have a new “guru” to follow
Move over “tired”, we have a new “guru” to follow
I can only report on personal experience. Whether you like it or not I'm only stating actual facts
Yes. It’s called anecdote
Yes. It’s called anecdote
Anecdotal or not, it's still true
It was quite telling recently when I had Covid, that never mind any well wishes, it was barely even acknowledged - in a stark contrast to anyone else who announces they have it on here. Now that may well be down to my attitude to it as opposed to everyone else's and the fact that I may bluntly come across as a bit of an arse (I can take it, it's fine), but I bet a pound to a penny there was a teeny element that were hoping my vaccine stance would bite me on the arse with the virus
a stark contrast to anyone else who announces they have it on here.
When I commentted that I had tested positive but that my symptoms weren't much worse than mild hayfever I didn't receive much in the way of sympathy either.
Why do you think that might be?
When I commentted that I had tested positive but that my symptoms weren’t much worse than mild hayfever I didn’t receive much in the way of sympathy either.
Why do you think that might be?
Don't get me wrong - I wasn't looking for sympathy. In any way. Just musing
Anecdotal or not, it’s still true
It's not accecodtal though is it, we have a year's worth of data from March 2020 to March 2021 when the vaccine roll out started. So should you actually want to try and understand what the risks really are you can go and look.
Anecdotally, when I had it the first time, my resting heart rate doubled to 90 and I couldn't walk to the end of the garden. Oxygen saturation of 94% and symptoms for about four weeks. Those symptoms would be classed as moderate, not severe. Despite THE paper by Oxford suggesting otherwise, prior to vaccination, seropositivity was not that high - the proportion of the population who had had COVID was only about 10%. So you might not have known anyone who i) had it or ii) was seriously ill with it (unless you knew people in nursing homes or who were particularly vulnerable). After Omicron, it will be much, much higher. Come next winter, we'll probably all have had it.
This time around has been a world of difference for me. Triple vaccinated, twice (well now thrice) infected, much milder upper respiratory tract infection (for which there is an interesting reason*), and now recovering.
The effects of the vaccine on morbidity and mortality are confounded by strain, but Hong Kong has provided some insight into how pathogenic Omicron is in a less protected population. It's not been great there to be honest.
*Omicron binds to cells with ACE2, but does not require the TMPRSS2 cleavage enzyme for cell entry. It also has a reduced ability to form syncytia which fuses cells https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-022-00681-9
I posted this in a separate thread the other day but it was closed due to there being not enough internet space and also this being the main covid thread.
Tested positive Tuesday by LFT. Supposed to be back at work tomorrow and I work all over the country, travelling about carrying out site based work.
I feel much better today, more energy, however I still have a intermittent cough. Lost all smell and taste now too. Still testing positive on LFT but my employer says come back to work as the guidelines say so. It's causing me a lot of grief. I'm supposed to shareare a van with someone tomorrow and work in a school (hopefully empty part of the building but I'll have to sign in etc).
Basically, I feel like I can't stay home as my employer has made it clear that I should be back but morally I feel it's wrong.
You employer is wrong. The Guidelines state you should try and avoid passing on the infection. What changed was the LEGAL REQUIREMENT to isolate. That requirement was lifted with an appeal to common sense (hence "guideline" rather than mandate).
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, and a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or do your normal activities
You can go back to your normal activities if you:
feel well enough to do so
do not have a high temperature
@peter1979 - I'd be asking your employers for sight of their risk assessment- and they should have one - confirming that they are satisfied you should be back at work.
I'd also be telling your colleagues, and especially your customers, that you are still testing positive. I doubt anyone will let you on their premises
Well, not that I want to stick up for my employer, but that does support exactly what they are saying. There is no requirement to stay home and if I'm feeling better then I should come back to work.
I do feel better, I think this cough is going to be around for a while. Obviously I'm still positive on LFT. I've spoken to a couple of other people recently who said they were testing positive for 3 weeks or so afterwards.
For what it's worth I never had a high temperature. Just general feeling unwell,lack of energy, dry continuous cough and a couple of days ago loss of taste and smell.
I feel much better today, more energy, however I still have a intermittent cough. Lost all smell and taste now too.
You can be left with a cough and loss of smell and taste long after you no longer have covid.
Still having a temperature or aches and pains, headaches, etc, is more of an issue.
And you can test LFT positive long after you are no longer infectious.
My nephew's school has had to shut tomorrow due to lots of the staff testing positive in Friday. My nephew has also tested positive in plus my sister and my niece using the home tests they had left. That's the third time their household gas come down with it.
This all feels like we're taking the wrong decisions at the worng time with regards to mass testing. To be expected with this lot in charge though I suppose.
I’ve had an argument with my employer on this principal also. Context is manufacturing, teams of people working together.
Part of the change in legislation is they no longer have to consider covid from an HSE perspective. They now have issued guidance that positive test or not, if you’re fit to work then you come in.
Moronic.
The change in law is what’s driven this. Staying at home is purely guidance now and not enforceable.
work in a school
I can say with a pretty high degree of certainty that the school will not want a recently positive testing contractor on site.
FFS. Haven't we learnt anything?
I wondered whether volunteering was a proxy for public spiritedness.
When you posted the study you're referring to here I thought it was a different one that did talk about the impact of how 'together' a nation is as predictor for mortality. I'm sure i read something on that in the last couple of weeks.
I'm not sure it was this paper: “The Tragedy of the Commons”: How Individualism and Collectivism Affected the Spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.627559/full
Same caveat around correlation and causation here, and the authors do say "One cultural aspect that may explain the disparity in fatalities among different countries is the public cooperation and willingness to sacrifice to support the common good and adhere to health guidelines" (my emphasis). But I do think - as has been discussed so much on here - that the societal response to coronavirus is so important regardless of the politicians.
TheArtistFormeryKnownAsSTR - You seem to be quite proud of the fact that you and your friends haven't taken a single vaccine or booster.
I am quite proud that all my family and friends have. The have thought of others. In doing so the majority of this country have helped keep the viral load low and kept many vulnerable people out of hospital.
A close family member now has long covid. He has 2 young children and a very important job (which he's unable to do atm).
Just heard that many flights have been cancelled today due to flight crew having covid.
Neighbours came back from Spain 2 weeks ago. They caught covid from the flight, where only half the passengers were bothering to wear masks.
We may not have run out of hospital beds, but British Airways have found a way of limiting short-haul demand on account of COVID absences. Tried to book a flight to see Son2 in Spain. They really don’t want you not travel. That, or inflation is running at about 500% in a month!
You can be left with a cough and loss of smell and taste long after you no longer have covid.
This is the one thing that HAS affected me - 16 months on from the first infection - my smell is still skewed. Same as I've mentioned before - can't smell poo and onions have a weird horrible aroma, that's nothing like onions
TheArtistFormeryKnownAsSTR – You seem to be quite proud of the fact that you and your friends haven’t taken a single vaccine or booster.
Not so much proud - resolute in the fact that I made a choice not to have it. Maybe fortunately it's worked out fine for me - and I'm 99% certain that I haven't passed it on to anyone I've been in close contact with, so very much doubt I've given it to anyone else
This is the one thing that HAS affected me – 16 months on from the first infection – my smell is still skewed. Same as I’ve mentioned before – can’t smell poo and onions have a weird horrible aroma, that’s nothing like onions
My sense of smell came back after a few days. Mind you I was tripled jabbed.
Maybe fortunately it’s worked out fine for me
I feel even more fortunate than you.
FFS. Haven’t we learnt anything?
Despite everything. “We” are defaulting back to commercialism and profiteering as a priority.
here is a question.
given facemasks/coverings arent mandatory, why would you continue to wear a shit one?
for context, of the maybe 30% of people on the supermarket just now wearing some form of facemask, I'd hazard a guess that at least 90% of them were poorly made, badly fitted, etc etc.
Current email from my work. Office is closed on monday anyway (in an attempt to cut 20% from utility bill). All, including this person, expected to be in a meeting room together tomorrow.
Dear all
Please see note below from [employee]
“[wife] has just tested positive for Covid this morning. It’s unfortunate, but we suspected she would as she came into contact with a colleague in the work staffroom on Saturday [this is the wife's collegue and staffroom, not ours]. Currently, [young son] and I are clear”.
The current government advice is:-
While you’re no longer required by law to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19, you should still stay at home and avoid contact with other people. This helps reduce the chance of passing COVID-19 on to others.
I have said that provided he is not displaying any symptoms he can come into the office.
Please let me know if you are unhappy with this arrangement (in the strictest confidence). If you are OK, no need to reply!
We will be sharing our new COVID policy later this week.
Kind regards
Will share our new covid policy when it comes out.
We will be sharing our new COVID
policylater this week.
FTFY.
For the record, I have no issues with being a contact of a case, that restriction now seems overly restrictive for a vaccinated population with BA.2. But symptomatic infection? Maybe we’ll learn that spreading your germs around the workplace isn’t the done thing.
It was my hypothesis that German culture of not working when ill led to the slower initial spread of the Wuhan strain. The cultural difference to the UK was marked.
Close contacts are still required to isolate in Oz... weirdly as a worker in a healthcare environment if i don't test positive I can still attend work as long regardless, with additional rules around working from one location, wearing a mask at all times.
If i leave the country I have to apply for an exemption to be allowed to return to work - negative tests, etc.
I have said that provided he is not displaying any symptoms he can come into the office.
Please let me know if you are unhappy with this arrangement (in the strictest confidence). If you are OK, no need to reply!
I can see that becoming the norm in the short term, for those of us fortunate enough to be able to work from home - those wishing to avoid being a contact of a contact will be able to do so.
Last time I checked we were running at around 1200 staff on site a day with 4-5 positive tests reported daily - slight dip so maybe lack of testing? No clusters obviously identified within the work locations of the positive cases, makes me wonder if the office is safer than other choices people making/having to make.
Is the speed and strength of a positive LFT result an indication of anything significant?
I'm thinking sample technique, viral load, LFT manufacturer, etc.
My positive with bold lines appeared as soon as the fluid had wicked up high enough on the test strip.
I think that this has been asked before but searching back to January and I can't see it
Triple-jabbed (booster in November) and previously C19 (PCR) early-2021
I have said that provided he is not displaying any symptoms he can come into the office.
No mention of a negative test (or two)?
No mention of a negative test (or two)?
no, that was the previous policy for the last month. 2 negative tests and come in on the morning of the second negative.
as you have to pay for tests now that would imply an offer for them to pay for them. Cant really see that happening...
Tested positive last week on the last day of a domestic holiday long weekend - had woken up feeling a bit off, with a very slight cough. Other half tested negative but also felt a little under the weather. Cut short our last day to drive home early; I stayed in the car the whole way, she only got out to fuel up and did so fully masked, anti-bac wiping everything, etc.
Wednesday she tested positive as well, and neither of us felt great. Thursday to Sunday was really bad - fever, fatigue, sweats, shaking, constant hacking cough, raw throat, no appetite, the works. She started feeling a bit better Sunday morning and is almost back to normal now and testing negative. I started feeling a bit better yesterday and am now just about feeling OK.
Both still have a slight cough and get tired quite easily at any physical exertion. Both still have blocked-feeling ears as well, but neither of us had any loss of smell or taste. As we were both triple-jabbed, I'm hoping for no long-term effects after the coming weeks 🤞
To add - she is WFH so has started back at work today. I'm not expected back in the workshop until I have two consecutive days' worth of negative tests (hopefully the first will be tomorrow), but am lucky to be able to do some WFH tomorrow as a colleague dropped my laptop off last week when I was only expecting to be ill for a couple of days. Quite lucky in that neither of our employers expects people to come in whilst still testing positive.
I’m due to go on holiday in a month, assuming numbers continue to drop and I avoid contracting it
If I go I’ll be flying… If I get it on the flight out or whilst there, is the expectation I can just jump on the flight home even if I’m positive?
Seems a bit irresponsible to do that but what else are people currently doing, as I assume most aren’t isolating in hotels until they are better
If you feel shit, just don't bother testing. That way you can claim it's "man flu" or whatever. That seems to be the default position now, encouraged by the Government withdrawing the free tests too.
is the expectation I can just jump on the flight home even if I’m positive
You'll need to look at the rules wherever you're going (I don't know where that is). They may have a legal requirement to isolate.
Is the speed and strength of a positive LFT result an indication of anything significant?
Yes, they are quantitative, but also subject to test-to-test variability. When I first tested I had a bold red line even before the control was reached. By the end, the Test line became feint and then eventually disappeared. The way these assays work is fantastic, and requires that your sample sticks to other rabbit human-specific antibodies which are labelled with gold, then they flow and are captured first by a human specific antibody if you have them (Test) and second by a rabbit specific (Control).
So the amount of human anti-SARS-COV antibody you have in your mucous sample will determine the strength of the test line.