Doug Larkin
ScalziFolks, a whole lot of people I like have gotten the most recent strain of COVID, so please be careful out there, catch up on your immunizations, and consider wearing a mask if you're going to be some place with a lot of folks in a close and closed space.
Ubergeek@scalzi ayep. COVID just ripped through my house, it still sucks
Jane@scalzi My Mom just got over her second or third (have lost count) run with Covid.
bedast@scalzi Careful, I was recently called out as unqualified for making statements about getting vaccinated here in the fediverse!
Just got a booster myself.
But there’s people telling others to wait for the new vaccine, when it could be months until they even get access to it. The current vaccine still works.
Julia Janiszewski@juliajaniszewski @scalzi I really like this phrasing. I’ll have to use it next time.
CuriousMatter
nigelsezyarr@CuriousMatter @bedast @scalzi Yep! My antigen test was positive when I caught the rona back in April 2022. And when my parents got sick later, their antigen tests were positive a few days after they started having symptoms
haaflife@CuriousMatter @bedast @scalzi my wife's test was positive 2 weeks ago, mine was negative. I confirmed my result with a lab test, because I didn't fully trust it. She tested multiple times, all positive and after 9 days she was negative twice. So from personal experience I would say they still work
@CuriousMatter @scalzi I have not, personally, tested positive through all of this. However, I have known people that have with multiple infections. The tests are fine for getting a quicker answer than waiting days for a PCR test.
So if you’ve never tested positive, and never had symptoms, maybe consider yourself lucky!
@bedast @scalzi I've never tested positive with a self rapid antigen test. Last year I felt ill, tested negative, got worse over 2 days, tested negative again, went to urgent care anyway (felt like death)... Tested positive there with their test. I've tried at least 3 different kinds with slightly different kits, following their instructions to the letter. Running low on them now, but torn about buying more when they are so prone to false negatives. Wish they still had drive up testing centers.
Lee@CuriousMatter @bedast @scalzi Half year ago or so a home antigen test confirmed I had COVID. Paxlovid helped me kick it in a week.
@leeolds They didn't give me Paxlovid, just an inhaler to help my breathing, and some antibiotics for the co-infections I'd developed at the same time. Might have been too late to use Paxlovid anyway, because I kept testing with the RAT self-tests and they kept saying negative. I think by the time I crawled into urgent care, I was already outside the "5-days after onset of symptoms" window. Probably should have gone earlier, but I'm stupid and stubborn, and I have a high deductible plan.
@CuriousMatter I asked about antivirals and they prescribed it that day. That may be because I have a couple of conditions that raise my risk, but I'm sure asking didn't hurt.
I caught a really nasty bug more recently that had symptoms similar to a recent COVID variant (severe sore throat, aches, lingering cough, etc), so there are other things going around.
Shirley Eugest@EugestShirley @scalzi Even once released late September to October, availability may still be months away due to supply and demand. It may be December to January when you can actually get it, and we’ll be deep into the enhanced risk seasons.
@EugestShirley @scalzi You’ll still get some protection with the current vax. It may just take a little more effort on your immune system to defend against the latest strain. But it should help mitigate severe infection for many people. It’s still worth getting.
शिवदम् Ⓥ@bedast Believe it or not, I had the most recent vax TWICE, which I am grateful for!
Seán Fenian@scalzi Added information:
The three primary variants of concern right now are EG.5.1 (aka Eris), FL.1.5.1, and XBB.16 (I think). These strains are now dominating new cases in the UK and have almost entirely out-competed the Omicron strain.
The latest iteration of Moderna's vaccine booster has shown strong protectiveness against all of these three strains, and is expected to be available within the next few weeks.
The three primary variants of concern right now are EG.5.1 (aka Eris), FL.1.5.1, and XBB.16 (I think). These strains are now dominating new cases in the UK and have almost entirely out-competed the Omicron strain.
The latest iteration of Moderna's vaccine booster has shown strong protectiveness against all of these three strains, and is expected to be available within the next few weeks.
Sibachian
Jessica Courtney
Saberpilot@scalzi can confirm. Spouse caught it from (only source we could find) person who dropped off their kid at an event as a source of childcare. Said child coughed over all staff (including masked spouse). I'm high-risk, and we have been exceptionally careful these past few years. First time we've gotten it.
For being the "mildest" strain, this still packs a horrible punch.
Edit: only win out of this has been that we did not transmit to anyone else. We have quarantined faithfully.
Steve Conklin@scalzi Feel better. My son got it for the first time this week and to paraphrase . . . "Hole hell. If this is COVID after full vaccinations, I can't imagine . . . "
Righteous Hazard@scalzi It is a tough call rn, with the updated boosters coming in late September. If I get boosted right now, my immune system will be in better shape for students coming at me with covid when classes start, but if I wait until end of september, I'll have the updated rna on board.
I should probably boost now, then hope that I can get the updated booster just before the holidays. But it is a tough call
roque (ロク)@bertwells @scalzi Get it now, that way the 3-month period (for maximum immunity) will be up before the holidays. I’ve heard of way too many people who caught it while they were waiting, especially fellow school staff.
Texty the Bard@scalzi We have a new baby in the house and she won't be done with her three-dose protocol until Thanksgiving. We haven't gone out much since February and mask up when we do.
I wish more people remembered that it's not just vax-eligible adults at risk.
@textualdeviance @scalzi Bless you. I was one of the first parents in my area to get the original vaccine while pregnant. The regular vaccine wasn't out for his use until he turned 1. I'm really glad that's changed, but it's still mind-blowing how many "rational" adults will fight you over visitation when you make your line in the sand for your child's health.
@Saberpilot @scalzi I'm girding my loins for when I have to tell my anti-vax mom that she still won't be able to meet the baby for another few months. Sigh...
@textualdeviance @scalzi my MIL is pro-vax... For other people. She's terrified of vaccine reactions. She waited until the literal last possible day to get her Pfizer vaccines so that she could see her grandson.
It was an uphill battle, but having a child has really enabled me to master my "FIFO" when it comes to his safety, no matter how close the relationship.
I wish you all the luck and love to your family!
Samhain Night@scalzi I’m so sorry John.
Please tell them to rest, rest and then rest some more. It’s the best way to prevent Long Covid.
And a word to your followers- Covid can linger in the air in poorly ventilated spaces for up to 16 hrs. So mask up anytime you’re in a place where other people have been that day. Use an N95 mask or better with a snug fit. Source: Dr Eric Feigal-Ding, epidemiologist.
Edited because I misread the original post.
Please tell them to rest, rest and then rest some more. It’s the best way to prevent Long Covid.
And a word to your followers- Covid can linger in the air in poorly ventilated spaces for up to 16 hrs. So mask up anytime you’re in a place where other people have been that day. Use an N95 mask or better with a snug fit. Source: Dr Eric Feigal-Ding, epidemiologist.
Edited because I misread the original post.
Libation Legacy 🍸@scalzi All right, now my masked self is normal again.
Mastodon Migration@scalzi Finally caught it too. Day 11 positive. This one is no joke. Mask up 😷 !
gojira@scalzi I’m still getting over my bout with COVID. Which as far as we can tell, I picked up at an outdoor event, in 105F weather, in South Texas. It was the only “group” I had been in. Eris doesn’t play.
Geoff Berner@scalzi no, wear a mask if you're indoors in public. Period. You can easily get sick from the exhalation of a person who left the room an hour ago.
eladnarra@Geoffberner @scalzi Yeah. Of course wearing a mask in a crowded indoor space is better than not, but there's a reason COVID numbers have never returned to the lows of summer 2021 - we should be masking in *all* public indoor spaces, and often outdoors, too. Six feet is a useless guideline.
This idea that we only need to mask when very close to people, or only when cases start surging, is why COVID keeps mutating and coming back for another round.
ZZ Bottom@scalzi Sadly my 98 year old mother got it 2 days ago. So far she is reacting good to the treatment, the doctors wanted her to go home already but we wanted her to stay in the hospital as she leaves alone and she will be there at least for 5 more days.
Bill Zaumen@scalzi At the start of the pandemic, I set up a simple epidemiological model to get an idea of how things would go, and eventually put it on Docker so others could use it. The total number of infections is sensitive to the value of a parameter called R0 (sorry for no subscripts), and reducing it, even slightly, is useful, and what using a mask does. I'll still use a mask when shopping, mostly for the benefit of cashiers, who interact with a lot of people.
@scalzi Yup my boyfriend just recovered from it (kinda). I didn’t get affected by it this time around weirdly, couldn’t seem to catch it despite caring for him for two weeks. My doc told me that the boosters don’t work well for this round unfortunately, but that one’s coming out later this year geared for this variant. But what’s on hand is better then none. Stay safe ppl!
MexicanYentaA. Current vaccines are ineffective against the newest strain.
B. Everyone should be masking anytime they’re in a public indoor space, just like in 2020. The reason we have to deal with this new, much worse strain is because so many people decided Covid was over, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.
A new variant: BA.2.86
We have a new COVID-19 variant—BA.2.86—turning heads even among the calm, cool, and collected scientists. This is what we know, what we don’t know, and what’s likely next. What is happening? SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate. This is expected, as this is what viruses do to survive. There was ~20% possibility of another “Omicron-like event” in 2023. Since Omicron arrived on the scene in November 2021, we’ve only seen incremental changes, which have created a ladder-like pattern (see panel A below). This is a good thing—we
Kathy Mandt (she/her)@scalzi Yup. We are at the start of a new “wave.” I found out I was exposed over the weekend so I cancelled an overseas trip. If I do get sick I want to be at home. If I don’t get sick, then by cancelling the worst case scenario is that I missed out on a fun trip. I prefer those odds.
FunkETown@scalzi glad to see that so many companies are choosing this time to force people to go back into the office full time.
FreebirdFrolicWhere do you live? Generally, what were the symptoms, and how was the strain determined?
Perola or BA.2.86 is being sequenced, but l haven't read about testing results so far. Masking season is upon us
#CovidIsNotOver
Maggie Arden@scalzi I just tested positive yesterday. So far it’s been far worse than the last time I had it (Dec 2021).
HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴@scalzi I was at a large indoor gathering last week with most people not wearing masks. Of our group, 11 people so far report having Covid now.
I wore a mask whenever I was not eating or drinking something, and I am fully vaxxed.
I am happy that I do not have Covid and wish the best for those who got it and passed it along to others.
cree
familydoctor@scalzi
In that vein, I have seen many people try to figure out whether they are sufficiently immunized against COVID, by telling me how many shots they have had; but what really matters is how long has it been since your last vaccination.
Dwight Williams (💉 x9)+😷🇨🇦@scalzi Oh, shit.
*empathy, while masked*
Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE@scalzi I'm not "going to be some place with a lot of folks in a close and closed space". Because it's not safe. Because covid. (We do these days meet small numbers of people at a time outdoors. And we have taken to allowing workmen into our home, with all the doors and windows open and with us shut into other rooms until a while after they've gone.)