The Covid-19 Pandemic (When posting new information, please cite sources)

@matildagirl

Hope you all feel better soon! Silver lining: you can wait 60-90 days before considering getting boosters.

As for COVID going away, it never will. Much like the Flu Pandemic of 1918-20 introduced flu to the whole world, same with COVID. It's here to stay. We can only hope that it evolves to be milder.

If you stopped masking, now might be a good time to put one back on.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Friday showed that the new subvariants — called BQ.1.1 and BQ.1 — have taken over BA.5. The two together make up around 44% of new Covid infections, whereas BA.5 makes up just 30%.

Both of the subvariants are considered sublineages of BA.5.   But preliminary data suggests they are better at evading immunity from Covid vaccines, including the new boosters, or a previous Covid infection than past versions of omicron. That may give these subvariants higher transmissibility, which could fuel a rise in cases this winter.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-coronavirus-subvariants-surpass-ba5-dominance-rcna57294

@Lovendures,

Good grief!  Will it ever end?  I'm tempted to post a photo of Munch's painting "The Scream", but I feel too weary to do that ...

Well, I have a good supply of KN95 masks.  Never stopped wearing them in public places like the grocery store, and am not about to stop now. 

Thanks for keeping us updated, @lovendures.  Knowledge is power! 

An interesting study came out Thursday which measured how teen brains aged during the first year of covid.   Children were already in a different study which was doing MRI images of their brains every 2 years when covid hit.  The changes which occurred that first year of covid were dramatic.  Their brains aged and changed by what appears to be stress.  

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/02/health/pandemic-teen-brains-stress-wellness/index.html

@lovendures Thank you for posting this. This resonates with me very much as our teen daughters have struggled (esp. our younger) these last 2 years. 

I also found a Washington Post version (with a bit more detail) that people might find useful. I agree with the woman who said that we will be seeing ripple effects of this in young people for years to come.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/12/01/pandemic-stress-aging-teen-brains/

Thanks for that link @cc21.  We really need to direct funds to help our youth with the after effects of pandemic stress and all the other stress that has recently occurred. School shootings, learning-loss catch up, relative and friend deaths from covid,  loss of human rights such as abortion issues. 

May the road they are traveling become smoother and more kind.

Sending you and your kids a big hug.

@cc21 Aside from the physical effects of covid and long covid, the stress of routine disruption and the sequestration of social life has caused a tremendous rift in the psyche of our young people. They don't have our longer history of relationships to tide them over. They haven't built the connections that sustain us. I do worry about their ability to connect in the coming years.

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And https://apple.news/AqtvGTIdgQoCnFXq1_XEv4A

It just seems to be the gift that keeps on giving *sigh*

Here? We have the trifecta of RSV/Flu/Covid

Thank you @lovendures !  Yes, @maggieci - you are so right. The kids don't have that longer history of successful relationships and interactions to fall back on. I think about the last 3 years and that is such a huge chunk of a kid's life. Hard for kids who were in a good place, mentally, at the time. Even harder for those that were not (for whatever reason.) 

@journeywithme2 

I hope L.A. country brings back indoor mask mandates.  It is the right thing to do  as there is way too many similar types of illness going on.  I currently have either the flu or RSV, hard to tell which but it isn't covid.  Luckily it is mild. I caught it from my husband.   My husband is still coughing now after 2 weeks. It wasn't covid for him. I lasted two weeks in close quarters with him before getting sick.  

@lovendures  Prayers you both feel better soonest!

@lovendures 

I agree about LA County. Doesn't it seem a little short-sighted to wait until cases "climb"? Wouldn't it be better to prevent climbing numbers by imposing mask mandates now? May smarter ideas prevail..

@journeywithme2 

Thank you!

After a good day yesterday, the best since getting sick, last night and this morning were the worst.

Go figure  right?

Hopefully today will get better.

My husband continues to be about the same as the past few days.  Not worse, not much better, just a bit improved each day I guess. Less coughing this morning for him so that is good.

@raincloud 

Exactly right?

@lovendures Hope you are both feeling better soon!!

Dear community,

It's been a while since I've posted.  There's been a lot going on at home, including a challenging health issue I've encountered within this past year.  I haven't had much physical or emotional bandwidth to focus or post as much in the Forum as I have in the past.  Please know that I pray for you often and regularly light candles for our beautiful community.

@lovendures, I'm really sorry you've been hit with this virus/bug/who knows?  You give so much of yourself to others and I hope you're giving yourself the time and space you need to heal.  I am praying for you and your husband.  I know so many people who are sick now, that I've lost count.  I'm not sure if there is a purpose behind all of these physical and emotional challenges, but I do sense it's helping us develop a kind of spiritual muscle.  I firmly believe that.  

After three years of being very careful with not going out much in public places and masking up when I do, and only dining outdoors, I was hit with Covid last week.  I had mild cold symptoms Wednesday evening.  Took a Rapid Test on Thursday morning, negative.  Took another test on Friday, positive.  I'm not sure how I got it.  My husband and I did attend a dinner party about 10 days before I started to feel sick.  That seems pretty far out, but I guess it’s possible I got it there.  First time in three years I’ve attended that kind of function.  There were a total of 10 of us at the party, all people who my husband knows and trusts.  Since it was dinner, of course we were unmasked.  The thing is, I don’t get out much, mainly to the stores, and I always mask up.  Urgent Care told me that you could conceivably pick up Covid from touching a surface, then touching your face, etc.  It’s less common, but it can happen.  Makes sense, since you can get the flu, RSV, colds and other bugs that way.  I was totally up-to-date with my Covid vaccine boosters.

I live in a blue county (Northern Virginia), and people had been very vigilant about masking up.  Over the past few months that's radically changed.  I understand that life goes on and we're sick and tired of how much Covid has affected our lives. We want to return to some sense of normalcy.  However, I do wish people here and elsewhere were back to masking up in public places, especially during these winter months when  we have at least 3 known bugs running wild, probably more.  With Youngkin as our governor, I seriously doubt we'll ever have mandated mask wearing as long as he's in office.  (That guy is another story.)

People still assume that vaccines prevent you from getting these viruses and bugs.  They might, but what they really do is hopefully prevent most of us from getting so sick that we require hospitalization.  Also, people should consider wearing masks for those of us who have chronic or serious health problems.  I have autoimmune issues and need to take extra care when I go out.  But I know I'm preaching to the choir.  

Anyway, they diagnosed me in time to put me on Paxlovid.  You take it for 5 days, 2x/day.  Thankfully I have no side effects, except for a funky taste in my mouth.  I have 2 more doses to take.   I have mainly cold symptoms, extreme fatigue.  Did not lose my sense of taste or smell, although it’s slightly altered.  I can still taste chocolate!  Gotta be thankful for those little things.  

My husband is testing negative for Covid, including a PCR test that he took yesterday.  Very grateful for that!

Stay safe and peaceful, my friends.  May we receive all of the human and spiritual support, love and grace we require to handle whatever challenges come our way.  I'm off to light another candle for all of us.  

@deetoo 

Thank you for sharing your story with us all.  I'm very happy you were able to be given Paxlovid and hope it truly helps.  It is deflating to spend 3 years doing everything possible to avoid Covid and still end up getting it.  I wish masks to go back on for everyone shopping indoors.  I am tired of hearing people refer to covid in the past tense.  It is still present tense. 

May you smoothly sail through this health challenge and may you face all health challenges with sure grace and earthy strength.

I am still dealing with this flu bug.  It isn't bad, but it isn't going away.  At least sleeping went better overnight.  Coughing has been about the same for 2 days.  The worst part is my neck and head/shoulder pain.  Thought for a time I might be getting an ear infection but that changed as my symptoms sifted.  

I did take a covid test today just to make sure I didn't have something different from my husband but it was negative.  This is the third type of over the counter test I have taken for covid and boy this was more complicated and restrictive.  I had to bend the test backward to lay flat on the counter and in the process the  test flew through the air landing on my thigh.  The instructions were very clear that the test could not touch any part of your body or it would be contaminated so I had to use another test. hahaha

Thank you Deetoo and everyone else for your prayers and kind thoughts. It is appreciated.  My husband is still coughing but still improving.  He was exposed to a person with covid on Saturday for 30 minutes so he will be testing for covid a few times in the next week regardless.  They were wearing a mask and originally tested negative for covid so hopefully he doesn't get sick with that now, especially since his immune system is not great right now.

@lovendures I hope you and your husband get well quickly.  Yiu are so right. People act as if everything is over. I still wear a mask in grocery stores or wherever there’s a crowd.  It’s not over and so many are sick with flu and RSV.  Take care and I will pray for a quick and complete recovery for you both.

Thank you, @lovendures and @deetoo for your stories. You are brave and selfless to share your health with us, and I know you are helping others in doing so. I pray you both are healed soon, as well as @lovendure's husband.

I too have had what seems like a tenacious bad cold. Not covid. It feels like one of those weather systems that moves slowly and thus can do more damage. I call it The Thing.

The Thing  hit me after masking diligently for three years and being fully vaccinated for covid and flu. But it isn't covid and not like any flu I've ever had.

My ordeal started normally enough, with a dry cough right after the holiday, then morphed into a head cold, shifting around my head and throat, the way colds do. Sleep was fitful at best. 

I was grateful to have learned a technique from hospital nurses which was to alternate acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Ibuprofen every three hours. It's powerful for reducing pain and helping you sleep. It helped me sleep a bit and I only would use it sparingly at night.

I thought I had turned a corner. 

The good news was that I was feeing totally healed from the surgery (for diverticulitis) I had in early November. That is a big deal. I had been worried about getting that surgery but flew through it with flying colors. So I was caught off guard with the Thing.

I don't know whether it was the family members who stayed with us over Thanksgiving (none were sick then and now.

Most likely it was me being careless about washing my hands after shopping.

Focused entirely on avoiding Covid, I had stopped worrying about touching surfaces because that's not a big issue for Covid.  Well it is an issue for colds. And that is how I likely contracted The Thing.

Two days ago I thought it was just about over, then BAM! It started ramping up again.  I felt fever-like ripples through my system throughout the day, faced flushed, as if my system was fighting some new infection.  By evening I had full return of laryngitis and sore throat, and whopping headache. Discouraged, I reached out to friends who are always so healing.

I am sick of watching tv! I've seen every movie and watched my favorite tv series twice. I read great news stories that I want to share with you, but lack the energy to post about them. I want to do another Read the Future night. I want to declutter.  So many things I want to do. 

@Deetoo, my wise friend, suggested that I might just want to slow down and be.  Perhaps a clearer picture of this life journey will emerge. @Lovendures, in spite of battling her own virus, reached out in support.

This morning I began taking my doctor's prescription for a steroid and an antibiotic. I don't like to take prescription drugs.But I will take all the help my immune system can get!

My doctor's office told me that they've seen a surge in these viral infections, and 95 percent tested negative for covid. One of my brothers also has been battling something similar. 

If anyone is experiencing these symptoms, CDC says it is good to get it tested early because they have antivirals that work well if caught early. At first I only did rapid Covid tests which were negative. 

I hope my story helps others. I hope I can tell you that I am over it soon! I have struggled to post here even though I've kept up with the news and wanted so often to join in your conversations.  I thank those of you who have posted.  Your enthusiasm, your hope, the information you find for the rest of us, and your own stories help us all to push through! 

@jeanne-mayell  That sounds a lot like RSV which is everywhere here right now. It hits babies and seniors especially hard while teenagers and adults barely even register more than sneezes and maybe a runny nose. The prednisone pack and z pack seem to help a lot of us through this. 🙏🏻💚🙌💚🙏🏻 Get well soon !