My friend' is an optometrist.
He and his staff all wear masks in the office which is good. Now for the rest of the story.
He found out last Friday that one of his employees tested positive for Covid. She is unvaccinated and had symptoms for about four days before getting a test and she didn't tell anyone she had symptoms.
He is not happy!
Here are some of the things I mentioned when his wife told me the news today:
So, he knows he can no longer trust this employee correct?
Seriously? Not one of his 7 other employees are vaccinated either?
Has he considered requiring vaccinations?
Well, it is good that he now has covid tests in his office for staff but...I think there needs to be some accountability on their end too right?
How about giving them an incentive like paying for a certain amount of quarantine days but only if they have a vaccination? (Or perhaps how about letting them keep their jobs...?)
Would you want to see a doctor if the staff was not vaccinated???
I didn't mention that something doesn't seem right when my 22 year daughter had wear a mask, have a temperature check and fill out a health form every time she went to work at her summer job selling body care products yet a a health professional's office doesn't have any staff protocols in place for employees except for masks.
@lovendures, in June I saw my dentist. When the hygienist and I were chatting about the vaccines, she remark "just about everyone who works here is vaccinated." I said "just about?" I knew she was, but who among the doctors and staff were not? Unless you have a medical condition making it dangerous to receive the vaccine, you shouldn't be allowed to work in a healthcare environment.
@michellepazicni Understand that I am not telling you what choice to make.. that is your own decision. However, I too have Hashimoto's , I also have Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease, Psoriasis , Psoriatic Arthritis and IBS-C. I got the Johnson and Johnson one injection because of a history of anaphylactic shock reaction - the last one being to Pfizers Celebrex. CBSN reported yesterday that J & J will tabulate all current data - to be completed in Mid September- to see if they recommend a booster. In the meantime? There is this: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/science/johnson-delta-vaccine-booster.html
Regarding the booster:
I have perused the news articles regarding the Pfizer and Moderna boosters but it is not clear to me whether Pfizer will change its formula to improve the vaccine's response to the Delta variant. Has anyone seen anything definitive?
Some experts have opined that mixing brands might be advantageous. I wonder if a Moderna booster would be a good idea after the Pfizer couplet? Canada has mixed and matched, for example.
Also, there is an encouraging article in the LA Times regarding the old and well-known drug Fluvoxamine, used for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorders, as an early, effective treatment in COVID infections that prevents shortness of breath and hospitalizations.
@raincloud I have not seen anything from Pfizer except that they were clear early on that they wanted to do a booster. One health care reporter, Paul Campbell, a phd UK nurse who many of us followed on covid, hypothesized that the issue with Pfizer was the three week waiting period between shots, whereas Moderna had a one month waiting period. Campbell wondered if the longer waiting period allowed for a greater antibody build up. To be safe, I'd go for the Moderna for my third shot. I have had from the beginning more confidence in Moderna than Pfizer due to mistrust I have had for Pfizer that dates back decades. It's just a feeling I've had, so I wouldn't make any claims about the two companies. But I got the Moderna vaccine.
Community, There is confusion among people about whether they can qualify for the third shot now, based on immune issues.
Here are the questions that vaccine-giving pharmacies in my state are asking before they give you an appointment for the third shot for immune compromised people. I suspect these are the same questions being asked all over the country, but I am not sure. You do not need to have a doctor's recommendation. You only need to answer whether you have a moderately or severely immune-suppressed condition.
From CVS Pharmacy in Massachusetts:
First you have to answer questions about whether you have covid symptoms at this moment. Then they want your insurance information and if you don't have insurance, they want your SSN and/or driver's license number. These are all the same questions they ask for the first and second shot. Then they ask these questions. I put the immune-suppressant question in pink.
Let's prepare for your visit
To save you time in person, let's go over these questions now. Do your best to answer and we'll confirm later. All fields are required, unless marked optional.
Have you ever had a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to something? For example, a reaction for which you were treated with epinephrine, or EpiPen, or for which you had to go to the hospital? If yes, what are you allergic to?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Had you ever had a severe allergic reaction after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Have you ever had a severe allergic reaction after receiving another vaccine or injectable medication?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Have you ever had a severe allergic reaction after receiving Polyethylene Glycol?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Have you ever had a severe allergic reaction related to receiving Polysorbate or products containing Polysorbate?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Are you currently pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Do you have a bleeding disorder or are you taking a blood thinner?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Have you received monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma as part of a COVID-19 treatment in the past 90 days?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Do you have a history of an immune-mediated syndrome characterized by thrombosis (abnormal blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets), such as heparin- induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Do you have a history of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining around the heart) either related to or unrelated to receipt of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Are you moderately/severely immunocompromised from a medical condition/immunosuppressive therapy, including/not limited to: active treatment for solid tumor/hematologic malignancy, solid organ/stem-cell transplant, primary immunodeficiency syndrome, advanced/untreated HIV infection, or active treatment with high dose corticosteroids/other immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory biologic agents?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
Do you have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)?
- Yes
- No
- I don't know
I love my sports club but today I am unhappy with the fact that no staff wear masks. The kid behind the desk told me the manager told him they didn't need masks. I'm going on yelp and they are not going to be happy about it. The place is now in my view a breeding ground for Delta. And I feel for all the kids who work there making diddly squat who feel pressured not to wear masks. Some also may be going home to families with vulnerable members.
Interesting!
Parker Hudson, M.D., an assistant professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at Dell Medical School, suggested more research needs to be done to show whether or not 10 days is the appropriate amount of time for people to quarantine, especially those who are unvaccinated.
In the town hall Wednesday he said viral loads for unvaccinated people are higher on day 10 with the delta variant than other strains of the virus, based on recent research.
Using data from Singapore, which saw the delta variant early on, Hudson showed that in the first few days people got the delta variant, viral loads for vaccinated and unvaccinated people were similar. But as the virus progressed, vaccinated people had much lower viral loads (were less contagious).
“I think that one of the really remaining important questions now with delta is, is isolation time of ten days appropriate especially for unvaccinated?” he said.
I did some muscle testing and had one of my reader friends use her pendulum to double check it and do a little reading for me (to calm my anxiety about getting the vax) and I had tested the best for Pfizer, which is what she also tested (without me telling her). She said I would react strongly to the first dose and be ok for the second, and my husband wouldn't have any issues with myocarditis, which was a main concern since he's had that from previous vaccines. I went and got the Pfizer shot yesterday around 3pm, my arm is like dead weight right now lol. As soon as they injected me, I had tingling all on my upper left side of my body (side I got the vax) that lasted about an hour or so, now it just hurts like hell on the left side of my body. Getting a little dizzy now, so hopefully that passes. No flu like symptoms yet, so hopefully I'm on the clear with that.
@michellepazicni, glad to hear that you've been vaccinated and thus far your reactions have been minimal. Make sure you're staying hydrated. Also make sure you move that arm, to keep the lymphatic fluid moving. You might try visualizing the vaccine strengthening and protecting your immune system. And, most importantly, relax and breathe. ?
@deetoo thank you! My friend told me to visualize it protecting and strengthening me too, so I've been doing that. It hurts to move it really bad lol but I've been trying to move it a bit and icing and putting heat on it. My husband is getting it next week, so I pray that goes well for him too.
@michellepazicni, I'm sorry about your hurting arm. It is good that you're moving it a bit. You also might try lightly stroking your arm (only on the skin -- if you're feeling muscle, you've gone too deep). The ice or heat is a great idea, whichever feels best.
I understand the initial stress you felt about getting the vaccine. I was nervous too. I have various autoimmune conditions, and in addition, I've had a number of allergic reactions to medications. Because I am so reactive, after I had my vaccine I waited 45 minutes until I left the clinic for home. That might sound like overkill, but it made me feel better. The next day I had some after-effects but nothing significant -- chills, fever, some lightheadedness and fatigue, which lasted a few days. I chose to see that as my body acclimating to the vaccine and building strong antibodies against Covid. People have myriad reactions, but we eventually get through it.
I'll pray that all goes well for your husband, and for your second shots.
Glad to hear you got the shot ? but sorry to hear you're uncomfortable ? .
For the aches, you can take Tylenol/acetominophin . (It's recommended over other pain relievers for vax discomfort.) Hopefully you'll feel better very soon-- most people get over the side effects within a day or two.
@michellepazicni Everyone's reaction to the vaccines is different. I am fully Pfizered (or I guess, 2/3rds Pfizered with that 3 coming in November if I follow the 8 month schedule) and had nothing on the first shot. The second shot (which came at a Moderna interval due to a story I cataloged here earlier involving a cut finger, a trip to the ER and a tetanus shot) only made me really sleepy and I went to bed super early and woke up super late the next day. Here's hoping you bounce back from the shot quickly!
@michellepazicni, giving you a lot of credit for getting the shot. For the next two weeks, your body will be building a big defense system.If it hurts, then your antibodies are building. If you have a reaction to the shot, then your immune system is working overtime to build a strong defense to a lethal virus.
I also have a bunch of physical issues, including immune issue. When I got my second shot, my arm hurt like hell for a few days, as if someone punched me hard. I had other aches and pains too, some chills, and fatigue, all for about a week, slowly abating each day. After that I still had symptoms for about another week, and that worried me. But I remembered that the shot is building your antibodies for about two weeks to reach a peak. So I just ignored the aches and the fatigue, and forced myself to work hard in the garden, hauling dirt and mulch uphill, and my body flushed it all through. I drank a lot of water too. After two weeks, I didn't notice symptoms any more.
Except that I had all that immunity.
I have to add that compared to getting covid, the shot is a cake walk. I have a healthy 55 year old friend in good shape, great spirits, who works out regularly who got Covid 8 months ago. He called me yesterday and told me he is still not fully recovered.
@michellepazicni, I am sending angels to you for healing from the shot. One of them puts you in her lap and and wraps you in her angel blanket, keeps you warm and massages your arm very gently.
I'm going to do some muscle testing and sit with it, and ask the pharmacist, but I wanted to ask those who have had the vaccine...I am due for my 2nd shot on Friday. I am right handed so I got the first shot in my left arm. My left arm is still kind of sore...especially around the injection site. Would it be wise to get it in my right arm even though I'm right handed? Has anyone had their arm hurt this long? I want to get it in my left arm again since I'm right handed, but kind of nervous since my arm still kind of hurts from the first shot.
I can understand why you would hesitate to add to your left arm's woes. Perhaps there is a third option:
https://slate.com/technology/2021/02/can-you-get-the-vaccine-in-your-butt.html