Corona Virus Now Spreading

denice

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Omicron seems to have different symptoms. That loss of taste and smell that was reported so much previously doesn't seem to be part of it. One symptom that shows up a lot is night sweats. Many cases seem like a head cold with a fever.
 

misty8723

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Supposedly, COVID doesn't cause sneezing. Idk if that's always true but my brother didn't have sneezing as a symptom. He had aches and fever and a dry cough.

ETA: nevermind! I guess sneezing IS a symptom of Omicron. Stupid virus keeps mutating. . .
Omicron symptoms could seem like a cold — but don't underestimate this variant, experts warn
Yes, Omicron does cause sneezing, sniffles, cold like symptoms. I didn't know that, I was like why am I sneezing so much and I took some Tylenol cold and sinus. Then husband read me the symptoms of Omicron, so I ordered test kits for us. His results came yesterday, negative (he had no symptoms), but I'm still waiting for mine. I kinda feel like maybe my test was overlooked.
 

goingpostal

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When I got Covid back in Sept 2021 tons of sneezing was my main symptom and if I hadn't googled it I never would have known. Like it was odd, but I felt fine. Once I read it was a common sign in vaccinated people I went and got tested. Was a little stuffed up the next few days and that was it, for me at least.
 

artiemom

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Well, the people coming down with Covid in my building, is increasing..

We were informed that 2 more employees tested positive, and 2 more residents! They are all quarantining.. no one hospitalized.

That makes 7 employees in the past 2 weeks, and 2 residents.... Some of the employees have returned to work..

The dining room is closed. Only take out and delivery options. I wish they would get rid of the chairs in the lobby. People congregate there! That is how it is spreading..

I am not eating the food from the kitchen. I am back to my own food. Going to the grocery store today, to pick up more stuff.

I am also, just leaving my apartment to pick up mail, deliveries, grocery store... and that is about it. Hibernating..
Oh, and do my laundry... yuk... may end up sending it all out.
 

aliceneko

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I haven't been able to browse TCS for the past week because I tested positive with Omicron just after Christmas, which meant my New Year's celebrations were pretty much non existent! The rest of my house also tested positive as have most of my family I saw over Christmas. This is the first time I've felt well enough to use the computer.
 

gilmargl

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I have a part-time job at a local surgery dealing with medical reports. In my town in Germany the positive test results were all the delta variant a week ago but now omicron has started to show its ugly head. And there's evidently a new variant which has turned up in France.
 

denice

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Ohio reported a little over 20,000 new infections in the last 24 hours. Ninety-five percent of the samples sequenced are Omicron. This stuff is much more contagious but there aren't as many severe outcomes as possible. Of course, with this many infections and health care is understaffed the hospitals are strained. Vaccinated people are also catching it pretty routinely, but the symptoms are like a cold often including a fever, but it doesn't last as long as many colds. Of course, if vaccinated people have enough viral load to have any symptoms, then they can spread it.
 

artiemom

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Yikes!! Just got a phone call alerting us to:
6 more residents and 2 more Staff!! All positive CoVid, today!!!!

It is really devastating the kitchen staff and spreading to the others ..

I really stocked up on food, yesterday and today.

So many people in the stores without masks! I shake my head!!
I am really tired of these anti-vac and anti-mask people. Pushing my patience to the limit.

There is another CoVid variant discovered in Marseille, France!!!

I fear that it is just a matter of time before each one of us comes down with CoVid. What variant and when, I do not know sigh.
 

Beholder

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I've heard about that new variant but I don't think we should be worried about it too much yet. I subscribed to a prominent epidemiologist after one of my biology professors recommended her. She's very kind, has a family and doesn't try and fear monger, nor does she hide from the facts. Anyway, she tends to have a lot more information than the main media/news sources and breaks it down so that the average person can understand it.

This is what she said about the France variant yesterday: "You’ll see another variant pop up in the news called B.1.640.2. This variant arrived before Omicron, as the WHO classified it as a “Variant Under Monitoring” in November. It hasn’t done much (there are only 20 cases sequenced worldwide compared to more than 120,000 Omicron cases in less time). We are not worried about it at this time."

Anyway she doesn't always have the greatest news for us, but I find a lot of comfort in knowing what the current science and preliminary studies are saying. If anyone is interested, her name is Katelyn Jetelina and her blog (if that's what you would call it?) is called Your Local Epidemiologist. You can subscribe for free if you just click the "none" option under payment.

I'm one of those people that find solace in statistics and science so she's helped me through many stressful nights, especially as a college student. :ohwell: Well that and my cats, of course. :redcat:

I do agree with you artiemom artiemom we are probably all gonna get it at some point. With the lack of testing, asymptomatic people that don't know they have it, people that don't get a test (maybe because they know a family member has covid and they have the same symptoms but don't want to wait in a 3 hour line), refuse to get tested, lapse in goverment reporting of cases, and the people that take at-home tests and don't report the results...I'm getting to really wonder what percentage of Americans have actually had it.
 

Willowy

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I'm getting to really wonder what percentage of Americans have actually had it.
Apparently with Omicron, it doesn't really matter. I just read an article by someone who was down with Delta variant just 3 weeks ago and now has Omicron (tested negative in between). I guess it's just different enough that your previous immunities don't recognize it.

So, yeah, probably everybody will get Omicron, regardless of vaccination or previous infection, although previous immunities should make it milder.
 

Beholder

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Apparently with Omicron, it doesn't really matter. I just read an article by someone who was down with Delta variant just 3 weeks ago and now has Omicron (tested negative in between). I guess it's just different enough that your previous immunities don't recognize it.

So, yeah, probably everybody will get Omicron, regardless of vaccination or previous infection, although previous immunities should make it milder.
Yes, I've heard similar. Delta (and OG Covid) has little protection against Omicron--boosters/vaccines have more protection (especially for hospitalization) than previous infection but even that seems to be waning pretty quickly. I would be really interested to see specific Omicron variant reinfection rates, but it's too early for that data. Hopefully soon more data will come out from South Africa that can tell us the probabilities of Omicron reinfection. But at a minimum, we can at least appreciate how less deadly it is.

IMO our best hope is that we can get vaccines to most of the world (especially those with high HIV rates-as infection lasts longer and hence mutates more in the immunocompromised). Otherwise we'll continually see mutations because the more people infected the higher probability of mutation.

But hey, on the optimistic side...when it comes to infectious disease there is something called an "r (naught)-value", which represents contagiousness of a disease. When this value is higher we tend to see significantly less death. This is because for a disease to be highly contagious it must last in a person's system long enough to infect others. It works similarly in reverse, when a disease is extremely deadly in tends to have a lower R-naught value because deaths occur before community transmission. Quite relatable to the early 2000's SARs outbreak that was very deadly but died off on it's own. Sorry, not trying to be a preacher here but it makes me feel better. :)

So yeah...gonna pretend to be an optimist and hope it pays off :)
 

Maria Bayote

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Another variant? Oh dear... I have not been able to come home to my country for almost 3 years now because of the difficulty in travel, and I really hoped this 2022 I could finally go, but seems it never ends. :(

I have been down with a fever since 1st January, but today I am a bit better. Still the coughing isn't good though. I tried to have myself tested but I had to fall in line outside in the cold for the PCR, with a line formation that seemed endless and no social distancing being practiced, so I just decided to return home and monitor myself. The sudden surge of Omicron cases is shocking.

Stay safe, guys.
 

denice

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I too am optimistic about Omicron. I see it as part of this virus becoming endemic to humans. It is more contagious but less deadly. The vaccinated are also getting infected but the vaccines seem to be helping with keeping the disease very mild. That is what we often see with the flu vaccine. A lot of people who get the flu shot still get the flu but it tends to be a milder shorter illness.
 

KittyFriday

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I hope those of you that are ill get to feeling better.

Seems everyone here is over covid. But our keep climbing. We have the highest number of new weekly cases we’ve ever had, the highest % positive, and the highest number of people hospitalized. They apparently haven’t found omicron in my county yet, I’m sure it’s here it just hasn’t been sequenced.
 

Jem

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Anyway she doesn't always have the greatest news for us, but I find a lot of comfort in knowing what the current science and preliminary studies are saying. If anyone is interested, her name is Katelyn Jetelina and her blog (if that's what you would call it?) is called Your Local Epidemiologist. You can subscribe for free if you just click the "none" option under payment.

I'm one of those people that find solace in statistics and science so she's helped me through many stressful nights, especially as a college student. :ohwell: Well that and my cats, of course. :redcat:
Thanks for that! I'll be sure to check her out. I'm the same way...I feel better knowing actual statistics and doing research on many things. I don't trust mainstream...well, not that I don't "trust" them, but I don't like just getting "the gyst" of things...there's always more to the story than what is presented.
 

aliceneko

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I haven't had a PCR test to determine whether I have Omicron or Delta having tested positive (there's a lack of them here in the UK and it's become an issue!), but I've had a fever over the past week and now whatever version of Coronavirus I have has developed into a generic head cold, but with bad breathing problems at night. The area I reckon I got the virus from got Omicron much later than the rest of England, so I very well may have Delta because my current symptoms don't match Omicron.
 

Beholder

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I haven't had a PCR test to determine whether I have Omicron or Delta having tested positive (there's a lack of them here in the UK and it's become an issue!), but I've had a fever over the past week and now whatever version of Coronavirus I have has developed into a generic head cold, but with bad breathing problems at night. The area I reckon I got the virus from got Omicron much later than the rest of England, so I very well may have Delta because my current symptoms don't match Omicron.
I'm so sorry. I hope you start feeling better soon.

Seems like there's a lack of testing everywhere now. People in my county were driving all the way to LA (which is like a 2 hour drive with no traffic) just to get any kind of test.
 

Jem

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We have a shortage of tests as well. An announcement was made that they will no longer be testing most people. Only those deemed "at risk" can seek out PCR testing if they are sick. We also have a major shortage of rapid tests as well, so most people can't even do that at home. Our advice was basically, if you present with any of the symptoms, just assume you have it and isolate accordingly.
I've talked to a few people who might have access to some rapid tests because of their work situation and a couple have said they would see what they can do about getting me a rapid test kit, just in case. I don't "need" one right now, but I would like to have one on hand for my own peace of mind if/when I or my husband get sick.
They have updated how we are supposed to isolate, so a positive vs negative result does make a big difference when it comes to household members. Now, if anyone in your household tests positive, ALL members of that household must isolate for 5 days or until they are 24 hour symptom free (whichever is longer) if vaccinated. If unvaccinated it's 10 days. So if by chance I get sick, even if my husband has no symptoms, he would have to have to stay home too. but if it's just a cold, he could go to work...fyi, my husband runs his own company and works alone 90% of the time, so going to work if I'm sick and he has no symptoms is very low risk. But if I don't have access to testing, that means he would have to close the business for like a week...even if he's not sick, simply out of precaution because I can't get tested. His business has already taken a few hits throughout this pandemic, we shouldn't have to make the business and our livelihood, suffer even more because of testing shortages.
Also, because of the high case load, contact tracing is way behind so it is recommended that if you test positive or are sick that you take some initiative and contact those you have had contact with yourself so they can be "more aware" and monitor for symptoms. I don't mind doing this at all, but it would be nice if I could tell those people definitively if my test came back positive or not.
 

KittyFriday

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Just heard from my boss that we can work remotely for the next two weeks if we want to. I'm usually the only person in the office anyway, but just earlier a woman from another office came in to talk to me (no mask, of course) which sent my panic into a tailspin so, I will be remote working. It will be nice for the dog and cat too :lol:
 
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