Vaccinated

[Spellbound454]

Yes... a new variant of XBB

and we are getting a lot of strep A for some unknown reason.

[TheOtherMe]

I will be getting another booster before I go to Toronto in March.  All of the maskless fools on airplanes.  I want nothing to do with them.

My credit was enough to fly first class so the configuration of seats is 1-2.  I selected a single seat both directions.

[Deleted]

Can anyone clarify on if/how Medicare pays for a 3rd booster. I had the original 2-part Moderna series and 2 Moderna boosters. But I see many folks talking about getting 3rd and even 4th boosters. Does Medicare currently cover anything beyond the standard 2 boosters? If not, has anyone self-paid and how much? THX!

[Deleted]

Jan 2, 2023 16:25:51 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

I will be getting another booster before I go to Toronto in March.  All of the maskless fools on airplanes.  I want nothing to do with them.

My credit was enough to fly first class so the configuration of seats is 1-2.  I selected a single seat both directions.

I feel somewhat comfortable that there's some air filtration in the cabin of planes but sometimes you have no control over how you get between the gate and the plane, between terminals, or to/from the rental car area.  I was REALLY uncomfortable when my flight from Munich to Malta required a crowded, unventilated bus from the plane to the terminal- about 20 minutes including time waiting for it to fill up.  No alternatives such as walking.  When I passed through Seattle on my trip to Alaska in August of 2021, the trams between terminals were similarly crowded.  I always wore an N95 mask.

[daisylu]

Outside may be less risky, but still fairly risky when people are packed in like sardines.

[wvugurl26]

I masked up when I had to take my grandma to the ER. I expected that to be full of sick people. The idea that we will never get sick again is ridiculous though. I fly probably a dozen times a year. I haven't worn a mask since it was required. For myself, I don't find it high risk.

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 2, 2023 17:34:08 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Can anyone clarify on if/how Medicare pays for a 3rd booster. I had the original 2-part Moderna series and 2 Moderna boosters. But I see many folks talking about getting 3rd and even 4th boosters. Does Medicare currently cover anything beyond the standard 2 boosters? If not, has anyone self-paid and how much? THX!

I had a 3rd booster with Medicare but it was in 2022.  I don't care if they pay for it or not.  I will be getting a 4th booster in March

[Tiny]

I've got some sort of virus. It started New Year's eve. My at home covid19 tests have all been negative.

I've got a mild runny nose, mild sore throat, but over the top achy. I don't seem to have a fever. Blech.


I'm thinking I picked up whatever I have last week - spent time with a bunch of out of town relatives (one of whom was mildly congested).

[Tiny]

In other news... I'm hearing that people are blaming current Covid19 deaths on having been vaccinated.


I've started blaming excess deaths or people who "suddenly die" or people who die from Covid19 on the most likely cause - they drank milk (or worse!!! ate white bread) as children... that shit WILL kill you.

[TheOtherMe]

Everything we have done in our lives could probably kill us eventually.

I see lots of comments on FB and Twitter, did they die with Covid or from Covid.  One of the celebs who died 2 or 3 weeks ago also had Covid in addition to what else he had that was eventually going to kill him.  The Twitter MDs said, Covid hastened his death and Covid was most likely the cause of death on the death certificate with the other illnesses mentioned as contributing to his death.

[pulmonarymd]

It’s clear that being born causes all these deaths everyone who died was born. So……

[Spellbound454]

They are calling this current XBB variant "Kraken" for some reason

There was a lot of it about... but people do seem to be getting better more quickly.

[Deleted]

I suppose I should put this in the "Unvaccinated" thread but I'm too lazy.

Our Garden Club is still reeling from the shock of the news we got yesterday. A long-time member, smart, funny, friendly- died the day before yesterday. Turns out she'd been struggling with COVID for at least 6 weeks and recently was so tired she told people that any time she sat down she started to fall asleep. Visible risk factors- likely in her mid-to-late 60s and overweight.

And she wasn't vaccinated.

We'll miss her.

[busymom]

DH tested positive today.  DS & I are hoping he doesn't share.  

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 30, 2023 10:45:19 GMT -5 busymom said:

DH tested positive today.  DS & I are hoping he doesn't share.  

I'm sorry.

[busymom]

Well, DH claims he feels better, but today he's beginning to lose his voice. (He's on day 6 since testing positive for Covid.)  I'm trying to research online, but may need to call the doctor's office Monday to see if there is a need for concern.  I wonder if pulmonarymd has an idea of what's happening here...  

[TheOtherMe]

Sometimes there's a rebound case from paxlovid.  That's all I know about it.

[pulmonarymd]

Feb 4, 2023 18:18:10 GMT -5 busymom said:

Well, DH claims he feels better, but today he's beginning to lose his voice. (He's on day 6 since testing positive for Covid.)  I'm trying to research online, but may need to call the doctor's office Monday to see if there is a need for concern.  I wonder if pulmonarymd has an idea of what's happening here...  

Many possible reasons. If the remainder of his symptoms are improving, it is likely he either has laryngotrachrobronchitis as a result of his Covid infection, or his vocal cords are inflamed from his cough and upper airway symptoms

[busymom]

Thanks for responding pulmonarymd.  He got on Paxlovid the first evening after testing positive for Covid, after we waited for blood test results to be sure his kidneys are working ok.  His cough was actually very infrequent.  He's done more sleeping than anything else when he was at his sickest. I'll be keeping a close eye on him, and probably will call the doctor's office on Monday.  He seemed to be getting normal yesterday, then suddenly today his voice sounded awful, like he was getting laryngitis.  Covid is a weird virus.  

[teen persuasion]

Blargh - DH just tested positive for Covid, after mentioning having a sore throat for a few days.  Most likely picked it up at the Y; he's been going roughly every other day.

It's been going around our area, lately.  One of our board members came down with it (after we'd all been together for a big book sale  ), local blogger mentioned his family was recovering after the kids brought it home from school, yesterday a patron said her DH came down with it just after they got back from vacation...

[busymom]

DH has recovered nicely, but now DD's boyfriend tested positive yesterday.  No, they hadn't seen each other anytime recently, so I'm not sure where he picked it up.  Covid is on the increase in our community.  pulmonarymd, are you seeing more cases at your hospital?  

[pulmonarymd]

Hospital, no. Vaccination and immunity from prior infections seem to have worked in that people are not getting severely ill like in the past. Deaths are up slightly from where they were in the fall. I see patients everyday who contracted COVID in December and January, and routinely have patients calling to tell us they tested positive and want to be treated with paxlovid. It has changed into an illness more akin to influenza. I suspect this is out new "normal". Hopefully COVID will transition to a cold weather illness like influenza, and vaccination will keep it out of the hospital. We have had a similar number of admissions for the flu and COVID this winter

[teen persuasion]

It's musical season at the HS; DS5 has a minor role.  The choreographer has been out sick for a week or so (canceled dance practices).  At least one of DS's classmates has Covid.  Now the director has Covid; she's had a bad sore throat for days, and was standing in for missing actors at times.  So practice is canceled for a bit.  I suspect more cases will develop - the kids are always stressed out by musical season's intense practice schedule and end up pushing thru illness when they shouldn't.  Covid will just make it that much more fun  , especially because we have relaxed mitigation measures almost altogether.

[Deleted]

DH and I had the second of our 2 Moderna boosters September 2022.  I see so many people on the boards testing positive, we are planning a 10-day group trip in June, and there are TV ads daily advising an "updated booster".  Is another booster desirable, is it covered by Medicare, where would I get it?  I asked at the storefront pharmacy where we got both boosters in 2022 and they said we were not eligible for further vaccines.   

[Tennesseer]

Is there a new booster shot available?  I received the last known booster shot this past October when I also got my flu shot.

[grumpyhermit]

I think the bivalent, which timing wise was around then, was the last booster. If you have that, you would be considered up to date. 

[teen persuasion]

Urgh, coworker's spouse has Covid. We've all continued wearing masks, hoping to protect them from getting it if at all possible - they are both mid-60s, and he has lung issues. He's taking paxlovid.

Really ironic on the timing, too: he's the MS art teacher, so exposed to all the kids all the time (but masks). And he gets sick during spring break!

[Spellbound454]

Seems mad looking back on it now..... 3 years ago we were in lock down, the streets were deserted people were dying in droves of the most horrible illness.

The models said everyone was going to get it ... and I suppose that was right .....but fortunately for many, the vaccines and better treatments came through in time.

[seriousthistime]

Very few of us are NOVIDs.  I am one of them.  I still mask up in most public places. 

[daisylu]

People over 65 or immunocompromised can now get another booster. link 


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized a second dose of Omicron-targeting COVID-19 vaccines for older adults as well as those with a weak immune system.



The agency also said the updated shots from Pfizer-BioNTech/ and Moderna would become the new primary COVID vaccine, and withdrew its emergency-use authorization for the older messenger RNA vaccines that target only the original version of coronavirus.



People aged 65 years and older can now receive a second dose of updated booster four months after the first, while immunocompromised people can get an additional shot of the updated vaccine after two months, the agency said.



FDA's decision comes a day before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) panel of expert advisers' meeting on updating COVID-19 vaccination guidelines.