Octopus Overlords

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 2:56 am 3/4 in our family has had it. My daughter is invincible, it seems. She was once ID'd as having close contact with a positive case in school, and was required to be tested for 2 week to continue attending, but she didn't get it. She didn't get it when her brother got it. She didn't get it when her brother gave it to her mother. She didn't get it at Disney, where I got.

She did, however, projectile vomit at her cousin's wedding shower, to which she blames a bad hotdog and has declared herself "allergic to hotdogs" and will never eat them again.

Science wonders how hot dog allergies and covid invulnerability correlate, and needs to dissect her to find out. Science offers you $500.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 3:01 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 2:56 am She did, however, projectile vomit at her cousin's wedding shower, to which she blames a bad hotdog and has declared herself "allergic to hotdogs" and will never eat them again.

Probably for the best. Polish sausages are the superior encased meat product, anyway. Boudin or andouille are also acceptable substitutes.

She likes prasky, AFAIK the only other encased meat she's ever had. I make kielbasa and andouille a lot, she just never has them (she doesn't eat my gumbo despite loving okra).

Garlic-flavored sausage sounds like a winner, but $16/lb before shipping is a nonstarter for me.

Too bad there’s not an Octocon coming up.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:03 am Garlic-flavored sausage sounds like a winner, but $16/lb before shipping is a nonstarter for me.

Too bad there’s not an Octocon coming up.

Prasky is a lot cheaper here. Check the Daisy Brand (aka Crawford Sausage) website and see if they ship.

Back on topic, wife tested positive last night for the second time. She said she has 20 patients also positive right now. Aside from cold symptoms, she so far isn't in much distress, but since her mom is here, she decided to quarantine in the kids play room.

It inspired me to go get my second booster today...I've been putting it off under the category of "too busy". Got a new batch of test kits while I was there. She will undoubtedly test herself every day until she's negative, then we'll be out of them when the kids start coughing...

Jeff V wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:51 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:03 am Garlic-flavored sausage sounds like a winner, but $16/lb before shipping is a nonstarter for me.

Too bad there’s not an Octocon coming up.

Prasky is a lot cheaper here. Check the Daisy Brand (aka Crawford Sausage) website and see if they ship.

Back on topic, wife tested positive last night for the second time. She said she has 20 patients also positive right now. Aside from cold symptoms, she so far isn't in much distress, but since her mom is here, she decided to quarantine in the kids play room.

It inspired me to go get my second booster today...I've been putting it off under the category of "too busy". Got a new batch of test kits while I was there. She will undoubtedly test herself every day until she's negative, then we'll be out of them when the kids start coughing...

I've got so many test kits I'm about to throw the old ones away. PM me if you want some. They're past their dates, but as I understand it they're still valid if the Control line shows up nice and clear.

Apparently you're still entitled to 8 every month. I became aware of that today. Gotta keep an eye on my daughter, the only one in the family who never had it...but she'd been sleeping with my wife for the last month or so. And she was requesting cough medicine today.

I've still only ever been able to get my hands on one test kit. In theory the provincial government is still supplying them until sometime in the spring, but no place around here that I've checked ever has any in stock.

Yeah, my dad and I have been looking for more for the past few months. Walmart used to give them out like hotcakes, but now they have none. Same with Shopper's Drug Mart.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:22 am Apparently you're still entitled to 8 every month. I became aware of that today. Gotta keep an eye on my daughter, the only one in the family who never had it...but she'd been sleeping with my wife for the last month or so. And she was requesting cough medicine today.

CVS keep emialing me to register to get some through my insurance company. I probably should do so before May 11, I guess.

Sudy wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 2:37 am Yeah, my dad and I have been looking for more for the past few months. Walmart used to give them out like hotcakes, but now they have none. Same with Shopper's Drug Mart.

Shoppers used to have a way to check whether individual stores had any test kits in stock (there were never more than a couple of locations in the entire city that had any), but that disappeared in January.

Jeff V wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:22 am Apparently you're still entitled to 8 every month. I became aware of that today. Gotta keep an eye on my daughter, the only one in the family who never had it...but she'd been sleeping with my wife for the last month or so. And she was requesting cough medicine today.

I think your daughter is going to be just fine.
Didn’t she beat the snot out of the Bears back in October?

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:09 am

Jeff V wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:22 am Apparently you're still entitled to 8 every month. I became aware of that today. Gotta keep an eye on my daughter, the only one in the family who never had it...but she'd been sleeping with my wife for the last month or so. And she was requesting cough medicine today.

I think your daughter is going to be just fine.
Didn’t she beat the snot out of the Bears back in October?

She tested negative, and you misunderstood -- she turned (gummy) Bears into snots.

Kilt her a bar when she was only 3

just put an iHealth C19 test kit with an expiration date of June 2022 to use - the 'control' line is still displaying (albeit rather faint), so these are still good.

Well, after dodging Covid all this time, today I tested positive for the virus.

My symptoms were a very sore throat, persistent cough, headache, and muscle aches. No fever. I feel like my sense of smell and taste are not completely gone, but they are impaired.

So now I'm to stay home from work for at least five days, after which I can return when I've begun to test negative. I'll be isolating in my kid's room, which works out OK since he's in Japan until the end of April.

That's exactly what happened to me. Very same symptoms. I was surprised I never got a fever.

I'm a little conflicted. I feel like Hell, but I'm also getting a five-day paid vacation.

(My employer allots five "Covid sick days" that don't come out of regular sick days or vacation or anything else.)

I'll give you the same advice I give others in our cohort. Don't hesitate to contact your doctor and ask for Paxlovid. I know you're over 50 (that's risk), but if you have other chronic health conditions you might qualify. Some doctors are being real stingy with it and you're better off getting it ASAP - so don't wait.

Hopefully you have a mild and short time with the virus. Once you start feeling better, don't push yourself - continue to take it easy, mentally and physically. It might be a number of weeks (maybe even a month) before you're feeling fully recovered. Or you might feel better next week and just think to start getting back to your routine. Take it easy.

Holman wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 6:43 pm I'll be isolating in my kid's room, which works out OK since he's in Japan until the end of April.

Man, kindergarten is getting competitive.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:30 pm I'll give you the same advice I give others in our cohort. Don't hesitate to contact your doctor and ask for Paxlovid. I know you're over 50 (that's risk), but if you have other chronic health conditions you might qualify. Some doctors are being real stingy with it and you're better off getting it ASAP - so don't wait.

agree, when my wife tested positive last year we got a prescription, but she started feeling better, so we have it ready to go for the next time.

Is Paxlovid another vaccine or something to specifically treat Covid symptoms?

It's an anti-viral you take ASAP after a diagnosis to help minimize symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness.

Think of it like taking Tamiflu after you have a positive flu diagnosis.

There doesn't seem to be a clear or easy explanation as to why some people get access easy while others struggle. It's frustrating and I can't help but think it's tied to R&P stuff...

Paxlovid is, in part, a repurposed AIDS drug.

A 30-something young lady that I know posted last night that she is down with covid, which hit her hard. She had heard it was just a cold so I doubt that she's vaccinated (I didn't ask). I was surprised that she had dodged it this long, as she's a social person who took no precautions AFAIK. I recommended Paxlovid, but her doctor told her that it would conflict with some other med that she's on.

Often, patients at high risk for severe COVID-19 are on the very medications that have known interactions with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. "As a clinician, I don't think that's a good excuse because there's a very tiny number of medications that interact with Paxlovid that are harmful to stop for a week," Barnett told MedPage Today. "It's a much better risk-benefit ratio for someone to stop their statin and take Paxlovid while they're sick."

I'm guessing they said, "Eh, she's in her 30s she'll be fine."

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2024 10:35 pm It's an anti-viral you take ASAP after a diagnosis to help minimize symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness.

Think of it like taking Tamiflu after you have a positive flu diagnosis.

There doesn't seem to be a clear or easy explanation as to why some people get access easy while others struggle. It's frustrating and I can't help but think it's tied to R&P stuff...

My old PCP, who was a COVID defeatist, advised when I come down with COVID to see him ASAP and get the antiviral and only preached the vaccine because I am immunosuppressed. I have no idea how my new PCP feels, what she thinks. She's up on the updated vaccine for everyone, so that's a good sign.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2024 10:35 pm It's an anti-viral you take ASAP after a diagnosis to help minimize symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness.

Think of it like taking Tamiflu after you have a positive flu diagnosis.

That said, is Paxlovid similar in composition to Tamiflu? I am violently allergic to the latter.

Holman wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 4:54 pm That said, is Paxlovid similar in composition to Tamiflu? I am violently allergic to the latter.

They've both antivirals, but I don't know if you could expect a similar reaction. I do know some people have less-than-great experiences with Paxlovid (especially with leaving a metallic taste in your mouth while taking it), though I've also not heard of anyone having reactions to Tamiflu before.

I believe Tamiflu acts at a different stage or element of influenza replication in the body than Paxlovid (later vs earlier) and uses a different set of "tools" to accomplish the same thing (reduced virus in the body), but I'm guessing a doctor would be asking you about reactions to medicines during the evaluation - mainly to rule out interactions (more likely) and possibly reactions (less likely).

Thanks.

My reaction to Tamiflu is terrible. I puke everything up, and then I keep trying to puke up an empty stomach for about four hours.

Geez, that sounds terrible. Yeah, I'd definitely bring it up as I don't know what they ask (exactly) other than questions trying to minimize interactions.

That is also assuming they even entertain giving you some.