Can we talk COVID and how it affected you financially, emotionally, physically, etc?

[QuarterMillionMan]

I'm not sure how many they allow other than the 3 free or how often people can get it. I'm guessing each location must jot down names to avoid exploiting it but if you go across the street you can get another 3, who knows. I'm not that desperate. On a side note has anyone seen these "ear savers?" It works well preventing my ears from getting sore.

[disneysteve]

There are all sorts of ear savers out there. I don’t need one with N95 but they are great if you’re in an ear loop mask a lot.

[QuarterMillionMan]

N95s' are good with the around-the-head strap not only for tight fitting but also when not in use can be hung around the neck. With the ear loop straps I've tried hanging it around one ear when not in use and it falls off or flies away if the wind blows (lol). It can be used like a chin strap but then my ears get sore not catching any breaks.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Can someone clear this up for me. On the news I hear different docs saying natural immunity is better and other docs saying the vax has better immunity, what the heck which is which? My gut feeling says natural immunity is better.

[QuarterMillionMan]

When it comes to physical health nothing man made can be as good as what God gave. That’s my belief.

[Snydley]

Can someone clear this up for me. On the news I hear different docs saying natural immunity is better and other docs saying the vax has better immunity, what the heck which is which? My gut feeling says natural immunity is better.

First point- all immunity is "natural". The immune system is amazing, it responds to anything and everything, basically. It adapts after exposed to something and "remembers" it was there, so it can respond really fast the next time.

Vaccines cause lots and lots of just the little outside part of the COVID-19 virus being present in you for a short amount of time, so your immune system can build a lot of memory to just that part (called spike). Spike is how the virus gets into cells, then reproduces and causes all its trouble. So vaccine immunity is spike only and when you are exposed to the virus, antibodies help stop it from ever getting into cells, and T cells that remember spike help keep you out of the hospital by different ways.

Infection immunity ('natural') is to basically the whole virus. This means you have memory to more parts of it, which is likely helpful in some respects, as you have more broad memory to the virus. However, the antibody levels are much lower from infection than from multiple doses of vaccine. Some scientists think a previous infection should count as one vaccine dose as far as protective immunity. A Game of Thrones analogy - The COVID-19 viruses are the white walkers (?), the vaccine immunity is the Wall, and the infection induced immunity makes more different brothers of the night's watch, but not necessarily more total brothers, to go to battle.

It's key to try to keep this virus out or if you catch it to have as many antibodies as possible to bind it up and minimize the size of the infection. There is more evidence every day that this virus is persisting in many if not all infected people for months or longer, and this could drive chronic illness in an unfathomable number of people in the years to come. 'Natural' immunity comes at a price (virus sitting in many organs, for how long??). This is why I have had 4 COVID shots in the last 13 months.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Wow good stuff Snydley, thanks.

[QuarterMillionMan]

[QuarterMillionMan]

Los Angeles was forcing frontline healthcare workers back to work who were COVID positive but asymptomatic without isolation periods or testing. On another note LA union workers are getting back COVID sick leave pay which implemented but taken away but now will be reimplemented.

[QuarterMillionMan]

FDA OKs second Pfizer, Moderna COVID booster for 50 and up - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

Over 50 and more than 4 months since boosted FDA clears getting a 2nd booster. My booster was in November and I'm 56 so technically I could get the 2nd booster but meh I don't know if I want to get it. If I was sickly I would get it but I'm in good health.

[disneysteve]

FDA OKs second Pfizer, Moderna COVID booster for 50 and up - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

Over 50 and more than 4 months since boosted FDA clears getting a 2nd booster. My booster was in November and I'm 56 so technically I could get the 2nd booster but meh I don't know if I want to get it. If I was sickly I would get it but I'm in good health.

I'm waiting to see what my job says, since I get my vaccines through them. I think I'm eligible. I don't remember when I got my booster but I'm pretty sure it was more than 4 months ago. Unless my job requires it (which they already do for the primary series and booster) I may wait a bit. We're scheduled to travel in August so I might get it closer to then, like early July.

[QuarterMillionMan]

From the article I copied & pasted about longer intervals may be more beneficial.

“The ‘when’ is a really difficult part. Ideally we would time booster doses right before surges, but we don’t always know when that’s going to be,” said Dr. William Moss of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Plus, a longer interval between shots helps the immune system mount a stronger, more cross-reactive defense.

“If you get a booster too close together, it’s not doing any harm — you’re just not going to get much benefit from it,” Wherry said.

[Like2Plan]

Thanks for the update. My sister mentioned something about this and I haven't had time to research it. It looks like Moderna is included. I think I'm going to wait a little bit, too. I have a trip planned in June, so I'll probably get it a couple of weeks prior to my travel dates.

[Snydley]

If you are in a really low risk area (as many of us are right now) and not in large unmasked crowds, maybe wait for the next surge (the fall, ??). If you are high risk in any way, and in an area with a little surge now (Northeast), maybe just get #4 now. You can always get #5 in the fall/winter. The theories about spacing and how well they will work hold a bit of water, but not to the extent of that Wherry quote (I assume that's John Wherry).

[ua_guy]

Paxlovid recently helped a friend who had a recent tangle with Covid. Got it through one of the test-to-treat centers a few days ago. Said within 24 hours he had reversed course, and the onset of this strain felt like death.