Covid and Paxlovid

[Technobarbarian]

This is probably what I get for bragging about my travels before I
get it done. I tested positive for Covid on Wednesday in Burns--300
miles from home--so we came home a couple of days sooner than we
expected. It had been a fun trip up to that point. Since I came home in
one piece and I'm still married I consider our vacation a success. I'll
have more to say about our travels when I'm feeling better.

It looks like it's going to be a fairly mild case. I'm already
starting to feel better and I haven't lost my sense of smell. I'm taking
Paxlovid as a precaution. The Paxlovid might be worse than the disease.
My mouth tastes like I've been eating dandelion stems and I had some
diarrhea this morning. These are known side effects. There are some
other known side effects that can be worse. I'll have more to say about
Paxlovid when I'm feeling better.

I think I'm a good example of why there isn't more concern about
the current surge in cases. I had 4 shots of the Pfizer vaccine, which
is probably the main reason I didn't get sicker and I was able to get an
anti-viral medication when I did get sick. My odds of ending up in a
hospital appear to be very low, despite my age. If I suddenly stop
posting for a long period of time you can probably assume the unlikely
worst case scenario.

TB

[kmiller]

Just curious - any idea of the source of your infection? I also hope you
don't end up with some variation of long covid.

[Don Lampson]

He probably was infected by sitting on a dirty toilet seat in some filthy gas station, or seeking hydration from a drinking fountain, frequented by those sweet old "Hoover kissing" Grandmas who were Covid+?

Dr. Ben Casey Jr.

[Technobarbarian]

Of course we're not really certain where I got infected, but our
best guess is better story than Don's guesses. The Forest Service is
doing something very annoying at the Lava River Cave. When their parking
lot fills up they simply close the gate at the entrance. There are no
signs to warn anyone whats going on until you finally reach the
entrance. We saw cars parked on the shoulder near the entrance and got
in that line. It was even more confusing for the people who came from
the opposite direction, where there was no line. Their signs are so
small and poorly located that no one could read them from the opposite
side of the highway. So there was about a 45 minute delay before we
could park. Then there's another delay while you wait for a 10 minute
orientation about some bat disease that's killing off a lot of bats.
White Nose disease IIRC. Once they have everyone nicely bunched up you
can go stand in line to pay for the admission and rent a strong
flashlight if you need one.

When we finally reached the entrance to the cave there was a big
family group blocking the path getting ready for a group selfie. Even
under ordinary circumstance I get annoyed with people who block the path
for their damn selfie. Dad asked if I would take their picture. I told
him I would if that would get them out of my way any faster. I wasn't
masked because I was outside and distancing. I think Dad infected me
while we were handing his camera back and forth. This would explain why
I got infected and my wife didn't. She tested negative on Thursday and
positive on Friday. Most likely I infected her before I realized I was sick.

So far it looks like both of us are going to do fine. My symptoms
are mild enough that I considered passing on the Paxlovid. I'm only
taking it as a rather annoying precaution. While I'm not completely over
it I'm feeling much better this morning. For my wife it was a bit more
important. She starts on her Paxlovid this morning. They're telling
everyone to start taking it in the morning. This is probably because
they're worried about people with Covid becoming confused. What you get
is 5 blister packs with 6 pills divided into a morning and evening dose.
You're actually taking 2 different drugs.

The doctor I saw in Burns said he had Covid a month ago and he
expected that sooner or later just about everyone would catch it. I can
believe it. My exposure to other people has been very limited. This
stuff obviously passes from person to person very easily.

Getting my Paxlovid in Burns was a whole 'nother story that I'll
post in the near future. I have a lot of stories to get to.

Oh, and BTW, ALL of the medical professionals we have spoken with
said that a 5 day isolation period is BULLSHIT. Everyone has told us a
10 to 14 day isolation period is more realistic. I got the impression
that they're saying this frequently to anyone who will listen.

One last thought and I'll get this thing off my desk. We're
fortunate that my wife works for a very progressive company that's based
in San Francisco. They don't have an official Covid policy because they
don't need one. My wife works from home and she can take as much time
off as she needs, with full pay, for any illness.

TB

[kmiller]

Thanks for the followup. We seem to be among the "lucky" few who haven't
gotten it, yet. I'll be just as happy to stay that way, too.

--
Liz Cheney For President!

[Technobarbarian]

I feel sort of like someone from The Invasion of the Body
Snatchers. And I'm saying, "Come on in, the water is fine." "Hey, we're
all out here havin' a good time." I feel so "radioactive" that I should
have an obvious green glow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP_SdjD5ms

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers (12/12) Movie CLIP - The Scream (1978) HD"

My wife is back to work today. But, I think the world sort of
changed around me.

TB

[bfh]

Technobarbarian wrote:
> On 6/25/2022 7:34 PM, kmiller wrote:
>> On 6/25/2022 7:49 AM, Technobarbarian wrote:
>>> On 6/24/2022 6:20 PM, kmiller wrote:
>>>> On 6/24/2022 9:35 AM, Technobarbarian wrote:
>>>>>

>>>>>      This is probably what I get for bragging about my

>>>>> travels before I get it done. I tested positive for Covid on
>>>>> Wednesday in Burns--300 miles from home--so we came home a couple
>>>>> of days sooner than we expected. It had been a fun trip up to
>>>>> that point. Since I came home in one piece and I'm still married
>>>>> I consider our vacation a success. I'll have more to say about
>>>>> our travels when I'm feeling better.
>>>>>

>>>>>      It looks like it's going to be a fairly mild case. I'm

>>>>> already starting to feel better and I haven't lost my sense of
>>>>> smell. I'm taking Paxlovid as a precaution. The Paxlovid might be
>>>>> worse than the disease. My mouth tastes like I've been eating
>>>>> dandelion stems and I had some diarrhea this morning. These are
>>>>> known side effects. There are some other known side effects that
>>>>> can be worse. I'll have more to say about Paxlovid when I'm
>>>>> feeling better.
>>>>>

>>>>>       I think I'm a good example of why there isn't more

>>>>> concern about the current surge in cases. I had 4 shots of the
>>>>> Pfizer vaccine, which is probably the main reason I didn't get
>>>>> sicker and I was able to get an anti-viral medication when I did
>>>>> get sick. My odds of ending up in a hospital appear to be very
>>>>> low, despite my age. If I suddenly stop posting for a long period
>>>>> of time you can probably assume the unlikely worst case scenario.
>>>>>
>>>>> TB
>>>>
>>>> Just curious - any idea of the source of your infection? I also
>>>> hope you don't end up with some variation of long covid.
>>>

>>>      Of course we're not really certain where I got infected,

>>> but our best guess is better story than Don's guesses. The Forest
>>> Service is doing something very annoying at the Lava River Cave.
>>> When their parking lot fills up they simply close the gate at the
>>> entrance. There are no signs to warn anyone whats going on until
>>> you finally reach the entrance. We saw cars parked on the shoulder
>>> near the entrance and got in that line. It was even more confusing
>>> for the people who came from the opposite direction, where there
>>> was no line. Their signs are so small and poorly located that no
>>> one could read them from the opposite side of the highway. So there
>>> was about a 45 minute delay before we could park. Then there's
>>> another delay while you wait for a 10 minute orientation about some
>>> bat disease that's killing off a lot of bats. White Nose disease
>>> IIRC. Once they have everyone nicely bunched up you can go stand in
>>> line to pay for the admission and rent a strong flashlight if you
>>> need one.
>>>

>>>       When we finally reached the entrance to the cave there

>>> was a big family group blocking the path getting ready for a group
>>> selfie. Even under ordinary circumstance I get annoyed with people
>>> who block the path for their damn selfie. Dad asked if I would take
>>> their picture. I told him I would if that would get them out of my
>>> way any faster. I wasn't masked because I was outside and
>>> distancing. I think Dad infected me while we were handing his
>>> camera back and forth. This would explain why I got infected and my
>>> wife didn't. She tested negative on Thursday and positive on
>>> Friday. Most likely I infected her before I realized I was sick.
>>>

>>>       So far it looks like both of us are going to do fine. My

>>> symptoms are mild enough that I considered passing on the Paxlovid.
>>> I'm only taking it as a rather annoying precaution. While I'm not
>>> completely over it I'm feeling much better this morning. For my
>>> wife it was a bit more important. She starts on her Paxlovid this
>>> morning. They're telling everyone to start taking it in the
>>> morning. This is probably because they're worried about people with
>>> Covid becoming confused. What you get is 5 blister packs with 6
>>> pills divided into a morning and evening dose. You're actually
>>> taking 2 different drugs.
>>>

>>>      The doctor I saw in Burns said he had Covid a month ago

>>> and he expected that sooner or later just about everyone would
>>> catch it. I can believe it. My exposure to other people has been
>>> very limited. This stuff obviously passes from person to person
>>> very easily.
>>>

>>>      Getting my Paxlovid in Burns was a whole 'nother story

>>> that I'll post in the near future. I have a lot of stories to get to.
>>>

>>>       Oh, and BTW, ALL of the medical professionals we have

>>> spoken with said that a 5 day isolation period is BULLSHIT.
>>> Everyone has told us a 10 to 14 day isolation period is more
>>> realistic. I got the impression that they're saying this frequently
>>> to anyone who will listen.
>>>

>>>      One last thought and I'll get this thing off my desk.

>>> We're fortunate that my wife works for a very progressive company
>>> that's based in San Francisco. They don't have an official Covid
>>> policy because they don't need one. My wife works from home and she
>>> can take as much time off as she needs, with full pay, for any
>>> illness.
>>>
>>> TB
>>
>> Thanks for the followup. We seem to be among the "lucky" few who
>> haven't gotten it, yet. I'll be just as happy to stay that way, too.
>>
>> --
>> Liz Cheney For President!
>
>       I feel sort of like someone from The Invasion of the Body
> Snatchers. And I'm saying, "Come on in, the water is fine." "Hey,
> we're all out here havin' a good time." I feel so "radioactive" that I
> should have an obvious green glow.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP_SdjD5ms
>
> "Invasion of the Body Snatchers (12/12) Movie CLIP - The Scream (1978)
> HD"
>
>     My wife is back to work today. But, I think the world sort of
> changed around me.
>
> TB

At the end of the end of the day going forward, whether or not you
like the metrics of the self-perceived change, because of the
significance of the passage of time, it's literally
transitory..............and according to some experts, the only thing
permanent is change. Follow the science.

--
bill
Theory don't mean squat if it don't work.

[Technobarbarian]

LOL If you want some real fun try following the science on
isolating. Everyone has an opinion and a few "facts". None of them
really agree.

I was outside Fred Meyer waiting to get my fruit. I heard someone
cough and it caught my ear because I recognized the sound. It was one of
us. Naturally he walked right in without masking.

TB

[bfh]

Technobarbarian wrote:
> On 7/2/2022 10:14 AM, bfh wrote:
>> Technobarbarian wrote:
>>> On 6/25/2022 7:34 PM, kmiller wrote:
>>>> On 6/25/2022 7:49 AM, Technobarbarian wrote:
>>>>> On 6/24/2022 6:20 PM, kmiller wrote:
>>>>>> On 6/24/2022 9:35 AM, Technobarbarian wrote:
>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>      This is probably what I get for bragging about

>>>>>>> my travels before I get it done. I tested positive for Covid on
>>>>>>> Wednesday in Burns--300 miles from home--so we came home a
>>>>>>> couple of days sooner than we expected. It had been a fun trip
>>>>>>> up to that point. Since I came home in one piece and I'm still
>>>>>>> married I consider our vacation a success. I'll have more to
>>>>>>> say about our travels when I'm feeling better.
>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>      It looks like it's going to be a fairly mild

>>>>>>> case. I'm already starting to feel better and I haven't lost my
>>>>>>> sense of smell. I'm taking Paxlovid as a precaution. The
>>>>>>> Paxlovid might be worse than the disease. My mouth tastes like
>>>>>>> I've been eating dandelion stems and I had some diarrhea this
>>>>>>> morning. These are known side effects. There are some other
>>>>>>> known side effects that can be worse. I'll have more to say
>>>>>>> about Paxlovid when I'm feeling better.
>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>       I think I'm a good example of why there

>>>>>>> isn't more concern about the current surge in cases. I had 4
>>>>>>> shots of the Pfizer vaccine, which is probably the main reason
>>>>>>> I didn't get sicker and I was able to get an anti-viral
>>>>>>> medication when I did get sick. My odds of ending up in a
>>>>>>> hospital appear to be very low, despite my age. If I suddenly
>>>>>>> stop posting for a long period of time you can probably assume
>>>>>>> the unlikely worst case scenario.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> TB
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Just curious - any idea of the source of your infection? I also
>>>>>> hope you don't end up with some variation of long covid.
>>>>>

>>>>>      Of course we're not really certain where I got

>>>>> infected, but our best guess is better story than Don's guesses.
>>>>> The Forest Service is doing something very annoying at the Lava
>>>>> River Cave. When their parking lot fills up they simply close the
>>>>> gate at the entrance. There are no signs to warn anyone whats
>>>>> going on until you finally reach the entrance. We saw cars parked
>>>>> on the shoulder near the entrance and got in that line. It was
>>>>> even more confusing for the people who came from the opposite
>>>>> direction, where there was no line. Their signs are so small and
>>>>> poorly located that no one could read them from the opposite side
>>>>> of the highway. So there was about a 45 minute delay before we
>>>>> could park. Then there's another delay while you wait for a 10
>>>>> minute orientation about some bat disease that's killing off a
>>>>> lot of bats. White Nose disease IIRC. Once they have everyone
>>>>> nicely bunched up you can go stand in line to pay for the
>>>>> admission and rent a strong flashlight if you need one.
>>>>>

>>>>>       When we finally reached the entrance to the

>>>>> cave there was a big family group blocking the path getting ready
>>>>> for a group selfie. Even under ordinary circumstance I get
>>>>> annoyed with people who block the path for their damn selfie. Dad
>>>>> asked if I would take their picture. I told him I would if that
>>>>> would get them out of my way any faster. I wasn't masked because
>>>>> I was outside and distancing. I think Dad infected me while we
>>>>> were handing his camera back and forth. This would explain why I
>>>>> got infected and my wife didn't. She tested negative on Thursday
>>>>> and positive on Friday. Most likely I infected her before I
>>>>> realized I was sick.
>>>>>

>>>>>       So far it looks like both of us are going to

>>>>> do fine. My symptoms are mild enough that I considered passing on
>>>>> the Paxlovid. I'm only taking it as a rather annoying precaution.
>>>>> While I'm not completely over it I'm feeling much better this
>>>>> morning. For my wife it was a bit more important. She starts on
>>>>> her Paxlovid this morning. They're telling everyone to start
>>>>> taking it in the morning. This is probably because they're
>>>>> worried about people with Covid becoming confused. What you get
>>>>> is 5 blister packs with 6 pills divided into a morning and
>>>>> evening dose. You're actually taking 2 different drugs.
>>>>>

>>>>>      The doctor I saw in Burns said he had Covid a

>>>>> month ago and he expected that sooner or later just about
>>>>> everyone would catch it. I can believe it. My exposure to other
>>>>> people has been very limited. This stuff obviously passes from
>>>>> person to person very easily.
>>>>>

>>>>>      Getting my Paxlovid in Burns was a whole 'nother

>>>>> story that I'll post in the near future. I have a lot of stories
>>>>> to get to.
>>>>>

>>>>>       Oh, and BTW, ALL of the medical

>>>>> professionals we have spoken with said that a 5 day isolation
>>>>> period is BULLSHIT. Everyone has told us a 10 to 14 day isolation
>>>>> period is more realistic. I got the impression that they're
>>>>> saying this frequently to anyone who will listen.
>>>>>

>>>>>      One last thought and I'll get this thing off my

>>>>> desk. We're fortunate that my wife works for a very progressive
>>>>> company that's based in San Francisco. They don't have an
>>>>> official Covid policy because they don't need one. My wife works
>>>>> from home and she can take as much time off as she needs, with
>>>>> full pay, for any illness.
>>>>>
>>>>> TB
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the followup. We seem to be among the "lucky" few who
>>>> haven't gotten it, yet. I'll be just as happy to stay that way, too.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Liz Cheney For President!
>>>

>>>        I feel sort of like someone from The Invasion of the

>>> Body Snatchers. And I'm saying, "Come on in, the water is fine."
>>> "Hey, we're all out here havin' a good time." I feel so
>>> "radioactive" that I should have an obvious green glow.
>>>
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP_SdjD5ms
>>>
>>> "Invasion of the Body Snatchers (12/12) Movie CLIP - The Scream
>>> (1978) HD"
>>>

>>>      My wife is back to work today. But, I think the world sort

>>> of changed around me.
>>>
>>> TB
>>
>> At the end of the end of the day going forward, whether or not you
>> like the metrics of the self-perceived change, because of the
>> significance of the passage of time, it's literally
>> transitory..............and according to some experts, the only
>> thing permanent is change. Follow the science.
>>
>
>      LOL If you want some real fun try following the science on
> isolating. Everyone has an opinion and a few "facts". None of them
> really agree.

LOL. I've been saying that since about Mar-Apr 2020. I'll say it again:
Follow the science? Which science? Whose science? The science du jour?
Follow the science? HawHawHaw!
Might as well try to follow a crazy ant.
https://youtu.be/E1sN1xBKRB8

But hey. It's just science "evolving". Right? Wrong. It's science
infected with politics.
HawHawHaw!

>      I was outside Fred Meyer waiting to get my fruit. I heard
> someone cough and it caught my ear because I recognized the sound. It
> was one of us. Naturally he walked right in without masking.

No problem. Put on your mask - it may or may not help you. Stay 6 feet
away - it may or may not help you. Wash your hands - it may or may not
help you. Keep exposure under 15 minutes - it may or may not help you.
Sanitize those surfaces - it may or may not help you. Spray your mail
with bleach or leave it the sun for 3 days - it may or may not help
you. Don't scratch your nose after picking out that tomato - it may or
may not help you.
Just follow the science. HawHawHaw! LOL! ROTFL! LMAO! LMHO! FOMCL!
https://images.app.goo.gl/vbwq7cZAVoMs5sQk6

Science says laughter is good medicine.
----------------------------------------------------------
Long-term effects

Laughter isn't just a quick pick-me-up, though. It's also good for you
over the long term. Laughter may:

Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into
chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress
into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive
thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and
potentially more-serious illnesses.
Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to
produce its own natural painkillers.
Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier
to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with
other people.
Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes
due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your stress,
depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. It can also
improve your self-esteem.
--------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456

Follow the science.
1. HawHawHaw!
2. Repeat 1 until you feel better.

[Technobarbarian]

Yep, that's what I've been doing all along, without thinking much
or stressing about it. It's just a long time habit. Wherever I end up,
and that has been a lot of different places, it's always a hoot.

TB