Covid Booster. Yes/No? *** The Covid Thread ***

[mjr]

Have to admit I still take care - face mask, hand washing, cleaning surfaces, etc, etc. But had so many dozens of hours on congested buses and train recently, 3 hours on a packed train this weekend, standing room only, sans mask , no one remotely wearing a mask or taking care.
And? Still can't catch covid.

Perhaps it is time to forget it?

No. I still take care similar to the above but still caught it in the latest flush of maskless wild abandon by idiots, as have a few friends. Possibly because of taking care and the vaccines, I got off lightly: few symptoms, intermittent weak positive line on the flow tests and recovered in a couple of weeks. Others not so and one we still wait to see.

Despite surviving OK, I still would not recommend infection to anyone or that we forget it. Letting it run riot risks unnecessary new variants arising and we still don't know the full extent of "long covid". Most anti-covid measures are cheap, simple and have other benefits. We should do at least those and it's a failure of government that public buildings still aren't being fitted with ventilation controls.

[Jdsk]

Most anti-covid measures are cheap, simple and have other benefits. We should do at least those and it's a failure of government that public buildings still aren't being fitted with ventilation controls.

Yes.

Jonathan

[rjb]

Mrs rjb has just had an invite to her booster booster by letter with an appointment made (No5,) so perhaps those email she was getting recently were genuine but unknown to the online booking service who kept rejecting her. Vulnerable people are now getting boosted every 3 months if I read the invite correctly.

[Nearholmer]

There must be a million factors at play in whether an individual does or does not catch covid in a particular circumstance, so the fact of not catching it on a particular day is no guarantee of not catching it in superficially similar, or even superficially more benign, circumstances the next.

I looked after four members of my family for ten days in January when they all had it. The house must have been full of a mist of bugs, despite opening the windows until everyone was shivering etc, and I didn’t catch it.

Come March, and despite an FFP3 face mask in shops, sitting outside at cafe stops on my solitary cycle rides etc, I caught it.

What changed? I suspect it was simply waning of vaccine protection over time. I’d had my third jab in late November, so was probably well protected in January, but barely protected against catching it two months later.

Boost, boost, and boost again if the opportunity is there would be my advice.

[ossie]

I've just tested positive for the first time. I came down with a cold on Saturday but it wasn't my normal cold symptoms which always start with a sore throat. I could tell it was something different, really bad headache, nose gushing uncontrollably, persistent cough, sneezing almost like a 7 day cold encompassed in 1 but no sore throat. Today I'm feeling like I've been run over by a truck.

I'm always super careful because we have a relative living in the annex who is immunosuppressed, likewise my elderly mum who I shop for.

A few days earlier we had stayed in a hotel, gone out for an evening meal also a pub lunch but I think that's probably too early for symptoms to appear - 3 days ? I can only presume then I picked it up on one my supermarket runs.

In a way I feel a little relieved as I'd like to get it out the way before an upcoming holiday where testing is required.

[ossie]

I got off lightly: few symptoms, intermittent weak positive line on the flow tests and recovered in a couple of weeks. Others not so and one we still wait to see.

Out of interest does the severity of the positive line relate to the degree of infection. As a covid 'newbie' (see above) this was my test this lunchtime, it was quite dramatic really (for me) the way that T line developed within seconds.

[mjr]

3 days is long enough for it to show in a test, I think. Not always. I've heard of it taking 7, but all during the "pingdemic" not Omicron.

I got off lightly: few symptoms, intermittent weak positive line on the flow tests and recovered in a couple of weeks. Others not so and one we still wait to see.

Out of interest does the severity of the positive line relate to the degree of infection.

As far I understand it (chemistry/statistics background, not biology), not perfectly. It's probably more related to how much virus you're emitting, so more like how infectious you are. If you've not much virus in you, there can't be much emitted, but you might be full of it and just not emitting much.

I've never seen as definite a T line as yours, but fortunately I've seen few at all yet. Hope you get well soon.

[Dingdong]

No booster for me thanks. The Psfizer 2nd jab was terrible. Side effects galore, which is only recently being discussed

[mjr]

No booster for me thanks. The Psfizer 2nd jab was terrible. Side effects galore, which is only recently being discussed

Really? I've seen plenty of discussion of short term and saw one relative suffer them. Anything long term? None who had side effects got any from the booster.

Meanwhile, the government is considering ending free testing for healthcare workers and cutting 40% of the Health Security Agency https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... id-testing

[ossie]

I've never seen as definite a T line as yours, but fortunately I've seen few at all yet. Hope you get well soon.

Thankyou.

[Dingdong]

No booster for me thanks. The Psfizer 2nd jab was terrible. Side effects galore, which is only recently being discussed

Really? I've seen plenty of discussion of short term and saw one relative suffer them. Anything long term? None who had side effects got any from the booster.

Meanwhile, the government is considering ending free testing for healthcare workers and cutting 40% of the Health Security Agency https://www.theguardian.com/society/202 ... id-testing

I had severe Myocarditis after the second jab. Ten months later in still getting palpitations and crest pains. I've been on beta blockers since January, but they don't seem to be doing anything constructive

[Jdsk]

Side effects galore, which is only recently being discussed

Side effects of vaccination were extensively discussed from the very start. Both in the world of determining what's true and what isn't that's known as science and in the world of conspiracy theories. In the former they were a very important part of the regulatory approval of any vaccine in any country. And those studies continue and the results are published.

Jonathan

[mjr]

I had severe Myocarditis after the second jab. Ten months later in still getting palpitations and crest pains. I've been on beta blockers since January, but they don't seem to be doing anything constructive

As I understand it, the beta blockers are mainly to give your heart more chance to heal itself, by making it work less, similar to their use in post-heart-attack care, but sometimes to reduce risk of heart attacks if it doesn't heal. I hope it does heal.

There seems to be much research into that rare side effect but few conclusions yet.

[thirdcrank]

FWIW, I went to our GP surgery 0845 this morning with mrs thirdcrank and we had our Spring boosters (Moderna) without incident and so far, no side effects although my springs feel as flat as ever.

[Jdsk]

Out of interest does the severity of the positive line relate to the degree of infection.

As far I understand it (chemistry/statistics background, not biology), not perfectly. It's probably more related to how much virus you're emitting, so more like how infectious you are. If you've not much virus in you, there can't be much emitted, but you might be full of it and just not emitting much.

Yes: how much virus stuff. Without getting into the usefulness of the test that's about it.

The assay is often described as "semiquantitative".

And there are many different products being used.

Jonathan