COVID

[Buckly]

Bill,

Paxlovid is actually an antiviral drug cocktail consisting of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. Clinical trials show about 89% reduction in hospitalization an death in high risk patients. You have to take it within 5 days of the onset of symptoms for it to be this effective. It seems to be working for me.

Here is a summery update on my case:

1/19 - Most likely exposure date.
1/20 PM - Onset of symptoms (body aches, low grade fever, shortness of breath, burning in lungs)
1/21 AM - Test Positive with high level of antigen detected (symptoms continue)
1/21 PM - First dose of Paxlovid (taking as prescribed 3 pill coctail BID)
1/22 - Symptoms continue but are somewhat less
1/23 AM - Most symptoms gone (metallic taste in mouth persists, very light body aches, respiratory symptoms completely gone).
1/23 AM - Rapid test shows positive, but with low level of antigen detected.


I also ran my data through the CDC isolation calculator. It indicates that I can end my isolation on 1/26. It says I should wear a mask for 10 days after that or until I get 2 negative rapid tests taken 48 hours apart, whichever comes first.

Thanks,

Jack

I know a lot of people that work for doctors. Word is, about half the people who start taking the Paxlovid quit taking it after a day or 2. As, They can’t handle the taste. They would rather just handle the symptoms.
As far as the isolation, I wouldn’t worry about the date. I saw 2 people the other day in the store shopping and both said they have Covid. Not slowing them down. LOL. It’s probably different depending on where you’re at but, around here nobody’s giving Covid much thought anymore. I think about myself and how many times I went in to work sick. Just part of life. Everybody gets it eventually. Nowadays you’re not allowed to be sick around people. Good or bad, I don’t know

 

[yoderjac]

First, what Bill said is dead on!

Can you explain to me how you can honestly compare one persons immune system that hasnt gotten the shot, to that sames persons immune system if he did get the shot to be 9x more likely to not die? Or someone that has gotten the shot, is 9x more protected then if he didnt get the shot? Once you are shot, you cant know how your body would fight the disease if you havent gotten the shot!

So far this is why I havent gotten, or trusted the government, regardless R or D, masks wont be effective, where a mask so you dont catch, or spread it. If you get a shot, you cant catch it. Ok, you can catch it, but you cant spread it. Ok, you can catch it, and spread it, but you wont be hospitalized. You may still be hospitalized, but you are 9x more likely to survive it if you get the shot. This is the season of death if you dont get the shot! Take the shot and we will give you $200. Covid doesnt spread in Walmart, or any other big dollar political donor businesses, just mom and pop shops, they must close! How about essentials, no toys, those are locked off, but many other not needed things are ok to buy. The shot is 100% safe! Should I continue? Trust the science!

I am not pointing fingers, or trying to make accusations, but I know 3 elders that died within 1 week of the shot from a stroke, 2 of them my relatives, that never had any health issues prior.

That's not how science works. I'm not going to make arguments on either side, but I will tell you that science can't tell that any single individual is an % less likely to die having received the vaccine than they would be if they did not.

When statistics like that are used, they are derived from group data. A typical study would select N individuals and divide them randomly into a control group and a test group. All would be given shots but only the control group would get the vaccine. The other would get a placebo shot. These groups would be followed and the results compared. That is obviously not the case with COVID.

Those kind of numbers are generally reverse engineered. They would generally take individuals who were hospitalized for COVID and look at death rates between those who were vaccinated and those who were not. They would control for other comorbidities and similar factors in the statistical analysis. I'm not referring to any specific statistic folks have related. If have to dig into any of those statistics to determine how they were derived.

Government speak can be confusing. Folks take information from scientists, dumb it down, and spin it for public consumption. The scientific community never supported the statement you make. From the start, the purpose of the vaccine was to slow the spread of the disease to keep the hospital system from overloading by reducing the rate of hospitalization and death. Masking was also intended to slow the spread. In the very early days of COVID the disease vectors were not well know, but the community soon got a pretty good handle on that. I completely understand mistrust in the government. Both administrations did some things well, but others, very poorly.

I completely understand your position.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[yoderjac]

I know a lot of people that work for doctors. Word is, about half the people who start taking the Paxlovid quit taking it after a day or 2. As, They can’t handle the taste. They would rather just handle the symptoms.
As far as the isolation, I wouldn’t worry about the date. I saw 2 people the other day in the store shopping and both said they have Covid. Not slowing them down. LOL. It’s probably different depending on where you’re at but, around here nobody’s giving Covid much thought anymore. I think about myself and how many times I went in to work sick. Just part of life. Everybody gets it eventually. Nowadays you’re not allowed to be sick around people. Good or bad, I don’t know

Buckly,

There is no taste of the Paxlovid itself. It is in pill form and you just swallow the pills. You don't chew or taste them. Having said that, they folks you are talking to may be referring to a metallic taste in your moth. Some of my friends who have previously had COVID have talked about a similar taste in their mouth. I have that taste. I can not say if the taste is from a side effect of Paxlovid or from COVID itself, but I do have it.

It is annoying, but nothing more. It is not nearly problematic enough for me to stop the medication. I'm also on antibiotic for the sinus infection, so it could also be a combination.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I saw 2 people the other day in the store shopping and both said they have Covid. Not slowing them down. LOL. It’s probably different depending on where you’re at but, around here nobody’s giving Covid much thought anymore. I think about myself and how many times I went in to work sick. Just part of life. Everybody gets it eventually. Nowadays you’re not allowed to be sick around people. Good or bad, I don’t know

Good point. Only confirmed time I've had it symptoms started the first day of a week long family vacation and we all got it. Not really a way around going out in public a bit in that case.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I hope you're feeling much better soon, Jack!! At least you can shoot the bull on here with us, if you're still at the isolated property.

 

[yoderjac]

I hope you're feeling much better soon, Jack!! At least you can shoot the bull on here with us, if you're still at the isolated property.

Thanks! Here is an update on my situation:

1) This forum has been very helpful to distract me during the isolation.
2) My head was a little fuzzy on Sat and Sun, but it was completely clear today. I got a full day of computer work in.
3) I started my first physical activity today as well. At noon, I spent about 20 minutes outside pulling some nails from boards before I tired out. At about 1600 I tried again and was able to go about 40 minutes. I'm not pushing it.
4) Other symptoms are pretty much gone.

I'm hoping to do some more physical activity around here tomorrow. If all goes well, I'm planning to head to the farm and do a little work the next day.

Thanks again for the support,

Jack

 

[sandbur]

I can’t resist sharing my thoughts. My family doctor and my chiropractor both recommended that I do not get the vaccine. I have much respect for both of them and especially my family doctor who bucked the system. She has concerns about the mRNA vaccines.

So do I and some of my fellow veterinarians. Other fellow veterinarians are completely in favor of the vaccines.

This of us who are cattle veterinarians have experienced changes in corona disease and in corona vaccines in cattle. We have watched corona spread in certain groups.

I feel all of the government ‘experts’ could have learned a lot by talking to those of us who worked with corona for years. These ‘experts’ said many things that made no sense to me.

 

[yoderjac]

I can’t resist sharing my thoughts. My family doctor and my chiropractor both recommended that I do not get the vaccine. I have much respect for both of them and especially my family doctor who bucked the system. She has concerns about the mRNA vaccines.

So do I and some of my fellow veterinarians. Other fellow veterinarians are completely in favor of the vaccines.

This of us who are cattle veterinarians have experienced changes in corona disease and in corona vaccines in cattle. We have watched corona spread in certain groups.

I feel all of the government ‘experts’ could have learned a lot by talking to those of us who worked with corona for years. These ‘experts’ said many things that made no sense to me.

Sandbur,

This is a perfect example of the difference between individual decisions about the vaccine and the statistical risk/reward information that has been made available. The general recommendations are based on a statistical evaluation of risk and reward across the population. Individual cases may have factors that either increase risk or reward. That is why they say to talk to your family doctor about your individual case. This applies to all vaccines, not just mRna vaccines. mRna vaccines are quite new and have some real advantages in term of ramping up production and pivoting. Messenger RNA is quite short-lived in the body, but I understand individual physicians my have specific concerns with specific patients. Medicine is complex. That is where judgement comes in, both on the part of the patient and physician.

If my physician, whom I've had a 40 year relationship with, had any reservations, I would have passed on the vaccine as well.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I think the fact they pushed the vaccine so hard, is what turned me off from it. I have always bucked the system, ask me to do something, chances are I will. Tell me to do something, chances are I won’t.

I am not anti vax, I got my tetanus shot last summer, I have taken the flu shot 2 times, and got sick 2 times the next few days after the shot. I have only had the flu bad one time, so why make my self sick from getting a shot? When they warn you before the COVID shot that you can get sick, I would rather just take my chances of getting sick without the shot.

 

[Bill Loser]

1500 previously perfectly healthy athletes dropped dead last year. Up from a previous average of 29....... Nothing to see here.

 

[yoderjac]

I think the fact they pushed the vaccine so hard, is what turned me off from it. I have always bucked the system, ask me to do something, chances are I will. Tell me to do something, chances are I won’t.

I am not anti vax, I got my tetanus shot last summer, I have taken the flu shot 2 times, and got sick 2 times the next few days after the shot. I have only had the flu bad one time, so why make my self sick from getting a shot? When they warn you before the COVID shot that you can get sick, I would rather just take my chances of getting sick without the shot.

I think it was pushed so hard because of the broad societal benefit versus the individual benefit. Keeping the hospital system from overloading like it did in India with people dying in the streets had a lot to do with the push. I also think you are exactly right. The push itself was used by politicians advance their positions and many people like you resisted the push, just because of the push itself.

One reason I think the push was so hard was because of our demographics. Only about 14% of the population lives in rural areas. Clearly there is a different risk/reward ratio for two folks, otherwise identical, once living in a rural environment and the other living in an apartment taking public transportation to work in a city. The push was very broad and did not take into account differences in lifestyle.

Thaks,

Jack

 

[omicron1792]

1500 previously perfectly healthy athletes dropped dead last year. Up from a previous average of 29....... Nothing to see here.

Say everyone of those deaths are from the vaccine. They aren’t, but just say they are. Compare to this.

“A very early look at data from 2022 suggests that there were significantly fewer Covid-19 deaths in the third year of the pandemic than there were in the first two. More than 267,000 people died of Covid-19 in 2022, according to preliminary data from Johns Hopkins University, compared with more than 350,000 Covid-19 deaths in 2020 and more than 475,000 Covid-19 deaths in 2021.”

I have no doubt that the vaccine has probably killed some people. I also have no doubt that it is far far less people than covid itself has liked.

Science Bill

 

[Bill Loser]

Say everyone of those deaths are from the vaccine. They aren’t, but just say they are. Compare to this.

“A very early look at data from 2022 suggests that there were significantly fewer Covid-19 deaths in the third year of the pandemic than there were in the first two. More than 267,000 people died of Covid-19 in 2022, according to preliminary data from Johns Hopkins University, compared with more than 350,000 Covid-19 deaths in 2020 and more than 475,000 Covid-19 deaths in 2021.”

I have no doubt that the vaccine has probably killed some people. I also have no doubt that it is far far less people than covid itself has liked.

Science Bill

Science says it's ok to jump from 29 deaths to 1500 deaths in 1 year? You subscribe to some f'd up science. The fact is that hospitals and governments have been over reporting COVID deaths for as long as the government has been paying extra for them. It's a fact that's been uncovered and exposed.
So let me ask you a question, how many otherwise healthy people would be to many to kill in the worship of COVID?

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Sweet Jesus. Are we still arguing about Covid?

Glad you're feeling better Jack.

 

[Mtyhunter]

Sweet Jesus. Are we still arguing about Covid?

Glad you're feeling better Jack.

Lol Natty, someone had to say it! Just a little blip on the radar Jack, glad you're better!

 

[yoderjac]

Say everyone of those deaths are from the vaccine. They aren’t, but just say they are. Compare to this.

“A very early look at data from 2022 suggests that there were significantly fewer Covid-19 deaths in the third year of the pandemic than there were in the first two. More than 267,000 people died of Covid-19 in 2022, according to preliminary data from Johns Hopkins University, compared with more than 350,000 Covid-19 deaths in 2020 and more than 475,000 Covid-19 deaths in 2021.”

I have no doubt that the vaccine has probably killed some people. I also have no doubt that it is far far less people than covid itself has liked.

Science Bill

Confirmation bias has great power. Early in the epidemic, I tried my best to convince others of the actual science. I had mixed results. It was an interesting ride in human psychology. Some of my friends needed little convincing. Others were surprised at my position. I was someone they knew and trusted, but rather than their first reaction being to think and consider my viewpoint, it was almost one of shock and they began asking themselves, "is he really part of my tribe?" Once they had developed a position and voiced it, it became much harder to convince them. It was much easier for them to trust some unknown person on the internet who was confirming their view than to consider an opposing view from someone they knew and trust like me or their family physician. I was saddened and I saw folks (on both sides) wall themselves in to the point where some friendships were broken or badly damaged.

This confirmation bias is true for everyone. It is just part of how human beings are wired. It take a LOT more to change our minds than to confirm our position. I also found that, in some cases, I was doing more harm than good. As someone on this thread said, the more they were "Told what to do", the less likely they were to do it.

I don't hide my opinions on this subject, but I'm no longer trying to convince anyone to come to my point of view. We are now far enough along in the pandemic that, absent a more deadly variant, most of the protection will come from "herd immunity". Many will still get inoculation annually like many do with the annual flu, especially those most at risk from severe consequences.

I personally think we have come to the point where it benefits us all to work on healing the social wounds both COVID and the surrounding politics have caused.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[yoderjac]

Sweet Jesus. Are we still arguing about Covid?

Glad you're feeling better Jack.

Thanks, I'm well on the mend. The biggest issue right now is simply the lack of personal contact with others. This too shall pass. I'm looking forward to the 26th and then some negative tests!

 

[sandbur]

Dr Fauci and others flip flopped and made so many false statements that I have no trust in the government data.

Everyone should have consulted a doctor they trusted. Evaluations should have been made on the individual’s health and exposure as well as all others in the household.
We surely didn’t need some 20 year old with no health care experience who works for the county giving advice.

 

[chucker66]

Well I also would not take advice from a bunch of yahoo's on a habitat forum regarding my health.

 

[jsasker007]

Well I also would not take advice from a bunch of yahoo's on a habitat forum regarding my health.

Who gave you advice?