Fear and Loathing, a Rat Flu Odyssey

Is it possible for somebody to be infected with 2 variants at once? My simple brain says “yes.” But does it matter?

BIL, SIL, and niece are sick. BIL caught it last. SIL and their kid likely caught it from different places, one possibly while traveling, and one while at a large crowded indoor event (Bay Area). I know there are at least 3 variants responsible for most infections in the US, ba.2.12.2, ba.4, and ba.5.

Interestingly, the BIL was first symptomatic, yesterday, got a pcr test shortly after feeling bad, got his (-) results this morning, but felt much worse, took a RAT, and tested (+). That’s a pretty fast change. The SIL and daughter also tested (+) on RATs today. They previously had tested (-) on PCR’s given on Tuesday and RATs on Monday, tues, and Thursday (they were starting to think they had something else).

Also, new variant cruising through the population in India, ba.2.75.

I’m not sure this is the viral behavior when it’s “endemic.”

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Originally Posted by bodywhomper

Is it possible for somebody to be infected with 2 variants at once? My simple brain says “yes.” But does it matter?

BIL, SIL, and niece are sick. BIL caught it last. SIL and their kid likely caught it from different places, one possibly while traveling, and one while at a large crowded indoor event (Bay Area). I know there are at least 3 variants responsible for most infections in the US, ba.2.12.2, ba.4, and ba.5.

Interestingly, the BIL was first symptomatic, yesterday, got a pcr test shortly after feeling bad, got his (-) results this morning, but felt much worse, took a RAT, and tested (+). That’s a pretty fast change. The SIL and daughter also tested (+) on RATs today. They previously had tested (-) on PCR’s given on Tuesday and RATs on Monday, tues, and Thursday (they were starting to think they had something else).

Also, new variant cruising through the population in India, ba.2.75.

I’m not sure this is the viral behavior when it’s “endemic.”

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Hope you all do well.

No reason you couldn't have 2 covid variants, 2 flu variants, RSV, monkey pox, and a cold all at once. Probability says no, and good luck finding someone to test for that many viruses at once (though cheap multivalent tests may be standard in the future).

The endemic debate might be like early days when we hoped NPIs might stop Covid, or we hoped vaccines would stop Covid. We hope endemic means low levels of Covid. We hope Covid won't continue killing 350,000 of us per year. That would suck pretty bad. Maybe it drops down to flu/pneumonia levels at 35,000 per year. Covid as an extra flu would still suck. At this point just about everyone is recovered or vaccinated, and it's summer, so 300 per day might be the future low season. That is, maybe it's endemic now. Might be as good as it gets until some immunologist makes a discovery.

Covid as extra flu would suck, especially with the potential for long term disabilities after each(?) infection. With the current level of immune-evasiveness of newer variants and apparent high level of contagious of those variants, it looks like there’s potential of infection more than once a year unless something changes with the virus or our population response.

Who all have had major summer plans derailed by covid? My family were planning to take over a friends house this entire week while the friends were on a long road trip. Those friends are now all at home with covid and my family is mostly shit out of luck and “staycationing.” My BIL and SIL from a few posts upthread were supposed to leave town this weekend and visiting friends and family in several areas across the country (multiple flights and hotels in several cities). All on-hold.

Raises hand. My wife and I were supposed to take a road trip to Utah to bike and called the whole thing off with her ongoing lung issues. 5 weeks before she could do anything 2 days in a row and she's still hating day 2. Hopefully fitness returns with time and exercise at some point, but so far it's been slow.

I was supposed to go sailing in the SF Bay this weekend but the girl with the boat got COVID so I stayed home.

I still can't breathe right after my bout of not covid despite antibiotics, prednisone, benzonatate and albuteral inhaler.

I'm otherwise better, though.

About a month ago, 3 days into a 2 week vacation, I got it and had to head home early which sucked. Then I got it again, yesterday. Fack me. I thought I couldn't get it quickly again.

https://www.itnonline.com/content/mr...covid-patients

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/lung-abn...lessness/29798

https://news.westernu.ca/2022/06/inn...ovid-symptoms/

^using special MRI scans to look at the lungs of patients with long covid symptoms to try and figure out where the shortness of breath is coming from - abnormalities are being found which might help explain the symptoms and hopefully then allow for treatment and maybe even prevention during acute covid infection.

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Originally Posted by bennymac

https://www.itnonline.com/content/mr...covid-patients

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/lung-abn...lessness/29798

https://news.westernu.ca/2022/06/inn...ovid-symptoms/

^using special MRI scans to look at the lungs of patients with long covid symptoms to try and figure out where the shortness of breath is coming from - abnormalities are being found which might help explain the symptoms and hopefully then allow for treatment and maybe even prevention during acute covid infection.

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It seems like the test might be useful for someone who needs documentation in order to qualify for disability payments and for convincing a skeptical world that long covid exists. Hard to see how the test will help treatment. Problems with alveolar/capillary oxygen exchange have been identified for decades without any treatment being developed.

Wachter had a long tweet about the growing problem with BA.5, including citing topol’s recent blog post
https://mobile.twitter.com/bob_wacht...9YWXABeYC4wIJA
https://erictopol.substack.com/p/a-reinfection-red-flag

Muted reborn, your quick reinfection May fall into a scenario described in those posts, ie little previous immunity from previous infection.

Sorry to hear about those with derailed plans. My list of nonmag friends in that situation grows every day.

We ended up getting a hook-up and are crammed into a small condo in mammoth. We hoped to see some old friends here but they just tucked tail and ran home because they all got sick while here in mammoth. Zero masking here. Every indoor space packed.

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Originally Posted by old goat

It seems like the test might be useful for someone who needs documentation in order to qualify for disability payments and for convincing a skeptical world that long covid exists. Hard to see how the test will help treatment. Problems with alveolar/capillary oxygen exchange have been identified for decades without any treatment being developed.

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The “absence of an effective treatment” is still a valuable piece of information to have vs being stuck at the “we don’t know what the physiological issue is” stage

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Originally Posted by bodywhomper

Wachter had a long tweet about the growing problem with BA.5, including citing topol’s recent blog post
https://mobile.twitter.com/bob_wacht...9YWXABeYC4wIJA
https://erictopol.substack.com/p/a-reinfection-red-flag

Muted reborn, your quick reinfection May fall into a scenario described in those posts, ie little previous immunity from previous infection.

Sorry to hear about those with derailed plans. My list of nonmag friends in that situation grows every day.

We ended up getting a hook-up and are crammed into a small condo in mammoth. We hoped to see some old friends here but they just tucked tail and ran home because they all got sick while here in mammoth. Zero masking here. Every indoor space packed.

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christ. Thanks for that. If I had known that I would have been wearing a mask on my work trip where I got infected the second time, just last week. Everyone should read that post - if he’s right it’s gonna be a worry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bodywhomper

Wachter had a long tweet about the growing problem with BA.5, including citing topol’s recent blog post
https://mobile.twitter.com/bob_wacht...9YWXABeYC4wIJA
https://erictopol.substack.com/p/a-reinfection-red-flag

Muted reborn, your quick reinfection May fall into a scenario described in those posts, ie little previous immunity from previous infection.

Sorry to hear about those with derailed plans. My list of nonmag friends in that situation grows every day.

We ended up getting a hook-up and are crammed into a small condo in mammoth. We hoped to see some old friends here but they just tucked tail and ran home because they all got sick while here in mammoth. Zero masking here. Every indoor space packed.

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Under more tweets, this is completely unrelated but priceless:

Attachment 420722

CDC is recommending 15 Washington counties return to masking due to high transmission rates and hospitializations.

I'm one of those who has never stopped. At first I felt self conscious but now I don't care if I'm the only one. Suck it people. I'm wearing a mask and I don't care about you. I like the looks of solidarity I get when I encounter another lone masker.

https://www.wcax.com/2022/07/05/2023...-covid-issues/

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Originally Posted by KQ

CDC is recommending 15 Washington counties return to masking due to high transmission rates and hospitializations.

I'm one of those who has never stopped. At first I felt self conscious but now I don't care if I'm the only one. Suck it people. I'm wearing a mask and I don't care about you. I like the looks of solidarity I get when I encounter another lone masker.

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Have to say, I gave up masking a few days ago. Given the ba.4/5 news that seems like a mistake. Keep on 😷 ing.

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Originally Posted by KQ

I like the looks of solidarity I get when I encounter another lone masker.

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Haha totally.

I certainly know a lot more people who have gotten Covid in the last couple weeks than at any time previously, and for almost all of them this is their first time getting it. It wouldn't surprise me that the "real" count right now is just as high as back in January.

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Originally Posted by riser4

Have to say, I gave up masking a few days ago. Given the ba.4/5 news that seems like a mistake. Keep on [emoji40] ing.

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yeah the county health dept. recommends masks again

I backed out of helping at a wine tasting/food/auction fundraising event for a great local expeditionary school later this week because I just don’t feel ok in crowds again and I’m sure there will be zero masks

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Originally Posted by The AD

I certainly know a lot more people who have gotten Covid in the last couple weeks than at any time previously, and for almost all of them this is their first time getting it. It wouldn't surprise me that the "real" count right now is just as high as back in January.

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Well, true
My family and i got covid in dec 2020, and again last week. Vaccinated, boosted.

Sent from my moto g 5G using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KQ

CDC is recommending 15 Washington counties return to masking due to high transmission rates and hospitializations.

I'm one of those who has never stopped. At first I felt self conscious but now I don't care if I'm the only one. Suck it people. I'm wearing a mask and I don't care about you. I like the looks of solidarity I get when I encounter another lone masker.

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Same here. Never stopped.

... Thom

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The AD

I certainly know a lot more people who have gotten Covid in the last couple weeks than at any time previously, and for almost all of them this is their first time getting it. It wouldn't surprise me that the "real" count right now is just as high as back in January.

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2 friends in their 50s (healthy, vaxxed, boosted) both just got it.

Our family of 5 got it five days into our trip to Italy/Switzerland. Luckily we are outside 100% of the time and it's easy to keep to ourselves, but it's a bit freaky to get it while overseas. Starting to test negative finally and we are past the 10 day window so travel back will be safe. No masks anywhere here except in italian public transport where it's still required. If you pay attention in a crowd, lots of hacking and sneezing. Also, I'm hearing of numerous friends in the pnw who just got it too. Wildfire..

And another set of youngish healthy friends (husband & wife) vaxxed+boosted just tested positive. Oy vey!

Yeah, wife and I are still masking pretty much everywhere. You can feel like the Lone Ranger or a stranger in a strange land at the super market.