Has everyone here had Covid at least once?

I live in Australia and the only people I know who have had COVID are friends and family who live overseas.

Of course, now that we are just letting it rip here, we will all get it soon.

I'm Coviding as I type.

I haven't left my home (except for necessary appointments like the dentist) since February 2020. Totally isolated, zero personal or social life. Can't risk it, since I suffer from underlying conditions. I don't really have a life anymore and at 55 I doubt I will ever return to any semblance of one.

Me - as far as I know I haven't had it. No travel (planes and airports seem like an ideal way to get it), work from home, use mask when grocery shopping, do not socialise because I don't like it. I think it's people who spend time in close proximity with others who are most likely to get it.

No, haven’t, but my sister & nephew just did, and a slew of people are testing positive as I speak. I really limit my contact with people, always wear a mask when I’m shopping, & have hooked up with 2 people in the last two years (one one-night stand, & the other a very regular regular, thank goodness).

So far, so good.

I'm 65 with well controlled underlying conditions. I was forced back into at office work in the Fall. I'm double vaxxed with booster. I go out to some events masked. So far, no Covid. I'm counting on the vaccinations to work. We'll see.

Last night I woulda said I’m good, totally in the clear, and double vaxxed and boostered. Today… woke with a slight cough (which went away) and my wife said a close friend she just had dinner with tested positive in a routine work test (I’m a guy, btw). Off we both went to L.A.’s Union Station for testing. I’m much more cautious than she is, but since we share the same space I’m holding my breath, but assuming the worst. Otherwise feeling fine for the most part.

No, I haven't had Covid. I had two blood tests in 2020 for work and it was negative for antibodies. I just got my 3rd booster a few days ago. I teach at a school and we all wear masks in the classroom. The past month has been a nightmare due to Omicron being so transmisible...we have had teachers and students test positive for covid. I have been a bit lucky the past two years...also I have not had a cold in two years because of mask wearing as well.

No Covid in my household. I’ve not gone out without a mask, I sanitize hands prior to entering my car and when possible when leaving an individual store. I wear long sleeves and long pants in when leaving the house even in summer and change my clothes and wash my face, if not shower, as soon as I renter the house. I exercise masked, I have not drank in a bar, or eaten in a restaurant since March 2020 in favour of picking up takeaway and eating in a park or in the car. I have not gone to the cinema or the theatre since March 2020. I have not attended parties outside my home which weren’t outdoors or in a backyard.

Despite routine exposure and shoddy health, to my knowledge, I haven't had yet. I'd toss it up to just a fluke of genetics and circumstances. early vaccination likely helped with greater access to medical support as well as obnoxiously healthy lifestyle choices, outlets for stress, and living in a relatively rural area.

Everyone around me has had it.

But I have, somehow, come through unscathed (thus far).

To my knowledge, I haven’t had it. But I’m in Oz and that could easily change in the coming weeks.

I double mask and avoid crowds. Due to a couple of birthdays this month, I’m probably going to take a few calculated gambles. After that, I’ll hunker down again.

FYI a big study thinks that about 36.9% of people who catch covid are asymptomatic so it's certainly possible that a bunch of people just never knew that they had it.

As with R1, we’re in New Zealand with 3 omicron cases so far but I guess that will increase next week when people go back to work after the holidays. We’re mask mandated in stores and public transport. Vaccine passports for double vaxxed. Before all you bitches get stroppy and think we’re A Socialist country we are not, we are caring of our fellow community members. It’s not hard and no one is screaming from the tree tops except for the anti-vax crowd (small as they are). We are a small group of Islands with 5 million people, 15,000 cases and 51 deaths. Life goes on, stay safe people.

Nope! Plus, I got my first vaccination shot and had a terrible reaction. My doctor advised me against the remaining shots. He said the first shot should cover me? Is he correct or on drugs?

What's the betting quite a few DL-ers are introverts? I could swear that I've seen studies that have found that introverts are less likely to catch bugs, which would make sense.

To my knowledge I have never had it.

I last tested negative over the summer prior to an out patient surgical procedure.

March will be 5 months since my booster and I presume I will be eligible for another one at that time.

R16 I have been tested twice. My last text was a week ago.

I am unvaxxed and have had 3 strains of them. I am fine by the way, if you fat whores are worried.

No. I had a cold in November 2019, I stayed home from work for two days. Since March 2020 I have worn a mask at work, in stores and on public transportation. I have not had any symptoms.

Haven't been really sick in quite a few years.

Always followed a very healthy lifestyle, featuring daily exercise and spices added to a healthy diet. Grow fresh peppermint for tea 1st thing in the morning before coffee & oatmeal with spices. Also grow ghost peppers and add one daily to my salad. Cured my sinusitis.

OP this should be a poll. Get it together.

No, and I work in the film industry where I had to travel/work to/in Massachusetts, Atlanta and Hawaii since last winter. I'm in a department where we are exposed to the actors everyday and have to get tested 3x week. I'm in the upper age range (57), but thin with seasonal asthma (which didn't bother me this year because of masks) and a mild autoimmune disease. Also fully vaxxed with booster (Pfizer).

I had traveled back from Asia on Jan.11, 2020 and saw a lot of people wearing masks there. When China announced that it had a problem Jan 13 and our Chinese restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley were masking and taking temps, I knew something was afoot and was buying/wearing masks like crazy. My BIL is a genetic research doctor and told the family to only wear top medical masks, and I think that's what has helped me, as well as wearing glasses and doing a bunch of supplements (zinc, C, D, B12).

I also have eaten in restaurants in/around Boston late fall/early winter and in Waikiki for the first 2 weeks in Dec, but this was pre-Omicron . I've eaten in 2 restaurants in L.A. since mid-Dec (again pre-Omicron) and so far, so good. When I had to eat on the longer plane flights (just protein bars), I will hold my hat in front of my face while I'm chewing , try to choke it all down in 5 minutes., and put my mask on again.

On all my different jobs, it's very common for someone to test positive every time we test. Usually it's background, transpo, or grips, but we're getting more and more actors testing positive.

Dammit R20! Three strikes and you’re still here. Fingers crossed for number 4!

[quote] How in the hell did you avoid it?

Uh, by being a responsible human being?

I don’t think I’ve had covid. Tested December 2020; negative. Then vaccinated in April 2021.

No but it’s getting closer and closer.

Triple vaxxed (including Moderna’s early version double strength booster). WFH. Flew when airlines were “spacing.” Rarely eat in restaurants, unless outdoors (tough now that winter’s back again). Installed a home gym. Have only been in one (virtually empty) movie theatre in two years, and shop for food when stores are empty wearing a mask.

Husband ditto.

He had a mild breakthrough case, but, because we were mostly apart for five days of his infection - probably one of the dwindling cases of Delta - I’m still asymptomatic and testing negative.

I'm in NYC and I unknowingly had it during the beginning of the pandemic late March 2020. I thought it was a bad chest cold that lasted a little over 1 week. When I later took the COVID anti-bodies test in July I tested positive, so I realized it what I had was COVID not a cold. I've since been fully vaccinated and recently got my booster shot, all Pfizer.

I haven't had it. I'm fully vaccinated and boosted and am trying to be extra careful in light of this highly contagious Omicron variant. I'm just doing all of the usual protective things: wearing a mask in all indoor situations, limiting contact with others, avoiding gatherings, not hooking up with my buddies for now, limiting guests in my house for now, etc.

Managed to avoid it until Christmas week.

My SIL had original Covid, got double-vaxxed and boosted and just got it. My sister is double vaxxed and boosted and never got it. I’d say 60-70% of the people I know have had it. No one has died, probably thanks to the vaccine.

Who the fuck knows. There’s a certain psychological release, having gotten it. It happened and I survived and now I’m not constantly worrying.

Yes: like r26 I’m responsible and surrounded by the responsible. I’ve not yet had COVID. Neither has my husband and he works in healthcare. Been vaccinated and boosted. I’m out every day. Went to Company on B’way last week in a packed theatre: Vax cards required to enter, masks required all show.

I get the sense that it really is saturating everywhere now. I have avoided it so far, but 4 people I know who have been very very careful have all tested positive for it in the past 48 hours. In the Southeast US. All are triply vax'd and do not go out anyplace except to buy groceries. It appears Omicron really is so transmissible that it is nearly impossible to avoid. No one I know who has it has had anything other than mild cold symptoms, which is certainly reassuring re the vaccines.

Still haven't had Covid. Got the vaccine really late too (second dose early last month so not even due a booster) because I only wanted AstraZeneca and not the Pfizer or Moderna that were available. However, I came down with what I thought was a very strong flu over Christmas of 2019 in Milan, so I wonder if that could've been it. Especially given we now think the coronavirus was circulating around Europe as early as October of 2019.

I live in the US Southeast and, to my knowledge, have never contracted COVID (though I've never had a test). I've had 3 Pfizer vaccinations but otherwise don't take any precautions, not having touched a mask in months. I go to restaurants, supermarkets, etc. at will.

I have not had Covid. I keep safe by staying away from other people. Even in a location with other people, I stay away from people. Everyone I know who has gotten it has been near people.

A little OT but does anyone know why Africa hasn't been ravaged by Covid? No one has been able to give an adequate explanation. Still no mass graves or overwhelmed health systems over there, which would've been impossible to hide.

I was speaking to a French college professor who thinks it mightbe something to linked to the resistance to malaria many African adults have. That makes sense because the most affected the most affected country on the continent, South Africa, has a low incidence of malaria.

[quote] A little OT but does anyone know why Africa hasn't been ravaged by Covid?

It may be because of the anti-malaria drugs they take.

I have worked in a nursing home since before Covid hit, have been tested weekly (sometimes daily) since the beginning, and have still never had it! Dodged a million bullets,

I had it in June/July 2020. The sickest I’ve ever been in my life.

I have not had it. I followed the masking and social distancing rules in the beginning. I got vaccinated and then boosted. Now, I'm not a mask nazi. I wear them only when required like on a plane or if I have to go to a doctor's appointment or in a crowded indoor situation. I'm not overly cautious now, and go out to dinner and movies. I hope I don't get it, but if I do, I trust the vaccine to keep it mild.

Not yet. I had my booster a month ago and I'm living in Germany. I don't expect to be able to dodge the bullet forever.

No, I haven't had it, and I think it's stupid and self-defeating to assume everyone has or will get it. This attitude that we're all bound to get it suggests what we do to prevent it won't work. Bullshit. You get vaccinated and boosted, you wear masks EVERYWHERE indoors where strangers gather (not just crowded indoor situations but places like a local Target) and you avoid idiots who gather without masks unless you're an intimate circle and you keep yourself self-tested regularly.

I am vaccinated and boosted. I have not had Covid yet. I've been working from home for the past 15 years, so I haven't had to deal with going to an office. While I have avoided any crowded situations, indoors or even outdoors, I have not been a shut-in. I do go to some stores, but I'm masked. I go to the parks and take walks around the neighborhood. I avoid inside dining in restaurants, but I have done it a couple of times. However, have not been in any bars, nightclubs, theaters, gyms, etc.

I did fly out to Colorado last year to see my brother in the hospital (non-Covid related illness), but that's the only time I've been on a plane.

I live alone, so nobody's bringing Covid into my house. I tend to be an introvert anyway, so I'm fine with staying home. And, in my family 7 people have been diagnosed with Covid this week and at least 4 more are waiting for testing or test results. I'm glad I stayed home over the holidays.

Time to quit Covid shaming. “I’m responsible” Fuck that. I’ve been triple vaxxed and probably had a mild case so it’s time to get back to some kind of life. I’ll wear a mask if asked by a business but if I’m out and no one else is, I assume they are vaxxed and understand the risk. Of course if you’re around unvaccinated kids or immunocompromised elders, wear a a mask or whatever they ask you to do but at some point we have to stop living in fear of “catching it”.

To my knowledge, I have not had it. I teach in college and we were face-to-face in Fall. I have also traveled through Ohio to Michigan. But I have been diligent about wearing a mask and social distancing.

And, r46, fuck you and your anti-vax talking points about shaming and fear.

R46). My mother has COPD and is tri-Vaxed. If she “catches it, “It”will likely kill her. So to say we just need to live with ‘it’ doesn’t work for a lot of the population. Which means if I want to visit Mom, I have to avoid it.

"I’ll wear a mask if asked by a business but if I’m out and no one else is, I assume they are vaxxed"

Boy, wha a stupid assumption, R46.

I'll admit, I have a "fear of 'catching it' ". I have asthma and high blood pressure, so it could be a problem for me. Also, I live alone, so if I "catch it", I'm pretty much on my own in taking care of myself during both the illness and any long-term conditions.

I don't live in a bubble, but I try to avoid high-risk situations.

I haven’t yet, but have 4 close relatives who did and one has it now. All were vaccinated and careful. Fortunately all survived without hospitalization. Anyway, it’s starting to feel inevitable now (but it didn’t have to be).

22 months in and, nope, still haven't gotten Covid. A few people I know - all vaccinated - got it. One hospitalized, the rest knocked off their feet for a week and now fine.

How are those anti vax talking points R47 ? I said get the vax. And no one else is supposed to see their friends and. families so you can visit your mom with a mask r48?

And I guess I should have said “are vaxxed or know the risk” R49.

I live alone, I’m vaccinated, boosted and I mask and avoid indoor gatherings except in small venues where vaccination proof is required including classrooms at NYU. Not had COVID.

once

twice

threee times a lady!

R54, how could you know everyone around you (I'm talking inside a public place--a deli, a Target, a grocery store, etc.) has been vaccinated? I know of at least three cases in the last week--people I know--who got it and got pretty sick because they made assumptions about people around them.

Never had it or if I did, it was really mild.

I have not, that I know of. Tested negative as recently as a week ago. I work three days per week in an office, use public transportation, eat indoors occasionally, and go to the movies at least once a week.

Vaccines and masks work.

No one knows anything about the people around them R57. There are all kinds of risks we take to live in society. Someone could be a shooter or there could be an earthquake. But if you have taken reasonable precautions (getting vaxxed) what else can you do but be a hermit? I said I’d wear a mask if the business asks (like At a Target).

Got it now, in LA. But it's not the exclusive item it once was. Mild cold for me. Yes, I've taken all the precautions. Please God, let this be the start of things winding down. The country can't go on like this.

Anti-vax talking point: I won't live in fear like you.

(Equivalent to an 8-year-old calling someone chicken.)

Anti-vax talking point: don't shame me for trying to put the health of everyone who comes in contact with me in danger of losing his life.

R46 is evil. I hate r46.

Not had it, but then I’m a cancer patient with existing lung condition (bronchiectasis) and I’ve had to be a more or less total hermit the past two years. Had three vaccinations (my third one wasn’t considered a booster but a third vaccination, not sure the difference) and hoping I can ride this out.

Never had it. Vaxxed and boosted. Work remotely and socialize only with other vaxxed people. Mask up when I go out and avoid indoor gatherings where people are not masked.

I haven’t had it yet because I’m smart.

I haven't had it, and hope and pray I don't get it. I never go around anyone without a mask on. I stay at home most of the time. I keep hand sanitizer in my car and use it liberally. But I think the best thing I did was leave my home in the city when the pandemic really got bad and came to a country house I own out in the middle of the woods and I've stayed here since, other than a few forays into town for groceries, and only in the earliest hours of the morning once the stores are open.

R52 is misconstruing my words. I said quit Covid shaming and that I’m happy to wear a mask around od avoid people who are at risk. Quit being obtuse.

[quote] There are all kinds of risks we take to live in society.

Translation: You are going to die, so why take any measures to live?

[quote] Quit being obtuse.

I am not. You are using the words and the arguments of anti-vaxxers. Stop pretending you are not.

I haven't had it yet...

Before getting vaccinated, I took one flight (roundtrip) to Montana, went to one small indoor gathering, and regularly attended a monthly in-person training session for my job. Initially I was obsessive about mask wearing and using hand sanitizer, but once I learned surface transmission is nearly impossible, I settled on merely washing my hands regularly.

Since getting vaccinated, I've gone on 2 international trips, 2 domestic trips, a baseball game, and semi-regularly dined indoors. I've also attended small gatherings on an almost monthly basis. I still wear my mask whenever I go into any store, but never while running or walking around outside.

All of this is to point out that while I've mostly complied with basic precautions, I haven't been perfect. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've come to believe shutdowns aren't necessary and it's possible to be safe while not being a complete shut-in. Besides, I still only know a handful of people who've gotten COVID. Proximity to young kids seems to be the common denominator for most. The others were somewhat skeptical about COVID until they got it.

[quote] I’ll wear a mask if asked by a business but if I’m out and no one else is, I assume they are vaxxed and understand the risk.

Now that’s a logical assumption

Once was enough.

Weird symptoms and surprise pneumonia.

Never had it. Triple vaxxed, working onsite, going out and about. Masked. Lucky maybe. Or had it and no symptoms. Or will get it soon.

I'm still careful about Covid but less fearful since I had a mild case of Delta. I have triple vaxxed friends who never leave their homes and that seems like overkill. The only people that need to worry are the unvaxxed and since they don't seem to care about dying, why should I care about them?

R52 is nothing but a liar and a troll. He's a Trumper taking a page from the Trump playbook: saying vaccinated people are getting sick and hospitalized instead of the unvaccinated, a laughable lie but a real Trump-type bullshit lie. No one believes you, you "no worries" cunt. FF this troll.

R76 loves to illustrate what a dictatorial fascist she is, demonizing those she's clueless about because they don't suit her peculiar fascist views.

I have never, to my knowledge, had COVID.

Fucking troll, R77. That's all you are. And a liar. Vaccinated people in hospitals? Not the unvaccinated? You suck-off MAGAt Trumper.

[quote] The only people that need to worry are the unvaxxed

That's simply not true. There have been many cases of fully vaxxed people catching it and dying, all over the country. If your health is otherwise seriously compromised the vaccine is not guaranteed to save you.

R80, that troll is nothing but a liar. She always goes on threads and says "not vaccinated" and "no worries" because she's a troll. Suggest blocking this MAGAt.

I am kind of wondering if I have it now... my only symptom is a bad headache... and I rarely get headaches... Not tires, not feverish, no sinus issues.

R76 R79 R81 obviously don't realize that this is an adult discussion board and not a fascist re-education camp.

Some people can’t be helped by the vaccines. But for the great majority, vaccines work well. So people should make choices based on their own health. The death rate has been going down not up even with huge increases in cases.

If wearing a mask in public spaces equates to “living in fear”, you might be a liberty Karen.

I as terribly sick in January of 2020. My partner had returned from a business trip in Australia, and traveled through 4 airports on the way home. He came down with a mild cold, I was sick for weeks and ended up with pleurisy.

There was a long, detailed thread here on DL about people being really sick at the time, and then Covid hit the U.S. a couple of months later. I’ve always wondered if it was here earlier than March, but maybe it was a coincidence.

I haven’t been sick like that since.

I said above I had it, and it was at least a moderate case - no hospitalization, but at one point I probably could have been. That said, no one I was in contact with got sick (or if sick, were symptomatic), or tested positive. My partner’s sister was just diagnosed with her second case, and no one in her family has ever been symptomatic or tested positive. She was vaccinated twice and boosted prior to getting sick again. I know a lot of people with similar circumstances, and also of cases where entire families got Covid, and experienced a range of symptoms. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to Covid and who shows symptoms or tests positive, and I don’t think it’s a secret that current testing isn’t foolproof. There are too many unknowns. I don’t think it’s too much to ask people to continue wearing masks and maintaining distance. As bad as Covid has been, I don’t think it’s the worst we’ll ever see - but hopefully not in my lifetime. If nothing else, enjoy the fact that some of the very unobtrusive measures we have to stop the spread can also keep us from catching and spreading other illnesses. This is nothing compared to what the world might be like if something as bad as Ebola became pandemic - and it will happen one day.

I believe I've had an asymptomatic case (tired, intestinal, cold sore). My kid came down with it a day after leaving after Xmas. We eat out at least once a week, so I assume we've been exposed. Triple vaxxed ftr. Age and some health issues. I don't limit my exposures though I always wear a mask of course and I suspect that I have super immunity but I've always been one of those people who say that (hubristic) about my health. Hope I'm right but I'm not as worried about omicron as I was about delta.

R83, you fool no one here.

"Hi guys! I keep getting shocked every time I stick a fork in the nearest electrical outlet. Any ideas on how to keep from getting shocked?? Thanks!"

I mean, seriously?

Haven't had it as far as I know. Vaxxed and boosted in Southern New England, have taken 5 PCR tests since August 2021 all negative . I'm careful, stayed masked at indoor shops etc since this all began. Loosened up and ate inside and saw friends indoors from time to time, and traveled on planes to see sick parents once I was boosted,but have now stopped going to gatherings/indoor restaurants since Dec 18. Back to curbside groceries and seeing friends only outside and distanced until the variant chills out here, probably another 2-3 weeks.

My advice is to socialize only with those you know are legit careful, everyone has different standards of what careful means.

Triple vaxxed, WFH, still go out and about with a mask. I think I may have had it in early February, 2020. A friend and I visited his mom in FL, January, 2020. A few weeks later we both had a weird cough and sore throat that lasted a couple weeks. In mid-February of that year his mom was hospitalized with pneumonia. Her doctor refused to test for Covid antibodies. I think I may have had a mild case.

No I haven't had Covid or any other illness since this started. I am 70 single and triple vaxxed and pretty much a hermit, I haven't been in anyone's house and only one person has been in my house since this started. I haven't been in a restaurant or bar since it started. I wear a mask everywhere but I also hardly go anywhere, just to the store once or twice a week. The Covid vaccine has given me some pretty nasty side effects, but pretty much all vaccines and medications give me nasty side effects, but I have had numerous vaccines as an adult and will continue to do so, the side effects are nothing compared to medical problems they prevent, anyone who isn't vaxxed is just stupid.

68 year old checking in who is triple vaxxed and always wear a mask. I volunteer at my local hospital, and humane society and haven't gotten the virus. I always go to the YMCA to work out at least twice a week and have a part time job. Always masked an keep my distance from people especially if they are unmasked.

And R94 is proving why getting Covid is NOT inevitable if you're smart enough to get fully vaxxed (with booster) and wear masks, especially when you're around strangers.

Nope, never had it, never even got a cold and I have a compromised immune system due to psoriatic arthritis

Never had it. Vaxed, masked, etc. Partner currently has it. And he’s even more hyper-vigilant than me about masks and hand sanitizer, etc. I have no idea how I didn’t catch it from him. But, I was recently really sick with bronchitis (tested negative 3 times for covid). Maybe covid took one look at what was already invading my immune system and moved elsewhere. (Yes, I am aware that’s not how bacteria and viruses and our immune systems work.)

[quote] Time to quit Covid shaming. “I’m responsible” Fuck that. I’ve been triple vaxxed and probably had a mild case so it’s time to get back to some kind of life.

No one is blaming you for your failure to stay safe or your immoral views.

I don't know. No vaccines, no test, no mask. And I am alive and well!

I haven't gotten it by rearranging my life to work at home, being doubled vaxxed and boosted and wearing masks in more or less any public space. That being said, I am striking a balance – I've seen two Broadway touring shows in recent months where the whole audience was required to be vaccinated (or show proof of a negative test) and remain masked. Didn't feel like much of a risk. I'm eating out somewhat. But, there have been some tougher choices like not seeing an entire side of the family at the holidays due to two unvaxxed cousins (whom I think have lost their minds). One got very sick (again) from Covid over the holidays. Good call. Right now I'm debating if I should attend the funeral for a very good friend's mother tomorrow. I know half the crowd will refuse to mask. Having to make these kinds of choices is exhausting.

I don’t understand the verbosity of stating that you are both vaccinated and boosted. Just say vaccinated and we get the picture.

And lucky, R99, no thanks to your blatant stupidity.

My partner just got a call saying he is Covid positive. He has had Covid before and has had three jabs. I am suck too so assume it is positive but my test results are pending. I have had the 3 shots as well. I managed to not catch it from him the last time but not so lucky this time. So far it is not so bad. For me more like a cold. The partner is sicker than I am. His is pissed because he will be using up all of his leave. I do wonder if as a society we will be worrying about this shit forever.

Because, R101, a booster adds the needed immunity two shots don't give. That's why.

I think I *may* have had it in March 2020, right after returning from a trip abroad. My partner and I were going to South America in late February 2020, just as the news was starting to spread about the presence of the virus in China and some countries in Europe. If I remember correctly, there was maybe the first confirmed case in the States and none in Canada. Nobody was taking any real precautions (distancing, masks) since nobody had any firm knowledge of how the virus was spreading and how transmissible it was. The airports were packed and, unless you were arriving from China, there was no real health screening. When we got back home, maybe a week or so after the arrival, I had a couple of days of what I thought was the worst head cold of my life, flu-like joint aches and overall fatigue and extreme weakness. It only lasted a couple of days and I chalked it up to being a seasonal cold or a respiratory infection, exacerbated by the stress of international travel, moving offices at work, etc. After a couple of months, I started having some skin reactions, which cleared up within a month or so, in addition to frequent urination and weight loss. Which kind of indicates to me that the "head cold" was in reality a relatively mild case of a COVID infection. I'm not sure there were even reliable tests at the time (March 2020) that would've confirmed it.

You couldn't pay me to go inside a busy airport and take a plane somewhere right now.

Ditto: church, movies, plays, sporting events -- all off limits for the time being.,

R50. People with asthma are less likely to get covid and much less likely to contract severe covid. I have asthma and haven't gotten it but I am also semi-reclusive. Grocery stores, a restaurant once a month but always outside, no planes, no events (I'm 70).

I haven't had it, yet🤞

Those of you who have had it, by any chance are you Blood Type A. or AB?

Type A/AB peeps seem to be slightly more susceptible to Covid-19. Look it up.

Haven't had it yet - knock on wood.

Live in NYC and was taking the subway maskless and working in the criminal court system maskless up until mid-March 2020 when they finally make us WFH. Have no idea whatsoever how I avoided it. Many coworkers caught it. Since then, have been very strict about wearing masks and I live alone, so I have an easier time controlling who I'm around. The times I have had to go into work (which hasn't been often), I've worn a KN95 and not taken it off.

But with Omicron, who knows.... my days of saying I've never had Covid could be limited......

OP, there have been 57.7 million reported cases of COVID in the US population. That means only about 1 in 7 has contracted it (or at least has reported they have).

I wish people would knock off the "yet" and "my days are numbered" attitude. Now is the time to continue being zealous and making sure you're vaxxed AND boosted and wear K-N95 or N95 masks whenever you're around people (especially strangers), and not do any stupid socializing, especially around strangers. Shit happens and some people might still get it but none of the people I know who've taken all these precautions (including myself) have gotten it. Vigilance and not dropping your guard is key.

I’ve never been tested, but might have had it January 2020. I had a terrible bug with the exact symptoms I had after second vax and booster.

All three times, I was shivering uncontrollably, high fever, and couldn’t even hold my head up. But, only lasted a day or two with bad fatigue for 1-2 weeks after.

I’ve never had an illness like that at any other time in my life. It’s a pretty specific set of symptoms.

Not looking forward to losing 2 days of my life each time I get a booster, but it sure beats the alternative.

I'm an ICU nurse and have spent the last two years working with COVID patients, and I haven't caught it, or passed it on to anyone else.

I haven't caught it because I've done all the usual things right - appropriate masking including fit-tested N95s (PAPRs are only available under some circumstances), meticulous hand hygiene, diligent social distancing, and special care taken to avoid passing on any viruses from surfaces. Plastic gowns and gloves at work, spraying down my car regularly, cleaning or disinfecting my work clothes and anything I buy retail, etc. The only protective measure available to me and not you is the "negative air flow" patient rooms at work, the people with COVID are put into private hospital rooms with fans and air filters that keep the viruses from getting out of the room.

THE SHIT THAT THE PUBLIC ARE BEING ASKED TO DO WORKS, IF YOU DO IT RIGHT. REMEMBER, THERE IS NO CURE FOR THIS HORRIBLE ILLNESS, THERE IS ONLY PREVENTION. PREVENTING IT IS THE ETHICAL THING TO DO, THE PRACTICAL THING TO DO, AND THE PATRIOTIC THING TO DO.

Nope never had it. I’m vaccinated and got my booster and wear a mask everywhere I go. Like we’re supposed to if we’re smart.

I haven't gotten it. I think I am one of the immune ones. My partner got Covid the first day of quarantine in NYC, March 16th, 2020. I nursed him through his entire stint, living with him 24 hours a day and didn't get it. Then when I went back to work in a retail environment in June, two of my coworkers tested positive the same day and days after I had been working with them in close quarters more than eight hours a day. I have been diligent, but not super diligent. I don't always remember to wash my hands when I should. I have encountered several people who I know have had covid. I have never tested positive. And I have had two antibody tests and I had no traces of every having covid in my system. I have been vaccinated and boosted however, just because I want to go out and enjoy life, not because I think I personally need to be. And in that same time, after my partner got vaccinated, he contracted Omicron recently again. Me, still unscathed.

If you've been vaccinated then you WOULD have antibodies in your system, r116. Is this not so?

I had it in February 2020.....have since been double vaxxed and boosted........and haven't been sick or had a positive test. I have been around many people in large settings...movies, the gym and haven't gotten sick. I have friends who have had it over the past few weeks and many of their friends/family have gotten it while following most of the mitigation protocols.....my antibody levels are high and I would postulate that the vaccine is doing the job it was designed for.....

Only three members of my extended family have been vaccinated and boosted. The three of us have been cautious and not gotten it. The 20+ other family members are not vaccinated and have not taken any precautions whatsoever throughout the whole pandemic. They haven't gotten it either.

One brother might have had it in January 2020. He tested negative for influenza A & B, but he was sick for a good month. (And he's never sick.) Yet he didn't transmit the virus to anybody else -- including his 80-year-old father in law, who had just had intense radiation treatment for lung cancer.

There are still many things about this virus we don't understand. And I continue not to take any more chances that I absolutely have to.

I’ve had it about 4 times now. I don’t mind doing it at all because it still gives them data they can use.

Shit. 120 here. I read this as having had Covid tests.

"I have been vaccinated and boosted however, just because I want to go out and enjoy life, not because I think I personally need to be."

No, R116, you need to be. This isn't about being comfortable socially, it's about your health. And no one is "immune" from this.

Some of the comments on this thread (barring the MAGAt ones, which are in their own class altogether) really make me understand how naive people are about how viruses work.

Have NOT had it here yet, and I am unvaccinated. Last antibody test was in November.

Nope, haven't had it yet, despite working with a lot of unvaccinated clients and their families. I rarely go anywhere except the grocery store and wear 4-ply masks.

And you're still stupid as well as lucky, R 124. Nothing to brag about.

My sense of smell has been off for a couple of days and I started developing an occasional mild cough so RIP me, I guess.

I go into the office 2-3 times a week to work.I always wear my mask entering and exiting my company's office building. Especially the elevator since that is an enclosed space where aerosolized particles can remain airborne for several hours. Once I pass the entry door into the safety of my company's floor the mask comes off. All company employees must be fully vaccinated and had gotten their booster shot and cleared it with HR in order for their access card to work.

R112 I think I’m just being superstitious saying “yet”… will continue taking every precaution.

Thank you ICU nurse for what you do.

And R128, what if one of those other vaccinated-with-proof employees got exposed a day before or 2 days before, and hasn't shown symptoms yet? And they come into contact with you? Some vaccinated people have been getting it because of something they may or may not have done around being in the office. You wouldn't know that.

I'm 66 and never had it. I've been careful.

I've been lucky with two recent scares. I stayed home from March of 2020 through this past summer except for necessary work appointments, vet/medical appointments and to see family a few times. I traveled four weekends in a row in November/early December. I went to a party where no one was wearing masks and I fell prey to peer pressure and took mine off. Was sick immediately upon returning home, but was fortunate it was a bronchial infection and not covid. I feel lucky I didn't get it as I went to events in NY, LA, Vegas and SF. They all required proof of vax and a mask to enter, but once inside there was no enforcement. I wore mine at every event except the one in NY which is the one I was sick when I returned from. A friend I hung out with last week felt sick a few days later and tested positive a few days after that. I'm on day 8 without symptoms. Have not been able to get in to be tested, so am waiting for some home tests to arrive to be safe before I leave home again.

Ultimately, I agree with R12. After 2 years of knowing 2 people who had COVID, I now know several (at this very moment).

I'm watching Station 11, in which a virus with a 99% mortality rate sweeps across the world. I know it's just a TV show, but it has also reminded me how foolish it is to give up and accept getting a virus...because everyone else has had it.

I don't want COVID just like I wouldn't want the flu, genital herpes, HIV or other viruses I proactively protect myself against.

Forgot to mention: doubly vaxed (as soon as I was eligible), boosted and masked (KN-95) since March 2020. Other than what I mentioned in my earlier post, no brushes with COVID. I had to travel to Europe (unexpectedly, death in the immediate family) in October with Delta raging over there and repeatedly tested negative with PCR and other tests. If I had ever needed a confirmation that vaccines, in combinations with safety measures, work, that was definitely it.

That said, even though my partner and I haven't really known anybody (other than friends of friends) who had it, Omicron definitely changed that. Now, I'm closely acquainted with at least 4-5 people who are having it now or just had it. Luckily, we didn't socialize with any of them in person lately.

[quote] Because, [R101], a booster adds the needed immunity two shots don't give. That's why.

That doesn’t address or explain the verbosity on DL at all.

Yes! I flew Delta!

R130 It's not a fool-proof policy, it's a sensible best practice policy. Besides the current office attendance rate is less than 10%, so the risk is minimal.

What are you talking about, R135? as R101, you said: "I don’t understand the verbosity of stating that you are both vaccinated and boosted. Just say vaccinated and we get the picture."

And I responded: " a booster adds the needed immunity two shots don't give. That's why."

What exactly, is verbose about that? It also answers your question. Btw, verbose means "containing more words than necessary." I'm not adding moore words than necessary. A double vaccination and a booster are two separate things to mention getting. No verbosity with that.

Have any of you avoided Covid while still working out in a gym? don't see how it's possible to avoid contracting Covid if you go to the gym. Most of those young people at the gym don't wear masks.

I've been to the gym, R139. My gym limits the amount of equiment you can use, so there are machines that are out of service in between machines. The weight room is large and people keep their distance, wipe down, wear masks. But if you don't feel safe to go to the gym, you shouldn't go, or wear a mask, even if the idiots around you don't.

Haven't experienced COVID-19 and hopefully I never will (knock on wood). It helps that I live in Northern California and not some Trump-loving, maskless hellhole.

I received the Moderna vaccine last summer and will be getting the Moderna booster next week. I have been consistently careful, not only for myself but for some relatives who have health issues that make them vulnerable.

Before this mess, I never got the flu because I've been getting flu shots every year for the past 9 years. I don't get colds, either. At the beginning of 2021, I started double-masking after I saw some government officials and other public figures doing it.

I also wear disposable nitrile gloves when I go out. It's easier to keep your hands clean this way by using disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizers, especially if you can't find a public bathroom to wash up. Repetitive use of disinfectants and sanitizers dry out and irritate skin, so cleaning glove-covered hands is a better solution for me.

Being OCD about germs can be disruptive, but it's very useful in the middle of a pandemic.

[quote] verbose means "containing more words than necessary." I'm not adding moore words than necessary

r138, you’re adding more words than are necessary.

I was sick back in January of 2020 and I suspect I may have had it but after that no, I have been very careful and avoided being sick.

My family has not been so fortunate, most caught in November and now again. I fear it’s just a matter of time for me.

R142, sometimes having to explain the obvious requires words.

Nope Never had it.

From this point forward I’m just going to say vaccinated or triple vaccinated instead of mentioning booster. I’m going to trust people are smart enough to know from that that I’ve followed the protocol, without having to specify every detail.

Im triple vaxxed and have not had it. I am immune compromised so i've been extra careful about being around people. I did get a really bad cold in January of 2020 when Covid had just started. I'm thinking i got it then. I was sick for 2-3 weeks.

R146, if you're interested in saving time and space, just write "vaxx 3x"

Nope! I did not leave my house once the pandemic started. Then when I was fully vaxxed I moved around a little more (with mask). I don't take shit from anti-vax/ anti-mask people. I lost some friends and I am fine with that.

I started to get my sea legs back by going to a few dance classes last summer...everyone wore a mask. I have been to the cinema once so far in the past two years and it was to see Eternals in November. I've been out to restaurants without any issues. I've been to a bar, but felt weird socializing and chatting with people because I didn't know their vaccination status. I prefer doing outdoor activities then being indoors with strangers.

I’m vaccinated, boosted and masked. I’ve been tested three times.

[quote]Type A/AB peeps seem to be slightly more susceptible to Covid-19. Look it up.

Interesting, I didn’t know that, R109

[quote]Many studies report that blood type A might predispose one to increased susceptibility of infection with SARS-CoV-2, and type O and Rh-negative blood groups might be protective. Although this appears to be an emerging trend, the impact of blood type on clinical outcomes remains unclear. At this point in time, there does not appear to be any relationship between blood type and COVID-19–related severity of illness or mortality.

That's a no for me at R151. ^

2VVB

I have not had it unless I got it before it was a “thing “. Both my ex and I were sick at the first of the year before the pandemic hit. I’ve been part of the Pfizer trial since October 2020. I had a few months there where I was not masked but before, during and currently I remain mast. Limit my interactions in a red county full of anti-vaxxers to what I call playing pandemic roulette when shopping or eating in restaurants. Dialed it back over the holidays to protocols I used previously as Omicron has surfaced. I did make a unexpected return to performing in theater but we were mask throughout the rehearsal. And use extreme protocols and isolation of cast members for performances to a masked audience but that was back in June when the numbers were better here. I wouldn’t even consider such a thing currently.

I still feel like it’s likely at some point I may be exposed though.

Eldergay here. Haven't had it. I've had all my shots (flu, too). I live in SF and in the two-plus years of this have never not gone to the grocery store, run errands, visited my mom (and gone to the store and done errands for her, too). I flew up to Portland to see friends, fortunately in the window between Delta and Omicron. I very rarely take public transit now (and used to use it a lot). I haven't eaten inside a restaurant, gone to a movie or a play or a bar or my gym in two years. I always wear a mask inside public buildings and wash my hands frequently. Over Christmas I found out I'd been in close contact (a 20-minute car ride) with someone who tested positive shortly afterward (a 20something who perhaps ignores some protocols due to the invincibility of youth). I tested negative. Blessedly, I've always had a healthy immune system (I very rarely get even a cold and haven't had the flu since college). So, no, haven't had Covid, unless I was asymptomatic and didn't know it. Wear a mask -- save someone else's life!

I haven't had it. I am vaccinated. Not boosted yet. I wear a mask indoors, but I'm not especially worried or careful . I returned to work in the fall with 50+ people coming from all over the world. We test twice a week, so presumably I'd know unless I got it during quarantine when I wasn't testing.

If politicians, celebrities and the alleged experts on the left consistently show they're unafraid of catching it, risking their health and their nations, should we be? Or should we be more scared because the politicians, celebrities and alleged experts on the right consistently show their idiots as they become infected and hospitalized or even die?

^last their=they're.

I have not had it.

I followed guidelines, washed my hands frequently, practiced social distancing and masking in public, stayed home unless absolutely necessary, and had both doses of my vaccines and the booster.

Does r158/r157 not know that he is crossed through as troll 5917?

R160, the cunt troll probably does now. But she's such a stupid MAGAt troll she might not.

r160 oh, I'm quite aware. it's usually because of my frau posts, though.

r161 not a magat troll but it is a genuine question. but it is a reality that both political factions are idiots and they're playing with our health to score points. I could talk about the realities of hospitals across the nation, many which have had to go on strike despite the pandemic not only for the safety of themselves but their patients. To which many of our clients have been at risk of other serious issues because of the over incentivized focus on covid which has gotten because there is a financial incentive to do so. . . this upsets the work conditions for many employees that can be expected to quarantine for up to two weeks but many now limited by not getting the same paid time off or having already used up their sick days with other illnesses. Likewise we also have to deal the anti-vax crowd that are becoming increasing hostile and even violent towards healthcare workers. But sure, it's more important I wear team colours and give into the extremism that's makes it all that much harder to get people on the fence about getting vaccinated or even just tested as many of you continue to horde resources and get paranoid over every sniffle even if you're x3 yet not in a high risk category.

Work on your English, Natasha at R162

I might have it right now. There's a huge Omicron wave sweeping through Sydney and I woke up 3 days ago shivering and nauseous. I only felt sick for 24hrs and got PCR tested 2 days ago (3 hours waiting in line in the rain). Personally I hope it's Covid as it will boost my immune system on top of the 3 vac's I've had. But I'm isolating for now until I get a result.

Have it now.. woke up with a really sore throat, headache, and pressure in my ears. By 9 o’clock I was nauseated. Then I started getting fatigued and I’m currently running a fever of 101. There are no Covid test in my area period Point blank. I did get tested for the flu because I’ve had it before and these are similar symptoms. No flu. I’m more fatigued and uncomfortable than anything. I am taking Motrin and drinking water. I am laid up in bed but can’t sleep so I’m hoping this will get better in the next day or two. I’m vaxxed. Unvaxxed people are going to pay a price I hate to think of how I would feel if I wasn’t vaccinated. Dictated all this so just stay off my ass if I made mistakes

I never thought I'd become a vaccine skeptic (I'm fully vaccinated with Moderna, plus the booster), but in the case of COVID it's time to stop preaching about the vaccine. I know several vaccinated people who now have COVID. It's likely the vaccines kept them from getting sicker or going to the hospital, but clearly the efficacy of the vaccines is seriously diminished at this point. Portugal was one of the most-vaccinated countries in the world and their current COVID rate is even worse than the US.

At this point, people should be ENCOURAGED to get vaccinated, wear masks and socially distance. However, it's too late and pointless to try and wait until it's all gone to return to normalcy. China and New Zealand prove how futile it is to shoot for zero transmission.

For the people who did get it, where do you think you got it?

COVID-POSITIVE TRIPLE-VACCINATED NURSE TALKS ABOUT THE ABSURDITY OF TYRANNY 🤔

Nope! I’m responsible and didn't do stupid things like parties, bars, gyms. I’ve not yet had COVID. Neither has my husband. We are both boosted and wear mask like we were asked. We live in Los Angeles so around it all the time. Still very careful to wipe things down when shopping in a grocery store, but not crazy, dont wipe all the stuff down when I get home except form high contact things like the handle on a milk jug or the top of a bottle. No masks in the house and none when we are outside. Just public places.

Why do I get the feeling OP just wants to justify his sloppy behavior?

Shitter's full.

Immune!

[quote]Still very careful to wipe things down when shopping in a grocery store, but not crazy, don't wipe all the stuff down when I get home except for high contact things like the handle on a milk jug or the top of a bottle.

No, that’s still kind of crazy.

Nope. Never had, never will.

One thing I've noticed is how many people don't wash their hands anymore. I see people rubbing their faces in the grocery after touching dirty carts, etc. They also get out their phones in stores, and I doubt that most of them disinfect their phones when they get home. They then hold those dirty phones next to their faces. I watch as people get into their cars after being in crowded stores and just drive off without disinfecting their hands first.

There's been a lot of needed talk about wearing masks, but I think lots of people are getting sick by touching infected surfaces and then touching their faces.

No, not crazy at all. People have dirty hands, doesn't have to be covid. I dont want even a regular cold. I worked in a market when I was young, we found all sorts of things in the store when we did a deep cleaning once a year. Including things like used tampons! Before Covid markets were one of the dirtiest places you could go.

From your article: "risk of fomite transmission after a person with COVID-19 has been in an indoor space is minor after 3 days" 3 days is a long time. Most products move a lot faster then that in a big city. People always grabbing things then putting them back or digging around for the longest expiration date. Right after they wiped their noses with their hands.

R165 feel better :(

There haven't been many (if at all cases of Covid) being transmitted via touch. The information is out there. Also wearing a mask outdoors is silly unless you're standing thisclose to someone and even then it's not as risky.

And no, I haven't had Covid. I went to dinner last weekend with a friend and sat outdoors. They checked our vaccine cards at the door here in Los Angeles.

I fully expect that I might get it but it's possible I will not. I mean, I don't catch the flu every year despite the flu being contagious. And yes, I know that this is more contagious. It's just a numbers game right now. The more outbreaks in your area the more chances you might get it. Los Angeles is bad right now but I work from home and have started picking up my groceries outside again from Ralphs. I did that during the worst of Delta and I believe it eliminated some of the risk.

The person above stating that the vaccines don't work...they work EXACTLY as we were told they would. They do cut down your odds of getting it but we always knew we still could. The reason for the vaccine was to keep as many people from dying as possible. Worldwide, the deaths are half of what they were at the worst Delta surge so that means it's working as intended.

I know a lot of people, friends and family who have caught it and all survived but one and he was a lung transplant patient in his mid 70's. I'm not too worried because I know if I get it, I'll be sick for a few days and then I'll be ok.

And yes, fully vaccinated and boosted.

Yes, just tested positive on December 24th (Merry Freaking Christmas) so I had to isolate.

Since I'm poor, I live with two people and one of them just returned from NYC in mid-December (we live in L.A.). I partially share a bathroom with him, so there was no way I was NOT getting this since he can't shower with a mask on, nor can I brush my teeth/wash face wearing one.

When my throat started to feel off, I knew I had something. The day I tested, my other housemate said she was positive. I was the last to confirm.

In my case, if I hadn't bothered to test, I would have considered this an accelerated cold. I still have an annoying cough that I cannot shake, and my taste/smell is diminished, but comes back in waves, so I hope this is temporary.

R24, I too am in your line of work, and I'm nervous since I heard once you get this, you'll test positive for at least three months after the fact. Since we have to test consistently for set, I guess I'm screwed. If you know otherwise, please share, thank you-

I had it Christmas season 2020.

I was extremely cautious before getting vaccinated. I washed my clothes in the bathtub, rather than use the apartment complex's laundry room (which gets a fair amount of foot traffic). I even stuffed T shirts against the bottom of one the two exits in my apartment, because a neighbor is jabbering right out there a lot. After vaccination, I relaxed a lot. I did not sweat going out places (but always wore a mask). Now with Omicron, I think it will be a crazy month, but just a month. I can hunker down.

R178, I hope you're feeling better soon and are able to get back to work. The cough can linger for a while,

[quote]I'm nervous since I heard once you get this, you'll test positive for at least three months after the fact.

It depends on the type of test. If it's PCR — the kind that's sent out and you wait a day or two for results — you can keep testing positive even though you're past the stage where you can spread the virus to others. PCR uses amplification to detect tiny amounts of the virus's genetic material, or even lingering fragments of it.

Antigen testing — the rapid test with results in about fifteen minutes — isn't nearly as sensitive as PCR and it's most accurate on people who are symptomatic or who have high levels of virus in their nose (in the US, that is; some countries swab both nose and throat).

All antigen testing does is detect the presence of specific proteins on the surface of the virus which trigger an immune response. If the level is high enough in the areas you swab, you'll get a positive.

Antigen tests are the ones meant to tell you whether you have sufficient virus present to infect others at that moment in time. So if that's what you're having at work, you don't need to worry about testing positive for an extended length of time.

[quote]you can keep testing positive even though you're past the stage where you can spread the virus to others.

One friend, vaccinated, contracted Covid, tested positive on PCR test administered 60 days past symptom disappearance, but negative on a antigen/rapid test administered 45 days after symptom disappearance. Since the rapid tests are approx. 85% accurate, go know.

R160's comment is interesting, because that R157 et al. guy isn't redtagged anymore, at least as of 6:30AM on the 7th. That guy is also always posting just R-numbers to see what someone he has blocked has said, which is Gap Guy's usual m.o. and why I put him on block.

Defact0 the other day was also redtagged and her posts disappeared, then a day later she came back, no redtag and posts returned.

War of the moderators? Someone trying to clean this place up, and someone else undoing their work?

[quote]I never thought I'd become a vaccine skeptic (I'm fully vaccinated with Moderna, plus the booster), but in the case of COVID it's time to stop preaching about the vaccine.

Absolutely fucking not. You are out of your mind.

I had COVID twice in 2020, mild both times but still bad, and very likely have COVID now after 2 Moderna shots and 1 booster, and it's so much easier to handle this time. The nausea is better, I'm not waking up sick in the middle of the night like I did before the vaccine. No temperature so far, either, and guaifenesin is taking care of the cough when before all it did was help it some, but not get rid of it. Also no constant headache this time, it comes and goes but isn't as bad.

The vaccine is definitely worth it.

My whole life I've seen the GROSSEST things in stores. Old men with snot dripping out of their nose onto food, people coughing in the produce section without covering their mouths, sneezing right onto the canned goods, the whole bit.

You're damn straight my groceries get a little spray down when they get home. I started doing that years ago. I don't wipe individual items down but everything gets put on the counter and sprayed real quick, let it sit a few minutes, then put it away.

I find people who go on news shows saying "it's stupid and performative and insane to clean your groceries" to be needlessly angry over something that's not a big deal.

I think we've seen a lot of idiots during this pandemic.

It started when the Trumpers and Qs didn't want to wear masks and social distance and didn't believe science.

It continued when the democrats didn't want to give up their masks and started doubting science last spring.

Now we're back to the Trumpers and Qs either not believing Covid is a thing or refusing the vaccine. Which is stupid. Meanwhile the democrats are running around with doomsday scenarios.

Have we ever seem such overreactions before?

Get a goddamned vaccine and wear a mask as needed. Stop the nonsense and stop deliberately scaring people that the world is ending. I find very interesting that we have high cases in blue places with mask mandates and red places with no mask mandates.

[quote] I find people who go on news shows saying "it's stupid and performative and insane to clean your groceries" to be needlessly angry over something that's not a big deal.

It’s actually very satisfying when the people cleaning groceries get COVID anyway.

I suspect I had a mild form at some point. Could have been just a cold but think it’s highly unlikely I wouldn’t have stumbled into a Covid cloud.

I’m boosted and wear a mask but I’m not particularly careful beyond that. I’ve traveled a few times, work a couple days a week in an office, socialize.

Everything I’m reading says tim taking necessary precautions that still allow me to live/enjoy life. The one big sacrifice is not going to the gym—that seems too dicey.

However, because I’m boosted and masked with no underlying health issues, I’m not too worried about it.

Never had it and don’t plan on getting it anytime soon. I’ve been super careful and I only socialize with 2 family members who have been very strict about following Covid guidelines and my partner. I work from home, order my groceries online and avoid trips to crowded places unless I have to.

r178- Back in the summer, we had an actor test positive, even after being vaxxed, came back from quarantine (after #1 and #2 and Hair Dept Head were not vaxxed and quarantined), did a rapid, and of course tested positive. Studio freaked (he was #5) and the Covid team said that it was to be a very thorough PCR to show that he was really negative. With our show and the Sean Penn one (can't remember the title), studio declared that all employees, including actors, had to be vaxed.

However I believe ElderLez or someone of her ilk had said that PCRs can show positives post infection up to 3 months, so I don't know the real answer.

That said, I believe my upstairs neighbor has it- was coughing and sneezing often and violently for 3/4 days, although I haven't heard him yesterday at all.

R183, I saw a reply on yesterday on another thread that was tagged and then later not tagged. I think there was an issue with the automated tagging system and when it was fixed the tagging done in error was removed.

I know a bunch of people who have contracted Omnicron after being boosted—mainly people with kids who bring it home from school. All have had extremely mild—more like colds than the flu.

I don’t want to contract it, of course, but I’m also not too concerned. I’m boosted and healthy and masked.

Honestly think that the unvaccinated—unless they have a legit medical excuse and are kept in script quarantine—should be denied medical care at this point. It’s criminal that they are overtaxing our hospitals, overwhelming our heroic medical teams, and preventing people with other medical issues from getting care.

I have not had covid and I'm out in public a lot. But I had miserable reactions to the vaccination and booster which the doctor thinks is related to my strong immune response. So covid gets you one way or the other.

If I heard correctly. the big news is that dying from Covid after being vaccinated is an extremely rare event. What fantastic news. The unvaxxed should be forced to pay higher health and insurance premiums and denied medical care if hospitals are in distress.

I may or may not have had it. I'm not sure. Back in 20/20 I got this horrible hacking thing which had me down, but tested negative. Haven't been sick since.

[quote] I never thought I'd become a vaccine skeptic (I'm fully vaccinated with Moderna, plus the booster), but in the case of COVID it's time to stop preaching about the vaccine. I know several vaccinated people who now have COVID. It's likely the vaccines kept them from getting sicker or going to the hospital

You aren't very smart, are you?

It's weird to me that an obscure board like this gets the talking points messages, the repetitive right wing propaganda shit that has become apparent: "mild. have to live your life. tyranny, etc". Desperation for other people to risk their lives is the oddest thing I've seen in my adult life.

Every person who is amazed by the fact that people can still get Covid after being vaccinated, needs to be slapped viciously for their stupidity.

I feel like it’s inevitable and I’ll get it eventually. I was getting tested regularly until the lines got out of control. Luckily I’m pretty isolated and take precautions so I’ve been able to avoid it.

[quote]That said, I believe my upstairs neighbor has it- was coughing and sneezing often and violently for 3/4 days, although I haven't heard him yesterday at all.

Er, I hate to be That Guy but should someone go check on him, r190?

R200, or you can just wait for the smell.

R198 It was always understood that a vaccinated person can be exposed to the COVID virus and transmit the virus and even contract the virus and have symptoms, but they will have significantly less serious symptoms that rarely result in hospitalization and the likely of death is extremely rare.

Shouting down everyone starting to question the effictiveness of the vaccines isn't productive.

I'm willing to get a COVID vaccine annually, but I'm absolutely not going to get several boosters a year. Gibraltar has the distinction of having 99% of its population vaccinated and they now have one of the worst infection rates.

People who won't get a vaccine at all are just plan stupid. However, the current vaccines were developed to fight the original strain, which has been overtaken by variants. Instead of trying to use up the current supply, Pharmaceutical companies should follow the US Army's lead and work on a vaccine that has a high efficacy against multiple variants.

*plain

Thanks for point that idea out, R203. It certainly hadn't occurred to anyone else on earth until now. We can all rest a lot easier from now on, knowing that you are on the case.

[quote] Shouting down everyone starting to question the effictiveness of the vaccines isn't productive.

Just stop. No one is shouting and you are free to express your feelings.

[quote] I'm willing to get a COVID vaccine annually, but I'm absolutely not going to get several boosters a year.

I'm perfectly willing to get dialysis, but only if it's once a month.

[quote] Gibraltar has the distinction of having 99% of its population vaccinated and they now have one of the worst infection rates.

Hey! Look at that! A Right-wing talking point!

[quote] In fact, many of the newly recorded COVID-19 cases in Gibraltar are occurring among those who have not been vaccinated. Moreover, the vaccines are, as predicted, succeeding in preventing deaths and serious infections that lead to hospitalization.

In other words, the vaccine is doing exactly as it is supposed to.

"What's the death rate from Covid in Gibraltar?" Zero divided by anything is zero, right?

There's no question anymore that the vaccines preventserious disease/death from Covid. So the future will hold lots of opportunities to read about the deaths of strident anti-vaxxers since they'll be 99.9% of the people who die from Covid.

^98,000 people in the US in the hospital with Covid as of a few days ago, over 90% of them are unvaccinated. Something needs to be done about this, it needs to be stopped.

[quote] my wife said a close friend she just had dinner with tested positive in a routine work test (I’m a guy, btw).

Why brings you to a gay site, R8? I know half of Datalounge are straight women, but it's very rare to see a straight guy on here.

If you have Type A blood, you need to be extra careful during this 5th COVID wave per the link at r151.

[quote]I'm willing to get a COVID vaccine annually, but I'm absolutely not going to get several boosters a year.

I'm not going to bend to your elitist science to treat my diseases!

Now, where did I put those leeches?

I haven't had it and I have been working full time on site since the spring for LAUSD.

We got vaccinated when we could and we are tested weekly and wear fucking masks all day.

I have limited social activities including sports and most people sit out if they aren't feeling well or if someone tests for it. I have a brother who tested positive but he works in a more uncontrolled environment and range of people and has sketchy girlfriends.

It's kind of cute that some troll thinks we care what his personal vaccine booster schedule is.

My booster reluctance has to do with the fact there's no precedence. I've had 3-series vaccines before (Anthrax, Hepatitis B), an annual flu shot, and periodic boosters spanning decades.

I'm not a doctor and want to know more about the effects of getting the same series of a vaccine every 5-7 months. Part of my reluctance is based on the fact there's no consensus among the experts on the effictiveness of 4th and 5th shots. People are getting them to be on the safe side, but there's no evidence yet it better defends them against COVID.

The reason Dr. Fauci and Dr. Leana Wen have grown in prominence is because they're willing to listen to what people think or feel, and give them the facts. So many people on this thread want to jump at the chance to give point-by-point reasons why someone is an idiot, rather than respond with facts.

Also, several of the Biden transition team COVID advisers (led by Dr. Zeke Emanuel) recently wrote op-eds encouraging a transition to managing COVID while returning to normalcy...instead of continuing to remain in limbo with shutdowns and such.

R210: Who says he's straight?

[quote]Part of my reluctance is based on the fact there's no consensus among the experts on the effictiveness of 4th and 5th shots.

You should be happy then that the CDC hasn't said you need a 4th and 5th shot – and won't until they evaluate studies from Israel and elsewhere.

I don't know why you're bothered by other people getting unauthorized booster.s

[quote] and has sketchy girlfriends.

FU, R213.

I don’t understand the shut-ins on this thread. You all could have easily caught the flu and died from that before COVID came along. Did you stop having sex in 1981 once HIV/AIDS was identified? We’re never getting back to zero, for vaccinated folks it’s now just another virus that causes cold/flu-like symptoms. Stop listening to the doom porn of the media. (I swear, we should ban the word “surge” from the lexicon.) I took three R/T flights last year, go to the gym 4x/week, take public transit almost every day and eat in restaurants. Tested every week, negative so far but I’m sure I’ll contract it eventually, as everybody who decides to rejoin society will. Lighten up.

^^^Oooh, just reading this makes me want to douse my computer with Lysol.

[Quote] You all could have easily caught the flu and died from that before COVID came along.

Not remotely the same odds. More bullshit about how Covid is no worse than the flu.

I’m sure many of the people listed on this site felt the same as you, r219.

And then they croaked.

Everybody at work seems to have it now. But it seems to be mostly just annoying, although the boyfriend of one colleague ended up with a fever spiking to 104.

People need to understand that as they get Covid and then recover from it, letting Omicron burn through the population. they are making the world safer for me and protecting me from getting it. That should be enough.

^^ Sheldon Cooper @ r225

The tweet at r223 is a good example of the problems caused by sloppy messaging through this ordeal.

Lazy doctors do interviews talking about “mild” cases and people take that to mean the same as a cold or mild flu. But what the doctors are actually talking about is clinically mild disease, which has nothing to do with what’s described in the tweet and everything to with blood oxygen levels and breathing difficulties.

You can have all the symptoms of the worst flu ever and feel like you’re on the brink of death, yet you’re well within the “mild” category.

Why the distinction hasn’t been drilled into people’s heads since say one is beyond me, but the end result of this sloppiness is people clogging emergency departments because no one has bothered to tell them what what “mild” actually means.

Should I keep wiping down my groceries? I'm so OCD about things like that.

Just about two weeks after the start of symptoms and I’m only 70% of my usual health. The “itch” in my lungs went away but it’s back. And I look like shit.

This is the 5th day for my partner who is sick as a dog. He is fully vaccinated plus the booster and had Covid already last year. He is wondering when he will get hit with the next variant. I am doing much better but still feel like crap. How long does this all last?

R230 Everybody responds differently. If you are vaccinated be confident you will get better soon and fully recover.

Thanks R181, it's this dry cough I can't seem to kick. I'm 2 weeks out from testing positive, so I'll hang in there, hoping it will still go away. Now I dread taking ANY test in fear of showing positive again; my one housemate actually answered the LA Department of Health call and was advised not to bother testing since he would most likely show positive, I should ask what the timeframe is for this.

R190, I remember that was for 'Gaslit', now it seems as though every other set (well now that we are in 2022, probably every set at this point) will require vaccinations. At this rate with so many sets shutting down due to positive cases...

…aaaand my boyfriend just tested positive. He’s had a cough all week. I have a light tickle in my throat and am getting tested tomorrow morning; I’m sure I have it.

It definitely makes it less scary when your symptoms are this minor. Get your booster, people.

R232, it’s highly unlikely that you would test positive on an antigen test now. I’d like to say that you absolutely would not, but crazy things happen and there’s always that outlier with a faint line that drags on 11-12 days. Two weeks is a stretch, though.

Is this a case where you show up in the morning and have to test negative before you start work? If so, chances are they’re using antigen tests. The other option that I failed to mention is Cue. It's comparable to PCR, but each test is really expensive ($70 vs. under $10 for antigen) and I can’t see a lot of workplaces using them when a cheap antigen test can tell them what they need to know — “Is this person contagious right at this moment?”

If by chance you do recognize the device below as what they use, there’s a possibility that you’ll test positive longer on that. Again, it's doubtful. I do a Cue and an antigen in the morning and a PCR when I leave to get the results the next morning, but that's complete overkill and only because I see severely immunocompromised patients.

I haven't had it.

Coughs are the hardest thing to get rid of once you've been sick with any respiratory illness, especially as you get older. It can take weeks to get rid of a cough from just a common cold. I don't understand why people are so surprised that they still have a cough a week or two after falling sick with Covid?

R236 I hear you; I work with people who technically were over being sick, yet they had this annoying lingering cough for what felt like weeks. With me though, I know my body pretty well that when I get colds, etc. the cough usually goes away right away.

However, with Covid being obviously different and the way it has been affecting people, who the heck knows anymore. I'd rather be stuck with this cough than not have my sense of smell/taste.

R236, exactly. I’ve suffered from pneumonia (before Covid hit) and the cough lingers forever. Your ribs get so sore, it feels as though they’ll never feel normal again.

My partner’s brother, who lives in Idaho and is a Trump-idiot, is very sick with Covid. He doesn’t believe Covid exists, so I wonder how his puny brain deals with it. He thought it was a made-up, liberal media thing. If anyone deserves to be sick, it’s him.

Just tested positive yesterday. Boosted and vaxxed. So far, runny nose, sore throat, dry cough….

Ham immunocompromised so hoping for the best

I got a negative test result back today. I have been sick all week and my live in partner is Covid positive. I wonder if i shouldn't test again?

Had it once, just over a year ago. A truly mild case, not just clinically mild, so I was lucky.

A couple people at my office have tested positive. One has already recovered. The second found out after taking a test in preparation for going on vacation (a cruise maybe?) He claimed he was asymptomatic, but that's not true. He has a cough, which he attributed to allergies. And, he was going around work maskless while coughing. Fucking dufus.

So far have avoided

Day 3 and had a vicious sore throat last night with some coughing but once I turned on my humidifier I felt better. Not sleeping much for whatever reason. Have gastro problems as well as being fatigued. I’m just seeing how many more boxes I can tick as it seems I’m in it to win it. I’m sequestered in the bedroom while my husband and the pets are having a blast in the rest of the house. I can’t stand them.

As far as I know, I haven't had it yet.

We had it February 2020 before vaccines.

Ughhhh feel better fellow DLers. I really hate seeing so many of you bitches testing positive and feeling shitty on this thread :(

Sending you love and healing energy.

No, not me but I learned this evening that my Trumpie sister-in-law has covid. She had one shot but didn’t get the second one because she had a strong reaction to the first one. My brother, not her husband, told her that this was a sign that the vaccine was working. She gets her news from her phone and she told my brother that she believed the stories about sex tunnels under the White House. Now my brother, her husband, has confined her to the second floor.

^ Can he confine her to a mental institution?

Nope, no Covid — at least not yet. Two doses of Moderna and a Moderna booster. But a lot of people I know have come down with it, especially in the last three weeks. I’ve been exposed several times, but so far I’ve been fortunate to have escaped it.

Tested positive for the 'rona yesterday. Woke up with a wicked sore throat and low grade fever. I pretty much knew what it was, but went to a nearby urgent care facility to get the results for work. Today, it's been mostly body aches fatigue and congestion. Had a bad headache earlier this evening and lost my sense of smell and taste about an hour ago. So strange, I can't help but think the headache caused it, but what do I know.

Back in mid-February 2020 I had a "flu" of such intensity that I considered going to the ER, because my breathing had become really labored and shallow. However, I waited it out, and fortunately, by the next day my condition had improved enough to where I wasn't gasping for air.

Then, in April of 2020 I experienced another episode (3-4 days) of fever, fatigue and mild difficulty breathing and I thought I might need to go to the ER this time too, mainly because of a rapidly increasing fever, but I made it through that episode as well.

Then, for the third time in 2020 (August) I came down with flu-like symptoms (fever, fatigue, chills) yet again, but as in the previous two bouts, I recovered after a few days of solid rest.

I've never had three separate ordeals with a flu or flu-like symptoms within a 7 month period in my entire life, so I've always wondered if any of the incidents were Covid.

r200, I'm guessing he went to the hospital and came back, because he was sneezing and coughing the day after, every day has been less and less.

My sister was just diagnosed with covid again, second time, and she's vaxxed and boostered. She also developed heart failure after being vaccinated.

The hospital told her to self quarantine for a week and to call 911 if she developed breathing problems. She's been dizzy and very weak, vomiting, and her legs are aching.

I’m leaving for Tulum in a few days and worried I’ll get exposed to Covid before we leave and then I’ll worry that I’ll get exposed in Mexico! We’ve rented a house with another couple and can get supplies brought in by the staff. We’re flying Delta and they require proof if vaccination when you embark and then want you to provide proof if a negative test taken within 24 hours when you return to the US.

I haven’t had it. I think it’s mostly because I live alone and I’m an introvert/homebody.

My company opened the office again in October. We can work from home on Mondays and Fridays but have to be in the office Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. They pay for weekly Covid testing and I’ve always been negative.

I surprising since I’m middle aged and overweight.

Your company is doing a great job, R255. My company has not allowed ONE day for people to WFH despite them now dropping like flies and being out sick due to Omicron.

R255- You're middle aged and overweight which means you're the typical demographics for a dl person.