Coronavirus on a Personal Basis

[Foggy]

[MN-Skeptic]

I went to a Christmas Eve service and apparently have been gifted for the first time with COVID-19. Hey, I held out for nearly three years.

I hope you're feeling better soon!

[Phoenix520]

No regifting, little bat.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[MN-Skeptic]

I talked to the doctor and, because I think I may have started having symptoms last Thursday, it's probably outside the time frame for starting Paxlovid. Oh well. I've inherited my mom's good immune system, so I should be fine.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[pipistrelle]

No regifting, little bat.

Where's the fun in that?

[AndyinPA]

I never tested for Covid, although I had planned to, but my son and I are still getting over what sounds just like what you, MN, have been feeling, except for the taste and smell part. We should have tested, but it's too late now. It would have been our second bout. Fully vaxed and boosted and somewhat recent Covid is supposed to be about as safe as you can get, so now I'll never know if it was another case or not. I remember feeling almost relief when I got it in August.

Both of you feel better soon!

[pipistrelle]

Yesterday about midday I noticed my sense of smell was significantly reduced. By last night I couldn't smell anything, including some obnoxious-smelling antibacterial wipes from Walgreens. Hope it comes back.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[Kriselda Gray]

[Sam the Centipede]

Yesterday about midday I noticed my sense of smell was significantly reduced. By last night I couldn't smell anything, including some obnoxious-smelling antibacterial wipes from Walgreens. Hope it comes back.

No problems with echolocation though?

Sorry to hear about your missing sense of smell. It could take a while to come back to (near) normal so I guess you'll have to be patient

I see occasional reports of Investigations into the mechanisms underlying the loss of that sense after SARS-CoV-2 infection but I don't recall any offering effective remedies beyond letting your body heal itself and later perhaps challenging your recovering sense with lots of sniffing of scents. Even if that doesn't speed recovery, it might amuse you!

[AndyinPA]

When the three of us here had it in August, the loss of sense of taste or smell wasn't really that noticeable, but for anyone else that I've known who did lose it, it was a gradual return, often over months.

[pipistrelle]

When the three of us here had it in August, the loss of sense of taste or smell wasn't really that noticeable, but for anyone else that I've known who did lose it, it was a gradual return, often over months.

I should be getting Paxlovid by tomorrow. Don't know if that will help. I'm so congested I don't know if that has something to do with it but I doubt it.

[MN-Skeptic]

After a very good night's sleep, I feel back to normal except for my lack of smell, and even that's coming back. Yesterday I could not smell rubbing alcohol. Today I can smell it a bit.

Unfortunately, I ended up giving Covid to others this weekend. My youngest sister who was also at my brother's tested positive after she flew home to Michigan yesterday. She had a fever last night. Her doctor has prescribed Paxlovid. My sister is fully vaccinated. I haven't heard from my sister-in-law today, but yesterday she said that my brother and two of their daughters were starting to feel under the weather. Dang!

[Foggy]

Ack!

[pipistrelle]

After a very good night's sleep, I feel back to normal except for my lack of smell, and even that's coming back. Yesterday I could not smell rubbing alcohol. Today I can smell it a bit.

Unfortunately, I ended up giving Covid to others this weekend. My youngest sister who was also at my brother's tested positive after she flew home to Michigan yesterday. She had a fever last night. Her doctor has prescribed Paxlovid. My sister is fully vaccinated. I haven't heard from my sister-in-law today, but yesterday she said that my brother and two of their daughters were starting to feel under the weather. Dang!

Sorry about the spreading, but it's reassuring to me that your sense of smell is coming back. I'm still super congested. I should have Paxlovid tomorrow or next day. In the mean time, been drinking Theraflu stuff just to work on congestion. This is so much like a cold that I remind myself it's like that only because I had three shots and two boosters, last one in late September. Otherwise, it likely would be much, much worse. This is my only exposure to it directly, and it's convenient to forget how far south this went without the vaccine and now Paxlovid.

[Sam the Centipede]

I wonder how much difference Paxlovid will really make. My (mis?) understanding is that viral replication inhibitors really do their work best if administered before an infection has really set in, preferably immediately after suspected exposure, before the body's own immune system swings into full action – and of course most sensible people's systems are already primed by vaccinations. A bit of extra help doesn't hurt though.

It will be interesting to hear whether you feel the Paxlovid made a difference of whether your experience feels like the infection running it's normal course.

We await reports!!

[pipistrelle]

I wonder how much difference Paxlovid will really make. My (mis?) understanding is that viral replication inhibitors really do their work best if administered before an infection has really set in, preferably immediately after suspected exposure, before the body's own immune system swings into full action – and of course most sensible people's systems are already primed by vaccinations. A bit of extra help doesn't hurt though.

It will be interesting to hear whether you feel the Paxlovid made a difference of whether your experience feels like the infection running it's normal course.

We await reports!!

I'm on immunosuppressants, which is the only reason I'm getting it. My immune system is amok, so who knows. It looks like I may not get it until Saturday at this rate. A friend who took it within a few days of symptoms felt better soon after but also didn't feel 100 percent for weeks.

[Phoenix520]

Sending feel betters to both of you.

[Sam the Centipede]

I'm on immunosuppressants, which is the only reason I'm getting [Paxlovid] .

Ah, of course – in that case it will make a serious difference! The anti-virals are really neat technology and don't rely on your own immune system at all (as I'm sure you know) so are ideal for the purpose.

God luck with it, please report any interesting news.

[jez]

The long distance SO tested positive a couple of days ago. He's been feeling run down and generally like crap. Still not feeling the best. But, he is vaxed and boosted so should be alright.

I will let him know about the vision issues and other long covid symptoms so he can keep an out for them.

BTW if you plan on being in an airport, wear a mask. A good one. He wore one and still caught it. He works for TSA.

[Lani]

Vision covid problems: double vision is common. Also night blindness. Also day blindness. Loss of depth perception. (That one was really scary for me: I couldn't tell how close I was to other cars. I stopped driving.)

Meeting with an ophthalmologist next week.

We are in early days to understand what covid-19 has done to our eyes.

[Sam the Centipede]

That sounds scary Lani! It's very responsible of you to abandon driving while the vision impairments were serious – some people wouldn't.

Clearly the virus is messing with nerves, both sensory and in the brain. I keep seeing reports of insights from research about the mechanisms of these problems but nothing definitive yet – we have to be patient.

Dementia patients often also suffer depth perception issues, but whether there's any overlap in causes, who knows. Probably the same part of the brain (middle temporal?) underperforming, but for related or for different reasons?

Off Topic

I watched a WHO [World Health Organization] "5 minute explainer" video on "post-covid syndrome" which would have been funny if it weren't annoying: it "explained" that (1) that's just another name for long covid, (2) there is a wide variety of symptoms, (3) effect of vaccination is to help you not get covid (nothing on mitigation or exacerbation of post-acute sequelae). So essentially not an iota of useful, interesting or practical information. It was from mid-2021, so knowledge has increased, but they should take down outdated videos. And they shouldn't put up information-free videos in the first place.

[Lani]

US info lags behind countries with universal healthcare. I follow the European research - 1 to 2 years ahead of US. I learned about famotodine for long covid. I learned what to do if I suddenly don't know where I am. (Long covid Euro people get a therapist to walk/drive the neighborhood to restore memory.) I also learned about the vision problems.

I decided I needed help with my vision, but had to see an optician before seeing an ophthalmologist. She said I just needed new glasses, covid had nothing to do w/vision problems. Yeah, no. I did that when I first had double vision sometimes at night, a month after covid. Got new glasses. Didn't change anything. Sometimes I have double vision, sometimes I don't, day or night. Thanks to Europe, I learned to close one eye when that happens.

The optician prescribed new glasses and sent me to the ophthalmologist to get me in line for cataract surgery. I don't qualify yet, but she wanted to get me in line since it take many months. So the ophthalmologist called me about the waitlist for surgery. I told him what was happening with my vision. He was pissed off that he wasn't told about the post-covid problems. He said he'd find a way to get me in his office - and an hour later I got an appointment on Tuesday - his lunch break. I hope I get some help.