“… associated with a symptom known as a ‘razor blade sore throat’. This intensely painful throat pain is a hallmark of the variant”

Be apprised

My throat swells my cervical has a bone spur aligned with my throat. Sometimes I can feel my esophagus scraping on it when I swallow. If it swells it starts where if I try to swallow liquids it just spins in my throat and I have to spit it out.

Then it fucks with my breathing.
When my throat swells bad enough it makes this high pitched noise and it’s really hard to breathe. I have been to the ER for this before they were doing triage and I had been done for like 10minutes and the loud high pitch noise started they walked out and got me.

We went to a convention in Indianapolis ….i know, it was stupid…..now my 73 year old is sick in bed. I have been testing every day, and I’m still negative. She has cough, sore throat, headache, and a rash on her belly. Breathing is good and no fever. I’m scared shitless.

This is for everyone, HEPA filters and bar soap are two very helpful things to reduce spread even within families.

Is there a difference with that and pump soap?
Thanks in advance.

Soap cleans viral particals better in my opnion. Also wash hands right when you get home. And santizer really isnt that good vs viruses whereas it's good for bacteria.

Ok either soap is good. I just looked it up. Fairly early either soap was found to be effective with sufficient lather and hand rubbing, I missed that info. My info was early March 2020. COVID hit my neighborhood in NYC first early March so I missed the finding liquid soap was good too. Bar soap less waste and cheaper. I feel I get a better lather from soap, but I'm oily so it doesn't dry me out. Both are superior to sanitizer.

I keep "pump soap" on hand for company but I have just always felt better with bars. Still keep Fels Naptha and Octogon and Kirks Castile. Wish I could find a good bar shampoo that my hair likes... have tried most of them on the market and it just doesn't work out any better than the lye soap we used as a kid. Old lady, old school....

Because of her allergies, I bought a room air purifier. It’s in the room with her. We both use k95 masks when I’m in there and I wash my hands continually . I have tested negative the last three days

Mom is in independent living.

The greedy sadists want to kill all of us.

thank you for the PSA.

Covid is here to stay and it will continue to sicken and kill people. I get every jab I can and mask in public as a permanent personal policy. I have escaped it so far but it's still true that if I get it, it can kill me.

And that was after having had taken the most up to date vaccine 2 months before. But it was pretty mild... considering. But I did feel awful and had a bad cough.

God, how much more dangerous will it get without up to date vaccines?

Thank you Heathrow! (Repeat offender)

that I know has Covid. Little bit nerve-wracking living in GA.

I've tested negative Thur and yesterday. So far, so good. Need to order new tests again.

We're both immunized. I've never had it, he has several times. I'm basically a recluse, but his SO's family is a bunch of anti-vaxxers. So he's isolating as he should we're just texting back and forth.

My Pharmacist told me, 'Keep wearing your face-mask', he had two customers yesterday who had Covid.
It's Still Out There.

I did not test positive for Covid, but this cold that I have, acts like one.
Joint pain, fever, chills, sore throat.
Slept, couldn't eat, drank bouillon.
Luckily, my son was visiting, so he was watching over me.
On the bright side, I lost 6 pounds.

Started with a horrible sore throat (now I know why they call it razor throat!) followed by a massive headache that nothing eased, and a persistent dry cough. I was prescribed Paxlovid but pharmacy didn’t have it and had to wait a day until they could get it. It helped ease my symptoms. I lost my senses of smell and taste for a month which was really strange. Cough and low energy lasted 6 weeks. It’s miserable! Be vigilant. I hope I can find a booster soon. I am 75 and thankfully had been vaccinated. It’s frightening to remember how badly he botched everything even with experts still in place. It is a hellscape to imagine what will happen this time around. Be well, dear DUers!

I had symptoms that mimicked a mild stroke. They tested me for Covid and I was positive . I am on Paxlovid and now feel a little better. "Stroke" symptoms gone.

Sparkly tested positive on Thursday. She is also on Paxlovid but continues to feel crappy.

This is our first Covid rodeo. Not sure what to expect.



Side story. Sparkly's doc called in an order for Paxlovid. We went to pick it up but the pharmacy was out. They said if we went to another pharmacy, they call pharmacy 1 and get the script transferred. We went to pharmacy 2, across the street. They had it but don't take our insurance. They said the could give the med but the cost was over $1,000!!! (I think they said it was $1240).

We go to pharm 3, diagonally across from pharm 2 and directly across the street of pharm 1. They have it and lets us have for $47 after they speak with pharm 1. They call and put the phone on speaker . Rings, and gets a recording "helping others" and music and recording and music. This got on for maybe 10 minutes. I get a card from the pharmacist and drive back to pharm 1. I ask them to call pharm 3. The clerk says pharm3 knows they need to call here, not us call them. (fuck you, comes to mind but I was remarkably calm (for me) and told her I was just there and she called you and we listened to it ring and ring unanswered. I came back here because my wife is the suffering waiting for the call to go thru.

She says she will "have the call made".

I step out of line and stand, quietly where I can see the person she told to make the call. She notices me a few minutes later and asks if the can help me. I said no. Just waiting to know the call was made.

Sparkly calls me and said they got the call and she has the Paxlovid.

What A Shitty Fucking System We Have. "Hi, can I help (stress) you?"



Thanks fir the post, and reminder, TNN!

I have traditional Medicare with the AARP supplement. Had to take Paxlovid twice before and both times it was free. But both times I did not get horribly sick. I know it’s going around here (Philly burbs).

my husband was ready to go wild. I felt the same. But the pharmacist worked to find some available. My doc said she was seeing more cases. I think her practice is heavy with Medicare patients such as my husband and myself.

The comments on my post clarify that it is everywhere.

broken rib.

Not a mask in sight (aside from mine).

I did see a few other masks at school this week.

Hoping she feels much better and you stay well.

(What is TNN?)

Was told maybe next week. Fucking idiot spawn of the Kennedy’s has everything garfed up. If I wasn’t over 65 I wouldn’t even be eligible.

But I was able to get a flu shot.

Madness. Utter madness.

I have stated to slip a bit on my Han d washing whenever I get back from going out somewhere.

Some might be surprised as to how much that small thing helps!

(Have the trees started to turn yet? )

Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed and Goldenrod are out and giving up hints of what is to come. I live near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and there may be a little more color higher up.

We usually had to head outside of town to see the real changes. Although, I lived near Shelby Bottoms, and that was a great park to have nearby, it was not the same as being out of the city.

I'm still coughing up gunk a week later.

Incredible that Mexico and Canada will see a surge of Americans who have to leave their country to get a shot.

GO Moderna!

Covid shots to anyone. We are both over 65. I will be checking with my primary care physician for another provider. The Post reported that in some states, including Virginia and DC, CVS is not providing the shots because they haven't been approved by Trump's FDA.

A friend of mine participated in a largely outdoor event. They took anti-COVID precautions. Everyone tested twice before the trip (48 hours ahead, and again right before) - because of the expectation that they would be breathing the same air in the car and overnight and some (including my friend) are at high risk for negative consequences of COVID. They carpooled together, slept in tents and/or hotel rooms - but most of the time was spent hiking in the outdoors.

50% or more (the toll isn't finished yet) have since been diagnosed with COVID. So far, my friend is safe . . . but the people she carpooled home with just tested positive.

My daughter also just had COVID. She masked on the plane during a recent trip, but not in the airport. (The rest of the trip was entirely outdoors.)

This is the school year has started round of covid. One of my coworkers has been out with it this week. It's probably just getting started in my area.

The more..well not alarm but awareness of the risks of further society wide misery I am conscious of.

But it’s time to buckle down and do the best you can to preserve a sane reality.

But calmness is of essence. My dad used to tell me about a phrase he learnt in the military: “hurry up slowly”. I’m trying that.

I feel pretty calm. I expect things to be worrying (as they should be if one is conscious) but not calamitous ..well not for anyone I care about personally. But no decent human can watch society wide chaos and be tuned out.
And not calamitous exactly but with things getting consistently worse over time. Yeesh.

My experience with Covid happened almost 3 years ago, after I'd already been vaccinated twice.

We had a family reunion for the Thanksgiving holiday (spent 4 days together) and none of us wore masks because we'd all been vaccinated and felt safe together. On the last day my nephew (college-age) revealed that he'd been exposed to Covid among his friends, and he hadn't worn a mask the entire time he was with us. He said, "Don't worry, it's a very mild strain of Covid. I barely have any symptoms." (!!!)

Needless to say this kid was such a dope, because he exposed the entire family and some of us are in our 60's and 70's. I went home feeling tired, dizzy and with a headache. Wouldn't you know it, 2 days later I lost my sense of taste and smell. Yes it was a mild case with mild symptoms. If my nephew hadn't told me he was exposing us, I probably would have thought it was a simple cold. But that wasn't the point! I stayed home and quarantined for 2 weeks so that I wouldn't expose anyone else.

I was lucky, but I know other older friends who've had a serious reaction to Covid. One of my friends almost died and they wouldn't allow her to come to the doctor's office or the emergency room. (That was before the vaccines were available.) This is a terrible epidemic, and it's not over. With all the variations out now, maybe it will never be over.

My doctor listed all the concerns about Paxlovid when I asked for it. I had taken it before but that was from a walk-in clinic. She listed having a metal taste in my mouth and explosive diarrhea. I had the taste problem previously and lemon drops helped. No diarrhea so far.
I will say that this morning I feel better. I ate soup yesterday and stayed awake so I could sleep better last night. I did.

I am glad for the medicine. I believe in science and medical technology. My career was in hospital healthcare and I saw what can happen with effective treatment. I remind people that thoughts and prayers help comfort, but it was medical expertise and science
was what got me through treatment for breast cancer 13 years ago.

It has taken this long for me to say that I still have this annoying cough but I do feel better and am halfway through this medicine.

even to people who don't qulaify by Fed criteria. I haven't been able to find it at pharmacies so I'll check with my doctor on Monday. Maybe she won't have it either but I'm hoping.

I normally prefer to minimize vaccines and I did fine with COVID even before the vaccine.
But now i have some health issues that could affect my immunity, plus a trip out of the country coming up. It feels unnerving to get on an airplane, be out of the country without my usual support system, and not be able to get a vaccine. I'm sure the risk is worse for a lot of people.

I agreed with mandates during the pandemic, but I understood the resistance to it. I'm in a community where a lot of people are anti-vax and were torn up about the mandates and restrictions.
But not supplying or allowing the vaccine to those who want them? I never imagined that was on the table. This is nuts.

COVID has been endemic to our human population for half a decade now.

eliminate more of the “fringe” with a minimum of effort.

the real fringe- antivaxxers, antisciencers, antieducation folks. The very ones who on one hand claim not to believe in science, while on the other hand make use of it.