COVID-19 treatment and vaccine update thread

[ImLawBoy]

We were able to get pediatric doses for my 10 year olds. It was only available at a handful of CVSs and we had to travel a bit to get to the closest one, but it was there as of last week. Willing to travel to the Chicago area for a shot?

That's interesting, as our CVS (in Target) doesn't have it and Walgreens tells us it's not available, period. Something's not right...

If you have the CVS app you can try scheduling an appointment and expanding the radius of stores near you to see if you can find one. Since you'll put in your kid's age it will only give you locations with pediatric doses. Or maybe they didn't make it west of the Mississippi and we need a reverse Smokey and the Bandit to get doses to you!

[Zaxxon]

Yeah, I'm wondering if this is a Colorado thing.

[Smoove_B]

As always, its going to be the insurance companies that give us the details:

Four years after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are still reporting elevated all-cause excess mortality compared with pre-pandemic levels. According to Swiss Re Institute's report The future of excess mortality after COVID-19, if the ongoing impact of the disease is not curtailed, excess mortality rates in the general population may remain up to 3% higher than pre-pandemic levels in the US and 2.5% in the UK by 2033.

Paul Murray, CEO L&H Reinsurance at Swiss Re says: "COVID-19 is far from over. The US reported an average of 1500 COVID-19 deaths a week for 2023 – comparable to fentanyl or firearm deaths.

...

Swiss Re's report examines an optimistic scenario where excess mortality rates return to pre-pandemic levels as early as 2028. In this scenario, medical advances, such as weight loss injectables and cancer developments such as personalised mRNA vaccines, combine with a drop in the impact of COVID-19 and healthier lifestyle choices.

[Zaxxon]

Yep, healthier lifestyle choices. That's the ticket.

[Max Peck]

It makes sense. If we get healthier in other ways, then the lowered death rate from those other factors helps to offset COVID-related deaths so that the excess mortality melts away eventually. Excess mortality was useful early on as an indirect way to see the impact of COVID, especially in areas where there was political will to minimize the apparent impact, but it was always going to be less useful over time due to various other non-COVID factors that also impact mortality, for better or for worse.

[Zarathud]

Isolated for 9 days but back to work today, feeling fine. Tested negative until I was my sickest, and then came up positive.

[gilraen]

Went to the Costco pharmacy page to schedule an appt for both flu and COVID vaccines. Got to the page where you pick which vaccines you want but was in the middle of something else so didn't finish scheduling, just closed the browser.

Went back to it an hour later, and...there's no COVID vaccine on the list. Like, did they literally just run out? Or realized they weren't getting the shipment they were supposed to so the website got updated? (I was trying to schedule for later in the week). That was just so weird.

Ended up scheduling at Walgreens - don't particularly like them (and I heard it's a god-awful pharmacy to work at), but the vaccines are in stock, and it's just a few blocks away.

[stessier]

My whole family is finally vaccinated. I had almost no side effects while my youngest (15 yo) looked like she was on death's door for a day. She is 5'0" and only 95lbs, so I wonder if the adult quantity vaccine is just too much for her. My other daughter who is the same height, 18 yo, and about 30 lbs heavier was just a bit tired.

[Punisher]

Got mine Thursday as a walk in.
Hit me hard overnight but cleared up by Saturday afternoon.
Every other time I was down for 1 to 2 weeks so that's a win.
Also got my 2nd shingles vaccine.
Went to pick up my pills and they asked if I wanted any vaccines. No wait.

[Zaxxon]

I was finally able to book my youngest daughter (10) at Walgreens for this coming weekend.

[Jeff V]

My kids are begging me to take them soon, so I probably should. They'll get both Flu and Covid shots.

[Max Peck]

Health Canada has finally approved one of the new vaccines (Moderna's Spikevax 2024-2025 Edition). Presumably Pfizer and Novovax will also be approved Soon™. Now it's just a matter of waiting for the distribution mechanism to spin up and get doses to the people who will be able to get doses into people's arms. If it all ends up going like last fall, I can expect to get vaccinated by early December, maybe?

Definitely before Christmas, anyway.

Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine for 2024-25 approved in Canada

[Blackhawk]

We were all COVID-poked nine or ten days ago. Zero symptoms. We're holding off for a couple more weeks on the flu shot.

[Max Peck]

Health Canada has now approved the Novavax COVID vaccine for 2024-2025, although it sounds like it may not actually be available for the most part (not that many people seem to want it). Approval for the Pfizer vaccine is still Coming Soon™.

Health Canada approves Novavax's updated COVID-19 vaccine for fall

Health Canada said Thursday it has authorized Novavax's updated COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 12 years and up.

The product, called Nuvaxovid, is a protein-based vaccine.

Health Canada said the vaccine was updated to target the JN.1 variant, an offshoot of Omicron. Nationally, the JN.1 group is currently the main lineage in Canada. The variant set off a massive wave of infections worldwide in November 2021.

Canada's current contract with Novavax only provides access to domestically manufactured vaccines, which Novavax has been unable to confirm for the 2024-25 season, a federal spokesperson said.

"Provinces and territories may choose to procure independently from Novavax for their fall vaccination campaigns," the spokesperson said. "Demand for Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine has been very low in previous years."

Health Canada said it anticipates issuing a decision about Pfizer's updated mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 "over the next weeks."

[Kraken]

I'm getting double-jabbed tomorrow afternoon with Sunday cleared to feel sick, if I must. Wife is silently resentful because we are running out of days before we move and we already have more to do in that dwindling time than we can accomplish. Plus, we might have both had undiagnosed Covid a few weeks ago, making the vaccine moot right now. I'm not sure my decision is the smartest one, but I'm doing it anyway.

[Max Peck]

I dunno, man, given the tremendous volume of colds and flus I'm hearing about from people who totally haven't been having COVID I wouldn't be so sure your "undiagnosed COVID" was actually COVID at all.

Spoiler:

/s

[Smoove_B]

Still waiting on those free Covid-19 tests that are coming through the USPS "In September":

Starting this month, Americans will be able to order free COVID-19 test kits that will be mailed to their homes.

U.S. households will be able to order as many as four nasal swab tests at COVIDTests.gov when the federal program reopens. The U.S. Health and Human Services agency overseeing the program has not yet given an exact date when ordering can begin.

Feels like maybe sending these out right after Labor Day and long before mail voting started would have been a better move, but wtf do I know.

[Kraken]

I got double-jabbed yesterday and had mild flu symptoms today. Not too bad and I expect to be back up to speed tomorrow.

[LordMortis]

Still waiting on those free Covid-19 tests that are coming through the USPS "In September":

Starting this month, Americans will be able to order free COVID-19 test kits that will be mailed to their homes.

U.S. households will be able to order as many as four nasal swab tests at COVIDTests.gov when the federal program reopens. The U.S. Health and Human Services agency overseeing the program has not yet given an exact date when ordering can begin.

Feels like maybe sending these out right after Labor Day and long before mail voting started would have been a better move, but wtf do I know.

Been checking the link every week day. In fairness, it does say late September. Yeah, before school started would have been better but I'm more concerned about the vaccines in that time frame than the tests that I don't end up using.

[Max Peck]

Guidance from OPH (Ottawa Public Health) via the CBC:

What to do if you or your kid gets COVID-19 this fall

Before symptoms appear

It's important for everyone to ensure their families' vaccinations are up to date.

Flu shots and an updated COVID-19 vaccine are expected to roll out in Ontario in October while a new provincial program for vaccinating infants and children against RSV is set to launch this fall too.

Public health officials have also noted that everyone should ensure they've received their adult dose of the whooping cough vaccine amid a recent rise in cases.

Until people can receive the new COVID-19 vaccine, they should use masks, physical distancing and hand-washing — which work for not only COVID-19 but for other respiratory viruses.

With symptoms or a postive COVID-19 test

COVID-19 can cause flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose and more. OPH has a full list of symptoms for public reference.​​​​​​

The Ontario Ministry of Education advises students, staff and visitors should be screened for symptoms each day before going to school. The Ministry's self assessment tool is available online.

Adults and children alike should self-isolate if they have symptoms of COVID-19. They should remain home until their symptoms are improving and they have been fever-free for 24 hours.

If symptoms include vomiting or diarrhea, they should stay home for at least 48 hours after those symptoms resolve.

If you or your child has a positive COVID-19 test but no symptoms, you don't need to self-isolate unless symptoms occur.

However, OPH said those with symptoms or a positive test should mask up for 10 days from the date their symptoms began, or the date of their positive test, whichever is earlier.

OPH also recommends maintaining a physical distance from others, taking unmasked breaks away from colleagues, and avoiding spending time with those at highest risk of severe infection during that 10-day period.

I guess asymptomatic transmission is no longer considered a thing? I'd also be curious to know where anyone would be getting tested short of ending up in the hospital. As far as I know, it's been a very long time since home test kits have been a thing that the general population can access.

[Unagi]

Wait? What do you mean:

As far as I know, it's been a very long time since home test kits have been a thing that the general population can access.

They seem to be entirely readily available where I'm at, and never stopped being. Am I understanding what you are saying, or did I miss something?

[Max Peck]

Wait? What do you mean:

As far as I know, it's been a very long time since home test kits have been a thing that the general population can access.

They seem to be entirely readily available where I'm at, and never stopped being. Am I understanding what you are saying, or did I miss something?

I'm in Canada. The only kits available here were purchased by the federal government and distributed by the provincial government, and were hard to find even before they stopped providing them. I've still seen no sign that the private sector is stepping in to meet the (probably nearly nonexistent) demand.

For the entire duration of the pandemic I was only ever able to find 1 test kit.

[Unagi]

Wait? What do you mean:

As far as I know, it's been a very long time since home test kits have been a thing that the general population can access.

They seem to be entirely readily available where I'm at, and never stopped being. Am I understanding what you are saying, or did I miss something?

I'm in Canada. The only kits available here were purchased by the federal government and supplied by the provincial government, and were hard to find even before they stopped providing them. I've still seen no sign that the private sector is stepping in to meet the (probably nearly nonexistent) demand.

For the entire duration of the pandemic I was only ever able to find 1 test kit.

That's weird - in the suburbs of Chicago, the pharmacist's queue is adorned with an entire shelf filled with them.

[Max Peck]

I have no idea why they aren't available OTC at retail here for people that are willing to pay for them. If the government has stopped providing them, I don't know what people are expected to do other than pretend COVID isn't a thing to be concerned about.

It's sort of a disconnect, for me, for that article to be talking about testing positive with no symptoms when the only way I know of to get tested these days is to be so sick that you end up in the hospital.

[gilraen]

How good are those test kits though? Are they picking up the new variants? Or are the pharma companies just pumping them out with the old formulation?

[Smoove_B]

My understanding is that they're still working with newer variants, but that the testing "window" has likely changed. In other words, they're not nearly as good (allegedly) at picking up infection earlier but rather now mostly useful for confirming you have it once you're well into the throes of a symptomatic infection.

IMHO that limits usefulness, but at least they can confirm it for someone.

[hitbyambulance]

knock on glass but i think i avoided getting C19* in the recent PNW case spike. is there any best guesstimate of when would be the optimal time to get the updated vaccine? in previous years i got them as soon as they were available. also, i usually get the flu vaccine around the first week of October, about.

soo.. get them at the same time?



* (Covid-19! 2019! that's half a decade ago this started circulating! Neal Stephenson's _Termination Shock_, which came out a few years ago, made reference to 'Covid-24')

[LordMortis]

That late September release for tests is rapidly approaching the end of its window. Assuming they open up for release on the weekend and they still haven't nailed down anything more specific, it's looking like late September will mean the 30th. COVID.gov is now pointing to the USPS, so they've got to be close.

[Daehawk]

Can a pharmacist that usually gives me my shot in their store give me one at home when they delivery my meds legally?

[Max Peck]

I'd guess not, given that the vaccine needs to be properly stored. I'd also be surprised to hear that an actual pharmacist handles prescription delivery. I'd expect that sort of thing to be handled by an employee or outsourced to a courier, but I've never looked into it.

[LordMortis]

I'd guess not, given that the vaccine needs to be properly stored. I'd also be surprised to hear that an actual pharmacist handles prescription delivery. I'd expect that sort of thing to be handled by an employee or outsourced to a courier, but I've never looked into it.

I'd guess that someone could be certified to transport and administer the vaccine but likely that someone is not the person delivering the medication. I know I get asked all of the time if I need assistance either with care at home or being transported to care areas. There will come a time where I respond with yes and then we'll see how it works. For now, I still have a shrinking network of help for when I need something medical that prohibits driving. (I was never asked this until I got off company insurance. I don't know if that is coincidental timing or if medical professionals are trained to know different insurance pools or if it is because of care providers I have moved to since being turfed from a corporate insurance)

[Max Peck]

There are companies that provide on-site medical services, including vaccination (although a very superficial search didn't turn up any offering COVID vaccination), but I wouldn't expect it to be the guy who's delivering prescriptions for the pharmacy.

[ImLawBoy]

Chicago had a program early on (not sure if it's still around) where they would send nurses to the homes of people with disability to administer the shot. That's how we got my son's first shots. Might be worth poking around to see if your area has something similar.

[Smoove_B]

Yup. As noted, medicine being delivered isn't the same as medicine being offered. There should absolutely be traveling vaccination services available and if I get a second, I can try to find something in your area. Likely coordinated through a county health agency or visiting nurse association.

[Sudy]

Tested positive via expired home test yesterday. This is my second known infection, and first since the year of the pandemic. I think I've only had one other cold since then (last spring), but tested negative. My last vaccination was in December. I'd been holding off for the new autumn vaccines.

So far it's just mild-to-moderate flu-like symptoms. Hopefully it stays that way. The first symptom was overnight sore throat that came on so slowly I thought it was just sleeping in the path of the A/C or a seasonal ragweed allergy.

After speaking to some members of my medical care group I was surprised there's no requirement to isolate and their only protocol is that I not visit the hospital for an unrelated treatment until 24 hours after respiratory symptoms subside, or 48 for gastrointestinal. But it just seems ethically wrong to ride the subway etc. if I don't have to right now, mask or no mask.

I'd been visiting with my grandmother in her long term care facility and my immunocompromised mom with lung issues, so that sucks. The LTC home had recently come off COVID lockdown, but I hadn't visited recently and it's clear I was infected prior to this visit. Hopefully they're OK. I think it's pretty likely my mom has it, but she's tested negative so far.

[Hrdina]

Got my flu vaccine Wednesday afternoon at work.

My last COVID booster was in January, so expect to wait until year-end to get my next. My family usually books appointments together during the period when my youngest is home from college, and all go get vaccinated together.

[LordMortis]

Test are available to order

https://covidtests.gov/

[Zaxxon]

Test are available to order

https://covidtests.gov/

Gracias.

[Smoove_B]

Been checking the link every week day. In fairness, it does say late September.

Orders will ship free starting September 30, 2024

Indeed.

Thanks for boosting!

[Kraken]

We're on the cusp of being between addresses now. If they ship on or about 9/30 we should still get them here, at our old house. Don't have an address for packages at the new house yet but I reckon they'll fit in a normal mailbox. In fact, I think I'll order again in a few days for the new house, too.