beepers
Sapphire
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Post by beepers on Jan 29, 2021 18:48:58 GMT -6
Is it ok to wear kn95s for a few days? I work retail (though not grocery). I had been wearing cloth masks, but with the new variants and numbers surging, I switched to KN 95s, but have been trying to stretch out the usage to 5 days since they are expensive. Do those UV disinfecting units work well enough to get more life out of the masks? FTR, all of my coworkers wear masks all the time, before we even walk in the building (except at lunch, when we are all in separate rooms), but the amount of noses I see from customers still has me on edge. There was a study done early on regarding UV-C to sanitize N-95s. Dry heat also works but obviously is a fire hazard. My hospital basically has a huge UV-C room that is essentially wall to wall foil with clothes lines traversing the whole thing. They hang up our N-95s and set the timer to like 10 minutes or so 😂😬😳 it looks very sketch and low tech but I suppose it works.
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kayc
Sapphire
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Post by kayc on Jan 29, 2021 20:10:38 GMT -6
I’m trying to decide if my Covid has morphed into a sinus infection....has anyone else experienced this? I’m on day 10 of symptoms, but my only symptoms now are a nasty sinus headache and no taste and smell. My BIL and our friend who had Covid were treated for sinus infections and my BIL had an ear infection as well.
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jlaur21
Gold
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Post by jlaur21 on Jan 29, 2021 21:01:01 GMT -6
I’m trying to decide if my Covid has morphed into a sinus infection....has anyone else experienced this? I’m on day 10 of symptoms, but my only symptoms now are a nasty sinus headache and no taste and smell. My BIL and our friend who had Covid were treated for sinus infections and my BIL had an ear infection as well. I ended up doing a telehealth appt and they decided to treat me for a sinus infection. I am really hoping the meds help!
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carrots
Gold
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Post by carrots on Jan 30, 2021 1:43:19 GMT -6
Lurker here but would love to get your take on how families are managing Covid at home. I tested positive and am isolating from my kids (5.5 and 4) and H. Hoping to have them tested ASAP but of course it’s a weekend and don’t know what the timing will looks like. In my head, it’s pretty clear if we’re all positive (isolate until 10 days after last positive test/3 days after symptoms subside) or if I’m positive but they remain negative and asymptomatic (I would isolate in my room for 10 days, they would quarantine in the rest of the house for 14 days from the last exposure to me which was Friday and likely get additional tests 5 days after Friday). But how do families manage it if half the family is positive? Do I try to isolate in this room with one of my children? Do we mask everyone and just hope for the best (not sure I can convince my kids to mask full-time) and then go with the crazy long quarantine the negatives for 14 days after the positives are done with isolation? If the kids and I are positive, am I a terrible person for making H help me care for them? I would love to hear how this has worked for others.
Ok I’m going back to read this whole thread bc middle of the night test results mean my mind is a little too busy for sleep. Also would like to clarify that we’re 100% committed to making sure we don’t spread this so my questions are not aiming to get us the shortest quarantine possible, more focused on how to keep as many people in my family healthy as possible.
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Post by blurnette989 on Jan 30, 2021 2:45:01 GMT -6
Hey all- i wanted to share this cloth mask made by a textile company in Portugal. If you wanted to get one (adult and kid sizE available) I'd happily ship it to you. These are cloth resuable masks that have been tested to keep 95% of particles from getting through for at least 4 hours at a time and up to 50 washes. mo-online.com/pt/lp-produtos-antimicrobianos/Produto.html
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cmb
Sapphire
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Post by cmb on Jan 30, 2021 5:25:16 GMT -6
carrots I’m sorry you have covid 😞 I can only speak to quarantine requirements because that’s what I do- isolating from you doesn’t make their quarantine any shorter. You are still in the house, so they all have to quarantine for 24 days (or 20 if your state adopted the shorter guidelines) unless positive or you stay in a separate building. Everyone testing negative’s quarantines restart for each new positive. I find a lot of contract tracers don’t actually explain it well, if at all.
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carrots
Gold
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Post by carrots on Jan 30, 2021 6:11:46 GMT -6
carrots I’m sorry you have covid 😞 I can only speak to quarantine requirements because that’s what I do- isolating from you doesn’t make their quarantine any shorter. You are still in the house, so they all have to quarantine for 24 days (or 20 if your state adopted the shorter guidelines) unless positive or you stay in a separate building. Everyone testing negative’s quarantines restart for each new positive. I find a lot of contract tracers don’t actually explain it well, if at all. Thank you - that’s very helpful to know and I needed someone to say that clearly for me!
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cmb
Sapphire
Posts: 4,604 Likes: 9,807
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Post by cmb on Jan 30, 2021 6:49:16 GMT -6
carrots I’m sorry you have covid 😞 I can only speak to quarantine requirements because that’s what I do- isolating from you doesn’t make their quarantine any shorter. You are still in the house, so they all have to quarantine for 24 days (or 20 if your state adopted the shorter guidelines) unless positive or you stay in a separate building. Everyone testing negative’s quarantines restart for each new positive. I find a lot of contract tracers don’t actually explain it well, if at all. Thank you - that’s very helpful to know and I needed someone to say that clearly for me! You’re welcome. It’s not the easiest to get. Right now, the assumption is that they are re-exposed daily and you’re contagious the entire time of isolation, hence the quarantine for negatives being so long. It doesn’t take in for account air filtration and such. Isolation time is also dependent on symptoms length or if you are asymptomatic, and even THAT distinction is so vague The idea behind isolating positives is to reduce the chances of others being positive, not so much reducing the quarantine requirements. I think as more studies are published, we will find the contagious period will change, and isolation will be shortened, but for now, this is what we work with.
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jlaur21
Gold
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Post by jlaur21 on Jan 30, 2021 9:56:32 GMT -6
carrots, I also have Covid. I’m not isolating from my family, but they are negative. I was told (here in CT), to quarantine for 10 days from onset of symptoms. My son can’t go back to school for 20 days from the onset of my symptoms, regardless if I quarantined from him or not. Today is the last day of my quarantine. Both my husband and son have remained symptom free, but we will continue to stay home, and he goes back to school 2/10. It’s super confusing!
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AmyG
Ruby
Posts: 15,376 Likes: 33,977
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Post by AmyG on Jan 30, 2021 11:01:09 GMT -6
Definitely quarantine as far away from family as possible even if you all just stay in separate bedrooms as much as you can and mask and sanitize when in common areas. Even with the rest negative for rest of family.
My neighbor did not do that. With her positive and family negative they went about their life as if she wasnt exposing them every day.
So since before christmas its rolled thru the family her husband, daughter son in law and the 3 month old baby all got it. Son in law got extremely sick.
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carrots
Gold
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Post by carrots on Jan 30, 2021 11:35:12 GMT -6
So glad to hear your family remained negative jlaur21! For now, I’m not hating getting to hole up in my room alone but I’m not sure my H will continue to feel that way through next Sunday 😬😬
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Post by greykitty on Jan 30, 2021 13:12:43 GMT -6
This is so sad to me, even if the code sharing was well-meant. Vaccinations cancelled due to misuse of code. I get that people are anxious, and disappointed/confused by the varying structures of getting an appointment. I'm in 1B in my state and have pretty much passed on Walgreens, CVS, etc. I'm in queue for my county and my healthcare provider. And I'm fortunate to have a computer, language skills, and a regular and recently seen physician. I can't even think how anxious people without those advantages are feeling. link
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AmyG
Ruby
Posts: 15,376 Likes: 33,977
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Post by AmyG on Jan 30, 2021 14:52:32 GMT -6
My 80 year old mom got herself a vaccine yesterday. Signed herself up and drove herself right over. There was a note in the paper who to call, she called them and they got her right in. Small town worked out well in this instance. But if it required the computer, well that wouldn't work at all/
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2021 15:01:28 GMT -6
Okay I need advice with a situation. We recently went on vacation for a week (rented a cabin somewhere secluded) and while we were there our nanny went out of state to visit her boyfriend. On her last day there he tested positive. She told us she was still driving home as initially planned but to let her know what we wanted her to do. Based on the CDC recommendations, I told her to quarantine and then test on day 5 post exposure, then we would have her quarantine for 2 additional days if she tested negative or 10 days if she tested positive.
Day 5 would have been Monday. So last night she texts me, said "I decided to test early!", and sends me a form saying results are pending from a clinic in the state she had been visiting. When I clarified with her what she was still doing out of state, she replied "I decided to go to *yet another state* to visit my sister for the weekend." This also implies that she was probably with her boyfriend for 2 days longer than she told us, which pushes back her quarantine/testing timeline. I asked for clarification on when her last exposure was and have not yet received a response.
What the hell do I do with this?? I'm frustrated that she's using this as free vacation time and is not taking isolation seriously. She is not being entirely honest about it, and she keeps saying things like "I want to assure you I feel fine." 🤦♀️
Our contract has language in it that says COVID exposures/testing/quarantine will follow CDC recommendations. I would like to withhold pay if she extended her quarantine period, and I'm so frustrated that firing her has crossed my mind (although I think our contract requires a month's notice).
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rvasc
Emerald
Posts: 14,311 Likes: 82,566
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Post by rvasc on Jan 30, 2021 15:04:49 GMT -6
peachesncream do you have other concerns about her? I’d be super uncomfortable with her generally after that behavior. I would call her, honestly, and explain that you need to know the exact time line so you can figure out the quarantine requirements. I would be honest about my frustration also.
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Post by summerbabe on Jan 30, 2021 15:33:50 GMT -6
Hey peachesncream, that's a frustrating situation. I don't think you're on the same page re: covid, especially since she thought it made sense to immediately socialize with her sister after exposure.
It sucks but I'd probably try to find a nanny on the same page with covid precautions since this isn't going away for the next several months (plus) and I imagine she's likely to keep being out and about as long as she feels fine.
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brux
Diamond
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Post by brux on Jan 30, 2021 15:37:34 GMT -6
peachesncream do you have other concerns about her? I’d be super uncomfortable with her generally after that behavior. I would call her, honestly, and explain that you need to know the exact time line so you can figure out the quarantine requirements. I would be honest about my frustration also. yeah this. I would have a phone conversation with her at this point. Let her know that you can’t control how she spends her free time but that you have expectations about how to manage covid exposure and she’s not meeting the requirements you follow to keep your family safe. I think I’d let her go too, but then on the flip side how confident are you that you can find a replacement that will be a good nanny and follow reasonable covid protocols?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2021 15:41:37 GMT -6
Thank you all. We have butted heads with her before and we do not anticipate this arrangement to last beyond the end of this school year or the summer. She replied to my email and it sounds like she stayed one more additional day than she told us. We will see what her test results are on Monday and go from there, and I will need to put on my big girl pants and have a serious conversation with her about COVID safety and being honest with us.
I am dreading the new nanny hunt so much 😩
ETA: also, the irony of us choosing to go on vacation and then lecturing our nanny on COVID safety is not lost on me. It feels a little hypocritical.
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addymac
Emerald
Posts: 12,713 Likes: 54,196
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Post by addymac on Jan 30, 2021 16:45:33 GMT -6
Thank you all. We have butted heads with her before and we do not anticipate this arrangement to last beyond the end of this school year or the summer. She replied to my email and it sounds like she stayed one more additional day than she told us. We will see what her test results are on Monday and go from there, and I will need to put on my big girl pants and have a serious conversation with her about COVID safety and being honest with us. I am dreading the new nanny hunt so much 😩 ETA: also, the irony of us choosing to go on vacation and then lecturing our nanny on COVID safety is not lost on me. It feels a little hypocritical. But the way you each vacationed is different. And she sounds like a fucking asshole right now.
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AmyG
Ruby
Posts: 15,376 Likes: 33,977
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Post by AmyG on Jan 30, 2021 18:40:55 GMT -6
peachesncream, Well she tested early, so is running on the being negative train, must be negative cause she has no symptoms. I would make her quarantine away from you and get a negative test day 7 after she comes home regardless of who she's been around, because travel = exposure. And if she doesn't' wanna do that, that answers your question.
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Post by blurnette989 on Jan 31, 2021 0:33:16 GMT -6
Thank you all. We have butted heads with her before and we do not anticipate this arrangement to last beyond the end of this school year or the summer. She replied to my email and it sounds like she stayed one more additional day than she told us. We will see what her test results are on Monday and go from there, and I will need to put on my big girl pants and have a serious conversation with her about COVID safety and being honest with us. I am dreading the new nanny hunt so much 😩 ETA: also, the irony of us choosing to go on vacation and then lecturing our nanny on COVID safety is not lost on me. It feels a little hypocritical. But the way you each vacationed is different. And she sounds like a fucking asshole right now. Right she spent extended time very likely exchanging fluids (understandable) with her boyfriend who then tested positive while she was with him. And then she stayed with him for one more day. And then went and saw other people.
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adelbert
Amethyst
Posts: 6,997 Likes: 40,184
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Post by adelbert on Jan 31, 2021 9:01:13 GMT -6
My 80 year old mom got herself a vaccine yesterday. Signed herself up and drove herself right over. There was a note in the paper who to call, she called them and they got her right in. Small town worked out well in this instance. But if it required the computer, well that wouldn't work at all/ Yay! I know this has been a bit of a saga, I'm so glad she was able to get the vaccine!
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gingy
Opal
Posts: 7,659 Likes: 35,388
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Post by gingy on Jan 31, 2021 12:10:56 GMT -6
My grandparents both got their first doses this week. I’m so relieved I could cry. We’ve been so lucky to all stay healthy.
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AmyG
Ruby
Posts: 15,376 Likes: 33,977
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Post by AmyG on Jan 31, 2021 12:11:21 GMT -6
My 80 year old mom got herself a vaccine yesterday. Signed herself up and drove herself right over. There was a note in the paper who to call, she called them and they got her right in. Small town worked out well in this instance. But if it required the computer, well that wouldn't work at all/ Yay! I know this has been a bit of a saga, I'm so glad she was able to get the vaccine! As shes telling me about it shes making sure I know that you still have to wear a mask, and get 2nd shot and might need booster for new variants, and she could still get covid but it should keep her symptoms mild, and she might be able to catch it still and spread it to others so shes not going to go out all willy nilly. Shes paying attention. Wish other people would. Once she gets 2nd shot she might go to the grocery with her n95 mask on to stock up again. Or she will have me order food for delivery if it stays squirelly out there.
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Post by blurnette989 on Feb 1, 2021 2:56:42 GMT -6
I saw a news clip today on the Portuguese news interviewing the head pediatrics doctor at our best children's hospital. Due to the UK variant she stated they are seeing an increase in the number of cases of kids needing to be hospitalized. So this is obviously not a study, but it seems from their experience over the last year with the pandemic this strain may be more transmissible amongst children. We are on a strict lockdown and have been since the new year, so to see cases continue to rise amongst kids when schools are shuttered has been concerning.
*Granted Portugal is a hot mess right now in terms of cases, but they've always been hugely transparent through this pandemic so i generally trust the govt doctors.
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cattail
Silver
Posts: 449 Likes: 2,201
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Post by cattail on Feb 4, 2021 15:25:41 GMT -6
Y'all, I could not find a February covid thread, if there is one I am sorry. And this is going to be a post and run, as I have discussed talking is still hard for me, I get short of breath and my voice is weak. I am 19 weeks from my positive. Today I had an appointment with an ENT and they discovered that my left vocal cord is paralyzed. I am hyperventilating as I even type that sentence. I am devastated. Doctor feels like something happened during surgery (20 weeks ago) but also possible that Covid has done nerve damage. Which we know I have had nerve issues in my leg. he says we will never know how and why it happened. I am beside myself, in fact I am going to go cry. I would scream but I don't have enough voice. Asking for thoughts and prayers, and if you know stories like mine, I would love to hear them.
Thanks for being here for me.
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addymac
Emerald
Posts: 12,713 Likes: 54,196
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Post by addymac on Feb 4, 2021 15:28:51 GMT -6
Oh cattail sending you hugs and love and strength. That’s a lot. I’m so sorry.
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Post by chocolatecake on Feb 4, 2021 15:51:43 GMT -6
I'm sorry cattail. Did your ENT mention a surgery that helps correct the paralyzed vocal cord? My Dad had something similar after a bad respiratory infection a few years ago. I believe they placed an implant to support the paralyzed cord. He also had weeks for speech therapy to learn how to manage his condition better. While it did not fully correct the issue it did help with his breathing/swallowing.
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piratecat
Diamond
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Post by piratecat on Feb 4, 2021 16:15:50 GMT -6
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jt2378
Sapphire
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Post by jt2378 on Feb 4, 2021 18:14:18 GMT -6
I’m so sorry cattail, you have been through so much. Sending you strength and love. I also looked for a February thread and didn’t see it.
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