Dealing with COVID-19

[Raggamuffin]

There's always beginnings and ends. New places will come along which mean new experiences for those who work there and those who visit.

Ed

 

[Varzar]

In other words, it's probable that at every holiday season hereafter, there will be some reason purportedly critical enough for people not to get together with each other.

That's not probable at all.
This isn't some grand conspiracy to keep everyone from seeing other people. It's a pandemic.
It's not even realistic to think that governments all over the world would actually cooperate on some kind of conspiracy to keep people apart (and for what reason?!).

Is the recent wave of new restrictions warranted? I don't particularly think so. The numbers still show Omicron being the smallest wave of the year. But, I gather it's an emotional thing. People (and governments) are jumpy about every new variant now. A bit like a PTSD response, but on a societal scale.

 

[Magna]

That's not probable at all.
This isn't some grand conspiracy to keep everyone from seeing other people. It's a pandemic.
It's not even realistic to think that governments all over the world would actually cooperate on some kind of conspiracy to keep people apart (and for what reason?!).

Is the recent wave of new restrictions warranted? I don't particularly think so. The numbers still show Omicron being the smallest wave of the year. But, I gather it's an emotional thing. People (and governments) are jumpy about every new variant now. A bit like a PTSD response, but on a societal scale.

The good thing is that we have time; meaning, as I said we can revisit this next holiday season and see if the "top down" message is again "Cancel Christmas!" or if it's "Enjoy Christmas!"

Also, I'm not saying that I'm certain there's some grand conspiracy. I have no way of knowing. In all fairness though, you also have no way of knowing for certain that there isn't. It's conjecture in equal measure.

 

[Sherlock77]

Alright, I seriously have to ask because I've done very negative posts lately, because I feel like I'm struggling... Was "challenged" by a friend tonight, as she pretty much said she is doing fine, which I don't really feel like...

What are people doing to stay positive, even when things seem so negative, as cafes start shutting down their events (thus there is nothing to do), I get serious cabin fever when I'm stuck inside for too long, but I really need to learn coping strategies...

 

[garnetflower13]

Well, my husband has just tested positive for Covid, even though we both had the vaccines. How to stay positive? He wears a mask and sleeps separate from me for now, and I disinfect like crazy. Then we sit six feet apart and watch movies. It's all in what you say to yourself, over and over. I find that just dealing with day to day issues without labeling them positive or negative, helps. It's the little things that bring us down, but focusing on the little things that bring pleasure or contentment helps a lot!

 

[Varzar]

Well, my husband has just tested positive for Covid, even though we both had the vaccines. How to stay positive? He wears a mask and sleeps separate from me for now, and I disinfect like crazy. Then we sit six feet apart and watch movies. It's all in what you say to yourself, over and over. I find that just dealing with day to day issues without labeling them positive or negative, helps. It's the little things that bring us down, but focusing on the little things that bring pleasure or contentment helps a lot!

I hope his case is mild.

 

[garnetflower13]

I hope his case is mild.

So far he is fever free for three days, but still sneezing a lot.

 

[Bolletje]

What are people doing to stay positive, even when things seem so negative, as cafes start shutting down their events (thus there is nothing to do), I get serious cabin fever when I'm stuck inside for too long, but I really need to learn coping strategies...

Everything has been shut down again where I live. The only stores allowed to be open are grocery stores and drug stores. It’s a bummer. I’ve been dealing with depression again recently and this isn’t helping. I work in healthcare so I do have that distraction to prevent me from getting cabin fever, but I struggle in my spare time nonetheless. I’m just trying to be extra nice to myself these days.

So my usual strategy for fighting depression is in full effect, with a special lockdown twist:
- cooking large batches of healthy food on good days, so I have something easy to eat on bad days
- getting 45 minutes of exercise every day (but because I can’t go to the gym I walk or cycle outside or do some strength/core training at home)
- keeping regular sleeping hours
- reading books I’ve been meaning to read forever but didn’t get to
- listening to podcasts
- working on my back log of video games
- building my cats a cool house out of cardboard boxes (well, that’s the idea, so far I just have a lot of boxes)
- listening to music I used to be really into back in the day and feeing nostalgic
- having long phone conversations with my grandmother
- having long one sided conversations with my cats
- lying on the floor and letting the cats be confused about what’s happening
- cleaning up and reorganizing the house (no, I don’t like it, but I’m not going anywhere else, am I?)

 

[Tony Ramirez]

Well after a normal Christmas party at Church I was doing a bit better. I, however, had a previous meltdown over face masks at the clinic. I refused to wear one. My doctor increased my medicine again. I am now on triple medication, and I am also taking a new one.

My last bad outburst was at the park two weeks on the increased medication where the Church folks were singing carols outside. I however saw most of them wearing masks and I yelled at them to their face "Take of your damn mask." I now feel ashamed and might leave the Chruch as many witnesses saw my true meltdown mood.

 

[garnetflower13]

Tony, I love the pic of the kitties!

 

[QueenOfFrance87]

I got the booster a few days before Christmas, and I am currently adding more vitamin C to my diet. My brother and his family got COVID from a female coworker of his. He said it was like a flu, and wasn't vaccinated. Here's hoping they feel better soon...

 

[Raggamuffin]

2 days after my brother's family came for Xmas dinner, his wife tested positive but showed no symptoms. Tested positive 3 times and 1 negative.

Me, my parents and also my brother and their twins were all fine though.

I'd given them all a lift to and from my parents house. But when I found out she'd tested positive I wasn't anxious - which shows how far my health anxiety has come. Had that happened a few years ago I think I'd have worked myself up to the point of sheer panic.

Ed

 

[Judge]

Wondering what to make of this. Imagine having all the classic symptoms listed for Omicron. And you're quite ill for two days, definitely running a fever. Then on the second night, you suddenly feel terribly hot and perspiring. You remove most of your clothes and presume in a matter of seconds- or minutes that you'll begin shivering. -And it doesn't happen.

In fact, you feel odd, noting that something has changed. You stand up again, and suddenly realize you feel much better. Your fever has broken. With those random aches and pains diminishing, as well as that dry cough. Four days after that, you feel almost normal again.

Doesn't sound like another strain of flu. That would linger for much longer I'd expect, as opposed to the virulence of a virus that essentially "goes over a cliff". Could this be indicative of the Omicron strain on someone who has been vaccinated (Pfizer) three times?

It's not often that I get ill over much of anything. But when I get the flu, it's never such an over and done experience, usually lasting closer to two weeks than two days. But then I was never vaccinated twice with a booster to combat it before either.

One thing for sure, now I really cringe at the thought of having not been vaccinated. Those first two days were pretty rough from my perspective. I may have dodged a real bullet this time...

Interesting to also read that WHO claims that Omicron isn't as "mild" as people may think.

Covid: Deadly Omicron should not be called mild, warns WHO

 

[garnetflower13]

Wondering what to make of this. Imagine having all the classic symptoms listed for Omicron. And you're quite ill for two days, definitely running a fever. Then on the second night, you suddenly feel terribly hot and perspiring. You remove most of your clothes and presume in a matter of seconds- or minutes that you'll begin shivering. -And it doesn't happen.

I had those exact symptoms, two weeks ago. But when I was tested, it came back negative! Even more interesting, is although both my husband and myself have had two vaccinations, he still got a mild case of Covid, and I did not.

 

[Varzar]

Wondering what to make of this. Imagine having all the classic symptoms listed for Omicron. And you're quite ill for two days, definitely running a fever. Then on the second night, you suddenly feel terribly hot and perspiring. You remove most of your clothes and presume in a matter of seconds- or minutes that you'll begin shivering. -And it doesn't happen.

In fact, you feel odd, noting that something has changed. You stand up again, and suddenly realize you feel much better. Your fever has broken. With those random aches and pains diminishing, as well as that dry cough. Four days after that, you feel almost normal again.

Doesn't sound like another strain of flu. That would linger for much longer I'd expect, as opposed to the virulence of a virus that essentially "goes over a cliff". Could this be indicative of the Omicron strain on someone who has been vaccinated (Pfizer) three times?

It's not often that I get ill over much of anything. But when I get the flu, it's never such an over and done experience, usually lasting closer to two weeks than two days. But then I was never vaccinated twice with a booster to combat it before either.

One thing for sure, now I really cringe at the thought of having not been vaccinated. Those first two days were pretty rough from my perspective. I may have dodged a real bullet this time...

Interesting to also read that WHO claims that Omicron isn't as "mild" as people may think.

Covid: Deadly Omicron should not be called mild, warns WHO

My brother and his wife had similar symptoms, but not tested for confirmation.
Neighbour and his whole family also had similar symptoms, and the person they caught it from did test positive.
All of them are double vaxxed.
I gather the dry cough is one of the most telltale symptoms to differentiate between flu/cold vs. covid.

 

[Judge]

And throw in mysterious lower back pain...as this article points out. Have that at the moment. Not fun, but manageable. Though Ibuprofen didn't seem to help much.

Are Omicron's symptoms different? New studies offer clues

If the Israelis are correct about getting another booster beyond the third shot I hope I can get one too.

 

[Varzar]

And throw in mysterious lower back pain...as this article points out. Have that at the moment. Not fun, but manageable. Though Ibuprofen didn't seem to help much.

Are Omicron's symptoms different? New studies offer clues

Lol, I would've thought that was just getting old. My lower back is almost always sore. You must have a better back than me.

 

[Judge]

Lol, I would've thought that was just getting old. My lower back is almost always sore. You must have a better back than me.

Mine isn't so great either, but this is much more lower back pain than I'm accustomed to.

Though in the same vain it's difficult to comment on nasal congestion given lifelong hay fever and dust allergies. Particularly bad in the desert.

 

[Varzar]

Mine isn't so great either, but this is much more lower back pain than I'm accustomed to.

Though in the same vain it's difficult to comment on nasal congestion given lifelong hay fever and dust allergies. Particularly bad in the desert.

Interesting. Yeah, at this point I feel like it's already getting hard to distinguish covid (specifically Omicron) symptoms from things we might have regularly.. Regular colds, allergies, or mild asthma even. At least for the vaccinated people..

It's primarily the unvaccinated filling up the hospitals.

 

[Sherlock77]

I got caught in the middle...

Developed cold symptoms starting this past Sunday, Tuesday morning just before heading to my first work shift of the new year (not feeling super well), self tested myself as negative, but still called in sick..

The company told me to take the rest of the week off, and I'm feeling fine now (I never tested positive), and I was feeling basically better by even Wednesday... I got my daily phone call today and even with very slight symptoms it's not good enough for a Monday back to work which was their original target

I didn't have to technically isolate, but with my luck it's the coldest week of the year, meaning I could barely get out to do anything (extreme cabin fever!)

I'm just frustrated because two years ago this was a cold where I could have worked most of the week but instead I live in these times

And I'm also very concerned about losing all the days of work, enough to put some strain on my budget, although there might be a gov't program to help cover that, I plan to check on that...