Seniors are increasingly left to protect themselves as the rest of the country abandons precautions: “Americans do not agree about the duty to protect others.”
By Paula Span, The New York Times, Feb. 11, 2023
…
For older Americans, the pandemic still poses significant dangers. About three-quarters of Covid deaths have occurred in people over 65, with the greatest losses concentrated among those over 75.
In January, the number of Covid-related deaths fell after a holiday spike but nevertheless numbered about 2,100 among those ages 65 to 74, more than 3,500 among 75- to 84-year-olds and nearly 5,000 among those over 85. Those three groups accounted for about 90 percent of the nation’s Covid deaths last month.
Hospital admissions, which have also been dropping, remain more than five times as high for people over 70 than for those in their 50s…[end quote]
For the many METARs who are over age 65…
Get the bivalent Covid booster. (Also a flu shot.)
If you are feeling sick, test for Covid right away.
If you test positive, take Paxlovid immediately. Paxlovid prevents Covid from getting its claws into you, preventing serious illness and possible hospitalization. A friend of mine took Paxlovid and she was better in two days.
If your blood oxygen is under 90% go to the ER right away.
I am volunteering with AARP Tax Aide, which is again preparing tax returns free for older and lower-income people. After 2 Covid years working remotely, I enjoy working in person with taxpayers. I am wearing a mask. I insist on the taxpayers wearing a mask also.
Well, we thought we’d escaped the Covid, have had our boosters, myself all Pfizer, DW has been all Maderna, most recent was 623/23 for me, a couple days later for my DW… We all got boosters before a great wedding last Saturday… Great venue, food, music and the first time to see a lot of old friends, relatives and meet new family members…
On the way, GD & Hubby came out West (Sonoma Cty) from WV, to clear out their storage unit, haul stuff back to their new home in PA. So far, myself, my wife, GK, and now SIL have tested positive… Common point was not the Saturday wedding, but a BBQ at our SIL’s where we all gathered, but even there, 3 attendees have not yet test positive…
So I’m on a renal dose of Paxlovid, (2 pills twice a day for 5 days), so a little less of one of the drugs, save them kidneys! Only 3rd day, helping, but the side effect of diarrhea isn’t fun… More water…
So the nasty, maybe Omicron, is still out there, my Doc said “It’s not IF you will get it, only WHEN!” News has nearly vanished locally, but obviously there are still cases…
My parents had a nasty case of COVID early on, they were sick for about 6 weeks. We (my parents, siblings, kids, niblings, etc) all got vaccinated very early on. My parents were vaccinated, boosted, boosted, and STILL got COVID again, but the second time they were only sick for 3-4 days. I got it, relatively mild, my kids had it very mild (two of them didn’t even realize they were sick until it was almost over), and my SIL got it (and stayed in an airbnb for 5 days alone to isolate and recover), my siblings got it. Nearly everyone had it despite all the vaccinations.
We got a text from my sister-in-law that she tested positive for COVID today. We haven’t seen her in 5 weeks so we haven’t been exposed from her. COVID is still out there.
Well, we finished out Paxlovid rounds over the weekend, so today (Wednesday) we retested, DW tested Negative, is pretty much back to normal. However, I still tested Positive, so am still dealing with it… Not feeling real bad, but still a cough, tired… Was hoping to be clear, resume my walks, get out and about a bit…
Don’t think I’m infectious any more, but then again, should I gamble?
Just got over Covid thinking we would never get it. Wife came down with it after travel. All parties she associated with are fine. All she can think of is a guy in an antique mall she stopped at was coughing.
If you are sick stay the @#$% home!
Absolutely, no gambling, we still have masks, supplies that we’ve been using all along, apparently how we avoided Covid until this time… But at least DW can, masked, get out as needed… But between DoorDash & friends, family doing shopping, drop-offs, we’re fine… Until that Birthday BBQm we had all missed infection, but the Granddaughter & husband that drove out her to CA from WV, could have picked it up somewhere along the way out, gas stops, diners, etc… She got it, he didn’t, luck of the draw, it seems…
At least, this is relatively minor, just a cough, no ER, no hospitalization… Just need time…
How long did it last? Wife went’ negative after a week, while I’m stop testing positive… Doc said I wasn’t infectious after 5 days, but… Sticking around…
Main symptoms starting with aches, fatigue and fever, progressing to sinus congestion, itchy eyes, etc then mild cough were resolving about day 5 but we isolated for 10 days after testing positive. Wife had worse chest symptoms and temporary loss of taste. I rarely get sick and this was the sickest I’ve ever been. The fatigue and aches were really weird for me. Took weeks to feel normal energy wise.
Another 48 hours, another Positive test… DW is still Negative, but mine stubborn it seems… Felt better last night, only to regain the sore throat this morning… Not terrible, so on it goes, DayQuil, NyQuil… added clearer dates… This is so boring, Multi-naps, even TV is the same old carp…
I have not, I have done many podcasts, when I go for a walk, but otherwise, my reading is either online news, views, or late night chapter or two before turning off the light… Have an iPad. iPhone, but never went for audio books… Like paperbacks, generally…
I get that. If you’ve got HBO (Max), I’d recommend The Righteous Gemstones, a self-described dark comedy, especially if you enjoy poking the religious right’s hypocrisy This was recommended to me by someone I complained to about “the same old carp” myself.
This was recommended to me by someone I complained to about “the same old carp” myself.