doing the math

[the_siobhan]

The hospital is keeping housemate for a couple of days. They weren't able to keep anything down, including the Paxlovid, so I'm assuming the doctors were concerned about dehydration. Honestly, based on their symptoms I would have guessed Norovirus and not Covid, but hey, masking and hand-washing is good for not catching both right?

So my confirmed exposure was on Friday. My last potential exposure was yesterday. Assuming the housemate is clean when they come home and I continue to test negative, I can be around other people... Monday? That's five full days after being in the same room masked. That sound about right?

Hrm, just found this guideline that says mask for ten days after exposure. So if I count from Friday as my confirmed exposure that means I'm clear on Tuesday, or the following Saturday if I count from masked one.

*throws hands in the air*

This is the stupidest fucking time line.

In the meantime I'm running out of supplies. I need to see how much it costs to get food delivered. I know it's only $3 to get it pre-packed for me if I walk over and pick it up and that's probably safe enough if I do it during a low-traffic time slot.

You know, back when I worked with HIV I got to wear a full-ass hazmat suit. I have always regretted not stealing one. Going to pick up groceries while wearing a hazmat suit would honestly be a hoot.

***

Kitchen guy came in today for a couple of hours. He's still fiddling with a faucet that's fighting him and then he's done, hopefully tomorrow. Builder texted to say he scheduled with his crew to return on Monday and finish the drywall in the basement.

When I see kitchen guy I need to ask him for the name of the paint they used for the walls because who already put a big scuff in it by pulling the painters tape off too fast? This asshole right here.

***

I spoke to my dad on the phone today and it was really worrying how hard it was to get him to understand me. He also told me he had pneumonia last week - which means he's been sick three times in as many months. I get that it's not always possible to dodge illness, but three times since Xmas? That's concerning.

Comments

[dissectionist]

Yep. If they manage to get the Paxlovid into him and keep it down within the five-days-from-start timeframe, he’ll start testing negative quick. The problem is that rebound (when they start shedding virus again after Paxlovid treatment ends) happens about 20% of the time with Paxlovid, so that’s something to be wary of.

[redbird]

Rebound also happens when people haven't taken Paxlovid, unfortunately, which has gotten significantly less attention.

[dissectionist]

It can (though the rate of non-Paxlovid rebound is just over half of what we see with Paxlovid - it’s more like 1 in 10, not 1 in 5). Since they’ve been trying to get Paxlovid into housemate, if they’re successful, the higher rate will apply.

[the_siobhan]

OK, so the info I found on rebound says it happens 3 to 8 days after testing negative. So I should treat Axel as infectious for an additional week after they return home.

I'm starting to get why people think this virus was bio-engineered in a lab, this thing is unbelievable.

[kest]

Anecdotally 4/5ths of the people I know who have taken Paxlovid have rebounded and I don't know a single person who rebounded Paxlovid-free. The 'official' Paxlovid tests were on unvaccinated people, so I suspect vaccination and also higher body weight has something to do with it.