retracing my steps

[the_siobhan]

Posting this for record-keeping reasons.

Housemate had surgery last week. After spending the weekend under observation, the doctor sent them home. They could do the rest of their tests and treatment as outpatient. They walked in the door Monday night. We talked for an hour or so and I went back upstairs to work. Neither of us were masked.

Yesterday I went to work and housemate went to their appointment. After work I went to check on the Old Man who is also back in the hospital. Masked at work, masked in the hospital, masked in transit. I also took the enovid as I always do whenever I have to use public transit. Came home, ate, got a text from the housemate that they had symptoms of a cold and were testing negative for Covid. We both wore masks whenever I was downstairs.

Got a text this morning from housemate that they were feeling worse but still testing negative. They left the house before I came downstairs but I wore a mask anyway and used the enovid & eyedrops. And then I opened all the windows on both floors.

Got a text in the afternoon that the hospital had decided to keep them for the night, and another one about an hour ago that they are now testing positive.

So once again I quarantine. And I should probably tell work and the Old Man's hospital that I might have been exposed. I find it kind of ironic that I'm the only person who ever masks at work.

Comments

[dissectionist]

Oh for fuck’s sake. I am so frustrated on your behalf.

[the_siobhan]

This fucking virus.

[cornerofmadness]

oh geez

[the_siobhan]

My reaction had my 'k' sounds.

[cornerofmadness]

I bet

[greylock]

Damn.
I mean, it's not supposed to re-infect so closely is it?
I'm not a doctor, but could it be a false positive of the same dormant infection?

[the_siobhan]

Covid rebound is a thing. I just thought he was past the window for it.

[jo]

This all sucks horribly. It's possible the housemate has a case of covid rebound: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2024/what-to-know-about-covid-rebound

Or else they were exposed to a different strain of covid while in hospital.

[the_siobhan]

Yeah I thought they were past the window, but apparently not.

[greylock]

This fucking virus....

[jo]

Well, can't blame the virus -- it's just doing what it's supposed to do. It's more "these fucking governments EVERYWHERE who are minimizing/downplaying/ignoring Covid and not properly informing people re: how serious it is and all the possible long-term consequences of one infection, never mind repeated infections."

[greylock]

Oh, you'll love this then:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/15/long-covid-symptoms-flu-cold

Not my CHO, but he did replace someone competent, and immediately started downplaying the virus when appointed two years back.

[jo]

Seen it -- was/is all over my Twitter feed this morning -- the statement was embargoed to be released today, which is Long Covid Awareness Day. I've been busily retweeting all the experts rebutting it.

[greylock]

I saw it was Long Covid Awareness Day.

Gerrard is a shill. The line that people are just lazy should disqualify him alone.

My mother may have long Covid (according to her Dr, I'm less convinced), but the fact is, for whatever reason, 18 months on she's never quite recovered. (She blames Paxlovid, or used too). Either way, at 80, COVID did a number on her.

[jo]

For sure, the older the individual, the more difficult to assess if ensuing medical issues are Covid sequelae or just due to being old. My dad got Covid in the summer of 2023 -- he was 87 at the time -- and then later in the fall, suddenly lost vision in one eye. Doctors still aren't 100% certain why, but think it was likely a micro clot. Was that a result of his previous Covid infection? Or just, as he says, from being in his late 80s? There's growing evidence that the protein spikes never leave your body, so once you get Covid, you have it maybe permanently. That's why repeat infections so dramatically increase the risk of developing Long Covid, or any of the ever-growing list of Covid sequelae.

[greylock]

IDK who you are, or your background (use of sequelae does indicate some things), but between seven million dead, and the anecdotal evidence of lasting harm. I'm just still taking precautions.
Less than some, more than most.

I hope your dad is okay otherwise.

[houseof9cats]

Appreciating this conversation. I've been completely to partly offline employment-wise since February 2009 from long-term post-viral complications. I saw that ridiculous announcement the other day and thought, how about we go in the opposite direction and acknowledge that other viruses have been screwing us up forever and we've just been ignoring it? We've brushed post-viral syndromes off as CFS, "benign vertigo," ME/CFS, etc. Now we know even MS is a post-viral disease. We learned a lot from long COVID research, where doctors had just kind of said, "live with it," before. A few ppl I've talked to: same symptoms since 2009 (swine flu era), which are similar to long COVID. I think the difference now is not only the severity of COVID but the sheer number of infections.

[houseof9cats]

Newer strains have been evolving better immune escape. I've heard two weeks. It's all hearsay, but hearsay from scientists and doctors on Twitter who post studies + also anecdotes. Possible the body doesn't clear it quickly? Possible rebound? I don't know. This is just from what I've read.

[houseof9cats]

99% sure if there's a positive test then they are infectious.

[houseof9cats]

I follow an evolutionary biologist who's maintained for years that this is exactly why we shouldn't have let it rip. Multiple reinfections will wear us down and boost the virus up. It's what the virus (in its totally non-thinking way) 'wants'? So, here we are.

I'm going to stop commenting on my comments and go back to work now :/. Thinking of you! This sucks!

[the_siobhan]

It does! A lot!

No symptoms yet on my side - fingers crossed. I have been using the prophylactics all week so hopefully that helped me dodge their infectious window.

[elusis]

I really hope you continue to evade this thing.

[sylvanwitch]

OH NO! Oh no, oh no! This sucks, and I am SO sorry you're going through it again. I hope housemate pulls through okay, and I hope you don't catch it at all.

[the_siobhan]

Thanks. I have my fingers crossed as well.

[kest]

Having been exposed and not gotten it bunches, my experience is almost no one gives a shit any more if you notify them if you were exposed. Hell, most people don't seem to care if you notify them that you exposed them. (Also, if you picked it up Monday night, you probably would not yet be contagious on Tuesday by my understanding.)