This is a hodgepodge post, but it focuses on Covid and the importance of not letting down your guard
Long Covid: If you’ve had Covid, gotten over it and several months later you have some symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog etc., check with your medical provider to see if it could be long covid. This has happened recently to several friends of mine, who have chronic conditions.
If You Have Long Covid: The Sept. post How to Get When You Need: Long Covid edition has been updated
Brain Fog & Other Long Covid Symptoms: A May 2022 studyTrusted Source looked into the recovery of individuals with long COVID and neurological symptoms like brain fog. The average time since the onset of participants’ COVID-19 symptoms was 14.8 months.
BA.5: There is a new variant of the Omicron strain that is now becoming the leading cause of infection in the country. First detected in South Africa in February, with first cases in the US identified in April, the World Health Organizations classifies it as a “variant of concern.”
This variant is highly contagious-more so than other strains of Omicron. With few mandates in place, e.g. masking required, and the variant’s ability to evade vaccines and prior Covid infections, Covid cases are increasing putting those most vulnerable at risk.
Even if you’ve had Covid a few months ago, this is a new strain and you could be re infected.
Symptoms (fever, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, headaches, muscle pain and fatigue) don’t appear to be more aggressive than other Omicron strains, and in fact, so far, there have been fewer deaths and hospital admissions, as many millions of people are vaccinated or have antibodies, making the general immunity of the population higher than at the start of the pandemic.
The vaccines continue to protect against severe cases of illnesses, but as the time lengthens between vaccination/booster, protection is reduced. If you are 50+ and/or immunocompromised, and your last boost was over six months ago, consider getting boosted again with the current vaccine to keep your protection strong.
How to Protect Yourself Against BA.5
• Be Up to Date with your vaccinations/boosters
• Wear a well-fitted N95 or KN95 Mask when you are indoors and you’re not able to socially distance from people outside of your household.
If you should contract Covid: Call your medical provider who can prescribe medication, that if taken within five days of infection, significantly reduces the risk of serious disease, hospitalization and death. Paxlovid and Lagevrio require a prescription from a healthcare professional. You must have tested positive for COVID-19 and your symptoms must have started no later than within the last 5 days. To be eligible for Lagevrio, you must be at least 18 years of age. To be eligible for Paxlovid, you must be at least 12 years of age and weigh at least 88 pounds.
Fall Vaccines: The FDA has indicated that the next round of COVID booster shots should be modified to target the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. The hope is that manufacturers will have reformulated boosters available in October in time to vaccinate people ahead of an expected winter surge.
Covid Reinfections Raise Risk Of Other Illness: Repeatedly catching Covid-19 appears to increase the chances that a person will face new and sometimes lasting health problems after their infection, according to the first study on the health risks of reinfection. The study, which is based on the health records of more than 5.6 million people treated in the VA Health System, found that, compared with those with just one Covid-19 infection, those with two or more documented infections had more than twice the risk of dying and three times the risk of being hospitalized within six months of their last infection. They also had higher risks for lung and heart problems, fatigue, digestive and kidney disorders, diabetes and neurologic problems.
Did I already have Covid?: Many people are wondering if they had Covid. “I had this really bad cold…” I’ve heard that a lot. The way to determine if you’ve had Covid, is a serological test. It’s a blood test that's done to find out if you've had a past infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It doesn’t mean you are protected from future strains. Also, certain types of COVID-19 antibody tests might show you're positive for COVID-19 antibodies after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Learn more about antibody testing by clicking here.
I Got Covid While on Vacation. What do I do?: NPR has a good article on what you should pack to be Covid prepared and outlines steps to take if your vacation has an unwelcome guest in the form of Covid. Click here to read the article.
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