A story in two tweets:
I’m going back to bed I’m not impressed so far with 2023 it still feels 2022 it’s almost like calendars snd dates are man made constructs to explain things
— John Cole (@Johngcole) January 1, 2023
Cool I tested positive for covid again 9 days after my initial positive and several days after testing negative.
2023 starting off being awesome.
— John Cole (@Johngcole) January 1, 2023
I hope everyone had their pork/sauerkraut/black eyed peas, whatever it takes for good luck. I cooked mine all day, took a bite or two, and had no appetite, and was feeling kind of drained and had that weird itchiness in my nose again, so I tested myself on a lark and four days after testing negative, I am covid positive again.
The internet informs me this is what happens with paxlovid and what happened to Biden, so whatever. I don’t feel that bad and my pulse oximeter reads 98/99, so I guess all it means is I am now quarantined again.
2023 starting off with a bang!
Medium Cool – Shows That Shed Light on Social Issues
pinacacci
John Cole: catching Covid so we don’t have to. Thank you for your service.
Rest well, use Steve as a big ol’ footwarmer…whatever it takes. We’ll be here when you surface.
lowtechcyclist
Correct me if I’m wrong, but my recollection is you’d rather not be around other people even when you aren’t quarantined
ETA:
@pinacacci:
Didn’t work.
WaterGirl
@lowtechcyclist: Did you forget that there’s a difference between happily finding a good chunk of meat at the store and happily making soup, or happily canning the fruits of your garden… and being stuck at home, sick, with Covid, twice, and feeling like shit
edit: I’m sure you didn’t, and you were just teasing. But I felt compelled to write that anyway.
TKH
Oh FFS, there is nothing like Paxlovid rebound. This is a phenomenon of many viral diseases, in other words part of the natural history of the virus and not an aspect of the treatment course. Repeating this falsehood ad nauseam on the this here blog is really gross.
Please listen to the rebound section in the latest clinical update on this week in virology so that you understand what’s going on. We actually do understand what’s going on.
lowtechcyclist
@WaterGirl:
He said he was feeling “kind of drained,” and I think there’s a good bit of daylight in between that and feeling like shit.
Kinda like the difference between my case of Covid and my wife’s case. Feeling kind of drained isn’t so bad unless there’s something you really want to go and do that’s going to take energy.
Ohio Mom
Yeah, I had Paxlovid rebound too. Felt like a bait and switch.
Maybe five days isn’t a long enough course? Maybe medical science can develop something that works better?
Tom Levenson
Right there with you, John. Woke up about 1 a.m. on 12/31 felt crappy. Tested myself when the sun rose. Positive—and rapidly progressed from a bit to really below-par.
Mine genuinely is a mild case so far (may it remain so!) but mild doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck.
The only good part is that Champ and Tikka have kept vigil with me just about the whole time.
I hope that this rebound passes for you soon.
BretH
Well, wife and I just tested straight up positive for a month, three weeks after any symptoms but the Cough That Would Not Go Away so there’s that.
WaterGirl
@lowtechcyclist: Fair point.
I was basing that on having talked to him on the phone, and he sounds like he feels like shit.
Suzanne
Well, I went to IKEA today to buy Spawn a larger bed. I hate that place. Why don’t they hand out weed gummies at the store entrance?!
Betsy
Good thoughts for you. Hope you feel better soon.
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl:
That why this is a full service blog.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: Are we still doing phrasing? :-)
Another Scott
Thanks for checking in. Feel better.
ICYMI, KHN.org:
IOW, rebound isn’t something that happens just with Paxlovid, and knocking the virus back anyway you can is probably a good thing.
Hang in there.
Cheers,
Scott.
mrmoshpotato
@Suzanne: Haha, what?
mrmoshpotato
@WaterGirl: Hahaha, no. Just talking about literally finding a good deal on meat at the grocery store. Hooray 1.99/pound for bone-in thick pork chops!
Suzanne
@mrmoshpotato: I feel like the entire IKEA experience is terrible and that I need to be stoned to cope.
I only went because I care deeply about my home’s interior. LOL.
mrmoshpotato
@Suzanne: I see. Did you pick up any meatballs since you were there anyway?
Jeff Del Papa
I also had a rebound. I happened to be on the lower dose because of my kidneys. (One of each pill, normal was a single of one, and two of the other)
In my case, a rapid antibody test did turn up negative, both in the clear time prior to rebound, and when it started but a pcr test showed positive. This was back in April, when Paxlovid had only been available for a few weeks, and rebound wasn’t even a rumor then. (I was the first patient my internist prescribed it to).
Jim, Foolish Literalist
36-ish hours to lock down those votes, I believe
NotMax
Dearth of proper sleep making eyes slow to focus so after returning to the monitor they at first glance misread that as pube oximeter..Which is a whole different, um, ball game.
:)
SFAW
Homemade jab chae, courtesy of Mrs. SFAW. [She is not Korean — about as Irish as they come (although born in Maine) — but still does a pretty good job.]
Nicole
I’m so sorry, John. That sucks. May you be testing negative again soon. Tom, I hope you feel better soon, too. It’s purely anecdotal, but it sure seems like just as many people I know got Covid this December as did last December. I’m grateful our family got through Christmas week without anyone bringing it home to our elderly relatives, who are 3 of the few people left I know who have never had it (all vaccinated and boosted, so may they stay that way).
Suzanne
@mrmoshpotato: I don’t like Swedish meatballs.
I’m telling you, that damn place is so stressful. They make it a maze on purpose. It’s dreadful.
MisterForkbeard
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: We already knew his speakership would be a complete shit-show, but with this he can be tossed out easily if he crosses the paint-huffers even once.
Honestly, it’s kind of impressive how bad he is at this and he hasn’t even started. He’s just going to have to go full-nutso the next two years at every opportunity if he wants to keep his job.
Honestly, if I were him I’d do the other thing: dare everyone to vote against him and put some of his influence behind blocking the far-right’s choices. Because there’s no one else with even close to the votes, and if the party can’t choose someone then he’s their best option and they all know it.
SFAW
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Well, maybe he’ll convince his supporters (hah) to work with Dems to elect a moderate Speaker. Like that nice young man Hakeem Jeffries.
ETA: And, of course, wishing for a speedy COMPLETE recovery to Messrs. Cole and Levenson
mvr
Wishing Cole and Tom a quick whatever the opposite of a rebound is. It wouldn’t be a relapse since that is what you’re having. Anyway, recover again quickly.
BellyCat
@NotMax: Pube oximeter might be more reliable. (Clearly. “phrasing” standards are shifting back to the mean) //
rikyrah
Oh Cole🙏🏾😪
Please get some Pax🙏🏾
Jim, Foolish Literalist
He’s like a more pathetic version of the Black Knight from Holy Grail. He won’t give up his pursuit of his own total annihilation.
MisterForkbeard
@SFAW: The funny thing about all this is that it really WOULD be a great time for an actual statesman to do that. Make some concessions, get a few/lot of Dems on board for someone vaguely reasonable in the Republican Party.
But McCarthy can’t do that even if he wanted to. They hate dems so much that even accepting any Dem support would destroy his support within the party. And he can’t nominate someone that would be acceptable, because there really aren’t any vaguely sane Republicans left. Even the ‘actually patriotic’ ones like Cheney will go out of their way to scream about how Dems are evil baby killers who love to eat babies and also want to woke your children to gayness. They pre-destroyed any hope of getting Dems on board.
I’m not sure who could possibly win the speakership. Which probably means he will, by default. He’s really awful, but all the other R choices are even more awful.
moops
I’m in day 4 of my COVID positive test. Strong positive result then. Barely imperceptible positive home test today. I’m going to do a PCR test tomorrow to see if I’m really throwing off virus still and have to remain quarantined.
This quarantine stuff sucks.
Mr. Bemused Senior
John, I was in bed for 3 days over Christmas, I’m still coughing. Covid test negative; seems there are other respiratory illnesses. I hope you’re better soon.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’ve read that the only serious rival is Scalise, and why would he even want it at this point?
SFAW
@MisterForkbeard:
“Groom,” not “woke.” Please try to get your psychotic RWNJ talking points straight in the future.
CaseyL
John and Tom – crossing all my extremities wishing you get better soon.
Sleep, hydrate, sleep seems to be the way to go. I realize Tom is writing, but do it anyway. Please.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Take care and get better, you old crank. Happy New Year to you and everyone else out there who survived the holidays.
Winter sucks… c’mon summer!
Another Scott
@NotMax: Here’s hoping the weather settles down and you’re able to get some decent rest soon. Sleep is important!
Rest easy!
Scott.
Shalimar
Covid is the universe’s way of telling you that you’re right, people are fucking horrible and should be avoided.
RaflW
I’m on the other side of a quarantine door. No tiny violin, please, and I know – boy do I know – how miserable Covid can be, but it sucks to be out here hearing the coughs this time. Making food and putting it by the door and running away before the BF opens it to retrieve said room service/love offerings is ok, but sad.
And we’re booked for a major trip to Kenya in (gulp!) 4 days. I’m not past the window of possibly becoming sick, too. He was pre-symptomatic Friday and suddenly symptomatic at 4am Sat when he fled to the guest room. I’ll feel semi-confident I’ve evaded illness on Tues — except our containment isn’t foolproof so I could get whammied later. Ugh.
The phone nurse did say that if his fever breaks in time and he feels up to it, provided he mask diligently maybe he can go? Seems unlikely.
And I can’t decide if I want to go with the group without him if I stay negative. (We’d lose some lodging deposits, but I paid about 10% extra for our air tickets to have them fully refundable. Not future flight credit. Refunded back to the cc. I think my card has some travel ins. built in, too. So cancelling wouldn’t be a huge hit, except to our travel and nonprofit community goals). Ugh.
eta: We’re both 5X jabbed. Maybe doesn’t need saying. The variants evade vax, though I am very sure the vax reduces severity.
Chetan Murthy
@RaflW: Maybe I shouldn’t make this suggestion, but …. I feel like I must. Many of us during the pandemic, came to a moment when we had a choice to make, and we thought that somehow we could bargain with fate, with the virus. It often comes when the choice is about something we really, really, really want. Please try to avoid that moment of bargaining, and try to stick to hard-and-fast rules you’ve already established, so you don’t end up making a decision with downstream bad consequences that you can’t escape later.
I’m glad you have refundable tickets, and hopefully those lost deposits won’t be too large.
RaflW
@Chetan Murthy: Yeah. The scenario I want to avoid is fighting a bad case of Covid in a Nairobi hotel room.
Do. Not. Want.
So, yes I/we are weighing that seriously. We’ll consult with the NGO leader when they’re back in the office after this wild and wearying NYE break.
NotMax
@Another Scott
Precious naptime was impossible yesterday, what with all the explosives. Then got my second wind about two in the morning, just as the booms and bangs were finally coming to and end and puttered around until 5:30 or so.
mrmoshpotato
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Winter just started!
HeartlandLiberal
My wife and I have head colds, but tested negative for COVID.
For New Year’s Day, I fried up a batch of corn cakes, two cups corn meal, three eggs, half a can of sweet corn, and buttermilk to get to right consistency. Delicious.
We had ham and kale and snap peas instead of blackeyed peas, because for the first time in forever we forgot to buy blackeyed peas but had the snap peas in a can in stock.
Everyone approved. My middle aged son, who lives with us, thanked me for assembling the meal.
Searcher
Paxlovid rebound is how you know it’s an effective treatment.
It stomps the virus hard, and if your immune system isn’t ramped up by the time your course is over, the virus makes a comeback. Usually a weak one, because your immune system has been building up during that week.
I’m curious if a 7 or 10 day course would be better; I know the current 5 day schedule is because of the risk of side effects, but I’m wonder if they aimed too short and what the data will look like in a year on whether that was the right call or if a slightly longer course would have been safe enough while also cutting the number of rebounds.
SWMBO
I had covid last May. My high school friend who is an ICU nursing supervisor in Arkansas told me to get Paxlovid. He said that in order to keep from getting rebound covid after Paxlovid, to keep up the OTC meds for two weeks on schedule. Robitussin (cough), Guaifenesin (decongestant), Motrin (pain/fever) should be taken every 4-6 hours. If you don’t give it a medium to grow in, you don’t get rebound covid. My son and I both took Pax and followed these instructions and neither of us got rebound covid. He said if you kept it up for two weeks, it wouldn’t get a foothold to rebound on you. Also, go through your house and clean/throw away stuff. Get a new toothbrush. If you reuse towels to save water, wash them and sheets with (Lysol) disinfectant.
Ramalama
Wonder if taking melatonin for those on rebound COVID is of any assistance. Helped me greatly. Game changer. But that was before the vaccines came out. Earlier version. Be well, everybody!