Just the Facts, the Crown virus.

[firefighter ontheside]

I think it stands to reason that some folks may get their first shot and then too soon begin to drop precautions.  Then get sick from exposure before their immune system has had the time to build up immunity.

[firefighter ontheside]

In this information age I think we are informed more about things like how vaccines work.  Officials are more likely now to tell us that we should still use precautions even after vaccination.  I feel that In the past, say 50 years ago, they were more likely to keep that information from us if they even knew it.  The vaccine still managed to eradicate smallpox because enough people got the vaccine.  

[Andries]

Great insight FFOTS, that shows some critical thinking.
Also, Roxie has thanked Doc for all his time and patience in keeping us informed and in the loop - I'll echo that: thank you! There's more than one way to live up to the Hippocratic Oath. Well done.
Ianab, your wonderful writing skills and calm analysis of the situation in Oz are a frequent reminder of the global nature of this pandemic. The 'down under' viewpoint is appreciated here in Canada.

[JJ]

My wife's coworker has now been admitted to the hospital.
now I must also self isolate too as I am close contact to my wife..?  How far down the chain of contacts do you go?

        JJ

[doc henderson]

depends on the county.  if you are not sick, unlikely you can spread it.  if you get sick, they may want to know your contacts. (might remember them now instead of next week)  good luck all.

[Gary_C]

My experience with testing positive for the virus on the same day I got my second vaccination exposes a gap in the testing. The test for the virus does not tell you if you are infected, only if you have specific pieces of the virus DNA in your system. The test cannot determine if the virus pieces are or were alive or already dead. The reason being the test solution kills any live virus so in my case with no symptoms I can assume that my immune system was dealing with my exposure to the virus and I was just shedding already dead pieces. 

[firefighter ontheside]

In general, only those with direct exposure to a known positive must quarantine.  Now, if your wife develops symptoms then you have now become a direct exposure.  Might be a good idea to isolate yourself as much as possible until it becomes clear that your wife is negative after 2 weeks.  Guidance from CDC now says that those who are fully vaccinated do not have to quarantine after exposure.

[doc henderson]

ok so if you recover viral bits from your nose, you have the virus.  the shot (immunization) will give you antibodies in your blood.  No viruses are alive, and they depend on your cellular machinery to reproduce packets of DNA/RNA.  your immune system recognized foreign material through antigens left on the surface of the cell membrane, and attack the infected cell.  this is where the inflammation comes from.  your body attacking and sacrificing your own cells.  so when you get symptoms after a vaccine, it means your immune system was fooled and is mounting an immune response (inflammation.  headache, muscle aches fever.  ect.)  your immune system also cures cancer in your body each day.  when you finally get too old, the system fails and you got cancer.  depends on other risk factors as well as you know.  each time you copy the cellular blue print (dna/rna)  there is a chance of a mistake.  this is where mutations come from.  most make no difference, and may even make the virus non viable.  only rarely does it make an advantage for the virus.  like not getting taken out by pre made immunity from a vaccine.  since your body is replicating the viral info millions of times, even a few misprints, can result in an advantage to the virus.  so knocking down the spread will also decrease the chance of a mutation that make the virus stronger (more lethal to humans) or not covered by a vaccine.

[Ianab]

now I must also self isolate too as I am close contact to my wife..?  How far down the chain of contacts do you go?

Depends how badly you want to stop the spread of the virus. The contact tracing has to "get ahead" of the virus spread if it's to be any use. Otherwise all the testing on the world is simply following the trail, not slowing it down in any way. 

NZ has had multiple cases get through the quarantine, most have been controlled by contact tracing and isolation of close contacts (like yourself) without resorting to more drastic community wide restrictions. 

In cases where the virus HAS spread out into the wider community, then that city has been moved to Level 3, which isn't a full lock-down, but no group gathering / schools closed / no eating in etc. Short periods of restrictions let the contact tracing catch up, the actual cases get isolated, and then things relax back to normal. It's almost like "You all know the Drill, go home for week", people don't even panic buy TP now. :D

[kantuckid]

My wife's coworker has now been admitted to the hospital.
now I must also self isolate too as I am close contact to my wife..?  How far down the chain of contacts do you go?

       JJ

Rick Pitino former basketball coach at U of KY, U of Louisville and now at Iona coaching got covid after his two shots. he "thinks" he contacted covid from one of his players. Google will easily bring up multiple stories of the sequences he seems to have gone through. 

[Don P]

My wife got her second jab yesterday and was pretty much up all night and under the weather today but hopefully getting better. She told me to go down and grab a canning jar box for tomorrow, she is supposed to give one out. I brought it up to the house and asked who it was for "I'm supposed to meet the governor tomorrow and thank him for helping out with a grant for the food pantry" Hopefully she gets the hurls under control  :D.

While she was getting her shot there was a stack of handouts for a mass jab-a-thon tomorrow, my partner and I are signed up for the J&J one shot. So of course his letter came from the VA this afternoon. I was already scheduled for a root canal on Thursday. Hopefully I'll have the hurls under control  :D

[Ljohnsaw]

Got my first shot (Pfizer) today around 8:30.  VERY long line but well organized and moved quickly.  Took 20 minutes from getting in line to getting registered then another 5 or 6 to get the shot.  Barely felt it.  Since I'm allergic to Penicillin (got hives when I was 12 or 13), I had to hang out for 30 minutes.  Just a little sore at the injection site now at 7:45 pm when I press on it.  Scheduled the second shot for 4/27 with is one day before I could get that first shot local.

[doc henderson]

well stop pressing on it!

[firefighter ontheside]

well stop pressing on it!

How many times have you told that to a patient in your doctoring career?

[doc henderson]

It gets me in trouble sometimes.  Moms bring in a kid with a fever and that is all she talks about.  I finally ask why she took the temperature....  no response....  I been known to respond, well stop taking it.

[OntarioAl]

Hello from Canuckistan Peoples Republic of Ontario
Socialized Medicine
Opened to people 60 and over today
Web site log in went on line at 8:55 was 369321 in line Province wide
Waiting time was relatively quick at 35 minutes
I get stuck the first time at 1:35 pm on April 28th booster shot 16 wks later
If you want the Pfizer  as I do this is the only way to go
Cheers
Al 

[samandothers]

Wifey and I had the Pfizer on Monday.  No issues and the shot was painless no. Hope the second is as quick and easy! 

[pineywoods]

I must be the poster child for side effects. Got second shot, got the expected reactions 3 days later, lasted 3 days. Then 2 weeks later I had another round of the same side effects, only lasted 2 days. Mostly muscle and joint aches, no fever or chills. Not surprised, I have always had side effects from flu shots. Wife had no reactions from either shot of maderna.

[Claybraker]

2nd Pfizer this morning. They make you fill out a consent form with a few medical? Emergency contact etc. Got my yellow shot record updated.  The briefing included the possibility that a booster might be required at some future date.

[firefighter ontheside]

 @OntarioAl 16 weeks later for the second shot????  REally?  I guess they've decided to get more first doses in before they start giving second ones.

[OntarioAl]

Yup
You hit the nail on the head
Cheers
Al

[sawguy21]

That has happened here, they are concentrating on as many first shots as possible. I finally got the word Saturday morning so called in and got an appointment for Monday morning! There must have been a cancellation, others I have talked to are 2-3 weeks out, but the second shot is not available until August. My arm was a bit tender but other than that have felt fine. My gf is pleased, she is a caregiver for special needs children so can't be too careful. I agree with @Ianab and @doc henderson 

[gspren]

I'm rooting for you Canadians, maybe selfish but I'd like to catch and eat some more of your Walleyes. Getting the border open would help both economies.

[sawguy21]

I want to go south for really good Tex-Mex food, few know how to make it here, and cheap beer. ;D I have always felt very welcome.

[gspren]

@sawguy21 I  remember back in the 70s you guys had cheap beer and whiskey. To keep on topic with air travel no two countries are much more than a day apart so we need to hope every country gets this covid under control.