Omicron: The Newest Strand

Over the weekends I normally do not have time to keep up with the news and since this was an extra long weekend due to the holiday, I was really surprised to hear about the Omicron variant. Since Delta there have been other variants, but none that have caused enough concern to make it to the mass media. The very fact that this one is getting so much coverage means that we should be paying attention. 

Today's articles to be aware of:

"Local doctors believe omicron variant could come to Colorado soon" - this article was not that surprising considering we have an international air port here and that Colorado's health system is already taxed. When it does get here we are in trouble, and yes it is a matter of when and not if. https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/omicron-variant-could-come-to-colorado-soon/?fbclid=IwAR0_MqVBTGAaj7mzjVKeq10_lIBN_IDGsqBDCguHJjjM1SAgcM62ybczsEE

"Supreme Court won't exempt Mass. hospital workers from vaccine mandate" - To be truthful I was a little shocked in this considering the current make up of our Supreme Court. Does this give me a little hope for the case/s on their list for this week.. still on the fence since I do not trust them. At least when it comes to covid they seem to be taking it seriously in that this is a matter of health and safety. Plus people like to forget that you have the choice to work in the field you do and practice whatever religion you want. These are base freedoms, but they are choices. At the same time it is not people's responsibility to accommodate your choices. Pick another industry to work in if you are not willing to change your religion or do not meet the health requirements to meet the safety requirements of that field. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/583402-supreme-court-wont-exempt-mass-hospital-workers-from-vaccine-mandate?fbclid=IwAR1RrnCSWzyOHiMO0tS8fgTCXg2HntxJm_PtKIJEImaaos4pXi37Fl1jY0I&rl=1

"Why WHO skipped two letters of the Greek alphabet in naming Omicron" https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/29/health/omicron-covid-variant-naming-cec/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2eHnIqUTzHgB9xF2S09QjFV215LL5kB72Ew7AB7Exrvj5CbRd88cDYPgM

"Biden says Omicron variant is 'cause for concern, not a cause for panic'" https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/covid-omicron-variant-biden-comments-concern-not-panic/?fbclid=IwAR02sZhN64XsbruhbFwEb9cG5y8qKR_i1VD8HjfI21NkgxCTueQHYJ7KGXY

"Covid Vaccines Don't Alter Your DNA- They Help Choose Cells To Strengthen Your Immune Response" - This article makes the process a little more complicated then it needs to be for the general person. Basically the vaccine forces your body to learn to recognize covid so that it knows how to fight it. The article starts out talking about how anti-vaxxers say it will change your DNA, but that is because they don't understand the process. Since they seem to be against learning how the vaccine works, it does not surprise me that they would be against a person's body learning how to fight covid.  https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2021/11/29/yes-the-vaccine-changes-your-dna-a-tiny-bit-thats-a-good-thing/?fbclid=IwAR2o4Ht6DKJ9x7V2QhCdGnwsUugeLT_U_WVz3LrhagnGTD_qgs4PSst7W6o&sh=31efc6cd2691

"Federal Government Will Hold Off On Firing Unvaccinated Workers Until Next Year" - Not sure why they are holding off. It was the employees choice for the most part to get the vaccine or not and they should be held accountable for their actions. They should also not qualify for unemployment since they were the active cause of them losing their job. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/11/29/federal-government-will-hold-off-on-firing-unvaccinated-workers-until-next-year/?fbclid=IwAR26siHTuR9iftWuaKQtYeEgF2LOZdxLvoetn-rFcrIDOv9j9qu76GUJ_mI&sh=ecf495d762e6

"For patients with long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome may offer a guiding star" - One of the things I liked about this article is that it talks about how some people that catch covid have lasting effects when many people in our population see it just as a cold. Tiredness is real. It's even worse for some people that already have energy issues due to other health issues like MS. I found it interesting that as of now there are more then 200 other symptoms that people can get from covid once the base infection has cleared. "about 30% of participants across multiple age ranges reported persistent symptoms more then six months after their COVID-19 infection." Wow! So this means that if you do survive covid you have a high chance of having complications. This is what the covid deniers are not talking about because it throughs many of their arguments about it "not being that bad" out the window. There are actually many out there, like Boebert, that have "phobias of science and academics" (https://sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/editorial-republicans-wont-contain-rep-boberts-racism-and-obsessions-americans-must-do-it/?fbclid=IwAR2oDyCqKCJscfg-euEiWzubJiAp3gR_Oyd1TGUGjmdBSJvhIJPtajsNrqc). https://www.npr.org/2021/11/29/1058063444/for-patients-with-long-covid-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-may-offer-a-guiding-star?fbclid=IwAR1-1lspaBBTAptdfLbCU16rhXJ9Oqb-qeukQ1FvzbuHvarW3NokSdar4wc

International:

"Omicron coronavirus variant poses 'very high' global risk, WHO warns" - Right now many places in the US have medical systems that are stretched too thin, like Colorado, let alone if this new variant makes it here. What stood out in this article was that they are finding Omicron that have 26 to 32 spike mutations, and this means that if you either already had covid or got the vaccine that this new version may be too different from the previous kinds for your body to be able to fight it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/11/29/who-omicron-variant-global-risk/?fbclid=IwAR0zV-XQwNFYdJFPFjB1IVZhGBlpvmmhaS48_Owgwupe5Y-G0FVlD-yLM9k

"Shanghai canceled over 500 flights, closed schools, and suspended hospital services because of 3 COVID-19 infections" - So some of the things that stands out to me are how serious China is treating the virus when compared to the US and that it is on all levels. In a way it is nice to know that with China developing procedures like this it could stop a future pandemic from going global. What's sad about this is that the US needs to use China as an example of how to stop a pandemic instead of us being an example for them. This is a good example of how the US is loosing its status as a world leader and taking a back seat to other countries. https://www.insider.com/shanghai-closed-schools-canceled-500-flights-three-covid-cases-2021-11?fbclid=IwAR0_v5hej4loz_rVhYczwRA5L1Ko0GnrrxH0rq56djXiL38sIO1xA5xxVB8

"Omicron map: Tracking the new Covid-19 variant around the world (The Omicron variant has been confirmed in more than a dozen countries)" - It's scary how fast it is spreading. https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/omicron-map-tracking-new-covid-19-variant-world-rcna6983?fbclid=IwAR0_MqVBTGAaj7mzjVKeq10_lIBN_IDGsqBDCguHJjjM1SAgcM62ybczsEE

How Stupid Are People?...Very

"Metroplex begins indoor mask mandate while some GOP Aurora lawmakers threaten to ignore it" https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/metro/metroplex-begins-indoor-mask-mandate-while-some-gop-aurora-lawmakers-threaten-to-ignore-it/?fbclid=IwAR3bRLxutbQciln3BhSxYU1CiQHGwMM_nvFDLhph1uxbELucw97_8tbQgwA

This article shows why covid is still an issue. People are ignoring the ways that it could be stopped. These are people in high positions that are risking the lives of people just so that they can show how big their balls are. In fact they are just showing how small their brains are.

This is a screen shot of the email I sent to Aurora city leaders in response to the article. We must stand up to idiots who endanger the lives of the people they are supposed to be representing. This isn't the first time that Aurora's leaders have gone against what the people want. The last time was with the Pit Bull issue where the citizens of Aurora voted to keep the ban in place and then city leaders over turned it. I think it's time that we clean the house again if these people are not going to do their jobs.

Other Articles to be aware of:

"Staff Shortages Force New York Hospital to Close Emergency Room as Winter COVID Surge Looms" https://www.newsweek.com/staff-shortages-force-new-york-hospital-close-emergency-room-winter-covid-surge-looms-1652671?fbclid=IwAR1Cxj4js8VtEARQbfh6eDeKG1SkpH8eg5GrnGJiz01g73GpEYQVSdT_5yA - If you have been to one of Colorado's emergency rooms lately, I have been, they you would know that they are a mess with massive wait times. When my mother went in this last time she got there at 2pm and wasn't seen till after 7pm. This was for a possible blood clot that could have caused her to loose a limb. Even with this kind of an issue there were just so many people there that they could take care of who they needed to. Also this is where I think I caught my covid due to them not separating 'sick' people out from people with other medical issues into two different areas to help stop the spread of the virus. It was a mess and the hospital wasn't doing what they could to make the situation better. BTW that was the Medical Center of Aurora and I recommend you avoid them if you can. This problem all goes back to staffing shortages. The article talks about it mostly being due to unvaccinated staff. I'm sorry, but if you can't take vaccines you shouldn't be working in the medical field in the first place due to all the nasty bugs you are exposed to. Front line workers always get exposed to these things and they have to have bodies that can fight of infections. Find a new line of work so that medical facilities can get people working that can be vaccinated. If the issue is religious, which I'm still researching this and so far have not found anything to actually support religious exemptions, then it is that person's choice to be in that religion. Religion is an active choice. I also don't know a religion that would support someone risking their health that was actually a supportive religion. Like I said I'm still researching this and will post my findings as soon as I get something together that is what I feel thoroughly researched.

"Hundreds of Google Employees Encourage Co-Workers to Resist Company's Vaccine Mandate" https://www.newsweek.com/hundreds-google-employees-encourage-co-workers-resist-companys-vaccine-mandate-1652667?fbclid=IwAR0yxh3JbJ8OIPpH2_1BuF8j59HMsNaAbV7-LpoG9X4bmH3pfJSlRb3IgAQ - I hope Google fires all of those employees for not caring about work place safety. If they do then this will open jobs for people that do care about their own health and the health of others. I'd even be interested in one of the jobs with the type of benefits they give employees.

"California County Mandates Masks in Private Homes" https://www.nationalreview.com/news/california-county-mandates-masks-in-private-homes/?fbclid=IwAR3SdVtnIFdOTIndsebdt0E6LcR3F812XAD_voea5IZPkFQmNupFw_1_uZM - So at first I was not sure how I felt about this, but it does make sense. I can say from my personal experience that when I had covid we were able to help my mom not catch it by us both wearing masks even when I was at home. Kaiser even said for me to do this to protect family members. Masks are working if worn correctly. This could help people celebrate the holidays together as long as they only take the masks off to eat when they are more then 6 feet away from each other. Even those who argue that only the old die from covid (a total lie) still may have older family members to think about. Unless they want Granny dead so they can get her money, then masking up is a way to keep her with the family.

"US may have a 'game changer' new Covid pill soon, but its success will hinge on rapid testing" https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/24/health/covid-antiviral-pills-testing-khn-partner/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0rPxkh6IIKiYE05sLTx0LbekGf3qt5T72FyDoT5LejRROhhR1pH8SaTBc - Rapid testing is the key part of this. From person experience this can be a challenge. For me one day I was able to do a walk in appointment at Kaiser and the next time they forced me to wait a day for an appointment. Each test had the results back in 24 hours, but in this case it was because Kaiser did not have enough staff dedicated to covid testing to handle the need. Then with my mom, her test at Walgreens got messed up due to something going wrong on their side and then she went to Mako and it took 4 days to get her results. The total time was about a week and it would not have been in time for this type of pill, but she may have still been able to get the antibody treatment if you could find a place to receive treatment. Right now our medical system can not handle covid.

"I'm fully vaccinated and I also had COVID. Do I need a booster?" https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/11/24/1058743263/im-fully-vaccinated-and-i-also-had-covid-do-i-need-a-booster?fbclid=IwAR0sqt38G9gtwJIFxlx5JMuon7cbrj3nJDqgvZaiUumYSjLqMO2F3r_eac0 - So based on this article I would have superior immunity or hybrid immunity since I caught the virus after being vaccinated with a breakthrough infection. Huh. I say huh, because even with this I feel like if I was able to have a breakthrough infection that I could have another one. Personally, I'm going to wait about 6 months and then get my booster to help spread out my immunity.

More People Are Realizing That The Fight Against Covid Is Not Over

 Finally people are realizing that in Colorado not enough is being done to stop the spread of the virus. As national numbers are going down, Colorado's are going up. Adams and Arapahoe counties are starting a new mask mandate. I know that there will be a lot of complaints, but those people are responsible for us having to go back to it. If everyone would have worn their masks properly for long enough we could have had the situation under control. The complainers only have theirselves to blame. For more info on the new mandate check the top article listed in the article section.

Also Dr. Thomas Fawell according to the article was the only one to vote no. This is a basic health and safety measure that he just voted against. He needs to be removed from his position of power if he is not going to protect people's health like he has been trusted to do. I tried to do some research on him to find out what his credentials were. First off his LinkedIn profile is basically useless. As a professional in any field, LinkedIn is a key part of your credentials. Yes there are some people that lie on it but when companies do background checks for employment they can verify if things are real or not. Since I work in education this is actually something I have been a part of at different schools by verifying people's education for employers. There have been times where I have had to tell people sorry that person has no degree. So to me if your LinkedIn profile looks as sparse as his does, then he really shouldn't have his job. He doesn't even list his degrees let alone what they are in to give us any idea of his educational background. Leaving off dates is also one thing if you are worried about ageism, but at the same time dates are important for people to see if you are out of date. Everyone should be keeping up their education in their field in some way or another, especially if you are in a high stakes field like health/medicine. He has very little experience listed and no dates. So as far as people can tell he could have just completed school and been in his job for a month. Not very promising if he wants people to trust him with their lives. You can check out his linked in profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-fawell-66440aab/ . Then I did more digging and found that he is a cosmetic, plastic, and reconstructive surgery specialist (https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-thomas-fawell-3jgp3). With that kind of background I really don't understand why he holds any sway with Tri-county health and would not want him operating on me if he has such low health standards. I was able to find a little more on him (https://health.usnews.com/doctors/thomas-fawell-626969#experience) but it also does not really support his case for making a bad decision.

This Doctor, if you want to call him that, is not keeping up with his education or medical knowledge. For example another article is out today, "The value of mask-wearing and physical distancing affirmed by analysis," once again proves that these basic measures can have an impact in our fight against covid.

Additional reading and resources:

"Adams, Arapahoe counties under new mask mandate starting Wednesday to reduce COVID-19 transmission" https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/metro/adams-arapahoe-counties-under-new-mask-mandate-starting-wednesday-to-reduce-covid-19-transmission/?fbclid=IwAR2MqWIa2wBt5TJlhfU7JxC2g2fW5P1YmMRcxrD9MKnmy53vGsih1FnabY0

"The value of mask-wearing and physical distancing affirmed by analysis" https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-value-of-mask-wearing-and-physical-distancing-affirmed-by-analysis?fbclid=IwAR1MO1zDn7zRHiLhFzJUiTbqvImRi6KmX0FyLmwnXX98Ln8t3vp9-8A1u_0

Denver metro counties bring back indoor mask mandates as surge continues" https://www.cpr.org/2021/11/23/denver-metro-counties-indoor-mask-mandates-surge/

"Thanksgiving Covid tips for meals that include unvaccinated guests" https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/thanksgiving-covid-tips-meals-include-unvaccinated-guests-ncna1284280?fbclid=IwAR3RZVMH8ag3XX5TKZisn64yX4WOJka-jquzNRF8uLf8eFvE1bUGJFZuQPQ - This is written by a doctor that actually has good credentials. You can check her info out at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganranney/ 

"Seven From Anti-Vax Doctor's COVID Conference Fall Sick" https://www.thedailybeast.com/dr-bruce-boros-and-six-others-from-florida-covid-summit-fall-sick?fbclid=IwAR0kiAdEegV2hS94cjikYaHZ5oPqcCtmWT4uMdMlfkku_cypZ3k7z5Do-Kc - Not surprised and just laughed to myself. When will these people learn...never.

"Covid: Are some states lifting restrictions too soon" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56297329 - This one is interesting because it shows that the rest of the world is questing how poorly the US is handling covid. This one is similar as well: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54423928 .

Traveling Internationally for the Holidays be Aware:

"Warnings issued against US travel to Germany, Denmark" https://thehill.com/policy/international/582742-warnings-issued-against-travel-to-germany-denmark?fbclid=IwAR01PHRaA9JNvKDNCI9fdTjECi69rlD5kvBaCGZ7x9JRs_HOeSUt4fmrlI0

"Germany considers new COVID-19 curbs, compulsory vaccines" https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-considers-more-covid-19-curbs-us-advises-against-travel-there-2021-11-23/?fbclid=IwAR3ifJgcxDOqkBQJmV5db87xtLldn_aSifKhKNjl4CuT1O_ahUgbQR7NgmE

"WHO warns of possible surge in COVID deaths in Europe, Central Asia" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/who-warns-of-possible-surge-in-covid-deaths-in-europe-central-asia?fbclid=IwAR0lvQy4f4xV9_-hC1_NIsZIRfJ3qW8L0AZOWBuezJDw4089DY-ZCHlpV-k

"Covid: Austria back in lockdown despite protests" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59369488

"Covid: Why has Peru been so badly hit?" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-53150808

"Coronavirus in Africa: Concern grows over third wave of infections" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53181555

Covid continues to get worse in Colorado

 At present the covid situation in Colorado continues to get worse. Just ask anyone who has had to try and seek out medical attention for any reason. There are long lines and wait times if you get to be seen at all. Colorado is in a health crisis and our medical system is not being able to keep up. It is not just that there are a lot of cases, but it is a long time of lots of cases that is taxing the medical system. Personally I also feel that the pandemic has made many health professionals jaded and they have stopped caring about the people they are supposed to help. At least this has been my recent experience with the health system.

Right now there are many people that are trying to get the Governor to do another mask mandate, but people didn't follow the first one. Like right now there is still in place the mandate that on all public transportation masks are to be worn, but I know when I'm on the light rail it's a good day when I see 75% of people wearing masks and no one is enforcing it anyway. There are just too many people out there that do not care about themselves or others. 

At least we finally reached 70% of people in Colorado with at least one vaccination.

The above graphs were just Colorado's numbers. Below are the ones for the whole country.

"Covid -19 linked to lingering sleep problems and fatigue" https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-linked-to-lingering-sleep-problems-and-fatigue?fbclid=IwAR2pg-_-tkDhlh09WOZ8t4OjpTr-5cGNKFYAkMjGpetyQdiiCPoTjHh4vbE  - As to my personal continued journey with covid I found this article interesting. I'm still having trouble falling asleep and just feel ran down with no energy. I feel that each day my energy is slowly coming back, but at the same time I feel like I could sleep a week if I could just sleep. Last night is the first night I do not remember waking up for any reason, but at the same time I do not feel rested.

For more info check out the following links:

"All the groups urging Gov. Jared Polis to implement a statewide mask mandate" https://coloradonewsline.com/2021/11/22/all-the-groups-urging-gov-jared-polis-to-implement-a-statewide-mask-mandate/?fbclid=IwAR0nE8QTTO0qPgWazALTL1QJ9JtqkqjuszmrK6rIB5ZVayCi-aYmy0vGAWk

"Fully vaccinated family members can celebrate the holidayswithout masks, Fauci says" https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/21/health/fauci-covid-thanksgiving-vaccines-boosters/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2o5XceFO17TZPp4oKMv7Nwiv6oD1-DJHi8qtvovPLJR5vXCkvrjTVaI3w   -I'm not sure that this is a good idea because even vaccinated people can still catch covid, I'm an example and I still take tons of other precautions. I say if you love your family members still take precautions, unless there are a few you want to get rid of. Just remember that if you're the one that catches it from one of them you may be the one that is gone.

"More than 90% of federal workers got COVID shot before deadline" https://www.axios.com/federal-workers-compliance-biden-vaccine-mandate-c6f73851-7efe-4570-92c9-26fbc8478972.html?fbclid=IwAR31PeesGrj8NIR-WefSBtpjDnHvWAydqBbqKcu1Un5CojmdgPCPAWS_cBg

"Health groups urge businesses to voluntarily implement Biden's vaccine rule" https://www.axios.com/health-groups-ama-biden-vaccine-mandate-companies-c59ec6a5-eba3-409b-a6ac-c7b1bbbf98ab.html

"The NFL's top doctor says vaccinated players who get COVID-19 get better quicker and back to the field sooner than their unvaccinated teammates" https://www.businessinsider.com/nfl-doctor-data-on-covid-19-infections-in-vaccinated-players-2021-11?fbclid=IwAR3oStBYKwS4FGye3oHsiqgmE-vm5_PjTa077jfbAu4CgStCJ0c0fNBRZJ0

"How these schools are addressing COVID-19's impact on student mental health" https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/11/22/schools-address-covid-19-impact-student-mental-health/8669642002/?fbclid=IwAR2m00RYc5LmZbeJ45AVXQ5zkdvqn3XILzRiK73bU2dABoAGwgwVMvoE-Fg - I feel like much of the mental health that these students are going through is because we are not teaching our kids resiliency. As a society we are allowing our youth to learn if they throw a fit they will get what they want and we have taken away parent's rights to punish their kids when they do something wrong. We are making our children week and that is what is causing the mental health issues. We need to address our society first before we start blaming the pandemic. The pandemic is just making our flaws stand out.

"Dr. Kizzmekia 'Kizzy' Corbett explains why COVID isn't going away amid uptick ahead of holidays" - https://thegrio.com/2021/11/22/dr-kizzy-corbett-covid-virus-uptick-holidays/?fbclid=IwAR1HfNssEJDKXlTIVDQWMOBCr-BVqjBv7CtKJLqtZg6qooSi8ZK3N09UlHU First of this is a global pandemic. If it is not addressed globally then the virus is able to have pockets of safety and not be fully killed. This means that global vaccination and mask wearing would have to be mandatory to have a real chance of knocking it out. Second, the the next problem is that even in the US we can't get everyone vaccinated, I'm not taking into those small few who truly can not get the vaccine due to health issues, because of them being selfish or not trusting of science. Then we can't even get people to wear masks. They throw huge fits like a 3 year old and just care about their own freedoms when compared to everyone's basic right to life. Selfishness is the American way.

"Companies are telling unvaccinated workers to pay more for health insurance" https://www.npr.org/2021/11/22/1056238770/covid-delta-unvaccinated-higher-health-insurance-premiums?fbclid=IwAR3GNHa6QM9qZVY20M-mrsqclg2VHp_OduG2v125f2hMw3ElZPxGED80hdo

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/11/22/covid-delta-variant-live-updates/?fbclid=IwAR2yf3aCa-nPQxVNFOtxgjg8UjLwjBI071kde-gbl6g-R1QItO6_IyIFZTU - 2 articles: "Daily coronavirus cases up 18 percent, according to CDC director" & "Harris says gap between Black and Latino adults and other groups has effectively closed"

Just an interesting perspective: "I Am 'Unhealthy.' That Doesn't Make Me Any Less Valuable" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/being-unhealthy-doesnt-make-me-less-valuable_n_6197d1f2e4b0f398af04e2df?fbclid=IwAR1MO1zDn7zRHiLhFzJUiTbqvImRi6KmX0FyLmwnXX98Ln8t3vp9-8A1u_0

Picture 1-5 from: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+people+in+colorado+have+been+infected+with+covid&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS974US974&oq=how&aqs=chrome.2.69i59j69i57j35i39l2j0i512j69i61l3.3606j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Covid Day 14

So today will be the last post of the Covid Days!!! I got my test back from yesterday and I'm finally covid negative. To be truthful I feel like I got lucky with my other health issues and receiving no real medical treatment.

The situation in Colorado keeps getting worse: "ICU bed shortage forcing hospital to find more space" https://kdvr.com/news/coronavirus/colorado-icu-bed-shortage-uchealth-hospitals/?fbclid=IwAR0BaMfU5QOB_jpbkeE7_xNB4m6WhMt3-vxABN8KmOR1rJ4-pU7HUStzRJM . I say this overflow when I had to take my mother to the ER the night I think I got covid. In a way I blame the hospital for my infection (Medical Center of Aurora). They did not have people broken into possible covid infections and then those with other issues. They also had their waiting room jammed backed with people and there was no room to social distance at all. People who come in with other issues could easily catch covid under these conditions. This is another example of how our "medical professionals" are failing people. We have a healthcare crisis in the U.S. and the pandemic is showing just how messed up it is.

More on new possible treatments for covid:

"Common antidepressant may reduce COVID-19 death risk" https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/common-antidepressant-may-reduce-covid-19-death-risk?fbclid=IwAR24rdWNw1ITPvfvFr72TEB8ZodIQI8VA7VLRiTJ3g33n11DUJnN-LHznpU

COVID around the world:

" Austria to impose nationwide COVID lockdown and vaccine mandate" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/austria-lockdown-covid-vaccine-mandate-germany-poland-europe/?fbclid=IwAR10cGjtcSigbwwZWHel_N8HDJj2N5VrNJ3heQGWxkYbVwO01Vc51QAFfFc

The debate of where covid came from continues:

"Martket in China's Wuhan was likely origin of COVID-19 outbreak: study" https://nypost.com/2021/11/19/market-in-chinas-wuhan-was-likely-origin-of-covid-19-outbreak-study/?fbclid=IwAR2tiqtSbCsSUDCcenOBHqgDDC53xuvLLc8fa4xQfvhv5rMwI8CyVHpwuWg

Other:

"US Army Secretary: National Guard members who refuse vaccine will not 'continue service'" https://thehill.com/policy/defense/582295-us-army-secretary-national-guard-members-who-refuse-vaccine-will-not-continue?fbclid=IwAR0CicwybhigChc0PdDsnTzgzpiRXgSmetn_bK6rMJFbEILbhqnL_B_KMhM

https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/what-to-know-about-influenza-covid-19-as-flu-season-picks-up/1049332?fbclid=IwAR3SFdNHALoQxqcnDEIzX4tTmkL0F6ajsK_7zwLpNk6xHiuH6wdqtMoqz4o

Covid Day 13

Today was day 4 from mom's covid test and we still hadn't gotten an email from Mako on the results. So I had to log into their system to get the results. They were negative!!!!!! So at least we know what we were doing worked to keep her covid free.

What were we doing? First and key is that we were both masked. This is the key with masks is that all parties need to wear them and wear them correctly. I was actually wearing 2 masks, one cloth and then a medical mask on top of that. Any time I used something in a shared area, like a bathroom, I would wipe down with wipes like Clorox. 

I also did get my covid test today. This one did not go deep at all for a collection. Both of my tests at Kaiser had them rubbing just inside where as the one with Mako at least went deep enough to make me feel like I need to sneeze. There still seems to be a debate about how deep the test needs to go.

Tomorrow will be my first day working in person again. They are not requiring me to have a negative test before I return. They only care about me being mostly symptom free and past the 10 day quarantine time frame. 

How am I feeling today? Tired and still run down. May energy levels are nearly a zero. It doesn't help that I have a paper due on Sunday and have zero motivation due to tiredness and low energy. Maybe I'll get some genko and bee pollen this weekend. If you put it into a banana and blueberry smoothie it's really good. I first learned about the combination from a smoothie place that used to be in Cherry Creek Mall and it was called a Bee Stinger. I'm still trying to get the ratios right.

Covid Day 12

So I went into Kasier today to get another test and this time was told they had no walk-ins or appointments. They said if I really wanted one I could go through urgent care and pay my copays for a test that is supposed to be free. If they have the employee who could do the test why charge someone for additional services that they are not getting. Just have that employee running tests if you have a demand for it. This is just trying to bleed members out of more money. Kaiser is just screw up after screw up in how they are dealing with or more like not dealing with covid.

So I was forced to make an appointment for tomorrow. I think even if it costs me more I'm leaving Kasier the next chance I get. I recommend any one with them leave as soon as possible. I feel that they are so horrible at health care that they actively endanger the lives of their members.

Covid Day 11

 Not much going on today. I woke up with a bad sinus headache that has not left and I've been getting chills off and on the whole day.

We still haven't heard back on mom's covid test yet. I think the longer it takes the better. So far bot of the ones I've done that were positive came back really fast, around 24 hours.

Covid Day 10

 Symptoms continue to get better. Still waiting on my last covid test to see if I'm in the clear or if I need to aim for the 14 days.

Also this morning an interesting article popped up on my Facebook feed about what European country is doing to help increase their vaccination rates.

"Austria Enforces Lockdown on Unvaccinated People" By Jonathan Tirone

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-15/austria-locks-down-unvaccinated-as-europe-tightens-covid-curbs?fbclid=IwAR34lCI83RoqlRBD8eN9hjt8FLrhRPlo2Kh6R7pStizJyAa9azAWlBVdoIE

Then there was this article that just made me sick. This is a good example of how horrible anti-vaxxers are:

"Anti-vaccine protesters display Nazi symbols outside Jewish lawmaker’s office" By Carl Campanile and Kenneth Garger

https://nypost.com/2021/11/15/anti-vaccine-protesters-display-nazi-symbols-outside-jeffrey-dinowitzs-office/?fbclid=IwAR0X50lyqaiZ1Fag52juur5hQAviBwyngaMoUSLF87pj6F6ztj_gfT6avnQ

Then it's sad that a native people have to take back their heritage from the anti-vaxxers abusing it:

"Maori tribe tells anti-vaccine protestors to stop using popular haka"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59286563

10pm Update: So I got my results back from the test I did yesterday and I'm still covid positive.

Covid Day 9

 So today I did another covid test and I have to wait 2 days to get the results. I decided to get one a day early since my mom also had to do another test today. The test she did at Walgreens did not go through.

The company they have processing their tests is:

It took us two days to find out that they messed up the test.

The the below is there error message we got.

So by trying to trust Walgreens even to do a simple covid test is past what they can handle. Not only did we not get the rapid test that we had signed up for, somewhere along the way the test got messed up. Do not trust Walgreens for covid tests. We ended up going to one of the Mako locations today and they are slower, but more reliable.

Beside this how am I doing today? Well, the breathing has gotten better. Still stuffy at times. I've noticed the head congestion moving into my ears. I normally have issues with my ears so it is moving into one of my weak places. I've noticed my hearing is reduced and my ears feel like they need a good popping. 

Today I've increased my probiotic intake and added pomegranate juices for the antioxidants. I'm trying to use my knowledge of energetic nutrition to keep me on my feet. If you have not looked into this I would highly recommend it, specially if your medical team is as useless as mine is. I've learned that with health care in America for the most part you have to be your own advocate, and if you are not no one else will be. It's sad that our medical system forces everyone to basically become a doctor just so they can get the treatment they need. I don't know how many times I have shocked doctors because I can speak their language. This is why I get so pissed of when people in the medical field talk down to people thinking they are stupid. 

So enough of me ranting today, but I do have one take away for everyone. Do your own research. Never trust what people tell you. That is why I make sure to site my sources as much as I can for all of my blogs. I want my readers to be educated.

Covid Day 8

 So this morning I got woken up by a call from Kaiser. They were bust spouting the same BS that there are no treatments approved by the FDA and that I would need to seek outside treatment. For the first one you can check the links I have shared on this blog to show that Kaiser is not telling the truth and the FDA has approved several different treatments. The later part then also shows how Kaiser is breaking it's own mato that you can get all your medical treatments under one group. Below is a copy of my updated Google review.

11/13/21-Still fighting with Kaiser over this. They are not offering any type of covid treatments. They keep saying that I have to seek treatment elsewhere and then they give you bad links to try and find a place to get you the help you need. This time I spoke to an Amy and she said even though the FDA has given emergency approval for several different types of treatment that Kaiser does not see them as approved.

So thank you Kaiser for starting off my day with abuse from your employee Amy.

Covid Day 7

 So I saw some improvement today with my sinuses. I think that my combination of over the counter, non-traditional medicines, and vaccine are working. The sinus pressure has greatly reduced and my thinking is much clearer.

Kaiser update: I had someone reach out to me from their customer care department about my google review. When I was trying to explain my issues he just kept repeating that he wasn't on the medical side of things and that he would have someone from the medical side of the house reach out to me. I kept telling him that it was the medical side of the house where my problem was and that they do not have options for people, that they do not explain things clearly or go into detail, and that they just like passing of their work on to the member. He basically then just tossed me aside and said that some one would reach out. Then needless to say that call did not come and it's nearly 9:30pm. That call isn't going to happen. Also Monday is my 10th day and you can only receive the anti-body in the first 10 days. That means that by the time Kaiser gets back to me it would be too late for the only treatment that they think people should be allowed to have if they do all the ground work.

So I went back to the email they sent me. It sends you to a website where you have to try and find a center to do the procedure and you have to set up all the arrangements. The problem is that from the sites I tried to look at all the contact information was missing. The site is useless. I can also use technology. I can just imagine how frustrating trying to navigate that mess of a site would be to older members who are not as up to date on technology. Kaiser just keeps dropping the ball. I'm actually tempted to add a subsection to this site about many of the mistakes I have caught Kaiser in over the years in both my care and that of family members.

Below is a sample of the little info their link gives you. From this point your are left trying to track down the contact number of the right department within these larger bodies. It is pointless trying to call to get the correct department let alone to schedule an appointment.

This just shows how Kaiser is leaving its members hanging. If they are going to provide links they should at least verify that the info on those links will actually help people.

Covid Treatment Resources

Here are some resources for those looking for treatment of covid. I will update as I find more. 

•https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization

-So in my fight with Kaiser in trying to get treatment they said they would only use things approved by the FDA…except they are not looking at this list from the FDA on treatments that they have given emergency use authorization for. This tells you that Kaiser is not keeping up with the medical knowledge that is official and easy for anyone to find.

•https://covid19.colorado.gov/for-coloradans/covid-19-treatments

-This is on Colorado's main state page.

Covid and MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Resources

 When it comes to MS and covid the main concern is that a lot of people with MS are on immunosuppressants to keep their MS in check while at the same time this opens them up to catching covid. There are other medical conditions that are also treated with these same types of drugs and these people do not have the same immune system response to covid that a normal person would have. Infections can kill and people that are fighting mask mandates and vaccinations are taking an active voice in that the lives of others do not matter to them. They only care about themselves. These people have a right to life as well and everything needs to be done to protect life. I’m hoping that by putting this information into one place people can use it for their own medical treatments/research and so that others can know how these groups are impacted. I will continue to add to this list as I come by more information. 

Here is some information on MS (Multiple Sclerosis) and Covid. 

Articles:

Below are articles I found that should have gone through the peer review process before being published. I would give these more backing then the general websites that you can find on the same topics. These articles you should be able to easily access through the links without having to have access to a college library.

•”COVID-19 and MS disease-modifying therapies”. Neurology (Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation) By Joseph R. Berger, Rachel Brandstadter, and Amit Bar-Or. (May 15^th 2020).  https://nn.neurology.org/content/7/4/e761.abstract (https://nn.neurology.org/content/nnn/7/4/e761.full.pdf)

-One of the key results of this shows that people with MS do not have a higher chance of catching covid, but they do have a higher death rate due to the body’s over reaction to the infection. 

•”COVID-19 in teriflunomide-treated patients with multiple sclerosis.” By Amir Hadi Maghzi, Maria K. Houtchens, Paolo Preziosa…..(June 3^rd 2020) Maghzi2020_Article_COVID-19InTeriflunomide-treate.pdf

-This one has some good pictures to help explain what they are talking about.

 

• “Multiple sclerosis and COVIS-19.” By Jan Mares and Hans-Peter Hartung. (July 17^th 2020) Bio_002599_fin-0001 (1).pdf

•”Multiple sclerosis and COVID-19: How many are at risk?” . European Journal of Neurology: The Official Journal of the European Academy of Neurology. By Gabriel Bsteh, Christina Bitschnau, Harald Hegen, Franziska Di Pauli,…..(September 25^th 2020). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ene.14555 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ene.14555)

-This one looks at overlapping health factors and age in relation to the MS covid issue.

 

Websites: 

https://www.nationalmssociety.org/coronavirus-covid-19-information/multiple-sclerosis-and-coronavirus 

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/ms-and-covid-19.html

-So this website goes against the peer reviewed information I found. In those studies they found higher death rates and this site tries to make it sound that people with MS fit into the same numbers as other groups. I included this for the reason of showing how websites can give bad information and what you read on this site should not be trusted. 

https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/fulltext/2021/05060/how_do_patients_with_multiple_sclerosis_fare_with.5.aspx

-This one I’m on the fence with since it says that people with ambulatory disability had higher risks, but other people with MS were on average with everyone else. This is still just a website and should not be trusted as much as more official research.

https://www.ajmc.com/view/patients-with-ms-testing-positive-for-covid-19-saw-worse-depressive-anxiety-symptoms

-This one I found interesting because it also looks at the impact of mental health around the subject of covid and MS.

https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/covid-19-multiple-sclerosis-ms 

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0255316

-This one I put under websites instead of Journals because it came from a newer source that has not yet established its credibility. This one says that instead of worrying about how immunosuppressants will impact your chances of covid, that you should still keep up with your MS treatments. It is on the newer side of things, but I’m hesitant in trusting it due to where it was published. 

https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms/treatments-and-therapies/disease-modifying-therapies/covid-19-coronavirus-and-ms

-I like getting an international perspective on situations since I feel that US politics many times warps all the parts of our lives. You can see this even today with how politicized the mask issue has gotten. This site from the UK acknowledges that your chances of infection from covid and complications are higher. 

 

One of the interesting things I found though is that most of the studies and sites focused on people with MS that are on some type of immunosuppressants and that there was little to no info on people with MS that are not taking any form of them. I would have also liked to have found info on people with CIS in relation to COVID since their body has already shown an ability to over react.

12/9/21: Update: "FDA clears AstraZeneca's Covid antibody treatment for immunocompromised" - https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-clears-astrazenecas-covid-antibody-treatment-immunocompromised-rcna8130?fbclid=IwAR2tLG0bPdPRcMr8T4pa1PeRP01X1RpZr6HgADLUElCngAXXHPk2_SqWF4M

1/28/22: "Woman With MS Dies of COVID After Doctors Told Her She Couldn't Get Vaxxed, Family Says" - https://www.thedailybeast.com/nerissa-regnier-woman-with-ms-dies-of-covid-19-after-doctors-told-her-she-couldnt-get-vaxxed-family-says?fbclid=IwAR2S44WwYCHoTJZXngFUjVVsMVT-v1hSmQsDUaxjD6t6gjkNaBaf510mVNk

 

Covid Day 6

So I got the above generic message from Kaiser. I don't know how many times I have made complaints to them over the years and feel like they will never change the bad ways. It's on all levels, admin assistants to doctors, clinics to hospitals. I did respond to their message by cutting and pasting both my Google review and a link to this blog.

How am I doing today?

I know that I'm not getting much sleep at night due to having to sleep upright just to be able to breath. My body is feeling that. The throat is also worse and trying to talk a whole sentence is a struggle. Breathing issues are still focused in the head. Sometimes are worse then others. I feel like I'm trying to deforest a small forest with all the tissues I'm going through. Last night for my class I forgot to mute myself and blew my nose. I quickly said sorry and muted myself when I had discovered what I had done. At least my professor already knew I had covid. Energy levels are still low. I weighed myself this morning and just since Sunday I've lost 3.6 pounds. I'm finding that I'm not really hungry even though I know I need to eat to keep up my strength. 

9pm: So Kaiser's care package was left at my door. The door bell never rang and I was lucky it wasn't stolen. It was actually filled with good stuff except the anti-bacterial soap had all ruptured. Not sure if they had frozen or exploded due to pressure change if they had been shipped on a plane. At least it's nice of Kaiser to try and help you protect your family while you possibly die from lack of treatment. Yes, I'm very cynical and sarcastic when it comes to Kaiser's lack of options for people.

11/10/21 - So why am I starting this blog on top of my other ones and everything else I do. Simple: it is due to the horrible medical experience I have had with Kaiser in my own Covid diagnosis. 

I think I was exposed on Friday night when I was with my mother in the ER. Then the symptoms kicked in on late Saturday. On Monday I went to Kaiser to get tested and then on Tuesday got my results by email… this is where the problem started. No real contact on what I should do. On Tuesday I tried to call the medical advice line to find out what I should do next. That took over 2 hours to just be able to talk to a human that said she would get a message to my primary care provider…so much for a medical advice line. Then there was another Kaiser number where you could speak to an education specialist and get a free covid supply kit. I did this, but all the information the lady provided was just the same general information that the media has been feeding people for months about cleaning surfaces, washing hands, staying 6 feet apart, and wearing a mask. So no real help there. 

Then today I also emailed my doctor to see if I could talk to her. So on top of this I do have other health issues that when mixed with covid can be really bad, so I was hoping that there would at least be some concern from my medical team (as Kaiser likes to say they have to support each person’s needs…BS). I did finally hear back from a nurse and over 3 conversations here is what I was able to find out. Kaiser does not support any type of treatment for covid besides the antibody treatment. The problem with that is that they also do not offer that directly and that people have to seek treatment out of network if they want even the antibody treatment. Then they also treat their members like they know nothing about science or current happenings in medicine. I would like to call BS on Kaiser again and I did tell the nurse to stop treating me like a child (which she was doing) and that I had several degrees and knew a few things about science (LOL). People really should look people up before they start talking down to them. 

What does this mean? That Kaiser does not support its members and it does not care about their health. Also it is way behind on medical treatments when compared to other medical providers. 

So with this in mind I decided to build a place for people to go to in order to find resources, to share my own covid story, and to also start tracking the history and events of covid. I will be re-sharing some previous articles I have written on covid, pictures I have taken over time to document the outbreak, and everything else I can find on the subject. 

People need support out there for covid and if medical providers like Kaiser will not provide it. Then I will.

 I will fully admit that I believe in the vaccine and face masks. I blame all the anti-maskers and anti-vax people for the mess that we are still in and for my own infection. I can only do so much to protect my own health, but if others are going to force their freedoms above other people's very basic right to life then they need to be stopped. We need to look at all of science and be willing to try anything to not only stop the virus, but also to help our fellow human beings. Stop being selfish. 

Welcome to your new headquarters for all things covid in Colorado and beyond.

Background image of page is from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1

Covid Day 5

 So with my symptoms starting on Saturday I will consider this day 5 of my infection. A little scared since one of my friends that has had covid twice said that the breathing problems for her and her husband started on day 7. She lost her husband on their second infection. So yah, I’m scared. I’ve also read about the damage that covid has caused to its survivors. So I have that to think about as well. 

Since I am not getting any help from my so called “medical providers” I’m trying to do as many different over the counter options as I can do. So here is what I have started so far. 

-Dayquil & Nyquil: these don’t seem to be really helping with the congestion I have. I have had sinus infections before, but this one burns like nothing I have experienced before. Plus, I’m having a higher percentage of blood then I’ve seen before as well. The only thing these seem to be doing is keeping the fever in check.

-Zinc: Stared a 50 mg tablet once a day.

-Multivitamin: Yes, I know that this should be a part of my everyday health plan, but I forget to take them more then I take them. Right now adjusting that so that my body has as much as it can to fight this.

-Adjusting my drinking: I normally fight with drinking a lot ever since my kidney stone incident. (That’s another Kaiser nightmare/covid timeframe that I will cover in a different post). As part of this I am drinking more orange juice, Gatorade, and tonic water. Yes, tonic water. I know about all the arguments around quinine. My take on it is at this point it is better than nothing which is what Kaiser is giving me. I figure that having some in my system is better than nothing and the more I can make my body a hostile place for covid the better. Quinine did prove useful in the history of men’s fight against disease and who knows what other uses it can have. When talking to the Kaiser nurse she said that I didn’t understand that medicine are only approved for specific things. She must never have heard of the off use of drugs. From personal experience I can say that beta blockers (normally used for heart issues) are a wonder drug for migraines. I had a neurologist that was willing to do what was needed to help his patients which Kaiser seems to be lacking. Like I said I have had a lot of personal experience with medicine, doctors, and a large variety of health issues to know when a doctor or medical group is pulling BS from their ass. This also doesn’t count formal training I also have. LOL. Anyway sorry for going off so much on this one. 

So that’s it right now. Not much, but better than the “Tylenol” the nurse told me to take to keep my fever in check. I told her I wasn’t taking Tylenol because Dayquil and Nyquil already has acetaminophen in them and she seemed taken aback that I knew that. Medical providers really believe that people are stupid. Joke on them.