Long Covid

[Basil]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/flood-of-noah-like-proportions-the-studies-revealing-long-covids-hidden-toll-in-nz/XOHJIOSOLGI2T63NEVMMAOGWIU/

Interesting article.  Length of symptoms seems to vary enormously as does one's initial reaction to Covid.  Day 11 for me and day 13 for Mrs B.  Zero energy and a pretty bad cough that's lingering for both Beagle's.  Glad the severe headaches, fever, sore stomach and diarrhea is behind me...wasn't much fun.  I have no idea when we will both be back to normal.

[PastorOfMuppets]

Any idea where you got it?

My household has dodged it so far - about 50% of acquaintances have had it, but haven't seen a case (in our circles) for a couple of months now.

[Basil]

Yes, grossly overcrowded after hours White Cross healthcare service centers are a very risky place to spend any time.    Mrs B didn't go for Covid but we believe she caught it there.

[Ferg]

That's the thing with Covid - it is so transmissible that you can pick it up from anywhere.  It seems to affect people differently.  Take the time to recover properly.  There is nothing to be gained by rushing it.  Get well soon!

[Shareguy]

As I sit in bed in our apartment in surfers after day 4 of self imposed exile with COVID. I ponder how unlucky or lucky we are to finally get the bug in Australia. 

Our first family trip to the GC in years got off to a great start. What's not to like, Beautiful white sandy beaches, endless  sun, stunning views from our apartment. Fresh prawns from Coles, And a BWS bottle store and shopping mall a few metres from the lift.

It was all going so well until day 4 when the symptoms started and I confirmed with a rat test that we brought with us from NZ.

The anti viral drug i've been told was a game changer so after day 3 of feeling rubbish and watching the world go by I asked the wife to find a doctor and see if I could get some. She soon comes back and says that the surgery is closed for new online patients but the good news was that anyone could go in my place for a "face to face "appointment. The bad news was that Lagevrio which contain molnupiravir were $1000 for a treatment. I'm worth it honey.......door slammed.

I'm one lucky lad to be sick in the Gold Coast because my lovely wife was soon home with a bottle of this wonder drug and bugger me it's covered by Medicare for us kiwis over 50.

In NZ to get them these are the criteria

One of the following must also apply:

you are aged 65-plus
you are Māori or Pacific ethnicity aged 50-plus
you are aged 50-plus AND have had fewer than two COVID-19 vaccinations
you have a severely weakened immune system (see more information below)
you have Down syndrome
you have sickle cell disease
you have previously been in critical care or high dependency hospital care from COVID-19
you have three or more high-risk medical conditions (see list below)

I did not meet any of the above criteria. This drug was a Game changer for me.  Hours after taking the first dose I was feeling the difference and after two days of taking the medication I'm at 90% and actually feeling pretty good.

The Doctor who gave out the prescription made comment that it's the "first call" for anyone with Covid over here and what took me so long to ask. The sooner you take it the better the doc says.

So Shareguy is felling lucky in the GC.

[Basil]

you are aged 65-plus
you are Māori or Pacific ethnicity aged 50-plus

This got me really riled up because if I was Maori or Pacific ethnicity, I could get it for free but becase I am European, not 65 yet and don't meet the criteria elsewhere stated I could not get that antiviral for free or even by paying thousands for it !  How is that not deliberate calculated reverse racism against Europeans I do not understand ? Count yourself as very fortunate because Mrs B and I both got Covid in late September and it wasn't really until early November until we were both feeling 100%.  The first 2 weeks was the worst.   

If you are already feeling 90% you're doing really well. On another subject, I tell ya, aircraft are a dangerous place to catch it.  I'd bet a few bob someone on the aircraft had it and you breathed in their fumes and bingo, you got it.

Take it easy with your recovery mate.  Don't push yourself too hard, that's how you get long Covid.  Send the kids down to the pool or drop them off at the theme parks and kick back and relax in the cafes there.

Somewhat interestingly, I was double vaxxed and boosted and Mrs B is anti vax and wouldn't take the antiviral either despite being eligible.
I don't reckon there was much difference between the severity of the symptoms for us two except despite being double vaxxed and boosted I got stomach cramps and pains much worse than she did and my fever lasted a bit longer....go figure...  She took much pleasure in telling me more than once my vaccine shots were useless...isn't it "great" you can always count on your other half to say I told you so lol

[Shareguy]

Yes Basil I think a lot of people would not be happy with the criteria. It's a shame that the governments don't lower it for everyone as it saves a lot of pain and suffering. 

I bet your wife gave you heaps about the vaccine. 😂  I think most family's would have a anti vaxer somewhere,we certainly do.

Thanks for your comments.

[RupertBear]

Pleased you are on the mend Shareguy.

And no Basil it is not reverse racism that Maori and Pacifica people are eligible for anti viral medication. It is based on medical evidence that they are an at risk population.

As per the Covid-19 Website

 "The recommendation was made as "clear evidence" showed the risk of death from Covid-19 for Māori and Pacific peoples was around twice that of the general population.

Māori and Pacific people also had a two to threefold increased risk of hospitalisation from Covid-19"

[KW]

Pleased you are on the mend Shareguy.

And no Basil it is not reverse racism that Maori and Pacifica people are eligible for anti viral medication. It is based on medical evidence that they are an at risk population.

As per the Covid-19 Website

 "The recommendation was made as "clear evidence" showed the risk of death from Covid-19 for Māori and Pacific peoples was around twice that of the general population.

Māori and Pacific people also had a two to threefold increased risk of hospitalisation from Covid-19"

How does denying treatment to European people lower the risk of Maori people dying or being hospitalised?  The two are not related.  If Maori have a higher propensity to die from Covid give them treatment. If anyone else has a risk of dying, regardless of their race, give them treatment.  Since risk of dying is directly related to obesity levels, and Maori and Pacific Islanders have higher obesity levels than Europeans, then they are at higher risk of dying.  However, why does the health system deny treatment to an obese European who has the exact same risk of dying, on the basis that they are not Maori?

Secondly absolute numbers show vastly greater numbers of hospitalised and dead Europeans.  12,000 Europeans were hospitalised with Covid compared to just 3600 Maori.  2554 Europeans have died compared to just 327 Maori.  So if one wanted to alleviate the strain on hospitals or funeral homes, Europeans should be prioritised over Maori.  How many of those 2554 Europeans could have been saved from death if they had been given access to the drug?

[Basil]

Well said KW.   Its absolutely repugnant that I couldn't even buy the treatment at great cost to myself.  My medical records show that I am a fat old dog but I wasn't the right color.  Not only was I racially discriminated against by the health system I was locked out of it. 

[KW]

Well said KW.  Its absolutely repugnant that I couldn't even buy the treatment at great cost to myself.  My medical records show that I am a fat old dog but I wasn't the right color.  Not only was I racially discriminated against by the health system I was locked out of it. 

Back on topic, my anecdotal observations are that long covid is also directly related to obesity levels.  That being said, I have only come across one person who has long covid.  Remember when the "experts" were trying to convince us that 30% of those who get covid will have long covid?  File that one in the bin along with "you will not get sick and die if you get vaccinated" from our Single Source Of Truth.  https://twitter.com/DrPhilWilkinson/status/1556187875729096704

[Basil]

For what its worth both Mrs B and I would fit the medical definition of being obese and It took about 5 weeks for us to both feel that we are back to the same level of health and wellbeing as we were before catching it.  The last week and a half (approx) of that was simply a lack of energy issue which I suppose is quite normal recovering from Covid.  Not sure you could really describe the above as "long Covid", (it certainly felt like a long journey going through it), probably not.  Its probably quite a normal length of time to be affected for people our age and weight. 
Hope I don't catch it again, it's not much fun, I can certainly attest to that !  Speaking of that possibility I see case numbers are 20,000+ a week and growing.
We're not out of the woods with this whole Covid thing by any means.  Be careful out there folks especially in confined spaces with a lot of other people, like aircraft.

[Shareguy]

What disappoints me is that the government of the day seems to be able to print money like there is no tomorrow. In NZ for this drug I am discriminated on race and because I'm fully vaccinated and fully boosted and do not have any underlying health conditions.

Why have the race card at all? Are we not all part of the same team of 5 million.  Would it not have been better to make this free for everyone over 50 or what ever the age and avoid the resentment that is building from these types of policies. I'm sure plenty of Māori and Pacifica resent being singled out like this.

I have spoken to other people who have taken this anti viral drug who all agree with me and said it's a game changer. Why has the government stopped people who don't meet the criteria from buying the medication themselves? Answer is it's not fair on the people who can't afford it.

In my opinion until we start treating "everyone"as equal we will never heal the rift. And what's more concerning is the rift seems to be getting worse by the day.

[Shareguy]

Pleased you are on the mend Shareguy.


Thanks RupertBear. Welcome to stocktalk.

[kasper]

What disappoints me is that the government of the day seems to be able to print money like there is no tomorrow. In NZ for this drug I am discriminated on race and because I'm fully vaccinated and fully boosted and do not have any underlying health conditions.

Why have the race card at all? Are we not all part of the same team of 5 million.  Would it not have been better to make this free for everyone over 50 or what ever the age and avoid the resentment that is building from these types of policies. I'm sure plenty of Māori and Pacifica resent being singled out like this.

I have spoken to other people who have taken this anti viral drug who all agree with me and said it's a game changer. Why has the government stopped people who don't meet the criteria from buying the medication themselves? Answer is it's not fair on the people who can't afford it.

In my opinion until we start treating "everyone"as equal we will never heal the rift. And what's more concerning is the rift seems to be getting worse by the day.

The creation of the blanket term "Whiteness" is racist to the core. It imputes to anyone considered not sufficiently pigmented some sort of conspiratorial evil regardless of an individuals character, beliefs, family history or ideological outlook. By the way the special treatment is now for over 40 not 50.