Covid Testing, Re-Testing and Quarantine Protocols

Covid Testing, Re-Testing and Quarantine Protocols

One last, but important post.

As Omicron has spread, I have sadly heard of many friends who have contracted Covid in the last few days and have received a few questions about testing, re-testing and how long to isolate. 

The exact timelines are not clear since the virus keeps changing and it may well be that with Omicron, everything shifts even closer and shorter. Meaning, you can get infected sooner (even earlier than 48 hours after exposure), can be contagious sooner (also in 48 hours) and we know it is at least twice as contagious than previous variants.

The official recommendations have not really changed.

If you have a concerning exposure, test at 3 days and repeat at 5 days. The likelihood of converting to positive after 5 days is not impossible, but unlikely. Obviously, if you are still symptomatic, get a molecular test. Antigen testing is fine for the first 2 but if you are really symptomatic, get a molecular test because of their accuracy.

If you are symptomatic, test right away and if positive, you must quarantine for 10-14 days after symptom onset. 10 vs 14 is a bit of a range and the bottom line is that it depends how sick you were. More sick, give it 14 days. If not symptomatic, it should be 10 days from a positive test. Ideally, you should also be fever free for 24 hours. As far as still having other symptoms, you can have those for weeks or even months after you are no longer contagious, so they don’t matter. But be practical. If you’re hacking up a lung, maybe hang out at home alone. AND, there are other things out there other than Covid. Like the FLU. So just be sure you don’t have some other infectious disease before mingling.

BUT there is no need to quarantine for longer than the 10-14 days, even if you have another positive result. That’s because both the antigen and the molecular tests can be positive for as long as 90 days. The genetic tests especially. That’s because you can have remnants of dead virus in your nose for a long time, but those remnants are not infectious. So DON’T use a test as an indicator of contagiousness after the quarantine period.

Lastly, what to do if you catch Covid:

1. Rest. Read my verbose posts. They’ll put you to sleep.
2. Drink tons of water and herbal teas.
3. Fever reducers ONLY if your temperature is over 102. Remember that a fever is your body’s response to infection and it’s attempt to kill off the bug. Deal with it. If you must, use acetaminophen (Tylenol) and not ibuprofen (Motrin) since the latter also dampens your immune response and you want your immune system working at peak performance.
4. Mucinex is a mucus thinner and taking it helps to clear secretions. 1200 mg twice a day. If you have a cough, you can also take Mucinex DM (dextromethorphan). The DM is a non-narcotic cough suppressant. Avoid the D, which stands for decongestant. They ramp you up.
5. EAT PLANTS. Pound as many fruits and vegetables into yourself you can take. That’s where the bulk of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are. Standouts include:
   1. Berries, especially blue and black
   2. Greens
   3. Cruciferous veggies
   4. Sprouts
   5. Mushrooms
6. Supplement:
   1. Vitamin C
   2. Vitamin D
   3. Melatonin. 

Some others include:

4. Zinc
5. Quercetin
6. NAC (N Acetyl Cysteine), a great antioxidant

7. If you have an O2 monitor, keep an eye on it. If it starts to drop below 90%, it may be time to have a doctor check you out.
8. Meds. There are a lot of meds touted by various people as being helpful, but I won’t get into those. Some may be helpful for some people, but the studies don’t bear out tremendous efficacy, regardless of what you read.

No discussion about prevention in this post. I’ve beaten the crap out of that one and if you are reading the stuff above with great intent, it’s too late for you anyway!

Stay safe and be well.

AC

I Stand Corrected – Omicron IS The Most Infectious Microbe Humanity Has Encountered

Even outspoken epidemiologists who have warned of pandemics for decades and have micro analyzed the one we are living through right now have been taken by surprise by the rate at which the Omicron variant has taken over as the dominant strain of Covid-19 worldwide.

In S. Africa, where it emerged, they went from a few hundred new cases of Covid a day, to over 13,000 in a mere few weeks. In the US, we went from identifying it in only a few states to just about everywhere in under a week. I don’t have today’s stats but a few days ago, it represented 75% of all new Covid cases. It is now in every country on the planet.

Why is it so contagious? The exact cause is not yet completely clear, but it is likely a combination of things including greater ACE-2 receptor binding capacity, increased replication within cells as well as a better ability to evade both our innate (built-in, non antibody) immune system as well as the adaptive (T and B Cell and antibody) immune system, acquired either by natural infection and/or vaccination.

Although Omicron still seems to cause less severe disease, this is also a significant contributor to it’s exponential spread. More people with mild to no symptoms are walking around, not aware they are infected, spreading it to everyone around them. Sicker people stay home and get tested earlier (and then hopefully isolate).

Do NOT be comforted by it’s apparent diminished severity. More infection still leads to more hospitalization and death. And YES, the vast majority of those with more significant illness are UNVACCINATED!

Lest you smarty pantses who got Covid “naturally” think you’re better off than those who got vaccinated, you’re wrong! Studies show that those who got Covid more than 6 months ago and did not get a vaccine afterwards, are 5x more likely to contract Covid AGAIN from Omicron than those who got infected and then followed up with a vaccine.

SOOOOOO, don’t be silly and lower your risks of getting significantly sick, or worse yet, sicken someone else, by getting vaccinated.

And keep in mind that 2 shots is NOT fully vaccinated if your second shot was more than 6 months ago. FULLY vaccinated means you also got the booster which dramatically increases levels of circulating antibodies and thus, protection.

Another interesting item I read yesterday was a study looking at non-Covid deaths and Covid vaccination. Accounting for every variable you can think of, not only did vaccination lower the risks of Covid deaths, but it also lowered the risks of all non-Covid related deaths. Things like heart attacks and strokes. Why this may be is not clear. It may have to do with the fact that those who want to get vaccinated probably do other things to be healthier also. Those who don’t get vaccinated are more likely to have other behaviors which put them at risk for not only Covid, but other diseases. I know this is a generalization but this was suggested by the paper.

On another note, Natalia and I did a taste test of some vegan perogies (Supreme Pierogies). Not exactly healthy food since they came from a factory with all kinds of oils, additives and preservatives… but they tasted really good. Especially slathered with slow cooked onions and some vegan, soy based sour cream. As someone who used to eat vats of sour cream before I started eating plant-based, I am a connoisseur and I can guarantee that you can’t taste the difference. I’m looking forward to the traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve feeding frenzy with family. We are all vaccinated and boosted and we all plan to test today or tomorrow just to be on the safe side. Keep some windows open a crack for ventilation. That’s the way to do it.

Travel safely.

Gather safely.

Enjoy being with family and friends safely.

Stay safe and be well.

AC