General Wellness

As an ENT who also tests for and treats seasonal allergies, this is a particularly confusing issue at times.

I recently had a friend who thought that her allergies were just getting worse. It is the start of ragweed season and I have seen a lot of people with significantly worsening symptoms. In her case, some other symptoms led to her getting a Covid test and despite having been vaccinated, she was positive.  A second lab test confirmed it.

So how can you tell? Well sometimes it is hard to distinguish. 

Certainly allergies will not cause a fever, muscle and or joint aches but Covid, the flu and even the common cold can.

All 4 can cause alterations in smell and taste, as well as fatigue, nasal stuffiness, a non productive cough and headaches. With a cold, the symptoms resolve as soon as the major cold symptoms do, but they take much longer with Covid.

If a cough is productive, particularly if it is discolored, it’s less likely to be allergies, but it could be all of the others. A simple viral cold is less likely to lead to a productive cough but it’s not completely unrealistic.

The bottom line is that you have to know your body, know who you have interacted with and ultimately, if you are not sure, spend the $30 and get a home Covid test. They are not 100% but they are decently accurate. Repeat if necessary or go to a formal testing facility.

Dr. Joel Kahn, an amazing former interventional and now preventative cardiologist I follow (and with whom I have personally consulted) has a saying about heart health: “Test, Don’t Guess”.  The same goes for Covid. Testing rates have dropped off dramatically. I heard a very disturbing report of a high school football team making a pact not to report mild symptoms suggestive of Covid for fear of their team being quarantined. I heard a similar report of a school administration having the same attitude. If they under-report, they can carry on as if nothing is going on. It’s ludicrous, immoral and irresponsible!

The Delta variant is now the dominant form of Covid and it is nasty. Better to be safe than sorry, not only for you but for all those with whom you interact.

I have another post about the Delta coming up which is very important so stay tuned.

Stay safe and be well.

AC

As this virus continues to cause an exponential rise in Covid cases in hospitalizations and soon to follow, deaths, we are learning more about this new variant.

We’ve already heard it is much more infectious. 2-4x as much. It attaches more vigorously to the ACE-2 receptor on human cells. And it can replicate as much as 1000x more in the nose as it’s predecessors so can be shed to a much greater degree. However, how does that impact our interactions with people? In a nutshell, the timelines are all shortened by 48 hours.

1. If you are exposed to someone with Covid and become infected, you may be infectious to other people as soon as only 1.5 days afterwards, whereas with the original form, you had 3-4 days lead time. Vaccinated or not.
2. You may be infected but asymptomatic for only 3 days or less. The disease progresses faster.
3. Confirmation testing can be done sooner, but no earlier than 3 days, and should be repeated at 5-7 days after exposure.
4. The duration of infection seems to be the same however more people are getting more seriously sick and are suffering chronic symptoms longer (like loss of smell and taste, brain fog…)

We also know that:

1. It causes more serious disease in both adults and kids.
2. More long-term (at least as far as we have been able to follow put) complications. A recent study of teens who had Covid, revealed a 10% incidence of persistent brain fog and difficulties with concentration and academics. This was seen even in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic teens.
3. It infects kids much more readily than the previous versions.
4. Previous infection (natural immunity) provides much less protection against Delta so you must still get at least one shot of a vaccine. I would still get 2. In Europe, they are approving additional vaccination if you’re getting the J&J or AZ vaccines. Unfortunately, no such official recommendation has been made in the US.
5. Vaccination provides significant protection against Delta but you must get both shots with Pfizer and Moderna! The difference is significant by more than 20%. J&J provides less, but still significant protection.
6. Whereas the original and earlier forms of this virus were felt to be most transmitted indoors, in close quarters, without adequate ventilation, essentially making it an “indoor” disease, that is no longer the case with Delta. It is estimated that 50-70% of Covid cases in high school students last year occurred as a result of participation in sporting activities. Being outdoors is certainly much better, but be aware of your surroundings and avoid crowds, especially if people are unmasked.

The bottom line is that this is almost a new disease altogether.

We have a weapon however and that is vaccination.

We can’t expect others to get it and then become protected. That is selfish.

They are safe, effective and our only way out.

All the other protective measures still help significantly, especially wearing a mask. 

Stay safe and be well.

AC