#coronavirus test

[chena-h]

Reducing the covid isolation period to 1 day - a single day- when an infection can be contagious for up to 21 days is... unbelievably cruel.

#chena.txt #like if this doesn't tell you how little these public health guidelines are about protecting people #and are actually about preserving companies bottom lines... #they're willing to let so many people die or get permanently disabled #working people to an early grave #but giving us more pto? free tests/masks? impossible #ridiculous #covid #covid 19 #coronavirus

[macmanx]

The tests can be ordered on COVIDtests.gov and will start to ship the week of Dec. 19, a senior administration official told reporters on a conference call. The government is urging people to test themselves when they have symptoms, and before visiting with family.

#covid19 #coronavirus #get tested #stop the spread #usa

[iliveinprocrasti-nationn]

fauci saying “vulnerable people will fall by the wayside” and that some will die but that’s ok because we’re not going to see the “tsunami of cases” we’ve seen before is so dehumanising. so babies with no immune system, elderly people, disabled people, and people without adequate access to healthcare can all die of covid. but it’s ok guys because actually they’re just falling to the wayside and everyone else will go back to normal and be fine (sarcasm).

my death or the deaths of my family or friends wouldn’t be us “falling by the wayside”, it would be us being failed by our government, healthcare systems, and communities who have refused to take coronavirus seriously despite mounting anecdotal and scientific evidence of the harm this virus does. fact that people can accept the deaths of vulnerable groups just because they want to eat in a restaurant or don’t want to wear a mask is horrifying

#yall can reblog this #for those of you touting community care or progressive values or allyship to marginalised communities #i better see y’all masking #it goes without saying that if you can’t mask then my saying mask up does not apply to you #but for the people who can mask please do so to protect yourself and others #masking up also protects people who aren’t able to mask #I’m just so tired of being told that death to a virus that is preventable via masking and air filtration and proper testing availability to #prevent spread by allowing people to stop their chain of transmission #is just. fine. like all these people will die and apparently that’s fine and actually a great thing #also. with one or two covid infections formerly healthy people enter vulnerable groups. because the studies coming out right now and #what we know about long term sars1 effects (because covid is not a cold or flu. it’s sars2. it’s severe accuse respiratory syndrome) #are showing that the long term effects on the bodies of people who have had covid will be disasterous #and if covid had been properly felt with then maybe only some people would be facing that reality. but the amount of people who have been #infected not just once but multiple times. with some people having close to double digit numbers of infections. means that the amount of #people looking at sars2 long term symptoms could be quite a large group #coronavirus #my post

[crimeronan]

dreamt i infiltrated some fortune 500 company owned by elon musk with no goal except to see how long i could work there without getting caught. told the manager "oh, can you help me out, i don't think you guys finished my onboarding yet" & he just set me up with my own account on their training modules without checking my ID. intermittently i kept remembering i have COVID and going "no wait i shouldnt be here" and then going "eh. it's an elon musk company. it's fine"

....GIRL???

your ETHICS?????

#dream me is constantly doing the most wildly unethical shit imaginable. #i tested negative today though!!! #gonna test again in 2 and 4 days. #coronavirus #dreams

[tweedstoat]

#covid #coronavirus #the only bright side here is that there will be a comment period #i think people should give them hell #anyways this is why im always saying covid is a labour issue #they dont care about whether ur healthy they care whether u can be forced to drag urself to work so they can say the GDP went up 0.0001% #covid 19 #oh and ofc they say all this while politicans still have onerous testing protocols

[covidsafehotties]

Published Jan 29, 2024

Interior Health (IH) has completely withdrawn its COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RAT) from its facilities.

This is according to an internal memo obtained by Global News.

“(The rapid tests) are not reliable for diagnosis of COVID-19,” the memo stated.

“As such COVID-19 RAT testing can no longer be used to direct clinical care or infection prevention and control measures, and must be discontinued immediately in Interior Health affiliated emergency rooms, hospitals, long-term care facilities (and) outpatient settings.”

#rapid tests #mask up #covid #covid 19 #covid isn't over #pandemic #covid conscious #covid is airborne #wear a mask #coronavirus

[coldhearthotlove]

*sees new posts about the importance of masking, social distancing, sanitizing your hands, taking COVID safety precautions, etc.*

🙂

*the posts are actually from 2020 and the OPs who made the original posts don’t actually care anymore - and have recent photos of themselves on social media at crowded events without wearing masks*

☹️

#nat speaks #coronavirus #COVID19 #everyone: *you’re still going on about COVID in May 2023?!?!* #me: *well people are STILL getting sick and disabled and dying from it… so yes* #my Dad MIGHT actually have COVID right now #because he has a *bad cold* #but refuses to get tested because he insists *it’s over* #and still willingly went out to public places while sick without wearing a mask #thank goodness I don’t live with him anymore… #I can’t be around someone like that…

[mayra-quijotescx]

psst. US people. new set of 4 free COVID tests just dropped.

orders will ship starting next week, go sign yourself and your friends up, covid.gov/tests

#covid #covid tests #covid-19 #coronavirus #the plague that never ends #every order placed for these free tests is an additional argument for keeping them available

[gumjrop]

The Weather

Similar to this time last year, COVID wastewater levels in many states have decreased and now remain at low levels except for the states of Tennessee and Missouri, which are at high levels. Arkansas, Alabama, Delaware, Minnesota, and Virginia have moderate viral levels detected by wastewater surveillance. This reminds us that it is important to continue the practice of precautions, especially among those most vulnerable to a COVID infection.

When considering trends in wastewater levels across all four regions, they have stopped decreasing as seen in the provisional data (gray shaded area). The national wastewater levels are indicated as “Low.” While lower wastewater levels indicate decreased spread, the risk for infection remains moderate especially as current wastewater levels remain slightly higher than previous low periods.

Wins

During the past few weeks, we have taken several actions against removing vital public health measures, especially the change in COVID isolation guidelines. This included the People’s CDC press conference from March 13, a recording and our press release are available. We also have a pre-proof of the People’s CDC External Review in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine Focus that additionally highlights the shortcomings of the CDC’s approach to public health and recommends a more equitable pandemic response. This week, we have assembled an expert letter asking the CDC to correct their COVID isolation guidelines.

Community groups continue to show us that it is possible to push back against corporate efforts to further privatize healthcare – and win. In Massachusetts, the Boston Center for Independent Living and SEIU 1199 led a successful drive to prevent cuts to publicly funded personal care attendants (PCAs) for disabled people. When we fight, we win.  

Variants

Currently, JN.1 remains the dominant variant in the US, and is 83.7% of circulating variants as of 4/13/2024, down from 88.5% on 2/3/2024. JN.1.13 has increased to 9.1%, up from 0.7% on 2/3/2024. Other variants comprise 7.2% of the remaining total. A recent study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, provided additional information on recent COVID variants that shed higher levels of wastewater; however, this cannot discount that COVID transmission remains at higher risk during rises in wastewater levels.

Hospitalizations

Total new hospital admissions caused by COVID have decreased to 7,318 during the week of April 6, 2024. Although the number of new hospital admissions are lower than the past, many counties in the US continue to experience increases in new hospital admissions. Over 25% of all counties are experiencing an increase in new COVID hospital admissions between the last week of March 2024 and the first week of April 2024. Most concerning, we still do not know the total number of hospital-acquired infections, since reporting over these numbers halted in May 2023. Despite this decrease in new hospital admissions and wastewater levels are currently at low levels nationwide, total hospitalizations do not completely reflect the current amount of circulating virus.

Prevention and Precautions

The CDC recently released guidelines to improve ventilation and implementation of air purification to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, specifically airborne pathogens. A group of scientists have also jointly published a policy statement in the academic journal Science supporting the establishment of higher standards for ventilation and the importance of air purification in indoor settings. Two studies published in the last month have validated the significance and value of both ventilation and air purification in schools and childcare centers to prevent the spread of COVID.

Vaccine uptake remains limited. Only 22.8% of adults and 14.1% of children have received the updated COVID vaccine as of 4/11/2024 -  a slight increase from 21.1% of adults and 12.8% of children on 3/10/2024. The Bridge Program remains available for those underinsured or without insurance for no-cost access to these vaccines, but may end December 31, 2024.

Long COVID

Senator Bernie Sanders, as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee, proposed draft legislation to address Long COVID. This proposal aims to allocate $1 billion annually for a decade to the NIH for Long COVID research, establish a centralized research entity and advisory board, create a rapid grant process for clinical trials, develop a patient data database, and enhance public education on Long COVID. We ask that you share your thoughts to their official contact by email specifically on allocating funding for effective treatments and specific measures in the prevention of Long COVID by April 23, 2024. Currently, Long COVID Alliance has compiled a list of active opportunities in studies and clinical trials that people with Long COVID may participate in, which may help the clinical community contribute knowledge of Long COVID and potentially support the development of effective treatments.

Take Action

An invaluable home-based program that supports testing, evaluation, and treatment for COVID, Test to Treat program, is ending on April 16, 2024. Send a letter to your local representatives to ask them to help save the program that helps so many at-risk people!

It’s been over a month since the CDC released new, irresponsible guidelines on COVID isolation which are not substantiated by scientific evidence. Our fight to take public health out of the hands of corporate interests and protect our collective well-being continues. As part of our strategy to push back, we’ve put together an expert letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen telling her to reinstate science-based COVID isolation guidelines. We urge the CDC to consider the highly variable length of infectiousness in their recommendations and to adopt a test-based approach for ending isolation. This letter is for public health professionals, scientists, healthcare workers, disability advocates, and others who consider themselves experts in public health. Sign this letter asking the CDC to correct their updated COVID isolation guidelines.

Avian Flu (Awareness Update)

The People’s CDC is monitoring Avian Influenza (AKA “Bird Flu”) as it has been spreading in many avian and mammalian species around the world at alarming rates. The current strain of concern is subtype H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b and is highly pathogenic in poultry, causing systemic infections and rapid onset of illness and death among avian species (1). As such, this is called a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This specific clade emerged in 2020 and has now been detected on every continent (2,3,4, 5). Over 500 species of birds and 360 species of other animals have been infected worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of wild animals have died from avian influenza since its emergence in 2020 (1, 6). Here in the U.S., at least 28 outbreaks have occurred in cattle farms (6, 7).

While human cases remain low, case fatality in humans has historically been around 50% (6). The outbreak among many non-bird animals is alarming and allows for opportunities for viral mutations that may lead to further infections among humans (1,6). The ecological consequences of such mass death around the world are currently unknown but guaranteed to be devastating as food webs are severely disrupted and conservation efforts suffer (1, 5). Humans are already feeling the direct impact of this as farmers are forced to cull entire flocks of poultry to control the spread, which may result in increased prices in the food supply (6). Humans will probably continue to feel the impacts of this historic spread, regardless of the number of human cases. We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates as the situation develops.

UC Davis

CDC

CDC

Viruses

Nature

Vox

BNO News

#op #covid19 #covid-19 #covid 19 #pcdc #covid #people's cdc #cdc #coronavirus #pandemic #sars-cov-2 #sars cov 2 #covid news #long covid #covid pandemic #covid isn't over #covid conscious #covid is not over #avian flu #bird flu #h5n1 #test to treat #uspol #covid prevention #covid levels #public health #coronavirus pandemic #links #img #described in alt text

[decispark]

Free Covid test kit orders have started back up again!

Free Covid test kit orders have started back up again!

US Only

1 order per address

4 tests included in order

Starts shipping October 2

#covid #covid 19 #covid pandemic #covid19 #covid isn't over #pandemic #covid tests #covid testing #coronavirus

[sailoreuterpe]

I'm so tired of being sick. No one but me wears a mask at work, I literally have customers come in and fucking joke about being sick, this fucking country doesn't have any safety net for people who get sick (no paid time off, no universal healthcare). I hate it here.

#Notes by Nikki #I've been sick three or four times since December #I can only miss so much work #and again #no one else will wear a mask #at least I only get vague judgement #rather than outward hostility #(so far) #physical health #physical illness #COVID #COVID19 #coronavirus #corona virus #I need to take another test #after I eat lunch #and cry some more

[dumblr]

If you don't like me, please go get tested.

One of the symptoms of covid is having no taste.

#quotes #covid #get tested #no taste #emotions #feelings #life quotes #wise words #inspiring quotes #motivational #funny story #meme #coronavirus #lol #your loss #symptoms #dumblr

[yukipri]

Hey, if you're a resident of the US, just a heads up!!

The USPS free COVID-19 Test Program will be suspended on September 2, 2022.

If you haven't ordered test kits, I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. Test kits can be so expensive and difficult to come by, and even if your personal insurance covers a few kits, it never hurts to have more on hand for your loved ones.

Ordering is super easy, you don't input payment because it's free, just your name and address and they'll send them to you!

Even if you've already ordered, quote their info page: "Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a 3rd round of free at-home tests."

That means you can order up to three times! I have!

Again, this is one of the few tools that the government has provided us with to protect ourselves and those around us. Please take advantage of it.

Again, the deadline to order is September 2, 2022!

The link, again for your convenience.

#COVID-19 #covid #coronavirus #USA #health #test kit #USPS #if this might help someone please share #I didn't know about the up to 3 times until I checked #don't let this go to waste #the government did so little to protect us against covid don't throw out one of the few things they DID do

[iliveinprocrasti-nationn]

is it not hard to just wear a mask? or call out if you don’t feel well? “oh i only felt a little off” wear a fucking mask or call out i don’t give a shit. “it’s not that big a deal” if you go out somewhere sick with no safety measures to protect other people you need to know you could potentially kill someone and i know this because people close to me have died because someone wasn’t careful when they got sick and went out and spread it

#my birthday is in 6 days and i was just informed one of my coworkers yesterday had early symptoms and tested positive today #i have 4 tests at least so i’ll probably test tomorrow afternoon (that’ll be 48 hours) and then again friday morning #im just tired of this. ‘i didn’t feel that sick when i went out’ I don’t give a rats ass #if you’re even feeling remotely sick and can’t get out of going somewhere you at minimum need to be fully masked up #if you go out sick and didn’t mask i hope it stays on your conscience forever #I hope it haunts you every day that you could’ve ended someone’s life #and i mean that genuinely. i hope you never escape your thoughts that you could’ve killed someone #coronavirus

[toshootforthestars]

From the report by Beth Mole, posted 29 Feb 2024:

In a lengthy background document, the agency laid out its rationale for consolidating COVID-19 guidance into general guidance for respiratory viruses—including influenza, RSV, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, enteroviruses, and others, though specifically not measles. The agency also noted the guidance does not apply to health care settings and outbreak scenarios. "COVID-19 remains an important public health threat, but it is no longer the emergency that it once was, and its health impacts increasingly resemble those of other respiratory viral illnesses, including influenza and RSV," the agency wrote. The most notable change in the new guidance is the previously reported decision to no longer recommend a minimum five-day isolation period for those infected with the pandemic coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Instead, the new isolation guidance is based on symptoms, which matches long-standing isolation guidance for other respiratory viruses, including influenza. "The updated Respiratory Virus Guidance recommends people with respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause stay home and away from others until at least 24 hours after both resolution of fever AND overall symptom are getting better," the document states. "This recommendation addresses the period of greatest infectiousness and highest viral load for most people, which is typically in the first few days of illness and when symptoms, including fever, are worst." The CDC acknowledged that the eased isolation guidance will create "residual risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission," and that most people are no longer infectious only after 8 to 10 days. As such, the agency urged people to follow additional interventions—including masking, testing, distancing, hygiene, and improving air quality—for five additional days after their isolation period. "Today’s announcement reflects the progress we have made in protecting against severe illness from COVID-19," CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement. "However, we still must use the commonsense solutions we know work to protect ourselves and others from serious illness from respiratory viruses—this includes vaccination, treatment, and staying home when we get sick." Overall, the agency argued that a shorter isolation period would be inconsequential. Other countries and states that have similarly abandoned fixed isolation times did not see jumps in COVID-19 emergency department visits or hospitalizations, the CDC pointed out. And most people who have COVID-19 don't know they have it anyway, making COVID-19-specific guidance moot, the agency argued. In a recent CDC survey, less than half of people said they would test for SARS-CoV-2 if they had a cough or cold symptoms, and less than 10 percent said they would go to a pharmacy or health care provider to get tested. Meanwhile, "The overall sensitivity of COVID-19 antigen tests is relatively low and even lower in individuals with only mild symptoms," the agency said. The CDC also raised practical concerns for isolation, including a lack of paid sick leave for many, social isolation, and "societal costs." The points are likely to land poorly with critics. “The CDC is again prioritizing short-term business interests over our health by caving to employer pressure on COVID guidelines. This is a pattern we’ve seen throughout the pandemic,” Lara Jirmanus, Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a press release last month after the news first broke of the CDC's planned isolation update. Jirmanus is a member of the People's CDC, a group that advocates for more aggressive COVID-19 policies, which put out the press release. Another member of the group, Sam Friedman, a professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, also blasted the CDC's stance last month. The guidance will "make workplaces and public spaces even more unsafe for everyone, particularly for people who are high-risk for COVID complications," he said.

But, the CDC argues that the threat of COVID-19 is fading. Hospitalizations, deaths, prevalence of long COVID, and COVID-19 complications in children (MIS-C) are all down. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe disease, death, and to some extent, long COVID—we just need more people to get them. Over 95% of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in the 2023–2024 respiratory season had no record of receiving the seasonal booster dose, the agency noted. Only 22% of adults got the latest shot, including only 42% of people ages 65 and older. In contrast, 48% of adults got the latest flu shot, including 73% of people ages 65 and older. But even with the crummy vaccination rates for COVID-19, a mix of past infection and shots have led to a substantial protection in the overall population. The CDC even went as far as arguing that COVID-19 deaths have fallen to a level that is similar to what's seen with flu. "Reported deaths involving COVID-19 are several-fold greater than those reported to involve influenza and RSV. However, influenza and likely RSV are often underreported as causes of death," the CDC said. In the 2022–2023 respiratory virus season, there were nearly 90,000 reported COVID-19 deaths. For flu, there were 9,559 reported deaths, but the CDC estimates the true number to be between 18,000 and 97,000. In the current season, there have been 32,949 reported COVID-19 deaths to date and 5,854 reported flu deaths, but the agency estimates the real flu deaths are between 17,000 and 50,000. "Total COVID-19 deaths, accounting for underreporting, are likely to be higher than, but of the same order of magnitude as, total influenza deaths," the agency concluded.

(say no to raw dough: CDC)

#please stay safe #the vaccines are safe #yes the covid shot is safe #covid is not a hoax #covid causes permanent long term damage to your body even if you're healthy #news #scicomm #science #ars technica #covid--19 #coronavirus #beth mole #pandemic #the cdc #centers for disease control #5 day covid isolation #yes you should stay home for at least 5 days if you test positive for covid #Open windows to ventilate indoor space with outdoor air to prevent virus transmission #Wear a mask that doesn't touch your lips #keep distance from others

[themadcapmathematician]

At home Covid tests costing between $7-30 each in the US. The FDA recommending you use three tests if you test negative. The government offering sporadic handfuls of free home tests per household; each household is determined by address. Have roommates? Have a big family? Homeless? Fuck you. "Get free tests from Health Co. inc. (TM)!" with the fine print "we'll bill your insurance." Having to travel to get a PCR test; hope you don't have to take a crowded bus or train for 40+ min each way. Hope it doesn't cost a $40 ride share fare. Hope you can get there at all. A PCR test being free only if you have insurance in the state you're getting the test, otherwise it's $150 per test. Hope you didn't lose your job. Hope you still qualify for Medicaid. Hope there wasn't a filing error, a missed phone call, an unfair means test, a confusingly worded webpage or document. Hope your job offers health insurance and paid sick days to part time workers, to people who haven't worked there for more than 6 months. Hope you've worked enough days to earn a single sick day. Hope you can earn sick days at all.

#cvd19 #covid 19 #covid test #coronavirus #uspol #madcap rants