#covid prevention

[willowreader]

This of course these protections would work if you are in a car with someone who might be asymptomatic. I got Covid from asymptomatic transmission. The person had no idea they had Covid. When I tested positive, I asked them to test too. They were positive. They are pretty sure they got it from a plane ride or the airport. They were not wearing a mask.

[he13na]

attention people of this planet:

STAY HOME IF YOU'RE SICK !!!

STOP CARELESSLY GOING AROUND AND INFECTING OTHERS !!!

YOU'RE THE PROBLEM !!!

[intelligentchristianlady]

Maybe you've decided that COVID is "over" and you're giving up any preventive measures. If not, this is a fascinating read. (Notes too.)

[veggiesforpresident]

covid cautious folks, ive heard the advice to use HEPA air filters and open windows, but i'm a little confused cause doesnt opening the window like, defeat the purpose of the air filter?

[feminist-space]

"Boston COVID Action Winter Surge Hotline:

(617) 652-0022

What is the Surge Hotline? Who is it for?

The Surge Hotline is a temporary, volunteer-run text and voicemail-based hotline for people in the Boston area created to respond to the Winter 2023 COVID surge.

Please only contact the hotline if you are in emergency need of high-filtration masks and/or tests due to a COVID infection or exposure. All supplies will be provided for free as soon as possible. We ask those without an emergent need to use our standard Request Form in order to keep the hotline responsive to needs that can’t wait more than a few days.

*If you are unsure whether you should contact the hotline, contact us!*"

[thebookishwallflower]

I want to make a post to inform people about the current situation with the bird flu (/avian flu/H5N1) outbreaks.

I don't want to cause panic but do want to spread information.

This is especially important if you live in an area that has a news system you don't trust to give accurate, timely, or honest news about something like a possible new pandemic, use your own judgement.

If that applies it is going to be very important to make sure you stay informed and follow these H5N1 outbreaks yourself and know how to best protect yourself.

I am no expert, but I do know a good bit about disease and influenza in particular, and have been following the H5N1 outbreaks as they've been happening, so under the cut I'm going to do my best to inform everyone I can.

Please stay safe, stay informed, and spread information, not germs.

What's bird flu and why do I care? (What's bird flu and why do I care?)

Avian flu and bird flu mean the same thing, an influenza virus that (primarily) infects birds. H5N1 denotes a specific strain of avian influenza. H5N1 can spillover (when a pathogen spreads from it's normal host organism to a new host organism) from animals to humans.

How could I get H5N1? (How could I get H5N1?)

Human to human transmission has not been observed yet (12/1/24) during this current outbreak. You can get this from contact with wild birds, especially water fowl, domestic birds, cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, and bats. It is also possible to get from raw (unpasteurized) milk and undercooked meat from infected animals.

What's the big deal then? (What's the big deal then?)

The common flu is not very pathogenic. How pathogenic something is determines how sick something makes the host, something that is highly pathogenic can cause severe disease. H5N1 is considered a HPAI, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.

H5N1 is also a Type A influenza virus, most known Type A influenza viruses can infect birds. There is one Type A human flu in circulation at the moment, however it isn't very prevalent.

"IAV poses a significant risk of zoonotic infection, host switch, and the generation of pandemic viruses. IAVs can infect humans and a variety of animals, such as pigs, horses, marine mammals, cats, dogs, and birds (S1)."

IAV - Influenza A Viruses | Zoonotic infection - when an infectious disease of a non-human host infects a human host | Host switch - when a cross-species transmission of a pathogen can lead to successful, stable, and continuous infections

Every species the flu infects, the more strains that pop up under a sub-type IAV, the possibility for recombination increases. "Recombination occurs when at least two viral genomes [or strains] co-infect the same host cell and exchange genetic segments (S2)."

The flu is pretty good at recombination, when given the chance. It is also really good at mutating, and fast. If there were to be a recombination event and a new strain evolved (this would be called an antigenic shift) that was highly pathogenic, highly infectious (good at spreading, which H5N1 is), that could then infect humans and cause human-to-human transmission we might have a pandemic on our hands. This has not shown signs of happening during this outbreak*, this is what to look out for.

This (a recombination event) is what caused the 1918 pandemic during WW1. This pandemic killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people in 1918, in a world with a population of around 2 billion. 7.1 million died of COVID 19, as of 11/9/24 (S3), from a population of around 8 billion.

We know more, we are prepared, it's not guaranteed to happen, and it's not guaranteed to be as bad. But the possibilities are endless and it's extremely important to be prepared and stay informed.

So what do I do? (So what do I do?)

Again, stay informed, and that might mean checking independent news sources, the CDC website, and more, to keep yourself updated, especially if you know your local news won't do it for you. You should also familiarize yourself with the symptoms of influenza, if you have it, stay home.

Keep yourself safe, we had a pandemic already, you know the drill. Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing/coughing, wash your hands, sanitize your hands, and get your flu shot. And, in addition, avoid contact with wild birds, poultry, pigs, and cattle if you can.

In the event that this gets worse, social distancing is very important, being outdoors, wearing a mask, and all the stuff above, you can shed the virus for around a week before you start feeling bad. Keep yourself safe and don't infect anyone else.

If that doesn't sound like it'll do much, I promise you it does. Those are all classified NPI's (non-pharmaceutical interventions) and even epidemiologists were shocked at their impact and importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. They did work, and they were incredibly effective—as long as they were carried out.

I don't want to cause panic or worry anyone, but that is how information ends of suppressed. I want to make everyone aware of what we might face so that we can fight it and be strong and stay safe.

If anyone has any questions, wants any clarification, any corrections, or wants to know some good places to learn more about this stuff please don't hesitate to contact me (@'s, dm's, or asks), I will answer as best I can.

Here's the CDC's page covering the H5 bird flu current situation.

S1 - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5578040/

S2 - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7106159/

S3 - https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/deaths?n=c

*with the exception of this coverage (as a possibility): https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/19/bird-flu-cases-mutation-canada

[unveilandresist]

if that's the case than saltwater rinses/gargles should help! just wanna keep the virus from replicating in your mucous membranes. I also use covixyl nasal spray, it forms a barrier in your nose for about 6 hours. There are other nasal spray options too, worth checking out, though some of them are made in Israel. I learned a lot from r/zerocovidcommunity and r/masks4all in terms of reducing risk.

and adequate airflow and filtration helps a ton too. get an air purifier with a hepa filter! crack windows if you can if there are a lot of people at your house (I know it's cold but just do what you can).

by January 10th 1 in 3 people will have had this wave of covid. covid causes long term damage with each infection and wears down your immunity. you do not want this. there is no cure for long covid or me/cfs and there is a significant chance (last I checked I think it was 1/5 infections) of getting long covid that increases with each infection. please protect yourself and your loved ones by wearing a mask. variants have become more transmissible so a n95 or kn95 is the minimum protection to keep yourself reasonably safe(r) from getting covid.

it is important to understand often viruses do not simply clear up and go away. like chicken pox and shingles or what we now think of as polio that is actually post polio syndrome. polio symptoms were mild and 75% of cases are asymptomatic. we do not yet see the full scope of what this virus will do over our lifetimes. as someone who had my entire life derailed by me/cfs after having mono, (almost 10 years ago! it hasn't gotten better!) we have to take pathogens more seriously if we care about ourselves and our communities.

I'm willing and open to talk with people who want to understand better what covid does to our bodies and how we can best practice community care and also harm reduction if we're stuck in unsafe situations at home or work (certain mouthwashes and nasal sprays can help).

if you're watching what's happening in Palestine and live in the US, the government doesn't care about your life either. They lied about palestine and they lied about covid too. It is not just a cold.

[willowreader]

A very readable article from Australia. There is some great information about safety.

[kittenquasar]

Why do people look at me more when I wear a mask? It's like they see this gender ambiguous body and assume the "worst" is under the mask and treat me weird. Like girl I'm pretty and you are out of pocket for treating me bad because i don't want to bring covid home (or because I have stubble heh). I've gotten more colds/flus in the past two years than I got in the preceeding like 8! People are gross and covid is airborne now! Wear a mask when it's busy! It isn't hard I just wish people didn't treat me worse for wearing one :(

[mckitterick]

The research shows that any mask is much better than no mask, and an N95 is significantly better than the other options.

"The research shows that any mask is much better than no mask, and an N95 is significantly better than the other options. That’s the No. 1 message."

So-called “duckbill” N95 masks scored highest in the study. The inexpensive masks, which have two head straps and a horizontal seam, blocked 99% of large virus particles and 98% of small ones, thanks to the design’s tight seal, powerful filter, and large air space for breath to circulate, according to the study published in eBioMedicine.

The researchers also found that - in what might come as a surprise to many - cloth masks outperformed the brand of KN95 mask tested.

If you have any reason to suspect you might have an infection, wear your mask!

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

Hiii I hope youre doing alright. <3 I remember you mentioning you use a certain mouth wash to help with covid protection and Im just wondering what mouth wash it was? Im not sure what ingredients to look for so I figured Id ask. Tysm for the help! I hope this isnt too annoying to respond to. 😅🙈

Hi I love asks like these bc I love sharing information and this is straightforward n easy to answer!! I hope you don't mind me answering publicly bc I think more people should know about this!!

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is the mouthwash ingredient that kills covid virus in the mouth and upper throat!

Ideally paired with other preventatives, it can drastically reduce risk since it reduces the amount of live virus at the point of infection. I use it right after being around people I don't live with, and during long events I have a travel bottle in my purse to refresh every couple hours. I use this mouthwash (under $4 for a big bottle): https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Alcohol-Free-Multi-Action-Antiseptic-Oral-Rinse-Zesty-Mint-33-8-fl-oz/26441079

(If you end up buying it elsewhere, double check for "Cetylpyridinium chloride" in the active ingredients. Some search results are misleading.)

Nose sprays can also help mitigate covid risk: https://www.okdoomer.io/nose-sprays-offer-a-last-line-of-defense/?ref=ok-doomer-newsletter

Fun fact, even if you DO get covid, studies have shown the fewer virus particles you're exposed to when you first get infected, the less severe the infection itself is likely to be for you!!

[i-still-mask-because]

I still mask because:

I don't want any of my disabilities to get worse

I'm still young and I want a long future. I really *do* want to live my life

I'm afraid of the unseen damage that could be done to my body that medical professionals would brush off or minimize

People seem to care less about getting people sick now (less covering mouths when coughing/sneezing, coming to gatherings sick without telling anyone, minimizing flus and vomiting bugs as no big deal, etc). Even if it's not covid, I have a deep fear of sickness and I don't want to catch *anything*.

Being covid-concious is barely a thing in my country

I hope even one person will see me and think about wearing a mask themself

😷

[ricisidro]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory group today recommended a second 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine dose, spaced 6 months apart, for people ages 65 and older and for people in younger age-groups who have moderate or severe immunocompromising conditions.

The group also recommended an extra dose, three or more, in people with immunocompromising conditions.

#SARSCOV2 #COVID19

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cdc-vaccine-advisers-recommend-second-covid-vaccine-dose-seniors-immune-compromised

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

It’s wacky every time I see a stupid callout or some kink discourse post and trace the origin back to an actual child.

If you’re not old or mature enough to view sexually explicit material, then perhaps your opinion on how adults have sex with other adults does not fucking matter.

[azuresquirrel]

I say this not to hector, not to lecture, not to shame, for people to really, really sit and think about this;

if you got complacent about the spread of COVID since 2021 you can put the mask back on at any time.

If you want to protect the most vulnerable in your community, stop the spread.

That friend of yours with a disability? with a chronic illness? Think about them and what the world is like for them.

If you can't wear a mask in one place, think about where you can particularly in places where vulnerable people NEED to be. The grocery store. The pharmacy. The doctor's office. The bus or the train.

and in places where you can't mask? Look up nasal sprays. There are a lot that mitigate COVID infections. Not as well as a good-quality respirator mask, but every mitigation effect has an impact.

If you want to do things for the good for your community, let this be your first step.