Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, experts warned about the possibility of spreading viruses to higher-risk older people who might be seeing extended family. Now that we are a few weeks out from the first of our two big holiday travel events of the season, we can look to see whether there was an uptick in RSV-related hospitalizations, as expected and feared.
It’s frustrating there is no safe way to receive it
It’s only available at CVS and Walgreens
Standing in line with unmasked customers and waited on by unmasked staff, while some customers are buying rapid tests or picking up Paxlovid is not safe
If it were me, I would go first thing in the morning and wear an n95. The odds of getting anything in a brief encounter when the air is relatively unbusy (i.e. hundreds of people have not just spent hours coughing in that general vicinity) with a good n95 is pretty low. Not risk free but something to consider. I agree! We need really safe vaccination spaces for immunocompromised folks.
Vaxed at CVS in Walnut Creek CA at designated Vax Appt WINDOW ( not a line) .
Also, Separate Vax CVS Recovery Seat Available but, not necessary. Pick out a savy-service oriented CVS Rep; High Marks for CVS East Bay Bay Area Bay Area CA
Separate strategy at UCSF Health for immuno-compromised.
It’s crazy how no one is masking! I don’t go out much to any enclosed place with lots of individuals unless I have to, such as the grocery store, doctor visits, dentist or ortho visits. But when I do I will wear a N95 mask. Lots of friends have children who just preformed in winter break performances and so many are now sick with either covid-19, RSV or both. I also have several HS classmates who became sick with covid-19 after the Thanksgiving holiday from family gatherings. Right before Thanksgiving covid-19 finally got me. Ugh. Paxlovid saved me, but it took me about 2 1/2 weeks to finally feel 100%. I have an assumption of how I contracted covid-19, but it really could have been anywhere. My thoughts on contracting it was from an orthodontist visit when I had to get a new Invisalign retainer. There were people in the waiting room coughing, no one was wearing a mask, except me and when it was finally my turn to be seen, the back was full of kids mostly. Some of the staff had masks on, but none were wearing an N95. Working as a school nurse every single kid who comes to the health office district wide not feeling well always test positive for covid-19. So that’s how I figured I finally caught covid-19 during that ortho appointment when I did have to take off my mask for close to an hour to be fitted for a new one. Before finally catching covid-19, I hadn’t been sick for nearly 4 years. My symptoms were as follows: the night before I had body aches and chills. Took a rapid test and it turned positive immediately! I took some Tylenol and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning the body aches and chills were gone but I then had congestion and what felt like a bad cold. I had some coughing, but it wasn’t like I was coughing nonstop. I got a prescription of Paxlovid that day and road out the covid-19 ride. I am vaccinated and fully boosted, receiving the most current covid-19 booster when it came out this past September. I know that also helped me. During the 2 1/2 weeks, although I didn’t feel well, I wasn’t bed bound. I was up and about in my home. But rested the entire time and the only time I went out was to be seen at the urgent care and to pick up the prescription of Paxlovid where I wore an N95 mask. I waited in my car after checking in to see the doctor for the Paxlovid prescription and was able to go thru the CVS pharmacy drive thru to pick up the Paxlovid prescription. I tested positive for covid-19 on the rapid tests for 6 days straight and finally tested negative on the 7th day. I continued to test on the rapids every few days after to make sure it stayed negative. I was at Trader Joe’s the other day, wearing my N95 and all I could think of while I was shopping was about all the other shoppers and staff who were not wearing a mask and how they will more than likely get sick with covid-19, RSV, the flu or all of them,and how it will impact all the urgent cares and ED’s. Not good.
As for my Thanksgiving, it was different being sick. I also stayed away from my lab pup and 2 cats and masked when I fed them. Didn’t want them getting sick if that is even possible. Word at the vets offices are lots of sick pups. Luckily my animals did not get sick. Be safe and stay well friends! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
I’m 64 and immunocompromised
I would like to get the RSV vaccine
It’s frustrating there is no safe way to receive it
It’s only available at CVS and Walgreens
Standing in line with unmasked customers and waited on by unmasked staff, while some customers are buying rapid tests or picking up Paxlovid is not safe
There needs to be safer ways to get vaccinated
If it were me, I would go first thing in the morning and wear an n95. The odds of getting anything in a brief encounter when the air is relatively unbusy (i.e. hundreds of people have not just spent hours coughing in that general vicinity) with a good n95 is pretty low. Not risk free but something to consider. I agree! We need really safe vaccination spaces for immunocompromised folks.
Vaxed at CVS in Walnut Creek CA at designated Vax Appt WINDOW ( not a line) .
Also, Separate Vax CVS Recovery Seat Available but, not necessary. Pick out a savy-service oriented CVS Rep; High Marks for CVS East Bay Bay Area Bay Area CA
Separate strategy at UCSF Health for immuno-compromised.
Sounds better ! Unfortunately not how CVS works in MA.
One very long line to pick up prescriptions, ask pharmacist questions and wait for your vaccination appointment 😞
And no one is masking, customers or staff
It’s crazy how no one is masking! I don’t go out much to any enclosed place with lots of individuals unless I have to, such as the grocery store, doctor visits, dentist or ortho visits. But when I do I will wear a N95 mask. Lots of friends have children who just preformed in winter break performances and so many are now sick with either covid-19, RSV or both. I also have several HS classmates who became sick with covid-19 after the Thanksgiving holiday from family gatherings. Right before Thanksgiving covid-19 finally got me. Ugh. Paxlovid saved me, but it took me about 2 1/2 weeks to finally feel 100%. I have an assumption of how I contracted covid-19, but it really could have been anywhere. My thoughts on contracting it was from an orthodontist visit when I had to get a new Invisalign retainer. There were people in the waiting room coughing, no one was wearing a mask, except me and when it was finally my turn to be seen, the back was full of kids mostly. Some of the staff had masks on, but none were wearing an N95. Working as a school nurse every single kid who comes to the health office district wide not feeling well always test positive for covid-19. So that’s how I figured I finally caught covid-19 during that ortho appointment when I did have to take off my mask for close to an hour to be fitted for a new one. Before finally catching covid-19, I hadn’t been sick for nearly 4 years. My symptoms were as follows: the night before I had body aches and chills. Took a rapid test and it turned positive immediately! I took some Tylenol and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning the body aches and chills were gone but I then had congestion and what felt like a bad cold. I had some coughing, but it wasn’t like I was coughing nonstop. I got a prescription of Paxlovid that day and road out the covid-19 ride. I am vaccinated and fully boosted, receiving the most current covid-19 booster when it came out this past September. I know that also helped me. During the 2 1/2 weeks, although I didn’t feel well, I wasn’t bed bound. I was up and about in my home. But rested the entire time and the only time I went out was to be seen at the urgent care and to pick up the prescription of Paxlovid where I wore an N95 mask. I waited in my car after checking in to see the doctor for the Paxlovid prescription and was able to go thru the CVS pharmacy drive thru to pick up the Paxlovid prescription. I tested positive for covid-19 on the rapid tests for 6 days straight and finally tested negative on the 7th day. I continued to test on the rapids every few days after to make sure it stayed negative. I was at Trader Joe’s the other day, wearing my N95 and all I could think of while I was shopping was about all the other shoppers and staff who were not wearing a mask and how they will more than likely get sick with covid-19, RSV, the flu or all of them,and how it will impact all the urgent cares and ED’s. Not good.
As for my Thanksgiving, it was different being sick. I also stayed away from my lab pup and 2 cats and masked when I fed them. Didn’t want them getting sick if that is even possible. Word at the vets offices are lots of sick pups. Luckily my animals did not get sick. Be safe and stay well friends! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!