At the school district in particular, or in the city/county? I think you are rural-ish, right? (Obvs ignore if that’s too identifying)
1 Like
City level! We are urban!
2 Likes
That makes sense (in that I’d expect that to happen): Denver just lifted theirs too.
2 Likes
Larimer county in Northern Colorado is lifting theirs on Saturday. I’m not sure about the school district, they’ve been unclear if they’re keeping the mask mandate or following the county.
My county has not had a mask mandate since some time before May of last year, and repealing the mask mandate was the first order of business after the school board election last fall. The risk level in my county as well as nearby counties that have had mandates is extremely high, with similar case counts on a per capita basis.
Here the hospitals have never gone below one support person, but occasionally increase to two. I would really like two because the baby daddy will not be the best birthing support but is the best parent on earth.
8 Likes
It would have been awful to have just one when my first was born because I was just in labor TOO LONG for any one person! Whatever my ex’s flaws, and anyone who came from MMM knows they are numerous and varied, he was actually a great labor support person, but by the time BB arrived he had been awake for 40 hours except for the naps he was able to get when my mom was with me- and vice versa. So I am lucky that was pre-covid and my heart goes out to people who had to muddle through.
that you will be able to have 2 when the time comes!
3 Likes
Vaccines have definitely helped here. Not the magic bullet I think we were hoping for to reduce the spread, omicron changed that, but certainly in regards to deaths and hospitalizations.
But they have also highlighted how much we fail the disabled, elderly and chronically ill. Unvaccinated people are over represented in hospitals and fatalities but those other groups even more so. A lot of people look at that as reassuring because “it’s not me” but there is another side to it. What is happening in aged care here at the moment is awful and it was very predictable.
11 Likes
Yep. My grandma just got into a nursing home here, she really needed to be in one months ago, and I’m simultaneously glad and worried.
9 Likes
I’ve mentioned it in another non-COVID thread already, but I tested positive last week.
I remained symptom free and had only tested due to exposure and I’m vaxxed + boosted. However, TODAY, almost a week after inital positive test (and full week after exposure), I’m getting a bit snotty? Our official guidelines say to isolate 7 days after start of symptoms, or 7 days total in case of no symptoms. I’m almost there in a no-symptom scenario. I really, really don’t wanna start counting all over again :(.
Note: obvsly happy I’m having a mild case and isolation has been easy on me, so this is mostly just whining a little because 7 days isolation is no fun but fine, 12 much less.
18 Likes
It’s a little unusual, especially with Omicron, for symptoms to start ~1 week after getting infected. There are also other things circulating. You could try taking rapid tests, x2 on consecutive days to be conservative, and if you’re negative, end isolation.
As other people have said on this thread, PCR will amplify miniscule amounts of viral genetic material & can remain positive for months. Rapids test for unamplified viral proteins and are thought to correlate better with infectivity. (Though I’m not aware of definitive studies proving this, and I don’t know why they haven’t been done.)
If you do end isolation, it would still make sense to take reasonable precautions, such as wearing a well-fitting high-grade mask in public for the next week or so.
If you’re positive on rapid, you’re sort of stuck with isolation.
7 Likes
Huh, it just occurred to me to see when I ordered the four free tests - just over two weeks ago. I have the confirmation email but I haven’t heard anything about them being shipped yet. I did deliberately wait to order them so other people with more need could hopefully get theirs sooner - we don’t need them much and we have three stashed away.
3 Likes
My mom ordered same day as me and just got hers yesterday. I think it’s a bit of tossup as to when folks are getting them.
3 Likes
They started by prioritizing hard hit zip codes (theoretically) but not sure the order after that.
3 Likes
Yes, I thought indeed that if I still had no symptoms by day 5 or so I should be good with omicron. Maybe I’m one of the slow incubaters.
I rapid tested yesterday and today and both came back positive. I was hoping to end isolation Saturday but I guess could deal with 1-2 more days. Just hoping it won’t be more. At least we have a fresh stock of rapid tests at home so I can test all I want 
6 Likes
a very 2022 sentence right there.
Wishing you speedy recovery!
10 Likes
That makes sense. And I used a rapid test … sometime prior to Thanksgiving? Haven’t needed one since, so we are definitely a household that should not be at the top of the list.
3 Likes
Saw on the news last night that Nevada will announce rescinding the mask mandate today. Many western states have recently announced the same.
1 Like
How did y’all manage not to need any tests over the holidays and the omicron craziness of January? I feel like we went through so many tests in the past like 6 weeks.
2 Likes
My office’s work party was outdoors in mid-December, I also had a work lunch that was outdoors in early December, otherwise I work from home. In theory I’d need to test if I’m going in the building but even that’s optional since I’m vaccinated (masks are required for all, though). Mr. Meer was sneezing for like a day last week but that was the only symptom of anything, it didn’t occur to either of us for him to test. (That reminds me, pollen season is starting, yay …)
My dad came up for Christmas but we’re all vaccinated and taking precautions so we didn’t even talk about doing rapid tests - my dad and his wife don’t interact with other people face to face much, neither do I or Mr. Meer (dad’s wife is retired, the rest of us WFH). And with Kiddo going back to school in January in a mask-optional classroom there was also a certain level of “Fuck it”. If anyone had any kind of symptom that would be different - the last rapid test I used was actually because I was getting over a cold at the same time that we were going to visit my dad’s house (in ye olden times pre-omicron).
What was causing y’all to use tests?