Well, the takeway is twofold – (1) masking and social distancing reduce the risk of exposure, but do not eliminate it. Even the vaccines do not afford 100% protection, and (2) A large segment, possible majority of cases are either asymptomatic or so mildly symptomatic that the infected person doesn’t suspect Covid. If my daughter hadn’t had plans for a weekend get-together with one or two friends, she wouldn’t have gotten tested and wouldn’t know it was Covid. Or if she and her friends weren’t all committing to getting tested prior to these very occasional get togethers-- then she would have gone ahead and potentially exposed the others.
On the other hand, maybe there is something to the viral load theory and all of that social distancing and masking is a reason that my daughter only has a mild case. Then again she is in her early 30’s with no other risk factors.
I can’t really blame carelessness of others for my daughter’s infection – while the dental visit appears to be the most risky, there are plenty of other points of potential exposure. Again, because wearing a mask is not 100% effective. My daughter’s husband is negative so now he has to quarantine – but who is to say that he didn’t have an asymptomatic case himself two weeks ago, but now is testing negative because he is recovered rather than never-infected?
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? With all the technology at our fingertips, this shows how we just don’t know everything. I am tired of it, but it doesn’t really lend itself to that. Blah.
If we had inexpensive daily quick tests for contagiousness that people can use at home each morning before they go anyplace where they may encounter other people, that would have helped. Such testing could even help with alerting people in the household for the need for an in-household quarantine if someone tests positive without obvious symptoms.
@calmom I had a very similar experience. We were extremely cautious, except we had to travel. One day of travel with numerous precautions, and I tested positive 4 days later. ( I outlined my story on the travel thread).
No symptoms (at first). We tested only because we traveled, and thought it a responsible thing to do. But caution: I, too, had very light symptoms until day 10 after testing. Then they hit! Very odd.
DH also tested negative with absolutely NO symptoms. His MD said false positives are extremely rare, but false negatives can be as high as 40%.
False negatives may be due to getting tested too soon after the suspected infection event. After infection, it usually takes a few days before the viral load is high enough to produce a positive test result, so testing too soon after the infection means testing before the viral load can be high enough.
For example:
Day 0: suspected infection event
Day 1: test with typical three day wait for results
Day 3: viral load becomes high enough to be detectable and contagious
Day 4: test result comes back negative, person incorrectly assumes that they are “safe” when they are infected and contagious
I’ve heard about the delayed onset of more serious symptoms – but all I can do is hope. I hope that you are now recovered! My daughter’s husband will test again next week – he was feeling somewhat off today, but couldn’t tell whether he is coming down with something or just feeling general malaise. I have also read that false negatives with PCR testing are more common, largely tied to the timing of the test – and that false positives from the test itself are far less likely.
DH and I are just getting over Covid. He played cards with his buddies (6 guys) on a Wednesday night (no masks, indoors), Thursday one started to feel sick, Monday three felt sick (including DH) and subsequently tested positive. The remaining 2 quarantined but never got sick. I was exposed Monday morning, I took my weekly test for work Tuesday which was negative, I came down with symptoms Thursday and tested positive. I had my first Pfizer shot 13 days prior to getting sick. Both of us had what was considered mild symptoms. DH had diarrhea, cough, 99F fever. He didn’t really get out of bed the first 3 days, then he would have a good day followed by a bad day. I had a headache the first two days. I felt like I had a fever but it was always below 99 (although usually it is below 98). I had a stuffy (but not runny) nose, and I lost my sense of smell.
I was big into this (at home, cheap tests you could take daily) and everything Michael Mina and e25 were saying last summer. I was sure it would eventually come to fruition. But now I hear nothing about this. Did this idea just disappear? Or was it proven that the tests were simply just way way too inaccurate even for the testing for contagiousness? I really believed these could have been the game-changer…
@tx5athome, If this is too intrusive please ignore, but are you at all resentful that your husband ignored public health recommendations in being unmasked indoors at a social gathering and brought this virus into your home? I would have a problem with that scenario, which is why I ask.
I went to look at an apartment yesterday but did not go in because the couple living there both were working at home, had been there all day, and did not wear masks, even when I was about to enter.
Yes @calgal I am furious with my husband. I told him multiple times playing cards is one of the most dangerous things you can do. My adult children are very upset with him.
I don’t blame you, @tx5athome. I’m sure he didn’t deliberately get infected/infect you, but he didn’t deliberately protect you either. He, like most people, just probably engaged in the magical thinking of “that happens to other people, not us.”
Yes, C-19 has hit close to home. DH lost his mother two weeks ago. She and my SIL got sick with covid just after the holidays and seemed to be recovering. But MIL fell and had to be hospitalized. Her condition deteriorated and she never recovered. Her doctor said she had suffered a covid-related seizure which caused her fall. It was an awful experience for the family.