I keep wondering when I’m going to get it.
2 Likes
Perhaps you already got it (asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic) and did not know it?
Only way to really know is to get a nucleocapsid antibody test (which detects antibodies to parts of the virus other than the spike proteins induced by vaccines used in the US).
1 Like
My 87 y/o father tested positive on Wednesday. He is fully vaxxed and boosted, and this is the first time he has had Covid. My mother thinks he got it when he went to church last Sunday b/c he had not really been anywhere else (he is a Catholic deacon, serves Eucharist and has stopped wearing a mask!! 
) My mother does not go to church and as of yesterday she has no symptoms. She has not yet tested as she wanted to wait a few days after his symptoms arose, since she has none herself yet. She will test herself today or tomorrow I think as a precaution.
Fortunately, my dad’s symptoms are mild. The first day he had a low grade fever, mild congestion and a dry hacking cough. He started Paxlovid the next afternoon. When I talked to my mom yesterday, she said the fever had not returned after the first day, and aside from the dry hacking cough, he feels fine.
Despite his age, he is healthy but obviously I worry since he is elderly. Fortunately my mother is a retired nurse so she is keeping a watchful eye. They live in a spacious one story house and due to my mother’s difficulty sleeping, they already sleep in separate bedrooms. He is able to isolate in his den and bedroom. Unfortunately S22 goes back to college on Monday so we hoped to have dinner with them this weekend, but that is obviously not happening!
My 90 year old mom had Covid last summer . Very mild Symptoms gone in about 72 hours. No paxlovid even. She was boosted but the new bivalent was not available obviously.
1 Like
Well, just minutes after I posted about my dad, I got a text from him just now saying my mom tested positive this morning! Inevitable. This is her first time as well.
I hope all goes well for them. It must be scary with age concerns, etc. I keep wondering when FIL will get it - or if he’s gotten it, but was lucky enough to be asymptomatic.
H and I are still debating whether we should get the bivalent booster. We’ve had all 4 other shots (2P and 2M), plus had Covid last June.
1 Like
I hope your parents don’t have any issues and have light cases of Covid. My parents had Covid last summer and they both got Paxlovid and came through it well.
My fully vaxxed/boosted 86 y/o Dad got it for the first time about a month ago. He got so weak that I had to hire 24/7 care for him (he lives in independent living tower at a large multi-care level retirement community) for about 5 days. He took Paxlovid as well, and came out of it okay. I shudder to think how he would have done without vaccination and Paxlovid.
I would appreciate advice on my father-in-law situation - he’s 90 years old and lives in an assisted living facility. There are several levels of assisted living situation and he is in the highest need level. He tested positive of COVID yesterday, fully vaccinated and boosted. He and one other resident are positive in a pod of 5 residents, supposedly no staff are positive. I don’t know how he could have gotten it when he never leaves his room. He also doesn’t know the other resident who also is positive or interacted with her ever.
Supposedly FIL doesn’t feel too bad, but my H and I don’t really know bc he never really says too much in any detail. Obviously given his age and overall poor health, he should take Paxlovid. However, there is a concern about drug interaction with one his regular meds, amiodarone (blood pressure med) so the pharmacist recommends stop taking amiodarone for full 8 day while on Paxlovid. OR take Molnupiravir, an alternative covid therapy, that is not as effective as Paxlovid.
Of course, given that it’s Saturday, he/we can’t get hold of his doctor or nurse practitioner until Monday. The geriatric triage center that works with the assisted living facility is not answering phone calls this afternoon so all we can do it leave a message. The nurse at the facility will dispense whatever the pharmacist prescribes but I don’t feel comfortable on how to advise my FIL. He thinks he wants to wait until Monday if his doc or NP will check in on him. I don’t know if either checking on him is guaranteed.
Anyone has experience with similar drug interaction concern? I was told that thee dosage of amidarone is low (200 mg) so stopping it for 8 days should not be too concerning, but FIL will need to be monitor closely. Any knowledge of the efficacy of Molnupiravir?
Don’t wait until Monday. You need to have paxlovid prescribed within 5 days of symptoms starting.
Call the practice, someone will be on call on the weekend. Ask for a prescription or telemedicine appointment if available.
I would assume that someone your fil interacts with has covid, could be incidental since covid is so infectious.
Good luck, and sorry you have to be dealing with this over the weekend
My uncle had covid over the holidays. He wasn’t a candidate for paxlovid due to some medication he’s on.
Sounds like you know everything I just said. Again so sorry for this to be happening on the weekend.
Edited to say 
on people not answering their phone. Geez, they know better. My sympathy.
4 Likes
Is it true that paxlovid is no longer being subsidized by the government and is now several hundred dollars for a treatment?
Agree someone will be on call at his regular doctor’s office. Call now and you should hear back quickly.
Thanks for your reply. It’s so frustrating that emergencies always happen on weekends or middle of the night!
This is the drug interaction info from NIH - Paxlovid Drug-Drug Interactions | COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines
Since being a resident at the AS facility, he was advised by the staff there to use their in-house geriatric medical team for quicker response, etc. It hasn’t really worked out that way. He’s frustrated and very unhappy. But he’s also a very stubborn, but kind man, who does not want to take any advice or ask for any help. He’s in MN and we are in IL. It’s hard to get real info from him and H doesn’t want to get too involved bc his history with his F has been this way forever - never discuss anything and not willing to change.
I know that nursing homes and assisted living facilities have had real staffing shortages these past 3 years. That’s one of the reasons why my mom and I took care of my dad when his health decline heavily due to his vascular dementia. Given that FIL is in a different state, he definitely could not live on his own after his fall this past spring. The rehab facility post hospitalization and 2 different assisted living facilities have been truly disappointing. He’s also paying over $12k monthly currently.
looks like mid-2023 when the federal prepaid supply will run out.
1 Like
And Monday is a holiday!
1 Like
I may be mixing your situation up but out of the back of my mind, is your fil a physician?
If so, physicians are the worst patients! At least the ones in my family are.
I know, my husband hates to upset the Apple cart. And my mom is in rehab right now and staffing is such an issue. It’s really hard to know what to do.
@bluebayou this was buried in that article.
“One group doesn’t need to worry about sticker shock. Medicaid, the public insurance program for low-income adults and children, will cover the treatments in full until at least early 2024.”
It also says Pfizer vaccine won’t be free either.
What about Moderna? Or is it all vaccines? And will Medicaid cover those until early 2024.
Guess the rest of us need to have an emergency fund for COVID related things.
No, not a physician…formerly a financial advisor. His stubbornness and independence traits are from his midwest scandinavian upbringing. Never ever complain, just deal with problems and discomfort quietly. I didn’t grow up this way so I don’t get it all.
Pharmacist approved Paxlovid and will have it deliver to AS, but he recommends FIL and family discuss the pros and cons of Paxlovid if he’s off amiodarone for 8 days. Still waiting for call back from his doctor. I have a strong feeling no one wants to make a decision bc they don’t want to be liable!
1 Like
Oy! I forgot that it’s a holiday, but isn’t it mostly a banking holiday? Though I don’t know what really goes on in MN.
1 Like
Covid vaccines are covered as a Preventive Service for ACA plans.
Paxlovid will be covered under a pharmacy plan subject to the plan’s deductibles and copays.
1 Like