Covid Curious

[dvcgirl67]

Seems like Disney is a COVID case waiting to happen. After nearly 2.5 years free and clear of COVID we spent 1 freaking day at MK (7/1) and sure enough on 7/3 a little throat tickle, 7/5 wife and I positive. 7/13 one of our 2 children positive. Clearly from one of us. Kind of makes you wonder about the infection time laid out by the CDC.

We spent 5 days at Universal back after xmas and came home fine (funny thing, our first ever trip to Universal due to the various value cuts implemented by Disney). Universal was requiring all guests to wear masks in line and had ample sanitizer around the park and rides. While at Disney, we were generally the only ones wearing masks insides the attractions and on their buses, sadly for us not while in a line. I kept looking for sanitizer on rides, most were empty. I guess one more cheap cut in cost by Disney. The restaurant at the New Orleans resort offered no outside seating. So for the first time in 2+ years we ate inside. We stayed several tables away from other people.

Long story, we had to change some of our behavior that has worked since the beginning due to the shortsightedness of Disney. As a results, we got mildly sick. Had we not tested at Walgreens neither of us would have believed we had COVID. Since we were expecting to spend some other time with at risk family it was prudent to find out. It was weaker than the weakest cold that I've ever had.

And we drove to both parks.

Oh totally.....Disney has to be swimming in covid right now. I think this variant is one you can contract outdoors in tight crowds for sure. Or it hangs in the air longer indoors...etc. Like you, we remained covid free for 2.5 years. We only dined inside for about one month in May/early June of 2021, after our second vaccine during those golden few weeks where it seemed like we might be beyond all of it. We've adapted our lives to eating outdoors in nicer weather, doing take-out in the colder months, testing ourselves before seeing our elderly parents...etc.

So, I feel your pain....having not been sick for years, not even the sniffles, when DH started to feel crappy the night we returned.... we knew our number was up. I intentionally just gave in...figuring, we'll do this together. And while it's not fun, it's not as bad as some people I know....even some younger people that I know recently who got it and were in bed for 4-5 days. Still, once we recover I still see us only dining outdoors. I don't want to catch this variant again and be out of work for another week or so. However, if I've learned anything....it's that we shouldn't put off plans for vacations. I honestly don't miss indoor dining in my town as 75% of those occasiosl are just DH and me out together. But we have seriously missed vacations and had the *best* time getting away. We have an 8 day trip planned for December in Costa Rica with the same kind of plan we had for this trip....it's a resort with outdoor dining, outdoor spa options...etc. I'm already looking forward to it .

 

[PinkPixel]

We were there May 1-15. DH had to leave the park early on the 14th, our last park day due to not feeling well. He went to CVS the next day for a PCR test. We headed home and he used one of the test kits we had there and was positive. He was really bad at hat point and was able to get the monoclonal antibody treatment that same day. The rest of us tested negative so we isolated him. By the next day I was showing symptoms and tested positive also. Got my antibody treatment that same day. The kids and grandkids are starting now with different mild symptoms of sore throats and fevers. They are just self medicating for each symptom. But pretty sure all 6 of us got it.

What state and location did you monoclonal?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

we're two positives that aren't counted anywhere...just home testing

While at home testing has def. become predominant there are places where that is counted. Our county has it up where we can disclose brief information. I doubt a lot of people are doing it but our county def. isn't the only one out there where you can report your at home test results both positive and negative.

You might check back with your area to see if you can, as with the pandemic things are ever changing.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would not be surprised if in a few months it comes out with experts saying the current variant has a shorter time span for symptoms after exposure.

That has already been known since last winter when Omicron made its appearance. Without going too far here, there is information available on the CDC's website including an early and limited study published December 31st 2021 regarding Omicron vs prior variants. *note it's more or less the average some will be sooner some will be later

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

While not Disney we just got back from Silver Dollar City Sunday evening. We tested at home just prior to leaving on Friday afternoon with it being negative. We'll test at home in a few days. If we feel symptomatic I'll speed that up as well as get a PCR test.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Seems like Disney is a COVID case waiting to happen. After nearly 2.5 years free and clear of COVID we spent 1 freaking day at MK (7/1) and sure enough on 7/3 a little throat tickle, 7/5 wife and I positive. 7/13 one of our 2 children positive. Clearly from one of us. Kind of makes you wonder about the infection time laid out by the CDC.

We spent 5 days at Universal back after xmas and came home fine (funny thing, our first ever trip to Universal due to the various value cuts implemented by Disney). Universal was requiring all guests to wear masks in line and had ample sanitizer around the park and rides. While at Disney, we were generally the only ones wearing masks insides the attractions and on their buses, sadly for us not while in a line. I kept looking for sanitizer on rides, most were empty. I guess one more cheap cut in cost by Disney. The restaurant at the New Orleans resort offered no outside seating. So for the first time in 2+ years we ate inside. We stayed several tables away from other people.

Long story, we had to change some of our behavior that has worked since the beginning due to the shortsightedness of Disney. As a results, we got mildly sick. Had we not tested at Walgreens neither of us would have believed we had COVID. Since we were expecting to spend some other time with at risk family it was prudent to find out. It was weaker than the weakest cold that I've ever had.

And we drove to both parks.

Not so sure I can jump to that conclusion
we visited 7/1-7/7 and returned free and clear of symptoms. We flew. Took no special precautions. Ate indoors. No masks. Never touch hand sanitize. Think it makes things worse quite honestly. Etc. I think you get it. Or you don’t. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Not any more than you can stop a cold. You either get a cold or you don’t. Can’t explain why

 

[dvcgirl67]

While at home testing has def. become predominant there are places where that is counted. Our county has it up where we can disclose brief information. I doubt a lot of people are doing it but our county def. isn't the only one out there where you can report your at home test results both positive and negative.

You might check back with your area to see if you can, as with the pandemic things are ever changing.

That’s a good idea…I will check with my county tomorrow.

 

[dvcgirl67]

While not Disney we just got back from Silver Dollar City Sunday evening. We tested at home just prior to leaving on Friday afternoon with it being negative. We'll test at home in a few days. If we feel symptomatic I'll speed that up as well as get a PCR test.

Not so sure I can jump to that conclusion
we visited 7/1-7/7 and returned free and clear of symptoms. We flew. Took no special precautions. Ate indoors. No masks. Never touch hand sanitize. Think it makes things worse quite honestly. Etc. I think you get it. Or you don’t. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Not any more than you can stop a cold. You either get a cold or you don’t. Can’t explain why

Yes, I suppose this is true. But this variant is the most transmissible, and so I do think the odds tick up a bit. It all comes down to risk tolerance with respect to travel/activities, which it has been for awhile now I guess. I'm just thinking of it now as a potential "vacation killer"....if you contract it on the way to your destination or in the first day or so of a vacation.

We were "lucky" enough that my husband contracted in the final couple of days of our vacation and began with symptoms the night we returned. So he was most sick on Saturday, Sunday and Monday....I got it on Monday....I've been sickest today and yesterday. I feel the worst I've felt so far last night and this morning. My husband is still coughing like crazy, especially at night and in the morning. Had we gotten this on the way to Cabo...we would absolutely have been stuck in our rooms for the 8 days/nights. We're on day five now, and I think we'd need another three days or so before we'd be well enough to even fly home...even with KN95s on. I'm sure we would still be coughing a bit and getting lots of looks. Had the testing requirements been in place for international travel....there's no doubt in my mind we would have gotten stuck in Mexico.

 

[bakerworld]

Finally caught a covid strain after 8 trips to WDW and 1 trip to Europe. Did not isolate at home from spouse or son and neither became sick or tested positive. I did isolate from public. I caught the laryngitis with a sore throat strain with no other symptoms. I wouldn't have believed it was covid if I hadn't tested. Surviving the vaccine and boosters was worse.

 

[bakerworld]

I have to say that I wasn't surprised to become sick. I haven't worn a mask to anything except my chiro for months - not on the airplanes or stores or bars. Our son only goes to work however several of his co-workers have been positive.

 

[meremac]

My whole family (myself, DH, DS16, DS14) were at WDW and Universal from 6/24-7/4. We are all vaxxed and boosted. Completely let our guard down this trip for the first time since the pandemic: no masks, indoor dining, parks every day. Got home 7/4, then I turned around and flew back to WDW on 7/9. Again, no masks and indoor dining. Spent one day at the parks then sailed on the Wish from 7/10-7/13. I ended up with a mild cold but tested negative for COVID: tested several times over the course of many days since I've been home, just to be sure (and obviously tested before the cruise too). Rest of family totally fine.

FWIW, we have traveled a lot in the last year: Chicago, Seattle, multiple WDW trips. None of us contracted COVID on any of our travels. DS and I had it over Christmas Break when the kids weren't in school and had very little contact with anybody other than immediate family (I WFH so I don't have prolonged contact with people outside my immediate family on a daily basis). Very little rhyme or reason IMO.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Yes, I suppose this is true. But this variant is the most transmissible, and so I do think the odds tick up a bit. It all comes down to risk tolerance with respect to travel/activities, which it has been for awhile now I guess. I'm just thinking of it now as a potential "vacation killer"....if you contract it on the way to your destination or in the first day or so of a vacation.

We were "lucky" enough that my husband contracted in the final couple of days of our vacation and began with symptoms the night we returned. So he was most sick on Saturday, Sunday and Monday....I got it on Monday....I've been sickest today and yesterday. I feel the worst I've felt so far last night and this morning. My husband is still coughing like crazy, especially at night and in the morning. Had we gotten this on the way to Cabo...we would absolutely have been stuck in our rooms for the 8 days/nights. We're on day five now, and I think we'd need another three days or so before we'd be well enough to even fly home...even with KN95s on. I'm sure we would still be coughing a bit and getting lots of looks. Had the testing requirements been in place for international travel....there's no doubt in my mind we would have gotten stuck in Mexico.

Not so sure it is possible to test positive the way they test in Mexico. At least not the way they tested at the resort we were at. You'd have to have Covid oozing out of your every pore to have it get anything on the swab. They barely touched your nose, much less inserted it in the nostril. It's very, very clear they did not want to risk anyone to fail the test and get stuck. Not unless someone was very, very, very ill.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Not so sure it is possible to test positive the way they test in Mexico. At least not the way they tested at the resort we were at. You'd have to have Covid oozing out of your every pore to have it get anything on the swab. They barely touched your nose, much less inserted it in the nostril. It's very, very clear they did not want to risk anyone to fail the test and get stuck. Not unless someone was very, very, very ill.

Yeah, I wondered if that may have been happening. The last thing these resorts want is to end your vacation with a mandatory quarantine. And it's possible he wouldn't even have tested positive. At the resort where we stayed, all of the employees are still tested twice with a PCR test. Several employees told us that they're all masked behind the scenes and indoors....and that they're doing this to protect guests, but also to protect themselves to keep staffing levels where they need them to be. Americans are largely the ones bringing the virus into the tourist areas, and they just want to stay healthy enough to stay open.

Everyone is different, but with me, I tested negative on Monday morning with a nasal swab...feeling fine....then felt that tickle later in the morning and tested again with nasal swab...again, it was negative, but I knew that I had Covid...my husband was positive and coughing his head off. He started with the exact same symptom. So, I did the thing the FDA advises against, I carefully swabbed the back of my throat and immediately tested positive. By the next day I was much more symptomatic and tested positive with nasal swab alone. There's a lot of talk about this....that we should be swabbing throats with omicron because for many people the first symptom is that throat tickle, which experts say means the virus is congregating mostly in the back of the throat to start. We'd pick it up earlier. I'm glad I did...it kept me from going into more homes later that day when I had covid.

One of the main reasons the FDA is against people doing this is that the nasal swabs aren't designed for swabbing throats...some kits are essentially a short stick with cotton on the end of it. Throat swabs are longer and very pliable. The concern is that people will swab the back of their throat, near the tonsils, and cause a gag reflex....and then possibly stab themselves with the stick swab. There's also some concern about false positives if someone had something acidic to eat or drink in the prior 30 minutes....as an acidic Ph can cause that to happen. Kids in the UK figured this out and were using drops of soda to give them a positive test so they could stay home from school....lol. I hadn't eaten for hours, so knew that wasn't the case. I saw a woman on TikTok who only tested positive with a throat swab, never with a nasal swab. She had symptomatic covid, and had it confirmed with a PCR test.

 

[kristenabelle]

Yeah, I wondered if that may have been happening. The last thing these resorts want is to end your vacation with a mandatory quarantine. And it's possible he wouldn't even have tested positive. At the resort where we stayed, all of the employees are still tested twice with a PCR test. Several employees told us that they're all masked behind the scenes and indoors....and that they're doing this to protect guests, but also to protect themselves to keep staffing levels where they need them to be. Americans are largely the ones bringing the virus into the tourist areas, and they just want to stay healthy enough to stay open.

Everyone is different, but with me, I tested negative on Monday morning with a nasal swab...feeling fine....then felt that tickle later in the morning and tested again with nasal swab...again, it was negative, but I knew that I had Covid...my husband was positive and coughing his head off. He started with the exact same symptom. So, I did the thing the FDA advises against, I carefully swabbed the back of my throat and immediately tested positive. By the next day I was much more symptomatic and tested positive with nasal swab alone. There's a lot of talk about this....that we should be swabbing throats with omicron because for many people the first symptom is that throat tickle, which experts say means the virus is congregating mostly in the back of the throat to start. We'd pick it up earlier. I'm glad I did...it kept me from going into more homes later that day when I had covid.

One of the main reasons the FDA is against people doing this is that the nasal swabs aren't designed for swabbing throats...some kits are essentially a short stick with cotton on the end of it. Throat swabs are longer and very pliable. The concern is that people will swab the back of their throat, near the tonsils, and cause a gag reflex....and then possibly stab themselves with the stick swab. There's also some concern about false positives if someone had something acidic to eat or drink in the prior 30 minutes....as an acidic Ph can cause that to happen. Kids in the UK figured this out and were using drops of soda to give them a positive test so they could stay home from school....lol. I hadn't eaten for hours, so knew that wasn't the case. I saw a woman on TikTok who only tested positive with a throat swab, never with a nasal swab. She had symptomatic covid, and had it confirmed with a PCR test.

My first symptom for Dec omicron was a throat tickle, and i tested negative the next day (and then stroooongly, clearly positive several days after). Definitely makes sense

 

[PinkPixel]

Not so sure I can jump to that conclusion
we visited 7/1-7/7 and returned free and clear of symptoms. We flew. Took no special precautions. Ate indoors. No masks. Never touch hand sanitize. Think it makes things worse quite honestly. Etc. I think you get it. Or you don’t. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Not any more than you can stop a cold. You either get a cold or you don’t. Can’t explain why

Have you and party ever had Covid before? My whole family got at WDW in late June, our first time.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Have you and party ever had Covid before? My whole family got at WDW in late June, our first time.

Nope. Only person in my entire extended family that has is my brother who lives in S. Florida
All of us travel often and take the same little to no special precautions beyond any required ones.
Even our 80 yr old dad got out a lot for work and such prior to his (non-covid related) death last year.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Nope. Only person in my entire extended family that has is my brother who lives in S. Florida
All of us travel often and take the same little to no special precautions beyond any required ones.
Even our 80 yr old dad got out a lot for work and such prior to his (non-covid related) death last year.

I think scientists are looking to study people like you guys....to see why some people seem to have more natural immunity. I was hoping that I was going to be one of the special ones....but then saw the dreaded second line and realized I'm with the rest of the herd. Oh well.

 

[meremac]

I think scientists are looking to study people like you guys....to see why some people seem to have more natural immunity. I was hoping that I was going to be one of the special ones....but then saw the dreaded second line and realized I'm with the rest of the herd. Oh well.

Yes! DH is in the medical field and has been exposed more times than I can count (even with PPE). He has been so fortunate (so far) and has avoided contracting COVID, even when both myself and DS had it. Part of it could be that he was among the first people to get the vaccine, of course. But DD was the last in my fam to get the vaccine because of her age, and she has (again, so far) escaped it. Knock on wood of course, and we know it's possible that they will eventually get it. But it's very interesting why some people seem more immune than others. They both volunteered to take part in a study but haven't been contacted as of yet.

 

[PinkPixel]

Yes! DH is in the medical field and has been exposed more times than I can count (even with PPE). He has been so fortunate (so far) and has avoided contracting COVID, even when both myself and DS had it. Part of it could be that he was among the first people to get the vaccine, of course. But DD was the last in my fam to get the vaccine because of her age, and she has (again, so far) escaped it. Knock on wood of course, and we know it's possible that they will eventually get it. But it's very interesting why some people seem more immune than others. They both volunteered to take part in a study but haven't been contacted as of yet.

Has he ever been antibody tested? I will say that my 6 year old daughter was completely asymptomatic, laughing and bouncing off the walls when her test blew up positive. She stayed healthy and didn't test completely negative on rapid for a week. Anyway, because my husband tested positive first I used boxes of tests over the next week and half we had saved up. I almost didn't test her the last time but did out of

 

[cjlong88]

I get to return to work tomorrow! Quarantining in the bedroom has not be fun -- the cabin fever is REAL! I'm required to wear a mask at school through next Monday, and then I can go back to normal.

My first symptom was a runny nose on Friday. I thought my allergies were just really bad that day. On Saturday I developed a headache and a sore throat. Took the test and was positive. On Sunday I felt marginally better but developed a slight cough. On Monday all of my symptoms suddenly disappeared. I have been without symptoms Tuesday and today. Super strange. I thought they would have slowly dissipated, but I would equate the entire thing to experiencing a minor cold.

I had colleagues get it and they were down for the count for weeks. I'm very fortunate to have had such a mild reaction.