17 October 2022: COVID-19 related gratitude

This post is intended for those who believe in science and vaccines and that COVID-19 is a threat to human health. It is not intended to start arguments!

I tested positive for COVID-19 this past Friday, most likely from going to a pathology conference and walking the exhibit floor talking to ~100 people, almost all of us maskless. 

Positive COVID-19 at home antigen test. The presence of the T line means positivity. It appeared within seconds of dropping fluid from a nasal swap onto the test. The C line is the control, which should be positive or the test process was likely faulty.

Walking in a large group without a mask may have been foolish, but it is hard to talk to people with a mask and the purpose of the trip was to make business connections. My symptoms were mild (I thought it was only hay fever) and I am now taking Paxlovid, which has reduced the runny nose, cough, fatigue and sore throat (there were no other symptoms). I felt the worst about exposing others to COVID before I was diagnosed. The next time I have potential exposure like this, I will quarantine and take a home COVID-19 test before "going out".

Overall, I am grateful. I am grateful that I was able to receive 5 vaccines against COVID-19, without much hassle or bureaucracy and for no charge. I believe these vaccines may have saved my life. As a pathologist / scientist, I know that COVID-19 has killed over one million Americans and that the unvaccinated have a much higher death rate than the vaccinated (https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/united-states-rates-of-covid-19-deaths-by-vaccination-status?country=~All+ages). To me, it was a "no brainer" to get vaccinated and markedly reduce my risk of death, even with the possibility of vaccine side effects. Being vaccinated also reduces the chance I will spread the disease to my friends and family with frail health who might die if they got infected.

I am grateful that I was able to receive an effective treatment for COVID-19 that was easy to obtain and easy to take (5 days of pills in a logical package) for no charge. 

Paxlovid "blister pack". There are 5 packs, each containing 3 pills to take in the AM and 3 pills in the PM. I received the medication in the afternoon and so started with the evening pills.

I am grateful that we have fast, at home test kits for COVID-19, also easy to obtain (I got them in the mail, now at pharmacies), also for no charge. Elsewhere in the world, people are "hoping and praying" that they will soon be able to get vaccines, treatments or test kits in this manner.

Although COVID-19 was the #3 cause of death in the US in 2020 and 2021 (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7117e1.htm#F2_down), I am grateful that my disease was mild and seems to be going away without any "long COVID" side effects (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html), although only time will tell.

Thanks to all those in health care, science and government who made the vaccines, treatments and test kits possible and easily accessible.

P.S. I am intentionally keeping the "long links" because I want people to know the sources.

@NatPpolitics