How has the Pandemic affected you as a cancer patient/survivor
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Oh, Wrenn, that has to have your nerves gnawing through your head! How scary!
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Wrenn, I know. Every cough in our house now gets "Are you okay?" instead of "Gross!"
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wrenn - Glad your family is ok.
In our house the coughs are still from having a drinking problem. 😉
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“In September 2021, COVID-19 ranked as the number 1 leading cause of death above accidents for people age 35-44, number 1 above cancer for people age 45-54, number 2 above suicide for people age 25-34, and number 2 above heart disease for people age 55-64. COVID-19 ranked number 3 among people age 65 and older, above chronic lower respiratory disease for people age 65-74 and 75-84 years, and above Alzheimer disease for people age over 85 years.”
Article link: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/covid19-and-other-leading-causes-of-death-in-the-us/
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Glad younger kids will get vaccinated soon.
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I too have the seasonal cold. Covid test was negative.
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Now that it's chilly out, my nose drips when I get back indoors (as it has done for years). And I've been slacking off my Nasalcrom & Nascort (thought hay fever season was over) with my increasingly needy senior kitties assertively snuggling me. I just found out that here we still have ragweed pollen (at lesst till two hard frosts in a row)!!! Our next-door neighbor's yard is a ragweed patch (he's been in CO since Sept.). I am triple-vaxed (since late Aug., with my third dose of Moderna being full rather than half "booster" strength) and I mask when I go into indoor public spaces, so I'm sure it's not COVID.
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This is my 5 year old grandson getting his pediatric COVID vaccine yesterday.They had lots of trinkets, entertainment and distractions for the kids.When he was in school earlier in the day, he told his teacher he was getting his COVID vaccine.She called him a super hero and he was so proud!
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I looked at that photo thinking your grandson was actually standing there with his buddy Dr. Fauci!
Here is another way the pandemic has affected me as a cancer patient: It adds one more uncomfortable test, (I hate them! They sting.) and one more long drive to the cancer center with DH missing work, to our already considerable burden when something is going on. I had to do it this week before my colonoscopy to diagnose the ILC colon met. It was my fourth such covid test.
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Shetland,
That’s what I first thought when dd sent me the pic! I get very excited, momentarily, until I realized it was a cardboard cutout 😅.
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Dear All, I have a question. Did anyone have a booster of a different manufacturer in comparison with original 2 dozes?
I would like to have moderna booster, I had pfizer in march of 2021.
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I had Pfizer + Pfizer & then full dose Moderna as my 3rd.
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Wrenn, there was an NIH trial that showed if that if people developed higher antibody levels if they had 2 pfizer + 1 full (100mcg) moderna dose as booster vs. 3 pfizer.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.10...
the current Moderna booster is 50mcg. If you want to get the 100mcg Moderna, you will have to ask for the 3rd dose for immunocompromised people rather than the 50mg moderna booster. Also, keep in mind, some moderna people experienced worsen side effects than those who had pifzer.
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wrenn, they recommended it to me at the bc vax clinic. Said it might provide better coverage against delta but that it was my choice. They were giving full dose moderna when I got mine (in the clinically vulnerable group)
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I had two regular Pfizers plus a Pfizer booster. Wonder if I can get Moderna in the spring as an additional booster? I've heard there's a possibility we'll need to keep getting the shots for a while.
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I had two Moderna vaccines in the Spring and chose to get Pfizer as a booster - this afternoon. My reasoning is broader protection. My Moderna vaccines were through CVS and I received a text last week that I was eligible for the booster based on six months since last shot and my age. The CVS.com website provided useful info and gave me the option to mix and match, allowing me to choose Pfizer.
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I just recently had my annual checkup with my regular doctor. She was suggesting also that I get the Moderna shot for a booster rather than Pfizer (first two shots). She is leaving the decision up to me, I plan on getting the shot in December. That is interesting about the dosage level, though didn't know that.
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There are studies showing that the Moderna booster after other shots makes the most difference. That is kind of intuitive because the Moderna is a higher dose in general and has been showing more effective just the two doses too. But interestingly there is also some evidence that Pfizer booster after Moderna is also somewhat more protective than Moderna after Moderna. A friend of the family with some science credentials (though not in this field specifically) was adamant that mixing modes was better and that he would wait until he could mix them - based on historical vaccine evidence though, not necessarily current evidence.
Basically they're all great, but if you have time/interest in optimizing, it seems like Moderna after Pfizer/J&J or Pfizer after Moderna are the two best options. But fact is I bet we'll have more chances for mixing and matching with future years shots! So I wouldn't worry too much about and would feel safe getting whatever is the easiest. But I'm a nobody on the internet quoting anonymous friends, so this is literally worth 2 cents!
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wrenn, love your suggestion of mandated dunce caps for the unvaccinated!
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The following is a HuffPost article which I find hopeful. Of course, makers of Ivermectin may not appreciate the competition!
Pfizer Says Its New COVID-19 Pill Cut Hospital, Death Risk By 90%
Researchers worldwide have been racing to find a pill against COVID-19 that can be taken at home to ease symptoms and speed recovery.
11/05/2021
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% as the drugmaker joins the race to bring the first easy-to-use medication against the coronavirus to the U.S. market.
Currently all COVID-19 treatments used in the U.S. require an IV or injection. Competitor Merck's COVID-19 pill is already under review at the Food and Drug Administration after showing strong initial results, and on Thursday the United Kingdom became the first country to OK it.
Pfizer said it will ask the FDA and international regulators to authorize its pill as soon as possible, after independent experts recommended halting the company's study based on the strength of its results. Once Pfizer applies, the FDA could make a decision within weeks or months.
Researchers worldwide have been racing to find a pill against COVID-19 that can be taken at home to ease symptoms, speed recovery and reduce the crushing burden on hospitals and doctors.
Pfizer released preliminary results Friday of its study of 775 adults. Patients taking the company's drug along with another antiviral had an 89% reduction in their combined rate of hospitalization or death after a month, compared to patients taking a dummy pill. Fewer than 1% of patients taking the drug needed to be hospitalized and no one died. In the comparison group, 7% were hospitalized and there were seven deaths.
"We were hoping that we had something extraordinary, but it's rare that you see great drugs come through with almost 90% efficacy and 100% protection for death," said Dr. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer's chief scientific officer, in an interview.
Study participants were unvaccinated, with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, and were considered high risk for hospitalization due to health problems like obesity, diabetes or heart disease. Treatment began within three to five days of initial symptoms, and lasted for five days.
Pfizer reported few details on side effects but said rates of problems were similar between the groups at about 20%.
An independent group of medical experts monitoring the trial recommended stopping it early, standard procedure when interim results show such a clear benefit. The data have not yet been published for outside review, the normal process for vetting new medical research.
Top U.S. health officials continue to stress that vaccination will remain the best way to protect against infection. But with tens of millions of adults still unvaccinated — and many more globally — effective, easy-to-use treatments will be critical to curbing future waves of infections.
The FDA has set a public meeting later this month to review Merck's pill, known as molnupiravir. The company reported in September that its drug cut rates of hospitalization and death by 50%. Experts warn against comparing preliminary results because of differences in studies.
Although Merck's pill is further along in the U.S. regulatory process, Pfizer's drug could benefit from a safety profile that is more familiar to regulators with fewer red flags. While pregnant women were excluded from the Merck trial due to a potential risk of birth defects, Pfizer's drug did not have any similar restrictions. The Merck drug works by interfering with the coronavirus' genetic code, a novel approach to disrupting the virus.
Pfizer's drug is part of a decades-old family of antiviral drugs known as protease inhibitors, which revolutionized the treatment of HIV and hepatitis C. The drugs block a key enzyme which viruses need to multiply in the human body.
The drug, which has not yet been named, was first identified during the SARS outbreak originating in Asia during 2003. Last year, company researchers decided to revive the medication and study it for COVID-19, given the similarities between the two coronaviruses.
The U.S. has approved one other antiviral drug for COVID-19, remdesivir, and authorized three antibody therapies that help the immune system fight the virus. But they have to be given by IV or injection at hospitals or clinics, and limited supplies were strained by the last surge of the delta variant.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Thanks for sharing that Divine. Of course I'd rather not have people get covid in the first place but a pill option that works well should definitely give hospitals and healthcare workers a needed break.
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And people getting vaccinated and wearing masks would give HCW a break so that they wouldn’t end up in the hospital in the first place.
I’m getting a Moderna booster after two Moderna shots. My doctor feels it is the best vaccine, although I think I could do Pfizer for a booster and be equally ok. My immune-compromised husband, who has Multiple Myeloma, had almost no antibodies after two Moderna shots. He got a full third dose and will probably get a fourth fulldose.0 -
The cognitive dissonance is mind-bending! The very same anti-vaxxers who scream EXPERIMENTAL!! SHEEP!! COVID IS FAKE!! FREEDUMB!! do not hesitate to jump on the far less-tested, far less real-world data available and newer EXPERMINETAL drugs to save them from the the FAKE Covid.
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princessbuttercup, I agree.
The pill is another tool, I was not implying it as an alternative for current prevention methods. Many will readily take pills for whatever ails them, so this should help both unvaccinated and breakthrough cases.
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in terms of boosters, the nurse at the vaccine clinic asked why I was getting a booster and then said “I think we will give you Moderna”. Apparently it has more mRNA (which I assume is what was meant by stronger in the conversation above). I had Pfizer then Moderna previously.
As to side effects, the booster definitely had a punch. I only had a sore arm from the first two jabs but this time I was borderline feverish and felt lousy for a day. Well worth it to be covered
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Dear Members,
As a reminder there are many legitimate reasons why some people decide not to vaccinate. We ask that you please keep the conversation on this topic respectful.
The MOds
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Re booster side effects, I had the 1/2 dose Moderna booster with only a slightly sore arm (could roll over on it while sleeping and not wake up). Once again your reaction may well differ from the next person's.
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(While I've seen strong displays of anger on other threads, apparently on this one, it is requested that we women be good little girls.)
The following article discusses another possible assist on Covid recovery. I think the general public forgets that the scientific medical community continues to search for ways to combat Covid in addition to offering the protection of a vaccine. I also believe many people love getting worked up about something, anything, and right now it's the vaccine and vaccine/mask mandates. They sort of marry those intense feelings, becoming addicted to the adrenaline rush. Ah, but that's human nature for ya.
Cheap, generic anti-depressant may reduce severe Covid-19 disease, study finds
10/28/2021(CNN) — A cheap, generically available anti-depressant may reduce the risk of severe Covid-19 disease by close to a third in people at high risk, researchers reported Wednesday.
A trial among about 1,500 patients in Brazil showed those who took the drug, known as fluvoxamine, were less likely to progress to severe disease and to require hospitalization.
The drug, sold under the brand name Luvox, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) most often used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. But it can affect inflammation, said Dr. Angela Reiersen, an associate professor of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis who worked on the study, published in The Lancet Global Health.
"Fluvoxamine may reduce the production of inflammatory molecules called cytokines, that can be triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection," Reiersen said in a statement. The drug may also reduce blood platelets, which may affect the clotting effects of coronavirus infection.
Reierson and colleagues gave 741 volunteers with Covid-19 100 mg of fluvoxamine twice a day for 10 days while 756 volunteers got a placebo.
Among the patients who got fluvoxamine, 79 -- or about 11% -- needed treatment in an ER or hospital room compared to nearly 16% of those given placebos. It was a 5% decrease in absolute risk and a 32% decrease in relative risk.
More study is needed to see if the drug might be added to the treatments given to coronavirus patients, but it's cheap. "A 10-day course of fluvoxamine costs approximately $4 even in well-resourced settings," the researchers wrote.
It's not a cure, but if the drug can help keep patients out of the hospital, it would be useful.
"Given fluvoxamine's safety, tolerability, ease of use, low cost, and widespread availability, these findings might influence national and international guidelines on the clinical management of COVID-19," they concluded.
A related drug, Prozac, or fluoxetine, is also cheap and even more widely available, and the researchers said this drug should be studied to see if it might help.
"It is now crucial to establish whether a class effect exists and whether these drugs can be used interchangeably for COVID-19," they wrote.
It wasn't a perfect study, they noted. It was done in Brazil, and the patients had a higher rate of hospitalization than Covid-19 patients in other clinical trials.
"There is no standard of care that exists for early treatment of COVID-19 and various advocacy groups promote different interventions, including some of those evaluated in this and our previous trials. Furthermore, there is little understanding of who is at greatest risk of disease progression from this disease as some patients with numerous risk factors do recover quickly whereas some others with less established risk factors might not," they wrote.
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The not-yet-available treatments are good news, but they do not replace the need for vaccinations. Each day more people are infected, arehospitalized, or die. Most of them are unvaccinated. Even in areas with a plentiful supply of monoclonal antibody treatments, people are still getting severely sick or dying. The treatments work better soon after infection. Without regular testing, it may be too late for someone to get the treatment if they don't think it's COVID in time. Vaccinations are better as they are preventative. And they're free. Those treatments are expensive.
It's infuriating that Quebec and Ontario backed down on the vaccine mandates for HCWs. I've had to face an unvaccinated, unmasked hospital clerk who ended up out sick with COVID. They should all be fired. Those anti-vaxxers are most likely to get infected if they cannot follow all pandemic safety measures. They shouldn't be allowed in the same space as patients.
Mods - There are few legitimate reasons to remain unvaccinated. Except for valid medical exemptions, I can't think of any that are not insurmountable. For example, needle phobia is real, but people are able to get vaccinated with accommodations. People worried about side effects from the vaccine should speak to a qualified medical professional (not a podcaster, dentist, optometrist, osteopath…). Vaccine mandates aren't new. We've all had required vaccinations. I have my smallpox vaccination scar. Needing to be convinced to get the vaccine isn't new either. Here's Elvis Presley getting his polio vaccine:
https://www.neh.gov/article/elvis-presley-set-example-getting-his-polio-vaccination
Divine - Yes, I get worked up about this. It affects us as cancer patients. I've seen the news about fluvoxamine which could be good, but it's not preventative, and even the article states more studies are needed. I'm hoping intranasal vaccines become available. They would work better at preventing infections on top of mRNA vaccines preventing serious illness.
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I know its hot-button but I need to say that I REALLY wish the vax rate was higher all over. Our local rate is great, but we have so many visitors in my hometown. People need to understand that that vaccination is not just about you. Breakthrough cases happen (I personally now know of 5) . Yes, they are generally much milder so that vaccinated person is usually protected. But they can spread it!
My oldest was set to have her wisdom teeth out yesterday (delayed by pandemic since march 2020). She spent last weekend with her best friend who is fully vaccinated AND booster (both J&J). Friend felt sick and on Wed got a positive PCR. She told my daughter who went for her PCR on Thu, but the results didn't come back before the window for surgery cancelation closed, so she was canceled pre-emptively.
That was wisdom teeth. Not life threatening or life-saving.
I have appointment with surgeon next week regarding masectomy probably in early Dec. I am fully vaccinated and had my booster, but I am crossing my fingers no unvaccinated person exposes someone close to me!!!!! I want to get this done.
Covid has slowed this whole cancer treatment process way down, starting with summer 2020 with backed up appointments to see my PCP, waiting for mamos, waiting for recall mamo, waiting for biopsies which were cancelled multiple times because I got covid (right before vaccine) and even though I was recovered the PCRs were positive so hospital would not admit me for biopies. I don't want more covid delays because someone I don’t know said it's "their body" and kept the spread going strong. I really wish people would understand the concept of community health and how their actions or inaction can really impact others.
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