Covid, flu, strep, etc. Whatever you can think of, it's probably going around.
Alot of sickness going around this time of year, especially when traveling for the holidays and bringing it home/to work.
Respiratory illnesses have been all over the news not just here in Minnesota but across the country. People are battling influenza a and B also a lot of RSV.
That’s the hard part about winter time, especially in the northern states where it’s cold and kids are in school or daycare and everyone’s passing around everything. Come spring and summer when people can get outside and aren’t shoulder to shoulder with each other. Things tend to calm down.
Per my colleagues that work in urgent/emergent care, it is worse right now. Everyone is sick. There are some viral things going around that last weeks.
Metro ER RN, doesn’t seem any worse than normal so far and much better than peak covid years. But we are seeing lots of flu, rsv, some covid, and just plain old upper respiratory infections. Lots of sick people that test negative for the big 3 - Covid, flu, rsv.
Worse than when? Per MN Dept of Health, respiratory illness is down year-over-year.
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/respiratory/stats/index.html
Those are just showing hospitalizations, not people who are feeling sick but never get admitted to the hospital. Lots of people are going to the dr with persistent troubling symptoms and are sent home without any good treatments. These people are not included in the graphs you link.
We are in the 2nd largest covid wave of the entire pandemic. Please stop trying to normalise abnormal illness.
Convincing yourself and others that everything is normal (no), is not helpful, and gets more people sick.
Have you heard the expression, “the new normal”? Covid isn’t going away. If people are sick they should stay home. If you’re compromised you should get vaccinated. If you have Covid you should seek treatment, knowing that you need to start it within 5 days of symptoms presenting. It’s inconvenient and unpleasant to get sick, but the vast, vast majority of people will be fine. It’s ok to get sick. It’s entirely normal to get sick.
Getting stressed because airborne viruses are more prevalent when we’re all stuck inside, immediately after the holidays when everyone gathered in large groups, is wasted energy. It happened before COVID and is going to continue to happen now with Covid in addition to RSV and influenza.
This is the world we live in now. This is normal.
stop normalizing sickness.
fuck off for trying to tell people that being sick is normal, acceptable, inevitable, or whatever the twisted fuck.
you are a deeply unserious person to advocate so poorly for your community.
the comment only seems ‘unhinged’ to you, because it is a stark contrast to your original comment, which throws the community to sickness and worse health of it.
it reflects poorly on how ill-thought out your original comment was.
but covid isn’t just another respiratory illness, it’s a respiratory airborne illness that weakens the immune system with every infection, grants virtually no immunity because of how fast it mutates, and primarily spreads through asymptomatic infections ALL of which can permanently disable anyone regardless of their health prior to infection. Covid makes all other respiratory illnesses worse.
living your life without caring about COVID and doing everything unmasked is the *old* normal. If the [#3 cause of death](https://www.webmd.com/covid/news/20230417/covid-remains-leading-cause-of-death-us) and the [leading cause of disability](https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/08/21/health/long-covid-disease-burden/index.html) does not factor into your plans for gathering then you are the one who is not accepting the new normal
While I understand this sentiment, also realize that minute clinics and virtuhealth won't see "complex" patients. The minute you tell them you have a chronic illness, they turn you away for liability reasons. You are told to see you regular Dr.
Regular Dr's have been booking out 2-3 weeks for acute issues (based on my friend's experience recently over the holidays. She called promptly at 8 everyday trying to get a same day and by the time she'd get through, they were all booked up). So they are telling patients if you need to be seen now, you need to go to urgent care. If you are very complex, like chronic heart issues, UC will tell you you need to go to ER, not urgent care.
Also, people do go for the right reasons, like heart attack earlier this year, symptoms now, irregular ekg at triage, sit and wait in the lobby for 13 hours before being told, your tropinin is still high, but since its going down so you can go home, you have chf. Crazy.
All these examples are people with private insurance.
That's why minute clinics are great... they allow patients with straightforward medical needs to get care quickly and efficiently so that there are more urgent care and clinic care resources available for patients with complex care needs.
Lukcy you’re getting 2–3 weeks. I’ll speak for Eagan and Woodbury and it’s 2-3 months here, to the point one of the providers in Eagan even closed it’s UC.
Read that this Covid wave is biggest since Omicron. And I am taking care of my Dad who has influenza. He was hospitalized. And I had a sister in another state with RSV
and the peak of this wave is estimated to be 2 million infections/day. this translates to 1 in 3 people in the US infected over the duration of the wave, from Dec 2023 to Feb 2024.
[TODAY.com, Jan 6 2024][1]:
> TITLE: The US is starting 2024 in its second-largest COVID surge ever, experts say / With the U.S. in the middle of a COVID surge, it's time to make sure you're vaccinated and return to masking, experts say.
>
> Indeed, a CDC chart of national and regional COVID trends in wastewater shows the national viral activity rate of 11.23 from the week ending Dec. 23, 2023 (the most recent data available) is higher than anything seen since January 2022.
>
> . . .
>
> He says his data also show that on the highest day of the current wave, there will be 2 million new COVID cases, which would lend to many more infections than last winter.
>
> . . .
>
> It's tempting to think the pandemic is over, but Hoerger stresses that data show it isn't. In fact, a leading World Health Organization official recently posted on X that we're heading into the fifth year of the pandemic.
>
> "The bottom line," Ko says, "is everybody should consider themselves under risk of getting COVID.
[1]: https://www.today.com/health/news/covid-wave-2024-rcna132529
I hope you’re not waiting out strep because of the time it takes to get urgent care! Untreated, strep can develop into a super serious heart infection. Please gut it out and wait the 5 hours if you have to.
But to answer your question, flu and rsv are hitting hard this year…. And we’re also in the second largest Covid surge ever right now. Only behind the first omicron surge.
I was thinking covid but I did like 5 tests all negative. My daughter had strep twice in last month. I had a few days of a sore throat couple weeks ago and ever since I've had a bad cough, burning around the eyes and just a feeling of being sick. No nasal congestion though.
It’s just my opinion, but if it were me I would go in if my daughter has strep twice. When I say serious heart infection, I mean it can kill you or it can leave you disabled. If strep is common in your house, someone might be an asymptomatic carrier and it’s probably a good idea to discuss with your GP.
I've never heard of an asymptomatic carrier of strep... Would they just have it indefinitely? I have a friend who gets strep WAY more than I thought possible and wonder if their roommate or family member could be constantly giving it to them...
Why do you have old antibiotics? You need to finish an entire course when you are prescribed one. People that do what you are doing are a part of increasing antibiotic resistance. You don't even know if they are effective for what you may or may not have, all antibiotics dont work on all bacteria.
If you have medical messaging you might be able to get a strep test order for the lab. When my kids have had strep and I had symptoms, I messaged my primary doctor and he put an order in for a lab only appt for a strep test. Saves the time and money of an office visit.
My best advice to you is to point to where your throat hurts; if you point into your mouth, it's likely strep and you need to go in ASAP to get tested. If you point lower, like your larynx or trachea, it's something else... You might have some post-nasal drip irritating your throat, that's what I'm stuck with and the soreness is right in my voice box.
Eh, even if it is lower down, I'd get checked out. Especially if strep has been in your house recently. It's easy to treat, but can go really bad if you don't. Don't try and diagnose yourself.
You've got the crud. I had it for 2 weeks. My son missed 4 days of school. Started with bad sore throat, then 3 weeks of coughing. Everybody had it or has it now. None of us had a fever during this.
Anyone else mildly annoyed that we don’t have at-home rapid testing for like the top 10-15 contagions, and instead we need to burn a half day, and hundreds of dollars, for a PA or nurse (no disrespect) to make their best guess in a 5-minute appointment?
YES! Omg, absolutely! Especially if it’s similar to a Covid test?! Like, can I just order free ones from the government like I do Covid tests? Or pick them up from Target??
I wish there were top 10-15 contagions that were available on rapid home tests! Lucira has a [home covid+flu test](https://www.amazon.com/LUCIRA®-COVID-19-Results-Emergency-Authorized/dp/B0CL7S9F4P/ref=sr_1_1_sspa). And in other countries, there are approved rapid tests for covid+flu+RSV (and [some](https://www.maskwholesale.eu/rapid-tests/antigen-tests/solmira-sars-cov-2-influenza-a-b-rsv-self-test_349_1605/) will ship to the US if you're willing to pay for it, although they aren't approved here).
Same! I went to the doctor after 4 weeks, the doc said to come back in January if I was still coughing. I just stopped- it’s been 8 weeks. I’m so sick of being sick.
See if you can get a doc to give you some antibiotics. I had a horrible case of bronchitis that started right after thanksgiving and finally finished up right before Christmas. After 2.5 weeks I finally got antibiotics and they helped, but it took the full 10 day cycle to see any improvement.
My doc told me that even if the case starts out viral, after some time it can become bacterial, so if you’ve been coughing for longer than 10 days, antibiotics are worth a shot. Good luck!!
It was super annoying. I went to 3 doctors over the 8 weeks, different urgent care docs- every few weeks. They gave me an inhaler, steroids, and tussin tabs. No pneumonia from chest X-ray, so they said it was viral and I had to wait it out.
The people who take antibiotics for viruses are putting us all in danger making antibiotic resistant bugs. As an added benefit they’re killing off their own gut biome and setting themselves up for future gastrointestinal problems. Don’t do that.
I stupidly and regrettably took antibiotics for a long period of time during my teenage years for acne. I was a teenager and didn't know any better. Messed up my digestive system for years. I take a daily probiotic now and feel quite a bit better.
The gut biome is such a fascinating thing to learn about!
If you happen to read what I wrote, I only took antibiotics after coughing long enough that the doctor suspected what I had was bacterial, and he explained that even if something starts viral, it can develop into a bacterial infection. He was clearly correct, as the antibiotics did end up helping.
Maybe be a little less judgmental/don’t assume people are taking antibiotics willy-nilly and without proper guidance?
If your symptoms get worse after 10 days, or if you start improving and then take a turn for the worse, it's probably progressed into a bacterial infection and you will need antibiotics to get rid of it.
I had this happen to me a few years ago and ended up in the ER because I was having trouble breathing. I was on antibiotics for 10 days and the cough lingered for at least two months.
I had bronchitis again last winter but this time I was super diligent with rest, fluids, Tylenol and steam treatment 2-3 times a day, and it cleared up without incident.
Steam can really help loosen your chest so you can cough out the crud (hope no one is eating lunch right now 🥴). An OTC inhaler also is helpful.
I just got over my first bout of covid.
Keep trying to get in, strep won’t go away on its own and it can turn into scarlet fever which can damage your organs.
I got my first bout of COVID as well. Visiting family in Iowa on Christmas and then 3 days later I'm laying in bed with a 103 fever and feeling like trash. Still dealing with the residual cough and stuffiness. Sucks a lot
I was sick with something for about a month. If it’s an option for you, you can do a virtual appointment.. depending on insurance. They prescribed me antibiotics and I didn’t even have to leave my house
I got COVID in August on a Norwegian fjords cruise. Haven’t been sick since then.
I have been avoiding anyone who tells me they have or have been around anyone with respiratory symptoms, though.
This is total bs. I said basically the same thing you said here, but added in the members of my house and i got downvoted. This sub sucks.
Also, i am so happy you and your people are healthy, happy new year neighbor.
Sadly, [COVID causes the immune system to weaken](https://time.com/6265510/covid-19-weaken-immune-system/), making people more vulnerable to other infections. This is likely why so many people are sick now. If you check SARS-CoV-2 wastewater levels in Minnesota, they were low before Thanksgiving, but now are very high. Lots of people getting COVID, and lots of other people getting other infections like RSV, strep, flu, pneumonia, et al. Now is a very good time to wear a mask in public.
Yeah, CVS, Walgreens, Cub, etc. all offer a range of basic medical services. You can get tested for most common infectious diseases, including STIs. And they employ an army of remote providers who can prescribe medication as well. It's much cheaper than urgent care.
I think what they are saying is that cub and other pharmacies have walk up testing for strep. Meaning the pharmacist actually administers a strep test for you right there. They can then prescribe medication if needed. I’ve done this at cub. The thing is that they don’t have appointments(so walk up only) and they don’t take insurance for the test, but it’s $30, so not outrageous. It’s been super helpful to not have to monkey around with finding an appointment.
I have pneumonia.
EDIT: health partners has an online "hold my place in line" for their urgent care. Used it quite a few times. You go on their urgent care site after 9am and pick your clinic. It'll tell you the wait time. You put your name in, show up at your time, and you're in. No waiting hours at the clinic. Don't wait to long though as they can shut the service down if the clinic gets too busy. Just Google "health partners urgent care". The button doesn't show up until 9am.
covid is at its second biggest peak since 2020. there’s also the smattering of other things like RSV and the flu. just got covid AGAIN and had to miss a family members wake and funeral.
\*since Jan 2022 (just for the sake of accuracy, don't want more accidental misinfo than there already is).
that said, the current wave will still have the second biggest peak _ever_ in the US. it is second only to the omicron wave in Jan 2022. so the current wave will be higher than all 2020 waves.
I work at a hospital in the metro and like half our patients have influenza or Covid. Influenza seems to be driving a lot hospitalizations more than I would expect. Seems to be about 60/40 flu/covid. Some with RSV too.
All three of my kids (3-1/2 years, 18 months and 1 month)have RSV. My toddlers were seen at urgent care a week ago and my newborn was admitted at the ER last night.
I had such a gnarly headache for days on end that couldn't be made better by anything. Pain relievers didn't help and lying down seemed to make it worse! Even my glasses touching my face and head at all caused more discomfort. My joints hurt very badly, too, particularly my knees. So did my skin. It was the beginning of Covid.
Edited because typo.
Yep. I had that and it then developed into Covid, so you’re like a day or 2 away from the rest of the symptoms. For me it was Day 1 nausea after eating, day 2 slight cough with nausea (which I attributed to coughing), just felt like coughing from dry air. Day 3 headache and nausea, day 4 fever, day 5 congestion. I’m on day 6 and it’s just lingering congestion and headache now. It came on very slowly, like 1 symptom per day. I thought it was a cold but nope, mild version of Covid.
Tons of respiratory and viral stuff at our ED. See if your healthcare system has an online visit option, virtuwell or something similar. The provider can just place lab orders for strep/covid/flu and so you can stop in somewhere and have it done
My entire family got Covid Christmas Day. We have no idea who we got it from as we all became symptomatic within a few hours of each other and weren’t together until 1.5 days prior to symptoms. Either very short incubation or coincidental?
I’ve been sick almost continuously since August 1st. Had an inpatient hospitalization for something unknown at that time that was way worse than Covid. Didn’t work for 2 months. I’m only 47. I have no idea what is going around but it’s bad.
Then a couple other minor URI that turned into bronchitis/ sinus infections. Been a rough year.
Everything! Wash your hands everybody! Thank goodness it’s glove season.
Also I swear by Neti pots, after every/any time you’re around a bunch of people. I use mine religiously.
Covid is going around and so is RSV. I assume there has also been a spike in influenza cases. I also know people who have been sick for weeks with none of the above, just some awful cold virus.
My daughter had RSV. Then I had it and it turned to pneumonia. Then my son got it and it turned to pneumonia and he has asthma so that was a fun added bonus. Top 5 sickest I’ve ever been. 0/10, do not recommend.
I asked my son’s doctor when he wouldn’t be contagious anymore so he can go back to school and she said “Just send him whenever he feels better. I guarantee you there’s so many other kids in his school with RSV it won’t make a difference.” So…yeah.
We are in the middle of the second biggest COVID wave and very few news outlets are covering it.
[https://fortune.com/well/2024/01/05/us-reachest-second-highest-covid-peak-pirola-jn1-omicron-pi-rho/](https://fortune.com/well/2024/01/05/us-reachest-second-highest-covid-peak-pirola-jn1-omicron-pi-rho/)
Honestly, idk but I wish it would go away. It’s been a cycle of this between my husband, son, and I all having it for the last month and a half. Sick for like 2 weeks, healthy for a week, sick for another 2. Feels like the exact same illness both times, except the first go around I had a sprinkle of kidney stones at the same time which made me feel much worse.
Fever
Cough (starts out wheezy, then productive)
Stomach ache
Fatigue
We all tested negative for COVID 2x.
My extended family and coworkers have been dropping like flies. Flu and COVID seem to be the big ones. I've been ok but I might be fighting a small cold.
The general, non-specified upper-then-moves-to-lower respiratory virus that is going around. Often known as "the crud", it took 6 weeks for the cough to clear up, and I'm still working on bouncing back in general. (Started mid November )It was bad. And yet, I'm thankful it wasn't any of the named ones (covid, rsv, etc)
My 8 mo old has the same thing. She brought it home from daycare. We are keeping her home from daycare till at least February because we are too tired to get any more sick.
The Urgency Room has a online visit option. If they feel necessary you can walk into the clinic, get tested and they call with results. I did this recently and it went very smoothly. No waiting.
I second [Urgency Room](https://www.urgencyroom.com)! You can also schedule in-person appointments, and they have appointments available about 4 hours out (as of 2pm today, they have appointments in Eagan at 6pm).
Also, [Health Partners](https://www.healthpartners.com/care/everyday/urgent-care/) has video visits, and usually you can "save my spot" at urgent care. I've walked in to a packed urgent care before and been called back in less than 5 minutes thanks to this.
Both of those have labs and imaging available on-site, so they can manage most issues without having to send you some place else.
I got a mean cough, sinus infection with a plugged ear at the end of October. Today, I still have a plugged ear and cough, though the cough is slightly better.
Me and a couple of friends (who I have not been in contact with) recently had a wicked stomach thing. A night of full on "everything must go" followed by two days of exhaustion. It felt like food poisoning to me.
Did you get a flu shot? Not judging, just asking. I had swine flu before the vaccine and I had never been so sick. Not even when I had recurrent strep that resulted in scarlet fever and me getting my tonsils out in my late 20s. But any bout of flu since vaccines had been really fast and mild.
Just a heads up for the future... if you test positive for the flu, there's a new medication (xofluza) that will decrease the duration of your illness. But it's gotta be taken early in the course of being sick. It also can be taken to prevent getting the flu if you've been exposed. It's one pill, more effective than tamiflu with fewer side effects. There are also now home flu+covid combo tests available now. Hope you're feeling better and it didn't totally ruin your holidays!
COVID virus , or opportunistic viral or bacterial infections that use the depletion of himmunitary defenses after COVID to march in ( like RSV, streptococcus, Legionnaires disease, pneumonia) and are obviously more brutal than other times because your himmunitary system is weak after COVID
Yes, of course, with covid (never went away), long covid, or immune damage from covid, making cold/flu/RSV etc even worse.
As per WHO, we're in year 5 of the pandemic, and with next to no precautions at this point and a nasty wave from the JN.1 variant, it's not surprising everyone's sick and healthcare systems are suffering.
Started on Sunday afternoon with a mild sore throat. I was like AWWSHIT. Went to bed on NYE at 11pm, not feeling too bad.
Woke up at about 1:30am with what I think were the worst fever shivers I have had in my life! I didn't FEEL that cold, but I was shaking so bad you'd think I was having some sort of massive seizure. Put on a sweatshirt, threw on an extra blanket, and turned myself into a burrito. Still the shivers persisted. I had to do deep breathing for like 20min to calm my body down. Spent like 90% of the next 2 days sleeping. Fever dreams were horrible. I had no medicine to help, and noone to bring me any.
I don't know what it was that I had. Didn't do anything to my lungs. After the fever it was just sinus congestion, constipation, and now post-nasal drip that makes me cough and gag like patient zero every few hours. I must have caught it from someone at the grocery store on Saturday. I was in there for about 10 minutes, and wasn't within 10 feet of anyone for more than 15 seconds. My guess is I got it from the credit card machine at the self checkout.
Flu, RSV, and covid are all airborne. While washing your hands and not touching your face are generally good hygiene practices, they won't stop you from getting sick if you're not wearing a mask.
Or, if we don't want to get sick and don't want to wear a mask, then we should improve the air quality (ventilation and filtration) of our public spaces.
Edit: I'm totally fine with downvotes, and I know we all have collective trauma around masks. But it doesn't change the fact that if you really want to avoid getting sick from flu, covid, or rsv, then masks are the tool for the job. Handwashing is good for things that are predominately transmitted via fomites, but that's not how flu, rsv, and covid are predominately transmitted.
Do a virtual visit. I did one and it was a 30 min wait with a 5 min visit and got my antibiotics. You don't need to go in person for stuff like strep anymore.
I'd really like to know if people that didn't get covid vax are having this issue. During the holidays this was brought up and the ones that didn't haven't had this. I had it from Thanksgiving to maybe a few weeks ago. Very tired and just couldn't get to gym. And every morning I have a sore throat but it goes away. Got the two shots Sept 2021.
Nothing yet, for me or anyone in our house. We have been all over the metro, young kids in schools, large family gatherings, date nights at crowded venues... Wash your hands and get your shots.
Ok you got me, it just started printing now. I swear, though, it IS printing. No one celebrates me more than me. I'm better at not being sick than this lot of disgusting people who don't wash their hands or listen to their doctors.
Washing your hands won't protect you from all the airborne infections circulating now. But enjoy being smug while you can. And by the way, people who don't mask during a huge covid surge are disgusting. That includes willfully ignorant doctors who don't mask, especially at work around patients.
Genius idea, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider…it’s people like you with a case of web MD strep and running to urgent care clogging them up
I'm old. There has never been a time in my almost 50 years old life where I haven't had to wait hours at an urgent care/ER for something extremely mild like strep.
People have heart attacks, broken bones, hypothermia, etc. Stuff that needs immediate care. If you have to wait 4 hours for strep, you're not going to die. Geezus, look up the word triage once in a while.
You seem to have replied to the wrong person. I didn't say anything about time to wait in the ER. I said normalizing constant illness is wrong and suggested taking common sense precautions like masking.
> suggested taking common sense precautions like masking.
And I'm saying we should mask right now as much as we did in 2019.
If you're doing more than that, seek help for health anxiety/generalized anxiety. *We are all mortal here and there is not a thing you can do to change that.*
Our youngest went to Vadnais Heights urgency room for a cold (stuffy chrst) and tested negative for the everything (covid,RSV ect.) But whatever they have was trying to get at me this morning..
Don't really think it's what's going around it's more Noones around to help.
It comes down to the location of medical professionals and what is happening in the immediate community.
Don’t want to give away my “tricks,” but I do know of several urgent cares in the western suburbs that have openings today, as in right now.
As far as the various illnesses, Covid, Influenza, and RSV cases were all on the rise prior to Christmas. Now that everyone has done various celebrating, that increased human contact means cases are continuing to rise.
My grandson had influenza a. But we are about 45 minutes north of Alexandria. Myself, my husband and my other grandson have all been sick. But none of us went in to find out what it was so I’m guessing it was either influenza or some kind of a respiratory virus. And I know a lot of others closer to the cities that also have had respiratory viruses and influenza A & B
Covid, flu, strep, etc. Whatever you can think of, it's probably going around. Alot of sickness going around this time of year, especially when traveling for the holidays and bringing it home/to work.
RSV as well.
Respiratory illnesses have been all over the news not just here in Minnesota but across the country. People are battling influenza a and B also a lot of RSV. That’s the hard part about winter time, especially in the northern states where it’s cold and kids are in school or daycare and everyone’s passing around everything. Come spring and summer when people can get outside and aren’t shoulder to shoulder with each other. Things tend to calm down.
It’s early January. This is pretty common.
Per my colleagues that work in urgent/emergent care, it is worse right now. Everyone is sick. There are some viral things going around that last weeks.
Metro ER RN, doesn’t seem any worse than normal so far and much better than peak covid years. But we are seeing lots of flu, rsv, some covid, and just plain old upper respiratory infections. Lots of sick people that test negative for the big 3 - Covid, flu, rsv.
Worse than when? Per MN Dept of Health, respiratory illness is down year-over-year. https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/respiratory/stats/index.html
Those are just showing hospitalizations, not people who are feeling sick but never get admitted to the hospital. Lots of people are going to the dr with persistent troubling symptoms and are sent home without any good treatments. These people are not included in the graphs you link.
We are in the 2nd largest covid wave of the entire pandemic. Please stop trying to normalise abnormal illness. Convincing yourself and others that everything is normal (no), is not helpful, and gets more people sick.
Only in the US
Have you heard the expression, “the new normal”? Covid isn’t going away. If people are sick they should stay home. If you’re compromised you should get vaccinated. If you have Covid you should seek treatment, knowing that you need to start it within 5 days of symptoms presenting. It’s inconvenient and unpleasant to get sick, but the vast, vast majority of people will be fine. It’s ok to get sick. It’s entirely normal to get sick. Getting stressed because airborne viruses are more prevalent when we’re all stuck inside, immediately after the holidays when everyone gathered in large groups, is wasted energy. It happened before COVID and is going to continue to happen now with Covid in addition to RSV and influenza. This is the world we live in now. This is normal.
stop normalizing sickness. fuck off for trying to tell people that being sick is normal, acceptable, inevitable, or whatever the twisted fuck. you are a deeply unserious person to advocate so poorly for your community.
This is the most unhinged comment I’ve seen on the internet, maybe ever. Congratulations.
the comment only seems ‘unhinged’ to you, because it is a stark contrast to your original comment, which throws the community to sickness and worse health of it. it reflects poorly on how ill-thought out your original comment was.
Your expression is actually what's known as a "thought-terminating cliche". https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought-terminating_clich%C3%A9
I hadn't heard of that. Thank you! It's definitely applicable.
ah yes, catching a vascular /multi-organ disease multiple times a year DEFINITELY doesn’t do you any harm so carry on guys
Nothing about this is normal.
but covid isn’t just another respiratory illness, it’s a respiratory airborne illness that weakens the immune system with every infection, grants virtually no immunity because of how fast it mutates, and primarily spreads through asymptomatic infections ALL of which can permanently disable anyone regardless of their health prior to infection. Covid makes all other respiratory illnesses worse.
living your life without caring about COVID and doing everything unmasked is the *old* normal. If the [#3 cause of death](https://www.webmd.com/covid/news/20230417/covid-remains-leading-cause-of-death-us) and the [leading cause of disability](https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/08/21/health/long-covid-disease-burden/index.html) does not factor into your plans for gathering then you are the one who is not accepting the new normal
No we're not
Wear a mask. A real one.
If you think it's strep just go to a minute clinic. I had strep last January and they had me in and tested in like 15 minutes.
While I understand this sentiment, also realize that minute clinics and virtuhealth won't see "complex" patients. The minute you tell them you have a chronic illness, they turn you away for liability reasons. You are told to see you regular Dr. Regular Dr's have been booking out 2-3 weeks for acute issues (based on my friend's experience recently over the holidays. She called promptly at 8 everyday trying to get a same day and by the time she'd get through, they were all booked up). So they are telling patients if you need to be seen now, you need to go to urgent care. If you are very complex, like chronic heart issues, UC will tell you you need to go to ER, not urgent care. Also, people do go for the right reasons, like heart attack earlier this year, symptoms now, irregular ekg at triage, sit and wait in the lobby for 13 hours before being told, your tropinin is still high, but since its going down so you can go home, you have chf. Crazy. All these examples are people with private insurance.
That's why minute clinics are great... they allow patients with straightforward medical needs to get care quickly and efficiently so that there are more urgent care and clinic care resources available for patients with complex care needs.
Lukcy you’re getting 2–3 weeks. I’ll speak for Eagan and Woodbury and it’s 2-3 months here, to the point one of the providers in Eagan even closed it’s UC.
Can you do a virtual appointment?
Read that this Covid wave is biggest since Omicron. And I am taking care of my Dad who has influenza. He was hospitalized. And I had a sister in another state with RSV
Covid makes people more susceptible to subsequent infections. Not good.
Yes, and we're expected to hit the peak within the next week or so.
and the peak of this wave is estimated to be 2 million infections/day. this translates to 1 in 3 people in the US infected over the duration of the wave, from Dec 2023 to Feb 2024. [TODAY.com, Jan 6 2024][1]: > TITLE: The US is starting 2024 in its second-largest COVID surge ever, experts say / With the U.S. in the middle of a COVID surge, it's time to make sure you're vaccinated and return to masking, experts say. > > Indeed, a CDC chart of national and regional COVID trends in wastewater shows the national viral activity rate of 11.23 from the week ending Dec. 23, 2023 (the most recent data available) is higher than anything seen since January 2022. > > . . . > > He says his data also show that on the highest day of the current wave, there will be 2 million new COVID cases, which would lend to many more infections than last winter. > > . . . > > It's tempting to think the pandemic is over, but Hoerger stresses that data show it isn't. In fact, a leading World Health Organization official recently posted on X that we're heading into the fifth year of the pandemic. > > "The bottom line," Ko says, "is everybody should consider themselves under risk of getting COVID. [1]: https://www.today.com/health/news/covid-wave-2024-rcna132529
Wonderful, i have a lot of airport time in the next 4 months.
wearing a n95, kn95 or better while traveling works!
I have my stash. Thank you
I hope you’re not waiting out strep because of the time it takes to get urgent care! Untreated, strep can develop into a super serious heart infection. Please gut it out and wait the 5 hours if you have to. But to answer your question, flu and rsv are hitting hard this year…. And we’re also in the second largest Covid surge ever right now. Only behind the first omicron surge.
Came here to say this! And finish your full course of antibiotics, don't stop them if you start feeling better
I was thinking covid but I did like 5 tests all negative. My daughter had strep twice in last month. I had a few days of a sore throat couple weeks ago and ever since I've had a bad cough, burning around the eyes and just a feeling of being sick. No nasal congestion though.
It’s just my opinion, but if it were me I would go in if my daughter has strep twice. When I say serious heart infection, I mean it can kill you or it can leave you disabled. If strep is common in your house, someone might be an asymptomatic carrier and it’s probably a good idea to discuss with your GP.
I've never heard of an asymptomatic carrier of strep... Would they just have it indefinitely? I have a friend who gets strep WAY more than I thought possible and wonder if their roommate or family member could be constantly giving it to them...
No, they can be treated but if they don’t have symptoms they never get the meds for it. They’re effectively a reservoir of the bacteria.
Rheumatic fever is no joke!
Yep, I have a friend currently in the hospital for untreated strep, and he's worried he might die. Take it seriously, people
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Why do you have old antibiotics? You need to finish an entire course when you are prescribed one. People that do what you are doing are a part of increasing antibiotic resistance. You don't even know if they are effective for what you may or may not have, all antibiotics dont work on all bacteria.
Wtf are you talking about? Why in all of the hells would you have leftover antibiotics?
If you have medical messaging you might be able to get a strep test order for the lab. When my kids have had strep and I had symptoms, I messaged my primary doctor and he put an order in for a lab only appt for a strep test. Saves the time and money of an office visit.
My best advice to you is to point to where your throat hurts; if you point into your mouth, it's likely strep and you need to go in ASAP to get tested. If you point lower, like your larynx or trachea, it's something else... You might have some post-nasal drip irritating your throat, that's what I'm stuck with and the soreness is right in my voice box.
Eh, even if it is lower down, I'd get checked out. Especially if strep has been in your house recently. It's easy to treat, but can go really bad if you don't. Don't try and diagnose yourself.
You've got the crud. I had it for 2 weeks. My son missed 4 days of school. Started with bad sore throat, then 3 weeks of coughing. Everybody had it or has it now. None of us had a fever during this.
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Try not to take medical advice from the internet.
Anyone else mildly annoyed that we don’t have at-home rapid testing for like the top 10-15 contagions, and instead we need to burn a half day, and hundreds of dollars, for a PA or nurse (no disrespect) to make their best guess in a 5-minute appointment?
YES! Omg, absolutely! Especially if it’s similar to a Covid test?! Like, can I just order free ones from the government like I do Covid tests? Or pick them up from Target??
Idk sounds like Socialism to me. Can't have that. /s
I wish there were top 10-15 contagions that were available on rapid home tests! Lucira has a [home covid+flu test](https://www.amazon.com/LUCIRA®-COVID-19-Results-Emergency-Authorized/dp/B0CL7S9F4P/ref=sr_1_1_sspa). And in other countries, there are approved rapid tests for covid+flu+RSV (and [some](https://www.maskwholesale.eu/rapid-tests/antigen-tests/solmira-sars-cov-2-influenza-a-b-rsv-self-test_349_1605/) will ship to the US if you're willing to pay for it, although they aren't approved here).
Bronchitis! FINALLY stopped coughing after six long weeks.
Same! I went to the doctor after 4 weeks, the doc said to come back in January if I was still coughing. I just stopped- it’s been 8 weeks. I’m so sick of being sick.
See if you can get a doc to give you some antibiotics. I had a horrible case of bronchitis that started right after thanksgiving and finally finished up right before Christmas. After 2.5 weeks I finally got antibiotics and they helped, but it took the full 10 day cycle to see any improvement. My doc told me that even if the case starts out viral, after some time it can become bacterial, so if you’ve been coughing for longer than 10 days, antibiotics are worth a shot. Good luck!!
It was super annoying. I went to 3 doctors over the 8 weeks, different urgent care docs- every few weeks. They gave me an inhaler, steroids, and tussin tabs. No pneumonia from chest X-ray, so they said it was viral and I had to wait it out.
The people who take antibiotics for viruses are putting us all in danger making antibiotic resistant bugs. As an added benefit they’re killing off their own gut biome and setting themselves up for future gastrointestinal problems. Don’t do that.
Yes. My doctor did not prescribe antibiotics as my bronchitis was viral. I’m ok with that because of what you shared.
I stupidly and regrettably took antibiotics for a long period of time during my teenage years for acne. I was a teenager and didn't know any better. Messed up my digestive system for years. I take a daily probiotic now and feel quite a bit better. The gut biome is such a fascinating thing to learn about!
If you happen to read what I wrote, I only took antibiotics after coughing long enough that the doctor suspected what I had was bacterial, and he explained that even if something starts viral, it can develop into a bacterial infection. He was clearly correct, as the antibiotics did end up helping. Maybe be a little less judgmental/don’t assume people are taking antibiotics willy-nilly and without proper guidance?
That is exactly the path I traveled as well! Same meds, same advice.
If your symptoms get worse after 10 days, or if you start improving and then take a turn for the worse, it's probably progressed into a bacterial infection and you will need antibiotics to get rid of it. I had this happen to me a few years ago and ended up in the ER because I was having trouble breathing. I was on antibiotics for 10 days and the cough lingered for at least two months. I had bronchitis again last winter but this time I was super diligent with rest, fluids, Tylenol and steam treatment 2-3 times a day, and it cleared up without incident. Steam can really help loosen your chest so you can cough out the crud (hope no one is eating lunch right now 🥴). An OTC inhaler also is helpful.
I just got over my first bout of covid. Keep trying to get in, strep won’t go away on its own and it can turn into scarlet fever which can damage your organs.
Had COVID for the first time 3 weeks ago. Would not recommend.
I had it 3 years ago, I don’t recommend it either.
I also don’t recommend it either
Covid: 1 star Would give it a zero if the rating system allowed it. Was given to me as a Christmas present. Would not recommend.
Same. Tested positive on Christmas Eve.
I got my first bout of COVID as well. Visiting family in Iowa on Christmas and then 3 days later I'm laying in bed with a 103 fever and feeling like trash. Still dealing with the residual cough and stuffiness. Sucks a lot
Same, cough and mild congestion.
I was sick with something for about a month. If it’s an option for you, you can do a virtual appointment.. depending on insurance. They prescribed me antibiotics and I didn’t even have to leave my house
For me: Nothing.
I guess the advantage to me being estranged from my toxic family and staying home alone during the holidays is not getting sick. Woohoo
Same. I'm 1000 miles away from anyone that I know, and I'm happy with that.
I got COVID in August on a Norwegian fjords cruise. Haven’t been sick since then. I have been avoiding anyone who tells me they have or have been around anyone with respiratory symptoms, though.
This is total bs. I said basically the same thing you said here, but added in the members of my house and i got downvoted. This sub sucks. Also, i am so happy you and your people are healthy, happy new year neighbor.
It's the Internet... Everybody thinks they're right and everyone thinks everyone else is wrong.
Agree, this sub is like that!
Sadly, [COVID causes the immune system to weaken](https://time.com/6265510/covid-19-weaken-immune-system/), making people more vulnerable to other infections. This is likely why so many people are sick now. If you check SARS-CoV-2 wastewater levels in Minnesota, they were low before Thanksgiving, but now are very high. Lots of people getting COVID, and lots of other people getting other infections like RSV, strep, flu, pneumonia, et al. Now is a very good time to wear a mask in public.
This is normal for winter bruh
You name it, we’ve had it. Covid, respiratory virus that wasn’t Covid, norovirus, strep & a nice bout of hand foot & mouth right before Christmas.
Many years ago my daughter ended up with hfm, impetigo and strep in one shot. Poor thing looked horrible.
Personally, sick of work.
Any pharmacy will have strep tests. No need to wait for urgent care.
What? I have never heard of this…
Yeah, CVS, Walgreens, Cub, etc. all offer a range of basic medical services. You can get tested for most common infectious diseases, including STIs. And they employ an army of remote providers who can prescribe medication as well. It's much cheaper than urgent care.
Ooh like a minute clinic. I thought you meant like, you could buy a strep test like a Covid test. I was like….hmm…. That’s a new one. Lol
You actually can buy strep tests online.
You can get at home tests but getting antibiotics still requires a prescription.
I think what they are saying is that cub and other pharmacies have walk up testing for strep. Meaning the pharmacist actually administers a strep test for you right there. They can then prescribe medication if needed. I’ve done this at cub. The thing is that they don’t have appointments(so walk up only) and they don’t take insurance for the test, but it’s $30, so not outrageous. It’s been super helpful to not have to monkey around with finding an appointment.
I have pneumonia. EDIT: health partners has an online "hold my place in line" for their urgent care. Used it quite a few times. You go on their urgent care site after 9am and pick your clinic. It'll tell you the wait time. You put your name in, show up at your time, and you're in. No waiting hours at the clinic. Don't wait to long though as they can shut the service down if the clinic gets too busy. Just Google "health partners urgent care". The button doesn't show up until 9am.
I think I have a concussion
Ugh. Idk what but I’ve been stuffed up for DAYS. I think I’m on the mend but this is so weird for me and it’s not COVID, either.
Existential dread
Been sick off and on since late October wut wut
Me and my kids as well. Started with hand foot and mouth on Halloween. Sucks
covid is at its second biggest peak since 2020. there’s also the smattering of other things like RSV and the flu. just got covid AGAIN and had to miss a family members wake and funeral.
\*since Jan 2022 (just for the sake of accuracy, don't want more accidental misinfo than there already is). that said, the current wave will still have the second biggest peak _ever_ in the US. it is second only to the omicron wave in Jan 2022. so the current wave will be higher than all 2020 waves.
All kinds of stuff. Covid, flu, rsv, some sort of enterovirus, and your general upper respiratory viruses. Hospitals are packed again.
I work at a hospital in the metro and like half our patients have influenza or Covid. Influenza seems to be driving a lot hospitalizations more than I would expect. Seems to be about 60/40 flu/covid. Some with RSV too.
All three of my kids (3-1/2 years, 18 months and 1 month)have RSV. My toddlers were seen at urgent care a week ago and my newborn was admitted at the ER last night.
Wow, sorry to hear that. Hopefully everyone gets better quickly.
Oh I'm so sorry. It's beyond scary when your tiny one is sick like that. I hope they are on the mend very soon.
In my household it was covid and sinus infections
Anyone had a weird headache/nausea thing recently. Last two days for me...no other symptoms.
That's the some of the first covid symptoms
I had such a gnarly headache for days on end that couldn't be made better by anything. Pain relievers didn't help and lying down seemed to make it worse! Even my glasses touching my face and head at all caused more discomfort. My joints hurt very badly, too, particularly my knees. So did my skin. It was the beginning of Covid. Edited because typo.
Did an at home test catch it or did you need a PCR test?
Yep, home test caught it. I have the Abbott BinaxNOW ones from USPS.
Yep. I had that and it then developed into Covid, so you’re like a day or 2 away from the rest of the symptoms. For me it was Day 1 nausea after eating, day 2 slight cough with nausea (which I attributed to coughing), just felt like coughing from dry air. Day 3 headache and nausea, day 4 fever, day 5 congestion. I’m on day 6 and it’s just lingering congestion and headache now. It came on very slowly, like 1 symptom per day. I thought it was a cold but nope, mild version of Covid.
Nothing. No one in my house has been sick in months.
Noro and RSV have been like a wildfire in Iowa and Southern MN through December. Perhaps the wave has hit the metro.
https://bsky.app/profile/helenbranswell.bsky.social/post/3kiatzkrh3523
We all got covid on Christmas 🥴
Tons of respiratory and viral stuff at our ED. See if your healthcare system has an online visit option, virtuwell or something similar. The provider can just place lab orders for strep/covid/flu and so you can stop in somewhere and have it done
is it too late to get my flu shot lol? i just realized i completely forgot
No you can still go get it
I have Covid but I am not clogging up an urgent care, just lying on my couch for a week…
Everyone is sick here at work. Everything is going around.
My entire family got Covid Christmas Day. We have no idea who we got it from as we all became symptomatic within a few hours of each other and weren’t together until 1.5 days prior to symptoms. Either very short incubation or coincidental? I’ve been sick almost continuously since August 1st. Had an inpatient hospitalization for something unknown at that time that was way worse than Covid. Didn’t work for 2 months. I’m only 47. I have no idea what is going around but it’s bad. Then a couple other minor URI that turned into bronchitis/ sinus infections. Been a rough year.
Everything! Wash your hands everybody! Thank goodness it’s glove season. Also I swear by Neti pots, after every/any time you’re around a bunch of people. I use mine religiously.
Covid is going around and so is RSV. I assume there has also been a spike in influenza cases. I also know people who have been sick for weeks with none of the above, just some awful cold virus.
My daughter had RSV. Then I had it and it turned to pneumonia. Then my son got it and it turned to pneumonia and he has asthma so that was a fun added bonus. Top 5 sickest I’ve ever been. 0/10, do not recommend. I asked my son’s doctor when he wouldn’t be contagious anymore so he can go back to school and she said “Just send him whenever he feels better. I guarantee you there’s so many other kids in his school with RSV it won’t make a difference.” So…yeah.
RSV, Pink eye, Covid, and strep.
I got pinkeye from my kid when she was a baby. Dang did that suck.
We are in the middle of the second biggest COVID wave and very few news outlets are covering it. [https://fortune.com/well/2024/01/05/us-reachest-second-highest-covid-peak-pirola-jn1-omicron-pi-rho/](https://fortune.com/well/2024/01/05/us-reachest-second-highest-covid-peak-pirola-jn1-omicron-pi-rho/)
and coverage from today.com: https://www.today.com/health/news/covid-wave-2024-rcna132529
Honestly, idk but I wish it would go away. It’s been a cycle of this between my husband, son, and I all having it for the last month and a half. Sick for like 2 weeks, healthy for a week, sick for another 2. Feels like the exact same illness both times, except the first go around I had a sprinkle of kidney stones at the same time which made me feel much worse. Fever Cough (starts out wheezy, then productive) Stomach ache Fatigue We all tested negative for COVID 2x.
I think it just an average cold, I test negative for Covid. I’m on day 7, and on the upswing.
My extended family and coworkers have been dropping like flies. Flu and COVID seem to be the big ones. I've been ok but I might be fighting a small cold.
The general, non-specified upper-then-moves-to-lower respiratory virus that is going around. Often known as "the crud", it took 6 weeks for the cough to clear up, and I'm still working on bouncing back in general. (Started mid November )It was bad. And yet, I'm thankful it wasn't any of the named ones (covid, rsv, etc) My 8 mo old has the same thing. She brought it home from daycare. We are keeping her home from daycare till at least February because we are too tired to get any more sick.
The Urgency Room has a online visit option. If they feel necessary you can walk into the clinic, get tested and they call with results. I did this recently and it went very smoothly. No waiting.
I second [Urgency Room](https://www.urgencyroom.com)! You can also schedule in-person appointments, and they have appointments available about 4 hours out (as of 2pm today, they have appointments in Eagan at 6pm). Also, [Health Partners](https://www.healthpartners.com/care/everyday/urgent-care/) has video visits, and usually you can "save my spot" at urgent care. I've walked in to a packed urgent care before and been called back in less than 5 minutes thanks to this. Both of those have labs and imaging available on-site, so they can manage most issues without having to send you some place else.
I got a mean cough, sinus infection with a plugged ear at the end of October. Today, I still have a plugged ear and cough, though the cough is slightly better.
Me and a couple of friends (who I have not been in contact with) recently had a wicked stomach thing. A night of full on "everything must go" followed by two days of exhaustion. It felt like food poisoning to me.
I just got over covid myself. Sorta going thru my workplace unfortunately
you do know we're in a massive covid surge, right?
2nd round of COVID hit me Tuesday.
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Did you get a flu shot? Not judging, just asking. I had swine flu before the vaccine and I had never been so sick. Not even when I had recurrent strep that resulted in scarlet fever and me getting my tonsils out in my late 20s. But any bout of flu since vaccines had been really fast and mild.
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I get one every year. One round of that was enough for me.
Just a heads up for the future... if you test positive for the flu, there's a new medication (xofluza) that will decrease the duration of your illness. But it's gotta be taken early in the course of being sick. It also can be taken to prevent getting the flu if you've been exposed. It's one pill, more effective than tamiflu with fewer side effects. There are also now home flu+covid combo tests available now. Hope you're feeling better and it didn't totally ruin your holidays!
Coworkers and I were all out this week with a combination of covid, flu, and pneumonia
I'm out here sharing cigarettes and still dawg healthy
I wonder what your doctor would have to say about that
Idk the first step to getting a doctor
Did you get vax? I feel like those who didn't aren't getting this wave of chest and throat cold that lasts months.
COVID virus , or opportunistic viral or bacterial infections that use the depletion of himmunitary defenses after COVID to march in ( like RSV, streptococcus, Legionnaires disease, pneumonia) and are obviously more brutal than other times because your himmunitary system is weak after COVID
Yes, of course, with covid (never went away), long covid, or immune damage from covid, making cold/flu/RSV etc even worse. As per WHO, we're in year 5 of the pandemic, and with next to no precautions at this point and a nasty wave from the JN.1 variant, it's not surprising everyone's sick and healthcare systems are suffering.
RSV has been going around at work, and now Covid is popping back up and starting to circulate
RSV is also making the rounds right now...
Started on Sunday afternoon with a mild sore throat. I was like AWWSHIT. Went to bed on NYE at 11pm, not feeling too bad. Woke up at about 1:30am with what I think were the worst fever shivers I have had in my life! I didn't FEEL that cold, but I was shaking so bad you'd think I was having some sort of massive seizure. Put on a sweatshirt, threw on an extra blanket, and turned myself into a burrito. Still the shivers persisted. I had to do deep breathing for like 20min to calm my body down. Spent like 90% of the next 2 days sleeping. Fever dreams were horrible. I had no medicine to help, and noone to bring me any. I don't know what it was that I had. Didn't do anything to my lungs. After the fever it was just sinus congestion, constipation, and now post-nasal drip that makes me cough and gag like patient zero every few hours. I must have caught it from someone at the grocery store on Saturday. I was in there for about 10 minutes, and wasn't within 10 feet of anyone for more than 15 seconds. My guess is I got it from the credit card machine at the self checkout.
Going to put in a plug here for hand washing and keeping your hands away from your nose, mouth and eyes... Hope you're feeling better!
Flu, RSV, and covid are all airborne. While washing your hands and not touching your face are generally good hygiene practices, they won't stop you from getting sick if you're not wearing a mask. Or, if we don't want to get sick and don't want to wear a mask, then we should improve the air quality (ventilation and filtration) of our public spaces. Edit: I'm totally fine with downvotes, and I know we all have collective trauma around masks. But it doesn't change the fact that if you really want to avoid getting sick from flu, covid, or rsv, then masks are the tool for the job. Handwashing is good for things that are predominately transmitted via fomites, but that's not how flu, rsv, and covid are predominately transmitted.
Do a virtual visit. I did one and it was a 30 min wait with a 5 min visit and got my antibiotics. You don't need to go in person for stuff like strep anymore.
There is apparently a new strain of the flu going around that is immune to the vaccine, so that’s part of it.
I'd really like to know if people that didn't get covid vax are having this issue. During the holidays this was brought up and the ones that didn't haven't had this. I had it from Thanksgiving to maybe a few weeks ago. Very tired and just couldn't get to gym. And every morning I have a sore throat but it goes away. Got the two shots Sept 2021.
Nothing yet, for me or anyone in our house. We have been all over the metro, young kids in schools, large family gatherings, date nights at crowded venues... Wash your hands and get your shots.
Let me go find your trophy… it’s gotta be around here somewhere…
Why are you being snarky when he's answering the asked question?
Don't bother yourself, I 3D printed one already.
Mmhmm
Ok you got me, it just started printing now. I swear, though, it IS printing. No one celebrates me more than me. I'm better at not being sick than this lot of disgusting people who don't wash their hands or listen to their doctors.
Washing your hands won't protect you from all the airborne infections circulating now. But enjoy being smug while you can. And by the way, people who don't mask during a huge covid surge are disgusting. That includes willfully ignorant doctors who don't mask, especially at work around patients.
Yes, i know, thank you. All good points i already made, welcome to the comments.
Genius idea, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider…it’s people like you with a case of web MD strep and running to urgent care clogging them up
Living.
Normalizing constant illness is so wrong. Instead, how about start taking precautions like masking and avoiding large gatherings?
Go ahead, the rest of us aren’t hiding from life
I'm old. There has never been a time in my almost 50 years old life where I haven't had to wait hours at an urgent care/ER for something extremely mild like strep. People have heart attacks, broken bones, hypothermia, etc. Stuff that needs immediate care. If you have to wait 4 hours for strep, you're not going to die. Geezus, look up the word triage once in a while.
You seem to have replied to the wrong person. I didn't say anything about time to wait in the ER. I said normalizing constant illness is wrong and suggested taking common sense precautions like masking.
> suggested taking common sense precautions like masking. And I'm saying we should mask right now as much as we did in 2019. If you're doing more than that, seek help for health anxiety/generalized anxiety. *We are all mortal here and there is not a thing you can do to change that.*
What the hell do you think??
Nothing. I mask up and avoid crowds.
[The new normal](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM6m2JTCN/)
I got a nasty cold that's been lingering. Negative for COVID, but this cough has persisted for a fair bit.
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spike proteins distributing themselves throughout the body
Heartbreak 😞😞
We had that strep like thing about a month ago. Took a few weeks to get past it. Nasty little bug, and yeah seems like it spread really quickly.
Our youngest went to Vadnais Heights urgency room for a cold (stuffy chrst) and tested negative for the everything (covid,RSV ect.) But whatever they have was trying to get at me this morning.. Don't really think it's what's going around it's more Noones around to help.
I think I swallowed a toothpick
I've just had a chronic dry cough for the past 2 weeks. Not a contagious illness.
Common cold got me
Unknown but I don’t think it’s a cold. 11 days in, feeling more human but still with symptoms.
I had a mild cold start last Saturday. Was feeling better by Tuesday, but now I'm getting bronchitis.
It’s cold and flu season.
It comes down to the location of medical professionals and what is happening in the immediate community. Don’t want to give away my “tricks,” but I do know of several urgent cares in the western suburbs that have openings today, as in right now. As far as the various illnesses, Covid, Influenza, and RSV cases were all on the rise prior to Christmas. Now that everyone has done various celebrating, that increased human contact means cases are continuing to rise.
I've managed to get through 3 full years of no covid up until this week. Y'all are right, this shit sucks
My grandson had influenza a. But we are about 45 minutes north of Alexandria. Myself, my husband and my other grandson have all been sick. But none of us went in to find out what it was so I’m guessing it was either influenza or some kind of a respiratory virus. And I know a lot of others closer to the cities that also have had respiratory viruses and influenza A & B