COVID Symptoms Have Changed

I woke up this morning with a sore throat. And discovered I could not talk above a whisper! Since I was a field biologist, I had a job where I was outdoors in the field a lot or sitting in front of a computer crunching numbers & writing reports; I did not do much talking during the day. Or even at night, for that matter. But over the past 12 days I have spent 7 days talking for nearly 8 hours each day in a concentrated block of time; 3 of those days were back-to-back. So I think perhaps I have just strained those muscles that I am not used to using. (The larynx & vocal cords are muscles.) I immediately let Dave & Jason know I would not be able to work today.

But I also Googled, "COVID symptoms for vaccinated people" because I know that when you are vaccinated against an illness, if you become infected with that illness, symptoms are different than what you would normally get if you are unvaccinated. I found an article based on a study in Great Britain that had a great graphic of what the top 5 symptoms were in people who were vaccinated, 1/2 vaccinated, or unvaccinated. All 3 groups included sore throat. Auē! The article also noted that researchers found that COVID-19 symptoms in the unvaccinated have changed over the last year or so & the most common symptoms now are different than they were when the pandemic first started. Part of this change is believed to be due to more young people becoming ill than the very elderly that were a big part of the illness when it first appeared. 

So I decided to get a COVID-19 test just to be safe. I got on to the Kaiser patient website to make an appointment for the test. 

I got a return email about an hour later approving my in-person appointment for a test. I made that appointment for 11 a.m. at the Kaiser Mapunapuna drive-up test center where I had gotten my 3 earlier COVID-19 tests. I did not have to fill out these questions before; glad I can do it all on line now.

I took a photo of the QR code so I would have it for the testing site.

It had only taken me about 10 minutes of waiting in line in the tests I had taken before. The waiting time at the test center today was an indication of how the number of new cases has soared. I got in line, out on the street, at 10:37 a.m., I turned in to the driveway at 11:08 a.m., & was finally waiting to be swabbed at 11:43 a.m. The nurse that collected the swab said I should expect my results by this same time tomorrow. I did not need to show them my QR code.

At the end of the line, 10:37 a.m.

The car in front of me in previous photo decided line was too long & left, 10:43 a.m.

The car automatically went in to park when it sat still too long, 10:45 a.m.

Vehicles kept making wide turn here, 11:01 a.m.

But there was no barrier making them make wide turn, 11:02 a.m.

I get set up to make a normal turn, 11:07 a.m.

And made it without hitting the curb, 11:08 a.m.

The vehicles form 2 lines at the next turn, 11:11 a.m.

I go to the line on the right, 11:15 a.m.

The goal is in sight, 11:39 a.m.

Waiting to be swabbed, 11:43 a.m.

Here's a map of what that looked like. For the other tests I took, I would drive right up to the part where the line splits in two.

(From Google Maps)

I returned home & continued to isolate myself from the rest of the household. And also declined to go over to Curtis & Lori's this evening for dinner; I did not want to take any chances on exposing 97 year old Grandma Maui to SARS-CoV-2! I'm glad I have a laptop to keep me company.

Today is a Fast Day. Which works out well for being in isolation; I don't need to go to the kitchen & no one needs to prepare meals for me. But I still did need to leave my bedroom to go to the bathroom. This morning when I did, Luna plopped herself down right in front of me! I wonder if she knew I was not supposed to be cuddling her if I was in isolation for COVID-19? 

I was curious as to what the new case number was during the previous times that I went to the Mapunapuna drive-up test site; since I had a lot of time on my hands I tracked down that information. The Kaiser patient website helped me with a list of the times I was tested; each links to the test results which includes the date & time the sample was collected. Those were on 11/04/2020 so I could take Dad for his dental appointment, on 02/11/2021 so I could fly to Hawaiʻi Island to meet up with Julie, and on 05/01/2021 so I could fly to Hawaiʻi Island to meet up with Sarah & Kaia when Sarah was here for the retreat she was attending in Kona; that last one was about a month before the inter-island travel restrictions were lifted. The new cases for each of those days was, respectively, 156, 95, & 119. That's an average of about 120; our recent new cases average about 600 or about 5 times what it was during my previous tests. I would say the line was about 5 times longer than before.

One thing that Kaiser has done in regards to COVID-19 is they continue to waive fees for testing. And up until August 1st, they were waiving all cost-sharing by members for treatment. After August 1st if you are unvaccinated, Kaiser will not waive the cost-sharing. I agree with the president of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii that unvaccinated people, "have the right to make that decision, but that doesn't mean that someone else has the responsibility to pay for their tests" or their medical costs. Unvaccinated people also don't have the right to possibly expose me or others to SARS-CoV-2 by ignoring masking or physical distancing requirements in privately owned & operated businesses or residences. Perhaps if unvaccinated people who knowingly infect at-risk individuals could be charged with a crime such as assault, like they can be with HIV non-disclosure, it would make people more conscientious about complying with restrictions.

I forgot to grab a screen shot of the Aix weather app, but I did get screen shots from the web cams. I discovered I could get larger views of the traffic cam in Kaimukī; though I don't think it adds much in terms of figuring out the weather. I also discovered I was a little turned around on the direction the camera was facing for the Marysville web cam; I have reoriented myself & will be providing you with the correct direction from now on. (If you read the older posts you will have to correct them in your head as you read them.)

Nā Koʻolau at 10:22 a.m.

There is an elongated area of low pressure about 1300 miles southwest of us that is moving westerly at about 10 mph. It has a 10% chance of becoming more organized within the next 48 hours.

There was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake 65 miles south of Alaska; it did not generate a tsunami.

There were 643 new cases of COVID-19 reported today, bringing the total known cases up to 46,503. There were no new deaths reported so the death toll remains at 542; currently 5508 cases are considered active. The 7-day new case average for Oʻahu is 342 with a 7.9% positivity rate. 

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Bill, Paul, Nora, & Dominique! A me ka Hauʻoli lā Hoʻomanaʻo makahiki ʻumi kumamākolu e The Most Excellent Cook & The Bronco Dude! A me ka Hauʻoli lā Hoʻomanaʻo makahiki ʻelima e Leigh & Lenny!