Thanks Chowdog. That is interesting. I'm ok immune wise. Now will have to decide on that side effect thing. :-)

Appreciate the information.

Thanks Moth, I wonder if most places have both? I will try to find out when I book. Thanks so much.

I heard on our news today that many fully vaccinated people in their 70s and 80s were getting diagnosed with covid and they believe they were getting it from the unvaccinated people around them not being careful. I wish they would mandate dunce caps for unvaccinated so we could see them coming

It is good to hear that getting Moderna booster might help with that.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

Dear Mods,

Respectfully, I am not aware of "many legitimate reasons". I wonder if you can refer us to data on that?

In this thread it has been said repeatedly that the criticism is toward those who choose not to vaccinate for illegitimate reasons.

(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.

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.

@exbrnxgrl

Great picture! My youngest is in 6th grade and "when is your vaccine appointment " is THE hot topic of conversation. He is bummed he has to wait until Thursday. "Some of my friends ALREADY GOT IT MOM!!!" What a time, when medical concerns override the candy count.

Congrats to your grandson.

I was going to mention caitlin flanagan, the atlantic contributor and living with Her2+ mBC, and what she said on Bill Maher last week, but I guess I shouldn't since Mods might find that "not respectful" enough? the gist of it was she agrees with Bill Maher, who spread multiple misinformation last week such as covid is cover, pick either vaccine or mask, natural immunity is the best, etc. she appeared to be against vaccine mandate and used vaccine mandate for firemen & police as an example. You can google the video clip.

I guess any discussion about Arron Rodgers is also off the table.

Sadie, 100% agree!

Also, in the previous locked thread, it took multiple tries to have mods remove the truly disrespectful posts filled with misinformation because it was considered "opinion". In this thread, we haven't had any problems in 26 pages, then suddenly we have an issue? I am just confused.

😁 Ilimae, you made me chuckle. My memory is tragic these days which makes holding a grudge harder! Ha. Ironically, when I am filling out my symptoms in LTD forms (still working but at slightly reduced hours) I keep forgetting to include memory loss!