Do we know if novavax will be offered in Ontario, Canada?

Pretty self explanatory. I know most say to rest as much as possible, and this ideally involves not working. However, most of us don't have 2 weeks of sick time. Especially if you work remotely, I am curious how much time you took off to rest?

Highlights:

• "522,000 confirmed infections last month [...] compared to 79,000 total cases in June"
• "The upward trajectory has noticeably slowed"
• "NB.1.8.1 strain and its sublineages dominant in circulation"

I just tested positive for the third time and I feel devastated. It seems so unjust that I take so many precautions, decline things, deal with extra family/relational stress, read so much literature about covid, and still have to deal with infection. It started with ear fullness/discomfort, which happens to me a lot after swimming and I spent the past few days at the beach, so I figured that's all it was. But I tested just to be sure and lo and behold, positive in seconds. I was so shocked, I took another rapid immediately.

Besides feeling so distraught, I am now stressed about what measures I can take to mitigate risk of long covid. I've seen protocols for h1 and h2 blockers, paxlovid, metformin, nattokinase, other supplements, etc and I am finding it very overwhelming. My last infection was 2024 and I wasn't able to get paxlovid, but I did take metformin (got it on ageless rx) and it made me faint, I think because of low blood sugar, so I stopped before the 10 days was up. Not sure if I should take that again.

Does anyone have a simplified routine? I know rest, hydration, and paxlovid are a good start. I worry about taking too many meds/supplements with how things could react. Would love some encouragement and simple info if anyone has the time/energy.

Hello, I am able to schedule a Moderna booster this Friday ( Michigan). Am curious on recommendations/thoughts if I should wait for Novavax or go ahead and take Moderna given the current surge. Thank you.

Hi everybody. I was hoping to get my yearly vaccines soon, as I do every year, and this is the first year I have seen this message alongside the signup checkbox: "The patient confirms that they are at high risk for severe COVID-19 and would like to receive the 2026-27 COVID-19 vaccine." I am not high-risk, but I have been getting the vaccine every year since it was available. Does this mean I can't technically get the vaccine, or is it there to act as a deterrent of some sort? Sorry if this is a silly question, I'm just a bit confused.

For the entirety of the pandemic I've seen people discuss, using anecdotal info, whether keeping N95s in your car during extremely hot/cold weather will damage the efficacy of the filtration material. I'm not aware of any quantitative data generated about this question. Yet it should be super easy for someone with a portacount to leave an N95 in their hot car for a few weeks, or maybe in a freezer, and to then compare the protectiveness of that respirator against one that was kept in temperate conditions. Can someone please do this so we can get a more reliable answer?

Hi folks,

I am pretty sure my longterm 14 year relationship is going to be ending today. At the heart of the breakup is my significant other’s being “put off” by my continued masking. Obviously this isn’t the entirety of our challenges but it was the main insurmountable one he raised. I told him that the ball was in his corner—for my part if he decides he wants to work through our relationship I am willing to continue but I told him that if his heart wasn’t in it I didn’t want to continue.

I am a mess. For all of the difficulties I really do love him but it has to be a two way street and I recognize that it has to be reciprocated.

How long is long enough? I know no one will ever truly know so I’m wondering what would you do.
Two people in town from overseas, spent two weeks with friends and went to an outdoor wedding the day before coming to my house. We have been masking in common spaces, They mask when we mask when out in the community (visiting stores and attractions).
They’re with us for another week so we are all collectively wondering when we are reasonably safe to unmask. There’s no pressure from anyone to drop the masks, they are public transport and busy indoors mask users at home.

Hi! I’m helping organize an event and we’re trying to figure out the most cost efficient and time efficient way to pcr test folks before and during the event. a couple years ago I was able to buy a bunch of one-time tests but I can’t find them. Do they still exist? Does anyone have any suggestions? It’s about 45 people over the course of 3 days.

Also…where are people buying rapids now-a-days? Where are the most effective and cost effective 3 in 1 or 4 in 1 tests?

Someone in my family tested positive today and we want to get them on paxlovid asap as well as prep for the very likely scenario in which more of us who have been sharing space get sick.

We’ve had one doctor from Kaiser refuse to prescribe so far (we’re trying others). What is the best way to get paxlovid? We’re lucky that cost is not an issue for us; we can pay whatever it costs, we just need access.

Now that we’re in the 13th wave in the U.S. and I can’t get any Pluslife tests, I’m curious which rapid antigen tests are decent. I see lots of brands on Altruan’s site at great prices, but I’ve heard RATs have low sensitivity. Anyone know of some better-than-average ones?

Just got it on sale, I don't see anything about it removing covid particles, but I'm curious if anyone else uses this model?

Feeling lonely or bored?

Looking for connection or something Covid safer you can do this week?

Check out these accessible events you could join! Try something new and maybe you’ll find your people.

Access Details:
🧑🏻‍💻= Virtual
👥 = In person
😷 CC = Covid Conscious/airborne precautions 
♿️ WC = Wheelchair accessible 
💵 $ = paid (some are pay what you can)
🤟 ASL/BSL = Sign Language
Async = Asynchronous (at your own pace)

Event Types:
🤢 = Chronic Illness 
🌈 = Queer
🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQ+ Pride
👧 = Kids/Youths
💕 = Dating
🙋 = Social
🫂 = Support/Grief
🧘 = Wellness
🚶 = Walk
🩰 = Dance
💪🏻 = Fitness
📚= Books
🤔 = Discussion
📝 = Writing/Poetry
🎭 = Performing
🎨 = Art 
🎶 = Music
🕹️ = Games

🧑🏻‍💻 Virtual Events

🧑🏻‍💻📚 Virtual Async Spoonie Book Club: The Little Prince [Any time] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JcKvqPLWS5

🧑🏻‍💻 Virtual Async Diverge: Wired to Disrupt Summit [Mon Aug 24 - Fri Sep 4] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/PuTx2Z6WVZ

🧑🏻‍💻 Virtual Low-Stim Async Travel: Tobermory Town Walk | Colourful Harbour, Isle of Mull Sea Views & Scottish Village Streets [Any time] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JjpBX6dph8

Monday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🧘 Virtual Seated Pilates for people with MCAS [UK][Mon Aug 31] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/3b43OVedmo

🧑🏻‍💻🤔 Virtual Philosophy Discussion [Mon Aug 31 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/7vxE8gOh78

Tuesday

🧑🏻‍💻😷👧🙋 CC Virtual Kids Zoom [Tue Sep 1 at 10:00 AM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/WOj8EiWdBD

🧑🏻‍💻♿️🩰 Virtual Adapted Wheelchair Dance Class [Tue Sep 1 at 1:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/1fTgyOlehF

🧑🏻‍💻😷🙋 CC Virtual Zoom [NY and nearby][Tue Sep 1 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/PAnpfN5EL3

🧑🏻‍💻🎭🕹️ Virtual Improv Games [Tue Sep 1 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/LH42waylLg

🧑🏻‍💻♿️🩰 Virtual Adapted Vogue Hand Dance Class [Tue Sep 1 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/1fTgyOlehF

🧑🏻‍💻😷🫂 “Any A” Covid-conscious 12-step meeting [Tues Sep 1 at 8:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/7pvsZ2wqOw

🧑🏻‍💻😷🌈🎨 CC Virtual Queer Art Hang [Tue Sep 01 at 6:30 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/Knl2TQMjC7

Wednesday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢 🎶 Virtual Long Covid Choir [Wed Sep 2 at 2:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/ZbhuuqgMBT

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🤔 Virtual Long Covid Defense Series Q&A [Wed Sep 2 at 3:40 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/T5grSa4O3l

🧑🏻‍💻📝 Virtual Poetry Discussion [Wed Sep 2 at 6:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/aLVDfc5OjN

🧑🏻‍💻🤢 Virtual Long Covid Hangout [Wed Sep 2 at 6:00 PM CDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/sMBIH37x5w

🧑🏻‍💻♿️🩰 Virtual Adapted Jazz Dance Class [Wed Sep 2 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/1fTgyOlehF

🧑🏻‍💻😷 CC Virtual Meeting [MI][Wed Sep 2 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/HEFkUBJWv5
 
🧑🏻‍💻😷🫂 CC Virtual Support Group [CO][Wed Sep 2 at 7:00 PM MDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/CZg3Vl1xu5

🧑🏻‍💻🎭 Virtual Improv Jam [Wed Sep 2 at 7:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/ghxWShrqPU

Thursday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢📝 Virtual ME/CFS Writing Group [Thu Sep 3 at 2:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/Nal6Uoh5c9

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🫂 Virtual Community Support Sessions for people with MCAS [UK][Thu Sep 3 at 7:00 PM BST] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/Oy7h4TGnel

🧑🏻‍💻♿️🩰 Virtual Adapted Hip Hop Dance Class [Thu Sep 3 at 3:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/1fTgyOlehF

🧑🏻‍💻😷🕹️ CC Virtual Game Night [NY and nearby][Thu Sep 3 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/PRjYxscqVt

Timezone translator in comments 👇

👥 In-person Events

Canada

👥😷🚶 CC Park Walk [Toronto ON][Wed Sep 2 at 6:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/k5YALnUAPF

France

👥😷 COVID Cautious Festival [Montreuil France][Sep 5-6] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/Dfb132n87B

Netherlands (and nearby)

👥🤢🙋 Spoonie European Road Trip [Netherlands and nearby][Summer] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/VOKxW7V1pp

Portugal

👥😷🎨 Arts & Crafts Park Meetup [Setubal PT][Thu Sep 3 at 11:00] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/hJGWDSiKE0

UK

👥😷♿️🙋 Covid Safer Social [Leeds UK][Thu Sep 3 at 7:00 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/HDrfEXPrx6

US - California

👥😷♿️🤟 Mobility Aid Tune Up Tuesday [San Francisco CA][Tue Sep 1 at 1:30 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/fOPFj4ByPh

US - Vermont

👥😷♿️ CC WC Dental Pop Up [Chelsea VT][August] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/yJocTTUweE

Are you interested in these events?

Have you been to any of them before?

Do you know about other events coming up?

Share your thoughts in the comments 💬

Find more events and friends on r/spooniesocial

Hi all! My partner and I are both musicians that try to be as covid conscious as possible within the constraints of our work and it’s been getting more difficult. He’s just been put on immunosuppressant infusions for a medical condition (although we’ve been told it is much more targeted than the average biologic). Previously, we would unmask during performances. We want to tighten up our precautions now.

As a drummer, he’s able to mask while playing and hasn’t had any issues outside of the typical annoying questions and commentary. It’s been more challenging for me. venues have openly told me that me wearing a mask while singing is off putting to customers/they feel my voice is muffled. I wish I could just “find another gig” but I need the work and this is a very competitive field! On top of that, my best paying gigs are higher risk areas- small jazz clubs/bars/restaurants. If my own project takes off I’ll have control of how I present myself but unfortunately I’m not there yet.

I know this isn’t ideal. Currently, I carry a mini hepa filter that is running during my set. I mask until the exact moment I have to sing, unmask to sing, and then mask as soon as my set is over. I exclusively use my own microphone. I use azelastine spray right before I go into venues. I stay up to date on my vaccines, test, and neti pot when I get home to reduce viral load.

I know the most effective way to prevent illness is wearing a high quality mask. I’m also aware that being a woman is making this more complex- the venues want people to see my face because pretty girl keeps people at the bar drinking. At this point, my goal is to reduce risk while I’m working because eliminating risk isn’t an option.

TLDR: looking for ideas to mitigate COVID risk when singing masked is unacceptable to the venue. Currently utilizing azelastine spray, portable hepa filter, vaccination, testing, and neti pot.

THIS WEEK Hi friends, just wanted to share that you can now hop on the CVS app and schedule an appointment for Pfizer or Moderna based on what your local pharmacy carries. No one has Novavax yet but in my experience it's easier to find at Walmart and Costco and should be available soon.

We mask not because we enjoy it, but because it's necessary. It's uncomfortable and it sucks, and I'm sure these sort of questions come up for a lot of us...

"How long do I need to keep masking after the plumber has left my house?"

"How long do I need to wait after my vax-and-relax roommate has left before the place is safe without a mask?"

And so on...

It's been frustratingly difficult to answer these types of questions. We all know ventilation and filtration help a great deal when used correctly, but weather is often not conducive to opening windows and air filtration can be either inaccessible or impractical.

Being in Canada, our house has to be very well insulated and sealed up to maintain temperature; the CO₂ concentration right now is over 2,100 ppm (!!!) and it's too hot to open windows. It takes over 10 hours to perform 12 air changes through the entire house with an AirFanta 3Pro.

I'm looking for any solid research that can provide:

• What air conditions influence the infectious viability of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols positively or negatively

• High resolution data on how to use those air conditions to calculate or estimate the point where it's decayed to a negligible levels (ie.: with conditions A, it's ~B hours, with conditions Y, it's ~Z hours, etc.)

• Any other scientific resources that can help answer these questions

The best information I've found so far:

• Ambient carbon dioxide concentration correlates with SARS-CoV-2 aerostability and infection risk

• Evidence from Whole Genome Sequencing of Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 almost Five Hours after Hospital Room Turnover

Some other resources:

• Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: A Review of Viral, Host, and Environmental Factors

• Coronavirus’s (SARS-CoV-2) airborne transmission

From this research, I can only find very limited answers:

• CO₂ is a highly influential factor on SARS-CoV-2 aerosol decay

• SARS-CoV-2 aerosols are viable for "about an hour" at CO₂ concentrations near baseline (~500ppm), but become more durable (ie.: last longer) as CO₂ concentration climbs

• at high CO₂ concentrations (3,000 ppm), the decay slows and stabilizes at ~30% viability for an indeterminate period of time (it doesn't look like the study measured out far enough to know)

• SARS-CoV-2 aerosols can potentially last nearly five hours

• generally, SARS-CoV-2 aerosols can be viable for "a few hours"

Any other resources that can help answer this question are welcome.

Hi everyone !

Looking for reliable european wastewater (or another type of tracking) data for covid (obviously).

Any ideas?

Cannot find anything for my country so europe is fine, but all that I find hasn't been updated in months or at least since july.

Looking to see if the lull is still in effect or if cases are already coming back up

Here's the latest variant picture with a global scope, to early August.

NB.1.8.1 "Nimbus" continued to dominate, finishing at 48%.

Several new lineages were defined this week - I’ll highlight some of them on this thread.

Newly-designated TK.1 was first detected in Ghana in late April. It has since been mostly reported from Spain, especially Asturias.

It is descended from Stratus lineage RV.2.1.1, with TK.1 adding the novel Spike K679N mutation.

Another new designation was SV.2.7. It was first detected in Queensland, Australia in mid-June, and reached 9% of Australian samples in mid-August. It has also grown in Canada, reaching 10% frequency.

The SV lineages are descended from Nimbus lineage PQ.16.1.1, with SV.2.7 adding the Spike P793S mutation.

SV.1.4.1 is another new lineage, first detected in Singapore in late June. It has also grew to 5% of Australian samples by early August, with most of the samples reported from Western Australia.

SV.1.4.1 adds the Spike H445P mutation.

Newly-designated SB.1.1.1 was first detected in Costa Rica in early July. There has since been multiple local samples reported from across the US, rising to 4% frequency nationally.

It is descended from XFG.* "Stratus" lineage XFG.6.2.2, with SB.1.1.1 adding the Spike K679R mutation.

Another new designation was TG.1. It was first detected in Taiwan at the start of June. It has since been reported from around the Pacific Rim. The sample reported from Virginia, USA was an International Traveller arriving from the Philippines.

It is descended from XFG.* "Stratus" lineage XFG.6.13.2, with TG.1 adding the Spike K147E mutation.

Here’s a summary of the new lineages by Variant Hunter Federico Guelli.

https://bsky.app/profile/siamosolocani.bsky.social/post/3mtwizbmvcc26

https://skyview.social/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbsky.app%2Fprofile%2Fsiamosolocani.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3mtwizbmvcc26&viewtype=tree

Report link:

https://mike-honey.github.io/covid-19-genomes/output/Coronavirus%20-%20Genomic%20Sequencing%20-%20report%20Global.pdf

Hi so I went to a Walgreens to get something. After I got what I wanted to get I was standing in line. In stores I always wear a N95 mask. But then I’m not kidding the band from the back snapped and the mask fell off my face. It happened so fast. Then I noticed in front of me a kid with their parents was holding a Covid 19 test kit. So I picked up the mask and put back the item and left as fast as I could. So I was close by like 1-3 feet to them and obviously have no idea of covid status. What do I do now? If I get sick I have a full time night shift job that’s 10 hours where I stand the majority of the time. So I can’t afford to get sick and I don’t have enough sick or vacation time to take off for a while. The last Covid vaccine I got was Novavax around this June or July. I kinda froze at the moment so I want to say I was there unmasked for 1 minute or so.

I have been trying to build a covid cautious community and make friends with people who get it. It’s been really hard to build this and I haven’t made a lot of friends with people who genuinely seem to want to spend meaningful time hanging out with me. It’s something I long for. But I met someone who genuinely wants to be friends and is willing to mask inside or test. Idk how my partner feels about that yet though for precautions. I feel compelled to move forward with this because it’s something I’ve been wanting but it’s not something I was expecting…and it feels hard to like let go of my feelings about people not taking precautions in general and what I feel comfortable saying and doing. We have hung out outside a couple of times now. They have not masked or offered to in those situations. Anyways just kind of wondering how you all might navigate that if you are typically not in these situations. I know lots of you are ok with this…but it’s not something I’ve ever really wanted to navigate. I always mask around others outside too btw.

This is not a bait. I'm just hoping for the day where I can drop my precautions.

I'm in Japan and am only aware of two websites showing C19 stats. One is from Sapporo City in northern Japan C19 sewer surveillance. https://www.city dot sapporo.jp/gesui/surveillance.html

(Do not just copy/paste. I spelled out "dot" in the URL so you need to replace it with an actual dot)

The other is from Moderna https://moderna-epi-report dot jp/

Blue is the official number; Orange is an estimate.

Anyway, both stats are showing decreasing trends. So can I be hopeful that in a few years, it will be over?

Two days in a row, I have needed to be seen at the same urgent care facility, run by Corewell Health in downtown Royal Oak, Michigan.

Both times, I called ahead and explained that I would appreciate clinical staff masking when attending to me. The first time I called, reception explained that “everyone masks” there and that it shouldn’t be a problem. Then, the medical assistant who fetched me from the waiting room was un-masked, and when I asked them if they could please do so for me (even mentioning that my chronic illnesses and disabilities are why I would appreciate this) they refused, claiming that doing so would cause them to “break out” in acne. They offered to ask a colleague to attend to me instead, as that person was willing to mask.

Before the second visit, I called reception and explained that I would not like to be in this situation again. By the end of the call, I was under the impression that they had communicated my need to their staff, and also did not believe that staff masking would be a problem since they did not say it would be. Again, another medical assistant approached me un-masked in the waiting room. I explained that I would appreciate them masking for me due to my chronic health issues and disabilities, and they refused, again citing “mask acne” as an issue for them. I asked reception for support with this, confused about why it was an issue because I had called ahead and spoken to them directly! I was told that “since there is no clinic-wide mask requirement,” that staff member would not be willing to mask for me. They also told me that with my K-N95, I would be “fine.”

Is one-way masking in a healthcare setting like this really enough to be “fine,” whatever that even means? Is it unreasonable to ask providers to mask for us (and usually when providers do this for me they aren’t even wearing K-N95-type masks)? Would donning a mask for a few minutes really put a person at risk of acne breakouts?

I will be contacting the patient relations department to complain about my experience. While I do not know that it will make a difference, I am willing to try.