Coronavirus complaint/commiseration thread.

[muted]

You don't even need a doctor's note for a Quest antibody test if you're willing to pay for it yourself, you can just order it here: https://questdirect.questdiagnostics...b-7bad949dcb57

Wow. For $110 dollars you guys can confirm you were infected (hopefully) and not worry about catching it anymore! Who's stepping up?

And there is a link for the government or health care provider to pay for it.

[Conundrum]

Wow. For $110 dollars you guys can confirm you were infected (hopefully) and not worry about catching it anymore! Who's stepping up?

And there is a link for the government or health care provider to pay for it.

Has there been a single credible source saying that there is no chance of reinfection?

[2bjenny]

A former co-worker of mine had a stroke Thursday night. His wife, also a former co-worker, has MS and is home with their two kids. They are not allowed to visit him and she has lost a lot of her mobility, so she can't really cook much anymore. Since they live in Boston metro area, people can't really come to the house to help her. The kids are pre-teens, they can help her some. A meal train has been set up, lots of grubhub vouchers etc.

Due to the pandemic, the ERs and ORs were empty. They initially took him to Mt Auburn, where a doctor was waiting at the door, and an empty CT scanner ready. They transferred him to Beth Isreal, where the OR was already prepped and two neuro surgeons were scrubbed in and waiting for him before he even arrived. Thanks to the pandemic, the no traffic, no waiting in the ER, no waiting on scans, no waiting for an OR, etc., is probably what saved his life, or at least a really long recovery. Amazingly, he will probably be transferred to rehab tomorrow.

[muted]

Has there been a single credible source saying that there is no chance of reinfection?

Yes, Spats?

[jerlane]

Has there been a single credible source saying that there is no chance of reinfection?

South Korea just announced that the patients who they thought may have become reinfected were not in fact infected again. Something to do with an inaccurate test. So that is encouraging news.

Still can’t say that there is “no chance” of reinfection, but it’s looking good so far.

As far as antibody testing goes, I wouldn’t waste your money at this point. Current tests are not established as being either sensitive or specific meaning high numbers of false positives and negatives. I’d wait for the potentially more accurate test mentioned above.


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[iceman]

If anyone is interested in getting the antibody test, I go to quest about every six weeks or so for bloodwork on my iron levels,I've been to a bunch of their locations and they have it dialed, just go at slightly off hours (not right before work or right at lunch time) and you'll be in and out in 10-15 minutes. I'm overdue for testing right now and I did have a pretty bad flu thing that checked most of the covid boxes in January, I might do it for the hell of it.

[Core Shot]

Has there been a single credible source saying that there is no chance of reinfection?

I am so sick of that argument.

No. There is no double blind random reinfection test.

But serially
If your body fought the Chinese rat flu and won?

Don’t you think your body could do it again?

Fuck all y’all doubting thomas mutha fuckas

[Conundrum]

I am so sick of that argument.

No. There is no double blind random reinfection test.

But serially
If your body fought the Chinese rat flu and won?

Don’t you think your body could do it again?

Fuck all y’all doubting thomas mutha fuckas

Go fuck yourself. I wasn’t making an argument. I was asking an honest question. I don’t spend my days reading news and threads on Covid 19. Why would I spend $120 for a test to tell me I had something that I could get again?. “But, but, it’s free...” no it isn’t you moron. Your insurance company pays for it and then raises your premium next year so you can continue to bitch about how expensive insurance is.

[dunfree]

Go fuck yourself. I wasn’t making an argument. I was asking an honest question. I don’t spend my days reading news and threads on Covid 19. Why would I spend $120 for a test to tell me I had something that I could get again?. “But, but, it’s free...” no it isn’t you moron. Your insurance company pays for it and then raises your premium next year so you can continue to bitch about how expensive insurance is.

You aren’t wrong about the money and that’s why the US medical system is often a public health failure.

[muted]

“But, but, it’s free...” no it isn’t you moron. Your insurance company pays for it and then raises your premium next year so you can continue to bitch about how expensive insurance is.

A $120 test that's probably negotiated to less than $100 by your insurance company is not going to raise your premium next year, IMO. But yes, you have a good point on it possibly being a waste of time.

[frorider]

Damn, cat. Glad to read you're improving.

^ what he said.

[Core Shot]

Go fuck yourself. I wasn’t making an argument. I was asking an honest question. I don’t spend my days reading news and threads on Covid 19. Why would I spend $120 for a test to tell me I had something that I could get again?. “But, but, it’s free...” no it isn’t you moron. Your insurance company pays for it and then raises your premium next year so you can continue to bitch about how expensive insurance is.

No it wasn’t free. Wifey paid the money. Turns out that nasty virus we both got from wydaho wasn’t Chinese rat flu.

There’s some nasty shit on the other side of the pass.

My point wasn’t to make you give me instructions on some pretzel self intercourse.

It was a logical reminder that life has no guarantees.
But, knowing you kicked covids ass, wouldn’t you be more likely to kick it again?

Go hug yourself. You fucking fuck.

[Buster Highmen]

Has there been a single credible source saying that there is no chance of reinfection?

I don't think so, but a lot of the reinfection stories have boiled down to bad tests.

This is interesting: https://reason.com/2020/05/01/seemin...al-difference/

[Conundrum]

A $120 test that's probably negotiated to less than $100 by your insurance company is not going to raise your premium next year, IMO. But yes, you have a good point on it possibly being a waste of time.

It actually will whether warranted or not. I've had more than a few conversations with health insurers who are forecasting rate increases for it. Just because the test is $120 retail and negotiated down (probably much lower than $100), how much is the provider also charging the insurance company for administering the test? My guess is $100-150. It's too soon to review any claims data though so I can't give you a number. In fact, hospitals didn't even know how to bill insurance companies until mid-March. On April 1, a new ICD10 code was announced.

The largest insurer in our state has about 700k people on health policies. Let's say 10% of their members get anti-body tests at $200 ($50 for the test and $150 for the admin of the test), that's $14m. 25% would be $35m etc. False tests so someone gets another test down the road and the numbers go up. The execs at that insurer said they're looking at 2-3% additional premium in the next year for Covid and antibody testing. A month ago when no one was sure how big this was going to be with ICU admits, they were forecasting an 8-15% insurance premium increase. Seeing what is happening in the state and if things don't blow up, I'm guessing the true numbers will be below 8% increase solely based on Covid19. But, knowing insurance companies, they will take more and use Covid as an excuse with no transparency to actual claims data. Add in an average medical treads of 6-8% without Covid and the rush to get all electives completed that have been postponed (claims are running awesome right now because no elective costs), and I'm guessing insurance companies are going to ask for a lot of extra premium next year and have excuses for why ready.

So, yeah, if there was some medical evidence that showed I was very unlikely to be reinfected if I had antibodies, I'd for sure go get a test.

If I were Core Shot, I'd go anyway. I probably wouldn't even consider that most of these tests haven't shown consistent results. I would also not consider that there are different strains and mutations of the disease. I really wouldn't be typing this part if he wasn't a dick when he assumed I was making an argument against testing when I was asking a simple question because I don't stay up to date by the minute on Covid news.

My opinion, call it humble or not, is the antibody tests should be covered by the feds and it should be a unified effort. The CDC needs the infection rates, mortality, etc to decide how to run our country in this pandemic. I don't understand why private insurers who are funded by their policy holders should foot the bill.

Core Shot-truly sorry you and yours were knocked out by something. My gal is generally a very healthy person and lost her sense of smell and taste for a week and had muscle pains during that timeframe. She isn't currently planning on getting the antibody tests that are readily available here because it isn't going to change her behavior moving forward. We've been SIP together the entire time so one would think I would have been exposed if she had it.

When there is real data showing we are much less likely to get it if we had it, we're both going to jump in the car and go get a test. Right now, the results don't seem to mean much but if we had, our friends had it, and we won't get it again, we're going to be partying with those friends a lot.

[jono]

Sorry should have. Coughing up blood Saturday morning went in to emergency room. CT scan showed partial (small) collapse to lung and infection in both. Also had plural diffusion (fluid between lung and chest cavity). Received IV antibiotics. Vitals were so so. Heart rate 101, oxygen 94%, elevated bp, generally felt like poo. Doctor was on fence about admitting me. Went home with more antibiotics with promise if there was any worsening to return immediately. Diagnosis of pneumonia. Feeling bit better today. Funny thing is no Coronavirus test because under 65, no underlying health issues and not admitted-hospital policy. Symptoms all lined up, but guess they overlap. I could go to an outpatient facility for a test, but if I continue to improve I will take that as confirmation of no Coronavirus. Thanks for checking in jono

That sounds awful regardless of the cause, hope you kick it soon! I noticed over the weekend that the 3 counties in our "health district" still have a testing policy of not testing, too. I suppose there's an argument for that, but it does seem like knowing about a few "unlikely" vectors would be useful.

And maybe I'm not alone: governor said to start the first stage of opening things and a visit to a county with zero confirmed cases this weekend showed people were not out and about. Near ghost town on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Maybe all the calming messages are having the opposite effect.

[muted]

It actually will whether warranted or not. I've had more than a few conversations with health insurers who are forecasting rate increases for it. Just because the test is $120 retail and negotiated down (probably much lower than $100), how much is the provider also charging the insurance company for administering the test? My guess is $100-150. It's too soon to review any claims data though so I can't give you a number. In fact, hospitals didn't even know how to bill insurance companies until mid-March. On April 1, a new ICD10 code was announced.

The largest insurer in our state has about 700k people on health policies. Let's say 10% of their members get anti-body tests at $200 ($50 for the test and $150 for the admin of the test), that's $14m. 25% would be $35m etc. False tests so someone gets another test down the road and the numbers go up. The execs at that insurer said they're looking at 2-3% additional premium in the next year for Covid and antibody testing. A month ago when no one was sure how big this was going to be with ICU admits, they were forecasting an 8-15% insurance premium increase. Seeing what is happening in the state and if things don't blow up, I'm guessing the true numbers will be below 8% increase solely based on Covid19. But, knowing insurance companies, they will take more and use Covid as an excuse with no transparency to actual claims data. Add in an average medical treads of 6-8% without Covid and the rush to get all electives completed that have been postponed (claims are running awesome right now because no elective costs), and I'm guessing insurance companies are going to ask for a lot of extra premium next year and have excuses for why ready.

So, yeah, if there was some medical evidence that showed I was very unlikely to be reinfected if I had antibodies, I'd for sure go get a test.

If I were Core Shot, I'd go anyway. I probably wouldn't even consider that most of these tests haven't shown consistent results. I would also not consider that there are different strains and mutations of the disease. I really wouldn't be typing this part if he wasn't a dick when he assumed I was making an argument against testing when I was asking a simple question because I don't stay up to date by the minute on Covid news.

My opinion, call it humble or not, is the antibody tests should be covered by the feds and it should be a unified effort. The CDC needs the infection rates, mortality, etc to decide how to run our country in this pandemic. I don't understand why private insurers who are funded by their policy holders should foot the bill.

Core Shot-truly sorry you and yours were knocked out by something. My gal is generally a very healthy person and lost her sense of smell and taste for a week and had muscle pains during that timeframe. She isn't currently planning on getting the antibody tests that are readily available here because it isn't going to change her behavior moving forward. We've been SIP together the entire time so one would think I would have been exposed if she had it.

When there is real data showing we are much less likely to get it if we had it, we're both going to jump in the car and go get a test. Right now, the results don't seem to mean much but if we had, our friends had it, and we won't get it again, we're going to be partying with those friends a lot.

Good info, thanks. I read your other comment as people who test will end up with higher premiums, and those who don't test, don't. I see the big picture now.

So if we are all going to see a rise in premiums no matter what, everyone should get tested and get our insurance to cover it.

[Conundrum]

Good info, thanks. I read your other comment as people who test will end up with higher premiums, and those who don't test, don't. I see the big picture now.

So if we are all going to see a rise in premiums no matter what, everyone should get tested and get our insurance to cover it.

Once there are accurate tests and the results mean something, yes. But I still stand by the feds paying for it. The data means more to the CDC and reopening the country/world than the individual in my opinion. Plus, the feds could negotiate a much better price for testing than individual health systems and insurers. But, that's just a slippery slope to Bernie land right?

[Buster Highmen]

Can I just make a little point?
The insurance companies likely won't pay for it, the consumers will and the insurance companies will likely make a nice little percentage.

[Conundrum]

Can I just make a little point?
The insurance companies likely won't pay for it, the consumers will and the insurance companies will likely make a nice little percentage.

That is a great summary for those who didn't read my too many words.

[Core Shot]

Hey conundrum. Big hugs.

If your gal had the loss of smell and other symptoms.
Why not test?

I was a bit snark. But the reality is that if you kicked it’s ass once. I’m thinking you can kick it again.

And yet. Young peeps at random die. Not a lot. But they are human beings.

Was never picking a fight.
It’s just common sense that if you have antibodies you fought it and won
Even if it mutates. You are more likely to win again.
Winnnnniiiinnng!

[Conundrum]

If your gal had the loss of smell and other symptoms.
Why not test?

We both sleep well at night and it wouldn't change our behavior right now. Once there's word the tests are accurate and it means no reinfection, we will. One of my good friends is an ER doc that was admitting people up in Sun Valley during their bad spell. He isn't even getting the antibody test yet for the same reasons and he definitely had exposure.

We're all good. Hugs

[RootSkier]

I

My opinion, call it humble or not, is that health insurance should be single payer and it should be a unified effort.

FIFY and I agree 100%.

[cat in january]

I noticed over the weekend that the 3 counties in our "health district" still have a testing policy of not testing, too. I suppose there's an argument for that, but it does seem like knowing about a few "unlikely" vectors would be useful.

.

I am inferring, but was not told that this policy is to push people to testing centers. I was shocked a test was not given. Hell of a lot cheaper than the cost of the CT scan.

Maine Health has a number of hospitals under its roof and is by far the largest in our small state. Here is their policy.

[XXX-er]

https://www.tricitynews.com/canada-s...Bx7yG_ZrLNiSRg

what canadians think ^^ assuming they think at all

[Core Shot]

I am inferring, but was not told that this policy is to push people to testing centers. I was shocked a test was not given. Hell of a lot cheaper than the cost of the CT scan.

Maine Health has a number of hospitals under its roof and is by far the largest in our small state. Here is their policy.

Fucking Maine is fucking fucked.

This summer if you go to Maine you need to bring your own groceries

Then shelter in place for fourteen days

Then you can go to the “beach”.
As if Maine actually had a beach. And not just a rock pile.
Fucking Mainerds
Lols