Can we talk COVID and how it affected you financially, emotionally, physically, etc?

[QuarterMillionMan]

Ordered my tests today but looks like the government must have excess expired tests and way too much on its hands so they need to get rid of it.

[ua_guy]

We've been trying to book our updated Covid vax as people we know continue to come down with it, more than just a cold. The place we've been getting them won't even book until the week of Oct 20th.

I heard it would be available this week?

[AnthonyAnderson]

We are in a bit of a wave of COVID right now. The people I know who have COVID in the last few weeks are getting knocked down pretty hard (like, bad flu) and one woke up yesterday with zero taste and smell. My advice is to get the new booster shot (probably out late Sept) and just avoid sharing air with visibly sick people. People are now feeling sick for a while before testing positive on a rapid test (rapid test+ = can pass to others), so what happens is: 1st, develop cold symptoms, test -, say "well, it's not COVID", 2nd, go back to work and act normally (no masking) and, 3rd, then become infectious and spread to others.

To be honest, I'd been refusing to believe that wave of COVID-19 was coming back until two of my friends got it. They did all the previous vaccines, but now they feel pretty bad. Both have no taste and smell, but it's not the worst. I talked with them, and they told me that in general, this time, they feel much worse. And I hope that soon there will be a chance to get vaccinated again. I had COVID, and I don't want to get through it all again.
Now I'm in Paris, and more and more people here start wearing masks, even in parks. To be honest, I hope that there will be no lockdowns and restrictions because honestly, the previous time hit me pretty badly.

[disneysteve]

Ordered my tests today but looks like the government must have excess expired tests and way too much on its hands so they need to get rid of it.

Test manufacturers continue to check their batches for accuracy. If they discover that they're good well beyond the original expiration date, they extend it. Almost everything is good past its expiration date. Those dates are extremely conservative. Same goes for medications. It would be a huge waste to dispose of thousands or millions of tests that are still perfectly accurate.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I had offered 2 different American neighbors of mine bags of test kits which had expired only a few days or maybe weeks ago, they both declined (emphasis on Americans). In Mexico, I offered a parking lot attendant guy a bag of test kits of the same expired batch only days or weeks past expiry and a female maid hotel cleaner another bag of test kits of the same expired batch only days or weeks past expiry, and they both accepted it and both were very appreciative. I had informed them that the test kits were expired but were still good and they were happy to accept it.

[disneysteve]

I had offered 2 different American neighbors of mine bags of test kits which had expired only a few days or maybe weeks ago, they both declined (emphasis on Americans). In Mexico, I offered a parking lot attendant guy a bag of test kits of the same expired batch only days or weeks past expiry and a female maid hotel cleaner another bag of test kits of the same expired batch only days or weeks past expiry, and they both accepted it and both were very appreciative. I had informed them that the test kits were expired but were still good and they were happy to accept it.

Americans can be quite wasteful and have been brainwashed into thinking "best by" dates and "expiration" dates somehow mean the product instantly becomes worthless or dangerous the next day. It's partly a marketing ploy to get you to keep buying new stuff and partly a legal thing that the lawyers make them do so they don't get sued when someone uses a product that is past the expiration date.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Very true that Americans are wasteful. A collegue from El Salvador said when he first moved to Los Angeles and worked in a school cafeteria and saw good bananas & burritos tossed in the trash he was shocked at how wasteful it was and took it out of the trash and took it home, true story.

[disneysteve]

Very true that Americans are wasteful. A collegue from El Salvador said when he first moved to Los Angeles and worked in a school cafeteria and saw good bananas & burritos tossed in the trash he was shocked at how wasteful it was and took it out of the trash and took it home, true story.

I believe the stat is that at least 30% of all food produced ends up in the trash. All while millions of people go hungry. It's a disgrace.

I just ordered my free tests, too.

[QuarterMillionMan]

This article reflects exactly the wasteful spending that I mentioned above (and full disclosure I'm a lifelong Democrat).

Billions for tests and jabs sure to go to waste: Federal COVID-iocy marches on (msn.com)

Here's a short excerpt from the article.

There’s no point to mass testing, let alone free home delivery: Tests are now ample and cheap.

Congress rightly refused new funding for this waste, prompting an all-too-telling tweet from President Joe Biden’s ex-chief of staff, Ron Klain, grousing that the prez “had to take from other vital health needs.”

That is, Joe’s not only wasting this cash (how many of the tests will even get used before they expire?), he’s taking it from more important purposes.

[myrdale]

I agree with the article that QuarterMillionMan posted.

I am also of the opinion that the "free" kits should be reserved for low income house holds. Every grocery store pharmacy I've passed in the last 6 months has had stacks of the test kits on the counter. At some $10 a pop they are cheap. I wonder what the tax payer burden is on a per test basis, between administration, purchase, and shipping? Additionally if everyone who can afford to buy their own kits signs up for the "free" government kits, that gives the government the view there is a need for them, thus they spend more money in the future.

Signing up for "free" test kits when you can afford to buy them yourself isn't much different than signing up for foodstamps when you don't need them.

[ua_guy]

It's beginning to sound very political again....

The obvious response is that Covid affects all of us, rich or poor, and the program was designed so everyone is eligible. There is no comparison to food stamps or welfare programs, again, this is a novel virus and the only pandemic in modern times of this magnitude. The test kits help a very real scenario, which is it's better to know quickly if you have covid or not so you can take appropriate measure and isolate from others, especially the vulnerable.

My sister just tested positive yesterday. She's a school teacher, I'm not surprised in the least she got it. This is the 2nd time she's had it. Once before she was vaccinated, and just now, before she's received the updated vaccination. The first time was really hard on her, and we're hoping it's not as severe this time.

I'm going to go ahead and order those test kits today.

[disneysteve]

Let's keep politics out of the conversation folks.

Getting COVID tests into everyone's hands is a good thing. $10 may seem cheap to you but we all know that most people aren't going to go out and drop $40 just to have a few tests on hand in case they get sick before the things expire. What's more likely to happen is they get sick and then go out to CVS, most likely without a mask, and buy kits, exposing multiple people in the process.

I ordered mine. Everyone else should order theirs. This isn't at all like food stamps since that is income-based and you need to qualify. These are available to everyone and everyone should avail themselves of them while the supply exists.

[myrdale]

This isn't at all like food stamps since that is income-based and you need to qualify.

Someone should let the people at Covid.gov/test know that as they currently state:

"The U.S. government will continue to make COVID-⁠19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs."

[disneysteve]

Someone should let the people at Covid.gov/test know that as they currently state:

"The U.S. government will continue to make COVID-⁠19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs."

What does that have to do with anything? Yes there are special programs for low income communities. That’s unrelated to the free tests that everyone can get.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I plan to order them, but will probably wait two or three weeks in hope that the weather will cool down a bit. I don't like the idea that they would sit on the delivery truck or even be walked through the neighborhood (urban postal delivery) in a satchel on a hot day.