Wife tells me there are tests available at Countdown now.

GV27:

 

wellygary:

 

A) Its self declaration of symptoms, if you are unsure then its fine to say they are symptomatic - its the same as it was in the PCR days, if you are unsure get a test..

 

B) Pretty sure the queues are now well under control... I walked up to one in Wellington yesterday with no walkup queue, while the drive up was only 10 cars long..

 

 

The one in Westgate is supposedly jamming up the traffic lights to get on the motorway on some days, according to community FB groups, and shuts at 4pm. 

 

Can't really get to any others in work hours nearby. 

 

Chemist Warehouse having store stock is new though, that was "online only" for a while with people warning that their online shipping was generally poor. I'll try to get to one of those on the way home. 

 

The Warehouse in Westgate had some for sale on Saturday ... basically walked in the doors and they were right in front of us. 

GV27: Chemist Warehouse having store stock is new though, that was "online only" for a while with people warning that their online shipping was generally poor. I'll try to get to one of those on the way home.

Managed to pick some up last night - walked in and there they were. We're now good to go.

gzt: A number of articles in reputable publications are saying even mild covid can cause nasty brain damage:

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300534252/covid19-even-mild-infection-can-cause-significant-changes-to-brain--research

In case anyone needs one more reason not to get covid. Mild is not harmless. I'm interested to know more if anyone has had time to review the research.

The interesting thing about the article is that it is based on Covid before the Omicron variant. They need to do the same study using the same numbers of people who have had Omicron and see if get the same results.

Be concerning if they do.

Jas777:

 

gzt: A number of articles in reputable publications are saying even mild covid can cause nasty brain damage:

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300534252/covid19-even-mild-infection-can-cause-significant-changes-to-brain--research

In case anyone needs one more reason not to get covid. Mild is not harmless. I'm interested to know more if anyone has had time to review the research.

 

The interesting thing about the article is that it is based on Covid before the Omicron variant. They need to do the same study using the same numbers of people who have had Omicron and see if get the same results.

 

Be concerning if they do.

 

It was discussed on TVNZ last night, and said that it averaged about 2%. I wonder if that is 2% each time. If you get covid once a year over 10 years, that is a lot of brain damage.

everything causes brain damage, if you scan the brain you see it, if you don't scan the brain, you don't see it.

from drinking alcohol to smelling petrol fumes/secondhand smoke to pesticides on your brocoli to heading a soccer ball.

if you look you will find it. covid is no exception and no different from other infections/inflammatory/toxins states. it's just that people are so obsessed with looking at everything with covid we see all these things.

i wouldn't worry too much. there are other things that cause brain damage that people don't know/care about. esp if you drink alcohol or let your kids play contact sport (soccer and heading the ball is a big one)

Not sure if this was posted earlier, but it appears that in Australia, excess deaths went up by a significant amount for the first time during the Omicron outbreak.

Omicron pushes up Australia’s overall death rate for first time in pandemic
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/omicron-pushes-up-australia-s-overall-death-rate-for-first-time-in-pandemic-20220209-p59v24.html

“Until the Omicron surge in cases, overall mortality in Australia has been lower than previous years, as the increase in deaths from COVID-19 has been more than offset by the reduction in deaths from other respiratory illnesses,” actuary Jennifer Lang, the working group’s convenor, said.

 

As the nation began to open up over summer, the highly transmissible variant pushed up COVID-19 deaths, but there was no significant drop in flu or pneumonia deaths.

my son did a test and he is sure there is a second line , there is a very faint line, my other son couldnt see it, the wife could. if you hold it the right way in the light maybe , so we did a second test 30 minutes later and this time it was negative , no question .we are going to do another test in 24 hours but for now i have told him he hasnt got covid but he is not convinced.

vexxxboy:

 

my son did a test and he is sure there is a second line , there is a very faint line, my other son couldnt see it, the wife could. if you hold it the right way in the light maybe , so we did a second test 30 minutes later and this time it was negative , no question .we are going to do another test in 24 hours but for now i have told him he hasnt got covid but he is not convinced.

 

Ouch, the uncertainty certainly can be a killer. Remember that females have 4 colour rods in their eyes, they can distinguish more colours than males. She might be onto something there.

Here's hoping it works out well for all of you.

ANglEAUT: Remember that females have 4 colour rods in their eyes, they can distinguish more colours than males. She might be onto something there.

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/03/09/most-miq-facilities-to-close-by-end-of-june/

The government will be keeping 4 hotels for MIQ and the rest will be released for regular operation.

After a weekend away helping my sister-in-law supervising a camping trip, I tested positive yesterday morning (was testing every couple of days as my brother-in-law had just had a major cancer operation). I had tested negative on Monday. The camping trip was six 15-16 year olds, all of whom had had cases in their classes at school.

I think a lot of the effectiveness of the tests is where you put the probe. I was inserting it from pretty much straight in front (I saw someone on TV demonstrating how to do it). My result was a pretty fast and strong positive. My wife has tested negative yesterday and today, but I'm pretty sure she isn't inserting the stick horizontally - she will tomorrow. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/128005642/back-of-the-nose-not-up-towards-the-brain-where-to-place-a-rat-swab

I feel a bit like I did the day after my booster. Heavy head, feels like I'm coming down with a cold. Wouldn't call it a flu. Naughtily, a couple of years back, I would have gone to work feeling like this without a second thought.

Edit - the other odd thing (or maybe I shouldn't be surprised), I shared my Bluetooth and diary from the scanning app and gave them my wife's name and number as a household contact. My wife still hasn't got a notification or contact.