Five Things That Can Save Your Life If You Have a Weakened Immune System

Hello from 1113 days of lockdown. It’s me, your immune-compromised friend in hell. Most days it seems like the whole world wants you to snap and die before they just tie a mask to their firecrackers. As the disguise in the doctors’ offices ends and everyone is gradually forced back into the offices and conferences, it’s getting more and more risky outside. You already know that you are the best defender. When the whole world returns to “normal” (good luck with that), we have a different reality. Here are five actions that can actually save your life.

Be aware of your boosters

The CDC has indeed skewed the formulation of vaccines for immunocompromised people (ICs). The initial streak was three shots instead of two, then we got more boosters, and then Evucheld; it was all very difficult to decipher. The good news is that it’s easier now: you just get a bivalent amplifier and you’re done. As a bonus, this is the only booster, so if you got a booster from late autumn, you got a bivalent. If you didn’t get it (and you can medically do so), time will be wasted. The bad news is that Evusheld doesn’t work with the current variant , so I hope you enjoyed the 12-hour desperate journey you took to find it. For those who could not form antibodies or receive vaccine doses for medical reasons, Evusheld consisted of two injections of monoclonal antibodies delivered directly to the thigh. But as the options change, so does the performance of the mAbs, and so when we moved to the late winter options, they removed the Evusheld emergency use authorization because it joined with all the other mAbs that previously worked but don’t work anymore. .

Some people try to get prescriptions from doctors for an extra bivalent booster, and many succeed. However, since there is no official CDC or FDA protocol for administering additional boosters yet, no pharmacist will complete the script. This week we have news that an additional booster may become available to us in the next few weeks, so it’s worth keeping up to date with the news. Set a Google alert for “bivalent, immunocompromised”.

If you are one of those lucky ones who can actually get doses of a vaccine and then actually form antibodies to the vaccine, you can still schedule a booster two weeks or so before the dangerous event, because that’s when your response will be highest . Research shows that these vaccines wear off very quickly in our bodies, so we hope to have more tools in the future.

Find out what COVID looks like right now

With each sub-variant, the symptoms of COVID change. While it’s worth remembering that you can be completely asymptomatic and still be contagious, I’m sure you’re just as tired as I am of hearing friends or colleagues claim they’re just suffering from allergies or a cold based on nothing. except for a premonition before they expose themselves to you. Knowing these symptoms can help you navigate how to reduce human risk.

Loss of taste and smell, a common symptom at the start of the COVID crisis, became less common in Delta and Omicron, but reappeared earlier this year. An epidemiologist recently noted that she and her colleagues have been noticing sneezing as a common symptom of COVID in the past few weeks, which is unusual and worries anyone who is sure they have allergies. That’s part of the problem—options change too quickly for peer-reviewed studies to learn about new symptoms.

As you’d expect in 2023, the nightly news is the last place to look for details like this… so if you’re not already part of #covidcautious TikTok, now is the perfect time. There are also several epidemiologists and immunologists on Twitter who talk about the latest research and findings, as well as the #covidknowledge community.

Know where to take the test when you need it

If you have an underlying condition, you are more likely to have severe COVID, but treatment depends on getting a positive test result. It sucks that PCR tests are hard to come by again. Most people are now switched to home tests, most of which are rapid antigen/lateral blood flow tests. These tests are not reliable during the first five or six days because they can give a false negative result (positive results are reliable). Thus, access to PCR is needed, but many testing sites have closed, leaving only emergency centers as options for rapid PCR. Since you don’t want to go where there are sick people, if you can afford it, you’ll want to take molecular tests at home. Cue Health and Lucira Health are options, and through May 11, you can still get reimbursed for $12 a test, up to eight tests a month through private insurance.

Have a contingency plan

Paxlovid is the only remedy we currently have against COVID. All monoclonal antibodies are currently found to be ineffective, including Evusheld. Interventions like Paxlovid are critical.

You need to understand how Paxlovid works, make sure you qualify and know where you can get it – all before you catch COVID. It is an antiviral that reduces the viral load at 30 tablets for five days and tends to leave a metallic, unattractive aftertaste in the mouth that is partially muted by the hard mint. The sooner you take Paxlovid, the more effective it will be, but you can only get a prescription for the first five days after symptoms appear if you test positive. While it was initially thought that Paxlovid could result in a rebound that tested negative and then tested positive again five to ten days later, this turns out to be true for 15% of all COVID cases, whether or not the patient has taken Paxlovid.

If you have a doctor (because not all IC employees have doctors or insurance), you need to discuss with them what to do if you get COVID. Who should you call? Are you a candidate for Paxlovid or another drug, or should you not take it because of a drug conflict or underlying problem? What if you get a positive result over the weekend; who would you call then? Remember that pharmacists can only start Paxlovid if they have your medical history, including tests, so your doctor will always be your best bet. A call to the office can usually answer these questions.

You also need to know where to get the completed script. Few pharmacies are open 24 hours, and not all have Paxlovid, and even those on the list may not have it in stock. It would be a good idea to try calling and find out which pharmacy near you usually has it.

If you don’t have a doctor, you can still get Paxlovid and it’s worth taking the time to see which ones are available to you right now. First, there are a number of online virtual care platforms that exist specifically for Paxlovid scenarios. You make an appointment, pay a set rate, connect, show them your positive test and discuss your medical history, and they either write a script to fill out on the spot or a Paxlovid night for you. In some places, such as Oregon or Massachusetts, the state has entered into an agreement with one of these agencies to provide free care to those who do not have a doctor or insurance.

Your plan should go beyond medication—whom you could go to for help with groceries, pet care, or checking on how you’re feeling.

Find your people

Most people I know struggle to find ways to make themselves a little more normal while still being safe. It is important not to feel alone, and it turns out that there is a huge community of people just like you. It’s time to root them out and forge new relationships, online or offline.

First, there’s covidmeetups.com , which is in its infancy but pretty good for legitimately connecting with people nearby. There is an unthinkably large community on Facebook called ” Still COVIDing ” consisting of hundreds of microgroups for your city, single people, artisans, tourists, etc. There are support groups on meetup.com , as well as hashtags on Twitter and TikTok. which I mentioned. Since Hinge and Bumble hadn’t figured it out yet, someone at IG took over and launched Covid Safe Cuties .

Upgrade these masks to elastomeric ones , check their fit and invest in ventilation and filtration.

I know how exhausting it is to try to explain to your people why you are still doing all that extra work to stay safe. That’s why it’s so important to find people who don’t have to explain anything.

It’s been so reassuring lately to realize how many people like me actually live without the fuss about getting back to normal. Finding other people you can talk to can help make the next few years a little more bearable as we too try to find a new normal for ourselves.