Thanks ever so much to whoever suggested I might have covid

[conuly]

I think you jinxed me. Well, at least I feel justified in my whining. The headache/toothache has really been excruciating.

How can the symptoms be so wildly different from the previous time, though!? Last time I had no voice and couldn't stay awake at all. Now I'm mostly awake and carefully rationing out sudafed, but I can even sing.

Comments

[darkoshi]

I'd rather be wrong about it. But reading about your symptoms so shortly after having watched a video talking about similar symptoms, I felt I should at least mention it so you might consider taking a test. It really is strange how it can manifest in such different ways even in the same person.
Take it easy; I hope it passes quickly! Might be best not to sing too strenuously in the meantime.

[conuly]

And you were right, too!

[imhilien]

I hope you feel better soon.

[bibliofile]

> How can the symptoms be so wildly different from the previous time, though!?

Well, COVID has evolved and you (lucky you!) may have a newer variant than you had last time.

My other thought was perhaps a wisdom tooth coming in, or even an issue in another tooth. I know that the tooth that seems to hurt isn't always the tooth causing the problem. When will it be time to see a dentist? Mouths shouldn't hurt like that.

[bibliofile]

Also, OW.

[pauamma]

Second the suggestion to see a dentist.

[conuly]

No, I agree mouths shouldn't hurt like this, and it really hurts a *lot* - until the sudafed kicks in, at which point both the headache and the toothache (and the newly developed earache) die down significantly.

However, if the tooth pain does not let up when I start getting a negative test, I will certainly make an appointment then. The pain is hitting in the jaw pretty much where I'd expect if there were no sinus symptoms - where I have a wisdom tooth crammed in.

[bibliofile]

Well crap about the positive test, anyway.

[gwydion]

The latest variant is so genetically distinct from the early versions, that the original vaccines don't have any effect and the bivalent that came out last Septemberish only gives partial coverage. (Partial is way safer than none). No one who had COVID more than six months ago likely has residual immunity for the new variant based on the one they caught back then.

The new variant has a different symptom profile than the previous ones, with some old symptoms dropping out and some new ones popping up.

I just wanted you to know that it's not weird that it's different this time around.

[conuly]

The latest variant is so genetically distinct from the early versions, that the original vaccines don't have any effect and the bivalent that came out last Septemberish only gives partial coverage.

Wait, is that something you've read somewhere!?

[gwydion]

There's been reporting. it's why the US is no longer distributing the original shots.

Here's a thing on Arcturus Variants: https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2023/04/11/arcturus-a-highly-transmissible-covid-variant-eyed-by-the-who-appears-to-have-a-new-symptom-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

"COVID vaccines: FDA retires monovalent shots, offers spring boosters to some:" https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/04/fda-authorizes-spring-covid-boosters-for-older-adults-immunocompromised/

* Easy to read summary with essential info. "FDA Revamps COVID-19 Vaccination:" https://www.hivplusmag.com/covid-19/fda-revamps-covid-19-vaccination

[steorra]

Nothing in there says that the original shots are completely ineffective against the new variants.

[gwydion]

I can did back further if you like.

[mindstalk]

"the original vaccines don't have any effect"

This is sloppy language. There are multiple levels/types of immunity or protection.

vs infection: yeah, close to nothing

vs. severity/death: still quite a lot.

Antibodies are made to the end of the coronavirus spike protein, that being about all they can 'see'; this is what can prevent infection[1] but the spike end is highly mutable thus protection is brittle.

Killer T cells response to protein fragments presented by infected cells, including from the body of the spike protein; this is far less mutable, so the ability to execute infected cells doesn't decline much. Sadly, that ability isn't enough to reliably prevent long covid, else we could be a lot more relaxed about infections.

[1] High levels of circulating antibodies are what actually prevents infection. Memory B cells spew a lot more antibodies 4-5 days after infection, but that's obviously too late. For fast diseases like covid for flu, which can infect a new person in 2-3 days, B cells don't even break transmission.

[sabotabby]

I hope you recover swiftly and completely.

[redbird]

I hope you get well soon!

I used to half-joke that MS was a theory of everything, and might be the explanation for any symptom that didn't involve a visible broken bone. That really does seem to be true of covid, somehow.

[pauamma]

Ow. Here's to a prompt recovery with no lasting effects.

[elainegrey]

So sorry & hope you recover completely, soon!

[zesty_pinto]

Ugh, my sympathies. This is why I am trying my hardest to reduce risk no matter what the WHO says.

Hoping it passes quickly so that you don't keep any long symptoms.

[movingfinger]

Yeech. Sincere sympathies!!

A kind-of common note among all the COVID cases I have known of is that it messes with our inflammatory response; if there's something mild, it escalates, and if there's an ongoing thing, it might get worse or it might seem to damp down for the duration. Pure anecdata, of course.

I hope your case resolves well and very very soon.

[rebeccmeister]

I wound up with TMJ this spring, and now I do have to wonder if it's at all associated with having had COVID in January (first time having it that I know of).

[silveradept]

Oof. The symptom profiles on the new versions are different than the old ones, which always makes it fun when you're trying to play the "COVID or something else?" game. Sorry that you rolled a 1 on this one.