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Katelyn, one thing I think would be really helpful is a newsletter on "what to do if you get covid" given everything we've learned in the past 6-12 months. Like how we know that extreme rest during the first 2-4 weeks after the acute phase minimizes Long Covid risk or who should take Baby Aspirin (or another OTC natural blood thinner) during the first 1-3 months afterward. There's a lot of chatter on various places about this but I think it'd be really helpful to have the latest research in a single place.

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Nov 3, 2022·edited Nov 3, 2022

I think it's important to remind people that while unlimited free antigen tests are a thing of the past, insurance companies (including Medicaid plans) are still required to give you 8/month *per person*, even if some of them are obnoxiously stringing it out to 2/week. Lots and lots of people don't know that and I think we'd see a lot better testing behavior if they did. You're in a great position to lift that up.

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Thank you so much for this — it’s so helpful. Can you help me understand only masking 40% of the time at Target? Im inferring from this that you’re only masking to protect the vulnerable ( snd your travel plans). Does that mean that you are not worried about long Covid? (That’s what I’m really really hoping you mean!) Is there any chance you might be able to bring us all up to speed on the current understanding of who is at risk for long Covid? Thank you so so much for the time you take to synthesize this information and make it understandable to all.

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Thank you for all your good advice! I moderated a session at a professional conference last week. It was packed. I said it was mask only and brought a package of masks with me. I got 98 percent compliance! Many people want to mask, but somehow don't because of peer pressure. Surely, we can do better!

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founding

When you state in your latest post that that "free antigen tests are gone", I think it is important to clarify that while they are no longer being distributed by the federal government, you can still get them through your private insurance (for free or through reimbursement). See this recent post from the FTC for more information. https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2022/10/health-insurance-covers-home-covid-19-tests

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Katelyn, why do you only wear a mask 40% of the time when you go to Target? How hard is it to do it there 100% of the time. We're still in the pandemic aren't we and isn't a winter wave expected? If we slack off on masking it might reinforce others to do so also. I guess I'm just confused. I mean I'm trying to be responsible...

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Thank you so much for sharing this. (I’d been hoping for some guidance/risk tolerance from you, specifically. It was so helpful to our family when you came out with the risk tolerance guide a while back!) My family is very risk adverse—we are the weirdos that still mask everywhere. Sometimes I just don’t know if I’m being too cautious…I’m sorry you get hassled for sharing the precautions you take. I wanted to let you know there are people like my family, that appreciate it.

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I, too, am so sorry that advocating health means hateful backlash. My daughter is an Infectious Disease MD, she spoke out publicly and was often vilified by many, death threats by some, while she and her husband, ( Critical Care MD) watched hundreds die including a 46 yr old family member. Thanks for your ever steady advice in troubled times where politics overrules sense.

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Thank you. Thanks for braving the abuse from the nitwits, and for staying clear and kind.

One question: I hear that it may be smart to swab the mouth before the nose with the swab when doing home tests -- apparently increases sensitivity -- any thoughts?

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I appreciate this SO much!

I just recovered from my first bout of Covid. 12 days of testing positive, having to mask in my house and keep to my quarantine bedroom to keep it from my husband and daughter. And I’m fully up to date on vaccines. In the past few months I’ve wondered if all the precautions I’d been taking so religiously were really worth it. But the nearly two weeks lost, and still recovering my energy (and I’m a healthy person in general, no real underlying conditions except maybe sleep deprivation from toddler mom life) and now I’m so grateful I didn’t let myself get it until now. And I never, ever want to have it again. So I’m continuing to embrace the mask and tools we have.

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JUst a reminder that Corsi-Rosenthal boxes are cheap and easy to make, and the air filtration they do makes a LARGE difference in how much virus is in the air. You want even more protection at your holiday gathering? Make 2, or even

2 per room. Here’s the main site, and also a video of. 4th grader building one. Happy holidays, everyone!

https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H2YELPNsImk

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founding

Thanks for a detailed, practical and appropriate protocol - excellent advice covering most circumstances. You actually define a path to personal, family and community safety and freedom. Two questions: (1) Why can't the CDC, HHS, and the White House broadly broadcast the same wisdom? (2) What "liberties" do scoffers get in return for their well documented increased risk of dying, hospitalization, and future disability?

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Very sound advices, thank you. I agree with you about the mask: I still wear one outside where there is lots of people, and always inside in large stores or malls. As I live in France (Paris), wearing a mask or not is not an issue; we do as we want. And about the haters: just ignore them. They have a miserable life, full of bitterness and anger. It's a disease with no known cure. Keep on enlightening us civilized people with your well crafted and detailed posts.

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I always really appreciate your concrete "here's what I'm doing" posts and I'm sorry you get so much hate for them. Discourse around reasonable covid precautions has become really toxic and I think posts like yours are a necessary antidote.

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How about planning our own bespoke holidays, on our own terms? Why should my family have its big get together at the same time as everyone else's?

Flexgiving!!

Flexmas!

Etc

People might want to wait until case rates drop a little, or until airplane tickets are cheaper.

There's no immutable principle that says we all have to do our gatherings at the same time. Burn this false idol to the ground, and salt the earth.

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"It’s been a while since I’ve shared my own chronicles of navigating this pandemic. I dread doing so, because I receive so much hate after." I imagine this from the same louts who start foaming at the mouth when they see someone wearing a mask at the store. What a sad indicator of this is of how much we have declined as a nation.

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