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Originally posted by wtg:
ron...which of these have you been using?

https://primodentalproducts.com/collections/masks

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My understanding leads me to believe that N95s are really only for situations where you are knowingly going to be interacting with a Covid positive person

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The first handful of omicron cases in the United States have been mostly mild, with most patients reporting symptoms such as cough or a runny nose, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

The agency's five-page report looked at 43 people in the U.S. with a confirmed case of the new strain, one of whom was hospitalized. More than half of the people were young, between the ages of 18 and 39.

More than three-quarters were fully vaccinated, including a third who had also received a booster shot. Six cases had a previously documented Covid infection. A third of the people had recently traveled internationally, according to the CDC study.

The most commonly reported symptoms were cough, fatigue and congestion or runny nose. One vaccinated patient was hospitalized for two days and no deaths were reported, the report found.

The findings are in line with early reports from South Africa, where some doctors said the new strain appeared to cause milder symptoms in patients.

There are some caveats to the report, however. The CDC pointed out that it can take several days or weeks before severe symptoms appear in some individuals, and symptoms would be expected to be milder in vaccinated people and in those with a previous coronavirus infection.

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Case investigations have identified exposures associated with international and domestic travel, large public events, and household transmission.

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Here’s a summary of the studies released to date, and what they have found:

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The first handful of omicron cases in the United States have been mostly mild, with most patients reporting symptoms such as cough or a runny nose, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

The agency's five-page report looked at 43 people in the U.S. with a confirmed case of the new strain, one of whom was hospitalized. More than half of the people were young, between the ages of 18 and 39.

More than three-quarters were fully vaccinated, including a third who had also received a booster shot. Six cases had a previously documented Covid infection. A third of the people had recently traveled internationally, according to the CDC study.

The most commonly reported symptoms were cough, fatigue and congestion or runny nose. One vaccinated patient was hospitalized for two days and no deaths were reported, the report found.

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Originally posted by Piano*Dad:

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The first handful of omicron cases in the United States have been mostly mild, with most patients reporting symptoms such as cough or a runny nose, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

The agency's five-page report looked at 43 people in the U.S. with a confirmed case of the new strain, one of whom was hospitalized. More than half of the people were young, between the ages of 18 and 39.

More than three-quarters were fully vaccinated, including a third who had also received a booster shot. Six cases had a previously documented Covid infection. A third of the people had recently traveled internationally, according to the CDC study.

The most commonly reported symptoms were cough, fatigue and congestion or runny nose. One vaccinated patient was hospitalized for two days and no deaths were reported, the report found.

Yeah, well, I came down with a sore throat on Saturday evening. By Sunday I was feeling congestion and the occasional urge to cough. Those aren't the usual Covid symptoms (fever, body aches, fatigue, low Oxygen). Nonetheless, I'm supposed to be leaving town on the 23rd, so out of an abundance of caution we used up one of our quick home Covid tests. Came back very negative!

So, I've got my first ... cold of the Covid era!

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South Africa delivered some positive news on the omicron coronavirus variant on Friday, reporting a much lower rate of hospital admissions and signs that the wave of infections may be peaking.

Only 1.7% of identified Covid-19 cases were admitted to hospital in the second week of infections in the fourth wave, compared with 19% in the same week of the third delta-driven wave, South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said at a press conference.

Health officials presented evidence that the strain may be milder, and that infections may already be peaking in the country’s most populous province, Gauteng....

Scientists have cautioned that other nations may have a different experience to South Africa as the country’s population is young compared with developed nations. Between 70% and 80% of citizens may also have had a prior Covid-19 infection, according to antibody surveys, meaning they could have some level of protection.

Currently there are about 7,600 people with Covid-19 in South African hospitals, about 40% of the peak in the second and third waves. Excess deaths, a measure of the number of deaths against a historical average, are just below 2,000 a week, an eighth of their previous peak.

“We are really seeing very small increases in the number of deaths,” said Michelle Groome, head of health surveillance for the country’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

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Originally posted by wtg:
So we tried out a bunch of masks, and there were two clear winners. Especially if you wear glasses.

This KF94, manufactured in South Korea, is in the same general category as N95s and KN95s. The ear loops are adjustable and let you pull it snugly against your face. As ron said, it has a lot of space in the front so you can talk and breathe more comfortably. I ordered the extra large and the large sizes, and found the large to be a good choice for me. Mr wtg could wear either one, though he thought the large was a better fit. For a woman with a smaller face, the medium might be the way to go.

Comes in black and also white. Don't forget to use the 7% off coupon. The link for the size large black mask:

https://www.amazon.com/BOTN-Pr...n%2Caps%2C275&sr=8-8

The real winner is the BeeSure. Has a wire on both the top and bottom edges, plus the nose flap. No gaps on the sides. I gave one to my hairdresser this morning to try and she was over the top about it. She had been having trouble with her glasses fogging with the masks she had been using and with this one, no problema.

Comes in pink and also blue.

https://primodentalproducts.co...level-3-4-ply-50-box

Many thanks to rontuner for posting his finds!