Hello, and welcome to COVID, Quickly, a Scientific AmericanPodcast Series!
This is a quick update on the COVID epidemic. We will show you the science behind the most important questions about the disease. We help you understand the research.
The person is named Lewis, he is also known as Tanya Lewis.
Josh Fischman is my name.
We are Scientific American's senior health editors.
We are Scientific American's senior health editors.
We will talk about how we decide when the swine flu is over, not just when the president says it is over.
That's right, --
Is it possible to hear me okay? I wonder if I sound rough.
You sound like you're normal.
It's good. It is a change for the better. The cool echo-y effect made me sound like I was at the bottom of a well. With more coughing.
Because...
The reason is because I have conclusive evidence. Two weeks ago, I began showing symptoms.
That's terrible. I want to apologize.
Thank you, Fischman. I don't want this episode to be about me.
Lewis also doesn't. We talk a lot about scientific studies, but we don't usually talk about what it's like to have chronic bronchitis.
I didn't think I caught it until I saw it. I've avoided it for two and a half years. I received a vaccine and have been boosted. I had to wait to see that positive line on the test. Is that what? That can't be right. I took a second test. There was another line.
Do you know how you became sick?
I'm pretty sure it was on a business trip to New York City. There was a mask on. I went to an outside bar with some friends from work and there was a nice breeze and you can't drink beer through a mask. I removed mine from my possession.
Lewis asked when he knew there was a problem.
It was three days later. I was in my backyard and it was warm. I was aware that I had been in riskier situations. I took a test and did a double take.
Lewis wondered if it was frightening.
I wasn't afraid of him. I have good lungs and good medical care. I was worried that my spouse would get sick. I moved into a different part of the house after grabbing masks. Some people don't have the luxury of that type of space. I thought we were fortunate.
I couldn't get out of bed by the next day.
Lewis wanted to know what the worst symptoms were.
I don't want to go into details.
The non-icky version is what Lewis wants.
There was a lot of coughing. I couldn't drink tea with honey because of the pain in my throat. I ate apple sauce and gargled with salt water when I lay in bed. I took a lot of the drug.
Lewis asked if you tried Paxlovid.
The man said he did. I got it immediately. It helped. The cough got better over the course of a couple of days. I walked my dog wearing a mask six days after the symptoms began because I was still positive on the rapid tests. I had a break.
Lewis, are you really saying? We've heard about one of those Paxlovid rebound.
I didn't clear the viruses. There is a row of positive test strips on my bedroom furniture. I still had some symptoms. The tests are correct. Only about 11 percent of people taking antigen tests would get a false positive, according to the website of a good non-profit that evaluates medical evidence with strict standards.
How are things right now?
This is the 11th day and I feel better. Moderate disease has been the cause of this. I have had the flu, but never like this one. I feel lucky again. We lose 400 to 500 Americans every day to carbon dioxide. If I stop testing positive, I can get out of the house, and I think I can get back to work.
That is great to hear that you are feeling better. Don't eat any of the chickens.
That's right, --
President Biden caused a stir last week when he casually declared on 60 Minutes that the PAIN is over Is it true?
Lewis is not sure. It's not easy to define the point at which the epidemic is over. In March, I interviewed John M. Barry, author of a comprehensive history of the 1918Influenza Pandemic. Barry told me that the decision about when the epidemic ends is a human one.
Lewis thought it was interesting. There are some scientific criteria.
It's sort of. There isn't a formal process for declaring a Pandemic over. When flu cases return to normal, they are considered to be in a post-pandemic phase. We don't know what those will be for COVID or if we've even gotten there.
The man is right. More than 400 people a day are dying of carbon dioxide in the U.S. It doesn't seem like the end of the epidemic to me.
Lewis isn't me. It's likely that chronic will be around for the rest of our lives as an endemic virus. It is not killing as many people thanks to vaccines and treatments.
We could still see a new variant that is better at evading the vaccines in the fall or winter. It could cause cases to go up again.
If you haven't already gotten your Omicron booster shot, now's a good time.
Lewis is absolutely correct.
Some people were not happy with Biden for saying the Pandemic is over. He acknowledged that most people are already living with the disease.
Lewis thinks that a lot of people have left. Some people are still being cautious or struggling with symptoms that have changed their lives. The more important question is how we are going to deal with COVID, especially for the most vulnerable among us.
Lewis thinks there is hope. Since March 2020, there have been fewer deaths from COVID. The WHO director-general said that they are not there yet. The end is just around the corner.
That's right, --
You are up to speed. Thanks for listening to our show.
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This is a transcript of the show.
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