Questions about life during the coronaviruses crisis are answered frequently by us. If you have a question you would like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org. You can find an archive of our FAQ here.
To make the exams go smoothly, my friend was trying to take all the right precautions.
The day was a Thursday. She said she had gotten the vaccine. On the next day, I began to feel bad.
She blamed her symptoms on the vaccine. She describes a time when she was unsure about the cause of her symptoms. I was doing worse and on Saturday I was going to rule out Covid because my arm was sore.
She took a test at home
It was a positive thing.
The first thing she did was to go to the internet and then to call the health center.
Is it possible to test for Covid if you get the vaccine?
The person answering the phone at the health center didn't seem to know what they were talking about, so we asked the experts.
The vaccine would make it impossible for you to test positive.
The tests are testing for something that isn't in the vaccine, according to Dr. Cohen.
Different parts of the COVID virus are used to make the vaccine and the tests. The spike genetic material is used in all the vaccines in the US. All of the home tests detect something that isn't in the vaccine.
If the vaccine makes you feel unwell, how can you tell if you're sick from it or not?
The answer has to do with the nature of your symptoms. Cohen says "everybody's a little bit different" when it comes to how long your vaccine symptoms will last, but you should be concerned if you have a body ache for more than one day.
Cohen says that one symptom is indicative of a COVID infections and not the vaccine. If you have any respiratory symptoms, I would be willing to test you. He says the vaccine shouldn't make you sick.
So why did she test positive so quickly?
It's almost certain that she had been exposed to COVID prior to her vaccine. The vaccine can't protect you immediately, so getting the booster didn't help her fight off her infection. He said that it takes three to four days after getting the vaccine for your body to start making antibodies.
The vaccine is not able to make you test positive. For those wondering, it was only mild symptoms that prevented her from developing more severe ones. She passed her exam over the course of a week.
I didn't get to celebrate in person and had to do everything from my living room but it wasn't bad.
CONGRATULATIONS, ASHLEY!
I don't know if it matters which version of the shot I take. One of them is better than the other.
You have decided to get the new bivalent booster and make an appointment at a pharmacy. As you fill out your information, there is a chance you will be presented with a choice between Pfizer or Moderna. What should you get?
The two brands of vaccine are supposed to work the same way, but are they really the same? One could be better than the other.
The Moderna shot has more active parts than the Pfizer shot. There is no significant difference in the protection you get.
Cohen agrees that there shouldn't be a difference in the reactions you get from the vaccine. There are very similar side effect profiles. The Moderna vaccine has a slightly higher dose, but there have been no more adverse reactions related to that.
Is it possible to mix brands. Can you now get Moderna if you have gotten Pfizer?
Cohen says mixing brands is fine. Don't over think it and don't waste the chance to get a vaccine. You should go with whichever vaccine your pharmacy has.
When you get the vaccine, it is more important than the brand of vaccine. He says if you only waited two months since your last booster, you will get less benefit than someone who waited six months.
Which will lead to the next question.
It is recommended by the CDC that I wait at least 90 days before getting the new booster. Is getting the new shot sooner harmful?
Cohen says getting a shot sooner is not harmful or bad, as long as you wait the right amount of time.
As the weather changes and the holidays approach, experts are predicting a surge in cases. Cohen says it doesn't make sense to skip or delay a vaccine when you might be going into a surge.
If you got COVID or another booster before August, you might want to get your shot in October.
I tested positive on one brand of self-test, but not on another. What should I do when this happens?
Maybe you're just starting to feel sick, or maybe it's been over a week since you first tested positive, but you're worried about spreading the disease.
A curious thing happened when you picked up an assortment of brands over the past few months after taking an at- home test.
Positive on one brand but negative on another.
Cohen says that most of the major tests that are on the market are comparable. Some of the lesser-known brands have more variability in their sensitivity, he1-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 is1-6556 is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 The remnants of the virus might not be picked up by the lesser-known tests. Cohen says it's important to choose a test that feels intuitive. It's not going to be a good at- home test if it's too complex.
We know from conversations with experts that a positive test is very likely to mean that you have a Viruses in your body
If you're positive for the first time, you need to be prepared to mask up. Cohen says to take a home test to see if it's negative and repeat it within 48 hours to confirm if you're no longer infectious. It's a good idea to be sure you're not infectious.
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