And when you talk about those initial
symptoms, they also may overlap with a
lot of different things. Flu or COVID.
I do want to talk about COVID COVID
cases are on the rise that is clear
based on just taking a look around you.
The sub variant called BA Five is what's
mainly circulating in this country.
So would you call this a wave?
A surge? What's going on here?
Yeah, I think we're gonna
call it a surge before long.
I'm seeing more and more cases
everyday people called in and
say I have a positive test.
What do I do now?
What I tell them is first how are you I
look at my chart and say are you over age 50?
Are you younger than that?
Do you have some kind of underlying
medical condition?
Diabetes, heart disease,
kidney disease or your frail?
Well then those folks need
to get packs elevated.
Those pills do work well
if you start them early,
but this virus,
no question it is.
It is the fastest virus we've seen
in 2 1/2 years of this pandemic.
So doctor winner.
It feels like we can never catch
up with all these variants.
We're waiting on Omicron specific vaccines,
but now I'm starting to read about
a new highly mutated variant.
It's BA 2.575 nicknamed Centaurus,
so this is spreading around the world.
So how much protection can these vaccines
that we currently have really offer?
Yes, in Taurus I thought that was a
foreign Galaxy or a far away Galaxy,
but it's been named that.
I think some Tik T.O.K guy
named it that and you're right,
it's a 2.75 started in India not seeing
much of this in America right now.
The dominant strain here is BA5 and
it's spreading very, very rapidly.
Fortunately, the vaccines work for
all of the new variants so far.
Now with this BA .5 it doesn't work as well.
And the the virus would be about 5.5.
Will jump on you when you're immunity.
Starts to wane.
Now what does that mean?
Well, when you get infected with
COVID antibody levels, go up.
Your body fights.
If you get a vaccine,
antibody levels go up as
they start to come down.
That's when the BA five can get you and
they don't have to come down very far.
In fact, if you've had COVID,
you can get this BA 5 reinfection
or a new of infection with that
two months after sometimes even
one month after you were infected.
Vaccines work a little bit better,
but after five months anybody has come
down enough that you are susceptible.
To be a 5 so the vaccines do work,
and if it's been more than five
months and you're susceptible or
you're worried about getting it,
you might want to get another vaccine.
And you're talking about
the current boosters.
Just to be clear, whatever is available,
you're saying that might give you
protection or and and you know I
want to go over this because we
were starting to to hear people say,
well, the boosters don't work
with the vaccines don't work,
we have to remember that these
vaccines were intended to
reduce the severity of illness,
not necessarily infection.
That's true, now we only
have one vaccine available.
It's one they develop a couple
years ago and it does work.
It doesn't work if it's been four
or five months later, so that's why
we were talking about more boosters,
but they do work the Omicron,
or maybe the new variant specific
vaccines are on the horizon,
but they're not available right now,
and you're right, if you're vaccinated,
you may get sick, but it's a mild illness.
Most all my patients I tell them
you're going to be sick for three,
four, or five days, sore throat,
cough, fatigue, maybe some fever,
then most of them.
Well unvaccinated folks,
so they're the ones in the hospital,
so if you're not vaccinated,
you might think twice right
now because this new.
I'm gonna call it a surge.
I think we're gonna be
calling a surge before long.
It's coming and if you haven't had
a vaccine you're likely to get it.
OK, real quickly. Doctor winter.
Lots of people getting COVID for
the first time at this point.
So let's say you have a a positive test.
What can you do to minimize some of
those symptoms you talked about?
Yeah, first importantly, isolate yourself.
Don't give it to somebody else
but with with many infections.
Hydrate, drink lots of water,
get plenty of rest, acetaminophen,
Advil, Aleve. All those work for aches.
If you have those over the
counter cough medicines work.
That's about all that you need,
unless you're those vulnerable people who
need those extra medications like paxillin.
But most folks get well with
over the counter medications.
It doesn't last very long.
Thank goodness.
OK doctor winter. Thank you
so much. Good to see you.