Posts by Austin Garcia

David Flores68 said:I remember asking about this on the forum once before, and someone mentioned that you could actually access all your medical results through the official government portal... I wonder if that’s still the case nowadays...

Do you think I might be able to find my older medical records there, maybe even stuff dating all the way back to 2013...

I've been using the official government portal since last year, which actually helped me track down my oldest medical records from 2016... I have a massive pile of other reports due to my diagnosis, though they aren't appearing online just yet...

Ashley Robinson3 said:Unfortunately, you can still catch it :-(
My brother-in-law and his wife both tested positive back in mid-November. They were fully vaccinated with two doses at the time and just went in for testing because of some family stuff, even though they weren't feeling sick. Both tests came back positive, so they had to isolate.
Then, about two weeks ago, my brother-in-law started running a fever, followed by his wife a few days later. They went to get tested and—you guessed it—positive again. My partner had been over at their place the day before, so he likely picked up the virus there.
The bottom line? Recovering from the Delta variant doesn't seem to offer much protection against Omicron (just like the vaccine doesn't provide total immunity). But, having both previous infection and vaccination under your belt does help ensure the illness stays mild, or maybe even asymptomatic.

Goodness gracious...🤣

From what I’ve heard, if you manage to catch it three times and get vaccinated five times, you’re basically guaranteed to never catch another strain or pass it on to anyone else... plus, apparently, that positive test result stays valid forever now, and they actually mean it this time...

Joseph Rivera75 said:Exactly. The school keeps them isolated on campus until an official diagnosis comes in just to stop the spread, but the final call actually comes from the school nurse or the CDC.
Maybe you don't care about the bureaucracy behind it,
but I really do.
Because the school janitor or the principal shouldn't be the ones deciding who goes into quarantine and when.
They track when symptoms started and which specific contacts need to be flagged.

They won't call you. The school just notifies the health department, and then they're the ones who look at when the kid first showed symptoms, define the "contact window," and send over a list of every student present during that time.
The system shows immediately who tested positive and when their symptoms kicked in.
It's all tracked.

I’m honestly not following your persistence here; perhaps you don't care which authority sends kids home, but I never said I didn't care, nor did I suggest a janitor was making these calls...
I simply pointed out that while the school follows the protocol you described, my child was only kept home based on my own word...
To reiterate, they told us a rapid test would be sufficient for their purposes, so there is absolutely nothing recorded in the official state database since I performed the test at home myself...
Furthermore, I still wanted a PCR test, so I went ahead and got one...
But even then, there is no record of the initial symptoms in the system because, as I have mentioned three times now, nobody called us to ask about symptoms or to mandate isolation. Yet, you keep insisting that this information is already filed away...
Given how inconsistent recent testing results have been, it was entirely possible for a PCR to come back negative. If that had happened, what reason would be listed in the system for the children's isolation? We couldn't exactly tell them, "Haha, sorry your kids had to stay home for five days for no reason"...
If I haven't made it clear enough why this doesn't add up, I'm really not sure how else to explain it to you...

Joseph Rivera75 said:Exactly. If multiple kids test positive, they set up remote learning and send the list to the doctor (school nurse or the local health authority)... but they don't just unilaterally mandate isolation.
To an outsider, it might seem the same, but it's factually wrong to say a school can just decide who goes into isolation.
A teacher, a daycare provider, or a nurse doesn't have the power to dictate isolation or "put" a whole class under quarantine.
They can accept a student's excuse for being absent.
And they can recommend staying home if several students report positive tests and arrange for online classes.
But everything the school does is coordinated with the school nurse or the public health official, who is the one actually deciding if the entire class needs to isolate.
The school gives the health official a list of students present during the exposure window and then emails the decision regarding isolation back to the parents.

To a layman, it probably doesn't matter who calls the shots, but rules are rules.

And isolation isn't just some vague concept like "not showing up" to school and doing things online. You might do remote learning because your classmates are stuck at home testing positive, but you could still be officially ordered into isolation by the health department.
If you're in official isolation, you're stuck at home, in your room, by yourself—unless we're talking about a toddler.

That's where the paradox hits. A health official can't legally mandate official isolation based on a home test; they can only do that once there's an official PCR or rapid test from a clinic. And everyone knows how long you have to wait for a PCR (though the clinic's rapid test is faster).

It all sounds quite lovely when you put it that way, and the official government websites explain everything perfectly, detailing exactly how it should work and who holds the authority...
But I am speaking from my own experience. I reached out to let them know my children wouldn't be coming in because of a positive home test, promising to update them once our doctor provided the official PCR results. They responded by saying the school trusts parents and would treat a positive home test as an official case immediately. Then, they sent almost the entire class into isolation, except for those who had recovered within the last four months. They mentioned the PCR was mostly for our own records... and honestly, it just didn't feel right...
In any case, the school nurse is the one who officially mandated the isolation, likely just taking my word for it. As I mentioned before, no one ever called us or formally notified us of an isolation order, so I highly doubt they even contacted the school or our other contacts...
It feels so disorganized and unnecessary, especially since my child has been sent home to isolate multiple times just for being a contact at school...
It really lacks any sense of order or proper organization...

Joseph Rivera75 said:With 18,000 positive cases (based on PCR and rapid tests at the doctor, not those cheap home kits), nobody is even bothering to call you.
Epidemiologists are out here sending notices to schools and daycares a full week late.
Your family doctor should be the one calling the shots on quarantine, but they're basically washing their hands of it. They claim it's not their job, they don't know the current rules, or they're just too terrified of angry patients breathing down their necks...
Unfortunately, people who actually need to be isolating are just wandering around everywhere.

It's a total mess with people living unvaccinated in households with sick family members. They don't seem to grasp that their isolation doesn't end when the sick person is done; it ends 10 days after the last contact. And that last contact counts as Day Zero (so, say, 7 days of isolation for the patient plus another 10, since nobody in the house actually stays isolated—everyone just hangs out with the sick person the whole time).

The logic is that people with three doses clear the virus from their mucous membranes faster. They carry less of it, so they aren't contagious for as long and don't get hit as hard.

Same answer as before. Lower viral load, faster clearance. If the illness is mild and symptoms are gone, they're considered non-contagious after 7 days.

Quote:>>

agathos says: >> And why don't vaccinated people have to quarantine after being exposed, or go to work even when people at home are sick with COVID—especially when some of them feel crappy and head into the office anyway?

They go to work while symptomatic because they're irresponsible or just uninformed.
Regarding the first part of the question—
It’s the same answer as the previous two questions, plus there's the whole push to promote vaccination.

Quote:>>

agathos says: >> Also, is it necessary to test again once quarantine is over? If not, how can anyone actually know if the person isn't contagious anymore?

It's not necessary. You're assumed non-contagious once the required isolation period passes and you're symptom-free, like no more fever.

Healthcare workers get tested before heading back to work.
They're required to wear an N95 if they're vaccinated and were exposed, and they end up doing multiple tests anyway.

Quote:>>

agathos says: >> I have so many questions and things are just unclear... I work with people, I have to go to their homes, and I'm hearing all sorts of stuff that makes zero sense anymore. Honestly, seeing how people act and the nonsensical decisions being made, I feel like just staying home and working remotely indefinitely.👎>

>
No need to stress about Omicron. Omicron is basically just respiratory congestion right now (a cold is a cold without a fever; respiratory congestion is a cold plus a fever).
If you're worried, you can always just wear an N95 when dealing with people.

Quote:>

agathos says: [URL='showthread.php?p=90771025#post90771025']> How much can I realistically push someone who’s already vaccinated or recovered to take a test? Like, if I show them my own negative result first just to make it fair, is that even okay?

It's not.
Bad news: you don't have any leverage to demand a test. Plus, getting one is a total headache anyway—they're pricey and hard to find when you actually need them.
Just tell them they need to wear a mask. And you
should probably stick to an N95 if you're that worried.

Since when has it been this way? I personally reached out to my kids' teachers to let them know they tested positive on a home kit and wouldn't be coming in, mentioning that we still need to schedule their official PCR appointments. My school told me that was more than enough information and put them in isolation immediately, even before the official results came back. As for the health department, they haven't reached out to us at all, so I can hardly imagine they've contacted the schools either...

Samuel Barrett33 said:Does the isolation period actually start counting from when you first feel like garbage, or does it officially kick off once that PCR test comes back positive?

It begins the moment those first symptoms show up...

Almost everyone in our household tested positive today, though we’re all staying incredibly upbeat about it... They just notified us that the results came back positive and told us to reach out to our primary care physician or the local health department to coordinate our isolation period.
I tried calling the clinic, but they ended up routing my call over to the public health officials. When I finally got through to them, they mentioned we were already on their list and instructed me to wait for their call, but so far, there hasn't been any word...

dustybison58 said:Does anyone happen to know if I have two different appointments scheduled in separate buildings at the main hospital, will I need to go through triage again before entering the second one, or can I just head straight in after finishing up at the first building? My schedule is looking a bit tight with these back-to-back visits, so I'm just worried about running out of time if I have to restart the whole process...

When I was visiting the main hospital on Petrov, I found out that if you're moving from one building to another, you should just ask for a little slip of paper once you're done so you can show it when you enter the next building...

urbantinker8 said:I'm honestly not quite sure why I've become the center of attention here, though I suppose I clearly have quite a dedicated following, 🤣🤣

No, I don't think I'll ever be lumped in with the anti-vaxxers, really; I've done my part without needing some doctor to give me the green light, and my own personal health situation is such that I just don't see myself getting another shot, at least not anytime soon, I guess.

It isn't that I'm refusing the vaccine because I believe in microchips, or conspiracies about certain lifestyles, or unicorns, much like that lovely little group of people with those weirdly intense expressions I saw down at the town square yesterday.🙂

Your doctor didn't actually give you the green light given your health history, yet you decided to go through with it anyway, which makes you such a wonderful role model to follow...

If you don't feel any safer from the virus, what was the motivation behind getting vaccinated in the first place? If you're still just as worried about ending up on a ventilator, then perhaps the only thing the shot actually added was more anxiety over potential side effects...

I mean, they tell us we still need to wear N95 masks and keep sanitizing everything, but if being vaccinated doesn't provide a real sense of security, then what was the whole point of doing it...

It’s always the same story here in the States, where both the first and last days of the school year usually wrap up after just an hour or two, leaving us with nothing but the initial schedule and some homework to ponder... 🤷

Alex Roberts4 said:Oh, thanks for the heads-up. Apparently, not every journalist managed to catch that specific detail, though honestly, the bigger question is why on earth did they wait this long to decide, and why are we finding out about everything via the news first? Makes sense, right?😍 Well, whatever. At least it didn't trigger a massive tectonic shift in my living room.

Back in my school days, they always told us to keep an eye on the news because we’d be the last ones to find out anyway... and honestly, it feels just like that for the past year, week after week...

mellownomad7 said:Is that TV teaching thing actually happening?
I can't wrap my head around first graders staring at tablets and trying to follow a lecture.

Later

It certainly exists, though I find myself wondering how many students actually tune in...
The curriculum they present doesn't always align perfectly with everyone's progress, as some classes seem to lag behind while others have already moved way ahead or skipped certain sections entirely...
In our district, it often feels like teachers tell them they don't even need to watch it and should just stick to the materials sent directly to them, yet later they're told they really ought to be following along with the broadcast alongside the assigned work, all while having no idea the kids on TV are already several lessons ahead... it all just seems to depend on whatever mood the school is in that day... 🤦

Susan Jackson said:It was about time, honestly. Imagine having a tourist from Europe showing up with plenty of cash while those little bioterrorists are still running around free.🍿

🤣
As if that would actually change anything at all, though it certainly seems like the easiest way to play the sympathy card by focusing on the children...

urbantinker8 said:perhaps.😬

unknown:

I'm not entirely sure what today's numbers look like—but I honestly find it hard to believe that every single student is going to be back in classrooms in person right after the break. I suppose elementary school kids might, but high schoolers, maybe just the seniors. Everyone else will likely stay online for at least another week. I mostly just feel bad for the war profiteers, since those students they were counting on for their lectures will miss out on such an incredible experience. It's an irreplaceable loss for our education system. unknown, I know I'm being incredibly cynical today—it's just one of those days, I guess...☕

🤣
I don't know, I try not to obsessively track all those statistics so I'm not quite sure how things have been trending over the last few days, though I did stumble upon that statement from the official in San Francisco suggesting schools might extend the break or pivot back to remote learning again.🤦

are they even running tests these days?🤔
or rather... they test fifty people, forty-five come back positive, and then it sounds great because they conveniently leave out how many people they actually tested.🎉 🐔

They started yesterday. They won't be doing any on Easter or Monday since the health departments don't really work during the big holidays...

And honestly, it doesn't matter how many they're testing...

🤦 That really isn't something to take lightly, you should perhaps try to find some kind of way... though I'm honestly not quite sure what that might be

Robert Hernandez11 said:Look, I don't work in the school system

Oh, well, best of luck to you 🎉
...

Roger Castillo9 said:Now, look, I'm certain there wasn't a catastrophe, but back in January, Chicago was basically one of the top two counties for infection rates, whereas before that, we were way down the list...

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/UserDocsI...df?vel=1154778

Yes, there were about ten new cases reported back then, and things felt serious enough that they decided it was finally time to start easing up on the restrictions...

Austin Garcia said:They aren't really the core issue; they're just the easiest "target" to address without actually spending any money... it gives the illusion of taking action and making progress when nothing truly changes...

Oh, absolutely...

If parents dare to speak up, they're immediately labeled as oversensitive, lazy, or just completely out of touch with how things work... it's all just a way to dismiss them while pretending everything is being handled perfectly... 🧐

Paul Kern12 said:Do you and nimbleranger17 really need me to draw you a map to show that everything doesn't revolve around Chicago?
What are you even talking about regarding Madison Square Garden and the City on USA??

Could someone please explain to me why we didn't see a total catastrophe in the USA following the earthquake?...
People were huddled together in tiny shelters and tents in the freezing cold for weeks. Others were arriving from all over the US to help. Some wore masks, but certainly not everyone, and they weren't always wearing them correctly or sanitizing their hands constantly...
There was a period where testing was less frequent, but if things had truly been spiraling, we would have seen it in the death toll or the number of people suffering severe complications. However, none of that happened. Not during those critical first few weeks, and even now, three months later, our numbers look much better compared to other places...

And then on the other hand, children are sitting alone in school desks, wearing masks, classes aren't mixing, their hands are being disinfected with who knows what, yet my child keeps coming home with sores on their hands, and no one except students and staff is even allowed in the building... and yet, they are still pushed forward as the primary problem...