Coronavirus Thread: Worldwide Pandemic
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NYC ER Doc Breaks Down How Omicron Affects the Boosted, Vaxxed and Unvaccinated
According to well-known Manhattan ER doctor Craig Spencer, the omicron variant can be as mild as a cold - with the right vaccinations
A growing body of scientific evidence suggest the omicron variant of COVID-19 is less severe than the delta variant -- but according to one prominent New York City emergency room physician, it all depends on what shots you've had.
Omicron is surging out of control in the city, with some Manhattan neighborhoods approaching 20% positivity rates, and hospitalizations doubling or more in recent weeks, particularly in children.
Against that backdrop, the city's emergency rooms are seeing a huge spike in patients - the asymptomatic seeking tests, the symptomatic who don't know where else to go and those in the ER for other reasons altogether who end up having COVID anyway.
Craig Spencer, a Manhattan ER doctor affiliated with Columbia University who became a Twitter superstar in the early days of the pandemic for his running commentary on the battle against the virus, tweeted a detailed breakdown late Sunday of what omicron cases look like.
Omicron symptoms by vaccine type
"Every patient I’ve seen with Covid that’s had a 3rd ‘booster’ dose has had mild symptoms. By mild I mean mostly sore throat. Lots of sore throat. Also some fatigue, maybe some muscle pain. No difficulty breathing. No shortness of breath. All a little uncomfortable, but fine," Spencer wrote.
From there, it goes downhill - slowly, though.
"Most patients I’ve seen that had 2 doses of Pfizer/Moderna still had ‘mild’ symptoms, but more than those who had received a third dose. More fatigued. More fever. More coughing. A little more miserable overall. But no shortness of breath. No difficulty breathing. Mostly fine," he said.
For those who just had the one shot of the J&J vaccine and never took a booster, the situation isn't as good.
"Most patients I’ve seen that had one dose of J&J and had Covid were worse overall. Felt horrible. Fever for a few days (or more). Weak, tired. Some shortness of breath and cough. But not one needing hospitalization. Not one needing oxygen. Not great. But not life-threatening," he tweeted.
And then there are the unvaccinated, who by all data are being hospitalized at a rate 15x or more the vaccinated.
"And almost every single patient that I’ve taken care of that needed to be admitted for Covid has been unvaccinated. Every one with profound shortness of breath. Every one whose oxygen dropped when they walked. Every one needing oxygen to breath regularly," he said.
Spencer's recommendations were straightforward -- get vaccinated if you haven't, get a second dose of something else if you've had one J&J shot, and if you're eligible, get a booster.
"So no matter your political affiliation, or thoughts on masks, or where you live in this country, as an ER doctor you’d trust with your life if you rolled into my emergency room at 3am, I promise you that you’d rather face the oncoming Omicron wave vaccinated," Spencer concluded.
NYC ER Doc Breaks Down How Omicron Affects the Boosted, Vaxxed and Unvaccinated
According to well-known Manhattan ER doctor Craig Spencer, the omicron variant can be as mild as a cold - with the right vaccinations
A growing body of scientific evidence suggest the omicron variant of COVID-19 is less severe than the delta variant -- but according to one prominent New York City emergency room physician, it all depends on what shots you've had.
Omicron is surging out of control in the city, with some Manhattan neighborhoods approaching 20% positivity rates, and hospitalizations doubling or more in recent weeks, particularly in children.
Against that backdrop, the city's emergency rooms are seeing a huge spike in patients - the asymptomatic seeking tests, the symptomatic who don't know where else to go and those in the ER for other reasons altogether who end up having COVID anyway.
Craig Spencer, a Manhattan ER doctor affiliated with Columbia University who became a Twitter superstar in the early days of the pandemic for his running commentary on the battle against the virus, tweeted a detailed breakdown late Sunday of what omicron cases look like.
Omicron symptoms by vaccine type
"Every patient I’ve seen with Covid that’s had a 3rd ‘booster’ dose has had mild symptoms. By mild I mean mostly sore throat. Lots of sore throat. Also some fatigue, maybe some muscle pain. No difficulty breathing. No shortness of breath. All a little uncomfortable, but fine," Spencer wrote.
From there, it goes downhill - slowly, though.
"Most patients I’ve seen that had 2 doses of Pfizer/Moderna still had ‘mild’ symptoms, but more than those who had received a third dose. More fatigued. More fever. More coughing. A little more miserable overall. But no shortness of breath. No difficulty breathing. Mostly fine," he said.
For those who just had the one shot of the J&J vaccine and never took a booster, the situation isn't as good.
"Most patients I’ve seen that had one dose of J&J and had Covid were worse overall. Felt horrible. Fever for a few days (or more). Weak, tired. Some shortness of breath and cough. But not one needing hospitalization. Not one needing oxygen. Not great. But not life-threatening," he tweeted.
And then there are the unvaccinated, who by all data are being hospitalized at a rate 15x or more the vaccinated.
"And almost every single patient that I’ve taken care of that needed to be admitted for Covid has been unvaccinated. Every one with profound shortness of breath. Every one whose oxygen dropped when they walked. Every one needing oxygen to breath regularly," he said.
Spencer's recommendations were straightforward -- get vaccinated if you haven't, get a second dose of something else if you've had one J&J shot, and if you're eligible, get a booster.
"So no matter your political affiliation, or thoughts on masks, or where you live in this country, as an ER doctor you’d trust with your life if you rolled into my emergency room at 3am, I promise you that you’d rather face the oncoming Omicron wave vaccinated," Spencer concluded.
NYC ER Doc Breaks Down How Omicron Affects the Boosted, Vaxxed and Unvaccinated
Poetical Poltergeist
Precise and cold hearted
Couldn't sleep most of the night. Have a migraine from hell. Dry sore throat. Hopefully I can get over this today cuz this headache is fukking brutal 
sjankis630
Pro
PoltergeistHang in there breh.
Poetical Poltergeist
Precise and cold hearted
Thanks. Worst fukking headache I've ever had. Even my jaw hurts. Throat feeling better, just drinking warm liquids. Extra strength Tylenol seems to be working best but headache keeps coming back.
Finally got an appointment. Went back to the urgent care at 7:30 in the morning. It opened at 8:00 and I waited 30 mins to get processed. I have to go back at 4pm for the actual test.
While I was coming out, it started coming like a monsoon. Ppl were still waiting in line. Most with no umbrellas. Then it started thunder storming and everyone scurried the fukk out of there.
It was such an eerie scene. Last time I felt that eerie feeling is when we first went on lock down and was walking around a busy intersection and it was completely empty.
While I was coming out, it started coming like a monsoon. Ppl were still waiting in line. Most with no umbrellas. Then it started thunder storming and everyone scurried the fukk out of there.
It was such an eerie scene. Last time I felt that eerie feeling is when we first went on lock down and was walking around a busy intersection and it was completely empty.
ADevilYouKhow
Rhyme Reason
While I haven't gone into the office for the past few weeks (only 2 times a week), I am not going back until wave dies down as the day before I left, many... many... who were not even IN the office got COVID per my Microsoft Teams.
So yeah, back to Seasonal Lockdown for me.
Apollo Kid
Veteran
All of my symptoms have pretty much disappeared. Ever since I had my fever, I can’t taste or smell.
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
I’ll probably still go in twice a week but besides free lunch Wednesdays the place has been dead in December. I don’t see it changing in January.