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  • Showing only topics in ~health with the tag "ask.experts". Back to normal view / Search all groups
    1. Viral illness throughout the household. What might be happening?

      We are a household of 5 people with 2 little ones. That means we get to experience the joy and pleasures of viruses the little ones tend to bring home. After a few of those I've noticed a pattern,...

      We are a household of 5 people with 2 little ones. That means we get to experience the joy and pleasures of viruses the little ones tend to bring home. After a few of those I've noticed a pattern, each viral infection within the household tends to last 2+ weeks.

      1. Patient zero brings the virus home and has symptoms
      2. One of the adults starts developing symptoms shortly after. Everyone else is fine.
      3. Each other person goes down like domino's but with few days in between. By the time the 3rd or last person is ill the 1st and 2nd person are recovered and healthy. In some instances there my be 1 person that never develops any symptoms, or has no symptoms but is very tired/weak.

      This got me thinking, and for context I know nothing about viruses or medicine in general. What is happening here?

      • Do all people get infected but not everyone develops symptoms?
      • Do some peoples immune systems successfully fight off the viral infection completely or partially?

      I'm ruling out anyone being able to avoid contact to escape viral infection due to the size and social dynamics of the household.

      17 votes
    2. Heat sensitivity/intolerance

      So it is 80 degrees fahrenheit here today which usually would not be an issue for me but today I was too hot and sweaty. I am perimenopausal (49 years old) and I knew that could mess with heat...

      So it is 80 degrees fahrenheit here today which usually would not be an issue for me but today I was too hot and sweaty. I am perimenopausal (49 years old) and I knew that could mess with heat tolerance. What I had not realized until today is that heat intolerance is also a side effect of many blood pressure medicines, antidepressants and allergy meds. And I am on all of those now.

      I have just ordered some gadget that is a fan that goes around my neck and can be recharged via USB which seemed worth trying. And of course I will drink plenty of water, and try to stay in air conditioning whenever I can. Any other advice on how to deal with increased sensitivity to heat / higher heat intolerance? It is still early enough in the summer that the worst summer heat here is yet to come, so having some more tips might help me. Thanks!

      26 votes
    3. Is there any way to estimate how many people in a region currently have coronavirus?

      I've always wanted to be able to run probabilities when considering doing something that could infect me with coronavirus. I know how many people test positive, how many are dying and how many are...

      I've always wanted to be able to run probabilities when considering doing something that could infect me with coronavirus. I know how many people test positive, how many are dying and how many are getting tested. But what I really want to know is what are the odds that a mask-less interaction with one person will infect me.

      12 votes
    4. Why do some/most nasal decongestants create feedback loops of congestion and (more importantly for me) how can one get over the withdrawal effects created by it's excessive use, and in what timeframe?

      For context: my mother said that my father has used these decongestants regularly for as long as she has known him. He passed this habit onto me when I was young, originally with Afrin, then...

      For context: my mother said that my father has used these decongestants regularly for as long as she has known him. He passed this habit onto me when I was young, originally with Afrin, then Narix. Given there is a recommendation to not use these decongestants for extensive periods of time and apparently a rebound effect and syndrome called rhinitis medicamentosa comes from ditching it's use after said long periods, my mother decided using it like this is unhealthy and thus cut my use of it for the day, and given this stuff is cited in Wikipedia and a fair number of news/medical articles, it seems legitimate, and thus I agreed.

      After that, my skin is more prone to goosebumps and being overly sensitive, my eyes are watering more, my throat feels more scratchy (although I already woke up with that, before my mother made this decision) my nose is running way more than it used to.
      Can I blame withdrawal on this?
      What happened to me?
      How long does this last?

      And is this site really where I should turn to to try to find out?

      8 votes
    5. I have asthma. Am I more at risk of having a severe coronavirus infection?

      Here's the article: I have asthma. Am I more at risk of having a severe coronavirus infection? Here's the key point: at this stage, there's no evidence to indicate that people with asthma — even...

      Here's the article: I have asthma. Am I more at risk of having a severe coronavirus infection?

      Here's the key point:

      at this stage, there's no evidence to indicate that people with asthma — even those with severe asthma — are more prone than others to becoming seriously ill with a COVID-19 infection

      7 votes
    6. Is this unprecedented?

      I'm only 30, but I can't think of a time entire sectors of the economy were shutting down like this. I'm looking at statements from countries that appear vastly more prepared and honest, like...

      I'm only 30, but I can't think of a time entire sectors of the economy were shutting down like this.

      I'm looking at statements from countries that appear vastly more prepared and honest, like Germany, who say they expect 60-70% of the population to contract the virus. Am I wrong for seeing the general lack of appropriate reaction from the US and expecting worse?

      I expect the US will eventually be in a similar situation like Italy is. Most people staying home and most businesses shut down. How do people pay bills? Mortgages? Rent? Healthcare? Find money for basic supplies? Car loans?

      Has something like this happened before to a modern economy?

      38 votes