For vaccinated people, omicron cases are likely to be mild, but even a small fraction of cases resulting in hospitalization can overwhelm hospitals if enough people get sick at once — which looks likely to happen.
That means that as the wave sweeps the country, people will have an obvious if critical question: What treatments are available to me if I get sick with Covid-19?
The good news is that scientists have more answers to that question than they did two years ago when Covid-19 first hit. Most of the treatments that researchers have tested in large clinical trials haven’t panned out, but a few look promising, including some that are cheap and safe. If you get sick, it’s worth fully exploring your options. We asked experts how the best existing treatments are expected to stand up to omicron in particular, and what to look into if you get sick.
Promising treatments to talk to your doctor about
The official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on what to do if you get sick with Covid-19 advises you to wear a mask, wash your hands, and clean high-touch surfaces to avoid infecting those around you. If your breathing deteriorates or you show signs of severe illness like confusion or an inability to stay awake, the CDC advises you to go to the hospital.
All sound guidance — but advice on what treatments to get is harder to come by.
Sign up for the VoxCare newsletter
Each week, Dylan Scott guides you through the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic and the health care policies that matter most. Sign up here.
That’s not because there’s a lack of options. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer’s Paxlovid, a protease inhibitor — which means it blocks an enzyme needed for viral replication. The drug showed an impressive 88 percent efficacy in preventing hospitalization among unvaccinated patients — it was so effective that in November, the clinical trial stopped enrolling new participants because investigators concluded it would be unethical to put them in the control group.
Low or no-cost COVID-19 tests are available to everyone in the U.S., including the uninsured, at health centers and select pharmacies nationwide. Additional testing sites may be available in your area. Contact your health care provider or your state or local public health department for more information.
How Will Biden’s COVID-19 Test Giveaway Work?
President Joe Biden says the federal government will buy half a billion COVID-19 rapid test kits and distribute them free of charge to people to use at home. But despite the high public demand for tests, it will still be several more weeks before these kits are available to be shipped. The administration is still working on details for how the program will work.
DOES THE GOVERNMENT HAVE THE TESTS?
Not yet. As of this week, the departments of Defense and Health and Human Services were “executing on what’s called an ‘accelerated emergency contract,'” the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said. The contract is expected to be signed soon.
WHEN WILL THE TEST KITS BE DELIVERED?
Political Cartoons
The first delivery is expected in early January. All 500 million kits will not arrive at the same time but instead will be delivered in batches.
MY DRUGSTORE DOESN’T HAVE ANY TESTS. HOW CAN I GET A FREE KIT FROM THE GOVERNMENT?
You’ll go to a new government website to request a kit, but the site won’t be functional until after the first batch of test kits have been delivered, Psaki said. She said the process was being handled that way to avoid creating more confusion for the public. But the idea is that anyone who wants a test kit would log onto this website to request one.
“We’re obviously not going to put the website up until there are tests available,” Psaki said.
WHICH HOME TEST WILL I GET?
It’s unclear. But Psaki noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved several different brands of rapid home tests that are currently on the market.
UK Queen’s Christmas Speech Set to Be Particularly Personal
14-year-old girl killed when Los Angeles police open fire on suspect in crowded store
Pfizer antiviral pills may be risky with other medications
6,300 flights cancelled as Omicron hits Christmas weekend travel
The factors that lead a person to hate their family or members of their family can vary. Toxic behaviors, abuse, neglect, or conflict are just a few factors that can lead to feelings of animosity. Finding ways to better understand the causes for such feelings can help you better cope with the situation
What do you do when your family hates you?
- Try to enforce healthy boundaries with your family members and let them know if you feel hurt by their actions in a calm, and well thought out way.
- Remove yourself immediately from situations that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
- Opt to cut ties with those who you feel are unhealthy.
Most commonly, hatred toward your mother is your mental way of shielding yourself from further despair. While you may carry some guilt surrounding this, it is natural to experience these feelings, and there is nothing wrong with you for having them. The first step to moving past these feelings is understanding them.
Occasional feelings of anger and hate can be present even in the closest of sibling relationships. … If you feel like you hate your sister, you’re not alone. It is common for siblings to fight, which can lead to rivalry and hatred over time. Hatred for a sibling can set in at any age, in childhood or adulthood.
How to respond
- Decide what you want. …
- Practice detachment. …
- Decide what you’ll share and what you’ll keep private. …
- Learn when to say no. …
Why Does My Family Hate Me?
Society teaches us that we should prioritize our family relationships above all else because family is the most important thing in life. With this in mind, it’s easy to get lulled into believing that every family sticks together, supporting and loving each other as we see on sitcoms and reality TV. So when it feels like your family hates you or that you belong to a toxic family, it can be especially painful and traumatic. The good news is that, while you may be struggling with questions like “Why does my family hate me?” or “Is my family toxic”, take comfort in knowing that this is a common issue, even though it’s seldom discussed.
Society teaches us that we should prioritize our family relationships above all else because family is the most important thing in life. With this in mind, it’s easy to get lulled into believing that every family sticks together, supporting and loving each other as we see on sitcoms and reality TV. So when it feels like your family hates you or that you belong to a toxic family, it can be especially painful and traumatic. The good news is that, while you may be struggling with questions like “Why does my family hate me?” or “Is my family toxic”, take comfort in knowing that this is a common issue, even though it’s seldom discussed.
More Stories
Global Don Breaking The Silence
Was it really about the Lil Wayne Concert
South Florida residents told to steer clear of ‘life-threatening’ flooding