Question about Covid symptoms and the vaccine response

[lynnsb6754]

I have a pretty basic question about what to expect with the vaccine, and whether symptoms show themselves at all, but I can't find any articles on the topic. I had the first two shots of Pfizer in February 2021, the first booster in August 2021, and now the second booster in January 2022, as directed by my CLL doctor. In April of 2021, I was in an LLS study and the blood results said that I did have an immune response to the original two vaccines.

On Sunday, January 30, 2022, I started feeling some symptoms that looked like Omicron (sneezing, runny nose, headache, dry cough, red throat, a bit achy). On Monday I did an in-home test and it was negative. On Tuesday, symptoms were a little worse, and I went to a Covid test site locally and got a quick test and a PCR. The quick test was also negative and I'm waiting for the PCR results now.

Today I feel very much better. Could it be that I was infected with Omicron, and then the vaccines did their job? When you're vaccinated, does it serve to kick start the immune response so some symptoms that appear initially will go away faster?

I'm naturally curious about the PCR results. But is it possible that those could be negative based upon the vaccine knocking out the infection so it isn't a measurable level? Or am I just imagining all of this, since I feel like I'm drowning in news about Covid??

I'd appreciate any insights on this topic from the supportive group on Health Unlocked . Thanks in advance.

Lynn

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

What day in last month did you have your second booster? This post by CLLerinOz healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo... is relevant, though with Omicron, the incubation period is shorter than with earlier variants.

As I read it, given you had symptoms, your PCR and most likely your last quick RAT/LFT test (depending on sensitivity to Omicron) should show positive if you have a COVID-19 infection.

Given you did have an immune response to the original two vaccines, you should have created memory B and T cells. These would have responded to your January booster, with the memory B cells converting to plasma cells, hopefully pumping out lots of neutralising antibodies. That process takes about a week. The memory T cells should replicate, ready to recognise and destroy any body cells invaded by the coronavirus. Those two processes should reduce the period you are infectious, compared to someone who hadn't been vaccinated, or didn't respond to vaccinations.

If your booster was just before you were infected with the coronavirus (or you hadn't been vaccinated), it takes a bit longer, about two weeks, for your B and T cells to respond.

Neil

[lynnsb6754 in reply to AussieNeil]

I had the last booster on January 19 and the symptoms started on Jan 30. The PCR just came back negative. My symptoms are almost completely gone.

So it's not possible that the PCR was negative because the vaccine had already been working on reducing the viral load? The Omicron description was a perfect fit for the brief couple of days.

Thank you so much for your thorough response to my post, AussieNeil, and for all the other thorough and very helpful feedback you've provided the 4 years I've been reading on here. The article you shared was very interesting.

Best to you! Thanks again,

Lynn

[Pin57]

Interesting post Lynn as I can relate to what you’ve gone thru (many negative covid tests). That seems to validate that multiple vaccines DO work for some of us CLLers so well they even beat down Omicron!

I too am a 4 vaccine shoter, n have luckily develop (and n maintained) max spike antibodies (>2500 score) via bi-monthly LLS Study tests. We are a small minority in this forum on obtaining vaccine antibodies.

My wife got Omicron covid 3 weeks ago, great news she made it thru for a number of reasons. So living with her 24/7 (both of us are retired) you’d think I’d get Covid too, right?

We’ll it appears not (so far) n have did 6 rapid tests n a PCR test, during her quarantine time, n all were negative results like you got. Maybe covid “missed” all the tests?

I have experienced a couple of the symptoms you noted … so like you I wondered why no positive readings?

Neil’s feedback helps explain why.

Glad your doing well and it’s always good to hear a positive story about the vaccine’s effectiveness for a few of us CLLers lucky enough to amount good spike antibodies.

Thanks for posting and again congrats on your weathering this covid storm pretty well it sounds.

[lynnsb6754 in reply to Pin57]

If we must be in the CLL club, I'm grateful to be in your group within the club! My LLS study results also said >2500 though I never got a clear answer about what that is 2500 of...

You surely have given the vaccine a good test, thanks to your poor wife. I hope that she's feeling all better now, and that you both steer clear of breakthroughs.

Thanks for your reply. I does help to hear others' stories! This has been a strangely isolating time, with a bit too much anxiety in the background.

Thanks again! Happy rest of winter (unless you're in Australia?!)

[Pin57 in reply to lynnsb6754]

I’m in US, Rocky Mt state, with LOTs of new snow but sounds like many others are getting hammered with that too? Are you?

Covid is on fire where I live, just got 3 texts this morning alone from neighbors that they and/or their family members just came down with it … yet Denver just announced no more mandatory masking or proof of vaccines to get into places … huh? They sited “Omicron has flamed out”. Double Huh?… What fire are they watching? Crazy decisions.

Anyways, congrats to hear you are in the lucky >2500 U/ml spike antibodies club, it’s the highest score one can get. Per my discussions with Dr Salzman, lead on the LLS Study, he said it’s a score typically that healthy individuals have… but he went on to say he didn’t know the level of protection against covid per the scores.

Anyways, hope I provided a little bit of knowledge regarding your spike antibodies score, what it means and what it doesn’t mean. Stay well!

[SofiaDeo Administrator in reply to Pin57]

I think Denver is bowing to political pressure. Because masking is a simple, inexpensive, KNOWN method of preventing transmission of airborne pathogens. And with the politicians recently admitting that at least part of their "no one needs to mask" statements early in the pandemic were fears of PPE shortages, non-medical people don't believe anything these people say anymore. (I am not buying the "we didn't think masks would be effective in this particular airborne transmitted disease". I call BS, Standard Operating Procedure with unknown pathogens is be More consevative/cautious, not less) And people also want to "get back to normal." Like they did for the Spanish Flu a century ago. But I doubt we will ever "be back the way we were." Much like when HIV emerged, there is no putting Covid back in the box, when people don't take the risk seriously.

[lynnsb6754 in reply to SofiaDeo]

Hi SofiaDeo,

It has been an exhausting stretch, hasn't it? The older I get, the less I understand what makes people tick. It's why the sharing on here feels almost always a relief. At least we can appreciate a leaning toward caution. I think masks are always going to be a part of my wardrobe!

Happy winter to you!

Lynn

[lynnsb6754 in reply to Pin57]

Thanks for providing more knowledge. I do appreciate the helpful people on here, who feel like sane company in a weird time. I just don't get how people can be quite so thick as to resist the small things that keep each other safe, but there are occasional protests here in Western New York and loud mouths who want freedom as if we should all pick our own path down the highway without worrying about the impact on others. NYS overall is pretty cautious, however, much more than Colorado from what I gather.

Regarding winter weather, I am indeed in the path of a rather big storm tonight. I live in Buffalo, NY, and we are a bit notorious when it comes to snowfall. It's been a rough season so far, with January never thawing at all and piling 52" on the ground. But the first year I moved here - 1976 - led into a famous blizzard, with 100 inches falling in 5 days with drifts of 30 to 40 feet and 23 deaths. Nothing has even come close in the years since, and I'm glad for that.

I must admit that the winter forces a hunkering down and other than walking the dogs we all enjoy staying inside.

Here's to a healthy few months for your family and mine!

Thanks again,

Lynn

[Pin57 in reply to lynnsb6754]

Buffalo? Snowville-city !!!