Is there a standard treatment protocol for vaccinated COVID-19 positive?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

A vaccinated friend tested positive

Doctor in Montana gave him a steroid shot and Z-Pak. I didn't know what a z-pack was, after looking it up, read docs advised that it did no good against covid.

He is still coughing. Infected approximately third week in July. Doc said he was in the final stage.

On edit:. Don't know if it's Delta or not

[JohnSJ]

1. Z-pak is zithromycin, an erythromycin like antibiotic.

Hopefully he is self-isolating

[bottomofthehill]

2. Antibiotics do not help with a virus

They may help with a post viral infection, but that does not sound like what your friend has.

[hlthe2b]

3. They seem to be treating him for bronchitis, so my guess is that knowing he was vaccinated, they

discounted his COVID-19 positive result as being causal to his current symptoms.

Is it possible to have a coincidental case of bronchitis concurrent to a positive COVID-19 test finding? I suppose so, but it would be hard for most physicians to discount COVID-19 as causal to his symptom. And, azithromycin is going to do nothing for COVID-19. But, it is not necessarily inappropriate for more severe bronchitis.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

10. Thanks. It sounds like doctors are just doing the best they know how

with positives among vaccinated people, given we are a new world

[Ms. Toad]

13. Only if the bronchitis is bacterial.

Mine (developing out of a cold) was always viral, and it is a good bet that bronchitis that develops out of COVID 19 is, as well.

[hlthe2b]

16. Of course.

Though physicians will often treat for likely bacterial etiology with yellow or green sputum especially in patients with a history of lung disease. Clear sputum is nearly always viral. Obviously, a bacterial culture is preferred but often not done-- especially if the risk for delayed treatment in patients with previous severe lung disease under this criteria. That is considered an appropriate risk-benefit assessment, despite current acute concerns for bacterial resistance.

[Ms. Toad]

17. Which is another of my pet peeves -

I've never had anything other than yellow or green sputum, even for a garden-variety cold. Color is not strongly correlated with viral v bacterial induction.

You are absolutely correct that that is how physicians operate, and that my concern is the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria. (I have a daughter who cannot tolerate most oral antibiotics, so antibiotic resistance is a major concern as even more bacterial strains become resistant because of inappropriate use of antibiotics - it increases the likelihood that she will encounter a bug that is only susceptible to antibiotics she can't tolerate.)

I would have fewer issues with prescription without culture when there is a history of confirmed prior bacterial lung infections. But what i see happening is recovery following antibiotic treatment (as will happen with viral infections with or without antibiotics), followed by an assumption that because it got better it must have been bacterial, so the next time it happen the prior unconfirmed "bacterial" infection is treated as a history of prior bacterial lung infection, which justifies the next treatment without culture.

[hlthe2b]

18. You are wrong on this.

[Ms. Toad]

20. Well have to agree to disagree. N/t.

[helpisontheway]

4. They gave my mom vitamin D,Vitamin C and Zinc

She was scheduled for monoclonal antibodies today. However, once they found out she was vaccinated they did not want to do it. Another family member received the same treatment but ended up hospitalized with Covid pneumonia. Both were fully vaccinated with Pfizer.

[Big Blue Marble]

9. She should seek a second opinion.

It does not matter if vaccinated or not, she have monoclonals if she has the risk
factors. Seek out an infectious disease specialist.

Dr. David Griffen, an infectious disease specialist and a researcher who is on
This Week in Virology Podcast every week regularly
discusses the correct protocols for Covid-19. Hte definitely says it is
appropriate and necessary to give the monoclonals in the first week to the
vaccinated.

https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/internal-medicine/dr-daniel-griffin-md-phd-11351106

Listen here: https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/
Dr. Griffen's podcast drops every Friday. It is very good as he is speaking to clinicians as
to the correct tx protocols to follow.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. Thank you for the link !!! And your knowledge..

[helpisontheway]

15. Thank you. I will tell her. Today is exactly one week from diagnosis. Nt

[madville]

5. We've had three vaccinated people at work test positive recently

Two just had mild cold symptoms, like a sniffle and light cough, just treated the symptoms. The other had no symptoms at all but was tested due to being in close proximity to one of the others that week. They're all back at work now after 14 days off.

What I found interesting was one of them had an original COVID strain last year, verified with multiple tests at the time. Then he got the Pfizer vaccine 6 months ago. Now he just over his second infection with COVID, probably the Delta strain that's running rampant here. I would wager other vaccinated folks at work have gotten the Delta variant lately but had no symptoms or close contact so have not had any reason to be tested.

[LisaL]

6. So the guy was infected, vaccinated and infected again?

Delta is something else.

[madville]

7. Yep, he was telling me about it yesterday at shift change

The first time last year was like the flu, got vaccinated in January with Pfizer and this time he said it was just a sniffle for a few days. He only got tested at work because his nose started running while he was on shift.

Apparently it's increasingly not uncommon for people to get infected with Delta even if they had a previous variant of COVID and/or are vaccinated.

[Ms. Toad]

14. A co-worker had COVID twice, and is vaccinated.

I'm not sure whether the second infection was before or after vaccination.

[lagomorph777]

21. Just to clarify for everybody: The vaccine doesn't prevent the virus from entering your body.

It helps you fight it off much faster. So if you are exposed (e.g. by not masking), you will very likely test positive, even if you feel no symptoms. You will likely spread it less, because you are infected for a shorter time, and possibly (Delta may change this) because your viral load is smaller). But please, even if vaccinated, still mask up, for yourself, and for everybody around you.

[Johonny]

8. My vaccinated friend that tested positive

Mild fever, bed rest. Tested negative after 2 weeks. Never spread to children or husband.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. That is good news.

[lagomorph777]

19. "Final stage" meaning near death, or near recovery?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. Supposedly this doctor knew when he would recover.