In the first weeks of June we were proud to report no new cases of COVID-19 in our household.
Heather's birthday was a chance to celebrate with 3 generations of Loseys and Ehmanns
Erin's 5th grade graduation was held remotely
but the ambiance lacks the usual energy
We traveled to NY to visit Grandma Joan and Grampa Ed
and celebrated another multi-generational holiday
The girls fished and fished and landed a few small bass
and caught tadpoles and frogs
We found a newly hatched dragonfly
and eensy teensy frogs that we think live in the trees
Back in Boston, I donated my COVID convalescent plasma
The plasmapharesis procedure involves cycles of your blood flowing into a machine that spins down your red and white blood cells, which are returned to you. The yellow plasma (visible in the bottle in the background) is further fractionated to provide blood products like antibodies and clotting factors to treat diseases. My company Takeda is sponsoring a clinical trial using anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies as a therapy for COVID. Part of my 825 mL donation may be used in that effort, which makes me feel a little better about the COVID danger that I exposed my household to.
Erin's duct tape shoes
and she has been riding around town with a friend whose Dad is teaching them bike safety. This is their distance and roadkill tracker.
If you've ever wondered what it looks like to learn that you have or have had COVID-19, here it is
This is viral RNA test for active infection. Desired result: NOT DETECTED is right.
Or there is the serum antibody test:
Our story unfolded like this: a few days after returning from Maryland while staying at the house of a healthcare worker and a meatpacking industry worker, I had a couple of days of lethargy with mild aches but no fever. I thought it was caused by all the pollen in the air or maybe the start of Lyme Disease, but then a few days later my sense of taste and smell disappeared completely and Heather presented with a mild fever. That triggered she and Grandma Lu to be tested for the virus and Grandma Lu came back negative but Heather was positive - COVID was active in our household! At this point, the situation is like being shackled to a chair outside a fireworks store and watching a lit fuse enter under the door. Imagine waiting 3, 5, 7 days for a signs of an impending boom or just a dud. After a few tense days I and the girls were tested for the virus and we were all negative, but I had blood drawn for the serum antibody test and learned I was positive. Grandma Lu remained symptom-free and Heather's mild fever and malaise resolved after 2 weeks. My anosmia improved but doesn't seem back to normal yet. Our state public health officials reached out and contact-traced us and called daily to enforce quarantine on both of us until we were 3 days symptom-free. The poor kids have to wait another 14 days to be released from quarantine, unless they can test positive for antibodies. Caroline was tested for the antibodies and came back negative.
From a Dutch study studying COVID transmission: The figure below shows data on 693 paired patients, displaying the ages of both the source patient and the patient that they infected. Transmission of the virus appears to take place mainly between people of about the same age, and less frequently between parents and children (of all ages).
The bottom is the age bracket of infector and the y-axis is age of infectee. Note no cases of 40-45 year-olds infecting 0-15 year-olds. The kids' stellar immune systems may just swat away the virus or perhaps they have residual immunity from the cold-causing coronaviruses that they caught at day care.
Grandma Lu's COVID resistance remains even more mysterious and we will have her tested for the antibodies to see if she was infected and survived a mild case.
Proof of total anosmia: I could eat olives and they tasted like... salt.
Hanging out in the car waiting to be called back into the urgent care for COVID testing. Nothing turns heads in the waiting room like announcing that you are there for COVID testing because someone in your household tested positive.
Caroline's teenager appetite remains as large as ever and part of our dealing with the quarantine was allowing Cocoa Krispies or chocolate Lucky Charms for breakfast
Brad thoughtfully sent us a Bunker Buster care package of meat products
Caroline's overhead view of our yard drawn for her Spanish class
and her math. For a 7th grader, she seems to be doing 90% of the work she would be doing normally.
Tessie still needs encouragement to complete her schoolwork, which is maybe 25% of normal
Erin's creativity has added some to the ~33% of her normal schoolwork load. Here she demonstrates that roller skating on a treadmill is not easy
Since it couldn't leave my driveway, my car got extra attention for its spring cleaning
The kitties enjoy the extra attention too
Heather's COVID project, beyond her Alkermes responsibilities and Grandma Lu duties, was to knit this stylish handbag
We received this after Caroline's anti-SARS CoV-2 antibody test
We hope that our IgG antibodies stay up and provide long-term immunity. You should too, because if not then there's no way a vaccine will be protective.
Stay safe everyone and try to keep yourselves off of this chart!
Erin's Revolutionary War unit video
Here is the sound of 3 instruments being practiced at the same time. I would rather hear the sound of one hand clapping.
