covid Archives - EZ.Insure

I Had Covid: Will I Ever Get My Sense of Smell Back?

It might seem like the Covid pandemic is slowly becoming a bad memory, but the sad reality is that for some people this is not the case. Many people who contracted Covid-19 have experienced additional, ongoing health conditions. One of the lingering symptoms of Covid that some people have experienced is the loss of smell (and often taste), known as parosmia. This condition can also be experienced as otherwise normal things smelling (and tasting) unpleasant. If you are experiencing parosmia, you’re probably wondering how long it will last, and if you will ever smell and taste normally again.

What Is Parosmia?

table with vinegar and oil in glasse — *People dealing with parosmia can shy away from smells like vinegar because it smells like ammonia.*

Parosmia can be caused by respiratory infections, seizures, brain tumors, and now Covid-19. It is identified as the loss of the sense of smell, or a disruption to the sense of smell that changes how things smell. For example coffee, fruit, or things with vinegar in them can smell like ammonia, egg, or even garbage. It’s generally caused by some of your receptors getting damaged, causing your nose to perceive smell incorrectly.

How Long Will Parosmia Last?

In most cases, parosmia will improve over time, typically anywhere from 2 to 4 months after being diagnosed with Covid-19. Around 65% of people who have experienced it have reported regaining their taste and smell 18 months after infection, with 80 to 90% getting it back within two years.

Is There a Treatment?

It can be very frustrating not to be able to eat things you like because they don’t smell right to you. And unfortunately, there is no known treatment for Covid-19-induced parosmia, but you can try smell training therapy, or nose therapy. Smell training therapy involves smelling strong odors such as cloves, citrus, and eucalyptus every day to help retrain the brain to remember how to smell. In the meantime, you can try eating simple, bland food so that the smells don’t bother you, or just avoid the foods that smell and taste foul to you.

If You Need To See A Doctor…

Having a great health insurance plan is important so you can determine what exactly has caused your parosmia. Speaking to your doctor will allow you to get a better understanding of what to expect, and figure out if there is a more serious underlying issue. When trying to select the right health insurance plan for you and your family, you will come across many different choices. The right one for you will depend on your lifestyle, the doctors you want to see, and any medical equipment you need or medications that you take regularly.

Comparing plans is the best way to find an affordable plan that provides the right level of coverage for you. Before you start doing the work of comparing on your own, come to EZ. We will make the process quicker and easier by comparing available plans in your area in minutes. Our licensed agents work with all the top-rated insurance companies in the nation and can go over your budget and needs, and find the best plan for you and your family. We compare plans and offer guidance at no cost to you. To get free quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak directly with an agent, call 888-350-1890.

Covid Vaccines For Children Under 5

On June 18, 2022 the CDC accepted the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that children ages 6 months and older should be vaccinated against Covid 19. Before that, children under 5 were not eligible to receive the vaccine. A lot of parents can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing a vaccine is available for their children. Let’s take a look at the newly approved options.

2 Options

The CDC and the FDA approved both Moderna’s two-part vaccine for children ages 6 months – 5 years and three-dose vaccine for children ages 6 months – 4 years. Moderna’s two-part vaccine involves a 25 microgram dose in each part.and are given 4 weeks apart. For Pfizer’s three-dose vaccine, each dose is 3 micrograms. The first 2 shots are given 3 weeks apart, and the third is given at least 2 months after the second so the series is a longer process. If a pharmacy or pediatrician has both vaccines available and a child falls within the range for both Pfizer and Moderna, parents can choose which one they’d like for their child.

Differences and Similarities

covid vaccine — COVID-19 vaccines are safe—much safer than getting COVID-19.

As mentioned above, Pfizer’s series has 3 doses as opposed to Moderna’s 2, which makes it longer to complete and has 1 additional shot. If you’ve dealt with small children, less visits to get a poke may be an incentive but if it’s efficacy you’re after, Pfizer’s 3 dose series provided a higher percentage at 80% in children ages 6 months to 4 years. Moderna’s efficacy was 37% in children ages 2 to 5 and 51% in children ages 6 to 23 months. As far as side effects, fever and fatigue were less common in Pfizer’s vaccine. In both, side effects were mild and no cases of myocarditis were reported. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle and is a known risk of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in adults and adolescents but particularly for young men. The bottom line is that while there are some differences, they both lower the risk of kids getting seriously ill from Covid-19 and prevent needing to be hospitalized.

Why Vaccinate Children Under 5?

boy in mask — A Covid-19 vaccine can be given to eligible children on the same day as other vaccines.

Since the pandemic began, more than 2 million children under 5 have been infected with Covid-19 and more than 400 young children have died from it. Much to everyone’s dismay it’s not going away anytime soon. Vaccinating helps prevent children from getting Covid-19 and can help families get back to a more normal life. Talk to your pediatrician and decide what vaccine is right for your child today. While Covid-19 vaccinations are available for everyone 6 months and older at no cost, it is still important to be sure you have a health insurance plan that suits you and your family’s needs. If you’re shopping for a plan, your best bet is to speak to a licensed EZ agent. Our agents work with the top-rated insurance companies in the nation, so we can compare plans in minutes. We will not only find a plan that has all the benefits you’re looking for, but we will also make sure the plan fits your budget. To get free, no obligation, instant quotes, simply enter your zip code in the bar above, or to speak to a local agent, call 888-350-1890.

Say Goodbye to Masks While Traveling: Federal Judge Strikes Down Mask Mandate for Planes and Public Transit

As anyone who has traveled in the past year knows, the Biden Administration issued a mask mandate for airplanes and other public transport methods in January of 2021 in an attempt to help slow the spread of Covid, and to protect transport workers. This mandate remained in place despite infection numbers going down and mask mandates being lifted in schools, restaurants, and other indoor activities, but now it looks like they are a thing of the past. A federal judge in Florida has ruled that mask mandates for travel are unlawful and has struck them down, meaning that everyone can now make the choice whether or not to mask up while traveling on any form of transport.

Masks Are Now Optional

In her ruling, US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle stated that the mask mandate was unlawful, and violated administrative law. In the 59-page ruling, Judge Mizelle wrote “Wearing a mask cleans nothing. At most, it traps virus droplets. But it neither ‘sanitizes’ the person wearing the mask nor ‘sanitizes’ the conveyance.”

She also wrote that “the mandate is best understood not as sanitation, but as an exercise of the CDC’s power to conditionally release individuals to travel despite concerns that they may spread a communicable disease (and to detain or partially quarantine those who refuse). But the power to conditionally release and detain is ordinarily limited to individuals entering the United States from a foreign country.”

Following the ruling, several US airlines — Delta, United, and Southwest among them — said masks are now optional on their aircraft. In a statement, Alaska Airlines said that passengers whose behavior was “particularly egregious” over the past two years in objecting to the mandate will remain banned from flying on the airline, “even after the mask policy is rescinded.”

International Flights

back of a woman standing in an airport — *When traveling internationally, you might have to wear a mask, depending on the country’s rules.*

Although the mask mandate has ended in the US, that does not mean that other countries are not requiring masks to travel. That means it’s important to be aware of the rules for each country you travel to, and respect those rules when traveling on foreign flights. In the meantime, you can keep yourself safe by wearing a mask if you so choose, and by getting vaccinated and/or boosted.

The Biden Administration’s Stance

The Biden Administration seems to be accepting the decision, although they are hinting that they are not in agreement with the removal of the mandate. According to one official, “The agencies are reviewing the decision and assessing potential next steps. In the meantime, today’s court decision means CDC’s public transportation masking order is not in effect at this time. Therefore, TSA will not enforce its Security Directives and Emergency Amendment requiring mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs at this time. CDC recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.”

New Study Finds Possible Link Between Covid and Psychiatric Disorders

The past couple of years have been stressful for everyone. Many people have experienced social isolation, as well as the loss of loved ones and jobs, so it’s no wonder that so many are also dealing with mental health issues. But now researchers are linking Covid infection directly to psychiatric disorders, including psychosis. The long-term effects of having Covid are still being determined, but it seems that Covid patients are not only more likely to have long-term heart problems, but are also more likely to face mental health issues.

The Study

A new study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), has revealed that Covid infection seems to be linked to long-term mental health issues. The study included 153,000 patients who tested positive for Covid in the Veterans Affairs health system between March 2020 and January 2021, none of whom had had mental health diagnoses or treatment within the 2 years before being infected with Covid.

The study found that after having Covid :

39% of the patients were more likely to be diagnosed with depression compared with people who had not had Covid
35% were more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety in the months following their infection
38% were more likely to be diagnosed with stress and adjustment disorders
41% were more likely to be diagnosed with sleep disorders

“The risk of incident mental health disorders was consistently higher in the Covid-19 group in comparisons of people with Covid-19 not admitted to the hospital versus those not admitted to hospital for seasonal influenza, admitted to hospital with Covid-19 versus admitted to hospital with seasonal influenza, and admitted to hospital with Covid-19 versus admitted to hospital for any other cause,” the authors wrote.

Growing Needs

illustration of a man pulling a string from a person's head — *More people need mental health therapy because of Covid-19.*

All of this is disturbing news, especially since the World Health Organization has reported that the pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide, and that 72% of mental health services for adolescents were halted between June and August 2020.

“I think greater awareness that this is happening is an important first step,” Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the study’s senior investigator and Chief of Research and Development at the VA St. Louis healthcare system, told news site Salon by email. “I also think that health systems should anticipate this and build capacity to provide equitable care to people with mental health disorders. It is important to identify people early, and treat them to mitigate the development of much larger problems down the road (e.g. suicide epidemic, or another opioid epidemic).”

“The wave of people with mental health disorders is going to be hitting the clinics in the next year or two or three, as a result of Covid and as a result of the pandemic,” Al-Aly said.

Omicron Variant May Be Mild But Is Spreading Fast & Is Now Responsible For Most New Cases

The omicron variant of Covid-19, which was first detected in South Africa in November of 2021, now accounts for at least three-quarters of all new cases of the virus in the United States. The new variant has been reported in nearly every state, and accounts for up to 90% of new cases in some areas of the country, like New York. And although the CDC and scientists have said that the variant seems milder than others, it is the most contagious Covid-19 variant thus far, prompting some countries to re-impose lockdowns.

Omicron’s Emergence

The omicron variant arrived in the US around Thanksgiving time, and less than a month later it had already accounted for around 73% of cases in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They have suggested that this variant of the virus is spreading more easily because it’s possible that a smaller amount of omicron is required to cause an infection.

Omicron’s Symptoms

The symptoms of the omicron variant are mild enough that many people are overcoming it, especially if they are both vaccinated and boosted. Still, some people are experiencing long Covid after being infected with the variant, especially if they are unvaccinated or have not received a booster shot.

The symptoms of this variant tend to come on more quickly after infection than with other variants, typically 3 days after exposure. “It’s mostly that runny nose, sore throat, and nasal congestion,” says Dr. John Vanchiere, the associate director of the Center for Emerging Viral Threats at LSU Health Shreveport. “The cough is milder [than previous variants] if there’s any cough at all, and fever seems to be a little less common.”

Doctors are saying that, even though the symptoms associated with omicron are mild, some people are experiencing symptoms for an extended period of time, a phenomenon known as long Covid. Most people that experience this will probably not die from Covid but could be left with debilitating symptoms that might be permanent. For example, around 30% of Covid-19 patients are experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome, which can be a lifelong disability.

“While omicron does appear to be less severe compared to delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorized as ‘mild,'” said the World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Thursday. “Just like previous variants, omicron is hospitalizing people and it is killing people.”

Indeed, hospitalizations across the U.S. now stand at more than 126,000 per day, and more than 1 in every 4 ICU beds is filled with a Covid-19 patient, according to the latest data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Countries Locking Down

Some countries have responded to this new and highly contagious variant by reinstating lockdowns. For example, the Netherlands is locking down again, and Hong Kong authorities have announced a 2-week ban on flights from the U.S. and 7 other countries. The two-week ban will be in effect until January 21, and includes flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain, and the United States.

When Will Omicron Peak?

Epidemiologists have created a mathematical model projecting omicron’s spread, which predicts that the United States is likely to document more Covid-19 cases in January than in any previous month of the pandemic, but that a smaller fraction of those cases will require hospitalization. They also say that the long-term implications of omicron remain unknown, but in the near term, everyone should expect a month of intense disruption.

Free At-Home Covid Test Kits: How Many Will Your Insurance Cover?

Although rates of Covid hospitalizations have been steadily declining, the pandemic is not yet over and there is still a danger of becoming infected with the virus. For this reason, it is important to stay vigilant and get tested if you have any symptoms or come into contact with someone who has Covid. But fortunately, getting tested for Covid is now a little bit easier: a few weeks ago, President Biden issued a directive requiring health insurance companies to cover at-home Covid test kits. Americans can now have access to free at-home tests, but how many will your insurance cover?

How Many Tests Are Covered?

covid tests — *Health insurance companies will now help cover the cost of 8 at-home antigen tests per household per month.*

Last month, the Biden Administration mandated that health insurance companies help cover the cost of 8 at-home antigen tests per household per month. In addition, if you are told by your doctor that you need to get tested more often because of underlying conditions, there is no limit on how many tests your insurance will cover.

In order to get the free tests, you will need to purchase them at any store where they are available and then apply for reimbursement from your health insurance company. It is important to note, though, that most insurers will only reimburse you up to $12 per test, which means you’ll have to pay for the rest out-of-pocket.

Several states are also issuing free COVID-19 tests to residents, including Colorado, Iowa, Connecticut, Washington, New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

In addition, you can get 4 free Covid test kits by requesting them online at covidtests.gov, or by calling 1-800-232-0233. If you order your tests this way, you can expect to receive them in 7 to 12 days.

How Much Are The Tests?

At-home Covid tests can be found at pharmacies like Walmart, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, and even online at Amazon. The price varies depending on the type and the brand, but tests generally cost around $10 to $25 per kit, with two tests per kit. Currently, most Walgreens and CVS stores are selling Abbott’s BinaxNow and Quidel’s QuickVue tests (two of the first tests authorized by the Food and Drug Administration) for $24 for a pack of two.

What If You Don’t Have Health Insurance?

If you don’t have health insurance or any kind of coverage, you can order your 4 free tests; there will also be locations where you can pick up free at-home Covid tests. According to the Biden Administration, those without insurance will soon be able to access test kits at community health clinics and other local sites.

What If You Test Positive At Home?

If you take an at-home test and test positive, it is recommended that you share the results with your doctor or medical provider. You should also isolate for at least five days after getting your positive test result, and stay home until you are no longer symptomatic.