Thread by @michaelmina_lab

I'm #COVID19 Positive.
Was bound to happen at some point
I feel terrible today: Fever, aches, chills (Immune mediated symptoms). Cough (maybe immune, maybe virus)

So, here we go.
I'll update this thread daily. See photo for rapid test results + infection/test result description

I am exceedingly frustrated that b/c my wife & I didn't get dose 2 until 8/21 - we cannot get boosted yet

We have a 3 month old, Lila, who'd benefit greatly during Omicron by high antibodies in breast milk. But w/out my wife being boosted, Lila won't get much protection.

2/

At 0-12 hours into symptoms:
No rapid Ag or rapid molecular tests were positive

At 24 hours into symptoms: All nasal tests were bright positive
Throat swab test was fully Negative

Symptoms start earlier for many ppl now (see this thread for why (

https://twitter.com/michaelmina_lab/status/1478285291383308291?s=20

)

3/

I'm guessing ppl wondering why I used so many tests. Some may even be angry about it

It was for instructional use only

I have Demo tests for educational/research purposes only that manufacturers sent me over past 2 yrs to look at. These tests couldn't have been on shelves

4/

Ppl also wondering why I waited to get vaccines

Simple answer
I never left my house when i was working 15-18 hrs every single day on COVID through into the summer '21

I got dose 1 in May. I got dose 2 three months later bc it was biologically much more relevant than 3 weeks

5/

And my wife got dose 2 in August so that she would maximally transfer antibodies through the placenta to our infant by the time she was born.

6/

COVID Day 4: Rapid Antigen Test Self-Experiment

Updating thread

Days 2,3: Fever worse. Nasal Swab all v Pos

Day 3: Throat swab MAYBE faint Pos

Day 4:
-Fever improved ~20%
-Cough worse
-Highest virus load yet (fastest time to positivity)
-Throat swab fully Neg again

7/

Day 4 from Symptom Onset:
Video of what a REALLY strong positive looks like.

Time to positivity is a measure of virus load - as is line intensity.

Here, note that the sample line (T) becomes visible AND dark before the fluid gets a chance to even hit the control line.

8/

Also on d4 I used a U-Smell-it test - a scratch and sniff test for loss of smell

Despite obvious very high viral load, sense of smell still seems largely in tact - as is taste, for now. Supports that this is Omicron - but will get sequencing too.

9/

Also, between constant wearing of N95s and this awesome Corsi-Rosenthal Box (@kprather88) we made (plus a other Hepa air filters we have and windows open -brrr), so far I'm the only one in the house w COVID.

I'll be surprised if it maintains, but we are doing what we can.

10/

Day 5 since symptom start:

4 days of straight Fever and night sweats finally gone

Most symptoms gone
Some congestion
Still have cough - will probably linger for a week

Still very high positive but going in right direction. Samples took… ~15 seconds to turn Pos vs immediate

Adding to the above

These are the rest of the day 5 tests. The middle one there (2nd to left) is quite old and expired for… a year now almost. So it has a very faint line, not representative.

The rest are each high positive

12/

Day 6:

Symptoms resolving. Fever gone.
Cough a bit worse (normal)

*New Symptom: COVID Tongue!

Tongue and roof of mouth burning (started yesterday). Tongue looks crazy - like figure (a) in this paper:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bj…

Rapid Tests w Nasal swabs still all positive

13/

Here's a weird thing:

I like raw garlic - always have (don't judge). (Maybe it's healthy? I don't know)

On d3 of COVID I thought I'd have a clove of it

Weird thing is: It made me vomit immediately - three times! My best guess for why: viral destruction of mucosal lining

14/

Update:
Days 1-6 Rapid Test Self Experiment/Instructional BIG Chart for #COVID19 Rapid Tests

So far, all performing v well
ArionBio "Glow Tests" best for visibility (need UV LED light) - Lab work on these show very sensitive...

Race is on: Last test to turn negative wins!

15/

COVID Update
Day 7 of symptoms
Most symptoms were resolved except tongue burning and headache
Cough getting worse

5/7 tests still positive
None strong positive

Time to turn positive now about 5 minutes...

(Time-to-positive line and line intensity indicate virus load)

16/

17/ COVID Update
Day 8

Most symptoms
Persistent headache and cough

Neutralizing Antibodies Appeared!
Stronger than Day 6 (see next tweet)

Only 4 tests barely hanging on with very faint positives
Tests now taking ~10 minutes to turn positive

18/ On Days 1, 6, 8 I used a rapid COVID antibody test that looks for anti-spike IgG binding and spike neutralization.

Day 1: Neg for neutralizing Antibodies but some IgG binding Abs

Day 6: Some neutralization

Day 8: Neutralizing signal was full strength

19/ COVID Update
Day 9 Since Symptom onset
Only a cough now

All rapid tests negative except the fluorescent glow test... it's very faint and really tough to see in this photo, but the positive line is there.

The line is faint & took full 12 mins to show =
VERY LOW virus load

20/ COVID Update Day 10

Finally! All Rapid Antigen Covid Tests negative

My cough remains, I suspect it will for some time
Post-viral coughs are very common with respiratory viruses (like SARS-CoV-2).

(In the next tweet I'll show all the tests from days 1-10)

21/
Finally:
#COVID19 #RapidTest self-experiment complete:

50 rapid Ag tests later!

Conclusions

• ALL of the rapid tests worked very well

• 100% (25/25) easily detected my infection days 1-5, when virus load was highest & detection most important

• All tests Neg by day 9

22/

Post COVID Update:

It is now about ~10 days since my last positive result.

My wife and 4 month old remained fully Neg the whole time! (Go ventilation and N95's!)

My Post-viral cough is terrible - worse ea day (but normal for respiratory viruses)

Of course it wasn't just the N95 & ventilation for why they didn't get infected. It was

#1) Because I found out early via rapid testing that I was infectious and was able to take mitigating steps early - N95 and start intense ventilation quickly and...

#2) because they are vaccinated (or receiving antibodies via earlier placental transfer and now milk) and thus have pre-existing immunity (potentially also from a prior undiagnosed infection - should one have occurred) which offer some limited immune protection from acquisition.