We are Done, Done, Done
Moving on …. the case counts are currently very low. Hospitalizations and deaths are also going down, although they typically lag 2-3 weeks behind the case counts. They started dropping around the middle of last month.
Now the chatter is about, “when we can get back to our lives and how can we do it.”
Fraud artists target people based on how easily scammers can elicit an emotional response from a potential victim. This is the same approach used in many political ads and by political pundits.. Get potential voters riled up by making exaggerated and emotionally charged claims. It’s a sad situation in politics that our elected officials and rip off artists use the same method to get a response as scammers do.
There are times when I have empathy fatigue
It’s hard to feel sorry for people when you still occasionally hear things like, the COVID-19 vaccine isn’t a vaccine. You know, as many people get sick that are vaccinated as that are unvaccinated. Or, you know you can die anyway even if you get the vaccine? Or, there are risks to getting the vaccine; people die, get sick, have long-term effects, or it can affect their ability to have a family (this latter one has been proven to be completely false. It is risky to BE pregnant and unvaccinated).
Comparing smokers with the unvaccinated
Perhaps the unvaccinated will be considered much in the same way as smokers currently are. It’s a well-known fact that smoking causes cancer. There are labels on packaging and enough statistics to prove that without a doubt. Eventually a statement could appear in relevant ads or information sources such as, “being unvaccinated makes you 20 times more likely to die from COVID-19.” And someday, maybe years from now, this will be accepted as fact. There will be far too much empirical data for it to be up for dispute.
Current COVID Topics
Great read: The Coronavirus’s Next Move by Katherine J. Wu. An opinion piece in the Atlantic by a well-known epidemiologist.
The Next Generation of Vaccines
The current ones are working great in preventing severe illness and death, even despite variants. The risk is between 83 and 93% lower for those who received the mRNA vaccines. We may need a fourth booster … they aren’t sure yet.
Vaccine developers are working hard on future vaccines. The best one would be one that protects against all forms of SARS-COV-2, as well as viruses that cause many of the common colds. But it could take years to develop. The supply chain is strained right now to distribute the existing vaccines and other equipment, and it would be difficult for it to take on experimental vaccines. Additionally, so many people are vaccinated and have been infected now that it’s much harder to find people that aren’t vaccinated and haven’t been infected to serve as testing control subjects.
Meantime, we will encourage people to get boosters (currently, only 28% of the U.S. population has had one). Research is being done to eliminate the refrigeration requirement. This will make it easier to distribute vaccines to the rest of the world. “Global vaccine equity will be the only thing that can bring the Covid pandemic to an end.” (THE WEEK (The next generation of vaccines: March 4, 2022, p. 11.)
Those that Remain Vulnerable
The people that were vulnerable before and during COVID are still vulnerable today. So as people talk about not wearing masks or social distancing; essentially going back to their lives, what about these people? It’s not fair to expect everyone else to alter their lives for the vulnerable … however, by talking as if their severe illness and death is unavoidable, we are implicitly assigning them a lower life value.
Policymakers should do more to protect those most at risk. Better ventilation in buildings, continuation of remote work and school options, and other measures could make life much safer. Hopefully that isn’t too much to ask.
Long Covid Risk Factors
Studies are underway to address the many, many questions and uncertainties when it comes to Long COVID. It will probably be years before we truly understand the long-term affects from COVID infection, and why it affects some but not others. Some research has said the risk is higher for Long COVID if these factors are present: a high viral load; antibodies that mistakenly attack body tissues; a common infection that goes dormant, and type 2 diabetes. But currently there is no single test or study that can be used to give a diagnosis of Long COVID.
Reconsidering Endemic
The definition of endemic means the point at which an infections diseas has largely stable case numbers. This link on nature.com explains it well.
The reality checks are bouncing back and forth while people enjoy the freedom from relaxed mandates. There is also a lot of attention being paid to respectfully considering others during the transition from mandates to a more normal way of life. No need for any shaming from any quarter of the population!
Some even state that those talking about the world returning to normal need a reality check. Even the best case scenario means that we will be living with a disease that kills more than 100,000 vulnerable people a year…roughly three times the average for flu.
Our family’s experience last month mirrors what we have chosen to follow. Those with Type 2 diabetes get sicker and are at greater risk. Those fully vaccinated and boosted can STILL get COVID. Protocols such as masking DO decrease risk.
So … I basically feel the same way that I did last month (see February’s COVID blog post). There are STILL too many uncertainties, in spite of the continued drop in cases and hospitalizations. And we will continue to follow the guidance provided by our Primary Care Physician.
Convoy Update
As of the middle of March, a truck convoy that traveled to Washington DC is disrupting traffic and clogging highways. There is “ongoing demonstration activity.” The truckers are protesting federal vaccine mandates. In a meeting with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, last week, the truckers said they wouldn’t leave until their demands were met. Well, duh. The mandates are being lifted. Not because of their efforts … but because the case and hospitalization counts have plummeted.
Masks are OFF! What It’s Like in our Community
Unfortunately, our community is only 53% totally vaccinated. We have a high number of unvaccinated … the majority of them are “dug in” for ideological reasons. So the case and hospitalization counts are going down more slowly than they are in other Washington counties.
We went to our granddaughter’s choir recital, and there were less than 10 that were masked. We deliberately sat at the very top of the bleachers to reduce our risk from being around others. The building is fairly new and very well-ventilated. On March 16 I attended a restaurant in Bellingham, WA with several other ladies. No one was masked, but the tables were distanced. One of the ladies said that the mask-wearing ratio at our local supermarket was 1/3 masked, 2/3 unmasked.
Our granddaughter shared the story that a friend of hers didn’t want to stop wearing his mask. She felt that was just fine, it was his decision. We discussed avoiding negative comments and she is on board with that. I am proud of her attitude. A teacher asked her how she felt about wearing masks, since the mandate was going to be lifted. She said that it would depend on the situation, as some of her people weren’t masked and others were. She does have a grasp of “looking after others.”
Omicron BA2
A second omicron is here in the states. It started some months ago and epidemiologists are studying it closely. What’s known as of March 22 is that it doesn’t appear to be as serious as omicron, however it is more contagious. Epidemiologists are reluctant to say anything that seems to be speculative.
They don’t think that we will be going back to mandates. They also think from now on most of the responsibility will be on the individual rather than the government. The government will be reluctant to bring back any mandates. However, the only chance that that could happen is if rates get really high and the hospitals start getting overwhelmed again with cases. then it becomes a public health issue.
It’s not known where this variant came from but they think it came from someone with a long-term omicron infection. It’s not known just how many people will get sick with it, the problem of the unvaccinated is always there. It doesn’t appear that’s going to go away anytime soon. They’re also saying that the last booster isn’t appearing to be very effective over this new variant.
Individuals will be responsible for their own risk assessment. but it is too radical to think, we’re done with Covid, I’m done. No it’s not that simple. The fox is still lurking around the henhouse. It’s also too simplistic to think that if you have had Covid You’re protected. Not true, yes your risk is lower to get it again, but not as low as it would be if you were vaccinated.
Truths remain. Older people and people with health issues will still have to be careful and may have to wear masks or adopt other protocols if they’re in unsafe situations. This is particularly important if the case numbers are up in their area. Keeping up on shots and boosters and wearing N 95 masks are still great protocols to follow. If protected, the chance of getting hospitalized or becoming very sick or dying is small even in a risk group.
Omicron 2 Cases could spike very soon and then start going up this summer. Watch for Florida as that state seems to get heavier cases sooner than most other states.
And there’s nothing wrong with saying I don’t know. There’s a lot of I don’t knows when it comes to this variant. At least at the moment.
Reviewing upcoming travel plans And current Covid guidelines
BA2 is present in Washington state but is not currently driving an increase in cases and hospitalizations in Whatcom county.
Our cases in the county are still at zero.
Early data shows that vaccines are just as effective against B2 as they were against the other Omicron strains.
End of March Bottom Line
WSJ – dr Philip Krause, CDC Consultant – March 28 2022 states:
If you’ve had two doses of vaccine, you have a lot of protection against severe Covid. Likewise if you’ve been infected with the virus, including with Omicron.
If you’re over 65 or otherwise at high risk of severe disease, it’s reasonable to get a third dose. A fourth dose is already authorized for the immunocompromised.
For everyone else, the data haven’t shown meaningful benefit of three doses, never mind four.
We will ask our PCP about this before we make any plans to get a fourth booster.
Leave a Reply