In Recovery Mode
As the month begins, I am recovering from COVID 19 (Omicron 5 variant) as August begins. So far, it is going slowly. At the moment, the main COVID situation is that Omicron 5 is spreading exponentially … and we really don’t have accurate statistics. Too many people are either treating it as a cold, or testing at home and then self-managing. So lots of cases aren’t being reported.
Burning through the COVID tests is my daily routine! I was positive for 13 days after becoming asymptomatic. It was frustrating! I finally called my Primary Care Physician and he advised me that after 10 days, and no symptoms, I could go out again … but needed to mask for 5 more days.
Revisiting some Stuff
I am going back to some prior resources to see how relevant they are to what is going on now … where we are, primarily with this new (and somewhat uglier) Omicron Variant 5. I am re-reading the book The Premonition by Michael Lewis. This sentence was compelling to me:
The same mental glitch that leads people to not realize the power of compound interest blinds them to the importance of intervening before a pathogen explodes.
Michael Lewis, The Premonition: Stopping the Unstoppable, p.105.
I am also going to re-read John Barry’s definitive book on the 1918 Flu Epidemic.
And Yeah, We Still Don’t Know …
… lots of stuff. Particularly about this latest variant …. not to mention, what could be coming in the future.
Bad Messaging, Delayed Action
President Biden has been criticized for saying “Get Boosted!” and then, in the same breath, saying nothing about how people are basically done with any control measures … ignoring wisdom of wearing masks, going to large gatherings with no risk assessment, figuring that COVID is Done. No expert says that. It is NOT done. COVID 19 is STILL one step ahead of us.
We now have Monkeypox, another virus that is circulating in areas of the world. Bad messaging has occurred with this as well. People get confused … and then fill in the blanks on their own. Something really has to change on that front.
The Seven Things: Supply Chain and the Economy
Here is a link to the Seven Things You Should Know About the Supply Chain. This article explains how and why it will take months, and possibly years, to get back on track, as part of the pandemic recovery. So stop the binary bias-based rhetoric regarding who is best qualified to manage and “fix” the economy. There is only so much that can be done, and it will take time.
The Seven Ways COVID Science has Evolved Since 2020
Here is a link to a Wall Street Journal video that vividly describes Then and Now.
You cannot wait for the smoke to clear: once you can see things clearly it is already too late. You can’t outrun an epidemic: by the time you start to run it is already upon you. Identify what is important and drop everything that is not. Figure out the equivalent of an escape fire.
The Premonition by Michael Lewis. The redneck epidemiologist (page 172-173).
Is the CDC Giving Up?
During the last week in September, the CDC released updated COVID guidelines that essentially concede it is time to “go back to normal.” (THE WEEK: August 26, 2022, p. 16). It dropped the 6 feet apart guideline, and quarantining if they are just exposed to someone with COVID. But they still recommend that people in areas with high community transmission wear a mask indoors. The thinking is that with vaccines and effective treatments now available, there is no n need for the government to continue to dictate how people, especially children, live their lives.
This makes sense to me, and goes along with what our PCP is telling us. Along with … continue to get boosters as they become available, and know that it’s not over yet …. hopefully these guidelines won’t need to be retracted. Fortunately, our area is enjoying a low COVID infection rate.
Some have criticized that the CDC has been giving incoherent and outdated advice since 2020 and that it’s consistently behind.
The CDC Director openly admitted that they got much of the messaging wrong, which led to the confusion. She also said she was making it her mission to correct this, as it is a major failing.
Dr Fauci to Retire
Dr. Fauci announced his intention to retire in December. He became the face of the American battle against COVID. He publicly disagreed with Trump on numerous occasions and eventually became a “villain of the right.” (The Week: September 2, 2022). He’s received death threats and requires a security detail. Some House Republicans pledged to investigate him for the ever-changing guidance under his watch. His response: “There is nothing that I cannot defend.” See Isaac Saul’s Tangle newsletter dated August 22.
I admit to being lazy this month, partly due to COVID recovery. The rest is just … there is definitely an emotional component to this. It’s hard to get back to my routine as it was. I am glad, though, that I have a period of time where I am protected from reinfection (who knows how long …. 2 months, 4 months)? At least this will take me into the winter season.
More Effective Vaccines
I have friends and family that either see no need to get the Omicron booster, or are waiting to get it later on. Their sense of urgency (if it ever existed) is gone.
Ultimately, we need vaccines that can protect us no matter what Mother Nature throws at us. And research is underway to develop an inhalable nasal vaccine, because the virus replicates in the nose. But that won’t happen anytime soon. COVID constantly evolves, and we are playing a game of whack-a-mole as we attempt to keep up with it. We’re looking at the possibility of several years. And funding for new vaccines has diminished. We aren’t trying to get ahead of the virus.
Anti-Vaccine Nonsense is Still Spreading
Vaccine skepticism is like a deadly virus (The Washington Post) and it’s killing people. too many still feel a general hostility toward science and medical expertise. Mistrust kills. The truth is that vaccines have proved to be safe and effective, and that means freedom … from death and suffering.
Go to: COVID 19: September 2022
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