Science Isn’t Enough, Data Isn’t Enough, Research isn’t Enough
Welcome to 2022! It will be another “mystery year.”
I thought that by now, we would be in endemic mode. Not so. Currently, the United States has the highest number of new COVID 19 cases each day (I’ve checked every day for the last several weeks).
Slightly over 63% of citizens are fully vaccinated in the United States as of January 6. Why isn’t this higher? The reasons set forth for this are many. Most has to do with a bloc of citizens that refuse to budge from their decision that the vaccine is not for them. How can they be reached? It may be a while, if ever. Meanwhile … guess we wait. Wait for so many to get sick (due to variants or just plain choices) that between that and the vaccinated, there are enough out there with immunities to flatten COVID 19 and enter endemic status.
I recently read an interesting article about diphtheria. This virus, which was an epidemic for two centuries, was particularly lethal to babies and young children. It was (is) transmissible via personal contact and aerosol (like COVID). I had this thought: if those vulnerable to COVID 19 were not older adults or those with preexisting conditions …. but rather, babies and young children … I bet the fully vaccinated rate would be far higher. People would be seriously considering the risk/benefit issues rather than letting their political ideology or the spewing of the latest narcissistic demagogue or mainstream news pundit drive their decisions. We might even have entered the endemic phase by the end of 2021!
MRNA Is Here To Stay. It Was Coming, and SOME FOLKS KNEW THAT AND OTHERS WOULD. NOT. LISTEN.
The science of MessengerRNA was developed decades ago, and vaccines were being used on animals. Prior to COVID 19, researchers were using MRNA protocols in the development of promising new treatments for cancer. All of that had to be stopped after the onset of COVID 19. It would be nice if they could resume that, as we all know people that are currently struggling with cancer.
For years, public health officials and epidemiologists had been saying to anyone that would listen (the government) that it was not a matter of IF a pandemic would occur, but WHEN. They already had seen the signs. But … no one had their listening ears on. Oh, there were a few that gave it a bit of notice, but than other more pressing matters took over.
Science Curriculum Change Could Be Needed
I am flummoxed by the discovery that so many of the unvaccinated refuse to receive guidance from their doctors, don’t listen to epidemiologists or public health officials, and buy into the misinformation that comes from social media and anecdotal sources. The trouble with that is their confusion leads to misinformation filling any voids, and a lack of trust leads to them hunkering down into a “no thank you” bunker with others that think in the same way. It’s as if they have never been to a science class. Science is evolutionary, not absolute! New information is going to continually dictate how we should change our approach to COVID 19. Hey folks, how about relying on a source such as this???
We Are in the Midst of an Infodemic.
The below linked webpage provides guidance regarding where and how to obtain current and relevant information regarding COVID 19 (and any public health issue). Although published in April of 2020, it is still relevant … so much of it is common sense~ (disclosure: the real-time Covid case tracking map is a bit difficult to navigate. I find that the stats offered by my state’s Public Health Department provide me with what I need).
How to Make Sense of What You’re Reading (Yale Medicine) An excerpt from this page:
It may take years before doctors have enough evidence from research to see a full picture of COVID-19, says Dr. Meyer. “A lot of what we have so far is anecdotal data. We know some things about what the experience has been in China, Italy, and Seattle. We have descriptions of some small groups of patients, and large groups of patients, and even tens of thousands of people in China. That can be incredibly useful for clinicians and public health specialists, but those things are not the gold standard, which would be randomized clinical trials.” That means studies in which the participants are divided by chance into separate groups that compare different treatments or other interventions.
A Covid 19 Infodemic: How To Make Sense of What You’re Reading (Yale Medicine website) April 13, 2020.
Again, still relevant … although it was published on October 12, 2020 … PRIOR to vaccine availability …. Best COVID 19 prevention strategies. The first strategy is “wear a mask.”
Will our Canadian Rockies Vacation Happen?
Lynn and I have a wonderful trip planned this summer. Along with the guidance of our travel agent, we began working on it in mid-2020 …. with every expectation that it was safe to plan it for this year. We have to make our final payment by May 1. We are hoping the COVID situation doesn’t interfere with our plans. If it is still around, it will. Canada is very “knee jerk” whenever case counts start rising. And we aren’t willing to spend all of this money only to find out that excursions and sightseeing is reduced or cancelled due to COVID.
Omicron!
The CDC says Omicron now makes up around 95.4% of new cases. This variant is now the prominent one out there, although people are still getting the dreaded Delta. The cases have exploded up here, and labor shortages are mostly due to those that are sick from COVID or something else (it’s winter, and we are gathering). I am reading that some think it’s due to mandates against the unvaccinated. However, I’ve heard that the actual number of those that leave their jobs after reaching a mandate deadline is quite small. I will continue to investigate this.
So … will there be so many sick people that we will reach “herd immunity” (and endemic status) sooner? Some throw that theory out, too.
Bottom line is at the moment (early January) there is still much about Omicron that is unknown, so it is STILL a wait and see plan.
COVID 19 case numbers have quadrupled in our county. Some current Whatcom County Stats:
Epidemiologically, Whatcom County has seen more than 100 people test positive for COVID-19 on 10 days since Dec. 20, including three days with more than 250 new cases. Before Dec. 20, the county had only five days of more than 100 new confirmed cases and none over 120. Whatcom County has a weekly infection rate of 295 cases per 100,000 residents for the most recently completed epidemiological data from Dec. 21-27, which is up from 199 from a week earlier (Dec. 14-20) and the county’s highest weekly rate of the pandemic, beating the old record of 293 set Aug. 23-29.
Read more: Bellingham Herald (Thursday, January 6, 2022)
Long Covid Blues
I have been listening to the daily Coronavirus 411 Podcast. On January 5, they discussed long Covid:
You have enough problems without your body attacking itself, but a new study of 177 health care workers indicates those who recover from even mild cases often have elevated autoantibody levels that can cause the body to mistakenly attack itself months later. Gender also appears to make a difference, with males carrying the risk of autoimmune activation after symptomatic COVID, and females carrying the risk after asymptomatic exposure.
Coronavirus 411 (daily podcast: January 5, 2022)
I know of people in our extended circle of friends and acquaintances that are struggling with health issues that either haven’t been diagnosed yet, or the information is incomplete or currently unavailable and therefore the cause cannot be determined yet. Their illnesses occurred after the beginning of the COVID 19 outbreak. The one common thread is that they had COVID at some point (they may not have known it and were asymptomatic). Some are unvaccinated, others were either partially or fully vaccinated.
Blasting the CDC and messaging
Interesting interview with Jessica Malati Rivera, A senior advisor at the pandemic prevention institute and a science communicator, regarding the confusion that the public feels regarding communication from the CDC. Specifically, the change in the quarantine period from 10 to 5 days. She talked about how to restore public trust in the CDC. She began by going back to how this trust started, beginning with Trump in early 2020 and continuing on to the present administration. There is conflict regarding disease impact and The function of of our economy and lives. Political interference and pressure is constantly on the CDC, when they really need to wait to distribute information until they have reliable and accurate data. It was just too soon to start talking about Omicron. They need to have more Regular meetings, and be more transparent and upfront with the public, including saying this is why we can or can’t recommend this action and no, we don’t have enough information but we do have enough to recommend this or that. But again, as has been the case since the very beginning, politics and pushing as usual. I guess this administration isn’t any better according to what she said. I’ll be watching.
We’re done with Covid, but COVID’s Not done with us
There are two separate buckets of vaccinated people. One group has had the vaccines had the booster, and as far as they’re concerned they’ve done their part and it’s time to go back to living. The second group of vaccinated people still feel the need to be cautious. They think there’s a very small chance that someone could give them a mild case of Covid which they could intern transfer to a vulnerable person. So they continue living the way they’ve always lived, basically following all of the guidelines and being ultra careful. There’s a happy medium. Yes, the vaccinated will be able to go back to their lives but not until we are closer to an endemic phase. There are just too many Omicron variable cases right now and too much Covid to relax. Not yet, but eventually. So for now, be careful. Look forward to what could be ahead.
More variants?
Today I had a brief conversation with our neighbor, a retired veterinarian. He had predicted Wayback in April 2020 that a vaccine would be developed for Covid by the end of the year. He was absolutely correct, even in the timing. Well today, he said that he thinks there will be more variants. Later on this afternoon, I saw a post on the Dr. Fauci Facebook page. He is concerned that there will be more variance. So, what’s ahead? Lots of people getting Omicron and more people getting vaccines so we can get to the end Demic phase? Or yet another variant? And more boosters and on and on?Later on this afternoon, I saw a post on the Dr. Fauci Facebook page. He is concerned that there will be more variance. So, what’s ahead? Lots of people getting Omicron and more people getting vaccines so we can get to the end Demic phase? Or yet another variant? And more boosters and on and on? The future remains uncertain.
As we near the end of the month
I listen to a podcast that help me understand trauma. Many times I have wondered, what is wrong with me? Why am I so anxious and sometimes even a bit depressed regarding where we currently are with Covid? why do I get so angry regarding the decisions others make that have the potential of affecting us? And constantly thinking aboutwhat Lynn and I must do at the moment to be safe? The podcast helped to clarify that instead of wondering what was wrong with me when I have those feelings, acknowledge that it’s Covid that is causing the trauma. I’m not crazy, deranged, obsessed, or paranoid.
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