General Wellness

One of the Scientists I trust and follow closely is epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of minnesota. His credentials and experience with pandemics is impressive. He has 2 quotes about this particular pandemic.

“We are riding this tiger, not driving it” and

“Anyone who makes any predictions about what will happen, including me, does not know what they are talking about”.

That having been said, the Delta variant is here and it is wreaking havoc. It’s a new pandemic and it’s a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Over 85% of new infections tested are from this variant. Although vaccinated people can get Covid again, especially the Delta variant, the vast majority of new cases, and as mentioned almost all the hospitalizations and deaths, are in the unvaccinated.

Here is how the Delta variant is different, and worse, from the original form:

1. It’s at least 4x as infectious. In fact, it’s about as infectious as Chickenpox.
2. It replicates much faster and infected people harbor 1000x more virus. People infected with the Delta variant have been described as breathing out “clouds” of virus.
3. People are getting sicker, but the vast majority of these are unvaccinated.
4. More people are dying, but again, 99.99% of deaths from the Delta are in the unvaccinated.
5. It infects kids much more readily and it’s course is more serious.

There is some good news about the Delta variant however:

1. It does not appear to be causing any new symptoms. All the same old crappy symptoms as the original virus.
2. Testing for it is just as accurate.
3. Vaccination provides significant protection. Not as good as against the original virus, but still quite good.
4. Mask wearing is just as effective against it as it is against the original form.
5. Although more vaccinated people are going to catch the Delta variant than the original form, or the other variants, very few of them will need care in the ICU and even fewer will die. Again, 99.99% of deaths are in unvaccinated people.
6. Lastly, it’s behavior seems to be even more unpredictable. In Britain, where a month ago it accounted for almost every new infection, and numbers were rising fast, just like that, it seemed to taper off significantly, despite the country opening up even more. 

That last point should by no means put us at ease or reassure us that Delta will behave similarly here as well. 

So far, it’s all bad. Friday saw more than 100,000 new cases and as I mentioned in my last post, the rate of rise of new cases in the US is greater than at any point in the whole pandemic. We have more people hospitalized now than 5 months ago.

Hospitals are being overrun again. Some are setting up outside Covid units again. ICU beds are running out, again. Schools starting early are having outbreaks already, again.

But we do not have to lose as much, or as many, as we did during the height of the pandemic last winter. 

All we have to do is vaccinate and behave like people in control. All we have to do is care about each other, and if we did, everyone would get vaccinated.

I know there is a lot of Covid vaccine hesitancy out there, but I was shocked to find out that 40% of nursing home workers are not vaccinated. That is insane. Those caring for the most vulnerable are not caring enough to get vaccinated. How is that possible? It’s shameful.

PLEASE get vaccinated. PLEASE don’t believe crazy conspiracy theories or misinformation. 

• No one is tracking you. 
• No one will turn into a magnet. 
• It won’t make you sterile.
• No one’s uterus will melt away (I heard that one recently).

PLEASE really weigh the pros and cons. If you REALLY compared them honestly and realistically, the only responsible, caring and protective decision is to get vaccinated.

In addition, MASKING is crucial, as are the other “traditional” protective measures.

VENTILATE

WASH YOUR HANDS AND DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE.

DISTANCE

GET HEALTHY.

Once again I can’t stress the last point more. The healthier you are, the better the chances of you not catching Covid or if you do, the better the chances of you getting over it as smoothly as possible. Merely being overweight increases your risks significantly (by 30%). It is shocking that despite this very clear information, and people having more time at home, the health, including the weight, of most Americans has actually deteriorated. I understand people are stressed and need occasional comfort food and that just being around food leads to more indulging, but enough is enough. 

My favorite 2 health-related quotes are from Michael Pollan, a journalist, and from lifestyle pioneer Dean Ornish, MD. Pollen said “Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much”. Stop the processed foods and sugars. Eat more fruits and vegetables. We can also stand to eat a little less. Ornishe’s mantra is “EAT well, MOVE more, LOVE more and STRESS less”. According to him, the degree to which people improve following his lifestyle improvement approach is only proportional to the degree people are willing to change. Not their age or degree of illness.

Only you can help yourself. Don’t look to a magic pill or treatment to save you.

Get healthy. Get off the meds. Stop making excuses. Get to work!

Stay safe and be well.

AC

Despite having only 4% of the world’s population and having the most availability of the Covid-19 vaccine, we have the most cases of Covid overall as well as the deaths. 20% on both counts! And now, we have the most new cases of the essentially new virus, the Delta variant, worldwide! Not India or somewhere in Africa. It’s HERE! It may have started in India, but we now have the most new cases.

Today, 97% of new Covid hospitalizations and Covid-related deaths are in the unvaccinated and 99.5% of the deaths are in the unvaccinated.

The rise in new cases in the last few weeks is greater than at any other point in the pandemic.

Some have been calling this the “pandemic of the unvaccinated” but the problem is that the vaccinated can still get sick and certainly transmit it. And the kids are even more vulnerable, not only because they are unvaccinated, but the Delta variant affects them to a much greater degree than the original form. As mentioned above, epidemiological studies show that it is as contagious as Chicken Pox except with more dire side effects and long-term complications. When is the last time you heard of someone dying or even having any serious complications from Chickenpox? NEVER.

It’s also NOT about “get the vaccine or wear a mask” like some ignorant politicians are ranting about. It’s not either/or. It’s both. And once again it’s about distancing, washing hands, ventilating and still about getting healthy.

I agree that the CDCs guidance has been confusing at times but remember that this is a new virus, and the variants keep renewing it. Our knowledge about it’s behavior changes and evolves as much as the virus changes and evolves.

We have allowed this Delta variant to develop and it is MUCH more infectious than the original form. We carry 1000x more viral load, even if vaccinated, albeit for a shorter time. It is 4x more infectious and causes more severe disease.

Kids are affected to a much greater degree than the original form and pediatric hospitalizations are greater than with the original form. And the saddest part is that kids can’t even get the vaccine, but anyone over 12 can.

It’s simple. Get vaccinated and stop being selfish. If you don’t want to protect yourself, at least think about protecting the children.

Whatever issues you have with the vaccines, educate yourself from reliable sources and get over it. Over 3.5 billion doses have been given worldwide and they are safe and vaccines are the ONLY way that we are going to coexist with this virus with some semblance of what we considered as “normal”.

Whatever issues you are worried about pale in comparison to the side effects you, or someone you infect, can have on your life, both in the short term and the long term.

Stay safe and be well.

AC