General Wellness

Recently, the CDC made recommendations allowing kids to be closer together, 3 feet, rather than the traditionally recommended 6 feet. This part of the push to get kids back to school.This is ridiculous for a number of reasons.

When all this started, we assumed that SARS-Cov-2 behaved much like the Flu virus, spreading by droplets, through coughing and sneezing mostly, from one person to another. We now know better. Although it DOES spread that way, most of it is spread through aerosols, including simple breathing. And these aerosols can stay suspended in the air for hours and spread significantly farther than even 6 feet.

Secondly, kids have been shown to contract, and more importantly, transmit, the new variant viruses much more easily and extensively than the wildtype coronavirus.

The good news is that suspended aerosols disperse quickly with adequate ventilation, like using air filters, fans and simply opening windows and getting some airflow.

It’s been a year since this virus changed the lives of everyone on the planet. With vaccination rates increasing, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. However, if we are not careful, this will drag on for a lot longer than a year. I understand the need to get kids back to school but does it make sense to push it, only a few months before the academic year ends anyway? Does it make sense to remove mask mandates and open up bars and restaurants fully? Do you really need to go to the gym? Just go outside for a walk or run. Use a yoga app. Do you have to go to a packed club or bar? There are plenty of alternatives. Just a few more months and a few more vaccinations and we could get past this.

Alas, humans are selfish, impulsive and impatient. And we love to hear good, or even equivocal news about our bad habits. Give us an inch and we take a foot.

Vaccination or having had recovered from Covid-19 protects you, but not 100% and certainly not against the variant viruses which are on a rapid rise around the world, including in the US and Canada. They also do not eliminate your potential for spreading the virus if re-exposed.

AGAIN, it’s not about your safety, it’s about the safety of EVERYONE.

MASK UP, even if vaccinated or recovered. Wear it properly covering your nose. Wear a good one.

DISTANCE. 3 feet is NOT enough.

WASH your hands.

VENTILATE.

VACCINATE. PLEASE!!!!

GET HEALTHY.

Stay safe and be well.

AC

The variant SARS-Cov-2 viruses are here and they are a problem.

We know they are 70% more transmissible and cause 60% more severe disease than the “wild type” Covid virus.

As we improve and increase our genomic testing (identifying which type of virus it is), we are seeing a sharp rise in the number of variant covid cases. 27 states have significant numbers. In terms of new infections, some states are pretty bad.

• Florida – 46% of new cases are variants. 
• Georgia – 40%
• Texas – 35%
• California – 25%

In Europe, things are much worse. Numbers of cases are once again on the rise, the the proportion of variant infections is much higher:

• Germany – 75% of new cases are variants.
• France – 75%
• Poland – 80%

There are a few “California variants” (B1427), which are different from the British (B117), South African (B1135) or Brazilian (P1) variants, but they are not as serious as the other ones are.  They are worse than the wildtype, just not as bad. There is also now a New York variant (B1526) but not much is known about this yet.

Although The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have some coverage of these viruses, the J&J has the most, but we still need to develop a booster.

The approach however still needs to be to minimize the rate of wild-type infections since this will slow things down overall and will lessen the pressure for more variants to form. We MUST continue to be vigilant and to minimise exposure to all forms of Covid. Even mild cases have resulted in significant post-Covid symptoms which may be permanent. Lung, heart, brain and kidney problems are among them.

At this point, only 11% of the US population has been fully vaccinated and another 11% have received their first dose. We just don’t know how many people have actually had the disease but keep in mind that the illness itself provides much less protection than what the vaccines provide. 

I am concerned that there is still a lot of vaccine hesitancy and misunderstanding about the vaccine and the disease. There are apparently many, many wasted shots because people are just not making appointments, or just not showing up. Even in PA, where at least in Chester County, there is an apparent dearth of vaccines, there are still wasted shots out there. Call around. Check pharmacies. Some local medical practices offer them also. It takes some legwork but it is necessary.

We don’t have the AstraZeneca vaccine here in the US, but it’s in Canada and many other countries. It IS safe and very effective. Don’t believe the hype out there. The blood clot rate in the general population is far greater than what has been seen after the vaccination and even if their efficacy numbers are a little overestimated, they are still very, very good.

Get whichever shot you are offered. 

In the meantime, stay safe and continue to follow the basic recommendations. You do not want to be the person who get really sick, or even dies a few days before you get your vaccine!

NASAL SWAB vs SALIVA TESTING

I was asked about which test is more effective. In researching the issue, I learned a few things. Initially early on in the pandemic, there was no question that the best test was a deep nasal/nasopharyngeal test and the saliv tests were not as accurate but the quality of testing has improved significantly. 

Recent studies looking at molecular (genetic, not antigen) tests show equal efficacy of a “spit” test to the nasopharyngeal swab test. There is a “swish and spit” test, using a liquid, which is less effective so avoid that one. Also, if the test is looking at the presence of antigen (viral protein particles or proteins) and not genetic material, avoid that as well, unless it is a nasal swab which is more effective.

The antigen test is fine for the nasal swab. It is overall fairly accurate and fast. 

SEASONALITY. Initially, we thought that this would all blow over once it got warmer, like the flu. This is not the case. In fact, things got worse in the summer last year and look at what is happening in South America right now! This virus does NOT behave like the flu.

In summary, this disease is far from going away and opening up the way most states are, is absolutely the wrong thing to do. Why can’t we learn from previous mistakes? Magical, wishful thinking will not get us out of this. Responsible behavior and vaccination will.

Stay Safe and Be Well.

AC