COVID-19 – 02/15/2022
Some of you may be old enough to receive the AARP Magazine (The American Association of Retired People). I receive it even though I am not retired. The last edition I saw which was January/February 2022 had some interesting points with regard to the Covid pandemic. They were of interest to me and I hope will be of interest to you. They are as follows:
1. The headline was that even though with the arrival of the Omicron Variant, science has shown the smart path forward for otherwise healthy older Americans is:
A. Get your vaccine.
B. Wear your mask.
C. Live your life.
2. Few experts believed at the onset of the pandemic that it would be as bad as it has been but they were wrong. The death toll from the pandemic has surpassed 900,000, with more than 50 million infected. Roughly 90% of those who have died were age 50 or older.
3. The public has grown frustrated with the science and there are many false rumors floating around about the vaccines. Many are relaxing their caution. It is both confusing and depressing. AARP says it is a dangerous attitude because “we are letting our guard down.” As long as that guard is down, predictably we will be seeing patients with severe Covid disease for years to come.
4. People wonder if vaccines are 90% effective, how come so many vaccinated people get sick. Until the Omicron variant emerged, breakthrough” infections in immunized individuals were rare and occurred primarily in cases where people were immunocompromised. It appears that Omicron has a greater ability to circumnavigate the initial vaccine series than other variants. Omicron makes it even more urgent not to just get vaccinated but to add a booster if you have not already done so and to take extra precautions, especially if you are over 65 or dealing with any chronic health condition. AARP says that the CDC (Center for Disease Control) statistics to keep in mind are as follows:
A. Unvaccinated people are six times more likely to catch Covid and 14 times more likely to die from it.
B. And for those 50 or older the risk of foregoing vaccinations is even greater. According to Dr. Paul Durpex, Director of the Center for Vaccine Research at the University of Pittsburg, “The goal set for Covid -19 vaccines to be considered effective was 50%; they surprised us by hitting over 90%. By comparison, our annual flu shots come in at around 40-60% each year. The range of effectiveness of the Covid vaccines really is remarkable.
5. What about the boosters? Is requiring boosters’ proof that the vaccines don’t work? It is entirely normal for antibodies generated by vaccines to wane over time and require a boost as anyone who has gotten a tetanus shot after a puncture wound can attest. What we know is that even after two Covid immunizations our antibody levels drop. That is why we need boosters according to Dr. Durpex. Likewise, when variants like Omicron come along these antibodies don’t seem to be as effective. That is a double hit, he says, which leads to drops in vaccine effectiveness. This virus isn’t going away and boosters are very likely here to stay, according to Dr. Durpex.
6. As an illustration of the booster requirement, Dr. Durpex points out that even natural immunity fades with time, as in the case of chickenpox. He says after a childhood bout of chickenpox, our immune system keeps the virus in check for decades but after age 50 the immune system begins to fatigue which is why we vaccinate for Shingles, the disease caused by a reemergence of the chickenpox virus.
7. AARP points out that the virus is ever-changing and our approach to it has to change as well. Omicron has shown itself to be more capable of evading vaccine-granted immunity given by the first two jabs but boosters appear to be effective against it. That is why getting a booster and protecting yourself if your health is compromised is so critical. AARP points out that there are some new Covid “pills” that can be effective against the disease. The pills do not cure the disease but they are effective in their own way. There is a move by some pharmaceutical companies to get the Food and Drug Administration to approve these pills on an emergency basis. The drugs are designed to be taken by people who experience mild to moderate symptoms within the first few days of the disease cycle. These drugs are serious medical advances according to AARP not just because of their effectiveness but because of their convenience.
8. AARP raises the question about why we are not at “herd immunity.” The answer is that herd immunity occurs when a large enough portion of a community becomes immune to a disease that is spread from person to person and becomes unlikely. How high that portion needs to be is based largely on how contagious the disease is; the more easily it spreads the more people you need to be immune in order to contain it. The measles is highly contagious so roughly 94% of a population needs to be immune to shut off the chain of transmission. As to Covid, science hasn’t yet determined the threshold but estimates put it at north of 90% of the population.
9. As of mid-December 2021, 87% of those 65 or older were fully vaccinated and slightly more than half had gotten a booster. AARP raises the question about why people do not get shots. They conclude that among the reasons are: distrust of institutions like government and the pharmaceutical industry; doubts about vaccines effectiveness; safety concerns, particularly around future pregnancies; and the feeling among younger people that they simply weren’t at real risk. Places in the country where vaccinations rates are high, see a decline in the pandemic. Places, where a substantial number of people are unvaccinated, are seeing an alarming spread of the disease. Some places have vaccine mandates but there are two classes of unvaccinated people. One group says, “No way I am getting a shot” and the other group is vaccine-hesitant. The hesitant can be convinced so AARP says that we are making progress. AARP raises the question about the “long haul effect of the Covid disease.” Science has not gotten a good grip on this issue but AARP advises if you have Covid and have ongoing symptoms, report to your doctor immediately because everyone presents differently and the long-term effects of Covid remain a mystery.
10. The Delta variant was responsible for a massive outbreak of the disease in the summer of 2021 and then the Omicron variant came along after that. Those who are fully vaccinated are far less likely to experience severe infection and adding a booster shot restores the vaccine to about 80% effectiveness against Omicron.
11. People wonder if they have had the shots and the booster is there anything else they can do. AARP says first of all get your flu vaccine. It is not too late and also get a Covid booster. Last year, people were pretty good about distancing, masking and hand washing. Now in many places, that is relaxed and the opportunity for flu spread will be back to where it was before pre-pandemic, it is predicted. AARP advises while you are probably tired of wearing a mask, it still makes sense to do so in many instances. According to Dr. Galiatsatos, “Mother nature is continuing to plot against us. You have to wake up saying what am I doing to end this pandemic. Even if you are still not getting the vaccine, that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to ending this pandemic. You have got to wear the face mask and get tested, he says.
I found the AARP article informative. I hope you get something beneficial from it.