We are in the midst of a grim “ending” for COVID. Most Americans aren’t wearing masks and they are resuming normal activities. I count myself in this number. But there are still thousands of new infections and an average of 400 people dying every day. So far, it hasn’t settled into something like the common cold, but rather, something worse.
Virologists estimate that COVID will continue to kill 100,000 Americans annually in the coming years, which will be 3X the average number of flu deaths (Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, October 7, 2022). So what does “over” seem to mean? It’s still a threat. But really, people are tired of COVID, the measures, and a government that is reluctant to enforce them.
It’s now up to each person to take care of themselves. Lynn and I are making health decisions based on our age and health situation. We can’t count on anyone or anything anymore (other than the advice of our PCP).
Canada No Longer Has Mandates
Effective October 1, Canada has dropped all of its COVID restrictions for visitors to the country. This had complicated our trip into Canada last July, where ironically we were infected. Whew, we are glad for that …. but this means we will need to use our judgment when we are in Canada.
Winter Surge?
In mid-October, a few Omicron strains were of concern, making scientists think that we might have a winter surge. Serious cases of COVID are starting to rise again in Europe, which is usually a warning to us of what is to come. These two variants are able to evade antibodies which means we may not be protected adequately. But there isn’t enough evidence yet, especially since only 4% of the population has gotten the Omicron booster. Once we in the U.S. become infected with these new strains, and more people get the booster, they will have a better idea as to how well the vaccine is working.
This new booster is more important than ever, given this risk. (Gretchen Vogel, Science).
COVID Deaths are Partisan?
A new study by Yale researchers examined excess deaths in Ohio and Florida before and during the pandemic–deaths that exceeded demographic and historical trends for these areas. They then matched 577,659 of the deceased to their party registrations. Correcting for age, the researchers found that in 2020 and 2021, the excess deaths among Republicans were an astounding 76 percent higher than those among Democrats .
This big gap opened up only after vaccines became widely available.
The theory is that this is because right-wing politicians and media chose to cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and disdained distancing and masking. And when Biden became president, Republicans amplified the claims that vaccines posed a threat to freedom. And so … tens of thousands of Republicans lost their lives. (Donald Moynihan, Slate)
New Study about Long Covid
Tens of thousands of people in Scotland were studied for Long Covid. Nearly half of patients haven’t fully recovered many months after their infections. One in 20 people reported not recovering at all over 18 months, while another 4 in 10 said they had not fully recovered. Symptoms were breathlessness, palpitations, confusion, or difficulty concentrating at rates three times that of uninfected people, and much higher risk of other health conditions.
The good news …. vaccinated patients were far less likely than unvaccinated to exhibit long-COVID symptoms. So being fully vaccinated can reduce the likelihood of developing long-COVID. (The Times [UK]).
October is a Wrap
I was talking to a neighbor the other day about Covid, and he said with vehemence he wasn’t getting the new booster. He’s already had Covid twice, despite being vaccinated with the original two shots in 2021. Since Covid hadn’t killed him, he said why bother with more shots? I reminded him that more than 1 million Americans have died of Covid and that boosters have been proven to dramatically reduce the risk of serious illness. That led him to launch into a riff on “Fauci” laced with conspiracy theories; if that damn Fauci wanted him to get boosted, well, hell, forget it. These views of course, are shared by tens of millions of people who’ve absorbed the same deluge of disinformation, and who’ve bought into the deadly notion that the other tribe gets shots, and ours doesn’t. Besides, the pandemic is over, isn’t it?
William Falk, Editor-in-Chief: THE WEEK (October 28, 2022).
Sorry, but it isn’t.
Although hospitalizations and deaths have fallen, immunity from infection and shots wanes after four to six months, and every winter, indoor gatherings fuel surges of infectious disease. New variants are swarming and evading immunity. And a substantial portion of those that get COVID could suffer from long Covid, particularly those that have had multiple infections or are not vaccinated. At the end of October, our vaccination rate is at about 7 percent. Lynn and I are NOT going to roll the COVID dice.
Go to: COVID 19 – November 2022