“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” —Bruce Lee
“The person who says it can not be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it”
– Chinese proverb
COVID-19 According to the Numbers: According to John Hopkins there were in the United States 33,585,430 confirmed cases up 11,982 from yesterday and deaths are at 603,068 up 363 from yesterday. This equates to 2,541 per week and 10,164 per month. Still staggering numbers as we reopen, with the Delta variant the predominant COVID -19 variant at the present time. Everyone needs to get vaccinated and be smart about their interactions with others especially those that are unvaccinated.
Nearly all COVID deaths in US are now among unvaccinated: CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Tuesday that the vaccine is so effective that “nearly every death, especially among adults, due to COVID-19, is, at this point, entirely preventable.” She called such deaths “particularly tragic.”
Deaths in the U.S. have plummeted from a peak of more than 3,400 day on average in mid-January, one month into the vaccination drive.
About 63% of all vaccine-eligible Americans — those 12 and older — have received at least one dose, and 53% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. While vaccine remains scarce in much of the world, the U.S. supply is so abundant and demand has slumped so dramatically that shots sit unused.
An analysis by the Associated Press has found that nearly all coronavirus deaths in the United States now are in unvaccinated people. The finding is "a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down from 3400 per day to 363 per day — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine," the Associated Press reported.
The Quickly Spreading Delta Variant Causes Higher Hospitalization Rates: Delta, the newest and most virulent COVID-19 variant that has ravaged India, is quickly spreading around the globe. Unfortunately, this variant causes twice as many hospitalizations as previous iterations of the novel coronavirus, according to new research published in The Lancet. The good news is that the currently available COVID-19 vaccines show high effectiveness against the Delta variant.
Public Health England data show the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective against Delta variant hospitalization after two doses, and protection was 92% with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Oxford University's RECOVERY trial demonstrated that Regeneron's investigational antibody combination reduces the risk of death when given to patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 who have not mounted a natural antibody response of their own. The Delta Variant is now in 42 states and is spreading fast.
Immunity Gained from COVID-19 Vaccine May Be More Effective Against Variants Than Infection-Generated Immunity: A new NIH-supported study shows that the answer to this question will vary based on how an individual’s antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were generated: over the course of a naturally acquired infection or from a COVID-19 vaccine. The new evidence shows that protective antibodies generated in response to an mRNA vaccine will target a broader range of SARS-CoV-2 variants carrying “single letter” changes in a key portion of their spike protein compared to antibodies acquired from an infection.
These results add to evidence that people with acquired immunity may have differing levels of protection to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. More importantly, the data provide further documentation that those who’ve had and recovered from a COVID-19 infection still stand to benefit from getting vaccinated.
Comprehensive Look at COVID-19 Patients Finds Many Still Experiencing Symptoms:
A white paper titled “A Detailed Study of Patients With Long-Haul COVID-19” has found that 23% of patients who recovered from COVID-19 still face lingering health problems. The study investigated health insurance claims of more than 2 million Americans who survived COVID-19 illness in 2020. Of the 23% who reported extended symptoms, the most common were:
· Pain, particularly in nerves and muscles
· Difficulty breathing
· Elevated cholesterol levels
· Fatigue
· High blood pressure
New Research finds a third vaccine dose could boost immunity for the immunocompromised: A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week found that a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine could boost immunity against the virus for people who are immunocompromised, such as transplant recipients and cancer patients, whose immune systems have not responded as robustly as others to current vaccines. "It may just be that their immune system just needs to see the proteins one more time in order to get to a level of immunity that people with more intact immune systems can accomplish with two doses," said Dr. Dorry Segev, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Migraine Headache Sufferers May Be at Greater Risk for COVID-19: Individuals who experience migraine headaches may be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 or suffer more severe symptoms, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society. Data from more than 170 countries showed that populations with higher numbers of headache sufferers also had higher levels of COVID-19 mortality. While the relationship remains unclear, some researchers suggest that genes linked to migraine headaches may also be related to COVID-19 susceptibility.
Until next time, Stay Safe, Stay Safe, Be Smart, Wear your Mask when Applicable and get vaccinated if you have not already done so.
James A Vito, D.M.D.