COVID-19: Tuesday July 21 Update

Zinc, 4 Million, Testing Changes, Fake Headlines and MIS-C

NOTE: For the foreseeable future I will be using pictures from the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918 to accompany my posts. I hope seeing them will remind you that people haven’t changed that much and that many of the things we are being asked to do are not new – they are things we were asked to do then too. People resisted then too, hopefully that will encourage you. But we made it through, just as we will now.

1. The US will hit 4 million cases either today or tomorrow at the latest. That will mean we added a million cases in 6 or 7 days – depending on if we hit today or tomorrow. Either way, it means we continue to cut our time roughly in 1/2 for each additional million. If that trend continues, we could hit 5 million as quickly as this weekend. Hopefully, the trend will not continue.

2. The International Journal of Molecular Medicine published a study suggesting the anti-inflammatory effects of Zinc may help reduce risk and severity of COVID. Zinc can be found naturally in meat, shellfish, chicken, fortified cereal, nuts, seeds and beans. Vegans and vegetarians may need to add 50% more zinc to their diet according to the study. While additional research is needed, it is never a bad idea to get enough vitamins and minerals.

3. The CDC will no longer be recommending repeat testing for those who have been infected and gotten better. The current recommendation was for 2 tests post recovery to assure accuracy of testing and that the person really was free of COVID. But some people are being tested up to 6 times. Three days after you are free of symptoms you are considered no longer contagious. So the change is expected to recommend only one post-test. This deviates from WHO recommendations but is being done because test shortages are becoming an issue. Repeat testing will still be recommended for those who are critically ill, those with immune deficiencies and those with immunosuppression. Repeat tests are not recorded as “tests” (or at least they shouldn’t be, mistakes happen occasionally). But even if they were mistakenly counted, they would be included in the negative column as these are tests being done on those who have recovered.

4. Fake headlines: there are two fake headlines you should be aware of. One is proclaiming that people who practice social distancing are more intelligent – that isn’t true and is a stretch of what their data found. The second is about Bubonic plaque in a squirrel, that is true but is hype. We have cases of Bubonic plaque in the United States every year. Typically, around 5 if memory serves me correctly. Most commonly in CA. This is nothing to be alarmed about, it normal and in today's world Bubonic plaque is treatable.

5. According to a report in the Lancet medical journal on Saturday, doctors in NY have identified MIS-C in two adults, a 45-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman. These are two isolated cases, so we don’t want to draw too many conclusions, but they are worth knowing and it is something to watch and be aware of. You may recall MIS-C is typically seen in children and is considered a “side effect” of COVID exposure in children. Over 6 weeks a PICU (pediatric ICU) in the UK admitted an average of 14 children a week with MIS-c reaching a peak of 32 admissions one week. Nearly all children recovered. MIS-C is still considered rare – as of July 14th the US had seen 342 cases across 37 states. The children ranged in age from 0-20 with most being between 1-14. The US has seen 6 deaths. Most of them were exposed to COVID and developed MIS-C 2 weeks post exposure. You can learn more here: https://www.cdc.gov/mis-c/cases/index.html

FINAL THOUGHTS: This experience has certainly tested our patience, our resolve and our resilience. Now, many are facing another tremendous decision regarding sending their children back to school, sending their college students off to the dorms or returning to teach in those classrooms. Those decisions are difficult, scary and in some cases, not a decision at all – simply something you know is coming without knowing what to expect. Some people aren’t concerned at all. Others are quite concerned and still others fall somewhere in the middle. Let’s not forget that we are all entitled to our own thoughts, feelings and opinions. Opinions are just that, opinion. Give yourself permission to feel what you are feeling about this entire situation and let others do the same. You don’t have to agree with them, you don’t have to convince them, and you don’t have to argue – it is, after all just their opinion. Opinion should not be confused with truth but should be identified as perception. While perception affects our views and behaviors it is not the same as truth. Either way, isn’t right now stressful enough without arguing? Today, do what is hardest, let go. Let people deal with this their own way while you do the same. Let’s hold each other up and love each other, we’ll sort out who was right later.