COVID-19 Update: Friday, December 4th

Numbers and Vaccine info.

Numbers:

13,269 Americans died from COVID this week. That is a big number. Below you will see the chart showing the trend. Ignore the first column - that is the starting point for the chart it shows the total up to that point so that particular column is not a "real" number for the week but a cumulative number. The rest are all weekly. I also included the chart for case increases to give you a sense of that and an updated chart of the different types of tests, what they are used for, and their accuracy.

Vaccine:

As we get closer to the vaccine I wanted to share some vaccine information from questions I am getting (thank you for the questions!) so the rest of today's post will be all vaccine info. Please note that most of this will be about Pfizer as they are first to market. There is still quite a bit we don't know but here is some of what we know:

a. The vaccine is considered safe and highly effective for most people.

b. Some people may experience intense side effects, particularly after the 2nd shot. Just expect this. If it doesn't happen to you (most likely won't) then great, but if it does, you won't be caught off guard.

c. The vaccine is NOT recommended for children under 12 years old.

d. The vaccine was NOT tested on pregnant women (standard not to do that).

e. The vaccine has NOT been studied on immunocompromised individuals. Here is a nice resource for those who are interested, it is not comprehensive but it has some great information https://www.hematology.org/covid-19/ash-astct-covid-19-and-vaccines#:~:text=Despite%20several%20vaccine%20candidates%20being,the%20different%20immunocompromised%20patient%20populations.

f. We do NOT yet know how long immunity will last. We won't know that for a while.

g. We do NOT yet fully understand the impact of a major mutation on vaccine effectiveness - this is a common issue for RNA viruses. But Pfizer says they can quickly adapt the vaccine to any major mutations.

h. It is common to have a variety of vaccines/vendors for the same vaccine. Typically the one you get is the one your doctor/pharmacist has on hand. That decision is made based on a host of things such as storage capabilities, shelf-life, and cost. But you have every right to ask about that.

i. Most people won't be offered the vaccine until Spring or Summer. Be patient as it rolls out and keep wearing your mask, washing your hands, and distancing.

j. Currently we think we need 60-70% compliance (i.e. 60-70% of people to get the vaccine in order to create herd immunity. Herd immunity is a result of vaccination this is actually the intended way to achieve it. That % may change as we learn more.

k. The virus won't just disappear even after we achieve herd immunity. It will be like chickenpox, the flu, or any other vaccine-preventable disease. There will be cases every year but it should never again be like this as long as we maintain herd immunity.

l. As with every vaccine, it is possible some people will get vaccinated but not develop immunity. This is unusual but it happens, vaccines don't work in 100% of the people 100% of the time.

m. No one died from the vaccine. Someone in the trial did die, but they received the placebo and died from unrelated causes.

n. If you already had COVID should you get the vaccine? That is one I still can't answer but I am digging for that. If one of you find it before me feel free to share the answer.

If you arent' sure if you should get the vaccine, talk to your doctor and pharmacist. Ask questions, do some digging.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I am very appreciative of you. Some of you have been with me for a really long time and you have created a wonderful community, I just want you to know that I value and appreciate you. We are in this together until the glorious end, and that end is coming. Know that you have stayed strong and been a champion of truth and accuracy during a time of chaos and misinformation. Oh sure we have all had bad days and moments where we didn't shine bright - but you have held your tongue more than you didn't and you have shown kindness and compassion. Take the weekend off and focus on other things, while we are nearing the end of the road, we aren't quite there yet. I'll see you back on Monday.