COVID-19 Update, Friday, February 26th, 2021

Vitamin D, Mis-C, treatments, numbers, pregnancy and COVID, new VOC, numbers, vaccine finder, booster shots, child marriages

1. A randomized clinical trial conducted in Brazil found there was no difference in hospitalized patients who were given Vitamin D for treatment of COVID and those who were not. You may recall we know that those with low vitamin D can have worse outcomes, but it would seem that giving vitamin D to those hospitalized doesn't help. Before you start taking vitamin D preemptively, it is important to note that too much vitamin D causes trouble, so check with your doctor before taking vitamin D.

2. Cases of Mis-C are on the rise, they are still pretty low, but we are seeing a bit of a surge. As more and more adults get vaccinated, you should expect to see a surge of COVID among kids - the virus won't be able to find enough vulnerable adult hosts so it will be more common in kids. More COVID in kids naturally means more Mis-C. The good news is that we have gotten better at treating Mis-C so most kids are recovering. Remember that Mis-C is typically seen about 6-8 weeks after a child has been exposed to COVID.

3. Treatment options continue to improve for those with mild to moderate COVID. Eli Lilly's antibody cocktail of bamlanivimab plus etesevimab is now recommended as a way to prevent COVID from progressing.

4. A new study out of the UK found that pregnancy and COVID could cause early delivery but it was not associated with other more serious outcomes.

5. There is speculation that the California (CA) variant will soon be labeled as a VOC (remember those distinctions, variant of interest, or a variant of concern). It appears to be more transmissible and nimble in avoiding immune response and vaccination. So keep your eyes on that one. There is also a VOI spreading through NY. The longer it takes us to get the vaccine widely distributed (both nationally and globally) the more we will see VOCs emerge.

6. Numbers are looking better for many of us - not all but many. The CFR is getting higher, but I am hopeful that that will level out. My theory is that the case levels are decreasing faster than deaths due to the lag between diagnosis and death - so it is creating an artificial inflation of the CFR temporarily. The effect was seen globally. It is possible that that is not the case and the issue is the new variants - so stay tuned over the next few weeks as we determine which it is. Charts below so you can see just how much things are changing.

7. The CDC has launched a new tool to help you find the COVID vaccine. Not all states are available yet but earmark the page and check for your state. https://vaccinefinder.org/ You can also find out the vaccine rules for your state here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html

8. For those with Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, you can anticipate booster shots to help protect against the variants. Moderna has sought permission to begin testing their booster. Boosters don't have to go through the same review process as the original - they just have to demonstrate the booster works and is safe. The vaccine itself was already tested - they switch out a very small portion of the vaccine to make the make the change so the review process is quicker although anticipate it will take around 6 months.

9. A new study suggests that most people have a peak point at which they are the most contagious and that the majority of spread occurs on that one day. You can read the study here: https://elifesciences.org/articles/63537#content This was a mathematical study built on modeling but the concept is interesting and guides us in a direction for further study.

10. Kenya has seen a significant uptick in child marriages as parents marry off their young daughters to get the dowry. Financial hardship due to COVID is believed to be the cause. Remember that as we navigate this situation (COVID) there are innumerable consequences beyond what is evident.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Today is Friday and that means it is time to start planning for how you are going to decompress. Today, you can exhale. This week has been a flavorless week for me, with just a hint of bitter as I struggled to be heard yesterday. But a dear friend helped me find some perspective and reframe and today I feel more confident, more determined, and more hopeful. Find someone who can help you do the same, or be that person for someone else because today we walk with focus. Today we know that this will indeed end and until then we will love ourselves and love others. Today we plan for tomorrow.