COVID-19 Update: Monday, January 11th

What the variants mean, mis-c, and vaccine updates.

I wanted to share a little bit about what the new variants mean for disease spread, testing, hospitalizations, and the vaccines.

1. The variants increase the rate of spread - we are also seeing an increased number of cases among those under the age of 20 - could be a coincidence but early reports suggest the UK and SA variants are not only more transmissible but more transmissible among younger populations. (To date we have seen 2.7 million cases in kids).

This may seem obvious, but mathematically speaking, the more cases we see the more people that will need to be hospitalized, the more people that will require ICU care, and the more deaths. This doesn't mean the virus is more deadly. For the sake of easy math, let's say that 10% of 100 infected people need hospital care - that means 10 people. Let's say 10% of those need ICU care, so 1 person. But if more people are getting sick then the 10% is taken from a bigger pool. Instead of 10% of 100, it may be 10% of 200 or more, so now we would have 20 people needing hospitalization and 2 needing the ICU. The percentage doesn't change, but the numbers still go up. These are just random numbers to give you the idea.

2. The UK variant will most likely still respond to the vaccine. So that is great news. The SA variant is still very much under investigation. Both variants are believed to be in the United States.

3. The variants are leading to more false negatives - so be really mindful of that. False negatives mean you are told you don't have COVID but you really do.

Unrelated to the variants:

1. Remember Mis-C? The multi-symptom inflammatory syndrome in children who were exposed to COVID-19 even if they didn't become ill? Well, cases are on the rise. Back in October (before the recent rise in case counts) there had been over 1,000 cases with 23 deaths. I included a graphic today to show you how your state is doing in this regard. Not all states are reporting. On the chart, the lighter the state color the better. You can learn more here: https://www.cdc.gov/mis-c/cases/index.html

2. I have been asked several times if people who have had and recovered from COVID should still get the vaccine should it become available to them. The answer is yes. Because you can get COVID more than once, you should still get the vaccine. Of course, check with your doctor first just in case your situation is unique.

3. There have been a few people who have died within 2 weeks of taking either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Right now there is no solid evidence that these deaths were related to the vaccines but they are being investigated to determine what if any role the vaccine may have played. There have been 4 deaths as of Friday - out of 5 million vaccines administered. Some possibilities include a) it was purely coincidence, b) the vaccine revealed an underlying condition that would have happened in the future anyway but was sped up for the vaccine or c) the vaccine somehow caused the death. I mention this because you are sure to hear about it via social media (if you haven't already) and I don't want it to be a surprise. Right now there is no scientific evidence linking the deaths with the vaccines but it is being investigated and I will keep you updated.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Well....did you rest and try to unwind over the weekend? I hope you did because we all need a mental break from all this from time to time. I want to commend you for all the times you held your tongue over the last year, for all the things you wanted to say but didn't, for all the people you have answered with kindness even when you didn't feel like it, and for all the love you have shown to others. You don't need a cape to save the world, and you are evidence of that - although a cape is kind of fun so don't pass up the chance if you get it....