COVID-19 Update: Monday, November 9th

Vaccine update, More Mink woes, immunity, and nose spray.

1. Pfizer has released a statement that their vaccine is 90% effective. This is well above the 50% requirement of the FDA - but it is preliminary reporting that has not yet been independently verified so we need to keep it in perspective. Also keep in mind that this does not tell us if it prevents asymptomatic cases, severe cases (in that 10%), or how long it lasts, so we need to be cautiously optimistic. But in it there is hope.

2. 6 countries are now reporting mink related COVID cases, Denmark, the US, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. The mutation in the virus when it transmits from human to mink back to human is a threat to future vaccines so this issue has the potential to be quite serious. This is something to continue watching.

3. A study out of China looked at how long antibodies lasted after a COVID infection (this will give us an idea of how long you will be immune) and they found antibodies were strongest for the first-month post-infection (after the onset of illness, not after recovery - meaning we start the clock when you get sick, not when you recover) and then start to decline although antibodies were still present in some people 6 months after disease onset - meaning some people may be immune for up to 6 months. We know from prior research that this may be different for different people (as are most things like this) but immunity seems to last anywhere from 3-6 months. In related news, a study published in Cell indicates that this may be dependent on your immune system's initial response, meaning those who recover quickly from COVID may have longer immunity than those who do not. Stay tuned for more as research continues.

4. In a study using ferrets, a nose spray was found to be very effective at blocking the virus. The spray would be used once daily and would function much like a vaccine in preventing COVID. One advantage to this approach is that it does not have the temperature control issues that a vaccine has. However, this was an animal study so it is unknown if it would work in humans, additional research will begin.

FINAL THOUGHTS: The year has been rough and the election has left some seeing hope and others despair. Cases are rising, earthquakes are quaking, yet another storm is hitting Florida and social media is abuzz with lots of anger, insults, and negativity, but mixed in that fray is a small dusting of kindness. Perhaps the only kindness you have to offer today is the tongue biting kind - honestly, there is a tremendous amount of love and self-control in that. Turning the other cheek requires a great deal of strength and fortitude. So thank you. Perhaps you are up for offering other forms of kindness, such as encouragement or a funny, non-political meme, or better yet, a funny cat video. Everyone loves those. Find a small way to add a little love and kindness to the mix and then take time for self-care. For me, I opted for a long shower with a heavenly scented shower bomb and some soothing tunes. Find what works for you. Love yourself and love others. Spread kindness and encouragement.