COVID-19 Update: Wednesday, August 19th

Immunity, lower case counts, contact tracing, thyroid issues, and the flu.

1. An animal study published in PubMed on Aug. 14th had positive results indicating that once exposed you may develop immunity. Monkeys were exposed to COVID, after the initial infection cleared, they were re-exposed and viral loads were lower. While this doesn’t tell us how long we may be immune or how strong that immunity may be, it is a nice indication that immunity is possible.

2. For the third consecutive day new case numbers have been below 50k. Considering in July we had multiple days at 70k+ this is a small victory.

3. Contact tracing between states is nearly impossible. Events like casinos opening, summer camps and holiday travel have revealed that our ability to contact trace large exposures that involve people from multiple states or who are traveling to and from public events is nearly impossible. Because of this, people may be exposed in these places, then travel home unknowingly taking the virus with them.

4. The thyroid is the latest organ to be identified as negatively impacted by COVID according to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. This study looked at critically ill patients only. It also noted that pre-existing thyroid disorders do not appear to increase risk. It is important to keep in mind that not all people experience all possible effects.

5. Public Health professionals are hopeful people will get their flu vaccines this year as you do not want both COVID and the flu and there is some evidence that the flu vaccine may provide a little protection from COVID or at least reduce severity. It is important to know a few things about the flu vaccine, first, not everyone can take it so be sure to disclose allergies to your HCP, second it takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to take effect, so if you are exposed to the flu prior to getting it or for 2 weeks after you are still as vulnerable as if you didn’t get the vaccine, third it is a dead virus (except the nasal one which hasn’t been used in a while) so it cannot give you the flu BUT it does illicit an immune response (which is the whole point) so your body goes into full on attack mode of the dead virus – with a guaranteed win because the virus is dead – but that may mean you feel a little under the weather for a day or two while that process works itself out. This is typically seen in the form of fatigue and mild muscle aches. Some people experience this, some don’t.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Today I want to encourage you to take a deep breath, then exhale slowly. Let out the stress, the worry and any fear. Look around, re-assess your personal situation. Then use all that you know about your risk, the virus and how to reduce your risk to get back to some version of normal, some sense of routine because isolation, loneliness and anxiety can be just as harmful as the virus. So many of us are running on empty, stress levels are high, life is topsy-turvy and there are lots of unknowns. We have to cut each other some slack, but we also need to work towards getting back to some version of our normal routine. It can help. Do what is best for you and your family unapologetically. Respect and love others enough to let them do the same. Then keep your eyes on the good news, and the small wins, because worrying doesn’t add days to your life and we are winning, even if it doesn’t always feel that way.