COVID-19 Update: Wednesday, August 26

More reinfections, COVID-kids, Starbucks super spreaders, declining numbers, and COVAX.

1. Two more cases of reinfection have emerged, one in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. As we move further from the original outbreak, we can expect to see more of these. Because the virus mutates you can catch it again.

2. More than 70k new COVID-19 cases have been reported in children since early August showing a 21% increase in 2 weeks. This is somewhat expected as children returned to school and being more social.

3. A woman at Starbucks is traced to 56 infections during the time she was at Starbucks drinking her coffee. Not a single employee was infected despite some of them having close contact/interactions with the woman. All employees were wearing masks suggesting that mask-wearing is not only good for others but also good for self.

4. Numbers continue to decline in the US which is wonderful. Mask mandates and social distancing seem to be working, keep it up! In fact, Brown University Department of Epidemiology and Department of Medicine examined data comparing how lockdowns impacted spread and found that that places that locked down slowed the virus spread significantly (by more than ½).

5. 172 countries (representing 70% of the world's population) have agreed to participate in COVAX. You may recall that COVAX is a global effort to assure access to a COVID vaccine for everyone once one is licensed and approved. You can find the list on WHO COVAX website. The US is not listed there but some countries opted not to be so it is possible we are among them.

FINAL THOUGHTS: There are days when you must wonder if anything you are doing matters. Doubt creeps in and you think about how it would be easier just to take the path of least resistance. To do nothing. To ignore things. To join the proverbial masses and just quit fighting and worrying and trying so hard. Those days are lies. None of it is true. But it is a good sign you need a little break. Taking a break can be hard to do and often one of the things I find people most resistant to, but it is crucial. Listen to your body, listen to your mind, check your attitude, and know when to say when. Take a short break, go for a walk, vent to a friend, cry alone in your car, groan deep down in your soul. Let it out. Then wipe your face, straighten your hair, and rejoin us. We’ll cover for you while you're gone.