COVID-19 Update: Wednesday, January 27th

Regeneron and Eli Lilly, anal swabs, vaccines, length of immunity, and doctors gone wild.

UPDATED to add length of immunity.

1. According to a news release, Regeneron's antibody cocktail, can prevent symptomatic COVID and reduce infections. It was given to people who live in a household with someone who is exposed and would be used in that situation as a preventative. In related news, Eli Lilly also has a concoction, bamlanivimab plus etesevimab, which significantly reduces severe COVID in high-risk individuals. So treatment and prevention options are getting better.

2. Moderna has announced that their vaccine works against the UK and SA variants although it is 85% less effective with the SA variant. They are working on a booster specifically designed to address the SA variant.

3. The Brazillian variant has been found in the US - in Minnesota.

4. The situation in CA is improving with less ICU demand and a slight lifting of some of the restrictions there.

5. A physician in Texas is being charged with stealing 9 doses of vaccine. He says the vial was punctured and would be wasted anyway. In somewhat related news a physician in RI had his license suspended after he tested positive for COVID but kept working while wearing a mask under his nose instead of covering it.

6. According to MMWR, K-12 schools pose only minimal risk for transmission when everyone masks and applies social distancing. This should allow many schools to return to face to face learning with the use of precautions.

7. 23 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the US according to the CDC.

8. The NIH has now launched a database to track the neurological effects of COVID which are being more apparent with time. You can read more about there here https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-launches-database-track-neurological-symptoms-associated-covid-19

9. There is a bit of a production issue with the specialty syringes needed for Pfizer's vaccine - which could cause slight delays in distribution.

10. In China, they are now using anal swabs to detect COVID which they say are more accurate than nasopharyngeal swabs.....uh....can't say I am excited about that news.

11. Beware of hand sanitizer from Mexico, some of it isn't safe. There is a full list on the FDA website but I might just recommend choosing sanitizer from somewhere else if you can.

12. We now believe that natural immunity will last at least 8 months (in 90% of people), maybe longer. So that is great news. That number will continue to grow the longer time passes and we are able to study it more.

FINAL THOUGHTS: We are halfway through the week, how are you holding up? Are you full steam ahead, completely out of steam, or puttering along slowly but surely? I am reminded how important it is for us to give our bodies and minds rest. Last night I was bemoaning that my time management skills must be slipping because I used to do xy and z and now I was struggling to keep up. My husband pointed out that when I was doing xy and z I was not also doing ab and c....oh and e-f and g. Perspective. I know life doesn't slow down so we can take a break - even though we may really need one. But we have to find ways to sneak little breaks in. A longer than normal shower, going to bed a little earlier, tuning out the noise, disengaging in meaningless discussions that just leave us flustered, deep breathing, hammering a nail, a long quiet drive through the country, a cup of hot tea before bed. Whatever it is, find small ways to show yourself kindness and cut yourself some slack. And remember, at least we aren't using anal swabs....yet.