COVID-19 Update, Wednesday, March 3, 2021

New guidance,

1. The CDC is preparing new guidance for people who had an allergic reaction to either Pfizer or Moderna's vaccine. The new guides aren't out yet, but they are expected to state that people who had an allergic reaction to Pfizer or Moderna can take the J&J vaccine as long as it has been at least 28 days since they got the Pfizer or Moderna one. There are quite a few caveats in the recommendation - importantly that this option is not for everyone so if you are in that group you should consult your doctor first. It is also important to note that you should not mix vaccines or double vac. So if you get Pfizer or Moderna's 1st shot without issue you should not opt for J&J instead of your 2nd dose nor should you take the full 2 doses of Pfizer/Moderna and then also get the J&J vaccine. No studies have been done to determine the effects of crossing over or how that might impact immunity.

2. I have been asked how other countries are doing and how vaccines are going in those countries so I wanted to share some info on that. Numbers around the world reflect what we are seeing in the US, reductions in cases and some reduction in deaths. Deaths are not declining at the rate I would like to see but they are getting better all around the world. As vaccination rates improve cases decline. On average the US is seeing around 50k cases a day compared to the 190-200k we were seeing in December. Worth mentioning is that many countries are using the Chinese and Russian vaccines with good results. So things are looking better although we continue to see a surge of reinfections from the Brazilian variant with Brazil itself being particularly hard hit. You can check out global numbers here: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ Important to remember that we are as vulnerable as the most vulnerable nation due to travel, variants emerging, and possible vaccine resistance. So this really is a global issue requiring global solutions. You can track all the different vaccines, vaccine trials and approvals here: https://covid19.trackvaccines.org/ and you can read a great summary/explanation of how the different types of vaccines work here: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-do-covid-19-vaccines-work?utm_source=Sailthru%20Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=newsAlerts&utm_term=coronavirus&utm_content=2021-03-02&apid=34913069&rvid=97009153b99f757b546a07be13b943dff654bfd2643b180f345845d21b04e10b#Different-vaccine-types

FINAL THOUGHTS: I had three items today but there were so many disruptions by the time I got to it I had totally forgotten what I was going to share....so it will have to wait. Some days are like that. Some days you wake up with little hope and you force yourself to take each step. Some days you have great intentions and distractions run amok. Somedays life sweeps the leg. And sometimes, in the midst of the smoke and chaos and despair something beautiful happens....you are presented with one of life's most precious opportunities. The opportunity to help someone else. And before you even realize what has happened you feel a little better and a small, almost imperceptible skip returns to your step. Today I want to encourage you to look for and act on small chances to help others because it is one of the best things you can do for yourself.