Covid-19 Update: Wednesday, November 10th

Natural Covid immunity, Singapore, vaccine efficacy, growing change in recommendations between Pfizer and Moderna.

1. A new study found that only 4 out of 5 people who get COVID develop the antibodies necessary for immunity. And of course, you can get COVID again, like the vaccines, immunity wanes over time. You can read about that in the Zoe study.

2. Singapore has decided to stop covering the COVID-19 medical bills for those who are unvaccinated by choice. This is significant for two reasons, 1) it sets a precedent, and 2) they do not have insurance in Singapore as we understand it so this will create a substantial financial burden for those who are impacted.

3. From July to October 2021, protection against death in people aged 65 or younger varied by vaccine: J&J: 73%, Moderna: 81.5%, Pfizer: 84.3%

Boosters help bolster this for those who need them (see prior post regarding who boosters are recommended for). Just a reminder that boosters that are different than your original shot seem to have the highest efficacy.

4. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are around five times more effective at preventing hospitalization than a previous infection (i.e. more effective immunity than actually having COVID). You can read the study here.

5. Some European countries (Germany, France, Finland, Sweden among others) are starting to recommend people under 30 get only the Pfizer vaccine due to the risk of heart inflammation connected to the vaccine in those under 30. The rate of inflammation associated with Moderna is 11.71 per 100,000 shots among men, the Pfizer rate is 4.68. The rate for both is considerably lower for women (around 2.95 with Moderna and 0.97 with Biotech/Pfizer).

6. A new study shows that PCR tests are impacted by the time of day they are taken. Taking the test in the evening increases the likelihood that you will get a false test result. Midafternoon tests actually give the most accurate results. The issue is not really the test but the viral load. It suggests that viral load fluctuates during the day and that people are most contagious around midday to late afternoon. Pretty interesting stuff, you can read about here.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I am attending a conference this week, among "my people" - those in public health, and there was a speaker who really struck a chord with me. He told the true story of a man who had back pain so he went to the doctor and during the process of trying to figure out what was wrong with his back they figured out he had cancer. They caught it early and he was able to be treated - all because of his back pain. The man told the speaker how grateful he was for the pain because through it he became aware of something bigger than needed to be dealt with.

The speaker then went on to talk about all the "bigger" things that this COVID outbreak has revealed. I listened as different public health departments reported 100% turnover in their workforce because the workers have been abused, threatened, and accosted, and I wondered where on earth we went wrong. When did we forget the importance of living a quiet life, attending to our own affairs, and working with our hands? When did we become so preoccupied with what other people were choosing and doing that we lost sight of what we were choosing and doing? When did we quit working with our hands to help and instead start using them to destroy? Today, I want to encourage you all to use your voice and hands to build others up and not to tear them down.