“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow – that is patience. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” — Leo Tolstoy
“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” – Arnold H. Glasow
As of April 9,2021: The number of fully vaccinated people in the U.S. is 68,202,458 out of a population of 330 million. In Pennsylvania there are 2,560,000 people fully vaccinated out of a population of 12.8 million. As numbers of positive cases and hospitalizations are on the rise and the main culprit is the English variant of COVID -19 B1.1.7, which is poised to create a fourth surge of the pandemic in the U.S. we must be patient a while longer, continue to practice public health precautions such as social distancing, washing hands, avoidance of crowds and wear a mask. We will not be out of the woods until 85-90% of the population or 283- 299 million people are fully vaccinated. Currently there are only 68,202,000 million fully vaccinated.
Is the US on the Brink of Another COVID-19 Surge? Although more than 3 million COVID-19 shots are delivered daily across the United States, only about 18.5% of Americans are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. This leaves the door open for a dreaded fourth surge of COVID-19 illness. Currently, an average of more than 60,000 new cases of COVID-19 are reported daily. Public health experts suggest that a rise in COVID-19 variants, increased clusters among young people, and easing of COVID-19 restrictions are the cause of growing case numbers. To prevent another COVID-19 surge, public health officials are urging Americans to continue following safety measures, including mask wearing, social distancing, and avoiding crowds, until more Americans are fully vaccinated.
The U.K. variant of the coronavirus is now the most dominant strain circulating in the United States, health officials said Wednesday. The spread of the U.K. variant, which scientists have found to be more contagious, adds to growing concerns that the country may be on the cusp of another surge. Both case numbers and hospitalizations are increasing, even as the U.S. is vaccinating an average of nearly 3 million people each day. Walensky, CDC director, reported that some of the recent clusters of cases have been linked to day care centers and youth sports, adding that the uptick in infections seem to be driven by young people.
Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be 100% effective at preventing cases of the South African variant, B.1.351. Results from a Phase III clinical trial of 800 people in South Africa, where the variant is predominant, showed nine cases in the placebo group versus none among vaccine recipients, for a vaccine efficacy of 100%. Importantly, Pfizer and BioNTech now have 6 months of safety data on the product, which the FDA requires for a COVID-19 vaccine to be considered for full licensure.
How long does the Moderna Vaccine work Last: Antibodies persisted 6 months after the second dose of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in younger and middle-age adults, but were diminished in older adults when using more sensitive assays, according to data from an ongoing phase I trial. Mehul Suthar, PhD, of Emory University School of Medicine in Decatur, Georgia, and colleagues in a correspondence piece in the New England Journal of Medicine noted the durability of protection is currently unknown
Many Hospitalized COVID Patients Develop New Ailments Later: Severe effects of COVID-19 lingered past discharge, as hospitalized patients had increased rates of multi-organ dysfunction compared to the general population, British researchers found.
Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were diagnosed with major cardiovascular events, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes after being discharged from the hospital more frequently than a matched cohort, reported Amitava Banerjee, DPhil, of University College London, and colleagues.
Not surprisingly, patients with acute COVID-19 who were discharged from the hospital had nearly four times greater rates of hospital readmission, and nearly eight times greater rates of death than the matched control group, with significantly raised rates of respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease, Banerjee's group wrote in The British Medical Journal.
Travel after Vaccination: Those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to test before or after traveling domestically or internationally from the U.S., the CDC said in updated guidance on Friday. Unless required to do so by the international destination, fully vaccinated people no longer require a test, and they no longer have to self-quarantine after returning to the U.S., unless required to do so by a state or local jurisdiction.
In a statement, CDC said fully vaccinated people can travel "at low risk to themselves," as they are at "low risk to get or spread COVID-19." However, the agency still recommends that even fully vaccinated travelers wear a mask in public, and take other public health precautions, such as social distancing and avoiding crowds, and practicing hand hygiene.
Some travel guidance remains unchanged. CDC still recommends fully vaccinated people have proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to returning to the U.S., and get tested 3-5 days later.
Low-Cost COVID-19 Vaccine May Help the World’s Poorest Countries Fight the Pandemic:
Currently in clinical trials in Brazil, Thailand, and Vietnam, a new COVID-19 immunization called NVD-HXP-S may help low- and middle-income countries ensure their residents can get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. NVD-HXP-S is a molecular-based vaccine that is designed to create strong antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. It can be mass-produced in chicken eggs, similar to the influenza immunization, which reduces cost and increases availability. Data from the first round of clinical trials will be available in July.
CDC Changes Tune on COVID Guidance for Vaccinated Travelers: Those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to test before or after traveling domestically or internationally from the U.S., the CDC said in updated guidance on Friday.
Unless required to do so by the international destination, fully vaccinated people no longer require a test, and they no longer have to self-quarantine after returning to the U.S., unless required to do so by a state or local jurisdiction.
In a statement, CDC said fully vaccinated people can travel "at low risk to themselves," as they are at "low risk to get or spread COVID-19." However, the agency still recommends that even fully vaccinated travelers wear a mask in public, and take other public health precautions, such as social distancing and avoiding crowds, and practicing hand hygiene. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said it would be better if vaccinated people stayed home. "I would advocate against general travel overall," she said.
CDC defines "fully vaccinated" as at least 2 weeks after receiving the last recommended dose of an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine.
Study Shows Skin Reactions to COVID-19 Vaccines Are Nothing to Worry About A study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that the skin reactions commonly seen post-COVID-19 vaccination resolve quickly and are not indicative of any serious medical condition. The study included more than 400 patients who experienced skin reactions—ranging from full-body rashes to a localized rash at the injection site to swollen hands and feet—from 4 hours to a week after receiving one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Researchers found that zero participants experienced anaphylaxis or a significant medical condition that required treatment.