HERE WE GO AGAIN!
BY JUDY PARIS, RN,
BSN, MSN
DISCLAIMER
In March of 2020, I wrote the first
of several articles about the scary,
newly developing pandemic. MY
GOAL: Give you factual informa-tion
to affect decisions you make.
Such as: “I’ve been inoculated - I
don’t need to wear a mask.” Yes,
you do, and I’ll show you why. Or,
“I had Covid so I don’t have to be
concerned about getting it again.”
Sorry, but yes you do and yes
you can.
When I wrote the last article, I
believed the new vaccine would
bring an end. Wrong! By time you
read this, at least two weeks after
I’ve written it, I guarantee some
information will have changed!
This is still new and still evolv-ing.
So, my focus will be on
what has pretty much remained
unchanged since this dark period
began, as well as an update on
some new facts.
SPREAD OF THE VIRUS
By now, it’s common knowl-edge
that the coronavirus can be
spread by being in close contact
with someone who’s infected and
then breathing in their respira-tory
droplets. The World Health
Organization (WHO) now recog-nizes
another route of transmission:
tiny respiratory particles that float
in the air called aerosols. They con-tinue
to float and follow the air
streams in a room, can transmit
Covid-19, and can linger in the
air for hours. Therefore social
distancing likely requires more
than 6 feet.This is why masks
covering NOSE AND MOUTH are
necessary.
Ultimately, a large part of how
well we can control the virus
is going to depend on people’s
behavior. Basic guidelines still
apply: Wear masks, wash hands,
and keep apart- that includes inside
as well as outside, elevators, restau-rants,
mail room, stairwells, arcade,
shops, patio, golf course, tennis
courts, the pool, etc. Don’t sneeze
or cough into the air. Block it with
your arm, a tissue, etc. Then wash
up! DEPEND ON FACTS (Science
from reputable sources), NOT
FICTION!
THE VACCINES
A Messenger RNA (mRNA)
vaccine shows cells how to
make a protein that initiates
an immune response. The vac-cine
is “tricking” the body to
make these proteins. Because
an mRNA vaccine doesn’t use
the live virus, it cannot give
someone COVID-19, according
to the CDC. The mRNA never
enters the nucleus of the cell, so
it does not affect or interact with
our DNA.
The spike protein is the focus of
most COVID-19 vaccines as it is
the part of the virus that enables
it to enter our cells. Virus repli-cation
only happens inside cells,
so blocking entry prevents more
from being made. If a person has
antibodies that can recognize the
spike protein, this should stop the
virus in its tracks.
REINFECTION
Waning immunity has become
a focal point in the pandem-ic.
Breakthrough COVID-19
cases among those fully vaccinated
against the virus have been cited as
partly responsible for recent surg-es.
“There›s no doubt that immu-nity
wanes. It›s more dangerous
in the elderly, but it›s across all
age groups,» said Dr. Anthony
Fauci. No vaccine provides 100%
protection, though they are intend-ed
to help prevent you from getting
very sick if infected.
VARIANTS
DEC., 2021, CDC: Viruses con-stantly
change through mutation
and sometimes these mutations
result in a new variant. Some
variants emerge and disappear
while others persist. COVID-19,
will continue to evolve as long
as it continues to spread. The
more the virus spreads, the more
pressure there is for the virus
to change. So, the best way to
prevent more variants from
emerging is to stop the spread of
the virus. While vaccines reduce
your risk of severe illness, hos-pitalization,
and death, we don’t
yet know how effective they will
be against new variants that may
arise. New variants will contin-ue
to emerge.
Delta Variant: May cause more
severe cases than the other variants.
Omicron Variant: Spreads more
easily than other variants, includ-ing
Delta. Less severe, especially
if vaccinated and had the booster
Both: Breakthrough infections in
people who are fully vaccinated are
expected. Evidence suggests that
infected, fully vaccinated peo-ple
can spread the virus to others.
Jan. 11, 2022: Dr. Janet
Woodcock, acting commis-sioner
of the Food and Drug
Administration: US officials are
comparing the ultra-transmissible
omicron coronavirus variant to a
natural disaster as the country con-tinues
to shatter records, logging
over 1.4 million new COVID-19
cases Monday, Jan. 9th, and seeing
hospitalizations at all-time highs of
over 140,000. The highly mutated
variant now accounts for an esti-mated
98% of coronavirus infec-tions.
The 7-day average of daily
new cases is now over 737,000,
a 203% jump from two weeks
ago. Dr. Anthony Fauci, President
Joe Biden›s chief medical adviser,
called the omicron wave a «mas-sive,
unprecedented surge. This is
an extraordinary virus, the likes of
which we have not seen even close
to in well over 100 years,” he said.
Jan. 11, 2022 CNET: US health
officials are moving away from the
term “fully vaccinated,” as more
places start requiring booster
shots for entry. “Right now, opti-mal
protection is with a third shot
of an mRNA or a second shot of
a J&J.” Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
People who got Moderna’s
or Pfizer’s vaccines can get a
booster 5 months after their
second dose. With Johnson &
Johnson’s vaccine they should get
a booster at least 2 months after
their vaccine, and in most cas-es
choose Pfizer or Moderna for
that shot. The CDC has said peo-ple
can “mix and match” vaccines
as booster doses.
Jan. 7, 2022: NY Governor Kathy
Hochul: Healthcare workers would
be required to get COVID-19 vac-cine
boosters within two weeks of
eligibility. The requirement is the
first of its kind in the nation.
Jan. 11, 2022: Cruise ships have
seen a 30-fold increase in posi-tive
Covid-19 cases in the past
two weeks, CDC Director Dr.
Rochelle Walensky said. More
and more cruise lines soon will
require passengers to show proof
of a COVID-19 vaccine boost-er
shot before sailing.
TESTS
WARNING! Jan. 11, 2022: With
a shortage of at-home tests,
the Federal Trade Commission is
warning against fake COVID
tests being marketed to consum-ers.
At-home COVID tests, most
of which are rapid antigen tests,
8 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ February 2022