Coronavirus Tidbits #143 6/6/21
Quick links
News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty
Announcements:
First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting.
Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that.
My latest posts:
Dengue Vaccine: Takeda Reports Promising Results. My latest for Medscape
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/952476
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There is a fascinating and tragic mystery unfolding in India:
What Is Behind The Deadly Rise In Mucormycosis Infections In India?
News
Prior COVID-19 infection reduces infection risk for up to 10 months
The risk of being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is substantially reduced for up to 10 months following a first infection, according to new findings from the Vivaldi study led by UCL researchers.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-prior-covid-infection-months.html?
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Cool story:
“….cleaned residue of casting molds, glue and oil off her ears with Rhodococcus sp. ZCONT, another strain which came from soil contaminated with diesel in Caserta”
— Michael S. Glickman (@MichaelGlickma1) May 30, 2021
Yet much evidence of the awesomeness of Actinobacteria https://t.co/oSOFhUDNmz
Diagnostics:
Not Covid, but fascinating article:
via @NYTimes Fascinating read highlighting the amazing work of our drug repurposing colleague Dr. Joe DeRisi. Such incredible science and love that the platforms are being made with access in mind @DrJudyStone @drraghutg @mschito1 https://t.co/aL5eO38tob
— Heather (@IDEpiHeather) June 4, 2021
Drugs and Vaccines:
What Drives COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Among Moms?
— Social pressures, misinformation are at play
https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19vaccine/92880?
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School scholarships, custom hunting rifles and shotguns, and over $2 million in cash are being used to entice vaccine holdouts in West Virginia. (NPR)
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Even fully vaccinated, people with organ transplants aren’t fully protected until more Americans get their shots
Almost half of people living with an organ transplant produce zero antibodies after two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine
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Heart reaction probed as possible rare Covid-19 vaccine link in teens
An article on seven U.S. teen boys in several states is among the latest reports of heart inflammation discovered after Covid-19 vaccination.
CDC announced that it is investigating cases of myocarditis and pericarditis after injection with mRNA vaccines, but emphasized it still recommends vaccination for all people 12 and older.
https://statnews.us11.list-
Good news: Mild COVID-19 induces lasting antibody protection
Months after recovering from mild cases of COVID-19, people still have immune cells in their body pumping out antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Such cells could persist for a lifetime, churning out antibodies all the while.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-05-good-news-mild-covid-antibody.html?
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Lessons from the last pandemic point the way toward universal flu vaccines
A new study from the University of Chicago and Scripps Research Institute shows that during the last great pandemic—2009’s H1N1 influenza pandemic—people developed strong, effective immune responses to stable, conserved parts of the virus. This suggests a strategy for developing universal flu vaccines that are designed to generate those same responses, instead of targeting parts of the virus that tend to evolve rapidly and require a new vaccine every year.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-lessons-pandemic-universal-flu-vaccines.html?
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1/ Here's why it's important to get that 2nd dose of COVID vaccine:
— Céline Gounder, MD, ScM, FIDSA (@celinegounder) May 30, 2021
B.1.1.7 UK variant
– 1 dose of Pfizer 49% effective vs symptomatic COVID
– 2 doses 93% effective
B.1617.2 India variant
– 1 dose of Pfizer 33% effective vs symptomatic COVID
– 2 doses 88% effective
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Real talk: globally, most people will get infected or vaccinated. Looks like the B.1.617.2 variant from India may be even *more* transmissible than B.1.1.7 which wreaked havoc. Countries without vaccines or big prior outbreaks are sitting ducks. WE COULD RESPOND BUT WE ARE NOT. pic.twitter.com/1vF3581t4F
— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) May 28, 2021
Devices:
Epidemiology/Infection control:
COVID Long Haulers Illuminate Overlooked Medical Condition While “textbook cases” of POTS present as heart palpitations and lightheadedness, symptoms can include brain fog, tiredness, exercise intolerance, chronic nausea, constipation, sleep disturbance, or metabolic dysfunction. While anyone can develop the condition, women ages 15 to 50 are disproportionately affected. POTS is infamously difficult to diagnose, with the average diagnostic delay at more than 5 years. https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/92861? ~ ~ ~
Why Contact Tracing Couldn’t Keep Up With The U.S. COVID Outbreak
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/06/03/1002878557/why-contact-tracing-couldnt-keep-up-with-the-u-s-covid-outbreak ~ ~ ~ Following detection of a new coronavirus variant, Vietnam banned all nonessential activities in Ho Chi Minh City, and plans to test all 9 million residents. (Washington Post) ~ ~ ~
2/ The COVID case rate,
— Céline Gounder, MD, ScM, FIDSA (@celinegounder) May 30, 2021
hospitalization rate,
and death rate
for UNvaccinated persons
are similar to what they were on December 31, 2020.https://t.co/s300C3QCDd
Tips, general reading for public:
StayAtHome
Wash your hands.
Rinse and repeat.
Politics:
Texas Hospital Lifts Mask Mandate
According to county data, only 26% of eligible residents in Ector County, where Odessa is located, are fully vaccinated, and about 31% received at least 1 dose.
Also, CDC guidelines for healthcare settings recommend that all healthcare personnel and patients continue to wear masks, regardless of their vaccination status.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/92890? ~ ~ ~ In the U.K., all people employed by the public healthcare system may be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine. (AP) Here, hospital workers are suing to stop mandatory vaccinations.
Health care workers who don’t understand science. Cool cool.
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) May 30, 2021
117 staffers sue over Houston hospital’s vaccine mandate, say they don’t want to be ‘guinea pigs’ https://t.co/U8hhoV5yp5
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In the middle of an economic crisis, Republican-led states wrongfully redirected federal funds that were meant to go to the neediest families to anti-abortion clinics. Let that sink in. https://t.co/mkC4YjN6iu
— UltraViolet (Text JOIN to 98688) (@UltraViolet) June 5, 2021
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Wealth of Jeff Bezos
— Andrea Junker (@Strandjunker) May 26, 2021
2009: $6.8 billion
2021: $188 billion
Wealth of Mark Zuckerberg
2009: $2 billion
2021: $117 billion
U.S. Minimum Wage
2009: $7.25
2021: $7.25
Three words: tax the rich.
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Members of the PA legislature today voted to fine women who miscarry and force them to fill out this form. This is traumatizing for women experiencing incredible loss. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/AAnB79MGy5
— Val Arkoosh (@ValArkooshPA) May 25, 2021
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Could there be a better metaphor for our time? "ConocoPhillips plans to install 'chillers' into the permafrost — which is fast melting because of climate change — to keep it solid enough to support the equipment to drill for oil." https://t.co/sZ38Q77mAp
— Elizabeth Kolbert (@ElizKolbert) May 27, 2021
~ ~ ~ Watch this speech and then read the following article. So impressed by Paxton Smith!
Lake Highlands High School valedictorian Paxton Smith used her 3-minute speech to attack Texas’ new restrictive abortion law after making a last-minute speech switch.
— William Joy (@WilliamJoy) June 2, 2021
It's now gone viral. Tonight on @wfaa, you'll get to hear from her about everything that's happened since. pic.twitter.com/ShRwHZjDbZ
Paxton Smith is the valedictorian of Lake Highlands High School's class of 2021. She submitted her commencement speech for approval, then tossed it aside. She had something else to say about the new state law that bans abortions as early as six weeks. https://t.co/NUd5LLmU1a
— D Magazine (@DMagazine) June 1, 2021
Feel good du jour:
Last August we got teddy, a sweet French bulldog. He was perfect! Happy, energetic, curious, playful, and loving. Oh, and did I mention HAPPY? He also loved helping do the dishes… (2/x) pic.twitter.com/Igl04efSly
— Jonathan Clark (@clark_jonathane) May 31, 2021
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https://twitter.com/aniket_anikett/status/1399327636799688704?s=20
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Feel good du jour–plus outrage at the school's rigid rules that prompted this kindness from a teacher.
— Judy Stone (@DrJudyStone) June 1, 2021
A student was barred from graduation for wearing the wrong shoes. So a teacher gave him the shoes off his own feet. https://t.co/MIwSvbp32T
Comic relief:
Thread from Shabba:
loool this aged well https://t.co/R0rJWgfamT pic.twitter.com/UV8s2sTBFm
— M (@mobzw) May 26, 2021
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In six words or fewer, write a story about this photo. #sixwordstory #WritingCommunity pic.twitter.com/UHGcorHXE2
— Agatha Chocolats (@AgathaChocolats) May 31, 2021
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Guess who decided to eat the inkjet cartridge ? pic.twitter.com/kWvbnmIXpd
— Oh Why Bother (@radionic_powers) May 28, 2021
Perspective/Poem
The ‘Lab Leak’ Debate Matters — But Not for the Reasons You Think
— Open discussion in science is a necessity
https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/vinay-prasad/92868?
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I taught a class this spring on the war in Viet Nam. My students interviewed American and Vietnamese survivors. Their task was to study how all wars are fought twice, the first time on the battlefield, the second time in memory. Here are some of their remarkable stories.
— Viet Thanh Nguyen (@viet_t_nguyen) May 28, 2021
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On this #MemorialDay I love to share this video.
— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) May 31, 2021
French caretakers take the sand from Omaha Beach in Normandy and scrub them into the letters to give them the brown/gold coloring.
They do this for all 9,386 soldiers who died.
France also gave us this land as American soil. pic.twitter.com/20OOOIg9u3
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“A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches to the sky. It tells us that in order to aspire we need to be grounded and that no matter how high we go it is from our roots that we draw sustenance.”
— Forest Service NW (@ForestServiceNW) May 31, 2021
—Wangari Maathai#MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/wUUG5ZprPF
Bits of beauty:
