Doctor Is In by Dr. Adil Manzoor OP/ED
Okay. It’s been well over a year now since COVID first reared its ugly, disgusting head in the United States of America. But you know all about that, don’t you? What you may be curious about is where we stand right now.
Let me give a quick summary: We’re not in a great spot.
Some of you may think that’s playing down our achievements, given the nature of the virus. But we are literally in a fourth wave! Cases are starting to rise again – that’s not great. Eight months ago, that would have been even more horrible to hear. Luckily, we have vaccines now.
But that doesn’t tell the full story. This is because of the emergence of new variants that have challenged the efficacy of our vaccines. Now, even the vaccine doesn’t guarantee absolute protection, leading to booster doses that have complicated matters even more.
The good news (let’s call it that) in all of this is hospitalizations and deaths are reducing. This is because of the protective effects of the vaccine.
However, it’s not all good news with transmission, though. Many states and counties have high or substantial transmission, leading to the CDC calling for masks to be worn at indoor gatherings. In Illinois, for instance, 101 of its 102 counties were experiencing either substantial or high levels of community transmission. This should be where I go, ‘I told you so!’ but there’s already enough negativity in the air so I’ll let it slide.
The CDC sort of lifted the mask mandate some months ago. While masks were still required to be worn under some circumstances, many people took it the wrong way and stopped wearing them totally. And here we are – cases are increasing. Again.
Then there are also breakthrough infections, which are infections that arise even after full vaccination against the virus. This is really what triggered the administration of booster doses. Some weeks back, third doses were approved for immunocompromised patients. General belief is also that the US will approve booster doses eight months after people take the second vaccine dose. Maybe, and just maybe, we will be able to prevent the emergence of other variants.
What about testing? You may recollect one of the catchphrases of our former president was the testing in the United States being higher than every other part of the world. Testing, at the moment, is also not enough. In fact, our Test Positivity Rate (TPR) went over 10% recently. High TPR values suggest higher transmission and that there are likely more people with coronavirus in the community who haven’t been tested yet. So, we need to test more.
Let’s examine deaths. Because cases are increasing, deaths, by implication, are also on the rise. But, unlike the other three waves, the curve isn’t sharp. That’s relieving, and goes to reinforce the benefits of vaccinations for both hospitalizations and deaths.
And speaking of which, the United States has more than 60% of its population having taken at least one dose. I, and many others for that, used to think herd immunity was the way to go. But that idea is starting to seem more unlikely.
There are many uncertainties regarding this virus and vaccines for it because it’s a novel virus. But one thing is certain – we still have a long way to go before we can truly overcome the coronavirus. And vaccines are still the only way we know that can get us through it all.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
· https://yourlocalepidemio logist.substack.com/p/state-of-affairs-august-9-2021?fbclid=IwAR1oG5b9te2pP-d4k_T_KCb-KLFkQ_k-_LqNdliViOc3Xz1w7X0FiG4qkQs
· https://coronavirus. marinhhs.org/covid-19-status-update-08162021
· https://www.nbcchicago. com/news/coronavirus/illinois-coronavirus-updates-vaccine-booster-doses-what-we-know-about-variants/2591948/?amp
