The COVID vaccines are working better than expected against variants (Article)

Interesting, although I see it doesn't specifically address the Delta variant that came from India and is leading to a rise in cases now in the UK. That's something I've been trying to keep an eye on as we decide whether or not we stick with some European travel plans for later this year.

Still some good news here!

Mumbo said...
From what I recall in articles that came out this week, the Delta variant has been studied relative to the Pfizer vaccine and indicates that the second shot is really important as the initial shot immunity to Delta is much lower. Overall immunity with two shots is lower as well but pretty good still. Could not find any discussion yet about J&J or AZ vaccines and Delta variant but sure that will be coming soon once this gets rolling.

Yes...the Pfizer vaccine shows 33% effectiveness against Delta after one shot but 88% effectiveness after two shots (compared to 93% effectiveness against previous variants). This is good news. But in places like Canada where the second shot is typically delayed by months as compared to the two week delay in the USA this poses added risk as the Delta strain becomes more prevalent.

The fear in the USA continues to be that as vaccination rates slow there is the opportunity for some new variant to emerge -- for which the current vaccines are not as effective. This blows a hole in the theory that anti-COVID-vaxxers tend to use, i.e. it only affects me if I don't get a shot. Right now that is generally true in the USA. But if a new strain emerges that the current vaccines do not stop then all of us are right back in the shi*. I know this will do little to convince people to get a shot because of their convictions about their "rights" or worries that their DNA might change or whatever.

Jim

Michael_T said...
That's actually a global issue--the more unvaccinated people that we have anywhere in the world, the more likely we'll have variants. The Delta variant from India makes up 6% of covid cases in the US already.

I did have a neighbor tell me the other day that she wouldn't get vaccinated because then she'd be magnetized and keys would stick to her. I explained that was a win-win: you get vaccinated plus you'll never lose your keys.

Thats both funny, and sad at the same time. I have a friend who is just not ready to take the vaccine, saying its not fully approved and they dont know enough about it, long term. I definitely see her point. To me, its worth the risk to get back to the life we want. But everyone is differrent, which is why this virus will never be fully gone.

cats and dogs living together...if you think about it what disease ever got away(yeh I know the ones that have and its rare} actually...you...Mattam...had the smartest take on covid when it first presented...something about culling the worlds over population...said in a very clinical manner...not that there is anything wrong with that...Covid is the least of our problems in todays bleak and hopeful environs...although the environs have pretty much been this way for the duration of recorded time...call it the Gilda Radner...

Paul...do we know how long people that have recovered from covid have immunity? I doubt we know precisely at this stage, but I'm under the impression that it's likely to be a limited period.

I've also read that covid long haulers have had some relief from their symptoms after vaccination, although I'm pretty sure that's all anecdotal.

mattam said...
<< "which is why this virus will never be fully gone." >>

So, if we don't tamp this virus down as much as we can and as soon as we can, does it have the capacity to mutate into into a much more virulent version? Wouldn't that be a blast. A highly contagious virus that becomes very lethal too. Talk about chaos and pandemonium.

A quick Google search doesn't seem to provide a good answer. I don't see anything saying that possibility has a low probability. You would think that we all should have learned a lesson over the past year.

This is exactly what the experts are worried about, as long as the virus keeps spreading in certain parts of the world, the virus will continue to mutate and at some point we may get a variant that evades the vaccine. I read an opinion piece yesterday in The NY Times that talked about science being behind the 8 ball and we should be developing vaccines for variants that are anticipated to develop, rather than just for mutations that are already here, otherwise we will always be chasing the virus and it’s mutations.

My neighbor who was infected last November recently had a physical and asked for the antibody test. The test showed he was carrying the antibodies. So thats 7 months of resistance for him.

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the gain of function research that was ongoing at the Wuhan lab (the lab is partially funded with US tax dollars).

mattam said...
<< "which is why this virus will never be fully gone." >>

So, if we don't tamp this virus down as much as we can and as soon as we can, does it have the capacity to mutate into into a much more virulent version? Wouldn't that be a blast. A highly contagious virus that becomes very lethal too. Talk about chaos and pandemonium.

A quick Google search doesn't seem to provide a good answer. I don't see anything saying that possibility has a low probability. You would think that we all should have learned a lesson over the past year.

Is it likely to do that no matter what we do? Just how many "variants" are there going to be over the next year or two? I can't help but think of here what we go thru with the flu shots every year. You never really know until flu season is in full swing whether the vaccine is going to be 10% effective or 60% effective.

I don't think I have ever seen 90% effective for flu vaccines as is being claimed for the new vaccines. Is that because the new ones are not really vaccines in the traditional sense? I.E. exposing the body to a dead or weakened pathogen, then the bodies normal immune system takes over and develops a response to this virus which it can from then on recognize.

I don't know the details with the new stuff, other than most of them(inc. J+J?) work somehow with messenger RNA. Which contain the instructions cells need to make a piece of the spike protein but not the fully functioning COVID-19 virus. So, vastly different than anything we have ever seen before. Maybe that is what accounts for the 90%? But how will that work with all of these variants that are bound to be coming along? Who knows, fingers crossed, but there are also bound to be flat out new viruses coming along in the future. Just like Covid-19 was a new threat to humans starting just 18 months ago. And hopefully we won't- now that Covid-19 threat seems greatly diminished, we won't soon be seeing a bad flu season that might take out 60 or 70K of us, even with traditional vaccines available. We live in interesting times.

To that point ...

I recently returned from my summertime appointment at Mayo Clinic --- to update scans, and consult with Dr. Kwon.

There, on the Mayo Medical Campus --- in the heart of Rochester, Minnesota --- medical masks are visible everywhere --- and required for every medical appointment.

The medical campus is almost like a "city within a larger city" --- and mask-wearing is evident, wherever you go.

The same is true when I go to my local medical appointments, in the oncology department.

I imagine masks will be required in medical centers for the foreseeable future?

As I reflect on this --- encountering chemotherapy and radiation patients whenever I visit the clinic --- I have no reservations about wearing a mask when I go to the treatment center.

If I catch a summertime cold, I would certainly not wish for other oncology patients to inadvertently catch it from me.

We've ALL sat in waiting rooms listening to others "hack, cough, sneeze, and blow their noses" --- and you quietly think to yourself that you hope you don't catch their cold.

For THIS setting --- mask wearing seems to be a way of helping to protect others --- including my doctors and medical staff.

They care deeply about me, and I truly value all they do for me.

Thoughts to share --
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Additional anecdote ----

Certainly hoping things will be in full-swing for staff and students at my school, this fall.

That being said --- the school nurse told me that incidents of "colds and flu" at school were less than she has ever seen, and she has been our school nurse for decades.

Typically, the nurse's office at my school is SWAMPED! You can all visualize that ...

On the national news, they reported that two strains of influenza are now considered EXTINCT, because of mask-wearing this past year.

No traces of these two specific influenza strains have been detected anywhere on the globe.

Small "silver lining" there, to be sure!
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State ~ Starting My Countdown To Fall Football Season!