This is Dr. Paul Klotman’s COVID Update for Week 111 of the COVID Apocalypse. For those who will challenge my characterization of this pandemic as an Apocalypse, I submit the WHO’s estimate of 15 million worldwide direct and indirect deaths attributable to SARS-CoV-2. How many deaths would you like to see before you acknowledge the apocalyptic scope of this disease?
The pandemic numbers (cases, hospitalizations, & deaths) are gyrating far less now than earlier in the pandemic, but it is still not a good idea for folks my age to let their guards down. For the moment, the pandemic is smoldering, but that can change quickly as our vaccine and disease-induced immunity subsides and as the virus continues to mutate. The combination of these factors has led to a greater percentage of cases occurring among older, vaccinated Americans. Nonetheless, vaccination reduces severe COVID by a factor of 10 and COVID death by a factor of 20. The vaccinated are develop breakthrough infections despite being vaccinated rather than because of it.
It is probably wisest for the older among us (I’m 73 and soon to be 74) to continue to wear masks in indoor venues. I still am not going to malls, movies, and indoor social events. I do go to the store and pharmacy. The virus appears to have found a durable American zoonotic niche among White tail deer; whether it will jump back to people from this reservoir is uncertain. At least sheep, goats, and cattle do not appear to be infected.
Among humans, the virus continues to mutate. Sigh.