Dr. Klotman’s Week 190 COVID video update offers the following pearls:
- SARS-CoV-2 strain HV.1 (a descendant of EG.5) continues to be the dominant strain in the US
- The current COVID vaccine offers protection from EG.5 and probably HV.1 as well
- Most of the ER visits for viral respiratory infections have shifted from COVID to Flu and RSV
- Recent surveys show that the prevalence of anti-vax beliefs has increased since the onset of the pandemic. Sigh.
- Recent studies of the genomes of bats show that bats have lost their ability to produce Interferon alfa (which humans produce in response to viral infections) and instead produce Interferon omega which is effective against RNA and DNA viruses and cancer too!
With respect to anti-vax beliefs, I must add that I read a CDC report today that said that 3% of US Kindergarteners had waivers for state-mandated vaccinations. This is the highest rate of un-vaccinated kinder students ever recorded in the USA.
My FB friend Amy recently commented on one of my medical posts that it seems that we are living in a third-world country. I couldn’t agree more, but the difference between us and the actual third world is that we have created our third world by choice. The actual third world is so because of resources and circumstances.
My friend Caren Zysk often says that “Happiness is a Choice.” I think that she is right, and so is Ignorance.