Dr. Klotman’s Week 231 video update addresses several viral illness issues. These include:
- A recent study of vaccine uptake among healthcare workers reveals that vaccine mandates that offer no exceptions (religious, medical, etc.) increase vaccination rates by about 3.5% whereas mandates that allow exceptions have no impact on vaccine uptake at all.
- The government of Nassau County, NY on Long Island passed a law that bans the wearing of face masks in public. The law has exceptions for religious and medical reasons. How dumb can we be? Very!
- A European study of the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination concluded that 1.6 million lives were saved by vaccination. Europe lost about 2.2 million people to COVID-19. The US lost over 1 million.
- Vaccine uptake in Europe was 87% for the initial dose, 82% for the second dose, then 71% for the first booster, 24% for the next, and 5% for the third booster. Bottom line, we are a dull species too ready to sacrifice ourselves on the altar of ignorance.
- The rate of long COVID seems to fall from 84% to 61% from the first to second year post-COVID infection.
- This summer’s surge of COVID is a nationwide phenomenon. Most of it is due to FLRT variants (KP.2, KP.3, KP.3.1.1). JN.1 infections in the USA have all but vanished despite this variant’s persistence abroad.
- The US COVID incidence map shows that COVID is widespread de; no state has been spared. We all need to get the new vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
- Parvovirus B19, the cause of Fifth disease in children, is on the rise. Its an issue for women of childbearing age. The rest of us are just collateral damage; it’s typically a mild respiratory illness.
- MPox is still an issue – particularly in the central Congo. The cases outside of Africa, thus far, are milder than those seen in the DRC.
- So far, MPox infection has not been seen in household pets (cats and dogs).
- H5N1 Bird Flu has been found in domestic cats (a dozen or fewer) – presumably from cats coming into contact with infected fowl.
In other COVID news, the latest m-RNA COVID vaccines target KP.2. They should provide good coverage against COVID variants such as KP.3.1.1, which is the most common in the US right now.
In the anecdotal world of my personal social circle, I have had several friends report new COVID infections. To a one, they relate their infections to becoming complacent about masking in venues such as grocery stores. I am guilty of the same sin, but I have mended my ways after my recent (and only) bout of COVID.
Wear your mask. If you get arrested for being masked, just say that you are especially vulnerable to severe respiratory infections because you, like me, are old and fucked up.