10-04-2023, 06:09 PM
(10-04-2023, 01:58 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: I keep seeing all these articles saying Covid is coming back and I see people in videos wearing masks again, but hasn't everyone had it by now, meaning they have antibodies?
Not everyone has had Covid. The cases numbers have waxed and waned over time. The virus mutates, creates a new variant, case numbers go up. More people acquire immunity via immunization or by getting infected, and the case numbers go down. Lather, rinse, repeat. People can get Covid multiple times due to the variants. even with acquired immunity (vaccine or previous infection), although it is less likely. The severity varies even in the same person infected more than once.
Most people don’t have symptoms the first two days after being infected although they are contagious. Procedure or surgical masks can reduce the chance a contagious person spreads the virus to others. Just like when our mom tells us to cover our mouth and nose when we cough or sneeze with a cold. A procedure or surgical masks is not meant to be worn to prevent the wearer from getting sick, but prevent the sick person from getting others sick. It isn’t 100% effective, but is proven to reduce the spread. I keep seeing this misrepresented almost 4 years later. It’s very frustrating An N95 mask is what providers wear when seeing Covid patients so they don’t get infected.
If you don’t want to get sick, wear a N95 mask. If you don’t want to get others sick, wear a procedure mask. (Based upon the risk associated with the setting and your risk factors for severe Covid.)
Quote:Do antibodies not protect against the new variants?
Unfortunately, it’s not a simple yes or no answer. It’s more of a “well, it depends” answer. It’s a lock and key analogy. Your bodies antibodies are the key. The Covid virus is the lock. If the key fits, you have immunity. If the virus mutates so much the key doesn’t fit, you don’t have immunity. If the virus changes slightly and the key still kinda works, but not perfectly, then you have partial immunity. So far partial immunity has been shown to decrease severe infection resulting in hospitalization and deaths.
The state of Georgia maintained a website tracking Covid hospitalization and deaths, but stopped sometime after the delta variant. Initially, for every one vaccinated person with severe Covid there were 10 unvaccinated patients with severe Covid. With the delta variant the ratio was 1:2 instead of 1:10. So during the course of that website monitoring cases here the unvaccinated were 100 to 1000% more likely to get severe Covid compared to the vaccinated. I don’t know the numbers since that website no longer tracks the cases.
Quote:I see that people are getting vaccinated again, but is it even needed?
They are recommended.
I will add this. Everything in medicine involves risks and benefits. Aspirin is available over the counter and is generally considered safe. However, it can cause complications that result in death. There is always a risk/benefit analysis with every intervention. If the benefit outweighs the risk, proceed. If the risk outweighs the benefit, stop. You’ve shared you are high risk for severe Covid so I think you should discuss the risks and benefits of immunization with your provided.
