Week of November 1, 2021
This week I shifted to managing logical fallacies as a symptom rather than a treatable disorder. One of my immunocompromised patients (who owns a robust collection of t-shirts espousing how her first and second amendment rights trump my feelings) told me that she would not get a vaccine booster. She explained that the vaccines were experimental and didn't work (or we would not need another shot). And though she received her initial two doses to go on a cruise in July, a third shot, she stated, infringes upon her rights with an experimental concoction that could poison her body. (I am paraphrasing a more circumlocutious set of thoughts.) Three sentences into my typical reply, I realized my efforts at education did not address my patient's higher-level pathology. I stopped, advised her to consume different media (the real problem here), and finished the appointment. Time will tell if this is the start of cynical and silent resignation or merely wanting to get through my Friday. Either way, and at least for that patient, misinformation won the day.
---- Latest Data
Deaths rates and hospitalizations continue to decline in the U.S. Case rates MAY be plateauing, but another week will better illustrate the trend.
From the CDC weekly roundup, "Overall, about 221.3 million people, or 66.7% of the total U.S. population, have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 191.2 million people, or 57.6% of the total U.S. population, have been fully vaccinated. About 15.4 million additional/booster doses in fully vaccinated people have been reported."
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html
and
https://theuscovidatlas.org/map?src=county_usfacts&var=Confirmed_Count_per_100K_Population&mthd=lisa&v=2
Country Comparison from FT.com
https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=eur&areas=usa&areas=gbr&areas=rus&areas=rou&areas=lva&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usla&areasRegional=usnv&areasRegional=usar&areasRegional=usks&areasRegional=usmo&cumulative=0&logScale=1&per100K=1&startDate=2021-06-01&values=cases
CDC Weekly Review of Data and Variant Tracking
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/covidview/index.html
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The Royal Society of Chemistry offered an overview of future applications for mRNA vaccines. The forcing function of deploying mRNA vaccines at scale has opened a lot of doors.
https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/mrna-vaccines-for-covid-and-beyond/4014420.article
A pre-release meta-analysis from UC Santa Cruz aggregated data from numerous studies demonstrating the effectiveness of a third Pfizer dose in both protecting the recipient and diminishing transmission.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.25.21265500v1.full-text
commentary
https://twitter.com/erictopol/status/1453153076165021696?s=10
Eric Topol shared some data that helps better explain the age-related responses to COVID infections.
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1453767573187694595?s=20
from
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-021-00127-2
An FDA advisory panel voted in support of a EUA for using the Pfizer vaccine in 5 to 11-year-olds. Numerous articles on the data supporting this decision are available.
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-authorizes-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-emergency-use-children-5-through-11-years-age
Background
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/health/moderna-covid-vaccine-children.html
The intense review of the data set also illustrated how safe these vaccines are:
https://twitter.com/Yair_Rosenberg/status/1453146020674777088
JAMA published this observational review of 52,000 healthcare workers who reported a history of vaccine allergies. Overall, it appears that "vaccines can be given safely in those with previous allergic events, even for individuals who reported immediate and potential allergic reactions after the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. And the second dose can be safely administered."
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2785466
commentary
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/10/study-nearly-all-severely-allergic-people-tolerate-covid-vaccines
While several medicines are (inappropriately) used for COVID, there are some new data about the antidepressant fluvoxamine (Luvox). "Among patients with Covid-19 symptoms (and confirmed infections) for 1 week or less, and at least one risk factor for serious disease, those receiving fluvoxamine twice per day for 10 days were substantially less likely to require hospitalization (either to an observation unit for more than 6 hours, or to a full medical unit)."
https://insidemedicine.bulletin.com/399057735019874
Infographics!
The oddest infographic team I have found (from America's Top Provider of Premium Custom Metal Carports and Garages), Alan's Factory Outlet's research team, offers the deepest underground structures in the world.
https://alansfactoryoutlet.com/the-deepest-underground-structures-in-the-world/
Once again, I ask - why does Alan's have such a robust media team, and how do they pick their topics?
Things I learned this week.
Whales are a natural carbon capture system (when dead) and, perhaps, conversation partners (while alive).
https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2019/12/natures-solution-to-climate-change-chami.htm
Talking to whales
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/10/someday-we-might-really-be-able-talk-whales/620552/
There is a professional cuddler who charges $60 an hour to hug and snuggle.
https://www.businessinsider.com/professional-cuddler-2014-7
Recent updates on her blog speak to the challenges of a financially sustainable snuggling business.
https://cuddleuptome.com/updates/
Thanks to a loyal reader, I have a newfound respect for the visual skills of waterfowl. "Waterfowl can see two to three times farther than humans, thanks to powerful muscles that control the curvature of their corneas and lenses. In the human eye, only the lens can adjust. This remarkable adaptation suggests that a duck's vision is by far its most powerful sense. It can see a lot farther than it can hear." And, "They see reds, greens, yellows, and blues more vibrantly–thanks to their retinas–plus an extra set of cones allows them to see ultraviolet radiation. This gives them exceptional light sensitivity; as a result, shine and glare are the duck hunter's enemy. Whether it's a blued shotgun receiver or a pale, exposed face, waterfowl are adept at spotting unnatural reflection."
https://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/master-class/2013/10/how-ducks-see-science-behind-waterfowl-eyesight/
Steve Pruitt (AKA Ser Amantio di Nicolao) is the single most prolific Wikipedia editor globally - by a considerable margin. His Wikipedia page unironically states, "As of 2017, Pruitt is a contractor for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he works with records and information and prefers to work on paper."
How he compares to other Wikipedia editors:
https://mcusercontent.com/05dafa9b4317774547b114632/images/7e211d91-9a17-9ddb-ae70-1cfa853b0c4b.jpg
(From https://www.chartr.co/newsletters/2021/10/29/wikipedia-super-users)
About Steve
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Pruitt
Clean hands and sharp minds,
Adam
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