All About Vaccines

[JB]

FDA authorizes first pill to treat Covid-19
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/22/healt...zed/index.html

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Pfizer's antiviral pill, Paxlovid, to treat Covid-19.

This is the first antiviral Covid-19 pill authorized for ill people to take at home, before they get sick enough to be hospitalized.
High-risk individuals age 12 and older who weigh at least 88 pounds and have a positive SARS-CoV-2 test are eligible for this treatment and will need to have it prescribed by a doctor.
The pill "should be initiated as soon as possible after diagnosis of Covid-19 and within five days of symptom onset," according to an FDA statement.

[JB]

Very interesting.

NFL chief medical officer: Symptomatic players driving COVID-19 spread; no indications of asymptomatic spread
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...l-officer-says

The NFL is battling the latest COVID-19 surge with an understanding that symptomatic individuals are driving transmission within the team environment, chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said Thursday, with no indications of asymptomatic spread.

That position represents a significant departure from the pandemic-long stance of public health authorities, who have warned about the possibility of individuals spreading the virus without being aware they are infected.

Sills first told the NFL Network that the league has not seen verifiable asymptomatic spread this season, and later fleshed out his point in an interview with ESPN.

[CaptainEurope]

Very interesting.

NFL chief medical officer: Symptomatic players driving COVID-19 spread; no indications of asymptomatic spread
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...l-officer-says

I am seeing a lot of push to let asymptomatic but positive people back to work, and it worries me.

I just think there is no way this virus would spread as fast and as wide as it did if there were no significant asymptomatic spread. People with symptoms by and large reduce the number of contacts they have significantly.

[Tami]

I am seeing a lot of push to let asymptomatic but positive people back to work, and it worries me.

I just think there is no way this virus would spread as fast and as wide as it did if there were no significant asymptomatic spread. People with symptoms by and large reduce the number of contacts they have significantly.

I think there is going to be a time when identifying all asymptomatic people will be nearly impossible. Even with free testing, people are going to slip through the cracks, not realizing that they may be carriers. Much like having a mild cold and thinking it's just allergies. If more people are vaccinated, then it might not be as much an issue.

[Jim Kelly]

If you're vaccinated, can't you still be a carrier and asymptomatic? I would think there would be a brief period, where the virus is in you but the anti-bodies haven't yet got rid of it, so you could be passing on the virus to others.

I've heard that the omicron variant lives in the nasal passages, rather than going down into the lungs. Which is good in one way, as it shouldn't cause as much lung damage. But if it's in your nose and sinuses, then it can probably hide out there for a while and you're breathing it out to others.

[Tami]

If you're vaccinated, can't you still be a carrier and asymptomatic? I would think there would be a brief period, where the virus is in you but the anti-bodies haven't yet got rid of it, so you could be passing on the virus to others.

I've heard that the omicron variant lives in the nasal passages, rather than going down into the lungs. Which is good in one way, as it shouldn't cause as much lung damage. But if it's in your nose and sinuses, then it can probably hide out there for a while and you're breathing it out to others.

That's one reason why it is considered to be more contagious. if a virus is in your lungs, you practically have to cough it out to spread it. If it is in the upper respiratory tract and nose/sinus area then simply breathing may possible be enough to spread it. Though sneezing would spread it faster, as well as talking.

That is just my amateur assessment, best to check with the CDC to know for sure.

[JB]

If you're vaccinated, can't you still be a carrier and asymptomatic? I would think there would be a brief period, where the virus is in you but the anti-bodies haven't yet got rid of it, so you could be passing on the virus to others.

I've heard that the omicron variant lives in the nasal passages, rather than going down into the lungs. Which is good in one way, as it shouldn't cause as much lung damage. But if it's in your nose and sinuses, then it can probably hide out there for a while and you're breathing it out to others.

Yeah, I believe that's why we're seeing such fast outbreaks as it's much more contagious even among vaccinated crowds. But thankfully symptoms remain mostly mild.

55 cruise passengers test positive for COVID, second Royal Caribbean ship with problems
https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavi...4iu-story.html

Another COVID outbreak has struck a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after 55 people tested positive on the Odyssey of the Seas on Wednesday.

The ship will no longer make scheduled stops in Curaçao and Aruba, USA Today reported. However, it will continue to sail through the Caribbean while the infected passengers are isolated.

It’s the second outbreak on a Royal Caribbean cruise in the past seven days. The Symphony of the Seas returned to Miami with 48 COVID cases on Dec. 18.

All 55 people who tested positive on Odyssey of the Seas were vaccinated, Royal Caribbean told USA Today. No one was hospitalized, and all cases were either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, the company said.

[Tami]

Pfizer antiviral pills may be risky with other medications

The Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s Paxlovid for mild to moderate Covid in people as young as 12 who have underlying conditions that raise the risk of hospitalization and death from the coronavirus, such as heart disease or diabetes. However, one of the two drugs in the antiviral cocktail could cause severe or life-threatening interactions with widely used medications, including statins, blood thinners and some antidepressants. And the FDA does not recommend Paxlovid for people with severe kidney or liver disease.

Because of experts’ concerns about the potential side effects of Merck’s molnupiravir, the FDA has restricted its use to adults and only in scenarios in which other authorized treatments, including monoclonal antibodies, are inaccessible or are not “clinically appropriate.”

The Paxlovid cocktail consists of two tablets of the antiviral nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir, a drug that has long been used as what is known as a boosting agent in HIV regimens. Ritonavir suppresses a key liver enzyme called CYP3A, which metabolizes many medications, including nirmatrelvir. In the case of Paxlovid treatment, ritonavir slows the body’s breakdown of the active antiviral and helps it remain at a therapeutic level for longer.

When Paxlovid is paired with other medications that are also metabolized by the CYP3A enzyme, the chief worry is that the ritonavir component may boost the co-administered drugs to toxic levels.

[CaptainEurope]

If you're vaccinated, can't you still be a carrier and asymptomatic? I would think there would be a brief period, where the virus is in you but the anti-bodies haven't yet got rid of it, so you could be passing on the virus to others.

I've heard that the omicron variant lives in the nasal passages, rather than going down into the lungs. Which is good in one way, as it shouldn't cause as much lung damage. But if it's in your nose and sinuses, then it can probably hide out there for a while and you're breathing it out to others.

We don't know if it's the way it behaves among people with no immunity, though. Much of the observation of Omicron so far has been in people who either were reinfected, or had (diminished) protection from vaccination. Because when we say that the long term protection from vaccination from serious disease remains (due to t-cell immunity), that is exactly what usually happens: The virus still gets to infect the upper respiratory system, but the immune system kicks in before it can move on to the lungs and other organs. It's quite possible that an anti-vaxxer who has not previously had one of the other strains gets sever pneumonia from Omicron, it's too early to know that for sure. We'll know more in one or two weeks.

[JB]

Biden says Covid surge needs to be solved at state level, vows full federal support
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/27/bide...l-support.html

President Joe Biden pledged to aid governors struggling with the omicron variant of Covid-19, but acknowledged the states will need to take the lead in controlling the pandemic.

Speaking just before a meeting Monday with some of the nation’s governors, Biden said: “There is no federal solution. This gets solved at a state level.”

Biden reiterated some of the promises he made last week, including the federal government’s purchase of 500 million rapid coronavirus tests.

Update: Biden has left for Delaware for the remainder of the year.

[JB]

CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...-guidance.html

Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, CDC is shortening the recommended time for isolation from 10 days for people with COVID-19 to 5 days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after. Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for 5 days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for 5 days to minimize the risk of infecting others.

[JB]

Biden saying there is no federal solution to COVID means our patchwork response continues
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opini...ic/9034179002/

Well, President Joe Biden finally decided to say the quiet part out loud. After months of carrying on about a national plan and the need to follow guidelines and best practices, he finally threw his hands in the air and admitted it.

This pandemic will end when the states sort out how to end it.

"Look, there is no federal solution," Biden said Monday, according to a transcript of a conversation he had with a group of governors. "This gets solved at a state level."

Now, if you've paid attention to the national trends during the pandemic you already knew this. You already knew that the states and governors hold the actual power in fighting this God-forsaken pandemic. You already knew that our experience throughout all of this was dependent on where we live. You already knew this.

But for the president of the United States to casually say the solution to this problem is with the states is jarring because it makes crystal clear that where we live matters in a way that maybe it hadn't before.

Keep in mind that he said this as the nation deals with an omicron variant that is ransacking the country. He said it as the United States reported more than half a million new cases on Monday. He said it as Texas ran out of a vital tool for fighting the virus. He said it as California saw more than 4,000 COVID hospitalizations on Sunday.

[tarbabe]

With the new Covid-19 guidelines, it seems the CDC wants the virus to spread.

[Tami]

With the new Covid-19 guidelines, it seems the CDC wants the virus to spread.

No, the guidelines are solid and based on nearly two years of study. There are still recommendations for wearing masks and testing.

[JB]

With the new Covid-19 guidelines, it seems the CDC wants the virus to spread.

There seems to be a lot of new data on asymptomatic spread as we're seeing the NFL changing their rules a bit and healthcare facilities as well. We're learning as we're going.

CDC Releases Emergency Guidance for Healthcare Facilities to Prepare for Potential Omicron Surge
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2...r-omicron.html

These updates provide healthcare facilities with the strategies to limit the effects of staff shortages caused by COVID-19 on patient care and note that:

Healthcare workers with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic can return to work after 7 days with a negative test, and that isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing shortages.
Healthcare workers who have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses, including a booster, do not need to quarantine at home following high-risk exposures.