CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 01/21/2021

FROM THE MARSHALL NEW MESSENGER:

CHRISTUS Good Shepherd to take part in COVID-19 treatment trial

(J. Harris: The Christus hospitals in Marshall and Longview have treated many Covid patients. They are now entering a medical study group to try out additional

therapy, some of which they have used in the past. Christus-Marshall has an active Covid ward and are doing a nice job.)

VACCINES PROTECT AGAINST THE “B 17” MUTATION

Experts say it’s possible some of the new variants may not respond as well to existing vaccines as other forms of the virus. But they stress that the vaccines generate incredibly robust immune responses, so they can withstand some drop in their potency without losing their ability to protect people against Covid-19…Eventually, it’s expected the virus could pick up enough significant mutations that vaccine makers will need to update their immunizations, a process that experts say would likely take a matter of weeks to months, not years….Eventually, it’s expected the virus could pick up enough significant mutations that vaccine makers will need to update their immunizations, a process that experts say would likely take a matter of weeks to months, not years.

(J. Harris: In years to come, we may need Covid booster vaccinations, just like we do with Flu which also mutates from place to place and from time to time.

Maybe a Flu + Covide Vaccine might be formulated. For now, TAKE YOUR COVID VACCINATION AS SOON AS IT IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA TO YOUR AGE GROUP.)

OTHER HOPKINS RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Crowded ICUs Tied to Higher Risk of COVID-19 Death (CIDRAP) COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) at US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals during peak coronavirus patient surges were twice as likely to die than those treated during low-demand periods, an observational study published today in JAMA Network Open suggests.

2. Panel: China, WHO Should Have Acted Quicker to Stop Pandemic (AP) A panel of experts commissioned by the World Health Organization has criticized China and other countries for not moving to stem the initial outbreak of the coronavirus earlier and questioned whether the U.N. health agency should have labeled it a pandemic sooner.

3. Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine Works Just as Well Against Variant First Detected in U.K., Study Indicates (STAT News) The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech appears to work just as well against a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom as it does against earlier forms of the pathogen, the companies reported in a study Wednesday.