CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 04/19/2021

NYT DAILY TRACKER (free and you can make your own areas of interest. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-cases-deaths-tracker.html? )

(J. Harris: Counts are generally down on Mondays.)

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HOW TO IMPROVE VACCINATION ADMINISTRATION IN MARSHALL?

The Marshall-Harrison County Health Department does not have refrigeration. They can’t store the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines locally. Their current J &J Vaccine supply is on hold for a while yet. Even when the J&J hold is lifted, the local health department does not have enough staff to provide more than a routine Wednesday, appointment-only vaccination clinics, as they have been doing in an efficient and capable manner.

Christus Hospitals have vaccine, refrigeration, and staff and are doing a fabulous job of providing vaccine in Tyler and Longview — but not Marshall. Obviously, one can schedule a vaccination in either place and drive over and get the shot. I did and was happy to do so; however, there are many in our community who can’t or won’t go out of town to get vaccinated. Some are hesitant and need encouragement. Others need help with planning and transportation and would (or will) even if the vaccinations were available in Marshall.

If vaccine was available to ETBU, the university could reduce or solve our local vaccination problems. They have or will soon have refrigeration, and they have the staff including student nurses to run an injection clinic in their Gym. They have the ability to request and get help from the local health department as well as volunteer or paid medical help as needed. ETBU has many bilingual staff members and students who could inform, encourage, and hold injection clinics for this underserved Hispanic minority – if they could get the vaccines. , the ETBU staff and students already have a well-deserved and significantly positive standing in our local and area Black community.

ETBU has quietly and competently evaluated, faced, and controlled their Covid situation while safely continuing most of their education programs. Their enlightened and well-led staff have protected their students, employees, faculty, and administrators, while at the same time they HAVE NOT ENDANGERED OUR COMMUNITY.

How can we help ETBU get vaccine to administer locally? Does anyone have suggestions?

Jim Harris, MD

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TEXAS VACCINE ADMINISTRATION HUBS AND SITES MAP

J. Harris: Updated at least weekly; has a map and point and clinic. Right now, most places have J & J but can’t give it.)

Emerging trends among COVID-19 long-haulers: 6 physicians weigh in

(J. Harris: Good short review from Beckers)

COVID-19 is primarily airborne, safety protocols should change urgently: Lancet report (J. Harris: Readable summary. Good short read.)

Why do so many vaccinated people remain irrationally fearful?

“…a vaccinated person’s chances of getting Covid are about one in 11,000. The chances of a getting a version any worse than a common cold are even more remote…But they are not zero. And they will not be zero anytime in the foreseeable future. ..If you’re vaccinated, Covid presents a minuscule risk to you, and you present a minuscule Covid risk to anyone else. A car trip is a bigger threat, to you and others. About 100 Americans are likely to die in car crashes today. The new federal data suggests that either zero or one vaccinated person will die today from Covid.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEASED: