CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 08/11/2021

HERE WE GO AGAIN

FROM THE NYT TODAY

The average number of new cases in Harrison County reached 32 yesterday, a 19 percent increase from the day before. Since January of last year, at least 1 in 11 people who live in Harrison County have been infected, and at least 1 in 579 people have died.

FROM TYLER YESTERDAY:

USE OF NASAL SPRAYS AND GARGLES TO PREVENT OR ATTENUATE COVID-19 :

.Review of the use of nasal and oral antiseptics during a global pandemic

(J. Harris: more than you ever want to know about nose sprays and gargles)

Personal Note: My family and I use a 0.5 % nasal spray/gargle made out of 10% Betadine and our deep well water at times when area infections are rampant, before and after we go out to necessary places like the grocery store even though we also wear a mask when out. We also use it before and after being near other people, family or not, who don’t live in our house. Only recently, have we felt it prudent to use it again like we did last winter. I reviewed this topic on a mailout over a year ago and have used it intermittently ever since. So far, we have gotten away with forgetfulness when we failed to utilize it.

Does it work? I don’t know. I do think it is safe if you’re not allergic to iodine. It is said to help some people with chronic sinus infections. I feel, it’s worth a try.

I mix 5 ml of 10% Betadine Solution with 100 ml of water and distribute the mixture into a nasal spray bottle that I boiled in hot water before filling. I ordered my Betadine from Amazon, but I’m sure it’s available locally as well. It’s also cheap.

5 ml is one teaspoon (Betadine)

100 ml is about 7 tablespoons or about 3.5 oz. (water)

The resultant mixture should be about 0.5% concentration.

I think it’s safe and possibly useful. Of course, you should ask your personal physician before you try it. There are now many similar studies available that generally look good to me.

Out of control’: Dallas County reports 3,270 coronavirus cases in 3-day total

”…COVID-19 is spreading out of control in Dallas County, our North Texas region, the state of Texas and throughout much of the nation…The delta variant is truly a game changer…A forecast from UTSouthwestern Medical Center released Monday estimates that the growth rate of new cases and hospitalizations in Dallas County will continue to increase, with the county reaching more than 2,000 cases a day and 1,500-plus hospitalized patients by late August. Tripling the current pace of vaccinations would drastically lower the peak of hospitalizations the county is on track for later in the fall, the forecast found.

HOUSTON AREA IN TROUBLE:

COVID surge forcing hospital patients into closets and hallways, Montgomery County judge says

(Yesterday, an Internist friend of mine from Montgomery County called me to say that on Monday, he had 4 established patients, all of whom were vaccinated with two-shot vaccines, who presented to his office with symptomatic Covid infection. Two of the four were significantly ill. His patients are generally affluent and not engaged in plucking chickens or living in crowded housing. It would be interesting to know if their vaccinations were “early” like Dec. and January or later.) He’s a good doctor and they likely will do well. None of the four was hospitalized, yet).

FROM HOPKINS:

1. Safety and Immunogenicity of Heterologous Versus Homologous Prime-boost Schedules with an Adenoviral Vectored and mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (Com-COV): A Single-blind, Randomised, Non-inferiority Trial (The Lancet) Use of heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine schedules could facilitate mass COVID-19 immunisation. However, we have previously reported that heterologous schedules incorporating an adenoviral vectored vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, AstraZeneca; hereafter referred to as ChAd) and an mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2, Pfizer–BioNTech; hereafter referred to as BNT) at a 4-week interval are more reactogenic than homologous schedules. Here, we report the safety and immunogenicity of heterologous schedules with the ChAd and BNT vaccines.

2. SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Public School District Employees Following a District-Wide Vaccination Program — Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, March 21–April 23, 2021 Weekly SARS-CoV-2 antigen screening tests required of all employees returning for in-school instruction in the School District of Philadelphia found a 95% lower percentage of positive test results among persons who reported receipt of 2 doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (0.09%) than among those who were unvaccinated (1.77%). Efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccination among school staff members before the upcoming 2021–22 school year will be foundational to ensure a safe learning environment. (CDC MMWR, 7/30/2021)

3. COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Adolescents Aged 12–17 Years — United States, December 14, 2020–July 16, 2021 Local and systemic reactions after vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were commonly reported by adolescents aged 12–17 years to US vaccine safety monitoring systems, especially after dose 2. A small proportion of these reactions are consistent with myocarditis. Mild local and systemic reactions are common among adolescents following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and serious adverse events are rare. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices conducted a risk-benefit assessment and continues to recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for all persons aged ≥12 years. (CDC MMWR, 8/6/2021)

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST

It’s like ‘Jurassic Park,’ the moment you realize the dinosaurs have all got loose again.”

China has punished dozens of officials for failing to control the Delta outbreak

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AND LAST BUT NOW LEASED: