CORONAVIRUS INFO PROVIDED BY DR. JIM HARRIS – 8/9/2022

COVID LEVELS IN OUR AREA ARE MODERATE AND HIGH

SMITH AND CASS COUNTIES ARE HIGH. USE CAUTION

FROM BECKERS:

Why US may be in for a severe flu season

”…Countries in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing a severe flu season, which may be a harbinger of what’s to come for the U.S. this fall…

Health experts often look to the Southern Hemisphere’s flu season, which typically runs from April to September, as a predictor for the Northern Hemisphere’s upcoming flu season…Australia is facing its worst flu season in five years, with infections spiking for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to data from Australia’s health department. Flu season also started earlier than usual in the country, giving the virus more time to circulate and infect the population….

Pharmacies and physician’s offices are expected to receive vaccine shipments in the coming weeks for the nation’s annual fall flu shot campaign. …”

Examination of SARS-CoV-2 In-Class Transmission at a Large Urban University With Public Health Mandates Using Epidemiological and Genomic Methodology

Findings In this cohort study of 140 000 class meetings at a large US university, there were over 850 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection identified through weekly surveillance testing of all students and faculty on campus during the fall 2021 semester. There were 9 instances of potential in-class transmission identified as identical lineages confirmed by SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing, and none of these instances were confirmed to be in-class transmission.

Meaning These results suggest that in-class transmission of SAR-CoV-2 in an urban university with masking and vaccine protocols in-place was negligible.

FROM JAMA:

1. Just the Plague: Reflections on State Control of Infectious Outbreaks

(J. Harris: A book review. The book is available at Amazon only in paperback at this time. I will wait for Kindle version.)

2. Animal Reservoirs—Where the Next SARS-CoV-2 Variant Could Arise

”…Understanding how the virus jumps between species—known to ecologists as a “spillover” event—is complicated but potentially critical in ending the COVID-19 pandemic….[including animals such as } big cats like tigers and lions but also domestic cats and dogs, gorillas, white-tailed deer, hamsters, farmed mink, otters, anteaters, manatees, hippopotamuses, and others… Interspecies transmission can produce new animal reservoirs where the virus can multiply or persist for prolonged periods, creating the potential for the pathogen to transmit back to human populations…”

(J. Harris: It is safer to sleep with a tomato than with a pet!)

3.Rate of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection During an Omicron Wave in Iceland

”…Our results suggest that reinfection is more common than previously thought. Now the key question is whether infection with the Omicron variant will produce better protection against Omicron reinfection, compared with other variants…”

4. Association of Receiving a Fourth Dose of the BNT162b Vaccine With SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Health Care Workers in Israel (Repeat I think)

”…In this multicenter cohort study of 29 611 health care workers in Israel, the breakthrough infection rate among those who received 4 doses was 6.9% compared with 19.8% in those who received 3 doses…”

Measuring work-related risk of COVID-19: comparison of COVID-19 incidence by occupation and industry – Wisconsin, September 2020-May 2021

”…During September 2020 – May 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services collected occupation and industry data as part of routine COVID-19 case investigations. Adults aged 18-64 years with confirmed or probable COVID-19 in Wisconsin were assigned standardized occupation and industry codes….

Results

An estimated 11.6% of workers (347,013 of 2.98 million) in Wisconsin, ages 18-64 years, had COVID-19 from September 2020 to May 2021. The highest incidence by occupation (per 100 full-time equivalents) occurred among personal care and services workers (22.4), healthcare practitioners and support staff (20.7), and protective services workers (20.7). High risk sub-groups included nursing assistants and personal care aides (28.8), childcare workers (25.8), food and beverage service workers (25.3), personal appearance workers (24.4), and law enforcement workers (24.1). By industry, the incidence was highest in healthcare (18.6); the highest risk sub-sectors were nursing care facilities (30.5) and warehousing (28.5)…”

AND LASTLY:

My tolerance for idiots is extremely low these days.

I used to have some immunity built up, but there must be a new strain out there?